Bob,
Interesting point about the adverts! One that had never occurred to me. I
suppose that it might be a worthwhile pastime on a wet Sunday afternoon
looking for similar.
Regards, David Lodge.
> Nels,
> These cars are not really a peck of trouble at all. They are just
> somewhat behind state of the art 1952 cars. Time has probably caused
> less harm to them than to most vehicles of the same age. Their
> maintenance, care and feeding are things that most owners can accomplish
> at home, with a fairly basic toolkit.
> Cars wore faster then. Engine rebuilds at 60,000 miles were common.
> Look at old magazines such as Life and you will find adverts for Piston
> Rings. Piston Rings!! When was the last time you saw an advert for them?
> Just today, a lister mentioned oiling the hinges on the cars. MG
> suggested that in the owner handbook. Does Honda? Who cares anyway--who
> would want one of them in 52 years?
> Aside from the question of engine blow-by, which really does need to be
> answered to your satisfaction, the other issues are minor. You can
> rebuild the entire brake system of the TD for a few hundred bucks. Try
> that on a modern car. Gas tank leaks are fixable, or you can have
> someone make a new tank. 50 years before a leak isn't bad, really. The
> 50 year old analogue, spring wound clock probably needs only a cleaning
> and oiling to get it ticking accurately once more. Shock absorbers
> (dampers) can be sent out for rebuilding for less than the cost of a
> couple of sets of modern tube shocks that wear out.
> That's not to say that they do not have problems that modern vehicles
> do not. One problem is that the original carpets were wool, so moths can
> eat them.
> But don't be discouraged by the comments that I and others have made.
> A solid TD is a solid automobile.
> A happy TD makes a happy owner. Just as one needs a good wife, good dog
> and good horse (though not necessarily in that order) a TD completes the
> package.
> Bob
>
>>
>> That's a kind of scary and discouraging reply, as I had no
>> indication previously these cars were potentially such trouble.
>>
>> Is there some specific reason you suspect "a peck of trouble"?
>> Something specific about this car, or is it the model in general?
>>
>> I'm in eastern Massachusetts and the car is just over the border in
>> New Hampshire so if there is someone qualified in the area I wouldn't
>> mind hearing from them.
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