And why... didn't you get in the Alpine for the run to the scoop shop?
tim
Colin Cobb wrote:
> Hey Guys,
>
> Heh, heh, heh... That subject line was just a clever ruse to be sure I
> have your undivided attention...
>
> So, you remember the ancient Chinese curse? "May you live in interesting
> times!"
>
> Well, I think it could quite easily be amended to: "May you live in
> interesting times and drive a Tiger!"
>
> Things here in the wilds of New Mexico have been going pretty good,
> mayhap too darn good... I may have made the Gods jealous.
>
> We had Janet's birthday party a day early, a week ago today, and lots
> of good people showed up, lots of good food got eaten, a few LBC's
> showed up, and one Tiger, driven by our own lively Lister Dan Eiland,
> was here, too. My daughter (Dana) and son-in-law (Brian) came in from
> Austin, Texas and spent the week, giving me the perfect opportunity to
> afford them both some left-seat time in the 'Beamish Boy as they will be
> driving the little gem north to Santa Fe (300 miles) in September to
> participate in the Jaguar-sponsored Roadrunner 1000, billed as the only
> event with "1000" in the name that does not cost in multiples of 1000
> bucks to participate in.
>
> The plan for September calls for Janet and me to drive Tigger the Tiger
> on the trip whilst the youngsters drive the Alpine, an arrangement Dana
> and Brian are happy with as they are much enamored with 'Beamish,
> as well they might be as that is one sweet little car.
>
> So, anyway...
>
> After Dana and Brian departed for Austin yesterday morning I went back
> to bed, arising a few hours later much refreshed and revitalized.
> Despite the afternoon temp's nuzzling 100 degrees again, I took my new
> Tiger throttle cable from Sunbeam Specialties down to the garage and
> installed it, no problemo. (I was so proud!)
>
> I turned the key to test the throttle cable and Tigger started up
> easily, and ran strong so I got all enthusiastic and decided to head
> down to the Sonic Drive-in for the hot rod cruise-in, then run on down
> to Scoopy's for the fortnightly Ice Cream Social and Bench Race.
>
> The ambient air temp was down to the low 90's by the time Janet and I
> hopped into Tigger and headed out at a little after 7 PM. At speed on US
> 70 everything was feeling fine... The wind tousling my flowing locks
> despite my snappy blue cap... The waves of heat coming up from the
> floorboards slow-cooking my right drumstick... Ah! The life of a fast
> movin', slow cookin' Tigerist in sunny New Mexico!
>
> So, anyway...
>
> After stopping for the last red light before entering the city (I just
> can't get with the new fad of running the darned things!), I accelerated
> away rather briskly, teaching manners to a ten year old Cougar. Boy,
> that new throttle cable is slick!
>
> I slowed for the left turn onto Roadrunner Boulevard using, naturally
> enough, the brake pedal in the process... (Oh! How little I knew!)
>
> Going down the big hill on Roadrunner something did not feel quite
> right. Going back up the other side of the hill, something briefly felt
> very wrong... Like it was taking way too much of that new throttle cable
> to get up the hill, know what I mean? And the engine temp jumped up 20
> degrees. Then, for maybe four miles, everything felt alright, engine
> temp dropped back below 100 C.
>
> "You know," I said to Janet, "that was weird. Almost like I was dragging
> a brake, except the car stayed straight... Besides, if I was dragging a
> brake, I shoulda been able to smell it... And everything feels OK now."
>
> Four miles later, as I approached the Hilton Hotel parking lot where a
> bunch of friends awaited to cruise over to the Sonic, Tigger started
> slowing of his own free will. As more and more throttle produced less
> and less result I turned into the lot and headed for the nearest parking
> space. (Hey, I hadda get out of traffic.)
>
> I was sorta half way into the parking slot next to Charlie Beard's green
> MGB when all forward motion ceased and Charlie shouted, "Your front
> wheel is on fire!"
>
> As Janet bailed out and ran for cover I urged her to save me a seat on
> the lifeboat. Then I grabbed the fire extinguisher (conveniently rolling
> around the floor on the passenger side) and jumped out to head around to
> the right front wheel. I could see no flames but, feeling some concern
> about the overabundance of oxygen found in Tigger's vicinity, I broke
> the seal and emptied the extinguisher on, in, through, over, and around
> the slotted wheel. Needless to say, a cloud of fine white powder settled
> slowly over everything, most especially Tigger's sleek black flanks and
> Charlie Beard's beautifully gleaming green MGB...
>
> I popped the hood and, thankfully, there was no evidence of fire in
> there, either.
>
> Meantime, all my friends except Charlie Beard were busily (and
> understandably) moving their tin as far away as possible. The Mercedes
> SLK headed out the fastest, thus justifying that Kompressor. Many
> drivers shouted encouragement as they left. Charlie, however, stayed the
> course, hanging in to help and offering his reserves of bottled water
> which I dumped on the front wheels, which may have been a mistake, I
> guess. David Cox stayed pretty close, too, and offered help which was
> much appreciated. Some others came back to spectate after removing their
> cars a couple of hundred yards...
>
> About then, that ol' rabble agitator W. Kowalski, showed up and, from
> the look in his eye, I am sure he thought this was all some dodge to
> avoid racing his Giant Killer MGB but he pitched in to help anyway. He
> had missed the high drama but offered to tow me home (15 miles). I
> settled, instead, for the use of his tool kit. (Don't ask why I am still
> not carrying tools in Tigger!) Between me and Walt, we managed to pull
> the vacuum line off the brake booster, at which point the brakes became
> sort of semi-operational again.
>
> Walt sacrificed his brand new needle nose pliers, the handle of which
> fit quite nicely in the now unused vacuum hose, thus plugging it. I let
> the car cool for a bit, then fired up (ooops! make that "started up")
> and drove around the Hilton parking lot to evaluate the brake system
> sans booster as I was not sure it would work at all. It worked but
> suffice it to say that stopping took lots of planning.... At least three
> pumps on the pedal to do much at all... The situation improved when
> using the hand brake in conjunction with the foot brake. I now
> understand why Tigers have the hand brake on the left... It is to allow
> you to brake with your left hand whilst downshifting with your right
> hand whilst gripping the steering wheel in your teeth.
>
> In the final analysis I judged it dangerous but not suicidal to drive.
> How often do you really NEED your brakes, anyway?
>
> I sent Janet to the nearby Sonic on foot, then I fired up (ooops!) and
> drove over... One way to get the old adrenaline flowing! Would you
> believe that as I pulled into Sonic some of my erstwhile goombahs
> shouted ribald comments about my having "three blackwalls and one really
> ratty looking whitewall" on the car?
>
> We sat around the Sonic another half-hour then headed out for home,
> Kowalski volunteering to drive clean-up behind me, just in case, before
> he continued on to the Scoop-o-rama.
>
> Janet and I made the trip at about 45 MPH, admiring that lovely star-studded
>New
> Mexico sky all the way home. By the time we got to the garage the
> boosterless brakes were considerably better, requiring just a tug on the
> hand brake and a single pump of the foot brake to coast to a gentle,
> graceful, gradual stop.
>
> Inside the garage, I told Janet that I felt I had learned to cope with
> the lack of fanciful fripperies from the mid-sixties and suggested she
> climb back in so we could head back to Scoopy's for that chocolate
> malted. Perhaps I should not have said nothin' as she then rhapsodized
> in words I have not heard lately, words I did not even know she knew,
> words I did not even know I knew...
>
> So, anyway...
>
> I think it is significant that throughout this adventure:
>
> 1) Tigger's engine never overheated enough to spew coolant! Imagine all
> the extra effort that little 260 had to put out to haul those locked
> brakes!
>
> 2) The brakes never squeeked, squealed, stunk, or smoked, right up to
> the fire. All of the brakes were hot enough to fry an egg, no problemo,
> and the fronts would have burned you to the bone had you been dumb
> enough to grab ahold.
>
> 3) The master cylinder was, and is, full.
>
> I will, of course, pull the right front wheel and inspect everything. It
> must have been wheel bearing grease burning, but I will find out for
> sure. I will inspect the wheel to be sure that the water did not warp or
> crack it. I hope I did not lunch the brakes themselves but don't think I
> did because of the lack of weird sounds when the brakes are applied.
>
> My assumption is that the brake booster is shot. I would not entrust
> such a vital system to a clown, so I will not attempt to rebuild it
> myself. I do not want a "modern" unit unless I am forced to it. Does
> anyone know of a source for guaranteed rebuilt units? Failing that, how
> about a source where I can send my booster for a guaranteed rebuild?
>
> (Yes I know similar questions have been raised on the List lately but I
> am damned if I can find them. Won't it be nice when LaifMan has his/our
> new Tiger site up and all this kind of stuff will be archived in easy to
> use sections?)
>
> Can anybody propose a good reason I can offer up to Janet as to why I
> still did not have a toolkit in the car?
>
> Finally, can anybody propose a good reason I can offer up to LaifMan as
> to why I am not carrying an emergency bypass kit for the booster,
> ostensibly available from CAT, whereof I am a member? Had I had one of
> those gems I really could have continued on to Scoopy's...
>
> Cheers!
>
> --Colin Cobb, Las Cruces, NM, USA
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