Well, when I got up yesterday morning the sky was crystal clear, and it
was 60 degrees, with the promise of becoming warmer.
The TR was running, and although it needed tires and the side curtains
are not mounted yet, I felt it was good enough for me to use it to make
the 100 mile round trip to work and back.
Ah yes, the thrill of cruising down the New York Thruway in the pre-
dawn glow, with the top down and the car bouncing about on tires that
are not entirely round. Traffic was running at speeds of 80 miles per
hour, I was not tempted to keep up, although the car could have gone
that fast. Many people practically drove up my rear bumper trying to get
a close look. The temperature gauge started to climb above 185.
Onto Route 17 south in New Jersey, Where the speed of traffic was more
reasonable, and the people in the right lane were only traveling 60.
Still more tailgaters, as well as people pulling alongside. The
temperature gauge was up around 210 and still climbing.
Onto the Garden State Parkway, where even though traffic was zipping, it
was still reasonable. But now the gauge is at 230. I pull over at a
phone stop. Oil pressure has fallen a bit, and the radiator is boiling
over.
I let the car sit for 20 minutes and then continue. I'm within 15
minutes of my destination, so I'm not too concerned. The gauge comes
down a bit, but a few minutes later starts jumping up and down. I'm not
sure how to interpret this, so I drive on.
After a few stops in traffic, I reach my destination, the car still
running as if nothing is wrong. I park it and let it cool. during this
interval, the temperature gauge drops to 90 and just sits there.
2 hours later, I go out and check the water. Hmmm. None I can see. It
takes a gallon to fill it up. No water in the oil, no leaks, and the car
starts up immediately and runs fine.
At lunch time, I run over to North Arlington, where a friend of mine
runs an automotive machine shop. Before coming to the US from Scotland,
he worked for Rolls Royce, and has been interested, in my work on the
car for some time, although he hadn't seen it in one piece. The
temperature gauge never moves during this trip.
Once I get there the fun starts. It turns out that the mark I used to
time the car is not really a timing mark, it's just a scratch. The
timing is still too far advanced. The carbs are too lean. after some
fussing, I get them set well enough that the car runs much smoother on
the low end. We also found that although I was unable to find any leaks
around the throttle shafts when I set up, I've now got big ones.
Fortunately I had already ordered bushes and shafts, so I'll be taking
the carbs back to him to have them fit.
I also at that time found about a dozen bolts that I had not tightened,
and one bumper bracket that I had brazed instead of welded (first repair
I made, before I had gotten a welder) had broken.
My gas tank still has a pinhole leak someplace, so I bit the bullet and
ordered a new one from Moss. I've repaired this one 3 times and I'm
tired of it.
Then the trip home at the end of the day. Although the car was stuck in
traffic several times, and I had no temperature gauge, The oil pressure
didn't fall off as much and the radiator never boiled over.
So, now I need to send out to get the gauge repaired, and I've got to
check my extra set of wheels for roundness and get new tires. Install a
new gas tank, fit the side curtains, tighten a bunch of bolts, weld the
bumper bracket, etc.
Although I'll still drive the car locally when the weather permits, it
looks like any more long trips will be off until next spring.
--
George Richardson
The Wyvern - '57 TR3, TS15559L - Now on the road!
http://www.merlingroupinc.com/tr3.htm
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