Hi JD,
You asked:
> Does anyone have some experiences using one of these items on
> their own car, or are these things more decoration than anything? Can the
> car get started fairly easily, or am I likely to separate my shoulder first?
During the early days of my ownership of my TR-3 (probably sometime in
the
70's), the starter motor died and being the poor student-type that I was
then, I couldn't afford a new starter. So, I used the hand crank for
the
entire summer. By late November, though, as the air got colder and the
oil got thicker, I realized that it was time to spend the money for a
new
starter.
Anyway, they do work well, as long as your compression has not been
raised
and the car starts relatively easily (that is, its in good tune). I
always
tried to make sure that that power stroke of the cranks was going
upward,
so that if it slipped, I didn't do a face plant into the ground. Watch
your wrists in case of a backfire, too.
Enjoy the looks from other motorists when you hop in your car and turn
the
key on, then hop out with this silly crank in your hand and begin to
crank
the motor. They'll think that you've gone crazy!
later,
John
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