Early Morning Motoring!!

 

It's 6.30am on a cold, overcast Saturday morning and we are up nice and to bloody early thanks to our new puppy "Bella", no she is a lovely dog, just joking, so I went out to the shed and fired up the Chev then let him sit there warming up while I shifted my work ute, with the driveway all clear, Bella sitting beside me on the old wire bench seat looking worried "help" and hopefully the neighbours still asleep I drove out onto the street, checked for cars and then pushed down the throttle to the old wooden floor, this time he took off and went through the gears just great, now I thought last time I done this a few weeks back he was running good but now with those "top end" misses and stumbles all gone due to the choke not closing properly it is a different car altogether to drive and when you select 3rd gear, push down the throttle it is smooth & nice to roll off, (the tyres are still lumpy though) but the motor is smooth I mean.....

With a few runs up and down the street on this brisk early morning, not a car in site and by now Bella looking not so concerned and enjoying the fumes I came back to the shed and parked him up.

I am starting to get to know this old car mechanically,  but I also don't want to wear my luck out running it up and down the street to often..


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Anyway all good for now

I Solved The Engine "Stumbles"

Yep I did! and to tell you the truth I am a little embarrassed to write this down but I will as this is a "warts & all" blog including stuff ups and stupid things I do to old "Monty" laid out for all to read and have a laugh with me as I fumble along with this resto and learn by my mistakes.......The only way to learn!

Basically the engine was stumbling and farting a little when revved up and this only just started to happen after I had the carby and fuel system off for a good clean out, so it came down to something that I had created, but what could it be with new spark plugs & leads, cleaned points which are in very good condition, tappets and valve clearances checked and adjusted, all the electrical joiners rubbed, cleaned and re-tightened, the "Stewart's Fuel Vac System" was all running well and no blockages........ I was starting to stand, stare and scratch the head a little to often..
Turns out the choke was not closing properly, I had tightened the choke cable/wire up just a fraction to short on the carby, causing it stay open a little which was sooting up the spark plugs quite quickly and creating the engine to stumble....

Well you should hear old Monty rev up now, just a lovely sound to the ears with all 24 horses of his 24 horse power engine in full flight, it puts a smile on my face that I have got this far and also a "thank you" must go to Trevor and Ray for their help and encouragement when it was needed... Thanks fellas.

Thanks for looking in from time to time and BTW we have had 633 lookers at the blog over the past month (Nov) and last night I was on the computer when I googled "1928 Chevrolet's", clicked on the images button and then I started to look through pages of photos of vintage cars when up came a photo of "Monty" and then a few more pages up came a photo of Dad with him laying in his hospital bed, in his PJ's smiling, giving us the "thumbs up" ....It put a smile on my face and also to know that the "old man" is keeping an eye on us.

Thank You.

It's been 6 months today - 14th December 2010

 These words were taken out of a good book that I read a few years ago now called "Tuesday's with Morrie", actually it's one of the best books and well worth a read!

"As long as we can love each other and remember the feeling of love we had, we can die without ever really going away. All the love you created is still there. All the memories are still there. You live on - in the hearts of everyone you have touched and nurtured while you were here."

Love you dad, thank you and keep smiling- Grant..

Look What Turned Up Today

Yesterday I went out and brought some brand new, wizz bang polish for Monty, says on the bottle that it "brings out the best in all surfaces", so I tried it and bloody hell they were'nt bullshiting either, take a look at the result

Actually I had a visit from a nice bloke called Ray from Melbourne who wanted to have a good look over Monty in his original state.

Ray made the trip up the Princes Hwy from out Rindwood way, cruised on a very comfortable 85kph and arrived just on 10am as arranged and what I bloody nice car he has to, a 1928 Chevrolet and looks every bit brand new since his restoration was completed 35years ago, the car is made up out of 3 separate vehicles which were gathered from around the Victoria & South Australia, the paint work is immaculate and very tastefully finshed off both inside and out....Great job mate.

It wasn't long before we both had our heads looking under the hood of ole Monty and to tell you the truth Monty looked a bit "rough around the edges" after staring at Rays car for a while but anyway Ray gave me a few tips and pointers and quickly ironed out a few motor troubles which was a great help, the motor is still "missing" just a little but it is getting there and will be sorted soon.

Time for a ride in Ray Chev and there is not much room in them really but down the driveway we went and I pointed Ray out towards Uncle Diggers house on the edge of town to give him a look as he had owned a 1927 as a young fella to flog around in.

They get along the road well, a little bumpy, the vinly tops jump and flap around, the motor is a little loud, but you can talk alright and I can see that in there day they would of been better than a horse for transport.

We arrived home, had a cuppa coffee and Ray was off again back down the Hwy towards Melbourne.

Many thanks once again Ray for the visit and a lovely car you have there.

We ventured out into the Street...Shhhhhh

Well tonight I just couldn't help myself, sorry but I broke the law I know!! and now my well maintained driving record is now tarnished, I apologize and hang my head in shame BUT bloody hell it was worth it..

I pointed Monty down the driveway, but first it must be known that before this happened I fitted up an exhaust pipe bandage over the holes and crappy join between the makeshift muffler and also installed a good clamp from the exhaust shop, so with it now quiet and sounding very inconspicuous, Codi and I jumped on board and down the driveway we rumbled with the wind in our hair, brakes work good so we turned right at the letterbox and rolled the throttle on, thru 1st gear then the big shift up into 2nd and off he went like he was just wanting to stretch his legs after all these years, I was about to reach for 3rd gear when "bloody hell son here comes a car", I look around at Codi and he has his eyes hanging out of his head and a grin from ear to ear so I turned into old Mrs Buries driveway and scared the hell out of her as she was out on the front lawn talking with her neighbour as we rolled to a quick stop.
She gives us a wave and a big smile as we reverse back out onto the road and point Monty back towards home which was all of about 100m down the street.
I pull up in our driveway and look at Codi, "How was that son", "bit rough dad, he bounces around a bit", "thats the flat spots on the tyres, we need new ones mate", I say "ya wanna go again son", " Nup I'm going back inside to check on the pup" and out Codi bails...

I back Monty out onto the road and take off with the far end of the street set firmly in my sites this time, 1st, 2nd, and then into 3rd he goes and off we roll, back past Mrs Bury again honk! honk! who give me another wave, then we shoot past the little old Italian man who I don't know by name but see daily who is always in his garden but I don't get a wave from him, I glance down at the speedo, "Buggar, it's not working" we must be really speeding along now I'm thinking NOT! as the corner is taking ages to get closer, past Mrs Browns house I fly who also looks up from her front yard and has a laugh, the flat spots on the old tyres now seem to of all joined together into a nice light vibration, two more houses to go and I have made it to the corner, Monty is now in full flight as I back off the throttle as the exhaust lets out a few pops and I put some pressure on the old brake lever and thank christ they are working as I swing him hard to the right and do a U-turn, I pump the throttle and again he fires into life as I get him back into 2nd and off we go again, 3rd gear is selected easily and within a blink of an eyelid we are rolling past the letterbox & stop in the driveway.
I flick the ignition switch off and sit there taking it all in with my hands firmly rapt around the broken old wooden steering wheel, the squeaks, the rattles and the smells of the burning old oil & fumes lifting off the 80year old motor, it was priceless, I have waited many years for that little 3 minute trip....It was short lived but FUN.

This is living folks!!

Thanks and stay tuned soon.

Monty "flying" down the driveway

With the oil filter fixed, new spark plugs & leads, the carby kit in with no more fuel leaks and the startor motor repaired it was time for another long overdue drive....But just up and down the driveway!

He fires into life really well now and idles sweet but is still running a little rough when you take off, but the exhaust pipe wouldn't help to much as it a loud, rather short and coming thur a temp wired on no name muffler...But who cares and here is a very quick video that my daughter shot today...

Where's that coming from - Bugger it!!

With the new carby kit in my hand and also a set of 4 new spark plugs for Monty I was out in my little shed by mid-morning with the radio cranked up nicely.
Plugs in, carby kit fitted up and then bolted back onto the motor, I had put the startor motor back on the other night after the auto-lect dropped it back to me after a bit of a tidy up. "It didn't need much, brushes were fine so make it $50 and off he went"....
In goes the new 6volt battery that I now have fitted up to a trickle-charge in the workshop, I recheck the carby again for anymore leaks, none that I could see so I grab the fire extinguisher and place it near the drivers door just to be on the safe side as I don't really know this car all that well just yet and then I climb in and sit down behind the broken old steering wheel....
I flick the ignition switch, pump the throttle a couple of times and then hit the startor button with my left foot and bloody hell it turned over so much better and quickly after the startor motor was repaired, anyway BANG! he fires into life straight away and sits there idling nice and sweet although bloody loud as I look down directly below me between my legs where the old muffler with its holes in the exhaust pipe is puffing out some smoke...
After a couple of mintues I leave him running as I climb out and walk around to look under the bonnet and then the other side to check the carby again, no leaks, no smoke, all good and then I step back to take it all in, WTF is that!! and I see a big pool of black oil on my nice concrete floor, where is it coming from!! as Monty has not leaked oil ever, so I switch him off and have a better look.....Turns out the oil filter cannister has a crack/small hole in the front upper section near the outlet pipe and it is pumping out a nice stream of oil when the motor is running, that explains all the old thick oil, dirt and crap in the bottom of the engine bay pan when I was degreasing it out a few weeks back..... Well my fun Saturday came to a grinding holt.....Lunch time.

With a full belly and a good deal of sole searching I decided to drain & flush out the radiator so I roll Monty over on to the grass and grab the hose, but first I get down underneath and look for the old drain plug, bingo I find it and yes it is all very tight but I get it undone and nothing comes out....But the radiator has never leaked and is full of water so I poke a peice of wire up in there and all the brown, rusty, thick liquid dribbles out and get quicker and quicker.
I place the hose in the top of the radiator and leave it for 30 minitues until the water runs through clear...Amazing really as I wonder how long since that was last done...I add some anti rust - anti freeze and call it a day
....Oh the adventures of fixing up Monty continue