Avanti R2, 1963, refresh

[unimogjohn]

It is Tuesday, Nov. 2nd. No Avanti work for me except to talk to Greg about taking my bumpers to Reedsville, PA at the end of the month. While presentable, they need to be re-plated. Jerry Forrester will be at Reedsville, and he usually takes in stuff to be re-chromed back to GA. Then I can pick them up from him when he comes back up to York, PA in the spring. Have an email in to Jerry to make sure that this is a good plan.

I did get both the 23 McLaughlin Buick and the 28 Buick running and out of the garage. Both started easily and ran great. The 28's carb has to be removed AGAIN. I have some crud in one of the jets/tubes. Oh, well, it only takes an hour or so to fix.

Greg is working too. Here is his not too happy report.

"PO'd. Called the upholstery shop this morning, first of November. The front seats (and healthy deposit) they've been holding since early in the year were to be done the last of October. Guess what. Aren't done. Haven't even started on them. Don't even know when they can.

As this project drags on and on. I tried to get something done on the car this evening in an unheated building. That didn't work out very well either. I thought I'd maybe get some paint on those brake dust shields here in the shop. Remembered when I shot the paint on the Stoddard Dayton fuel tank when the furnace was on but the tank was still cool. Cost me a repaint.

So, I gave it up and resumed stripping the paint on the Matheson cylinders. Tenatious, it must be soaked, then scrubbed with a wire brush before hosing down. Must be an eigth of an inch of it.

Maybe in a better mood tomorrow.

[unimogjohn]

It is Wednesday, Nov. 3. Another hard freeze last night, old man winter is coming. Got a call from my friend Wayne this morning. He has a painter coming over on Friday to take a look at his 73 Corvette so if the painter has time I will drive the Avanti up to see what he thinks about painting.

Greg is busy as always. Here is his report.

"Got a few minutes with the car this evening. Replaced the rubber fuel lines and with a handful of new hose clamps, finished the engine installation and gave it a short test run.

Meanwhile back at the warm shop, I was able to get black on the front brake dust shields, then returned to the pile of bucket seat track hardware. Rusted, busted, welded, brazed, all manner of destruction awaiting repair. Took them apart last winter. The trail grows cold.

Down to bedrock on the Matheson cylinders. The bare cylinder castings with studs and a couple fittings weigh in at 30# each."

[unimogjohn]

It is Thursday, Nov. 4th. Normally, I do not post non-car stuff, but this just amazed me. Remember a few weeks ago when I said that we were having a "stink bug" problem with hundreds/thousand trying to get inside the house. Well a few made it in, and we are still finding them in any dark corner like printers, clothes, books, etc. Not many, but just enough to be irritating. Maybe, 5 to 10 per day.

So yesterday, it was cool inside the house so decided to start the pellet stove for the evening. This would give me the chance to make sure that it was working OK for the season. Well, opened up the front to check the burn pot, and the ash pan had about a hundred of the stink bugs in it. Hummmmm. So cleaned them out, and checked for more. Found lots around door gasket and the sides of the stove and vacuumed them out. OK, so good.

Decided then just to light the fire. Well, the combustion blower would not come on so got fault lights on the control board. So I pulled all 400 lbs of stove out and checked the blower port. This is a big chamber that houses the fan blade that pressurizes the stove and pushes out the exhaust to the flue. It is about 3x4x8 inches, a little rectangle. Well, I opened the inspection door and the entire box was jammed full of stink bugs. What a sight, it was so full that the fan was jammed. I figure that there were thousands.

Here are a couple of pics. Anyway, cleaned them all out and blew out all the heating chambers and started the stove. It took about three hours to clean them all out. The first pic is of the combustion chamber exhaust port that goes into the flue. Look at those pesky guys! And the second pic is of the chamber itself. See how they are packed in there; this is just usually a big empty space.

A couple of days ago I did take out both old cars, and the bugs were in the door jams, etc. I think I will pull the seats today and make sure that I get them out of their hiding places.

[unimogjohn]

And here is Greg's report for Wednesday.

"Avanti: Rainy and cool, so I just looked in on the car. Still there, so decided to work in the shop.

Bead cleaned more seat track parts. Originally cad plated, but when clean I'm just giving the the rattle can treatment.

Found a shade of aluminum that looks close. Not a show car. I might have gotten the two remaining parts done, but being the ones with the adjustment handle, they are more complicated.

The chrome knobs need to come off. Held on by set screws that take a teensy weensy Allen wrench, and of course it's lying on the floor of the car, so I'll get it next trip. Also, do you notice anything odd in the photo? I didn't at first. Both knobs have the setscrew pointing inboard.

Matheson: Spent the evening staring at two of them through the window of the blast cabinet. One photo shows the fittings. One fitting is for the drip oil to the cylinder bore. The other must be a compression release. A ball bearing is held tight against its seat until the screw is loosened. Body of fitting has a relief drilled through its wall."

[bhclark]

That's a LOT of stinkbugs!

YUCK!

[unimogjohn]

It is Friday, Nov 5th. Rained hard last night, 1.25 inches and it is cold.

Today Wayne (has the two Corvettes, 72 and 64 and is the one that wants to soda blast them before paint prep) may have a local painter coming over to his place. So if he does I am going to drive the Avanti over to see what he says. I will try to remember to take the camera and take a couple of shots of the Corvettes.

Greg is working on his Avanti, but it is starting to get a bit too cold now. But here is his last night's report.

"Busy day on the job, worked late. Found no time for the Avanti project, did clean the remaining pair of Matheson cylinders and got a first coat of epoxy primer on all four for rust prevention. Can't find the camera, so you'll just have to imagine the cylinders in a nice shade of gray."

[unimogjohn]

Still Friday, but PM. Spent the afternoon with Wayne and his Corvettes. While waiting for John, the painter, we pulled the engine in his 1964. Now he can pull the body off the frame, and but the body on a special dolly. The dolly and the body will then go off for final body work and paint. John the painter arrived and went over the car and pronounced it ready for prep. Wayne wants this to be an original resto and is going to great lengths to make sure that it will be correct. He does have the original engine and has plans to rebuild it.

After John got done with the Corvette he turned his attention to the Avanti. He pointed out several areas that had been repaired that I had not noticed. He has a great eye for the fiberglass cars. We talked a long while. Since the Avanti is going to be a driver, he recommended that we not strip the car. He said that any bondo would have to come out, and the body repaired. He said that then I might as well open up my wallet real big. So I will remove whatever trim I can, and he will work on the rest as required. The body will then be sanded, repaired, two coats of primer, and then blocked and painted.

He told me that he just finished an Avanti II a few months ago that almost sent him to the looney bin as it had been stripped. He said that mine looks new compared to that Avanti. I liked John so will call him in a few days for an estimate. If it is reasonable then I think I will let him paint the car.

I also exchanged email with Jerry Forrester of Jerry's Chrome in GA. He will do my bumpers with a 8 to 10 week turn around. Greg still has a shipping box for the bumpers so at least I do not have to make a box.

I have a number of other car and mechanical projects to do before winter sets in so it will probably be a couple of weeks before I can start taking apart the Avanti. Stay tuned.

Oh, Wayne has three Vets, the 64, the 73, and the 07 with 13K miles. The 07 is quite the car. He just got it last week. It looks super fast just sitting in the garage. Here are some pics.

[keiser31]

Is this Avanti?

ebay item #220692556162

[unimogjohn]

Keister, I do not recognize it. Certainly not a part on my Avanti.

[Guest jlmccuan]

Not Studebaker Avanti anyway

[unimogjohn]

It is Monday morning, Nov 8th. Cold last night and 26 degrees this morning. There is a bite in the air this morning. Will get to Greg's question that he asked today too. (question is below)

Despite the cold Greg is moving ahead. Here is his weekend report.

"I hate it, but preparing for winter.

Drained the Stoddard and flushed it with antifreeze.

Pumped up some tires on it and the REO.

Poured in some stabilizer in the SD fuel tank, the REO is empty.

Drained the Avanti and poured some antifreeze through it.

The IHC remains indoors so it still has water in it (but I must be careful of power outages). Checked it's tires, no air in them, thank goodness. (solid rubber)

Then proceeded to the Avanti. I hung the power steering pump, and installed a new belt. Loosely installed the hoses because I'm not sure of the routing. The supercharger is now off the floor and in it's place. Worked toward reinstalling that back seat panel. Adjusted and tightened the fuel inlet and tank connection. Found shiny new screws to secure the rear seat speaker.

John Feser: Could you verify the routing of the power steering hoses for me. The ones from the pump to the control valve. I know that there's supposed to be an insulated hose clamp that secures them to the inner fender apron by the voltage regulator, but then how do they go?

Then I need to find someone to tell me about the way the clutch pedal rod attaches to that bellcrank under the brake booster.

( John's is an automatic.)

All to report for now.

[unimogjohn]

It is Tuesday, Nov 9th. Greg continues to roll along. Here is his report.

"Back to work on the Avanti seat tracks. More bead blasting and light coat of aerosol to protect them. Then for the rollers. Movement happens because of the ball bearings contained in the track. Photo show the casters overhauled with new balls.

Other pic is of the Matheson camshaft brackets and bearings being stripped of paint."

[unimogjohn]

It is Wednesday, Greg is still busy. I am confused about his waiting for rotors comment, so sent him a note. But anyway, here is his report. Really coming along on the Matheson engine now as it will soon start to be reassembled.

"The Avanti rotors might have been on the "night truck" to the local parts house. I'll know in the morning, if not they surely will make it in tomorrow. Meanwhile I took time to install the backing plates and caliper mounting brackets (with new grade 8 bolts). That should expedite things.

As for the Matheson, scrubbed the paint from those cam bearing brackets and have them hanging in place on the cylinders. The brackets are of cast aluminum. Pics for those interested.

My intention is to temporarily install the camshaft which services both the valves and the make and break ignitors. I'm also trying to familiarize myself with the Bosch low tension magneto. This one utilizes a stationery armature and a rotating inductor. This offers four power pulses per revolution compared to the two generated in a typical mag. Although it appears to run crankshaft speed like a typical magneto on a four cylinder engine.

It would be interesting to see if I can watch the ignition contacts make sparks inside the cylinders before the heads are installed, in fact before the cylinders are painted and buttoned up."

[unimogjohn]

I asked Greg about the rotors. I thought that he had all done, but here is his response.

The rotor saga:

Original discs had been turned to undersize thickness.

So new discs purchased that required removing old discs from hubs and substitution.

Trial assembly and placement on the spindle resulted in .015" runout when checked with dial indicator.

Hubs taken to Mitch to have the mating surface trued on brake lathe.

Final assembly when checked with indicator showed .010 runout.

Rotors then taken to CarQuest where they were sent to Winchester to be turned to eliminate the runout.

Saga won't be over until they find their way back to me.

[unimogjohn]

It is Thursday, November 11th. Another nice day. I did a lot of car stuff all day yesterday. Replaced the rear brake pads on the W8 VW Passat, changed the oil in the 23 McLaughlin Buick, repacked the water pump and ran her up and down the country roads. And changed oil and filter in the Kubota tractor.

And Greg is moving right along too. Here is his report.

"Why don't I get it?

The rotors came in today. That's good. Repacked the wheel bearings with fresh grease. That's good. Remembered to check the fit of the new grease seals before I press them into place in the hubs. That's good. They don't fit. That's bad.

They've only been lying on the bench for a month or so. I know to CHECK EVERYTHING. Maybe I can plead insanity. Got the car to prove it. Anyway, took them back, new ones will be in tomorrow. Maybe the right size.

Meanwhile, took the time to set up the brake calipers. They need to be acurately centered over the rotor discs. Had to make a few shims, but got it done. Tomorrow I'll have to take it all apart to install the seals. I guess I'm gaining on it.

When I look at these front brakes I recall an incident from once upon a time. Maybe I've already told you about it. Steve and I must have been to DC for the day. We were barrelling back on Rt 50, me in the black Avanti, he in his maroon car. I was in the lead and somewhere around Aldie I think, noticed his headlights weren't in my mirror. Pulled over, waited, turned back to find him along side the road and under the car. He had been at cruising speed but found that the more gas pedal he gave it, the slower it went. Ground to a halt and he noticed a red glow under the front of the car. The discs were red hot. The car was equipped with a hill holder and when the linkage fell off, the thing gradually applied the brakes. He secured it with a piece of wire. Full of memories, this car.

Also enclosed are a few pictures of the Matheson camshaft. A busy thing. It operates the valves via rocker arms. It operates the ignition make and break action. It has a gear on each end. One makes the shaft go around. The other makes the dash oiler pump oil.

Closeups of the camming will show the lobes for the valve operation. Also the blade that triggers the ignitors. Notice the cam profiles. Remember this was built back in the days when cave men worked on these things with rocks and sticks. The pointy lobe is for intake valve operation, the blunt one for exhaust. Too bad they didn't know anything about valve duration."

[unimogjohn]

It is Thursday, November 12th. Our whole house generator arrive yesterday thanks to Wayne. At least it is unloaded. Have to pick up a crane for the tractor to lift it, weighs 450 lbs, and place it on its pad in the back of the house. Gas folks coming on the 17th to hook it up. Just another project. But I do plan to pull the Avanti out today, warm her up and change the oil for the season.

In the meantime, here is Greg's report from yesterday.

"Veteran's Day. To those of you, thanks for what you did. Shame we can't thank those who didn't come home.

The parts store had two sets of seals. I took them both and one set actually fit. Seals installed, smeared more grease on the bearings and now everything but the cotterpins are tight. Remind me to get them tomorrow.

Carried the master cylinder to Lee's so that I could use his Sunnen hone to touch up the bore. A quick measurement before and after indicates the bore is now about .012" oversize to get the rust pits out. While I was there I mentioned that I'd heard veterans get a free meal at Appleby's Restaruant.

Later in the evening while working in the chill, a hot meal sounded like a great intermission. The restaraunt web site verified a free dinner if you had proof of service. Dawned on me to find my fatigue jacket with my name for proof.

The place was packed. I was told a wait of forty-five minutes. Without hesitation, some guy saw me as he was getting up from a table near the bar. Came over, shook my hand and sat me down in his place and told the waitress I was next. A few minutes later I saw someone else in the same situation, so I invited him to take a seat too. Said he'd been on the road all day. Then Lee and his son walked in..... so the result was not only a steak dinner for me, but some good company too.

Nice gesture courtesy of Appleby's and the other establishments . Almost makes getting shot at worthwhile.

Matheson job?

Started stripping the paint from the detachable cylinder heads. Most heads didn't come off in those days. Looking for any trouble, it will take a couple days to get the finish off.

Pic of Matheson cylinder heads soaking.

No pics of the Avanti brakes, look at last night's and imagine the inner seals installed.

While wearing my old jacket I found a couple pictures in the pocket. Same jacket. My bunk area was one of the few in Viet Nam that wasn't decorated with Playboy centerfolds.

Nearing the end of my tour, while home on leave I bought my first Avanti shortly after these pics were taken.

[Scotts_DG8]

John,

I always enjoy your (almost) daily updates on yours and Greg's activities. And just to confirm that I do read your posts I thought that the couple of picture that Greg's passed on from Vietnam were a bit hard to view. I decided to bite the bullet and try to enhance them a bit to see if I could make them a bit easier on the eyes to view. I've attached my efforts and hope this is alright with both you and Greg. Scott...

Oh, did I tell you that reading you posts (most) every day with my coffee in the morning is a good way to start the day? No?, Well let me tell yah...

[unimogjohn]

Scott, glad you still enjoy the posts. Sometimes I think that I should sign off, but then what would I do. Kinda makes me do things around the farm to make this interesting. Appreciate your comments, and the pics looks much better.

And I did get a few email asking me to post pics of the generator. I usually do not post non-car stuff. But it does have an engine, and it is 36 HP. So here is the installation of it today. It took most of the morning. Tried to lift the generator with the bucket of the loader, but it was too small. Ran to Wayne's place and borrowed his crane for the tractor. My little 16 HP tractor almost did not have the poop to lift the 450 lbs. I gave it max power and got it to lift the generator. So now it is in place.

[Scotts_DG8]

John,

We all have to accept change and go on but I would hope that it is some time before you finally through in the towel on posts. Besides a diversion now and then, in my opinion, keeps things interesting. But I do have a question on your generator project. It looks like the pad that you are setting it on is sand from the picture? Are my eyes just playing with me?

Scott...

[unimogjohn]

Scott, the pad is 95% gravel, but just happened to have a few sacks of sand so put a couple on top and allowed the sand to trickle down into the gravel for a better "lock" when the generator weight and vibration are applied. Well, that is my thinking.

Beautiful day here today, about 65 degrees. I took the Avanti out for a ten mile drive to heat up the oil. It is great to have the window down and cruise along the back roads at about 35 to 40 mph. The Avanti engine just has a low growling sound; it is so good.

Got back home and changed the oil. This is the second change so far. And yes, I did add a bottle of ZDDP to the Shell 5W-30 wt detergent oil.

[unimogjohn]

It is Tuesday, Nov. 16. Rained hard last night and still coming down. Cold too.

Have to hurry as I am taking the VW Passat W8 in for an oil change and new battery. I have always changed my own oil, but this W8 engine is a different breed. It is actually a high performance engine in its own right, and it is really fast.

Greg has been busy as usual. Here is his report.

"Well, the weekend was an exercise in lost motion.

When I last visited the '10 REO, one flat tire wouldn't take air. Figured the brass stem at fault. Saturday I returned with a new tube for a vocabulary refresher course.

Dismounted the tire and tube to find the tube just fine. I think it grinned at me. Reinstalled the tube, tire, side ring and lock ring with the aid of the usual hammer, screwdrivers (couldn't find the Rob's tire irons), vise grips, channel locks (water pump pliers for you old guys) and whatever else it took. Held my mouth right and it took some air.

Then there was the wrinkle finish episode. Got a job that requires it. I'd picked up a can of aerosol black to do a job for the boss. It turned out just beautiful. Same can of paint + my parts = total disaster. I stripped parts, recoated, stripped parts, went through three cans of black and one gallon of paint remover. Today I tried a different brand of paint and it is working.

Also this evening I blast cleaned the Avanti master cylinder and then primed it with epoxy. Now it is honed and ready for assembly.

On the Matheson front: I've scraped and hosed paint remover . The heads will require one more treatment and will be clean. I have yet to inspect them, but we can see that there's been some repairs made and one has been replaced. To be continued."

=

[unimogjohn]

It is Wednesday, Nov 17th. Rain, did I say rain, we got over two inches yesterday. I think the drought is over.

Here is Greg's non-car report for yesterday. I have seen the engines, and honestly you cannot tell them from an original.

"Here's some pics from my day job. Since I'm woefully behind in supplying functional copies of Wright Brothers engines, our guy Scott Rawlings is using his many talents to provide display engines made from MDF and casting resin. He's a maniac for details. When he's done they won't just look like castings (he mixes Bondo with acetone to dabble with a brush), but they'll have gaskets, oil smudges, etc.

He tried moulding and casting the spark plugs, but tiny bubbles caused voids. One of the pics shows a small Craftsman drill press that he disassembled and inverted to serve as a centrifuge.

It's fun to watch him create. He's an artist."

[unimogjohn]

It is Thursday, Nov. 18th. If I get the chance today (between farm chores) I will start taking stuff off the Avanti to get it ready for painting. Suppose to get an estimate tomorrow from the painter who looked at it a week ago.

Also the propane guys came yesterday and scoped out the generator installation/plumbing job, and now the installation is scheduled for Dec 3rd. Electrician is coming on Saturday to see if he wants the job to hook up the power from the generator to the transfer switch, and then into the main house panel.

Greg is making progress too. Here is his report.

"This week just hasn't been anything to brag about. Trying to make progress, but don't have much to show for it. The Avanti master cylinder still unfinished. It snickers at me every time I walk by it. Still need to secure those brake tubes and tighten fittings. I also want to install a foam seal that goes around the steering column which means dropping the steering from under the dash. I need to do that chore before I deny myself access to the steering box when I install the brake booster and master cylinder.

No word on the seats. I'll need at least a driver's seat (and steering and brakes) to be able to ferry the car back and forth to this shop space to work with heat and electricity.

I'd like to find a way to dress out the wear left in the seat tracks by the ball bearings. The balls left indentations wherever the seats were adjusted to. These are deep in a narrow channel.

On the Matheson engine. The heads have had lots of paint removed from them, now to be finished in the blast cabinet. Anybody whose dealt with blast equipment will tell you that sometimes they just refuse to work. Fought with this one all evening. Had enough.

Pictures enclosed.

First cylinder head cleaned. Factory number markings. Second head also factory markings. Has had a braze repair. A good one, no way to tell when it happened."

[unimogjohn]

It is Friday, Nov. 19th. Opps, my bride asked me what I was doing with the Avanti? Getting ready to start painting I said. Then she reminded me that it is the backup car in case in rained on the Christmas parade on Dec. 5th, and we could not take the 23. Oh well.

But Greg keeps in "cracken" with his projects. Here is his report.

"Late breaking Avanti news: I reasssembled the master cylinder. Gee am I glad that's over with.

Talked to the seat upholstery shop about the Avanti seats. There was a glimmer of hope that they might have them ready to bring to Reedsville. They actually had started cutting material, but they won't make it. So I won't either.

Matheson cylinder heads are now clean enough to inspect. Buried under the paint was a crack that crosses the top of the water jacket and through a bolt hole. The previously brazed head was also cracked in the same way.

I'll send it along to cast repair man to deal with since he's got the cylinder already. (edit note: I think that this is the guy that repaired Greg's R3 Avanti block a few months ago) I'm also going to send the replaced head for him to look at. It's had some major repair to the jacket. I'm prepared to go with the replacement head if need be.

Photos for your viewing pleasure.

*One of the master cylinder complete with proof that I wasn't lying about assembling it.

*Matheson head with cracked jacket.

*Matheson head with repair to cracked jacket.

Random thought for today. You're never too old to learn something stupid."

[unimogjohn]

It is Sunday, Nov 21st. Greg continues to move forward. Here is his weekend report.

"Got some time in on the Rude Stude this weekend. Crawled under the front end and tightened brake tubing, engine mount hardware, front hub cotterpins and dust caps, exhaust pipes, and while the wheels were off I even shot some fresh undercoat in the front wheel wells. Dropped the steering column and slid that foam seal in place. Stuck the ignition switch back in the dash.

Brake action continued with the overhaul of the booster bracket. The swinging arm had frozen to the pin and that required a torch and heat to brake loose. It used to work. Paint remover, bead blast cabinet, polished the pin, primed, painted, and then reassembled using that nickel anti-sieze stuff. Found some missing hardware for the steering column and speedo cable just in time.

Continued by mounting the bracket to the firewall, then the booster and master. Progress was impeded slightly by the four missing bushings for the booster. Got back into the fast lane when I contacted Unimog Feser for dimensions. He countered with pictures almost immediately. It's like he waits at his computer just to see what I've misplaced this time.

Tomorrow I'll get some vacuum hose and new clamps, and another brake light switch if I can't find the one I recently bought and put away. As you might think, I'm going to have an extra car if I ever find all these missing pieces.

I've contacted my Avanti historian and detail advisor about the proper finish for the master cylinder cap. Gave the ignition shielding a quick buffing and stuck a couple of the pieces on.

I remember going shopping at Standard Surplus with shopping carts, especially the harware by the pound department. Every year we'd get to the bin of the capnuts for the shielding, and scoop up a handful, then another just for good luck. I'm still using them. Gosh those were good days!"

[trimacar]

You guys and gals wouldn't believe the detail in the fake Wright engines. Rough areas, faked with the bondo, in the right places, cracks and crevices.....details cast and molded and......well...just incredible and amazing what true craftsman can do....

One of our buddies, Andrew King (of the King family from the Rhinebeck air shows), sent us a picture once when he was filming "Flyboys." He was holding a radial engine over his head...all fake...made of styrofoam...incredible..

Edited November 22, 2010 by trimacar
typo (see edit history)

[unimogjohn]

It is Monday, Nov 22nd. Received a quick update from Greg. Answers a burning question.

"As usual, the winner of tonight's Authenticity Quiz is Dick B...... The master cylinder cap was supplied painted black.

Thanks Dick!"

[bhclark]

Greg is absolutely amazing. He seems to be able to rebuild an entire brake system faster that I could remove the master cylinder....

Inspiring and infuriating all at the same time!

[unimogjohn]

It is Tuesday, Nov 23rd. Well I spent my day working on the brakes of the 23 MB. It only has rear brakes and one side is dragging and engages before the other side. So I spent some time disconnecting rods and adjusting the levers, nuts and pins on both sides. Now they are pretty much engaging at the same time. Put her back down on the ground, and they work great, well almost. Now I do not have good pedal. It goes almost to the floor before it starts working. So today it will go back up in the air and will adjust the rod that controls the pedal. Such fun.

Greg is working hard, much closer now to being able to move the car. He needs to make the drivers seat out of parts as his good seats are still with the vendor, and have been for almost eight months. He did get word that they are working on them. Here is Greg's Monday report.

"Making it short tonight. This computer is moving slower than an old Dodge Brothers slow four in first gear. Must need a grease job or something's too tight. Don't have any patience for these things.

Picked up another stoplight switch and some vacuum hose today. The threads on the switch wouldn't start in the master. Too tight. I used a pipe thread die on them and now it fits. Even got the wires attached.

The only vacuum hose they had on hand was 11/32. Too tight. I almost got in on, but almost only counts in horshoes, hand grenades and nuclear devices. Not brakes. I'll try another parts house tomorrow for the 3/8 hoses required. At least I didn't break the plastic fitting on the booster.

I found the tool I made to swing the blower belt tensioner to allow the supercharger belts to be installed. Even still, the belts were.....you guessed it....Too tight. Had the same problem at the dyno. The next size belts were too loose. That's where I learned to loosen the blower to bracket screws , get the belts on and then retighten them. Next time I start up, I'll have the huffer working again."

[unimogjohn]

Still Tuesday, but PM. Well some non-Avanti news. I finished adjusting the rear (and only) brakes of the 1923 McLaughlin Buick. I had to adjust the single primary rod so that I had pad contact when pressed down about three inches. It took a couple of tries, but with Alice working the brake pedal, it finally reached the adjustment point with a few turns of the turnbuckle to shorten up the rod. Took it for a test drive. On gravel both rear brakes locked up just about the same time, that is a good thing. Then I tried to lock it up on pavement, just got a little skid. So I have to put maybe another round on the turnbuckle to see if that does lock the rear wheels. But she does stop nice and smooth with no wild moves. It is better now than it has every been. I am happy.

On another note, I was searching Ebay as usual in the morning with my first cup of coffee, and low and behold there was a pair of restored 1923 Virginia plates. First time I had seen a pair in three years of looking. It was an auction, but had a buy-it-now price. I said, self you cannot let this get away from you, so bought it for the buy-it now-price. I got a great deal. Here is a pic of the plates.

I had been running original 1923 Connecticut plates, so they will go on Ebay today and maybe I will recoup some monies. Here are a couple of pics of those plates. Hope that someone can use them, I would hate to just have them sitting on a shelf in the garage. They deserve better than that.

Tomorrows job is to pull the carb off the 1928 Buick, take it apart and blow out the jets and metering rods. A year ago I had to do this as there was gunk/varnish in the rods. I am assuming that this is the same problem now.

Oh, and I am suppose to get the painting estimate for the Avanti tomorrow. Stayed tuned.

[unimogjohn]

It is Wednesday, Nov 24th. As usual, Greg is busy with his many work and Avanti projects. It is good that he lives so close, above the shop. Here is his Tuesday report.

"Only took three tries but I finally got the booster hose and the manifold pressure gage hose installed on the Avanti. I'm sure not working to the Flat Rate Manual.

To bring you up to date on the Matheson engine, I have started on the rocker arm stands and rockers. There's evidence of prior activity in there. The parts are now undergoing the paint removal. Then I can examine the parts up close."

[unimogjohn]

It is Thursday, Nov 25th. Happy Thanksgiving! Greg is still at it, here is his last night's report.

"Got a little done tonight.

Didn't find a NOS turn signal lever, so I did the new knob trick. When i broke the rest of the old one off, I found the lever had a couple splines and the new knob was definitely an interference fit. Not good for thin plastic.

That's when I recalled a trick I saw at White Post. We used it on choke knobs , etc. Warm the plastic in hot water first. Worked great. The part I didn't remember was when using pliers to hold the knob, you scar the plastic. I was able to file and sand them out this time.

Took the lever for a ride to see the car. Took the time to install the upper column bearing, the lever and turn signal switch.

That concludes this night's entertainment.

I see it is now Thanksgiving Day. My best wishes for an enjoyable and safe holiday."

[unimogjohn]

It is Friday, Nov 26th, Hope everyone had a great Turkey Day.

Speaking of the holiday, here is Greg's report. He even found the time to do "Avanti" work.

"Today was a good day.

It began with the cleaning and priming of the clips that retain the brake lines to the axle. I've been putting it off.

Then to Mother's to collect those who I was to chauffer to my sister's in Maryland to meet with family and friends for dinner.

Great time, great food, great company (and their dogs). Rob even remembered to bring the radiator hose I'd ordered.

Goodbyes were said and even though we hit some rain, an uneventful trip back.

After saying goodbyes at Mom's, stopped by to visit more old friends. Enjoyed my time with them (and their dog). Included in the visit was some time spent under the hood of his Avanti to verify power steering hose routing (that counts).

Now back at the ranch, I've gotten some paint on those clips and clamps, so that chore is done.

While at Mom's , she told me a story. Turns out to be a good Thanksgiving Day story.

She had run the wheels off her new car. Needed tires already. Shopped around and decided on a brand at our local tire distrubutors. Took it in Wednesday morning as planned, and after sitting in the waiting room long enough for her to finish knitting a sweater, looked at her watch and realized she needed to be at another appointment. Approaching the counter help, she told them of the predicament and they then dispatched a car and driver.

While riding along, the driver seemed to know her, asking her name. She replied and he asked if she had any kids, "Yes, a son and a daughter." The driver then mentioned our names, where we had lived, etc.

Puzzled, she asked about him. He and I had been best buddies in elementary school. And his little brother tagged along sometimes. Those were the days when we delighted in going for lunch at the Snack Shack or the drug store counter down the street from grade school. A hot dog never tasted better. When we graduated to Jr. High, I fell in with the wrong crowd (car guys) and we lost touch.

Mom asked how he was doing and he told her that they'd lost their dad to kidney disease, and that it ran in the family. Both he and his brother both transplant recipients. And now he was waiting for another.

Even though my contemporaries are facing social security and retirement, it really wasn't a long time ago that Joey and I were trying to decide which novelty to spend our allowance (or lunch money) on. The fake ice cube with the fly inside or the hand buzzer. It is difficult to realize that in this short time that we are now survivors.

So today was a special day to consider what I have. Not the piece of hose that I was glad to get, but what really counts. Family , friends, and the ability to appreciate them. Even though it is now the day after, I hope we can realize every day is Thanksgiving Day. And I need to give Joey a call.

Pictures for today: *rear axle brake line clips cleaned, painted, and drying

*Matheson rocker arms and stands getting another treatment."

[unimogjohn]

It is Saturday, Nov. 27th. Brrrrrrr, cold here this morning, just above freezing, but the winding is blowing hard, so with the wind chill it is 22 degrees.

From time to time Greg sends me car restoration pictures from his inner circle. This is one that I would like to share as it is a great looking and rare car. But I have deleted the real names to protect the innocent so to speak. Here is Gregs message to me.

"Did I ever tell you about the time (about 1962) that for my first car I had a choice between a $250 Studebaker President roadster, a $50 Model T , or a Model A tudor for $1. Well, the Model A isn't finished yet, but still on the list.

Just received this from John X that I would like to share.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2010 21:58:19 -0800

I just received these photos of XY's latest restoration, a 1931 Studebaker President 8 Speedway Special Roadster owned by Z. This job was several years in process but it was worth the wait I'd say. My connection was I restored all the locks for this car, ignition, door and rumble seat compartment.

The Speedway Special was a short run of roadsters with high speed rear axle ratio, high compression head and special Chessy Lite Gray (has a hint of Rose in it) and Speedway Red trim. Pretty racey for 1931."

[unimogjohn]

It is Monday, Nov 29th. Despite the bite in the air, Greg continues to work in the unheated hanger. Here is his weekend report.

"Well, no pics.

I did crawl under 'Ol Seabiscuit today. Secured and tightened the brake system tubing and fittings from front to back. I guess it is ready to start adding the brake fluid. Never a job I liked, filling and bleeding the brakes.

I also needed to secure the speedometer cable to the transmission. The parts book makes it look like the clamp is integral with the cable, but I couldn't find it. Made something up and now that chore is off the list."

[unimogjohn]

It is Tuesday, Nov. 30th. Who would have thought that this little bog would somehow reach over 50,000 hits. I sure did not. We seem to have about 250 faithful readers almost every day.

Here is Greg's report for Monday: "Spent some quality time with the Avanti. Adding bake fluid and pumping the pedal. I picked up one of those one-man bleeder kits, the little plastic bottle with a magnet and hose attachment. I guess it works as well as fluid in a Coke bottle.

With the car on stands and the wheels off, went around it several times. I guess I have brakes. Pedal is hard, but working by myself means that I can hold down on the pedal, but when I let off and hurry to a hub, it spins. Like that guy that tried to check his brake lights by doing the same thing. I'll go check it again tomorrow to see if there's a pedal or a puddle.

Matheson engine action. The rocker arms and stands are completely disassembled and bead cleaned. Obvious repair/damage is the replacement of some rocker shafts. One picture shows how someone has oversized the shafts by boring almost through the casting boss. I'll bush it back to size and replace the shafts.

That was this evening's entertainment."

[Bill Stoneberg]

I am one of those 250 people who check it every day or so. I like to follow a good restoration.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Me too! And John and Gregg are both great story tellere.

Ben

[unimogjohn]

It is Wednesday, Dec 1st. Really rained here hard last night, almost two inches this morning, sure glad it was too warm to snow.

Heading to Greg's tonight to help him bleed the brakes on his Avanti. Have to get that boy on the road and into some heated building. Besides that I want to hear it run.

Here is Greg's report from last night.

"While I am waiting very patiently for the Unimog cavalry to arrive (tomorrow evening) to help me bleed the brakes, I'm making myself useful on the Matheson project.

I machined steel bushings, then pressed and silver brazed them in place. I'll let them cool overnight and then ream the bores to size.

That's my story."

[unimogjohn]

It is still Wed, PM. Just got home from helping Greg do the final bleeding of his brakes on the Avanti. He did a great job by himself, as I think we only got a couple of little bubbles from the rear brakes; but he is happy that he can make a check mark on the brake rebuild. Now he can put on the wheels/tires. Getting closer to getting her rolling again. We also had a nice conversation during dinner at a local cafe. A good evening. Here are a couple of pics for your enjoyment.

Since it was so ugly weather wise today I grabbed all the documentation for the 23 McLaughlin Buick and headed to the DMV outlet. I tried several years ago to get her titled, but always left frustrated and not getting it done. They always seems to have a reason for not titling it so I gave up four years ago. But I decided that today was the day to get it done.

So armed with reams of paperwork and pics, I finally got the job done. It took several calls by the agent to the big bosses at Richmond, VA, but finally I won. Well, sort of. Got the title, but could not use the 23 VA plates I just got as they are still registered to a person and car in VA. And guess what, they could/would not give me a name to get a release letter so I could use the tags. But no matter, I am titled and have antique plates. I am happy. Oh, the cost, $300.