Recent content by Commander Toasty

I installed the Pertronix Ignitor module from FS Ignitions last year and have had nothing but trouble. Burns up coils. Just installed a new coil and noticed something very odd - the three wires going to the distributor get hot! Compared to the windings in the coil these are huge wires so no...

My rubber roof is in excellent condition. Looks great, very pliable, little time in the sun. When cold it is pretty taught. But on a reasonably warm day it flaps at speeds above roughly forty. I can hear it as I drive. I'm concerned this is a lot of stress on it where it secures, and it...

Tom Endy has a great writeup on Restoration Tips for going through the carb, and he mentions that if you can't find the sweet spot it may be due to incorrect timing. Now - I don't see how that is a cause, unless the timing is way off. And for that matter I did find the sweet spot... all the...

I did. But while I was working on that portion, installed a new shaft and throttle plate, I noticed the throttle plate did not completely seal. It is the thick one with beveled edges that are designed to seal but it seemed a bit small. I could hold up the body and see light through the edges...

Rebuilt my Zenith and hey - signs are good I didn't leave my watch in there. Started right up and strong with a good smooth idle, smoother than I ever remember. Took the idle down to about 2RPM and it still hangs in there ... well OK maybe not two but very low. And it revs up fast and strong...

The thing about fuel proof is it is not chip proof. I certainly agree that the mating surfaces should be bare, and that means a break point for the paint, and paint does not like that. Paint likes to be a membrane, and any discontinuity encourages chipping. Thus with the mating surface being...

Doing a rebuild on the carb and wondering if you guys paint or otherwise treat the interior when you rebuild? Mine clearly shows that it had previously been painted inside, and I found bits of flaked paint blocking jets. Seems like an obvious problem with non-specific paint. On the other hand...

The arm on the choke plate separated from the GAV rod, which allowed the choke to close while driving. Just the nut backed off enough so it slipped out. For the short time it was still running that made for an incredibly rich mix coming out the tailpipe, a very different odor than raw gas...

When I climb into my A there is a distinct odor - distinct to this car. When I raise the hood it has its own smell. And it seems every car has its own odor, made of gas and oil and grease and vinyl and and and ... For many years I restored classic Mercedes and their odor is much different...

And there you go! See just by asking I saved twenty bucks on a pair, same pair another vendor charges ten bucks more for each strap. That's beer money! Thanks!

On my trunk, which is in excellent condition, one of the black straps is beginning to crack at the hole that I normally fasten to. Other than that the strap is in perfect condition and looks new. Sooner or later it is going to split. Just priced one and it is thirty-five bucks! A 72 inch...

Thanks Tom. I want to be sure what I have so I can first have parts in-hand before tearing it down and putting the vehicle out of service, so I can't right now do the inspection you suggest. Once I get some few more confirmations I think I will follow-up with posting the suggested part and see...

It has begun leaking - and not insignificantly. Must be addressed. I didn't install it and don't know its history. The knurled nut could be one of those add-on jobs or the pump may be one of those 'leakless' that leak. Packing or seal? Can anybody identify it and the correct action to...

Logan I think you have a reasonable theory there. If you consider engine wear in terms of RPM rather than miles driven. On today's roads we can get a lot more total RPM on an engine with say 50,000 miles than in the old days they might acquire at 80,000.

I expect 90,000 out of a VW air-cooled engine, treated right, with oil changes and 3000 mile valve adjustments. Single best thing you can do for them is install a dipstick temp gauge because you can easily run the oil above 230 degrees and then you no longer have oil.