A day in an alternate unverse. OT

universe, I don't

and it just

stack, using

a source for

bushings, too. 2R

straightened

steering wheel, so

there is no

shaft was way

That helped a

carriage bolts

with the tank

so doing. A

buttoned up, the

hole in the

Bitty cars are fun to work on and buggers in other ways. I must admit to still having pleasant thoughts about the Fiat 850s I've had. (You remember the story about the time that the ruibber band did break and the cr stopped, don't cha?) Nothing like driving at 10/10ths and no one knowing it!

Karl

universe, I don't

now, and it just

stack, using

a source for

high in the

bushings, too. 2R

brake, and lubed

right front

straightened

steering wheel, so

column tube

there is no

shaft was way

That helped a

carriage bolts

with the tank

while so doing. A

buttoned up, the

neck. Only

access hole in the

rear brake

Yep, this little car is both fun and a bit of a puzzle to work on. Today I "fixed" the fuel sending unit. The half of the housing with the float pivot in it was badly rusted, and the brass bushing for the float pivot turned in the housing, instead of the pivot turning in the bushing. I glass-bead that part, and avoided glass beading the delicate brass wiper. Then I silver-soldered the brass bushing to the steel shell, and the heat of doing that freed up the float arm. The wiper was worn down to a thin ring, instead of the round "tit" that's supposed to track along the resistance wire. I cut a short piece of my silver brazing rod, and filed a ball end on it. Inserted that in the hole in the end of the wiper and soldered it in place, making a nice rounded contact to follow the resistance wire. Incidentally, this exact same repair can be done to Sude sending units, so it's not entirely OT here.

Cut a cork gasket, and installed the repaired sending unit in the tank. I poured about 2 gallons of gas into the tank, and found a pinhole leak in the filler neck, further up from the bottom than the ones I fixed. I think a little fiberglass putty will fix that for now. Tank itself appears to be OK. Hooked up the fuel line to the pump. So far, so good.

I decided to clean up under the dash, with switches and stuff dangling from wires. Found the previous owner's ignition switch, a "unviersal" type, and found a key in my junk box that works it. Installed that. Sorted out some of the wires to the headlight switch. It had a morked-up fuseholder on the end, so I snipped that off and went with an inline fuseholder. Now I have a tail light that works (after replacing its mounting bolts to get a ground), and I have power through the dimmer switch to the "Y" junctions behind the headlights. No light up front, though. Will have to go into the lamps themselves, it may just need sealed beams, but the wiring is pretty flaky there.

Ammeter works, but the fuel gauge doesn't. I kind of doubt I have power to the fuel gauge, though. Job for another day. I also freed up the rusted hood release cable, and got the hood latch hooked up with proper springs, too. It latches now. Haven't tried unlatching yet.

Fired the car up, and let it run until i was sure it was getting fule from the tank. WooHoo! That jobs works. Drove up the road to the neighbour's place and back. Got up to maybe 25 MPH, and the little car steers fine, goes straight down the road OK. Brakes definitely need setting up, but it will stop. The surge I experience is only in low gear, and I think it's mainly a function of bumpy ground and a rather drastic accelerator action; sets up a sort of oscillation. On the somewhat smooth dirt road, no problem in evidence, and none in 2nd gear or high. I think re-rigging the accelerator to have a bit longer travel, and maybe adding a dashpot would make that surge history.

I parked it in the shop, and I'll go back to Stude repairs for a while. At least now, I can hop in it, turn the key, and drive. Another full day's work could see a lot of the remaining glitches cleared up. None require much money be spent, just fiddly little labor-intensive stuff.

Gord Richmond

universe, I don't

now, and it just

the stack, using

find a source for

half-inch high in the

bushings, too. 2R

brake, and lubed

The right front

and straightened

steering wheel, so

the column tube

discover there is no

steering shaft was way

That puts the

shimmed under the

That helped a

previous owner and

carriage bolts

had a look at

lower part. I

'em all. Even

with the tank

while so doing. A

buttoned up, the

filler neck. Only

access hole in the

fuel tank I

tire/fender

take to fix it.

up rear brake

lights and

the heat of

instead of the

piece of my

the resistance

so it's not

further up from

that for now.

bolts to get

fuel gauge,

in low gear,

try a trailer supply (TSC/ Northern Tool) for 1.5" leaf spring stock.

Thanks, Calvin. I had done a Google search for spring stock, and drew a blank. Anyway, I'm now done with Crosley springs, as far as I can see. If I do need to beef up the rear

1/4-elliptics, I still have enough left from the Morris Minor spring to do the job. And the price was right.

I went to the Three Hills Car Show and cruise night today (didn't stay for the cruise). Close to a thousand cars, considerably fewer if you mentally eliminate the riceboy cars and jacked-up late model 4X4s. But still a LOT of neat old cars, hotrods, and classics. Got a lot of good comments on the GT Hawk.

One other Stude there, Kevin Fonseca's '53 Champion coupe; a very pretty car, too.

Gord Richmond