Hi all,
After a day or so of tinkering, I have the 1958 running much, much better
than I experienced on my recent trip to Dallas from San Antonio. Using
cheapest of the cheap straight 40W oil, and fooling with the timing and the
carburetor, the car no longer smokes except a wisp or too if you look hard
and long at the blow by tube. In addition the nasty noises emanating from
the bottom end have gone, too. With some lubricant applied to the
generator, it's squealing went away, too. I still have an annoying exhaust
leak but believe it is coming from the flange on the passenger side where
the manifold meets the pipe. Putting the pieces together was a nightmare
last year, so I do not look forward to getting under the car again, but
needs must when the devil drives.
The car is once again responsive and fun, and many of the unsettling
vibrations have gone away. I will get the front end aligned during the
week. I feel a lot better about using it as a daily driver now.
Thanks to all for the many kind words, on and off the list about the
unfortunate accident yesterday. My insurance agent saw the car on Thursday,
and so I anticipate few problems from that quarter. If the car has not
sustained frame damage, I am optimistic it will be back on the road again.
If, however, it has, I doubt if it will be economically feasible to get the
car to work again. It was a very low speed impact, and the sacrificial
parts may have served their purpose. As you can imagine the next few days
will be interesting to say the least.
When I told my friend, Jared, the museum curator, about the accident he
'naturally' assumed when I said the Chrysler, I was referring to the
Imperial. He took the news with equanimity. Our concern from that
perspective would be the rate hike we might experience for the museum's
already exorbitant insurance. Even as Chairman, that would be a tough blow
to give to the board. I had to give him a reality adjustment. If the
Imperial had hit that car, a 98 Cavalier, I doubt very much if any of it's
occupants would have fared so well. I could also speculate as to whether
the Imperial would have sustained any damage at all. I am very unsure about
it's occupants, however. We, too, might be feeling very much the worse for
wear.
I drove the 58 through a huge thunderstorm today. Along a notoriously
accident prone highway called Loop 1604, down IH10 to my house, a good
twenty miles. Stopped at the supermarket, too, to get groceries. At no
time did I feel that the car was acting squirrelly, and I was hyper
sensitive to it's performance. The wipers held their own, to my surprise,
and the car swooshed through some very deep puddles without wavering.
Braking was straight and true, despite the known alignment problems. Quite
an impressive performance, in every respect.
Hugh
"Until further notice, celebrate everything"
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