OK, so the World's Slowest Auto Mechanic decided to lick his wounds
yesterday from the marathon drive to Brooklyn and back, and spend some time
puttering on "Savannah" (my wife's nickname for the '55 Savoy). When last I
left it, I had problems getting the turn signal assembly proximal to the
steering wheel. I had received this message from Larry Stanley:
> Sometimes the answer is the least obvious. You might need to pull
> the tube that the steering shaft goes through towards the steering
> wheel. Loosen the clamp on the steering box and the holder under
> the dashboard and GENTLY move the tube toward the wheel. Make sure
> the wheel and tube have enough gap and do not bind. Retighten the
> clamps.
Doncha know, it worked! (Thanks, Larry.) But now, a curious problem
developed: My shift linkage, which had been a little cantankerous to begin
with, now refused to permit me to shift into 2nd/3rd. In sliding the tube,
I had changed the geometry of the linkage. I crawled under the car, and
noticed that I had installed the selector rod block onto the wrong side of
the selector lever! Somehow it had worked before, but now I had disabled
it. I removed the clip, flipped it to the other side, and my linkage jams
disappeared.
Next, I jumped into the driver's side, and started terminating and
connecting the engine, trunk and steering column wiring harnesses that I had
already made. I turned on the ignition and gave it a thorough test -- for
the first time, I had parking, tail, head, brake and turn lights, and they
all worked! Was Savannah trying to tell me something?
1, 2, 3. Not a bad day for TWSAM. My wife jumped into the passenger side
and we went for a drive through the dark, turning heads as we went.
So maybe it's too late for me. Maybe I crossed the Rubicon in my '55 last
night, and I just needed the Brooklyn incident to galvanize me. I've got a
new front end, new brakes and a rebuilt motor. Fenders and a hood can be
bought, so can doors (see you in Hershey, Jack); someone else can put
rockers on for me. My head's been turned by a pretty face, but in the end,
I think the emotional attachment may be just too strong.
Dan, TWSAM
'55 Savannah
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