Misplaced Desire, Sincere Gifts, and Amends

I'm infamous for going off half-cocked.  This has gotten me in trouble more than once, and has sometimes hurt people I care about.

I wanted new mufflers for Nell.  When I installed the exhaust system 18 months ago, it came with inexpensive 2-chamber "turbo" mufflers.  The motor backfired when I was first tuning it, which caused the right muffler to blow a head seam.   I had a muffler guy weld the lower part of the seam back together when he installed hangars for the tailpipes 9 months ago, but it still leaks.  It doesn't rattle any more, but the exhaust is a little loud, and the exhaust leak is clearly audible when the car is idling.

I did extensive research... I may have even been a little obsessive about it, trading off sound and performance numbers from a variety of muffler manufacturers.  I wanted a performance muffler, not some "pedestrian" OEM can!  Yeah, perhaps my ego got a little involved.  The reviews were very positive for the product line I selected, and by my measurements the smallest model would just fit in the stock muffler location.

Amazon is great!  As a family, we tend to use the "wish list" function for gift planning.  I also use my Amazon "wish list" at other times just to keep track of the kind of things I may want, or to track prices.  I put the mufflers on my wish list.  I kept thinking "I need to re-measure the space for these mufflers", but I didn't get around to it.  After all, they were the smallest reasonably quiet performance mufflers available... of course they would fit!

My son surprised me by giving me a pair for Christmas!  It was a very thoughtful gift, and I am extremely grateful.

Today, I took Nell and the mufflers to my muffler guy to have them installed.

They don't fit.

Any early t-bird owners out there, be advised... Walker Dynomax 17730 mufflers will not fit.  You may think that they will, but they won't... they are about a quarter inch too wide, and won't allow enough clearance with the frame to keep from rattling.  I now have to send these big, heavy puppies back to Amazon.

I also need to make amends to my son, who went out of his way to get me something I desired.  It's not his fault that my desire was misplaced, and that my obsession blinded me to reality.  And I'm genuinely sorry.

As a recovering addict, it is often hard for me to fully understand how obsessions I pursue privately can negatively effect other people.  Perhaps this muffler experience is an important reminder.

Recognizing my need for a Redeemer

A lot has happened since my last post.   I officially retired from my employer of over 29 years, and  have received my first pension check.  I have participated in two technical conferences as a "retiree", followed up with several professional relationships, and am actively seeking ways to continue my professional career.

I also experienced my first Thanksgiving totally without Dad.

Nell hasn't received much of my attention, aside from a weekly drive.  I am co-leading a Men's 12 Step Study on Saturday mornings, and Nell gets me there if the weather is dry.  Driving up the coast in Nell is a clear reminder of God's grace to me.  This kind of reminder is especially important when I'm caught up in the emotions of recovery work.

I started my step 4 "fearless moral inventory" when I was on Jury Duty the Monday before Thanksgiving.  I selfishly thought it would be a light week for juries, and the odds would be good that I could serve my "one day" without being empaneled on a trial.  I was sitting in the jury assembly room most of the day, working my inventory.  Writing about my own resentments, and the harm I have done to others, is very taxing emotional work!  My thoughts revolved around Dad... with loss, anger, and resentment all mingled together.  I found myself becoming more and more restless, and a kind of discontent rising up within me. 

When the jury clerk announced that the entire jury pool was going to be screened for a 4 week trial, I was in a pretty foul mood.  It took considerable effort for me to find some peace in the situation, and resign myself to the possibility of extended jury service.  As a retiree, I really had no excuse not to serve.  The courtroom never got around to empaneling the jury, and we were released at about 3:30 PM.  By the time I got to the train station, the commuter train had just left.  I had to wait another hour for the next one, and that really upset me!  It seemed to be the last straw in a frustrating day!  Fussing and fuming, I sat on a bench at the station to collect my thoughts.

Slowly, I began to reflect on how ungrateful I had become.  God had reminded me about some important truths... the importance of my civic duty, the need for willing sacrifice, and the importance of taking stock of my emotions.  He had also just provided an hour for me to spend just talking to him, with no other distractions!  I silently walked from the train station to the waterfront, gradually beginning to enjoy the hour of freedom I had been given.  I found two small war memorials at a waterfront park that I didn't even know was there.  I began to sense the healing in my heart that God has intended for me, if I just let go of the resentment.  By the time I got on the train, I was in a much better mood.

Christmas has become an increasingly important holiday for me.  I used to focus on Easter as the highlight of the year, celebrating of Christ's act of redemption for all mankind.  But Christmas has come to symbolize my own personal need for a redeemer, a deep longing that can only be filled by God. 

He is waiting,  ready to spend an intimate hour talking with me... if only I sit on the bench, collect myself, and respond to his invitation.

23 Cents...

Nell is once again running strong.  Great, in fact!
The problem with the distributor?  The rolled pin that holds the distributor gear to the shaft had started to back out, and needed to be replaced.  Cost of replacement? 23₵, and less than an hour's work, including the drive time to the auto parts store!

To pull the distributor, I first put #1 cylinder on TDC.  I wanted to be absolutely sure where the rotor should be when I put the distributor BACK. With the distributor cap off, I pulled #1 spark plug, disconnected the hot start ignition wire from the coil, and bumped the engine with a remote starter until the rotor lined up with the #1 mark.

 Then I confirmed that #1 was at TDC with the timing marks (down there by the pointy thing)

 After disconnecting the electrical connections and removing the hold down bolt, the distributor slipped right out.  I could diagnose the problem right away by looking at the drive gear!

 The rolled pin was sticking out, and had actually disengaged completely on one side.  I could wobble the gear back and forth a little on the shaft.  No doubt about it!  This was the source of my timing problem.  The end of the pin was cracked, and it fell to pieces when I used a drift to tap it out:

 There are probably a few tiny bits of rolled pin in the engine oil pan or oil filter right now.  I'm hoping they stay there!  23 cents at NAPA got me a new pin (I spent more on gas getting there)!

I juiced the new pin up with red loctite, tapped it in position, then peened the ends between a pair of center punches using a vise and a heavy hammer!  This one isn't coming out on its own!  Nell fired right up once I replaced the distributor.  I let her warm up, then easily set the timing to 14° BTDC.   She idled well, and pulled very strong during my short test drive.  Nell is back, and she's having a blast!

What did I learn from this?  Well, I got disenchanted with the Mallory distributor before I had a chance to pull it and confirm what was going on.  I seemed to forget how good it has performed over the last 3000 miles.  In my disenchantment, I purchased a (rather expensive) 1957 Mercury tach drive distributor from eBay.  I had been debating getting one of these anyway, but I could have been more patient.

I must confess that I do this all the time.  With each new upset or disappointment, I forget what has worked for me in the past.  I forget how much God has blessed me.  My longing and obsession kicks in, and I try to work my way out of the pain or disappointment.  Patience is the last thing I want to experience!

Still, I find that God can redeem my mistakes.  The guy selling the distributor is extremely friendly.  He lives in New York and has a yard full of old Fords, with more than a few Y-blocks.  We talked for half an hour or so, and I told him about Nell and this blog.  He set the distributor up for me to make sure it worked properly, and even set me pictures of it running in one of his engines!  Now that's service! 

Advance Setback...

The wife and I drove Nell to a meeting at church this evening.  I knew something was wrong as I pulled out of the driveway.  There just didn't seem to be much power!  During the entire 5 miles to church, I kept thinking "something just isn't right!"  It was bogging and lagging, and I couldn't go much over 50 on the freeway.  The car ran great yesterday... what could be wrong now?

By the time we got to church, I could smell burning plastic.  Nell was idling too low, and seemed ready to stall.  I pulled into a parking lot and opened the hood... the tach cable casing had melted where it goes over the battery heat shield.  This has never happened before... the heat shield was HOT... so were the exhaust manifolds... really hot!

Well, we went to the church meeting, figuring that Nell could probably get us home again.  She did, but it wasn't a fun ride.  The engine bogged terribly, and backfired under load if I gave it more than half-throttle.  I was grateful to get home without incident, and back Nell into the garage to cool down.

I suspect that the advance mechanism on the mechanical advance Mallory Unilite distributor has somehow failed.  It is a racing model with no vacuum advance, so it may not be advancing at all.  All the symptoms point to this.  I will check on repairing the distributor, but I may also be interested in replacing it with a '57 vintage Ford/Mercury tach drive distributor.  Having a vacuum advance will make the engine run cooler at idle, and will improve fuel economy a little.  Unfortunately, these distributors are rare and expensive... I've been looking for a good deal on one for almost two years!

I'll give the Mallory another chance... tomorrow I'll check the advance with a timing light.  If so, I'll pull the rotor and see if there is anything obviously wrong with the advance mechanism, like a broken spring or something.  If not, I may be going shopping.

Update 9/30: I checked the timing with a timing light, and it was all over the place.  I pulled the cap and rotor off the distributor, and found that the backing plate (underneath the advance mechanism) could be moved back and forth about 10 degrees!  This is not good, and indicates to me that something important has come loose inside the distributor.  I'm hoping that the pin holding the drive gear to the shaft didn't shear off, because that means there is probably a little piece of metal rattling around inside the engine! 

I plan on pulling the distributor weekend after next... this weekend I am taking a group of Boy Scouts on an Astronomy campout.  In the mean time, I'm looking for a '57 tach drive distributor!

Spare Tire

I've been going to cruise nights pretty regularly this summer.  It has been a real joy to share Nell with family, friends and strangers.  When my travel schedule allows, I try to drive her somewhere at least once a week.  This is necessary to keep the gas fresh, the seals wet, and the car fully functional.  Plus, I need a regular reminder of God's grace to me.

When I made my original decision about the wheels and tires on this car, I determined that I wanted a full size spare on a full size rim.  Having a spare tire in the trunk provides insurance against the possibility of a certain kind of road hazard.  Admittedly, the likelihood of this occurrence is pretty small, and the likelihood of it happening outside of cell phone and tow truck coverage is miniscule.  Still, for almost a year I stowed the full size spare in the trunk.  It wasn't a whitewall like the others, but it was exactly the same size... and it took up half the space in the trunk!  It was also awkward to remove, since it was bulky and must weigh about 50 pounds.

At one of the first cruise nights this summer, I met a guy with a '57 bird who had a compact spare in the trunk.  It was one of those collapsible jobs that they don't make any more... like the one that came in my '87 Firebird.  This kind of spare needs a CO2 cartridge and/or electric pump to inflate it before it can be used.  While it worked when I needed it on my Firebird, the cartridge/pump does take up more space and is one more thing that can go wrong.

When I started preparing for our trip up Highway 1, I kept thinking about all that room and weight in the trunk taken up by the spare.  I started looking for a compact spare that might serve, and eventually got a Ford-style 4 1/2 x 16 aluminum rim spare with T145/80D16 tire on eBay for $50.  This one was off a 98 or 99 Lincoln Town Car, but the same wheel/tire is used on Crown Vics and Mustangs.  I didn't know if it would fit, but I lucked out:

The Lincoln compact spare fits fine.  Nothing is close to rubbing in the front, and I don't intend to ever put this spare in the back because it is a different diameter than the other tires.  I'll have to rotate a front tire to the back if I get a flat back there.

Since the car has been lowered a little, I was concerned about ground clearance.  The spare is 1 1/2" smaller diameter than the stock tires, but this isn't really a problem.

And here's the reason I wanted the smaller, lighter spare!  Trunkspace!  Note the original spare tire rest on the floor above the fuel filler... the original size spare really does take up half the trunk!  I keep my tool bag & jumper cables  underneath the spare when I travel.

Having more trunk space was very handy on the convention road trip!  It only weighs 25 pounds, so it's very easy to take in and out.  I wouldn't want to drive very far on it, but I do like having the assurance that a piece of road debris isn't necessarily going to ruin my trip.  I still like having a full size tire &  powder coated  wheel in the garage if I need it, but I feel comfortable that my tire hazard "insurance" for long trips is adequately covered by the compact spare.

I took on another minor improvement after returning from the convention.  The driver side mirror had come loose in an awkward spot, and was rattling so badly that it was pretty much useless on the freeway.  The problem is in the way the stainless mirror shell is riveted  to the ball joint.  I couldn't get to the back of the rivet without popping the glass out of the shell, and I really didn't know how to do that without breaking the glass.  What to do?  JB Weld to the rescue!

JB Weld is basically 2-part epoxy fortified with fine iron filings, and it's pretty tough stuff.  Filling the gap between the stainless shell and the ball post with this stuff tightened up the joint and eliminated the rattle, for far less than the cost of a replacement mirror head.  Since the passenger's side was a little loose too, I went ahead and did the same treatment on that side.  This may be a temporary fix, but I'm happy with it for now.  When I reassembled the mirrors, I applied a very thin layer of white grease on the joints to make them easier to adjust.

I'm getting ready for another life milestone in November.   God continues to bless me.  I will have to elaborate on that in my next post.

CTCI Western Regionals

#1 Son and I had a great trip driving up Highway 1 from Dana Point to Santa Cruz, then across 17 to San Jose.   I posted a slide show of the trip on YouTube:

I still enjoy watching this!  The familiar sights, framed by the car windshield, give weight to the experience.  The fog on the mountains, the surf on the rocks, the trees and the bridges, and the memory of the engine purring like a large cat... enjoying the experience with my son.  This is the stuff of lifelong memory, the kind of thing I need to remember!

 The Classic Thunderbird Club International meet was outstanding, with over 100 brightly-colored 55-6-7 'birds there.  Over 40 were competing in touring class with "Nell", another 40 were display only, and over 25 were competing in the various Concours classes.   Touring cars compete against each other (1st, 2nd, etc. in their own subclasses), but Concours cars only compete against themselves for points and awards (Bronze, Silver, Gold, etc.). There were even a few 'birds in the "underbirds" class, for cars that still need restoration.

I brought a new very cool wide angle lens for the camera, but unfortunately I left it in the bag the entire trip!  Guess I had other things on my mind.  Still, I took a lot of pictures with my standard zoom lens.  Here are a few that start to capture some of the amazing colors at the show.

Nell shortly after arrival

What a colorful flock!

This car had the most amazing pearlescent paint.

This car had been to each state capital in the lower 48

Nell getting prepped for judging.

One of the rare supercharged "F-birds"

A very sweet '57 "E" model, with twin 4 barrel carbs

This is a stunning custom.  Can you tell what is missing?

The "underbird" class winner

One of the original "bird nest" rumble seats

Having fun with depth of field

I couldn't pass up a good window-reflection shot!

 My son took several panorama shots on the Saturday t-bird tour to the Santa Cruz wharf.  I've had fun stitching these together into some of the panoramas below.

 I was completely surprised at the awards banquet last Saturday night, when Nell was awarded 3rd place in Hoods Up Touring, Class B!  The other cars in Hoods Up Touring were absolutely stunning, and I didn't thing we would go home with anything but memories.

It was a fantastic trip, and I feel truly blessed.  I was able to make new friends, and still have time to connect with friends and family in the bay area.  My son and I really enjoyed the trip, and the time we spent together is priceless!

Fully Ready

For the last four months or so, I've been looking forward to driving "Nell" to the Classic Thunderbird Club International regional convention with my #1 son.  The convention is coming up this week, and my son and I are pretty pumped up about it!  We will be driving Nell over 500 miles up the coast highway to get there, so it's important that she be in tip-top condition.

This summer I have taken Nell to several cruise nights, and she has been a reliable ride.  I figured she was really ready for this long trip.  Last Sunday, after taking my sweetheart out for a cup of coffee, I got out of the car and noticed drops of water appearing on the ground in front of the bumper!  It looked like it was raining, but just in a very small patch immediately in front of the car, and the bumper was also wet.  Kneeling down for a closer look, it became clear that the radiator had sprung a pinhole leak!  Bummer!  I guess she isn't ready after all.  The radiator is pretty old, and probably should have been replaced a year ago... but I was too eager to get the car together.  I thought I could get by with the old radiator.

Monday I was on the phone with T-bird parts houses trying desperately to find a radiator that I could get in a few days.  On the third try, I found one in my state.  When I came home from work on Tuesday, the new radiator had arrived!  I got a heavy duty 4-row copper version, which should have a little extra cooling capacity.

I had Friday off, so bright and early I pulled the old radiator and started cleaning up the engine compartment.  This is much easier to do with the radiator and fan removed. 

The before picture, after I drained the radiator.

Taking the shrouds off is pretty easy.  The rust stains on the radiator came from an ill-fitting cap that I used when I first assembled the car last year.

The upper shroud showed some rust after I pulled off the old rubber strip.  I repainted the shroud, and installed new rubber.

The new radiator is just a little thicker, with an additional row of tubes.

I repainted the upper shroud gloss black.  While paint was in the gun, I painted the aftermarket 6-blade fan as well.  Then, on a lark, I decided to paint the tips of the fan yellow, like a WWII fighter plane!  I'd seen pictures of another t-bird that had this done, and I thought it looked cool.   The tips of warplane props were painted a bright color so that ground crews could see where the danger circle was when the engines were running.  This seems like a good idea for a car engine, too.  It also is my own way of paying homage to Uncle Toronado, the WWII P38 pilot that owned this car for 20 years.

The engine compartment. detailed and reassembled.

Here are a few victory shots.  Nell looks great, and is a genuine blast to drive.  I'm really looking forward to the trip with my Son this week, and being around other t-birders for a few days!

-----
At my recovery meeting last week, the lesson was on Step 6... "being fully ready for God to remove all our defects of character".  It's easy to think I am ready, and another thing to be fully ready.  God has a remarkable way of reminding me of my lack of readiness.  A lingering stare that could turn to lust, a lingering attitude or entitlement... these are like pinhole leaks in my radiator.  Am I fully ready to let God fix me, to replace a part of me.  Do I cringe at the cost of the repair, or do I move out in faith?

I had to let go of something this week that was holding me back from being fully ready.  It may not be the only thing, but I'm just a little closer to being the man I want to be.  The man I think God wants me to be.