We are starting our 7th
year now at Long Island Classic Cars.com and we wish you the best for ’09!
This
first edition Newsletter for 2009 is HUGE! We have six, yes six! Count ‘em –
SIX columnists for your reading pleasure!
Because
of the sheer size of this and the length of the articles, we have decided to
forego the “My Car Story” section for this edition. ‘Twould be too much for
mere mortals to take in! So, grab a VERY comfortable chair and start reading……
It
has been so much fun (and work) doing this Newsletter, running the website,
attending events and meeting hundreds of you!
Classic
car owners are unique in several ways; the main one is that they are usually
very open and friendly – welcoming anyone into their circle that enjoys cars in
some capacity. Despite various brand preferences or club affiliations, car
enthusiasts are delighted to “talk shop” with each other. At cruise nights
everyone checks out all the cars regardless of manufacturer. Hey, we all have
friendly rivalries such as – “My Triumph is better than your MG!” “Mopar or No
Car!” “First On Race Day!” etc. etc. But after all that is said and done, the
love of cars is the glue that keeps everyone together, and this hobby cruising
along bigger than ever!!
With
those above examples of slogans in mind, this month’s contest will be about
creating a colorful, fun, and clever slogan for ANY brand of car! This should
provide some interesting, funny, and/or provocative material! The best ones
will be published in the next issue of the Newsletter!
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As
mentioned in the last edition, I had received a lot of feedback and comments
from people, both in e-mails and in person regarding our Newsletter’s quarterly
format for 2008. (“Not enough” they all said! “We want more!”)
So,
back by popular demand is this, the first of our bi-monthly editions for 2009!
All
the writers are back, and there will be some surprises along the way!
Anyone
else out there who wants to contribute a column, either on a one-time, semi, or
continual basis, feel free to let me know!
On
another note: our new and revamped MESSAGE BOARD should be up and
running by mid-March!
This handy networking area will be of huge benefit to those of you
seeking items, help, or just with general questions and comments that can be
shared back and forth with other users. I am sure most of you have been to
message boards on the ‘net and found them as I did, frustrating! I am going to
ensure that the one we host will be very user-friendly, uncomplicated,
and easy to navigate!
Look for it soon! It will be a great source for all your needs,
advice, and things you have to share with the car community!
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SUBJECT: The Market.
No, not the stock market – which is atrocious! The
car market. As all of you know, the recession that started last year has put a
huge damper on pockets, savings, investments, jobs, incomes, (shall I go on?) –
you get the idea. That has caused some big ripples in the collector car hobby
as well. While the guys with deep pockets and plenty of cash are scooping up
cars at bargain prices we haven’t seen in years, the rest of us are either
sitting on the sidelines, or selling off our much loved metal to get some
green!
As evidenced by auction prices, the values have come
way down! Believe it!
I like it as a collector, but dislike it as an owner
who sees some of the value in his collection diminished. However, since I do
not buy and sell for profit and plan on keeping my cars for the long run –
their market valuation doesn’t really concern me all that much. Their intrinsic
value is constant and that is what matters most.
So – if you’ve got the green – get out there and get
yourself a new sled or two! Now is the best buying time we are likely to see
for years to come. (Unless Obama and the Dems keep tanking our economy with
their depression era pessimism).
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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1
Editor’s Introduction
2 Slogan Contest
3 Cruise Night Information & New Car
Clubs
4 Guest Writer’s Columns
Tom
Sebastian
Bill Carberry
Lou Refano
Justin Appelbaum
Dennis Quitoni
Rich’s Tech Tips
5 The Archive
6 Editor’s Closing
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Long
Island Classic Cars’
Submit your entry along with your name and e-mail
address to: newsletter@liclassiccars.com
This contest is open to everyone! (LI Classic Cars.com
paid personnel, regular column writers, and business advertisers are not
eligible.)
Winners will be notified by e-mail and/or phone.
Please submit all entries by the 20th of the next
month. (Ex: for February’s contest the entries are due by March 20th)
No substitutions of prizes will be allowed.
In the event of prize choices, winner will be given
the opportunity to select the one they want.
All decisions are final and are made by the paid
personnel of Long Island Classic Cars.com
Winners must claim their prizes within 30 days of
contest end or forfeit the prize to the runner up.
If there are multiple correct entries on puzzle,
matching, fill-in, or Q&A contests - winner will be randomly selected from
all correct entries.
A few simple rules:
1) Be creative !
2) Answer by 3/20/09
Here is last month’s
winning entry from Michael Paroz…
Here are the questions from our Winter
“Contest”!!
1) What is
the largest cubic inch displacement engine Buick ever offered in a passenger
car?
2) In what
year was Ford’s Model T first rolled out?
3) What
were the names of the original Dodge Brothers?
4) In what
country are the 2008 Maseratis made?
5) The Rolls Royce Silver
Shadow was last made in what year?
The closest to all correct answers came from Michael.
Mike answered:
1) 455 CID - correct!
2) 1908 - correct!
3) Horace and John Dodge - correct!
4) Italy - correct
5) 1980 - Well, in a sense yes, so we’re gonna give it to him. 1976 was the last year, and the Silver Shadow II ran from ’77 – ‘80
Mike wins
a cool SET of FOUR LED Flashlights!!!!
Congratulations!
Honorable mention goes to Dennis P. Ryan who had all right except
#1. He had 425 CID. So close, and
yet……..so far.
Go to it! Send in your creative slogans by 3/20/09 and win the
prize!
___________________________________________________
“EXTRA EXTRA!
READ ALL ABOUT IT!!”
The Cruise Nights are all going to start soon! Check the EVENT listings on our
website’s main page.
If anyone knows of any cruise locations
that are fully up and running and not in danger of being cancelled
please let us know so we can post them for all to see - here and in the EVENTS
section of the website in the Spring. Minimum 40 cars attending.
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Several new clubs have been listed with us on Long
Island Classic Cars.com!!
Check them out in the CLUBS section. Some are new start-ups for ’09 and others
have been around quite a while!
ALL
AMERICAN CLASSIC CAR CLUB. This is a group that has been around for years. We welcome them back to
liclassiccars.com. They are active in community charity work and like to
maintain a family atmosphere in a small club setting. They usually run about 50
members and are open to new folks joining up.
IMPRESSIVE
& AGGRESSIVE MOTOR CLUB. A Club that recently sprang
forth from the now defunct BowTie Blvd Club. Now run by Tom Driscoll, they
continue the tradition of helping out in the community and hosting and
attending a variety of events. They get involved!! Their motto is: “We help
out, not hang out”
LONG
ISLAND CHEVROLET OWNERS ASSOCIATION. A
long-standing group that is open to all models and specializes in the Chevys of
the 1950’s through the 1970’s. While holding to traditions they are also very
welcoming to the new! Give ‘em a call and “head on down”!
MOPAR
POWER CLUB. Long Island’s longest running Mopar club. Run by Frank Fauci, they are
open to ALL makes of Mopar cars and trucks. All years from turn of the century
to the present day vehicles are welcome. One of LI’s largest clubs with
hundreds of members, they hold meetings from March through November.
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GUEST WRITERS’ COLUMNS
WELCOME to a
new contributor! Bill Carberry is known to many of you. He owns and
operates Cap-A-Radiator in Farmingdale, NY. Bill also does repair and
restoration work at the shop now too. From what I have seen, he does nice work!
Bill will be contributing several articles for us.
This, his first, will teach you all the basics about radiators and what they
do.
Tom Sebastian shows off his considerable skill in knowing and attaining which cars are
soon to be collectables at a still affordable “pre-collectable” price! The man
is good at what he does! He can also help track down cars for you to add to
your collection!
( PS –Don’t forget to check his footnotes when
reading the article!)
Lou Refano gets
fishy this time out. No, not strange or aquatic, but FINS! Yes Fins! Those
ubiquitously all-American projections that graced cars’ rear ends from the late
50’s to the very early 60’s. Cool pics abound in this article!
Justin
Appelbaum from AutoMat has turned
into one hell of a writer! The man is very detail oriented and leaves nothing
to the imagination while documenting this COMPLETE resto and rebuild of a
classic MG! Boy, AutoMat really is one-stop shopping!!
Dennis
Quitoni can be real slick…in a
good way. The man knows just about all there is to know about cars, how they
work and how they work best. He can squeeze performance out of anything with
cylinders! In this issue he teaches us about oil and what works best, and what
doesn’t. Very slippery stuff! Pay attention!
Rich’s
Tech Tips almost seques with
Dennis’ article. I tell ya – between these two guys you won’t have to go anywhere
else to find out how to rebuild your car from top to bottom! Rich talks about
some basic considerations pertaining to an engine rebuild.
Enjoy…
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Tom
Sebastian
Tom goes from this..
…. to
this! 
The B-1 B (With the Wing!): The Corrado G60
In my days with the Feds, I was once invited
for a private tour of the B-1 B Bomber.[1]
The impression you get here, as opposed to
the box-like Stealth Bomber, is that you are on board a svelte, sleek, potent,
killing machine. Inside it is all
business with zero luxury allowed for the wizards who fly it. Excess anything is considered a waste here. Yet, despite its deadly aura, I could not
detect little of the weaponry that these things were known for.
I
asked the pilot about this and all he said was that, actually, the whole thing
was dense with firepower; basically, it was one flying bomb -- and could take
out a whole country on its own(!)
When first saw the Corrado sitting on a side-street on the Upper East Side, I
thought of that plane. Even sitting
still, it looked potent – and dense with firepower! (Of course, I had to have one.)
VW never did anything like
this before or since.
Now
I was never one drawn to the Sports
Compact magazine section while browsing at the airport. Lanser Evos, the Subaru WRX, and tricked out
injected 3-series Beemers never really caught my fancy (even though I once
owned the car that started the whole trend, the BMW tii). But this one was
different somehow.
The
Corrado was listed among the “25 Cars You Must Drive Before You Die” by the
British Magazine, CAR.
And the G60 model listed in the “Complete Book of Collectible
Cars”. It is one of the best handling
cars of all time
Even
though the Corrado line was discontinued back in 1995, the future of combustion
performance driving probably will look a lot like this: 4-cylinders to take into account the reality
of the rising cost of fuel but with enormous boost -- in this case due to a
supercharger.
The fun thing here is the “active” power spoiler, which, upon reaching a certain speed, automatically rises to provide balance, and down force, should you be in a racy mood.[2] While never big on boy-toy add-ons, this, at least, had an actual function. When someone is about to pass you (as someone did to me this past summer), you tap the accelerator, the wing goes up, and you can just about read the lips in the rearview mirror: “What the…?”-- and he falls back in line.[3]
The
interior is as impressive as the exterior.
As soon as you get in the thing… YOU CAN FEEL IT. As with the XK-E – or a real airplane –
this one provides a true cockpit: the
tight, all-business fit; all instruments at hand; the pillar-mounted,
faze-boost gauge to show the PSI reading of your supercharger; the smooth
5-speed transmission; and that great sound as the electric starter hums just
before it explodes into action. As
another owner put it: “You get a buzz
each and every time you drive it.”
My
only complaint is a small one. This
engine only runs well on the best (read: most expensive) fuel grades. But again, with only 4 cylinders, who really
cares?!
How many real classics are left out there anymore for under 5 G's?? The answer is more than you think. You just have to stretch your mind a bit and think about it. Which cars are no longer being produced? Of those, which were rather special? Iconic? Which hold your attention when you see one?
As a buyer and seller of these things, I was exactly where I wanted to be with this car -- XK-E’s, Morgans, classic Studebakers and Mustangs have already reached their peak prices. Here was that perfect fence sitter, set between “used” and “classic”. The seller thinks it’s a used VW, but you’ve done all the research and know better: these things are in demand and disappearing. The “traditional” classics may be gone BUT there are new ones coming along all the time!
Whereas most people are in hunt of the pileated woodpecker or Sasquatch, this is my game.
As per my Porsche 914, this one had no radio or AC, BUT WHO CARES!? (As I always say, insane as I am: if you have time to fiddle with the treble and cabin temperature, you are probably not in a true sports machine.)
Forget the Dolby Sound System and multi-disc changer! Go out and find a car like this one that raises the hair on your head when you take the corner. That plus the engine sound should be all the music you need!
(Well
done Tom! You really know how to pick ‘em when they’re ripe!) Pete
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Anatomy of a Radiator
By Bill Carberry
Radiators are a very important part of your classic car but often get overlooked until they catch your attention with a green puddle or a rising temperature gauge. Most of you know it is there to keep your engine cool but don’t really know how it does its job or how it is made. Let’s consider this a crash course on radiators and how they do what they do.
General Motors used what is called a cellular core design into the late 1950’s. These were also referred to as honeycomb cores for radiators in the 1930’s and older. This is because of the hexagon shape of the air passages through the core. Depending on what manufacturer made the core, you could also have diamond shaped cells and various sizes of hex shaped cells. The cellular core that GM started using in the late 1930’s is the same design that was used in heater core material all the way to the late 1980’s when most manufacturers converted to aluminum. A cellular radiator core is actually made from thin copper strip. The strip is run through dies that bend it into a V shape to form the fins or another set of dies to form the tube walls. The ends of the tube walls are folded over and interlocked with the adjoining tube walls to form a mechanical joint. The previously formed fins are inserted between the tubes and it is all placed in a clamp type jig. The fin/tube assembly is then dipped in a vat of molten solder just enough for the solder to wick up about a quarter inch between the separate tube walls and solder them together. It is then flipped over and the other “face” of the core is dipped to complete the process. Replacement cellular core material is made in the specific thickness, height and width needed for the particular radiator.
A tubular radiator is a combination of many components soldered together into one piece. It is composed of copper fins, brass tubes and a copper header. The header is the piece that the tubes go into and the tanks are soldered on to. A header can be basically flat with just a groove for the tank or it can be a dish style header. One example of a radiator with a dished header would be a 1955 to 1957 Thunderbird. The tubes, fins and header are assembled in a jig, dipped or sprayed with flux and then baked in an oven until the solder on the tubes sweats all the parts together. After the core is assembled the tanks are soldered on. If the application for the radiator requires a transmission cooler, the outlet tank will have a cooler installed into it before being soldered to the core. The hose connections (or necks), filler neck and drain plug flange get soldered to the tanks and finally the mounting straps. The finished radiator gets pressure tested much like you would check a tire for a leak. The radiator is plugged with expandable rubber plugs, air pressure is put into the radiator and it is submerged in a test tank. If it bubbles there is a leak that needs attention. Most new and re-cored radiators are pressure tested to about 18 to 20 psi. Early model radiators might only be tested to 4 or 5 psi if it was originally a no pressure system.
There are several different styles of tubular cores. The most common in passenger cars and light trucks is the serpentine fin design. This is distinguished by the fins having an accordion or serpentine shape. They “V” back and forth from one end of the core to the other. The face of the tubes is even with the fins. This style was adopted by Ford in the early 1950’s and GM in the late 1950’s. A flat fin style core can be identified by the straight fins that run completely across the core and are perpendicular to the tubes. Each fin is punched out with the tube pattern and creates a very strong core. This is the type of core that Ford used until the late 1940’s. It is still used today in many industrial applications.
Each part has its own purpose. The mounting straps or side brackets are used to prevent the core from bulging apart every time it gets pressurized and are often used to bolt the radiator into the vehicle. The tanks act as a manifold connecting one radiator hose to multiple tubes. The tubes carry the coolant from the radiator inlet tank to the outlet tank and are the first step in getting rid of the heat. As the coolant passes through the tubes, the heat from the coolant transfers to the brass tubes. The fins that are soldered to the tubes actually have two jobs. 1) They support the tubes and 2) They dissipate heat. If you have ever looked closely at a conventional radiator you noticed that the tubes are basically flat. If the tubes are not supported while under pressure they would eventually “round out” and close the gaps between them obstructing the airflow. The fins keep the tubes where they are supposed to be and in their original shape. After the heat transfers from the coolant to the tubes it then spreads through the solder joining the tubes to the fins and into the fins. Most radiator fins have louvers to throw off as much heat as possible. This is the final stop for the heat your engine has created as the airflow takes it away.
Almost all 1950’s and older radiators are a “downflow” design. This means that the coolant goes into the top tank of the radiator and flows down through the core into the bottom tank and then back into the engine. As car manufacturers went to lower and wider designs this needed to change. “Crossflow” radiators were designed to keep the radiators at the required size but fit within the lower and wider engine compartments. An example of this would be all GM radiators were of the downflow design until Corvette first used a crossflow in 1961. GM took up the crossflow design in many more models starting in 1965. Camaros and Firebirds used the crossflow with their introduction in 1967. The first mass produced Ford crossflow radiator was in 1960 in their full size line.
Putting a brand new or recored radiator in your car will not necessarily keep you running cool if everything else is not at its best. Many older cars came with a 4 blade fan that was barely adequate to pull air through a radiator. Add some horsepower to the engine or air conditioning, and a larger fan is definitely required. A 6 blade fan will pull 50% more air than a 4 blade and will not affect the OEM appearance under the hood if you install a stock appearing unit. A fan shroud will also increase the effectiveness of the fan at low speeds by pulling air through all of the core instead of only a portion of it. An auxiliary electric fan can be installed to boost airflow at low speeds and can be turned on manually, with a thermostat or even a pressure switch in the air-conditioning system.
Repairing a copper radiator is something of a specialty that requires special tools and equipment and of course the skills of a “Radiatorman”. A proper radiator repair generally starts with the boil-out tank where the radiator is submerged in a bath of caustic acid to remove grease, oil and antifreeze. It will also loosen some of the solder bloom that we discussed earlier. Upon removal it is immediately flushed in the reverse direction of its normal flow. This will push out some or all of the debris that may be clogging the tubes. A boil out will not necessarily remove all of the debris. I compare the debris in a radiator to cement when explaining this problem to my customers. If you have wet cement you can wash it away with a garden hose. Let it dry and it is a whole other story. Reverse flushing your radiator and entire cooling system on a regular basis should prevent the buildup of debris that cannot be removed even by a boil-out tank. After a thorough cleaning the radiator is plugged up at the necks and put into the test tank to find the leak(s). A few normal wear and tear leaks such as a seam leak or minor damage can be easily repaired by soldering. If the core is weak, brittle, has fin rot or is severely damaged or clogged, a replacement should be considered. In some cases we will repair a radiator for a customer but give him a warning that it does not have much life left in it and we cannot guarantee the repair.
Recoring a radiator involves removing the tanks and brackets and replacing the core. Hence the term “Recore”. After removing the tanks and brackets they are glass beaded and soldered on to a new core. During the assembly we will spend the time to reinforce the radiator at its weakest points. Putting extra solder at the corners where the tubes go through the header or even pop riveting the tanks to the headers on certain models will add a lot of strength and life to the radiator. Some people feel that a new radiator is better than a recored radiator. Well, they are wrong and right. If you require as much originality as possible such as OEM part numbers or other stampings then a recore might be your only choice. If your particular radiator is not available as a complete new unit then you would also need to recore. That might mean locating a good set of used tanks and brackets if yours are too far gone. An all new radiator has the advantage of all new components. Being all new does not mean that the quality is as good as you would like. There are some radiator manufacturers that try to sell their product by beating the competition with a low price. In order to provide this low price the quality of the product will usually be compromised. Fortunately there are radiator manufacturers that put quality at the top of their priority list but you must be prepared to pay for that quality.
Servicing your radiator or replacing it should be given the same consideration as you would give your transmission or engine. You should also consider how much you have invested in your drivetrain and protect that investment with a good reliable radiator. When people object to the extra cost of a quality radiator compared to an economy radiator, I ask them if they would put a cheap oil pump in their engine!
(Bill, I believe the answer to your last line should always be NO! Great article! Incredibly informative!) Pete
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FUN WITH FINS
by
Louis Refano
Throughout
the course of automotive history, styles have gone through various fads. That’s
when a particular design element becomes popular, and then lo and behold, all
the competitors jump on the bandwagon. The retro bustle-back of the early 80s
which started with the Cadillac Seville and was imitated by Lincoln and
Chrysler; the side-panel chrome spears and two-tones of the 50s. Today it’s
hard to find a new car without the ubiquitous round, LED-style tailights. And
now chrome fender “ventiports” are coming into vogue. But there’s one styling
fad that was the most controversial, and can still make a middle-aged person
smile…the tailfins.
What started out as a
simple Harley Earl styling exercise on the 1948 Cadillac, influenced by the
P-38 fighter plane, become an astonishing excess by 1959. Though to be fair,
some car makers did it better than others. Some of them went off the deep end,
and luckily one designer’s potential nightmare never made the light of day.
More on that later.
As stated, the 1948 Cadillac featured the industry’s first “fin” that was
smooth and stylish and not at all an embarrassment. Alfred P. Sloan, GM
Chairman, stated, “the rapid movement in styling in the late forties and
fifties sometimes seemed to many people to have become too extreme. New styling
features were introduced that were far removed from utility, yet they seemed
demonstrably effective in capturing public taste. The story of the tail fin
began during the war when an Air Force friend of Harley Earl invited him to see
some new fighter planes. One of them was the P-38, which had…twin tail fins.
When Mr. Earl saw it, he asked if he could have some of his designers look at
it…they were just as impressed as Mr. Earl, and a few months later their
sketches began to show signs of fins.”
Cadillac had the fins pretty much all to itself until 1956...then suddenly
everyone had to have them. The Cadillac Eldorado went to a shark tail and soon
others followed. GM was truly the tastemaker at this point in its history; it
had 50% market share and if anyone did not follow GM’s lead, they were
considered old and out-of-step. George Romney of AMC remarked, “It is just like
a woman’s hat. The automobile business has some of the elements of the
millinery industry in it, in that you can make style become the hallmark of
modernity.”
In
‘56 most cars had adopted straight-through rear fender lines, an evolutionary
departure from the smooth back cars of the ‘40s. They looked good and proper on
AMC’s lineup, Fords had an unbroken straight-line from front fender to rear
tailight, and Studebakers had normal-height rear fender tops as well. GM raised
the height of the Cadillac fins and put the aforementioned “shark fin” on its
Eldorado. It was Chrysler that upped the ante in ‘56. The Chrysler and DeSoto
lineups had noticeable fins, and Dodges featured “Jet-Fins”. Plymouths had rear
fender wings as well.
But it was in 1957 that
Chrysler Corporation stunned the industry. Under the styling direction of
Virgil Exner, the ‘57 Chrysler featured the “Forward Look” which included lower
bodies and dramatic fins that began at the rear of the front doors and raised
up in an unbroken line. Plymouth models had slightly stubbier fins that curved
upward at the mid-point of the trunk lid. All at once, Chrysler became the
style leader and the talk of Main Street. People flocked to the new Mopars in
droves…more than 1.2 million produced for the 1957 model year, an increase of
more than 40% over 1956. This sent GM and Ford designers into a frenzy, back to
the drawing board. For 1958 most Chryslers were similar to the 57’s. However, a
big recession hit the country and people were turning to smaller cars like
Ramblers and Volkswagens. Rambler got into the fin craze on its mid-size
models. Ford had the smallest fins of the Big Three, and they were the most
tastefully done next to Chrysler’s. GM still had the shark fin Eldo, new chrome
fins on Oldsmobiles and Buicks, and slanted fins on Chevys. But the best (or
should I say worst) was yet to come.
1959 was supposed to be GM’s answer to Chrysler. Unfortunately the answer was
way too much of a good thing. The Chevy featured the infamous “batwings”.
Pontiac had twin fins above each taillight. Cadillac’s topped them all with its
soaring, twin taillight fins. Both Buick and Oldsmobile showed a little
restraint, Buick featuring clean canted “delta wing” fins and Olds having
simple chrome tips on its fins.
Here‘s how Ralph Nader described Cadillac fins in his book Unsafe At Any Speed:
“In the year of its greatest height, the Cadillac fin bore an uncanny resemblance
to the tail of the stegosaurus, a dinosaur that had two sharp
rearward-projecting horns at each side of the tail.” Nader also documented
accidents involving pedestrians and motorcyclists encountering those chest-high
fins.
Just as the fin reached its zenith, consumers were moving away. The fins got a
little too outlandish for their own good. People were embracing smaller, more
sensibly-styled cars like Ramblers and Studebakers (the Rambler senior series
did have concave fins, while the hot-selling Americans did not). The automakers
realized they had a passing fad, and on its 1960 model lines, GM softened its
fins, de-emphasizing them. By ‘61 most of the fins were gone, replaced by
straight-through sheet metal. They were history at Chrysler in ‘62. Virgil
Exner, chief stylist at Chrysler, was upset at the eleventh-hour change; he
called them “plucked chickens”. Exner had even grander ideas regarding fins…he
planned to introduce cars with a single, off-center fin that ran along the
hood, continued along the roof and rose at the rear of the car. Luckily for us
(and for Chrysler) that design theme was left on the floor of the styling
studio.
And so another styling gimmick was put to bed. But for a few years, Detroit got
caught up in “finny fun”. What will the next styling fad be? It’s anybody’s
guess. But if one car company’s style catches on, chances are the other car
companies will be quick to imitate.
Sources: The Dream Machine by Jerry Flynt, Cars of the Fabulous 50s by James M.
Flammang and the Auto Editors of Consumer Guide.
(
Lou, you are a wealth of knowledge. What a storehouse you must have!) Pete
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"RESURRECTION OF A PAIR"
by Justin Appelbaum
Back in the
mid 1960’s Joe Vulpis owned the local MG dealership, JB Imports, in Sea Cliff,
Long Island. Unfortunately due to
lackluster sales of the small British cars he was forced to close the
dealership in late 1968, but not before he made off with a used 1952 MG TD to
keep for himself. After owning it for
several years and enjoying it very much, he decided he wanted to perform a full
restoration of the vehicle himself. He
started the process by disassembling the entire vehicle, including all of the
body panels, interior, and mechanical parts.
The car received a fresh paint job, the engine was rebuilt and some of
the chrome trim was sent out to be freshened up. That is about as far a Joe got with the car, months passed, and
eventually those months became years and those years became decades. The car wound up sitting in his garage under
wraps collecting dust for a total of almost fifty years. Mostly due to the three sons that he and his
wife had raised. Over the years
activities such as baseball and muscle cars took priority over the MG. Now at this point Joe has become an older
man and did not feel up to the task that as a younger man, he was able to
accomplish without a second thought. So
what was he to do? He took his time and
researched various shops around the northeast and once he had made his decision
the car was dropped off at AutoMat Co. of Hicksville in May of 
2008.
The scene was one of utter disaster. The flatbed arrived with a bare rolling chassis, fenders strewn about, countless bundles of rolled up newspaper filled with all of the trim parts, what seemed like miles of wiring, rotting upholstery and buckets upon buckets of unlabeled nuts bolts and brackets. Where does one begin when a project like this shows up on your doorstep? For starters having an expert vintage British car mechanic on-hand helps, and that is where Tom Abbey came in. With years of experience under his belt and a lifetime of British car knowledge, tackling this job was right up his alley.
To begin
this type of restoration every box had to be gone through and organized! Categorizing each part and making sure that
what was there was still useable itself, took a few weeks and that was before
the restoration of many of these parts was performed. With that painstaking process done, the actual work on the MG
could be started. Some parts that were
in good condition and reusable were cleaned up, given a fresh coat of paint,
and either put back onto the car or put back on the shelf and left for the
appropriate time to be installed. Parts
that had to 
be
rebuilt or refurbished were done so, either by accomplishing this in-house or
sending it out to reputable British car parts manufacturers. Some parts that had rotted away after years
of sitting, such as the wooden floorboards and dashboard were cut from fresh
pieces of pressure treated lumber, painted, sealed and reinstalled into place. The radiator looked as if mice and spiders
had made a home in it over the years, collecting loads of cobwebs and various
bits dragged into it. Plus who knows
the overall condition of a radiator that has been sitting for fifty years! So
that was sent out to be flushed and pressure tested. Unlike cars today, the gas tank was not just stuffed under the
rear of the car, it was the rear focal point and part of the body styling. Like the radiator, the gas tank looked to be
in the same condition and therefore was also sent out to be resealed and
pressure tested as well. Some of the
last items that were sent out for service were the gauges. Like everything else, after sitting for an
extended amount of time, dust and debris had clouded the gauges and hampered
their operation.
While these parts were being restored, actual work on the MG could be started. Wiring the car when it is completely disassembled typically is the easiest way to get a job like this done. With no real body panels, dash or interior to have to work around, the wiring was able to be run in a more organized and controlled manor. From the headlights to the taillights the entire car was rewired including the engine bay and the dashboard. The fuel system was next in line for a revamping. The basic parts to the fuel system, the fuel pump, fuel lines, and fuel filter were all replaced with new ones and the carburetor was rebuilt, allowing for proper fuel pressure and flow. Turning to the engine bay, as mentioned earlier the engine was rebuilt a long time ago, but due to years of sitting it took some finessing to get it turned over for the first time in almost half a century. Basic things like new plugs, wires and points were installed, the valves were adjusted, the oil was changed and everything was lubed up. The intake manifold along with the carburetor and fuel lines were hooked up, while directly under that the exhaust manifold was bolted up at the same time and connected to the exhaust system. Once the radiator was returned it was mounted in place at the front of the car behind the trademark chrome MG grille and the cooling system was put together and now complete. At the rear of the car the gas tank was mounted and all of the new fuel lines were attached. With some fresh power from a new battery, the car came to life. Now with the car running getting it to run smoothly was just a matter of some tweaking underneath the bonnet, (that’s British talk for hood to us Americans.) Making the car stop is just as important once the car is running, so moving along to the brake system was the next task.
Back in the 1950’s the braking systems of most vehicles were not that advanced to say the least. Typically it consisted of four drum brakes, a master cylinder and some brake lines, and those are the parts that were overhauled on this MG. Most cars of the 1950’s were large heavy ones with powerful engines to move them, but the brake system was lacking, although the smaller lighter British cars had the same set-up, the brakes were more effective because of the difference in weight. To update the braking hardware on the MG, the brake shoes were replaced, the master cylinder was rebuilt, and the rubber brake lines were replaced with fresh ones. All of the old brake fluid was flushed out and fresh DOT 3 was pumped through the system, revitalizing the system for what ever Joe was looking to do. A set of fresh rubber was mounted onto the original rims that had been cleaned up and painted; now the car was ready to roll. With the car mechanically functional the body and the interior were next on the checklist of items to be completed.
Surprisingly after sitting for so long, the body panels and paint were in excellent condition and only needed to be cleaned up before being reinstalled onto the MG. Using all original British standard sized bolts the panels were lined up and hung back into place. Everything fit back together like it was supposed to and only a minimal amount of adjusting was needed to achieve nice straight gaps and smooth trim lines. The fenders were bolted up, the doors were hung and the bonnet was in place. The small windshield frame with glass that is just tall enough to keep the bugs out of your teeth was the last body panel to mounted. Installation of new weather stripping where original was replaced, not that it will keep you dry if you were to get caught in a sudden rainstorm as these cars were not known for being water tight. Now all that was left to finish the car was to complete the interior.
The seats themselves were completely shot, all of the upholstery and padding needed to be replaced. Once stripped of what was considered garbage, any repair work that was needed was performed on the frames and springs. Next they were sandblasted and given a fresh black powder-coated finish. After that, new burlap and rebuilt padding was installed onto the frames making for a cushy ride. New red leather was cut from complete hides and sewn together using the old upholstery as a guide to create new seat skins. When completed, they were mounted onto the restored frames and waited for the rest of the interior to be finished before they could be bolted in for the final time. As for the rest of the interior, the cardboard that made up the door panels, kick panels and rear compartment was so deteriorated that even using them for patterns was almost impossible, but not completely. New ones were created and wrapped in matching red vinyl; any trim pieces were installed and then the panels were mounted in the car. Fresh sets of carpets were laid in place over the new floorboards and the seats were bolted into place. The rebuilt gauges were mounted into the dashboard that was recovered in the same vinyl as the interior panels and then all of the wiring behind the dash was connected and tested before it could be installed permanently. The final touch was the installation of the reproduction steering wheel and a set of custom MG floor mats to complete to the interior.
But wait, I almost forgot! This is a convertible sports car, there is no way the original top was going to be up to the task of its former duties after all this time! The frame too was also in need of restoration, so after it was sandblasted, powder coated and reinstalled onto the car, a new black vinyl top was stretched across the cabin, closing in the interior and finishing the project.
On a beautiful Friday in October, a few days shy of five months, the time had arrived and Joe was able to pick up his stunning 1952 MG TD after not having driven it for almost fifty years. He dusted off his driving hat and could not contain the smile on his face after his first spin around the block. He is one happy man thanks to AutoMat Co! Since delivery he has taken the MG to a few shows and participated in the annual road rally in Huntington, NY. Keep an eye out for this stunning red beauty next season and say hi to Joe!
(Awesome Justin! 5 mos is not along time for such an
in-depth project!!) Pete
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Do you have
a scuffing problem?
by Dennis Quitoni
No! Not there silly. I’m talking about in your motor. You may be suffering from a reduced
amount of anti scuffing ingredients.
Now you get it? Yes, in your
oil. Zink Dialkyl Dithiosphosphate. Better known outside the medical industry
as..ZDDP. As a reduced amount of ZDDP may not affect your heart and body, it
very well may affect your pocket book. You see it started in the late ninety’s.
That’s when the powers that be in Washington [read that - the EPA]
decided that the percentage of Zinc additives in passenger car motor oil was
too high and was polluting the air and destroying catalytic converters. Well we
all want cleaner air and longer life in our catalytic converters, so I can’t
fault the government, well maybe just a little. You see they failed to tell
us..[the flat tappet guys]…that the ZDDP was being reduced!
Solid lifter and hydraulic lifter camshaft people: You know who you are! You didn’t go for
the roller lifter cam when your motor was built, right!? You probably didn’t
know that a roller cam assembly doesn’t need zinc because by virtue of the
roller on the end of the lifter, there is less pressure on the cam lobe and the
pressure is spread out as the roller rotates around the cam, allowing the
lifter to operate cooler and to always be getting a fresh supply of oil between
itself and the cam lobe. Got it!?
O! The pour flat tappet, forced to always be stricken by the cam
lobe in the same place. O, The pressure, the heat, the pain. If only we could
take some Zinc Dialkyl Dithiosphosphate and call the doctor in the morning.
But wait!! There is
a cure. If you have a new motor you need to use a break in motor oil. The
container must say BREAK IN motor oil!
This is a must if you are starting your motor for the first time, and
for the next couple of thousand miles. After that you can use your standard
motor oil along with an additive to help the lifter receive and hold a proper
amount of oil between itsself and the cam lobe. The manufacture of the camshaft
will recommend their brand of additive. IE; Comp. Cams p.n. #159 Crane p.n.#
9902-1 G.M. E.O.S. assembly lube oil additive, Melling p.n. #10012 to name a
few. You can also use racing oil. But do
not use a “SM” formula oil straight out of the container.
Now, here’s the story………………..
Basically, pure refined motor oil is the lubricant, but each
manufacturer ads and changers additives for their own specifications to make
their brand better then the competition. One of these additives is zinc. Zinc
additives are used because there is an increased demand on the performance of
the oil in high performance engines with higher lift camshaft designs and
greater valve spring pressures.
Aftermarket manufactures increase spring pressure to allow the motor to
rev higher and to better handle the more aggressive action of the cam lobe. Now
all of this creates a harsher environment for the oil to stay in place on the
moving parts. The zinc helps out by keeping the oil in place between the mating
parts. Think of the zinc as the glue in the oil holding the molecules together.
The EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] and the API [American
Petroleum Institute] called for the reduction of zinc because they have reason
to believe the zinc increases the pollution in the air and also shortens the
life of the catalytic converter. The reduction and eventual elimination of ZDDP
in passenger car motor oils is not a problem today because all motor
manufactures have now eliminated the flat tappet lifter in virtually all
engines. But it’s a problem if we use a hydraulic or solid lifter, non-roller
camshaft assembly. Why you ask! Because the roller lifter motor uses the roller
to decrease the pressure on the camshaft due to the fact that the roller on the
end of the lifter rolls and spreads the surface load oil around the roller,
decreasing the heat build up on the lobe and the lifter.
Note that the flat tappet lifter is not flat at all. It is
designed with a convex contour, and the cam lobe is designed so that the back
of the lobe is taller then the front of the lobe. This allows the lifter to put
pressure on the cam to keep it back in the block so that it doesn’t try to come
forward. To do this the lifter must rotate. If it don’t, it creates much more
friction, loses the film of oil between its self and the cam lobe, and both
begin to wear. The ZDDP is the glue in the oil that helps keep the molecules
together and allows the oil to “stick” to the rotating parts. So what’s most important
is what happens when you put a flat tappet motor together for the first start
up! You must now use oil with a high percentage of ZDDP. Diesel oil, racing
oil, off-road oil, Castrol GP Series, Pennzoil with Z7, Shell’s Rotella-T
synthetic oil, as well as others. Do
not use full synthetic motor oils unless it is stated that it contains ZDDP and
is safe for use in new motors.
None of the above has any thing to do with ‘viscosity’. Viscosity is the term used to describe the thickness
or the flow rate of the oil. Generally there are two types of viscosities.
Single grade and multi grade. Let’s take multi grade first. There are usually
two sets of numbers and a letter in-between them. The letter is a “W” and it
stands for winter. The number to the right of the “W” is the viscosity of the
oil at its thickest at zero degree temperature. The number to the left is the
viscosity of the oil at its thinnest at 212 degrees. So in the case of a 10W40
multi viscosity oil; in the winter the oil will get no thicker then a 40 weight
at 0 degrees, and if it is measured when it is heated to 212degrees, it will be
no thinner than 10 weight oil.
The lower the number on the right, the easier the
crankshaft can rotate through it at zero degree temperature. The higher the number
on the left, the thicker the oil will be at 212degrees. On every container of
oil there is a logo from the API. It is a circle with the viscosity numbers in
the middle just below the letters SAE [Society of Automotive Engineers] above
that at the outer diameter of the circle is the wording API service and then the letter S followed by other letters. Such as “SM”. SM is the current
compound of oil that is being used for passenger car oils today, but it is not
good for flat tappet camshaft motors! In the past we had: SL, SJ, SH, and more,
all the way back down to “SA”. SA was the formula first used in the
standardization of the blending of oil.
I’ll tell you more next time. I have to stop now! I have to get up oily tomorrow
(Dennis – who knew it was so
complicated! Thanks for saving hundreds of engines out there from the “Wrong
Stuff”) Pete
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
RICH’S TECH TIPS
By Rich Fiore
TO REBUILD OR
NOT,...THAT IS THE QUESTION
The engine within
our favorite ride was not meant to last forever. There may come a time (
usually winter ) when you find its time to bring some new life back
into the ole beast. But prior to removal/teardown of your cast iron boat
anchor, there are some things which should be done to determine if
tear down is necessary.
If driveability is a problem it
starts with a complete tune up. If this does not solve your ills the next
thing would be to perform some of the basic tests. These would
include compression, leak down and vacuum tests. Some might want to do an oil
analysis. This could prove if some metals are floating
around.
Currently I am in the middle of a rebuild
on my ‘68 Coronet drop top. My reasons were academic. With an oil light that
flickered at idle, smoke out the tail pipe, and plenty of oil leaks... it was
an obvious choice. I'm glad I did. I was amazed
at the amount of nylon teeth from the cam gear in my oil
pick up screen - that exploded with the previous owner.
So lets say at this point you
have finally realized the rebuild is necessary. The key thing here is to
do all of it. No taxicab rebuild. You never want to look back and say
“I should have done it while I was in there.” Personally, I do not
wish to pull the motor again, so all internals will be done when the 440 is
apart.
The block should be bored out and not
honed. Cylinders have the tendency to wear egg shaped. Your machinist will make
the determination of how far to oversize. Usually either .030 or .060. The
deck should be resurfaced and the main bearing caps align-bored. The
cylinder heads should receive a complete valve job with all new parts. I'm
talkin’ new valves, rockers, springs, seals and guides!! Not cleaning and
cutting the old valves! While you are there make sure you install the hardened
exhaust seats. Your rebuilder/machinist will also measure the crank and
determine if it needs to be polished or cut.
The connecting rods should be resized on
the big end and possibly re-bushed on the small end. Replace the rod bolts and
have everything balanced when done. Obviously all crank and cam
bearings will be replaced along with the freeze out plugs. The oil and
water pumps must be replaced since they are the life blood of your engine. The oil
pick up should be cleaned and some will upgrade to a larger size.
The bottom line here is that your
rides’ powerplant is the thing that will get you home ... not a shiny
paint job. Once you have determined to do a rebuild, do not cut any corners. In
going the whole nine yards your machinist/rebuilder will probably put forth the
extra effort knowing you are not willing to skimp on things.
You can have the real pretty car but if
your stuck... who are you going to kick?
Quick
and Dirty: When was last time you got you got under your
engine and tightened those oil pan bolts?
(That is some sound basic
advice Rich! It amazes me how many people cut corners!) Pete
______________________________________________________
Here
is where you can access previous editions of the Long Island Classic Cars
Online Newsletter.
http://www.liclassiccars.com/Newsletter/
You can also access the previous Newsletters through a
link on the main page of the website.
___________________________________________________
What a great way to start off
2009!!
This
was a super edition of the Newsletter packed with lots of articles and
entertainment! Thanks to all the writers who make it what it is! Show them your
appreciation – send them money! Shower them with gifts! Praise the keyboards
they type on!
What? Oh, ….Sorry. Got carried away there.
Well,
how ‘bout some feedback for them instead then? I’ll include all your comments
in the next edition!
Don’t forget to check out the new Message Board in a
few weeks!
Start
getting geared up (pun intended) for the upcoming car season!! My oils are
starting to flow! I can’t wait for the rains to clear the salt off the roads so
I can take my beasties out!! Wanna mash the pedal on the ‘Cuda to the floor and
rip through the gears in my Hemi Crash Box four speed trans! Glide down the
back roads in my Charger R/T! Cruise the highways with my Super Bee!!
Oh
baby its gonna be great!!
Pete Giordano
Editor
Long Island Classic Cars.com