Gunner's Garage with John Gunnell

Coker to offer revolutionary “old School” radial tires in 20 sizes

Beth — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:51:46 GMT

SEMA SPECIAL

Everyone thought that the non-appearance of several large tire makers at the 2009 SEMA Show would be the big news, but Coker Tire Co. stole the show with a startling new product announcement. “As you know, until now, there has not been a radial whitewall tire with an authentic look for antique and Classic cars and old-school hot rods,” said company president Corkey Coker. “Now, there is one!”

Coker explained that his new line of Excelsior Tires will be the first to combine modern-day radial construction with the classic appearance that old-car hobbyists demand. And he said that the new tires will come in a variety of sizes to fit everything from ’32 Fords to Duesenbergs.

Known as the Excelsior Stahl Sport Radial, this type of tire is being made to replace the old bias-ply tires still found on many vintage cars. “So now, hobbyists will be able to enjoy their driving experiences even more,” said Coker. “This steel-belted radial is targeted toward restored vehicles built before World War II, but the wide range of sizes makes it suitable for a long list of applications.”

Coker revealed that 20 sizes will initially be available with wheel-diameters ranging from 16 to 21 in. “So these tires are versatile, to say the least,” he told Old Cars Weekly. “And while they were designed for restored original cars, the new Stahl Sport Radials will be perfect for a traditional hot rod on which the owner wants the looks of a bias-ply tire combined with the performance of a radial tire.”

Designed for all-season use, each Stahl Sport Radial tire features a specific speed and load rating. The tires made for 16-in. wheels feature an “H” speed rating of 130 mph, while the 17-in. and larger tires feature an “S” rating of 112 mph. Coker said that, compared to a a car using a bias-ply tire of similar size, handling and ride quality will be greatly improved without losing the classic look.

Made in the USA, the Excelsior Stahl Sport Radial is DOT-approved, as well as ECE-approved. “They are legal and ready for the highway anywhere you live,” Coker pointed out.

OIL CHANGE REFRESHER COURSE

Beth — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 01:07:47 GMT

Most of us have changed a car’s oil or watched while a garage or quick-lube shop did this basic job. Changing oil in an old car is much the same, but sometimes involves a unique twist or two. Cars used in “city driving” require an oil change every 2.000-3,000 miles or 3-4 months, while those that are “country driven” can be serviced every 3,000-4,000 miles or six months. If your collector car sees more stop-and-go use, it needs more frequent service. Do it at least every 6 months to avoid driving with contaminated oil. If you have an original prewar or early postwar car and the owner’s manual recommends changes every 500-1,000 miles, follow it. Determine your car’s oil capacity from your manuals. Buy the type of oil specified in your shop manual (or the modern equivalent). You’ll also need jacks or ramps, a drain-plug wrench (an adjustable may do), a drain pan, shop towels, oil dry, a funnel, work gloves and possibly hand cleaner. If the car has an oil filter, you’ll need a new one, plus an oil filter wrench and pliers. Drive car at least 5-10 minutes to warm the oil. You will want to remove the plug and drain the oil while hot. Sometimes you can access the oil drain plug without lifting/jacking the car. Otherwise you’ll need to jack it up and place stand jacks under the frame to support the vehicle securely. If you have ramps or a lift, drive the car on them. Set hand brake. Chock the wheels so the car won’t roll. Remove drain plug with your drain pan ready. If the car is high in the air, hold the drain pan right under the plug, then quickly lower it to the ground while arcing it out, under the flow of the draining oil. Once you learn to do this, you’ll get less splashing and spillage. If the car is only a foot or so off the ground, just put the pan right below the plug. It should take about 10 minutes for all oil to drain. During this time you can be checking other fluid levels. Also check the condition of the drain plug and any gasket it uses. Most cars of 1968 or newer vintage use a spin-on oil filter, usually on the side or bottom of the engine. If the oil has been changed regularly, the filter may look cleaner than other engine parts. If the car has been sitting 30 years, the filter may be black with grime. In either case, use an oil filter wrench to unscrew it. Some are strap-on types and others grab on the fluted bottom of the oil filter. Once you have a grip, turn it counter clockwise. Place your drain pan under the filter. As you remove it, oil is going to pour out. Before adding new oil, replace the drain plug by hand. Make sure it threads in straight. Do not cross thread or over-tighten. Then use your adjustable wrench to tighten, putting light pressure (about 20 foot-pounds) on it. As far as your spin-on oil filter, clean the treads on the engine fixture with a rag, put a new gasket on top of the oil filter, wet this gasket with a little engine oil and start threading the filter on by hand, turning in a clockwise direction. When it is fully hand tight, use an oil filter wrench to tighten it another ¼ turn. Locate and remove the oil filler cap. It may cover a tube running to the side of the engine or it may be on top of the valve covers. Pour the correct amount of oil into the filler cap and replace the cap. In most cases, manuals will give you the oil pan capacity, then tell you to add one quart if the car has a filter. Next, start the engine. Inspect for leaks around the oil filter or the drain plug. Check to make sure that the oil pressure monitor light stops glowing or that the oil pressure gauge indicates normal pressure within 5-10 seconds. After the engine runs for a minute or so and shows correct oil pressure (by monitor light or gauge), shut off the engine and give the oil half a minute to drain back into the pan. Now, use your dipstick to check the oil level and add oil as necessary. As we said, old-car oil changes can be a bit different. Some old cars do not have oil filters or at least lack replaceable oil filters. Oil filters were an option for many ‘50s-and-earlier cars. When this extra was added, you got a canister type oil filter. Some cars – like straight eight Pontiacs – had a non-replaceable, built-in mesh-type filter in the oil pan. Early-‘50s British sports cars came with horizontally-mounted canister filters, but many have been replaced with spin-on filter kits sold by British parts suppliers. The spin-on upgrade simplifies oil changes, but reduces originality. Canister filters have a cartridge type filter that fits inside a metal container. On some, the container has a lid held on by a long bolt. Others run the bolt through the canister itself, drawing it tight against a fixture on the engine. Gaskets are provided to hold the oil in the canister where it seals against the lid or fixture. On some British cars, the gasket has to be fitted into a grove using a tool like a dental pick to do the trick installation. The parts must be in perfect shape to get a good seal. Rubber lines route the oil through the canister. You can find old filters for canister-type oil filters at swap meets. If you do not, check www.rockauto.com. Some cars and trucks and all kinds of other machinery still use this style of filter. Chances are good that there’s a modern replacement that fits in the canister on your older vehicle. After you have changed your oil, don’t forget to write down the date and mileage you did the oil change at. This will tell you when service is due again. Finally, take steps to dispose of the old oil (and oil filter if one is used) properly. Most recycling centers will offer provisions for this, as well as for getting rid of plastic oil containers.

Coker to build 40 Indy 500 replicars for movie

Beth — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:49:52 GMT

SEMA SPECIAL

LAS VEGAS, NV. , NOV 4, 2009 – Coker Tire Co., of Chattanooga, Tenn., will be involved in the production of a movie honoring the 100^th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race. As part of the project, the vintage tire maker will build 40 replicas of the cars that raced in the first 500 race in 1911. In addition, a replica of what the Speedway looked like in 1911 will be constructed. Casey Coker, who runs the Coker Cycle Co. division of the tire company, said that the recreation of the famed “Brickyard” would be built within 100 miles of the real track.

Corky Coker, who Is president of Coker Tire Co., announced the project to the press at the 2009 SEMA Show In Las Vegas. Coker, whose life-long nickname “Corky” comes from a character of the newspaper comic strip "Gasoline Alley," Is a veteran hobbyist and collector of old cars and motorcycles. He Is also a founding member and former chairman of SEMA's Automobile Restoration Market Organization (ARMO).

Replicas of the Marmon Wasp that won the first 500-Mile race and a Lozier that was Involved In a controversial finish in 1911 will be among the first of the 40 cars that are going to be constructed. Coker also mentioned Hudson, Nash and other early racing cars. The cars will be exacting replicas of the cars that competed in the original 500, except that they will have modern engines.

Casey Coker said that the original Marmon Wasp that Ray Harroun drove to victory was brought to Coker Tire Co. headquarters In Chattanooga, where it was displayed for a while and used for reference to make the first of the 40 replicas historically accurate. "Dad had a real Lozier In his collection," Casey explained. "So we already had a model for the Lozier build."

The movie will be a big-budget, professional production with actors dressed in leather helmets, goggles and other early racing garb. Coker brought the completed, but unpainted Marmon Wasp replica to the SEMA Show, where it was featured on Barry Meguiar's "Car Crazy" cable TV show, which the Speed Channel broadcasts remotely from the annual trade show.

Other than the press announcement at the SEMA Show, Coker Tire Co. plans to wait until 2010 to release official details about the Indy 500 movie. Old Cars Weekly asked Casey Coker what would happen to the cars after the completion of filming. "I think that we'll probably keep a couple of them," she said. "And we'll probably sell off the rest of them, possibly in an auction or something."

IGNITION COIL BASICS

Beth — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:06:01 GMT

Like An Electromagnet Did you know your collector car’s ignition coil is like an electromagnet? It has an iron core with fairly thick wire (primary winding) wrapped around it a few hundred times. There is also a secondary winding -- about 200 feet of thinner wire coiled between the iron core and primary winding. This winding lies inside the magnetic field created when electricity goes through the primary winding. When you switch on the ignition and the breaker points are closed, current flows through the primary winding, creating a magnetic field. When the points open, the flow of primary current stops and the magnetic field collapses. This sends current through the secondary winding. The coil becomes a transformer, stepping the voltage up. If your car uses a 12 volt battery, the 12 volts you put into the primary side of the coil will exit the secondary side as 30,000 volts! The high voltage is carried away from the coil by a high-tension cable that looks like a short piece of spark plug cable and runs to the distributor tower. With a one-cylinder engine, you could run the coil straight to the spark plug, but in a multi-cylinder engine, you need a distributor to route the high-voltage secondary current to fire each spark plug at a specific time. This is called “ignition timing.” If your car uses a negative ground and you have a coil with primary and secondary terminals, the primary winding is connected to the terminal on the coil that is marked “+” or “Bat.” This is the terminal that receives voltage from the battery. The primary wire is then coiled around the iron core and its other end is attached to the terminal marked “-“ or “Dis.” The voltage flows from this terminal to the breaker points inside the distributor. (Positive ground is the reverse.) Failures and Fixes Most ignition coils are long lasting and reliable, but a weak coil can cause havoc. You cannot operate a car smoothly without delivering high voltage to the spark plugs to ignite the air-fuel mixture. Most coil failures result from secondary winding defects. Sometimes the thin lacquer insulation between the two windings deteriorates. Other times the windings are no longer insulated from ground. Coil problems are caused by heat and vibration. It is possible to have a sudden failure due to broken windings or bad connections inside the coil. However, it is more common for coil problems to show up as hard starting, a repeated high-speed miss or a gradual decline in ignition system performance. Coils can be tested with an ohmmeter (most coils will give a reading around 8,000 ohms) or with the small scope on a Sun machine. A normal coil will give you a “heartbeat” pattern on the scope, shorted windings will produce a “bumpy L” pattern and open windings will give a flat horizontal line. A shade tree mechanic without testing equipment can make a simple coil test by removing the end of the high-tension cable from the center of the distributor cap and using a piece of wood or plastic tool to hold it near a grounded part of the engine. A bright blue spark should be seen jumping the air gap. A weak yellow or red spark indicates weak voltage and a coil problem. All coils with metal housings can be tested for grounded windings by touching one probe of an inexpensive test light on the metal container and the other to the primary and high-tension terminals. If the tester lights or you see sparks, the windings are grounded out and the coil is defective. Many service manuals recommend temporarily substituting a known good coil for a suspected bad one. If the ignition works properly with the good coil, you will know the original coil was bad. Sometimes coil tower spark leakage or a broken tower can be repaired, but often it’s best to find a replacement coil. When working with older cars, you may run across lock switch extension coils. These were an early anti-theft device. The low-voltage wire from the ignition switch/battery to the coil was sheathed in an armored cable so that no one could hot wire the vehicle. For factory-type repair of a lock switch extension coil find a swap meet vendor with a coil service package for your car. These come with a full instruction sheet. Many restorers modify the lock switch system by using a conventional coil and routing the hot wire through the armored cable. Generally speaking, coils last a long time. If your car has a Delco-Remy coil, a company named Yesteryear (www.car-nection.com/Yesteryear) in Port Charlotte, Fla., specializes in parts and may be able to help. According to Randy Rundle, author of the book Wired For Success, there are other companies advertising in hobby publications that restore lock-switch coils.

Witche's Brew For Leaky Steering Box

Beth — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 01:04:14 GMT

While doing some suspension work on an old car last year, we had to replace the pitman arm seal in the steering box. Since seals come in standard sizes, we were able to find the proper seal at a local auto parts store for only a few dollars. After using a pitman arm puller to drop the arm, the old seal was pried out using dental picks. We then installed a new seal using a seal driver. The entire repair went very smoothly so we were surprised to find an empty steering box when we recently did our winter lubrication on the same car. We filled the gearbox with fresh gear lubricant and kept an eye on it for a few days. Sure enough, it was leaking – but the leak was not coming from the pitman arm seal. It was coming from the near adjusting nut on the front of the steering box. We knew that could mean a complete teardown of the steering gear. Fortunately, we had a set of old tune-up and lubrication sheets from a Shell gas station. These were printed on large cards and used to be kept in a steel storage box at each Shell station. They told mechanics the parts and specs needed to do regular maintenance on cars of the ‘50s and ‘60s. Each card contains a chassis lubrication chart with a drawing of a car chassis and arrows that indicate points to be lubed and the best Shell lubricants to use. The arrow pointing towards the steering gearbox indicated that gear lube (such as we had used) was the proper lubricant. However, it also noted “Shell Retinax A should be used if there is any sign of leakage.” This gave us hope that we might be able to avoid an expensive teardown of the steering box. It didn’t take us long to boot up the computer and surf the Internet to see if Shell Retinax A was still available today. We discovered that the “A” suffix has been changed, but Retinax is available in CMX and MDX formulations. It is a multipurpose lithium complex grease with moly that is used for construction, mining and agricultural equipment. A technical sheet points up that these greases consist of a lithium complex soap thickened, multipurpose extreme-pressure grease compounded with a highly refined paraffinic oil base. These greases are characterized by a high dropping point and are formulated with a special additive package to provide excellent rust protection and resistance to water washout. A special tackifier helps keep them in place on high-speed equipment and in wet conditions. They have been engineered with good pumpability characteristics, making them ideal for centralized lubrication systems. Retinax CMX 1 is especially suitable for applications where very cold weather or long feed lines are involved. The presence of moly in these greases provides an extra measure of protection in shock loading situations, which are common in construction and agricultural usage. During heavy shock loading, the lubricant film between metal surfaces can be temporarily ruptured or squeezed out. By using a moly grease, a film remains to prevent metal-to-metal contact. Moly is also valuable in a dirty environment or when proper lubrication intervals are not followed. Retinax greases are used for virtually all points of grease lubrication on dozers, scrapers, earthmovers, cranes, backhoes, shovels, rollers, tractors, combines and cotton pickers. They are handled by Shell dealers who service this market. Caterpillar dealers also sell a similar Multipurpose Grease product. The characteristics of these greases are well-suited to use in steering boxes on old cars which often do not work well when other greases are used. While on the Internet, I also ran across some postings on a Model A Ford website that mention a Shell product called Valvata J460. This is a steam cylinder oil that a Model A owner was advised to use in a leaky steering box. The man had disassembled the steering box and replaced a leather gasket inside, but found that it still leaked from the area where the frame and sector housing met. A member of a Model A club in Africa recommended Valvata J460. Apparently, this oil had been mentioned in a Model A restoration book. It has a fairly high viscosity and is also available in an even higher viscosity called Valvata J680. Shell’s technical department told the Model A owner that the “J” prefix designates gear oils. The poster said the oil had a sticky, stringy feel like STP oil additive. The Valvata J460 appeared to stop the leak, although the African Model A enthusiast noted he hadn’t driven the car many niles. If you discover a leaky steering box that can’t be fixed by replacing the pitman arm seal, you might want to consider using Shell Retinax greases or Valvata J 460 steam cylinder oil as a possible fix. Technical information on both products is available by calling 1-800-840-5737 or visiting www.shell-lubricants.com.

Checking Hoses

Beth — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:00:22 GMT

An important part of your winter car maintenance should be the inspection of all water hoses for signs of deterioration. Overlooking a bad upper or lower radiator hose or heater hose in the spring can lead to overheating problems next summer. The first thing to check for is leaking hoses. If you see antifreeze anywhere, a hose is seeping or leaking and must be replaced immediately. Hoses that prove to be excessively hard, brittle, soft, mushy or swollen must also be changed. Squeeze and bend the hoses to look for cracks in the middle of the hose. Cracks at the ends are usually quite obvious. If in doubt about the condition of any hose, replace it now and avoid any problems when hot weather arrives. Obtain the correct hoses for your car at an auto parts store, if possible. For antique or collector cars, check the websites of hose manufacturers like Gates or check www.rockauto.com. While, in the end,it may be cheaper to buy the hose locally to save shipping, these websites can help you determine proper part numbers. Also, it seems like Rock Auto has worked out many cross applications to determine which current hoses fit specific older cars. If you need to replace heater hoses, measure both the length and inside diameter of the old hose. Heater hose comes in ½-, 5/8- or ¾-in. sizes and is usually sold by the foot. On some cars, the inlet hose may be a different size than the outlet hose, so don’t measure only one and assume they’re the same. You should also plan on replacing old hose clamps, which tend to weaken and corrode with age. If you car is restored and you want an authentic look under the hood, you will have to look for hobby suppliers who sell original equipment reproductions. Whatever style of clamp you purchase, stay away from cheap look-a-like clamps as many of them do not work as well as the name brands. A high-quality clamp will cost a little more, but it’s worth it. To replace a hose, start by letting the car cool completely so you don’t get scalded by hot antifreeze. Place a drain pan or bucket under the radiator. Then open the petcock or valve near the bottom of the radiator. If you are going to install new coolant, dispose of the old coolant immediately, since it’s poisonous. Keep your pets away from the old coolant. They tend to like its sweet taste Remove the hose clamps from your old hose with pliers or a screwdriver, depending upon the style of clamp. Then, twist and pull the old hose loose. If it won’t come off easily, you may have to split the old hose with a sharp knife or razor blade cutter. Sometimes a hose will pull off better with pliers than by hand. Remove the hose and carefully scrape the metal (or plastic) hose fittings clean. Before installing a new hose, apply a small amount of non-hardening gasket sealer to the fitting only. Don’t put sealer inside the hose, as any excess amount could get into and clog the cooling system. The sealer will also help the hose slide onto the fitting. Slide the new clamps onto your new hose before you slide the hose on the fittings. Make sure the hose ends slide over the fittings far enough to allow the hose clamps to grab the fitting and make a tight seal. Now move the hose clamps near the ends of the hose and tighten all the clamps. Fill the radiator with coolant and start the car to check the cooling system for any leaks. Recheck the coolant level after the engine has achieved its proper operating temperature.

Car collector John Q’Quinn dies in car crash

Beth — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:57:22 GMT

Here is an update on the news posted yesterday: Well-known lawyer and car collector John Maurice O’Quinn was killed on Thursday, Oct. 29, when the Chevrolet Suburban he was driving skidded on a rain-soaked Houston, Texas highway and slammed into a tree, causing heavy damage to the SUV. The 68-year-old attorney was famous both for securing $17.3 billion settlement from tobacco companies and for his collection of some 800 vintage cars, which had previously been featured in Old Cars Weekly. O’Quinn was said to be working on the creation of a car museum. Houston police reports said the fatal accident took place on the city’s Allen Parkway. Also killed in the crash was Johnny Lee Cutliff who was believed to be O’Quinn’s personal assistant. News photos show that t\he front end and other sections of the black Suburban the men were driving was severely damaged. O'Quinn was born in 1941. His father was an auto mechanic who raised him alone and gave him a stiff upbringing. The family was of modest means and John had no opportunities to have hobbies such as collecting cars. It was not until he struggled to his celebrated status as a top-ranked attorney that he was able to buy the car he enjoyed and dreamed of owning. His collection includes a half-dozen Duesenbergs, a Lincoln-Continental limousine once owned by President John F. Kennedy, a Barris-built Batmobile, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Packard Limousine and a Ford Escort once owned by Pope John Paul II. O’ Quinn brought four cars to the recent Louisville Concours d’Elegance, a 1930 Stutz Model M Supercharged coupe with low-slung Lancefield of London coachwork, a 1934 Duesenberg Model J Brunn Riviera Phaeton, a 1929 Rolls-Royce Springfield Phantom I Riviera Town Brougham with a massive 4468-cid six-cylinder engine and the famed TV Batmobile. O’ Quinn’s personal life was one of ups and downs. He was a self-made man who reached the pinnacle of success in his field and made friends and enemies while rising to fame as one of the top tort lawyers in the country. However, his influence in the world of car collecting was as powerful as the huge Texan’s “Big Man” persona. Enthusiasts throughout the world were looking forward to the opening of his museum, which visitors say was being planned so that each floor would represent a different decade in automotive history. Newspaper reports said that Q’ Quinn had no wife or children. Darla Lexington, the woman in charge of the corporation that managed his automobile collection, is said to have also provided a positive influence in the lawyer’s life in recent times. Both of their names were seen on the vehicle identification plaques at the Louisville Concours d’Elegance. O'Quinn's death behind the wheel of a car is an ironic ending for an enthusiast who drove fast sports cars and spent the last 10 years or so putting together one of the world's newest giant-sized classic car collections. Old car professionals like John Mark, of Illinois, who visited the collection earlier this year, marveled at the investment that O’ Quinn was making in his hobby. Many news stories about the tragedy discuss the hills and valleys of O’Quinn’s personal life, but there can be no doubt he will be missed in collector car circles. Captions One of John O’Quinn’s classic cars was this 1930 Stutz Model M Supercharged coupe with low-slung Lancefield of London coachwork. (Jim Rugowski photo) An unidentified driver parks John O’Quinn’s 1930 Stutz Model M Supercharged coupe at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ken. The Stutz has a 322-cid overhead cam vertical eight that produces 134 hp. (Jim Rugowski photo) O’Quinn brought his 1934 Duesnberg Model J Brunn Riviera Phaeton to the recent Louisville Concours d’Elegance with three other classic cars. (Jim Rugowski photo) O’Quinn was a big Texan and liked big, impressive cars like this 1929 Rolls-Royce Springfield Phantom I Riviera Town Brougham with its massive 468-cid in-line six. (Jim Rugowski photo) Cars that were owned or built by famous people were also part of the Houston-based collection and included the Batmobile that customizer George Barris designed for the “Batman” television series. (Jim Rugowski photo)

CLASSIC CAR COLLECTOR O'QUINN KILLED

Beth — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:07:21 GMT

News reports say that Houston, Texas attorney John O'Quinn lost control of his SUV on rain-slicked Allen Parkway and the Chevy Suburban hit a tree killing O'Quinn and a passenger. According to Houston police reports, the accident occurred on Thursday morning. O'Quinn was well known in the old car hobby for the private Classic Car museum he was working on in Houston.

Wintertime Tire Tinkering

Beth — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:06:09 GMT

When it’s freezing outside, a car collector’s garage can be the warmest place in town. After the holiday rush, the world quiets down a bit and gives you time to tinker with those jobs you never seem to get done during the summer. Tire care is an area that shouldn’t be overlooked. Inflation pressures Tire inflation pressure should be checked every month when it’s cold outside. If one or more tires are consistently lower than others, look for a slow leak. A bad seal or porous aluminum wheels may allow air to gradually escape. Keep in mind that the inflation pressure will drop or raise approximately one pound per square inch with every 10-degrees fall or rise in atmospheric temperature. So, as it gets colder in your storage building, your tires will lose air. You can get the most from your tires by keeping them inflated to the recommended pressures all year long. Tests show that 30 percent under-inflation reduces tire life by one-half. Cars stored with tires that are under-inflated are more likely to develop “flat spots.” To keep your classic car’s tires from flat spotting, move the car back or forth a couple of feet on a regular basis, while it’s in winter storage. If this is not possible, you may want to store the car with stand jacks supporting the axles so the tires are an inch or so off the floor. Tire switching Tire switching is what they called "rotating your tires" back you’re your old car was new. Switching tires from one position to another on the car usually prolongs their life. With four good tires, experts suggest cross-changing them from right front to left rear and left front to right rear at regular intervals. With five good tires, the order of rotation is to put the spare on the right rear; the right rear tire on the left front; the left front on the left rear; the left rear on the right front; and make the right front the spare. By switching tires, in this manner, every 4,000 miles, you could drive 20,000 miles and put only 16,000 miles of wear on your tires. Winter is the perfect time to switch tires on a collector car. (Note that this information is for tires made right after World War II, and the rotation patterns would not be the same for tires with more modern construction. However, even modern tires will benefit from regular rotation.) Changing tires Whether you’re rotating your tires in the winter or making repairs, safety is an important consideration when changing tires. Probably most tire changes made on collector cars are made with the help of a hydraulic jack, a lift, or a hoist. However, if a bumper jack is used, follow the factory instructions for jacking. The following instructions are for a 1940s model, but the procedure for many other old cars is similar: 1. Set the hand brake securely and remove the hubcap. Barely loosen the nuts which hold the wheel in place, using the socket and jack handle. (Be careful. On some older makes the wheel nuts on the left side may turn in the clockwise direction, while those on the right side may turn counter-clockwise). 2. Set the small lever on the side of the jack to the "up" position and place the jack under the bumper, in a vertical position, about 18 in. from the center of the front bumper or 24 in. from the center of the rear bumper. Pump the jack handle until the tire is clear of the road. If the lifter on the jack is too high on the stand to slip under the bumper, set the small lever on the side of the lifter to the "down" position, lift up on the socket handle, and slide the lifter down. 3. Turn off the nuts that hold the wheel in place, using the socket and the end of the jack handle. Slide the wheel from the hub and replace it with the spare wheel and tire. Replace the nuts and tighten the hub nuts all around. 4. To lower the car, set the small lever on the side of the lifter to its "down" position. Lower the jack and tighten the hub nuts with the wheel on the ground. Replace the hub nut. Although you may never need to jack up your old car with a bumper jack, it's a good idea to try it out under non-emergency conditions in the winter. Then you’ll know how to operate the jack and change a tire, should you have a flat while touring in the summer. Tire balance Tires were marked at the factory with a red mark on the sidewall, near the bead, denoting the lightest point of the casing. The valve stem is the heavy point of the tube and should always be placed at the mark. All tires (and tubes in the old days) varied in their individual amounts of off-balance. Therefore, they were matched at the factory to counter-balance each other. Due to irregularities in tread wear, caused by sudden brake applications, misalignment, low inflation pressures, tube or tire repairs, etc., a tire and tube assembly can lose its original balance. If any disturbance is the steering wheel was felt while touring last summer, or if pounding, tramping, or shimmying was experienced while driving the car, one of the first items to check is wheel and tire balance. Saving tires when you drive If you check your tires in the winter, they will be ready for springtime driving. When you start driving again, remember that maximum tire life can be achieved by careful attention to driving habits and regular tire service. Here’s 10 tips to caring for your tires once winter ends. 1. Keep tires properly inflated at all times. 2. Avoid spinning your wheels when starting. 3. Avoid sudden stops. 4. Turn corners at moderate speeds. 5. Steer around bumps, ruts, or minor obstructions in the road. 6. Keep out of car tracks. 7. Do not bump or scrape the curb. 8. Keep the front wheels in proper alignment. 9. Keep brakes adjusted. Bad adjustment causes uneven tire wear. 10. Don't forget to check the spare tire's pressure once in a while. 11. Interchange (rotate) tires every 4,000 miles.

TINKER TONIGHT TOO

Beth — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:12:18 GMT

Thursday night is the time I work on my cars every week. So I will be busy in the garage tonight, but here are some quick tech tips I want to pass on before going out to the shop. Maybe one or two will help you with a project and have you tinkering away tonight, too. When working on an engine that is going to be partly disassembled for a length of time, use duct tape, plastic or old newspaper and masking tape to cover up openings for bolt-on parts like manifolds and water pumps. This will keep dirt and debris out of the motor. Sometimes long valve cover gaskets will be distorted by normal packaging and allow oil leaks. This can be remedied by unpacking the new gaskets and slipping them over the top of a spare valve cover for at least several hours before installing them. If your car is missing on acceleration and has rubber spark plug boots, try the following remedy. Rubber spark plug boots that have become hard and carbonized with age will cause spark leakage and flashing. Cut off the boots and replace them with new ones. Dirt and sediment build up in carburetors. Run the car at 1,000-2,000 rpm with the air cleaner off. Put your hand over the air intake until the car almost stalls. Repeat a few times. Engine vacuum pulls raw gas through the carburetor cleaning jets and passages. Water pump squealing and hard to reach for lubrication? A foot-long piece of 1/8-inch copper tubing can be bent to reach into the lubricating hole. Use a windshield wiper hose on the upper end to couple a squirt-type oil can to the tubing and pump oil into the hole. If the “Temp” indicator light on your ‘60s GM car is glowing, though the car is not overheating, be sure the ignition switch is completely returned to the “on” position from the “start” position. The light comes on in the “start” position to check that it is working. Did you know that leaving a battery carrying strap on the terminals will cause a chemical reaction that results in a gooey white substance building up on the terminals? If you use a strap to remove a battery before storing a car, be sure to remove the strap. Bent terminals or longer-than-stock screws on your voltage regulator can touch the metal firewall and cause electrical shorts. To prevent, this fasten a piece of gasket material or rubber tire patch to the firewall directly behind the voltage regulator terminals. The taillights of an older car will burn brighter if you thoroughly clean up any heavy rust on the insides of the housings and then carefully paint the insides of the lamp receptacles with white enamel to increase their reflectivity. To clean a car battery while it is out of the car, sprinkle a handful of sawdust on the battery. Let it stand for a few minutes, with the sawdust soaking up mud, moisture and corrosion. Then sweep it off and remove residue with your shop vac. Having trouble separating a rusty tailpipe and muffler? Try loosening the clamp on the end of the muffler and slipping it down the pipe a few inches. Then, tighten it on the pipe and drive the pipe out of the muffler by striking the clamp with hammer blows. A transmission gasket can stick to parts – especially a torque converter -- making it hard to remove. Try coating the gasket with paint and varnish remover. Wait a few minutes while this solvent sets into the gasket material and you’ll find that it strips off very easily.

VW FAN BELT QUICK CHANGE

Beth — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:43:16 GMT

You gotta see this U-Tube video. How to change a VW fan belt in less than five minutes. To remove the old belt, the mechanic sticks a screw driver under the belt at just the right spot with the engine running. Viola. The belt jumps right off. Then he uses the reversed screwdriver handle against the top pulley to make it stop spinning, Next he balances the new belt on the tip of the screwdrive blade, loops it over the stationary top pulley and uses the screwdriver blade to quickly guide it onto the still-spinning bottom pulley. Sounds crazy but it works. Watch the video. He runs it twice. By the way, Old Cars Weekly's software for this blog is acting up, so I can only print my entries as text only and I can't paste in hyper links. However, if you copy this address and paste it into your Web browser, it should get you to the VW fan belt video.

HEY, YOU, GET OFF OF MY CLOUD

Beth — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:18:38 GMT

This isn’t about Mick Jagger – it’s about what a car collector might say if someone sat on his Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud during a car show. Or his Chevy or Harley. And don’t think that it doesn’t happen. A recent letter to Hagerty Classic Insurance cited an extreme case that unfolded recently in Georgia. A man wouldn’t stop laying on a collector car and authorities finally had to lead him away. Things don’t usually get that bad, but dripping ice cream cones, paint-scratching belt buckles and kids throwing stones can cause real damage to a car that took thousands of dollars to restore. The first line of defense against drippers, sitters, chafers and scrapers is your own vocal cords. Stay by your car at the show and if someone gets close, politely point out your concern. Try not to yell or sound “uppity,” because such reactions can cause immature people to return and do bad things out of spite. The best approach is a firm, but friendly reminder that paint, chrome, glass . . . and even sheet metal . . . can be damaged quite easily. To back up your physical presence -- or fill in when you can’t be around -- you can hang signs on your car. There are any number of these “look but don’t touch” signs available from various old-car parts vendors. To tell you the truth, some of them are fun to read, but they may not be all that effective in protecting your vehicle. People just don’t stop to read before squeezing past your fender. Some collectors go further and rope their cars off with thin metal stakes and binder cord. These items can be purchased at most garden centers or farm supply stores and they do a great job for a small investment. Four of the stakes can easily be carried in the trunk of most collector cars. They are designed with a triangular blade that you step on to push them into relatively soft dirt. Put one at each corner of the vehicle then, string the cord. A few strands of Blaze Orange safety ribbon can be added to call attention to the cord. Since many car shows park vehicles on asphalt, push-in stakes can’t always be used. To accomplish the same kind of protection, some hobbyists buy plastic stanchions and chains to serve the same purpose. These cost a bit more, but they certainly look better and can even enhance the image of a car being special. These items come in black and white and a variety of colors. A product called the Auto Spin Portable Automobile Display Turntable was advertised not too long ago. It was pictured supporting a small 1930s car and it seemed to do a good job of holding the car off the ground, while allowing it to be rotated. You got the impression that a “floating” car might cause people to stand back a few feet. This device may be worth checking out at www.Auto-Spin.com. Another place to look for barrier type products is in catalogs aimed at factory and facility managers. I am on the mailing list to get one of these and I usually scan it for things I might be able to use in my storage building. The catalog is sent out by a company named Direct Safety. It includes such things as Dayglow Orange safety cones, “Polycade” plastic barriers and safety mats that could be used around or under a car to keep the public at a safe distance. Visit www.directsafety.com to request a copy. Before spending a fortune on such items and buying a trailer to haul them around, it would be a good idea to check with the promoters of local shows to see if they are permitted. Some events have restrictions. It may turn out that your vocal cords are still the best way to keep “belt buckle” troubles at bay.

SAY "CHEESE IT" TO MICE

Beth — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 05:01:42 GMT

In old cops-and-robber movies, “cheese it” meant “get out of here.” I haven’t heard that expression in years and I wish I could say the same about stories of mice ruining historic cars. It’s a shame to see the damage the little varmints can do when collectors store vehicles without taking precautions. The best way to mouse-proof a car is to mouse-proof the building the car is in. Make sure it a “rat guard” – a barrier that goes around the bottom of the structure and into the ground. Rat guards are designed to keep pests from tunneling in. Fill in spaces on the bottom of the walls with a foam that hardens or steel wool. Keep doors and windows sealed as tightly as possible. Use gaskets to seal openings for utility lines. Keep food out of your building . . . and your cars. An army of mice travels on its stomach. If there’s nothing for them to eat, you win the war. Vacuum the interior. Remove crumbs and food scraps. Shampoo the carpets so they are squeaky clean and fresh smelling. Mouse traps and poisons come in a variety of forms at various prices. They work, but remember that traps baited with cheese and poisons like those blue-green pellets are designed to attract mice, then kill them. Not attracting mice is a better plan of action. Cats kill mice, but cats can also cause damage to cars or stink them Cats also require cat food that mice will eat. Mice usually enter cars by running up the tires. If the vehicle is stored without tires, it is harder for them to get in. Removing the tires and using jack stands will also keep the tires from developing flat spots. Mice commonly nest in the engine compartment, interior and trunk. Mice are drawn to warm engines of heater motors. Often you will find nests in the frame rail nearest the radiator. Mice will eat electrical wires and spark plug wires. Recently, one Studebaker collector hit on a simple way to keep an engine bay mouse-free – raise the hood. After he inadvertently left his hood up, his mouse problem went away. Mice like it dark. With the hood open, light got in. Mice can enter cars through openings for pedals, steering columns and shifters. If you can tape such openings, mice will find it harder to get inside. Leave the sun visors in the down position or mice may nest under them and chew through the headliner. Use screening if you want to keep the windows slightly open for circulation. Mice usually get into trunks through the rear seat. They can’t get in if you seal the openings. Some cars have drain holes in the spare tire well that should be taped over. Mothballs can be placed on the floor around the car, but leave no gaps. You can also place mothballs or scented soap in a cake pan inside the car to keep mice away. In spring, the mothball smell can be removed by putting a Yankee Candle under the car seat on a hot day. Cacoon-style bags seal the whole car. One type is a big plastic sack. You drive the car in and zip it up. A second type is a plastic bubble supported by a curtain of air. The air pump draws little current and promotes better airflow. Both bags work well if you use them properly. You must be very careful not to trap moisture in a zipper bag. The air-curtain type requires electricity. Spot check the car every couple of weeks for signs of mice. If you see droppings or notice a mouse smell, you’ll first have to get rid of the mice. Then you’ll need to remedy the problem of the mice getting in the car.