I've been saying for several weeks now that I really ought to dig the
Hardly Boys RaceSpit 4 out of the barn and do the usual ritualistic
maintenance, etc. (add water, fresh gas and oil and see if it starts) in
preparation for the VTR National in Wisconsin. Well, tonight seemed like
a perfect night to do it.
The usual sweatfest (aka the weekly volleyball game) was cancelled due to
lack of interest and lack of volleyball. OK. Kids are with their mom, so
it's head home and clear head by taking a nice 20-minute ride in the
TR250. (Mine? I wish! It's on loan to determine why it's running so
poorly. Of course, it ran flawlessly for me the whole time.)
Oh, well. Down to the barn. I should have known that all would not go
well, as I'd earlier noticed that one tire on the trailer is going flat
again. (Something ELSE to throw money at.) I managed to uncover the
Spitfire, buried as it was under some salvaged lumber and some parts I'd
removed from a TR3A body before selling same -- stuff that I'll need for
the hulk of a TR3B I've been fantasizing about restoring some day.
I lifted the bonnet, propped it up with the handy stick, and proceeded to
look things over. There was the block drain plug, sitting up on the cowl
where I'd left it after draining the water out 22 months ago. (Gets darn
cold in the winter, and I'd never put antifreeze in, so....) The plug is
missing the all-important fiber washer; hopefully that's no big deal. And
there was the lower water pump outlet and the lower radiator outlet, both
nicely exposed. Only one thing is missing: the lower radiator hose. I
remember taking it off to drain the radiator (later Spit rad with no
drain tap on the bottom tank). But DAMNED if I know what I did with it.
So far, my most nearly educated guess is that some weasel / packrat /
groundhog / whatever sort of critter inhabits the barn might have been
attracted by the shiny hose clamps and decided to make off with the whole
thing. Yeah, right. Most likely, I put the hose somewhere safe, knowing I
couldn't possibly forget 22 months later where I'd put it.
Of course, you'd think I'd have something lying around. Well, yeah, I do.
However, it's an NOS "John Bull" hose for a Standard 8 / 10 / Triumph 10.
Might fit ok, but it's almost as old as I am. Maybe not a good choice.
Something tells me I'd better not wait much longer to start looking for
the "mag" wheel lug nuts. Meanwhile, let's hope some supplier in PA or OR
has a 133331 hose, as I really hate the universal-fit style and I doubt
Parts America or Pep Boys would have a "correct" hose.
I hope this is not how the whole summer is going to go for me. Bad enough
I've already sunk over $1K in repairs to the Explorer just for the
privilege of towing a car 1200 miles each way for maybe a total of 5
minutes' time on the autocross course....
--Andy
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Andrew Mace, President and *
* 10/Herald/Vitesse (Sports 6) Consultant *
* Vintage Triumph Register *
* amace@unix2.nysed.gov *
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