Nick writes:
>
>Anna nuther thing...what the heck are people doing about the dreaded "Pinto
>Effect". I know I live in mortal fear of some blue haired type in a Buick
>stopping about a foot into the back of the car. Man, there's nothin between
>that "chrome colossus" and flaming death but a quarter inch-o-fiberglass.
>
This is a good time for me to introduce myself and my car. I'm in the
medium late stages of a restoration on a '71 2500 (vin 1962T) and it has
become painfully obvious to me that this car suffered an unpleasant contact
with said Pinto driver in its previous life. While the hood that came with
my car (I got the thing in a semi-disassembled state; not a good idea;
should have known better, yadda yadda yadda) while cosmetically correct
plainly wasn't the original. The car lacked front wheel wells, has some
odd looking radiator, and its coolant tank (you know, one of those odd TVR
header tanks) looks like its been punched from above. My guess is that the
PO either ran under a semi-trailer or someone in a nine passenger Buick
parallel parks by sound, not sight. After more hours of swearing and
bleeding knuckles than I care to recollect, the hood fits reasonably well.
It required building a new mounting at the front of the car's frame, and a
few 'distance' pieces on the fire wall latches, but heck, its only off
about a quarter inch now (good as it gets, I think). As a friend of mine
and I are wont to say, and meaning it with deepest affection; its a
typically tatty TVR.
I hope it will be road worthy later this spring. It has been repainted a
very dark blue green that looks great, if I do say so myself. The car is
back from the body shop and I'm in the process of the rest of the this and
that that goes along with this effort. At present, I'm filled with the joy
of stripping and repainting the aluminum 'fin' wheels. Locals say that
bead blasting the aluminum wheels is a no no so I'm doing it the
chemical/carcinogenic way. Its a slow poison and I'm in no hurry.
Cheers,
Will Zehring
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