The Wachusett Old Car Club

POB 414, Holden, Massachusetts 01520

 

The SPOKE "N" WORD Newsletter

 

 

March 2005

    
       
       

 

March, 2005

  1. President's Message:

    Spring is here! Hopefully the winter will warm up, and our snow banks will melt soon. The streets will get swept or the rains will wash the salt and sand away from the streets. Rains will only be during the week, and it will be a sunny day for our Car Show on July 31. This is my prediction for the weather this year, and it is as good as the Farmer's Almanac. It's time to get the old cars out for your enjoyment. What had you done when you stored them for the winter? Nothing or did you do a whole list of things, that you do when you store your car for the winter. I have a list of things to do for winter storage, but I think I will sage that for a fall issue of SPOKE "N" WORD.

Here is my list of  recommended items for "Bringing your car out of Winter Storage":

  1. Call your insurance company and re-establish full coverage (very critical)
  2. Remove car covering and untuck the plastic vapor barrier. This is the plastic you drove the car onto last fall and pulled the vapor barrier up and tucked it over th4e wheels and also closed it in the doors.
  3. Remove the mothballs
  4. Remove the steel wool from the tailpipes
  5. Install the battery or remove the battery tender or re-connect negative lead to battery
  6. Check the tire pressure
  7. Check all fluid levels (critical). If you didn't change the oil in the fall do you want to change it now? How often should the oil be changed? Every 3000, 5000, 7500, 10,000 miles or every six months. A subject which gets lots of discussion and no definite answers. I believe it depends on many factors such as:
  8.         a. Engine age, condition, and past history of what was used for oil. b. type of driving    c. what is the environment in which the car is being driven?
  9. Check the brakes (very critical). Drive up and down the driveway testing the brakes. Check for leaks. You want to make sure the brakes are in working order before youar3e at speed on the highway and need to stop short. Brake fluid draws moisture and should be changed once a year. Those who are doing SCCA and club racing are required to show that the brake fluid has been changed within the last six months.
  10. Insert key and re-set clock and other items that were impacted by battery removal / disconnection, e.g. alarm, etc
  11. Turn the key and start her up! (critical....... let the car warm up to operating temperature before driving)
  12. Open the windows (if warm enough) and head out for the open road ..... let the "grins" begin !!!

Sunbeam - Alpine

    In post WWII England, it was export or perish for British car companies. While Billy Rootes managed to do this with some success, ten years later he saw MG's, Triumphs, and Healeys coming over here by the boat load, and by gosh he wanted some of that too. So his engineers took the belly pan from a Humber estate wagon, and reinforced it with a very substantial X-frame; added running gear from a Rapier, boosted the rapier engine with a new aluminum head, and finished it off with a good looking body designed with the help of Raymone Loewy Assn. The resulting "civilized" sport car, called a Sunbeam Alpine, with roll-up windows and a comfortable ride could do 100 mph, had success in sport car racing and even had a movie career with Grace Kelly, and also James Bond in "Dr. No". However, it lacked the hairy cheasted elbow in the rain cachet of its contemporaries, and so it was considered somewhat of a "ladies car".

    This brings us to my car, which I acquired in 1974 from Allen Motors in Auburn, Massachusetts. It had been owned by a lady who took good care of it, and judging form the lack of rust, never exposed it to a New England winter. However, she did change her own oil, and unfortunately didn't get the plug in right the last time - the result, a frozen engine and a trade-in at Allen's. They had another Series V Alpine that had been rolled over - the body was sad but the engine was good, so a transplant was managed. Judging  by serial numbers, my car was built in 1965 the engine in 1967. Since it was old in 1967, that is the official date for registration.

    I drove it some for two years, when the Lucas alternator disintegrated Since I was very busy, it was parked in my garage until 1998, when I decided the time had come. It needed some TLC - clutch and brake hydraulics, a new alternator (Delco - I couldn't find a Lucus), a rebuild of the starter, rodding of the radiator, new intake manifold and carburetor, new fuel pump, and cosmetics - rebuild of seats, new upholstery, rechroming of bumpers, etc, and a paint job The result is a reliable, comfortable to drive roadster. Of course, Sunbeam aficionados seem to want a Tiger, to keep one of the old 4 cylinder cars on the road - after all there are 69254 of them, and 3846 Tigers.