kmead
Old enough to know better
So today I finally had some time to open my garage door, move the the detritus which built up over the fall, winter and spring to actually be able to see my 850 (or at least its shrouded body).
I had been charging the battery all morning and by late afternoon a path existed from the the 850 to the door. I dropped in the now completely charged battery and figured I would give it a go.
Some background: *Five years ago I had changed the very slow 41 year old original OE starter for one of those new fangled Japanese reduction gear starters which worked a treat. Last year I had tried to get the car to turn over multiple times starting quite early in the year with additional attempts and modifications during the summer. Every time I tried it just gave me a click at best or a deep dimming of the idiot lights. Great, a couple of hundred bucks on a starter that worked maybe 50 times.
Jump back to today.
I tightened everything up. I clambered into the drivers seat, turned the key to run and was happily greeted by the two idiot lights. Turned the key to start and lo and behold she is spinning over!
I start pumping the pedal like a mad man, pulling the choke and hoping some gas will get dragged from the long dormant tank. After giving it 10+ seconds, its clear the bowl is dry and the fuel isn't going to make its way to those two parched throats of the Weber before the battery loses its peak amps.
So I stop to spray some ether into the carb. Hop back into the seat, it still spins over, but will it catch? Have the points closed up? Is there no spark? It isn't more than a couple of seconds (seemed like an eternity) before it gave a little cough and started running! It cleared a bit as it started running on actual gas which had finally splashed its way into the float bowl and down through the jets.
I pulled the hand throttle a bit to hold it on a fast idle (it wasn't having any choke as it was at least 85 in the garage), ran to the back to look things over, put the air cleaner top back on. Backed it out of the garage and down the driveway. Still running fine, so time for a little tour around the town.
I puttered along various side streets and then through the village. I pulled over at the kayak access to the lake, snapped a few pictures and headed back to the house.
Pulled into the garage, shut it down and reveled in the glory of old decrepit cars. Why did it start on a whim today versus the tracing, fiddling, adding a relay and so on of last year? Who knows. Who cares! It started and ran.
So after parking ,the smell of cooked brake pads wafted into the drivers compartment, the charge light glared at me during the whole trip and it was clear there is more than a little play in all of the steering and front end components.
Jeff Van Dyke has volunteered me a corner of his new pole barn which should allow me to tear into the front end during the fall and be able to send parts out for refurbishment (kingpins) and chase the electrical gremlins. Next spring I will have a refurbed suspension and a new alternator and decent charging.
During the clean out today I finally found the directions for the recall kit I was lucky enough to find some years ago. All coupes from Jan 1968 to 1970 need the steering post and related parts replaced (its basically a spear) to a multi joint solution much like that of the X or an 850 Spider. The kit is complete with firewall reinforcements, steering shaft, a new steering wheel, a proper ignition switch with column lock and various other bits. While the front end is out this will be a much easier install. The addition of a new ignition switch will be a great opportunity to add a few relays to take the load off the ignition, light switch and speed up the woefully slow wipers. I will scan them in and post them up for those interested.
Lots to do :whistle:
I had been charging the battery all morning and by late afternoon a path existed from the the 850 to the door. I dropped in the now completely charged battery and figured I would give it a go.
Some background: *Five years ago I had changed the very slow 41 year old original OE starter for one of those new fangled Japanese reduction gear starters which worked a treat. Last year I had tried to get the car to turn over multiple times starting quite early in the year with additional attempts and modifications during the summer. Every time I tried it just gave me a click at best or a deep dimming of the idiot lights. Great, a couple of hundred bucks on a starter that worked maybe 50 times.
Jump back to today.
I tightened everything up. I clambered into the drivers seat, turned the key to run and was happily greeted by the two idiot lights. Turned the key to start and lo and behold she is spinning over!
I start pumping the pedal like a mad man, pulling the choke and hoping some gas will get dragged from the long dormant tank. After giving it 10+ seconds, its clear the bowl is dry and the fuel isn't going to make its way to those two parched throats of the Weber before the battery loses its peak amps.
So I stop to spray some ether into the carb. Hop back into the seat, it still spins over, but will it catch? Have the points closed up? Is there no spark? It isn't more than a couple of seconds (seemed like an eternity) before it gave a little cough and started running! It cleared a bit as it started running on actual gas which had finally splashed its way into the float bowl and down through the jets.
I pulled the hand throttle a bit to hold it on a fast idle (it wasn't having any choke as it was at least 85 in the garage), ran to the back to look things over, put the air cleaner top back on. Backed it out of the garage and down the driveway. Still running fine, so time for a little tour around the town.
I puttered along various side streets and then through the village. I pulled over at the kayak access to the lake, snapped a few pictures and headed back to the house.
Pulled into the garage, shut it down and reveled in the glory of old decrepit cars. Why did it start on a whim today versus the tracing, fiddling, adding a relay and so on of last year? Who knows. Who cares! It started and ran.
So after parking ,the smell of cooked brake pads wafted into the drivers compartment, the charge light glared at me during the whole trip and it was clear there is more than a little play in all of the steering and front end components.
Jeff Van Dyke has volunteered me a corner of his new pole barn which should allow me to tear into the front end during the fall and be able to send parts out for refurbishment (kingpins) and chase the electrical gremlins. Next spring I will have a refurbed suspension and a new alternator and decent charging.
During the clean out today I finally found the directions for the recall kit I was lucky enough to find some years ago. All coupes from Jan 1968 to 1970 need the steering post and related parts replaced (its basically a spear) to a multi joint solution much like that of the X or an 850 Spider. The kit is complete with firewall reinforcements, steering shaft, a new steering wheel, a proper ignition switch with column lock and various other bits. While the front end is out this will be a much easier install. The addition of a new ignition switch will be a great opportunity to add a few relays to take the load off the ignition, light switch and speed up the woefully slow wipers. I will scan them in and post them up for those interested.
Lots to do :whistle:
