Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 ... the credit card commercial where the guy is walking down the street, sees an Austin Healy Sprite with a for sale sign on it, and buys it on the spot? Hope he has a large credit limit for what's needed after the sale! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Oh, indeed...!! Haven't seen it, but I'll keep my eyes open. Had a boss once... lessee, would've been early 80's, I think... who drove an MG Midget. One day he calls me to his office and sez "Oh, Hardpan! (or something reasonably close)... "There's something wrong with my car! It makes a HORRIBLE noise, runs terrible, and is smokey! What's wrong with it...?" So I took a look at it and declared that, in my not-so-humble opinion, he had a fried exhaust valve. "Well... can ya come over on Saturday and help me fix it?" Uh... okay... That danged thing had more layers of head gasket than I thought would have been mechanically possible. Brits back then had not yet discovered high tolerance machining... Sure 'nuff, an exhaust valve. I told him where to take the head to be re-worked (have 'em ALL done, Bob!), and we'd put 'er back together the next weekend. Well... ol' Bob was minimally mechanically astute. But he tried... Back in his garage the following weekend. Bob sez "Hey, Hardpan! (or something reasonably close)... "This nut won't go on right!" Uh oh... so I pointed out that he'd put the wrong nut on a stud and cross-threaded it. "Oh NO!! Well... don'tcha have a special stud thread straightener outter tool??" Sheesh! So I dutifully rummaged through my toolbox and I'll be danged! I had ONE tap in a handle in the bottom of the box... and it just happened to be the right one! Needless to say, I didn't let on how surprised I was. And of course, I was a hero. BTW ~ fella in the office is selling one. Sorta. Some assembly required. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 That looks about road ready to me, Hardpan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Kris Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 I've seen it. Would love to have a Bug Eye Sprite!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted February 2, 2016 Author Share Posted February 2, 2016 I've seen it. Would love to have a Bug Eye Sprite!!! Ya better be handy or know someone who is handy to own something of that era from the United Kingdom! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Prince of Darkness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Prince of Darkness Lucas...! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Oh, indeed...!! Haven't seen it, but I'll keep my eyes open. Had a boss once... lessee, would've been early 80's, I think... who drove an MG Midget. One day he calls me to his office and sez "Oh, Hardpan! (or something reasonably close)... "There's something wrong with my car! It makes a HORRIBLE noise, runs terrible, and is smokey! What's wrong with it...?" So I took a look at it and declared that, in my not-so-humble opinion, he had a fried exhaust valve. "Well... can ya come over on Saturday and help me fix it?" Uh... okay... That danged thing had more layers of head gasket than I thought would have been mechanically possible. Brits back then had not yet discovered high tolerance machining... Sure 'nuff, an exhaust valve. I told him where to take the head to be re-worked (have 'em ALL done, Bob!), and we'd put 'er back together the next weekend. Well... ol' Bob was minimally mechanically astute. But he tried... Back in his garage the following weekend. Bob sez "Hey, Hardpan! (or something reasonably close)... "This nut won't go on right!" Uh oh... so I pointed out that he'd put the wrong nut on a stud and cross-threaded it. "Oh NO!! Well... don'tcha have a special stud thread straightener outter tool??" Sheesh! So I dutifully rummaged through my toolbox and I'll be danged! I had ONE tap in a handle in the bottom of the box... and it just happened to be the right one! Needless to say, I didn't let on how surprised I was. And of course, I was a hero. BTW ~ fella in the office is selling one. Sorta. Some assembly required. Hey Hardpan! Can you come over Saturday and hep me get it together? We should be done by lunchtime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 I had a bit of a reputation... Back in college days, I blew the engine on my '68 bug outside of San Juan Bautista - just about a hundred miles south of home. Hauled it to an aunt and uncle's house in Livermore, dropped the engine, and took it home. Rebuilt that danged thing in my 3rd floor bedroom in the Kappa Phi Delta house. Went pretty well, until Egbert (his real name!) kicked over a can of STP. I came home late one night, a mite bleary-eyed from an evening of celebrating some long-forgotten event... walked in to my room... hit that puddle of STP and did a one-legged oil-skate across the room and landed on a pile o' pistons. OUCH but that hurt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Did it leave a mark? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Several, as I recall. Now, that one would get some reaction - "Hey, Hardpan! What happened to you?" "Slipped in a puddle of STP and landed on a pile o' pistons next to my bed..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Say what you want about those OLD VW BUGS AND VANS, but they were a boys dream to work on. Changing a cylinder was easier than changing spark plugs in some American cars. Well, almost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 LOL! The second post reminds me of my Corvette when we got it. It wasn't quite that bad. When Hubby said he bought it for me I was excited. The last time I'd seen it, a friend was driving it. When Hubby brought it home, much of it was in boxes. We stripped the paint off of it, a friend did body/paint work, and Hubby got it running reliably. I drove it for about 10 years. Then, in 1994, I got a Jeep and quit driving it. It sat in my MIL's shop for 18 years until she moved. Then we brought it home and gave it to a restorer. It's an "arm and a leg" ($36K+ ) later and I still have not driven it. If I can find them I'll scan photos of the boxes it came in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Kris Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Lucas...! Prince of Darkness I'm well aware of Lucas' reputation. I understand that is why the UK became so accustomed to drinking warm beer, Lucas refrigeration..... :P :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badger Mountain Charlie SASS #43172 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 A good example of the quote, "WHEN LIVE GIVES YOU LEMONS, MAKE LEMONADE!". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Dog Jack, SASS #77862 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 When I was much younger I serially owned a Sunbeam Tiger, an MGB and an MGA. The Tiger used Ford parts, but Lucas parts drove me nuts. Would have liked to own a Morgan or MGTD, but probably just as well I didn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 MDJ, were those positive or negative ground...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted February 2, 2016 Author Share Posted February 2, 2016 When I was much younger I serially owned a Sunbeam Tiger, an MGB and an MGA. The Tiger used Ford parts, but Lucas parts drove me nuts. Would have liked to own a Morgan or MGTD, but probably just as well I didn't. Especially the Morgan. Parts of the frame were made of wood. Ahh, Lucas. Had a Triumph TR7 I bought new. Wiring harness shorted and destroyed itself in its entirety. Twice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Kris Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 Especially the Morgan. Parts of the frame were made of wood. Ahh, Lucas. Had a Triumph TR7 I bought new. Wiring harness shorted and destroyed itself in its entirety. Twice. Sounds like my Fix It Again Tony. I bought a used X1-9 and owned it for about nine months. That's all my wallet could take. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted February 3, 2016 Author Share Posted February 3, 2016 Sounds like my Fix It Again Tony. I bought a used X1-9 and owned it for about nine months. That's all my wallet could take. Kris, that's funny right there (and maddening too)! Coupla years ago I was having a newly acquired car inspected at DMV. The guy in front of me in the lot had an X1-9 being inspected. I was surprised as I thought those had rusted or burned into oblivion 20 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Dog Jack, SASS #77862 Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 MDJ, were those positive or negative ground...? The MGA was negative ground, the others weren't. I could not find a female mechanic to marry and work on the cars so I ended the British experiment. Nowadays the only thing British I do is BBC tv shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calamity Kris Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 ............Nowadays the only thing British I do is BBC tv shows. And they do a fine job with those...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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