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Thanks, I think I'll fly
- Thread starter Nickodell
- Start date
DanR
Diamond Level Sponsor
And I said I'd never fly again!
Nick, great to hear you are up to your old self..... Posting some fantastic stuff!
I had some experiences in Alaska where I actually got out of the '64 International Travelal, took our boys (My friend Dickerson's son Billy and my boy Danny) and walked alongside an old abandoned rail road several hundred feet because of the width of the "road" being so narrow and the tires kicking gravel off for a drop of several hundred feet. What some guys want do for a fishing trip
After 20 years in the USAF flying around some God forsaken places in the best maintained aircraft n the world, at retirement I said I'd never fly again.
If I had to travel in those conditions, it would be walk or fly and I would not "leave the driving to us" as the sayings goes....
Nick, great to hear you are up to your old self..... Posting some fantastic stuff!
I had some experiences in Alaska where I actually got out of the '64 International Travelal, took our boys (My friend Dickerson's son Billy and my boy Danny) and walked alongside an old abandoned rail road several hundred feet because of the width of the "road" being so narrow and the tires kicking gravel off for a drop of several hundred feet. What some guys want do for a fishing trip
After 20 years in the USAF flying around some God forsaken places in the best maintained aircraft n the world, at retirement I said I'd never fly again.
If I had to travel in those conditions, it would be walk or fly and I would not "leave the driving to us" as the sayings goes....
Nickodell
Donation Time
Thanks, Dan.
Had my hand operation last week and it'll be in a splint for another week, so I'm typing this with one finger of the other hand - many retypes.
Bad news is that the surgeon says the tendons in the middle and ring fingers have gone too far to be rectified; all he could do was remove the adhesions that were causing pain. The pinkie was somewhat similar. In addition, like so many 77-year-olds, I have arthritis in the finger joints. Moan groan. The good news is that it's my left hand, and I'm right-handed. The bad news (this looks like Ping-Pong) is that I'll be unable to drive a non-power steering car again, or wield tools much, so even if Matilda hadn't lunched her engine the 34-year-old relationship would have been over.
So my little beauty sits in the garage. Every couple of weeks I start her up and sit in her thinking of old times, like Fred Astaire in On the Beach. NO NO, I don't mean that - with the garage door open!!
I've had a few inquiries via PMs or emails, but with two exceptions they think I'll sell a very good car with a sick but probably fixable engine for a fire-sale price.
Had my hand operation last week and it'll be in a splint for another week, so I'm typing this with one finger of the other hand - many retypes.
Bad news is that the surgeon says the tendons in the middle and ring fingers have gone too far to be rectified; all he could do was remove the adhesions that were causing pain. The pinkie was somewhat similar. In addition, like so many 77-year-olds, I have arthritis in the finger joints. Moan groan. The good news is that it's my left hand, and I'm right-handed. The bad news (this looks like Ping-Pong) is that I'll be unable to drive a non-power steering car again, or wield tools much, so even if Matilda hadn't lunched her engine the 34-year-old relationship would have been over.
So my little beauty sits in the garage. Every couple of weeks I start her up and sit in her thinking of old times, like Fred Astaire in On the Beach. NO NO, I don't mean that - with the garage door open!!
I've had a few inquiries via PMs or emails, but with two exceptions they think I'll sell a very good car with a sick but probably fixable engine for a fire-sale price.
Eleven
Platinum Level Sponsor
Well Nick, regardless, don't go away. Always enjoy your thoughts and observations. Oh, I watched that and now wish I hadn't!! Took a bus out of a rafting trip haul out once (You know the kind, School bus then old bus then berry pickers bus then paint it with rafts so they won't notice the rest...) Made the mistake of sitting on the cliff side of the vehicle watching 17 year old rafting guide blasting up shouting over the screams "Don't worry, done it a hundred times!"
Stick around friend!
Stick around friend!
DanR
Diamond Level Sponsor
As I said it is great to hear from you!
Sorry about the 77 year old hand and the loss in part. I had an accident this summer where I picked up an Alpine in Ga, brought it home and was attempting to unload, discovered the tilt bed would not function. The reason was that some where along the way I had lost the battery and mounting for it from under the trailer bed.
Chocked the wheels on the trailer and started to unhitch from the tow truck. Made the mistake of not making sure the dual axles were out of a bind. They were almost spring loaded in the way they were twisted. That is when the trailer rolled forward catching my left hand "little" finger between the hitch and the truck ball. Tore the bottom off of the little finger from the joint to the tip. Could have lost my hand.
The finger has healed but is very sensitive to touch and especially cold.
At 76 my joints are causing me some difficulty too.
Sorry about you not being able to drive Matilda. Just don't give her away!
As Eleven said stick around....
Sorry about the 77 year old hand and the loss in part. I had an accident this summer where I picked up an Alpine in Ga, brought it home and was attempting to unload, discovered the tilt bed would not function. The reason was that some where along the way I had lost the battery and mounting for it from under the trailer bed.
Chocked the wheels on the trailer and started to unhitch from the tow truck. Made the mistake of not making sure the dual axles were out of a bind. They were almost spring loaded in the way they were twisted. That is when the trailer rolled forward catching my left hand "little" finger between the hitch and the truck ball. Tore the bottom off of the little finger from the joint to the tip. Could have lost my hand.
The finger has healed but is very sensitive to touch and especially cold.
At 76 my joints are causing me some difficulty too.
Sorry about you not being able to drive Matilda. Just don't give her away!
As Eleven said stick around....
Anybody up for trying to figure out how to add electric power steering to an Alpine?
Apparently some folks, EZ Power Steering, make a kit for the Tiger. I have no idea how these things work or where they hook in. And I have no idea of the chance it could be used in an Alpine given the R&P vs. steering box issue (though they sell kits for cars with both kinds of setups).
Netherlands manufacturer:
http://www.ezpowersteering.nl/158/Home.html
U.S. distributor:
http://thedrivenman.com/c-330372-shop-by-category-electric-power-steering.html
They have a universal kit. Again, can't say if they work, but they exist. And $1700 to continue a 34-year relationship seems like a small price to pay.
Apparently some folks, EZ Power Steering, make a kit for the Tiger. I have no idea how these things work or where they hook in. And I have no idea of the chance it could be used in an Alpine given the R&P vs. steering box issue (though they sell kits for cars with both kinds of setups).
Netherlands manufacturer:
http://www.ezpowersteering.nl/158/Home.html
U.S. distributor:
http://thedrivenman.com/c-330372-shop-by-category-electric-power-steering.html
They have a universal kit. Again, can't say if they work, but they exist. And $1700 to continue a 34-year relationship seems like a small price to pay.
Nickodell
Donation Time
Once again, thanks to all for the kind comments.
Greg; that looks very interesting. I'll have to do some research.
However, my main objective is to try to find a replacement engine so I can sell Matilda as a going concern. I have a shop that will do the swap at $45 an hour. I've had a few people PM or email me about available units, but they're either in parts or can't be run (ran when parked ) Ideally, I need to know the compression and OP at least, but seeing and hearing one run would be the ideal. The only two in that category are in Virginia and Cal.
Greg; that looks very interesting. I'll have to do some research.
However, my main objective is to try to find a replacement engine so I can sell Matilda as a going concern. I have a shop that will do the swap at $45 an hour. I've had a few people PM or email me about available units, but they're either in parts or can't be run (ran when parked
) Ideally, I need to know the compression and OP at least, but seeing and hearing one run would be the ideal. The only two in that category are in Virginia and Cal.Greg, I've looked into them. They attach to the column between the wheel and the column. That means the column has to be removed from the car, steering shaft removed and machined, the outer column shortened. Not a huge deal on a Tiger with jointed steering column. Different story on an Alpine. But if Matilda's engine is removed, a huge portion of the work would be done.
Bill
Bill
I was curious about Electric Power Steering after reading these posts so I thought I would look it up. There are a lot of units out there from $500.00 on up. There was one company that specializes on vintage cars;
http://www.usautoperformance.com/epas/
there is a good write up on installing this on a Mustang:
http://www.mustangandfords.com/how-to/drivetrain/1401-how-to-convert-1965-1970-mustangs-epas/.
Looking at their site they have parts for vintage English cars, they might have what is needed for our Alpines. I will need this in the not so distant future so I was glad to see this is available. It looks like the Good kits are not cheep, this one was listed at $1300.00, but they have free shipping.
You might want to give it a look see Nick. May be there is a way for you to keep your beloved car on the road.
Sharong
http://www.usautoperformance.com/epas/
there is a good write up on installing this on a Mustang:
http://www.mustangandfords.com/how-to/drivetrain/1401-how-to-convert-1965-1970-mustangs-epas/.
Looking at their site they have parts for vintage English cars, they might have what is needed for our Alpines. I will need this in the not so distant future so I was glad to see this is available. It looks like the Good kits are not cheep, this one was listed at $1300.00, but they have free shipping
.You might want to give it a look see Nick. May be there is a way for you to keep your beloved car on the road.
Sharong
mikephillips
Donation Time
Like the rest I hope everything works out and if selling is the end result, no need to walk away from the community. We all are getting older with more aches and pains than used to be. And we all tend to trade stories and experiences not really related to Sunbeams. Lets face it, if there was a rule saying nothing other than car talk, we'd become a much more quiet, less active group of folks. So we're not letting you go and in fact, next east coast invasion come on by and as they used to say ending the Beverly Hillbillies, "ya'll come back now".