Me and the Meadowbrook

[medium_jon]

6 hours ago, Worden18 said:

Old vs. new

I don't think I've seen them next to each other like this before. Thanks for posting the picture. 

[Worden18]

Friday (Aug. 11) we took the Meadowbrook over to the Aquatic Center in Spring Grove (25 min drive) so all of us could swim.  Everything was fine until I looked down in the pool and saw my wallet floating near the bottom!  Everything dried out okay and I didn't lose anything out of it.  I like taking the car on the short trips to places like this, or to the market for groceries, etc.  

[Worden18]

Saturday, Aug. 12

We attended a car show in Mabel, MN.  Sure was a lot of fun.  We ate brats and all the works at the Legion, and talked to a lot of people, which is always a highlight for me.  A lot of people looked at my car, and the few times that I was near enough to brag it up, I did just that, letting people know the story about it.  

[Worden18]

Saturday, Aug. 12

Not a big Vette fan, but I do like the ones from the 50s.  Just love this interior, had to get a shot of it and post it up for you guys. 

[Worden18]

Saturday, Aug. 12

There was a good handful of awesome Mopars at the show, one being this 41 Plymouth.  Looked like it had possibly one repaint from decades ago, otherwise it appeared completely original, including the interior and even the rubber on the running boards.

[Worden18]

Saturday, Aug. 12

Another shot of the Plymouth.  I just love these pre-war cars.  The interior had some fantastic patina, including the signature musty smell. 

[Worden18]

Saturday, Aug. 12

It was nice to see "Christine" there.  Although it was a Belvedere and not a Fury.  But, as you guys probably know, they actually used more Belvederes in the filming of the movie than Furys....

This car was very nicely restored.  Didn't have a dual 4bbl on it though.  

Edited August 13, 2017 by Worden18

[Worden18]

Saturday, Aug. 12

This is a 1921 Ford Model A that appeared to be very original.  Love seeing cars like this.

Edited August 13, 2017 by Worden18

[Worden18]

Saturday, Aug. 12

Here's a nicely restored 55 Desoto.  I was happy to see the original engine in it.  

[Worden18]

Saturday, Aug. 12

This 52 (or 53?) Dodge truck was really nice.  I'm not a huge fan of seeing a V8 under the hood instead of the old flathead (yes I know they came with V8s later) but I was impressed with this one.  It was nice to see the original hubcaps on it, and the flat black with red really looked good IMO.  The guy left before I had a chance to ask him about it. 

[Worden18]

The Meadowbrook.

There was finally a good number of other 1950s Mopars at the show.  I was getting used to being the only one LOL. 

[Worden18]

Later, wifey and I went out to eat.  Here's a shot right before we left home.

[Worden18]

On our way to the restaurant the odometer hit 66,666.6 miles.  I felt compelled to snap a pic as I was slowing down for a stoplight.  4,500+ miles on the rebuild now.  Running good.  I was impressed with our short run on the Interstate, which for about 7 miles I ran it 65mph.  I would never have guessed the car would run that smooth at that speed.  I've run it 70mph before on that stretch as well.  Its very smooth, and I didn't have to fight it at all.  Doesn't seem like we were going too fast or anything.  It drives straight down the road and doesn't wander or anything.  Amazing to experience it.  

Edited August 13, 2017 by Worden18

[keithb7]

Worden are you running bias ply or radial tires?

I find my bias tires are a little more of a wrestle on grooved up pavement, compared to radials. Especially older asphalt with lots if heavy truck traffic.  

Ruts, sort of wide gutters, develop in the asphalt from heavy trucks. She's a bit of a squirrel in those ruts with bias tires on. 

[Worden18]

34 minutes ago, keithb7 said:

Worden are you running bias ply or radial tires?

I find my bias tires are a little more of a wrestle on grooved up pavement, compared to radials. Especially older asphalt with lots if heavy truck traffic.  

Ruts, sort of wide gutters, develop in the asphalt from heavy trucks. She's a bit of a squirrel in those ruts with bias tires on. 

I'm running modern radials.  I was too cheap to buy Coker, but the ones I put on there are holding up really well.  They do have tubes.

[Worden18]

The best story at the car show was this guy who was driving a 72 Nova.  He was in his 60s, had long grey hair and a beard to match.  I complimented him on his car (my wife is a big Nova fan).  

He said to me, "I painted this car 41 years ago, but I got into a car accident back then and sustained some brain damage, and don't remember painting it."

He painted it for a friend whom owned the car at the time (1976), and then the guy parked it for 36 years.  Then he was ready to sell it and this guy bought it.  His friend told him he painted it.  Of course he didn't remember painting it.  One thing on the car sparked a memory.  He was drilling a hole (something to do with the bodywork?) near the door latch and slipped with the drill and it gouged the fresh paint.  He remembers covering it up with some black undercoating because the guy he painted it for was on his way over to pick the car up.  Sure enough the scratch is still there LOL.  The car also had the Mickey Thompson tires from 1976 still on it. The guy told me he really can't remember 1976 or 1977 as a whole.

One thing is for sure, he is a master body man.  He showed me pics of a 68 Roadrunner he put together from 3 different cars.  The welding and fabrication he did was amazing.  He had cut the entire top off one of the cars to weld it onto another.  It was just crazy the sheetmetal work he did.  He had a whole picture album which he shared with me, and I was happy to look on and listen.  He even made his own gas tank.  One of the donor cars was a former California "Dragnet-type" of Plymouth Satellite that had 2 gas tanks; in case they were in a long high speed chase chances were the bad guy would run out of gas first.  

Anyway, he showed me another pic of a different Nova he crashed up in the 70s.  He said he fell asleep and drove off a bridge at 55mph and went straight down into a ditch.  The shotgun (yes shotgun) he had in the front seat jammed into his chest and ripped part of his nipple off.  When he woke up he said he thought the shotgun had gone through his chest and when he pulled it away from his body he was relieved it hadn't LOL.  He said he had 2 huge speakers in the back seat which flew into the front seat upon impact, and that the dozen eggs he had bought at the store (right before the accident) also flew into the front seat, the carton landed on top of one of those speakers, and not a single egg broke.  What a weird story!

He also had pics of another Roadrunner he totaled, and of a motorcycle he and his wife were riding when they got rearended and somehow didn't die.  

I enjoyed his company and stories but I think I would've enjoyed them even more had I one or two Rum and Cokes in my system. 

Don't ask me how I forgot to snap a pic of him and his Nova.  Sometimes I get so caught up in the moment I just forget about everything else.

[Mike36]

Hi Worden, I enjoy your posts, keep going! Wonderful that you are turning your son on to our great hobby. I do want to let you know that the '21 Ford is a model T. Model A's were manufactured from 1928 thru 1931.

[Worden18]

17 minutes ago, Mike36 said:

Hi Worden, I enjoy your posts, keep going! Wonderful that you are turning your son on to our great hobby. I do want to let you know that the '21 Ford is a model T. Model A's were manufactured from 1928 thru 1931.

I get the model Ts and As mixed up....every single time 

[Mike36]

16 minutes ago, Worden18 said:

I get the model Ts and As mixed up....every single time 

 

16 minutes ago, Worden18 said:

I get the model Ts and As mixed up....every single time 

A tip to help you, if the top looks real tall it's a Model T. ( T for tall ) 

[Worden18]

Changed oil (and filter) today.  I decided to switch to Rotella 15W-40 and give that a try.  I know a lot of guys use it in their flatheads).  I was using Castrol GTX 10W-30.

With around 4,600 miles on the rebuild, the car is still using oil.  It does seem to be less than it was, though.  After talking to my builder and a friend of mine, I understand that the rings might not be seated yet, and it may take more than 5,000 miles or more for that to happen.

I also understand that the engine might use oil from now on no matter what.  

My builder said try a different oil (and we both agreed on Rotella 15W-40); that might do the trick.  Stranger things have happened.  I'll keep an eye on it.

I ran the car for about 15 miles to get the oil good and warmed up and everything flowing.  Seems to have slightly better oil pressure, but that could be just because the oil is so fresh, not too sure.  I'll keep you guys posted on the results. 

[keithb7]

I believe 15W-40 oil is thicker, slower moving oil than 10W-30. It would make sense that you will possibly see slightly more oil pressure on the gage. Even when fully warmed up, it will stay thicker.

Edited August 14, 2017 by keithb7

[Worden18]

Aug. 16:

Since I change oil to Rotella a couple of days ago I decided to give the Meadowbrook a little workout.  Remember, it is still using oil with 4,800 miles on the rebuild.  Not really alarming as I am used to pouring oil into the car. 

So the 110 miles I put on it today, 50 miles of that was at 65mph on the Interstate.  The remaining miles mostly at 55mph.  The engine used nearly half a quart.    Is what it is I guess.  I always keep extra oil in the trunk.  I guess I don't understand how it could use that much oil and not be blowing smoke?  It doesn't leak anywhere, either.

So my son and I visited some friends, one of whom lives on a farm.  My son had fun taking videos of the cattle, and discovered some old trucks and tractors around the property.

Edited August 17, 2017 by Worden18

[Worden18]

[Worden18]

My friends were working on this rather large 5th wheel trailer, and they had to use the forklift to get it up in the air so it was easier to work on.  That old Clark has some good patina. 

[Worden18]

On the way home I stopped at the Market in town to grab some food for supper.  As I pulled up to the curb, a woman in her 60s or 70s stopped loading her groceries in her minivan to watch me come to a stop.  When I got out she asked me (in a heavy accent) "What year is it?  What a beautiful car!"  I told her a little bit about it and then she told me this:

She said her dad owned a 37 Ford convertible that he drove all over Columbia (ahh...now I understood her accent; South America) for decades because he was a traveling salesman.  He kept it tuned up and well taken care of, and she swore he put a million miles on it (likely a glorified exaggeration, but who knows?  People in Cuba are still driving their 40s and 50s cars all held together with bubble gum and rubber bands).  She said they still have the car.  Like a damn fool I got caught in the moment and forgot to ask her where she lived (probably right in town) and if I could see the car.  I think the employees at the Market know who she is; I need to go back and ask about her and see if I can see that car and get more details.  I love stories like that.  

She was concerned that I would be driving the car in the winter; I assured her I would not!