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Tuesday, 05/13/03; Grandy, North Carolina

 

The Plot Thickens!

 

This morning, after Dennis cleaned up the crank throw with crocus cloth, we contacted a local machinist and had him come to “our” garage and “mike” the number two crankshaft throw. Then we waited for Old Man Sol to roll around to the West Coast, awaken everyone and get them to work. At 1100 our time, we placed the call to Jay Steel to give him the crank dimensions. He said he would try to send us a “care package” overnight with the necessary parts to reassemble the engine. Jay recommended that Dennis check all the connecting rods for clearance to be assured they were not worn and to adjust the clearances, if required.

 

Dennis at work;   In Bill's garage

Keith drove to a nearby NAPA parts store (we can’t imagine how we were that lucky!) to get some “Plastigage” to measure the clearance. The conversations went something like this: Keith to clerk: “Do you have any Plastigage?” Clerk: “Plasti-what??” Keith: “You know, Plastigage – for measuring the clearance between two mating machined parts.” Clerk: “I don’t know. (Turns to female clerk) “Do we have any plastic…" (Turns to Keith) What did you say that was?” Keith: “Plastigage – plastic-gauge (spelling it) – for measuring clearances!”  Female clerk: “I don’t think so.  Someone else asked for that once and we didn’t have any then, so I don’t think we’d have it now.” Keith: “Thanks.” When Jay called back, we told him to add Plastigage to the package containing the rod and head and pan gaskets. He said he would do so and that he had located a rod and would get it in the “overnight” that morning.

 

We then began to assemble the valve cover and oil filter and clean up other parts so to be ready to assemble the engine when we received the new parts.

 

Keith went back to the motel to get the gals for lunch and to check out a rumor that there was a motel closer to our garage.  There was a motel about five miles closer and nearer to the shopping area, but the manager wasn’t there. A local working around the buildings called the manager on his cell phone and said the manager would be there at 1700 that night.  Seems that the motel is closed on Tuesdays! Keith copied the manager’s number and planned to call back later. He ran up to the motel and picked up the girls and they drove to Becky’s Country Kitchen near where Dennis was working. They stopped and got a round of cheeseburgers for everyone. While waiting for the order to be put up, the waitress kindly asked if we would like something to drink while we waited. We decided on “unsweetened” ice tea “to go.” Fifteen minutes later the tea arrived. By this time we were really thirst from anticipation. However, the waitress said, “Ain’t  got no lids.” This could be a problem in a Model A over a rough road, but we managed when the time came by drinking the tea to a safer level and holding them steady. The ‘burgers finally came and we were off to join Dennis in the shade of the trees surrounding the garage. On leaving Becky’s we were taken with a sign on the wall: “OPEN – When we feel like getting here. CLOSED – When we’re not here or, some place else.” That summed up Grandy in few words.

 

Dennis knocked off work early and we went back to the motel for a rest. Keith called the manager of the other motel, The Walnut Island. He said he had room and we could come by after 0700 the next morning and see them. Not having anything better to do, Keith, at Joann’s suggestion drove to Henry’s Garage up the road about three miles and obtained some Plastigage so Dennis could check the remaining rods the next morning. Later, we went out for dinner and after stopping at about four different places advertising dinner, buffets, food and the like, found they were all closed on Tuesdays! We finally found a pizza kitchen open, but it was getting late. They, being the only open restaurant in town were busy, but after a wait, we were seated.  Joan and Dennis chose food that they liked, but Joann and Keith faired worse.

 

It was a busy day and we all went to bed with visions of the next day being the one that would see the engine at least started back together. Do you think that life is so simple? Check in for tomorrow’s episode of the Undaunted Four.

 

PS: Until we leave Grandy and get to more modern civilization, these daily epistles will be written, but not posted to the Internet.

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