-- [ From: Bob Nogueira * EMC.Ver #3.1a ] --
Tires and Tribulations ( Or How I got to the Arctic Circle in my 16
wheeler Morgan)
Okay, To lay some ground work for anyone who might be new to the list, last
November a member of the MG list sort of threw out a challenge to drive
LBC's up the ALCAN highway to Alaska.
As it turned out Five cars took up the offer, Barney in a MGA, Dick in a
MGBGT V8, John McNaughton in a 1966 4/4 , John Murdock in a 61 MGA
and me in my 1964 Plus 4.
My prep for the trip included New clutch, rebuilt bottom end and a pair
of new tires mounted to new wheels, Front end rebuild and all the normal
stuff.
The plan was for me to join up with Barney in Lucas Texas, as he was going
to San Antonio to pick up Carol, a member of the MG list who didn't have a
ride. We met at George Merryweather's, the owner of Classic Restorations
and basically our " base camp coordinator". George had obtained for us Rally
plates ( Compliments of Moss Motors ) which Read ' BRIT RUN TO THE SUN
ALASKA 97. Additionally he had set up a 800 phone message service so while
on the road we could contact each other by calling and leaving a message.
Departing Lucas on the second we would rendezvous
with Dick and John in Cache Creek BC on the 7th,
Our Departure from Lucas went well , if not a bit late.
About two hours out of Dallas the soon to be familiar sound "duda....duda.
. duda...." of a tire going flat was heard. "No problem ' think I ,
having mounted two spares to the of girl for this trip. Unpack the luggage
rack, pull loose one of the spares , get out the scissors jack , turn
handle ................nothing happening !!!!! Look at the jack and yes
there is movement, the arms of the jack are bending sideways rather than
lifting up.
Twenty minute later Barney has backtracked to find me pounding the jack arms
straight with two rocks.
The flat tire is one of the new tires on the new rim. Pulling the tube out
we find the problem, the tire store DISCOUNT TIRES OF DALLAS ON FOREST
LANE ( come on fella sue me ) not having the proper size tube or just
being plane stupid , has put tubes in that are two sizes too big .
Tire changed, we press on.
I am now aware of another problem, on the open roads of Oklahoma the car
is handling very badly, wandering all over the road at anything above 70
MPH. Since I rebuilt the Front end just before leaving and couldn't get a
shop to do an alignment, I set the toe in in my driveway using the old tee
square and bar method. I must have been off a little .
As the sun went down we headed for a camp ground. Pulling up to the camp
site I again hear Duda .... Duda....... Duda . The right front tire had
picked up a nail. Less than six hours on a 30 day trip and I've used up
both spares.
The next morning saw the hunt for a tire shop.
Me, " Can you fix flats on tires with tubes ?'
Tireman, " Sure I'll put one of the guys on it as soon as we all get back
from lunch."
During the two hour wait for the crew to return from lunch , I saw why the
small town shops are being put out of business by Walmart.
Tires patched, I placed a call to George, He would have British Wire Wheel
Overnight ship four tubes to Casper Wyoming for me to pick up the next day
.
That problem solved I turned to the alignment, I was not about to cross
Wyoming and Montana at 65 MPH. Pulling in to a McDoanlds ( remember when
it was gas stations rather than hamburger places that had ' Clean REST ROOM'
) we noticed that the parking lot was long and empty. With me under the car
and Barney serving as a Bear Alignment Machine by standing twenty feet in
front of the car we did a eye ball alignment.
Problem solved!.
Pressing on to Wyoming, hints of two new problems appeared. The starter
was acting up again ( I had had it rebuilt a month ago ) and the temp gauge
appeared to be running a little closer to 'H' than is normal.
Tune in tomorrow for Episode 2
'The Lotto Starter and Water, Water Wheres the Water!
Bob Nogueira
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