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Re: Morning Spitfire Adventure

To: "Kirk Crawford" <kirkbcrawford@kirkanddonna.com>
Subject: Re: Morning Spitfire Adventure
From: "John T. Blair" <jblair1948@cox.net>
Date: Wed, 08 Jun 2005 13:52:11 -0400
At 09:32 AM 6/8/2005 -0700, Kirk Crawford wrote:

>I own a 1968 Triumph Spitfire that I have had since I was 14. (I am 40
>now)

Kirk,

First off, let me say Outstanding!!!!!  Your Spit since you were 14!!!
I'm owned my Morgan since I was about 19, I'm now 57.  Unfortunately,
it hasn't been a daily driver.  Wish I did drive it more.

I got my first Spit - a 67 in 67, I was about 18.  Unfortunately it
was totaled about 2 yrs later.  That's when I got my Morgan.  So I 
guess I was 21 not 19.  I currently have a 77 that was supposedly for
#1 son, but he never really worked on it.  He drove it his last year
of high school.  I plan on driving it more, and restoring it.


>It is a daily driver, and this morning on the way in to work I notice
>some steam or smoke coming from under the hood. A little smoke is normal
>just after I start my Spitfire....

Well you had a better day than I did:

Went to lunch yesterday (Tue), on the way back, my car (84 Honda Accord) 
started smoking from under the hood.  The fellow with me 1st noticed it. 
 Said I was over heating.  I checked the Temp and Fuel gauges.  All OK.  
So we thought something was coming out of a man hole cover in the road.  
I asked the fellow in the car next to me if it was my car.  He said yes! 
Pulled into the parking lot, and found that I'd blown an A/C hose.  It's 
only 94 and about 60% humidity. :(  So I was able to drive home.  But 
that turned into a zoo, as a truck dropped its load on the road I exit 
off the interstate.  So one exit (not mine) was closed, but everyone that
wanted that exit had to use mine.  Took me about 45min to 1 hr to go less 
than 5 mi. :(  As I pulled into the driveway, I see a puddle of something 
under the rear wheel of the my wife's van - that we are/were planning to 
take to OH, on thur.  So I know what I'm doing Wed.  And it's NOT going to 
work. :)

It turns out we blew a wheel cyl.  I just finished redoing the rear brakes
and am in the house trying to cool off a little before I go back out and
bleed the brakes.

>I walked over there and was able to borrow a pliers and a phillips 
>screwdriver. The hose clamps call for a standard screwdriver. I cut 
>off the hose leading to the heater, and just doubled it back the 
>return to the source so my heater was eliminated from the circuit.

Outstanding!!  A good McGiver fix.  That's using your head. :)

Congrads.

Later - got to go bleed the brakes!

John

John T. Blair  WA4OHZ     email:  jblair1948@cox.net
Va. Beach, Va             (eBay id: zebra48-1)
Phone:  (757) 495-8229

          48 TR1800    48 #4 Midget    65 Morgan 4/4 Series V (B1109)
     75 Bricklin SV1 (#0887)    77 Spitfire    71 Saab Sonett III
                       65 Rambler Classic

Morgan:    www.team.net/www/morgan
Bricklin:  www.bricklin.org

If you can read this             - Thank a teacher!
If you are reading it in English - Thank a Vet!!





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