Derf Here! From a soggy Northeast. Better than snow! For me, but not for the ski industry. It was 53 degrees yesterday (December 6), but the weather guys say winter weather temperatures will be settling in shortly. We're ready! The plow is ready. Bring it on! March will be here before we know it. At least that's what I hope.
Today is confession day for me. It was a Sunday around 1954. I was spending an afternoon visiting my grandparents at their home in Sanford. I had taken our 1939 Bantam to the farm. It was not uncommon for me to use the 'little car.' (The vehicle resides in its trailer home today. I have written about the Bantam in previous blog posts.) This specific Sunday proved to be a 'real bad' day. Late in the afternoon I decided to go home. I left the farm and proceeded to the main road. As I drove towards 'hospital hill' I made a very bad decision. I chose to see how fast the little four-cylinder vehicle would go. The speedometer had 80 as top speed. I had never gone past 40 in previous trips. Well, the motor revved up, the speed increased to 55 mph. It didn't seem to me that it would go any faster. I let up on the gas pedal to a serious crash under the hood. I had nowhere to go but to the side of the road. The visual under the hood was not good. The number-3 connecting rod was mangled and came through the driver's side of the block. Now what?
At this time a railroad engine was being constructed that would fit over the Bantam for a band show. Our high school band would be performing and the engine would be part of the show. Well, I told my dad I was travelling about 35 mph when disaster struck. I don't think he believed me, but he never made a federal case of it. The problem was attacked as I took the front end of the car apart. I removed the radiator and took the blown engine out. I was able to lift the engine out as it is very small. The head is about 12 inches by 4 inches. Now how would we get the motor ready for use? The car being a Bantam limited our opportunities.
Well, an automotive instructor (Forrest Pillsbury) at our high school was where we went. First he removed the mangled piston. Then he proceeded to patch the hole in the block by molding a metal patch and secured it to the block by sheet metal screws. The original engine remains in the automobile today. One can look and see the patch with its screws. Where he got the connecting rod I don't know. I do know that the piston that was used was from a small engine. It was higher than the original pistons so a second head/gasket was added. The show went on. The train made its debut.
A few years later, due to inactivity, the motor seized up and remained that way until 1997. It was then that we decided to rebuild the engine with all the correct parts. A fellow teacher of mine, Goodwin Hannaford, did the job. He had never worked on such an engine as he was a builder of stock car engines and Corvette engines. He did a fine job and we have travelled all over the eastern part of the country to national shows with the car since 1998.
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| June 2007, Carthage MO American Austin Bantam Club (AABC) Meet |
I must add this story about an accident involving the Bantam. In high school I played in the town band along with a couple of friends. I parked the car on School Street across from the band hall and rehearsed. When leaving the practice I noticed a note in the car. My front fender had a dent. The note said to check at the police department. It seems that a local cop had tried to park in the same spot that my car was in. That would be a no-no. I believed I had the windshield folded down. Why, I don't know. Well the damage was done and I think I collected six dollars for the damage. I repaired it with a hammer and bondo.
What a weight off my shoulders as I have come clean about blowing up the engine on the 'little car.' What a relief! (Just kidding.) What a car!!
Until next time!
Toodle Pip!
Derf
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