Day One - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

The Good - The day started off with Dick & Barbara meeting us as planned for the start of our big Model A adventure. We took a few pictures and then headed off to the great northwest. All was going as planned and we were motoring along the Mass Pike without any problem. Passing through Worcester, Sturbridge and Springfield we were thankful that traffic was light. We were climbing one of the major hills as we approched the Berkshire Mountains when I notice a loss of power and the engine was really struggling, so we pulled into a rest area.

The Bad - Steam was coming out the exhaust, out of the oil filler and worse there was a major puddle of oil under the rear main. What do we do now? We were only 80 miles from home and since I had another engine (rebuilt) in the garage, we elected to have AAA tow us home. Thanks to Jack Stokinger the car was dropped off at his house since his garage was air conditioned as the weather today was to be hot and humid. Jack, Harold Legge and Bruce Marshall would pick up the engine from my house which was made easier with the help of my daughter Jill.
Since we are the Minuteman club, a call to muster was sent and a team of experts (the above mentioned plus Wayne Champagne, John Jacobson and Gene Tallone) assembled to make the engine swap. With wrenches flying the engine was out and the new one in four hours. I hit the starter, the new engine fired right up and sounded beautiful. We cycled the engine (warm it up and allowed it to cool) about four times, rechecking the head nuts and determined the engine was ready for some very light driving. Job done...the team heads home.

The Ugly - With the engine running Nan & I headed out for a test drive and if all sounded good we would put on some miles to help the break-in. We were in the process of making a loop back to Jack's when disaster struck. Not 7 miles into the test a clattering started that I new wasn't good. I called Jack and he came to give us a tow back to his house (less than a mile away) only problem was we were now having a thunder storm...kind of appropriated given Nan and my spirits. Back in the garage Jack and I were joined by Rick Gadbois and we dropped the pan to see what kind of issues we had. Well, it didn't take long to see...no Oil Pump. That new engine was toast in 7 miles. OUCH! Who knows how or why the pump was removed over the 20 years the engine sat.

So now what? I found out another member had a rebuilt engine in his garage which he was willing to sell to me. So on Saturday I will pick that engine up and the TEAM will again swap out yet another engine.

Oh yes, I forgot to let you know that Dick & Barbara motored on to Rochester, NY. They reported no problems and are anxious for us to catch up to them. We want to be with them too.

Stay tuned for the rest of the story.