Chapter 9: Auto Worship

What the Thriftmaster looked like last I saw it.

November 6, 1999 I came to Pagan Auto Worship (it was Pagan Auto Repair, but it appropriately changed) to give a hand with the rebuild. I came bearing a number of repair items-- a complete set of motor mounts from Chevy Duty, Ignition parts from Winchester Auto in Scott's Valley, and a throwout bearing from Valley Truck and Auto Parts in San Francisco. Bill, the dude from Valley Truck, is another old truck fan and one-time owner of a '55 Cameo Carrier. And the throwout bearing is the correct spec for the 10" clutch, while the old one wasn't.
A rather majestic close-up of the right side of the block, showing the mechanical lifters and rods. Of particular note is the GM block manufacture date, the raised numbers at the bottom of the image. It says G 18 7-- July 18, 1957. Considering the provenance of this engine it should be of no surprise that the head was made in 1960.

Lazlo had the re-assembly of the engine well in hand. I nthe afternoon I spent there , it went from the basic block and head assembly to looking like a real engine, with the oilpan, valve cover, and other stuff put on. I spent the afternoon renovating some of the smaller components that escaped attention earlier, like the ignition coil, crankcase ventilator, and the dipstick (a generous gift from Garryowen). That meant I got to shine stuff on the arbor wheel, which I truly enjoy. I'm getting one of these things as soon as possible!

I left just after dark, feeling assured that this phase of the rebuild is close to conclusion.
A look at the inverted engine on the stand, showing the new crankshaft.

November 7, 1999 Went to bed in kind of a funk. I came to the realization that a large amount of my technology is non-functional. The Beast is still in pieces (and months from it's final state anyway), My G**damned Jeep Grand Cherokee's driver seat controls are malfunctioning, the remote control for the VCR is non-functional, and my PC is over at my friend Eddie's house being repaired. Mind you, the bad PC (an AMD K5) isn't my primary computer: this site is created and maintained on a Macintosh G3, which I know something about, can repair when it gacks, and is a totally superior and reliable machine besides.
Here's a look at the chrome work, all shiny and nice, and mostly detail-painted.

November 8, 1999 Better. Fixed the remote control (loose battery connection), fixed the Grand Cherokee seat control (dirty contact switch), and Eddie fixed the PC (works great, just tested the crucial ad-building software and it just sings). Now all that's left...

I've been calling around to locate a missing dealie called a heat riser spring, a bi-metallic coil that attaches to the exhaust manifold and opens a damper when the engine gets warm (rather like an automatic choke). Not too hard to find in the catalogs, but not easy to get delivered quickly.