2021 Mileage Challenge (Official)

[TonyC]

Yup, Stu definitely has the lead so far this year. Even if I do get Frankenstein revived (still stressing "if," although it almost happened last weekend), I'd be hard-pressed to match that mileage in the two months left in the year, considering the probationary break-in he'd still have to go through before I dare reclaim ownership of the highways.

---Tony

[papawayne]

Everyone has me beat...mine didn't even get out of the garage...awaiting a mechanic to fulfill his promise. Wayne

[TonyC]

Well, another month has just about closed; but the year is not yet over, and nor is the challenge...and nor is Frankenstein. Because I have been out of the running for 8 months and 5 days (yes, I counted), I will be posting monthly to the end of the year...which makes for only two more postings, including this one. As I am not taking him out for anything today, to conserve my funds as the fuel gauge is reading low (although I strongly suspect it's reading lower than the fuel supply actually is), I'm posting his current mileage for the past month.

With this posted mileage, that makes for 441.2 miles driven since Halloween, when the engine came out of its coma. Add that to my listing of 1,910.4 in February, that makes for 2,351.6 miles so far for the year. That's still below Stu's listing...but there is still one month left, and with the follow-up surgery to the valve train completed I am more confident to add more miles, maybe even try a highway run or two after I do the first break-in oil change this weekend (well, actually, it will be the second one as I had to ditch the oil and filter when one of the incorrect lifters ate itself up, prompting me to realize that I was sold the wrong lifters with that new set). Not sure if anyone else has a drive to drive with winter approaching, nor am I sure if I can equal or surpass Stu's current lead...but we're not done with the year yet.

Basically, WE...are back.

---Tony

[rick]

Here's a toast to you, Tony - You are a real champ and battler after all that you and Frankenstein have been through .........to be able to emerge out the other side and be back on the road again!!!

Here in the bleak white world I live in, it's below freezing with snow on the ground. But Thursday is supposed to be 46 degrees and I'm hoping to add a few miles to my pathetic 2021 mileage figure.

Cheers

Rick

[TonyC]

Thank you, Rick . That was definitely something that almost anyone would just give up on...but these cars are not the average cookie-cutter cars that one just casually pitches for a mortgage on a new car. I said I wouldn't even be satisfied when the ordeal was over; now that it is, it is starting to feel more satisfying, especially since the engine is sounding and feeling better than it ever had since I owned Frankenstein. We're both survivors, no doubt.

The great irony is that a few days ago I saw a listing on E-Bay for a stripped block in pristine shape. Had that listing popped up back in July or August, I probably would've dropped the $900 for it instead of taking the risk with that crack between the #2 and #3 cylinders. But as my luck has always had it, timing has been my biggest enemy; my only option then was to do the best I could with what I had. I'm counting on that crack being inconsequential, at least for a while; I suppose that, as long as I don't try drag-racing any Chargers on a daily basis, I should be okay. Besides, I have no place to store a 450-pound hunk of cast-iron, so buying it anyway is impractical. Plus, I'd prefer not to deal with that machine shop in Manhattan again; they did a good job with the block, yes, but I don't think they like me all that much. If they don't have total control over an engine rebuild, they have low regard for a customer.

My next project is to do what I can to restore the HVAC system to working order, concentrating on the heater, which was already giving trouble even before the coma. John Lyman said he may be able to hook me up with a new control panel, which I suspect may be causing the problem. I have to also ask him if he can spare a blower motor, as the one working motor I have is already making very loud grinding noises. If there were a shop in my area that could rebuild electric motors of any kind, I'd hit them up; but there is no such option here.

---Tony

[papawayne]

Well, folks, how does three tenths of a mile sound? One of my mechanics finally came through on his promise to look at my steering, so between my driveway and the tow truck and riding around in his parking lot, I have amassed 3/10ths of a mile for all of 2021. My guy says it is the steering box (again). It is making a thumping noise near the end of the turn cycle that makes the back cover of the box kick a little bit. Wayne

[frasern]

That's 3/10 more than I got.
If it counts, I put 2500 km on my diesel truck, towing parts Lincolns home.

[action]

The great irony is that a few days ago I saw a listing on E-Bay for a stripped block in pristine shape. Had that listing popped up back in July or August, I probably would've dropped the $900 for it instead of taking the risk with that crack between the #2 and #3 cylinders. But as my luck has always had it, timing has been my biggest enemy; my only option then was to do the best I could with what I had. I'm counting on that crack being inconsequential, at least for a while; I suppose that, as long as I don't try drag-racing any Chargers on a daily basis, I should be okay. Besides, I have no place to store a 450-pound hunk of cast-iron, so buying it anyway is impractical. Plus, I'd prefer not to deal with that machine shop in Manhattan again; they did a good job with the block, yes, but I don't think they like me all that much. If they don't have total control over an engine rebuild, they have low regard for a customer.

---Tony

There is more than one MEL block listed as of a few days ago

Most shops prefer to have control over any job. They have some liability in the work they do. If the job has issues after completion going back and redoing work costs them money. And it is money that keeps the doors open tomorrow.
However, when I was working retail and the customer wanted a job done a certain way and they were willing to sign a waiver of liability, I would let the tech do the job.

Action

[Mike]

My mileage this year was whatever distance it was to back out of the shop door to get another car out and driving back in and something still managed to break.
Isn't that the way it always works with stuff you need or could use popping up after they're needed.

[JimA]

There is more than one MEL block listed as of a few days ago

Most shops prefer to have control over any job. They have some liability in the work they do. If the job has issues after completion going back and redoing work costs them money. And it is money that keeps the doors open tomorrow.
However, when I was working retail and the customer wanted a job done a certain way and they were willing to sign a waiver of liability, I would let the tech do the job.

Action

In retrospect, I see advantages for the customer too. If I did another one, I'd make sure the shop was comfortable with the parts selection. Best to let them work with parts they know. And, if something does go wrong, less chance for the blame game.

[Stuart M. Cohen]

Just wait till next year.......

[TonyC]

Indeed; just wait 'til next year! With my engine no longer belching oil and smoke through the filler, there will be no holds barred.

I can kind of understand the mentality of a shop wanting to retain total control over a rebuild, what with liability and all of that...but I needed a machine shop to prep the block for a rebuild, because the Fort Riley auto shop did not have the ability to hone out the odd-angle cylinders that a MEL engine sports, a design which I learned was also adopted by Chevrolet for its 348 and 409 engines. That was really all I asked of them, not the full-rebuild bit, which would have cost up to three times as much as it actually did for the work they did for me. They did go a bit beyond for my benefit, hot-tanking the block, machining the crankshaft, replacing the camshaft bearings, and reconditioning one rod that needed it. Also to their credit, whatever they told me I needed to do for this rebuild to succeed, such as .01"-thicker rod and main bearings, I did. I do thank them for that, but if I let them take over the whole rebuild, it would have cost me a lot more than the $1,600-ish that I paid them for...and if my guess is right regarding the shortage of parts, I would probably still be waiting for them to complete the job, presuming that their normal parts sources would be hard-pressed to find all the parts they'd need. Both sources I went to for pistons told me they could not get rings; chances are very likely that the machinist's sources would not be able to get them, either. I think I was lucky to get everything I needed, being able to think outside the box, so to speak, and pursue wild guesses that turned out to be right. Since Frankenstein is my sole source of transpo and not merely a show-toy, I had to do the best I could with what I had. Besides, unlike many cocky types of customers who claim to know more about engines than they actually do, I knew what to do, especially with the assistance and guidance of the auto-skill center staff. That's one of the advantages of being a military retiree: Access to an auto-repair center that encourages DIY projects, something not available to the average Tony in the world.

Anyway, after today's errands I'm about 140 miles shy of the 500-mile break-in oil change, so I'll be reaching the end of the first phase of the recuperative therapy this weekend. When that oil change is done, I can try stretching the therapy more with highway runs. The second phase of the therapy will be another oil change after 1,500 miles, after which I should be at regular intervals.

---Tony

[rick]

The Last Waltz - Well, the temperature rose to a screaming 59 degrees today here in the north country (a rare event in December in Canada) and I was ready.

So on a grey, blustery day I hopped into my '61 and left for what I knew would be the final ride of 2021. At one point I stopped beside an 1836 blockhouse still guarding one of the locks along the Rideau Canal for a photoshoot and when I got home I also snapped a photo of my odometer.

I began the season with 37,759.6 miles on the clock (see former post) and finished up today at 38,882.4. That amounts to 1,122.8 measly miles. But they were all fun miles. Heater works and air conditioning works. No complaints. Rain, cold or hot weather ......... it just doesn't matter, these cars are comfortable, predicable and a great 60 mile-an-hour mile eater.......... even if it was only 1,100 plus miles

[Mike]

Glad to see you got that last drive in!

[tomo]

I managed to drive my 53 Lincoln just over 300 miles this summer. Just enough to clean out the 2019 gas and get set for this winter. It is a hobby car and doesn't get driven much, but when I do drive it, I like to make trips that are more than 20 miles each way. I have put just over 5,000 miles on it since 2014 so it now shows 44,652 miles since new.

Tony, I am glad that you have your car back on the road and will resume your place at the top of the mileage list again. You survived that frustrating experience in much better shape than I could have.