2021 Mileage Challenge (Official)

[Dan Szwarc]

Ok, it’s already April 3 and I have returned from my second short drive of the year. Last year was pathetic and I recorded a measly 38 miles thanks to the pandemic and a serious lack of motivation.

So I’m at 59 miles for the year. Odo shows what's on the last tank from 2019.

Starting mileage: 130,0949
Mileage to date: 131,010
Total miles: 59

I also crossed 131,000 miles on the car, too. I remember when I used to do 5,000 miles in a year.

Subject: Mileage Challenge 2013

For those who don't live in year-round warm areas or seldom-rains areas, I challenge you all to a Mileage Driven on your classic Lincoln this year.

Most people here post that they drive about 250-500 miles per year. I say that that sucks! At an average speed of a measly 30mph, that's only 8 to 16h40m you're spending driving your car! Over 5 months, that's only 3h32m per month you spending driving your Lincoln!

Why do you own it if you don't drive it? Why own such a beautiful car if you spend more time in the bathroom than you do driving your car in a given month?

I challenge everyone who really wants to enjoy their Lincoln to post their beginning seasonal mileage and drive their cars over 1000 miles and spend more than 2 hours per week DRIVING your Lincoln!

Event at 10mpg and $4 per gallon for gas, that's only $400 spent on gas or less than $100 per month. I bet most of you pay more than that per month for internet and cable TV.

[TonyC]

Beauty!! Thank you, Dan! I was seriously thinking about this year's mileage challenge, but with a comatose engine since late-February I just didn't have the motivation to submit a draft this time. Engine is still comatose now, but I am exploring a path of revival. In the meantime, here is Frankenstein's latest mileage, which was where it was the day the engine went into a coma. I double-checked my posted mileage at turn-of-year, which was 81,440.8. So that puts him at 1,910.4 miles so far this year. So far.

Tomorrow I'm thinking about trying a foolhardy and dangerous stunt just to see if I can get the engine to run, partially to prove to myself that the idea I am currently pursuing will in fact be the solution I'm looking for.

---Tony

[rick]

Foolhardy and Dangerous!! Sounds scary, Tony

[TonyC]

It is, Rick, it is. It's something I would have preferred not to even consider; but if it's insane enough to work at least on a local-travel basis, I have to try it out. I'm not sure how long I'll be waiting for proper replacement pushrods, if I can even get them (UPDATE: Smith Brothers said they can hook me up and send them to me in roughly a week's time); and I really need local transpo other than my feet to get me places. My idea has been dismissed by all professional mechanics, and I'm sure it's a blasphemous violation of the ASE. But, if it works... I won't know unless I try.

I'm not getting into details here, lest somebody try to talk me out of it. Besides, we're talking about mileage accumulation here.

---Tony

[papawayne]

I can't wait. blasphemy tend to be fun if not merely dangerous. Wayne

[TonyC]

Well, maybe this is because I'm getting soft in my twilight years, but I decided against trying the mad idea I had. Yesterday I tried cranking the car, and it was turning over sluggishly like it had at the beginning of this drama...which tells me the shimming action (I used steel washers to shim the right rocker shaft 2mm and the left rocker shaft 3mm) I did has made a difference in how the valves close. It chugs slowly now instead of doing the whirring noise it did without the shims, meaning it's building compression. But it still didn't fire. Perhaps it's for the better, because of that compromised pushrod. I did get a bit more straightening done to it; but still, it's been bent, so its integrity is compromised, meaning I'd be running serious risk running the car even around town below 40 mph, anyway. So, I decided to wait on the adjustables from Smith Brothers to arrive, then do the job right. With luck, they will be in before end of week, or the beginning of next week.

Now, if even with all these new pushrods fine-tuned to each valve, the engine still doesn't fire, then I don't know what else to do...save maybe for taking up an old commander's offer on a spare 462 block he has, rebuild it, and transfer all the new stuff from this engine to that one. One way or another, I refuse to let this drama get the better of me.

---Tony

[action]

.... and I'm up over 180 on the tank of 2019 gas. I want to burn it off as quickly as possible.

Put the rear on stands
Fire up the beast
Drop it in drive

Action

[TonyC]

Ah, the Ferris-Bueller treatment!

---Tony

[papawayne]

'Cept he was trying to go in the other direction....Wayne

[Dan Szwarc]

Heading out before rain comes today. Will update this post afterwards. Hoping to add 50+ miles or more. Weather is iffy around the state.

[jtheye]

I will have to go take a pic of my mileage on the Continental. I am up to once again win the least moved car this year. Year 4 sitting on the exact same lift in the exact same shop. If there was a way to measure the lift going up and down I might be able to win the mileage challenge!

[Dan Szwarc]

Starting mileage: 130,949
Mileage to date: 131,155
Total 2021 miles: 206

Had to put in a quart of oil, too.

[Stuart M. Cohen]

So we had a nice weekend and I ran all 4; finally got the Hudson running!!

Anyway, starting mileage - 157,924

Probably drove about 30 or 40 miles.

You know it's a good day when all the cars fire up.

[Lincolnlovers]

The weather has been really nice the last few weekends in Oklahoma. On Easter Sunday we decided to take the Lincoln out to Tulsa Cars and Coffee. Got there a bit late, so most had left, but still checked out a few cars and had a nice convo with a guy who owned a 68 impala convertible. He tried to get my girlfriend to sell him the car, but she's not interested in selling! Anyway, drove out to the Blue whale in Catoosa, an Oklahoma route 66 landmark, and then back home. That's an 180 mile round trip. This weekend there was a little car show at the Heart of route 66 auto museum in Sapulpa. Parked near a 64 convertible. Met and chatted with the owners, and checked out the similarities and differences in our slabsides. Also, there is a mint 66 convertible in the museum, so checked that out. Crazy how many differences there are in those 3 years. Anyway, decided to go to the fish market in Tulsa, and then home; 148 miles, round trip. So that's 328 miles in the last 2 weeks! But I think we're gonna park it for now, until I can get the timing chain and gears done (probably new high flow oil pump, water pump rebuild, small thermostat removal, and steering column fix). By then we will be in the heat, so I will need to get the AC working as well... Definitely fun getting to cruise it.
Starting mileage: 106755
Current mileage: 107083
2021 miles thus far: 328

[Stuart M. Cohen]

Damn, missed the blue whale when we were out there. Did hit the the totem pole park and walk under Rte. 66 in Chelsea (among many other spots in OK). We did go to the museum in Sapulpa, but the museum was closed so we just got a picture.