| On the dyno in Oct. 2001 |
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| Swapping needles to dial-in the carburetor. |
Tips and tricks are what owning and restoring vintage cars are all about. So, where
appropriate, I'll include steps or pictures to help clarify my explanations.
I think sometimes it's helpful to hear
about how others have resolved the challenges that come with British car ownership. To this end, I thought I'd share some
of the things that I've encountered. I hope you find something useful here.
Feel free to contribute your own tips.
I'll post them for everyone to see, and give you credit.
Warning! Working on cars takes patience,
knowledge, skill, proper tools, proper safety equipment, common sense, and an understanding of automotive maintenance, repair,
and theory. Working on cars can be dangerous and even lethal. Working on cars can make problems worse,
can cause new problems and can even damage the car. Cars can fall off jacks and kill you. They can crash and kill
you and others when you fail to repair them properly.
My advice on these pages is just that, advice. I am
not trying to re-write the repair manuals, nor am I detailing the "only" way to do something. I am merely showing
what has worked for me.
In following this advice you are doing so at your own risk.
Here's a list of mechanical areas that I provide support for:
A few thoughts:
Tip 1: Do it right the first time.
Tip 2: When diagnosing a problem, always check and eliminate the
simple and basic items first before moving on to more complicated areas.
Tip 3: It's not a rocket-ship and you're
not going to fly it to the moon.
Tip 4: If you have to 'butcher' something, remember, "A good butcher hides
their tracks.
Tip 5: A 32oz. ball-peen hammer and 36" pry bar ARE proper mechanic's tool.
Tip
6: Hammer to fit, paint to match.
Tip 7: There's a reason why it's called "Preventative Maintenance."
Tip 8: If it's not broken, don't fix it.
Tip 9: 90% of working on British cars is being able to get
"in" and "out" (of the repair process) without breaking anything else. The other half is mental.
Tip 10: Nothing runs worse than a British car on it's way to and/or from a car show or club event.
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