On Saturday, I drove her to get air in the tires and topped off the gas. It started to rain so I ended up washing her on Sunday morning with wind chills in the 30s!
We went out to visit Cindy's sister Diane and her husband Brad in Wyoming. I wanted some kind of keepsake to bring back and Brad gifted me with some really cool license plates he saved.
Bill spent quite a bit of time testing the cooling system to see why we were getting such a burst when the thermostat released. We even bought a new thermostat but Bill tested the one that came with the car and it worked. His solution was to drill three holes in the thermostat to allow constant flow. He thinks we have it figured out but I will monitor the coolant level and keep an eye on things as the season unfolds.
The weather is warming up and cars are hitting the road and roll-ins are showing up on the calendar. I didn't get Mary Lou winterized like I had hoped -- I did plug in a battery tender so that helped. I had an issue with the radiator last fall. About three weeks after I last drove the car I was going to check my anti-freeze. But when I unscrewed the cap, it was like the contents were under pressure so I capped it again and left it alone.
Easter Sunday I thought I should get her started knowing the week ahead was looking great. I thought of Bill helping me with pouring gas in the carburetor but I told Cindy I could figure that out. I fed those carbs like a mother Robin and got her started and let it run. That's the good news. But when I shut it off so I could put the air cleaner back on, I heard a dripping noise. Anti-freeze was running from what appeared to be the overflow tube. I got some towels and a coffee can and it slowed to a trickle...then a drip and finally stopped. That was the bad news. It's either a leak or an issue with the thermostat so we are not quite ready to get her out of the barn.
This blog is dedicated to our "new" 1955 Dodge Coronet Lancer. We have been waiting 35 years for this moment. A true car guy fr...
