The Kindness of Strangers

[ew1usnr]

The Wonder Falcon conked out while I was driving home from work today. I think that the fuel pump quit. The car had stalled on an inside left turning lane on a divided road at an intersection. I couldn't get to the side of the road without pushing the car up a slight incline and through a traffic light. I was pushing away and wondering how I was going to get it through the intersection before my strength gave out.

Then, two young guys in their early twenties came running up and got behind and starting pushing and we rolled through the intersection and I got it off to the shoulder of the road. Those guys were life savers. Before they ran back they told me "Nice car!"

The other drivers were polite and didn't start honking at me for blocking one of the turn lanes. I called AAA and a tow truck was there within five minutes and towed the car to the mechanic that I use.

Everything worked out, but man, I would have been in a pickle if those two guys hadn't helped me out.

[EdsFunny]

Good story. Nice to hear. I think with our 24 hour bad-news cycle, we forget that most of the people on Earth are decent. And having a cool,old car helps.

I was driving back from Wisconsin with the '62,and I stopped at a turn out in the Dakotas to adjust the valves and clear some gunk out of the lines. A guy with a yard full of old hulks stopped and ended up giving me the use of his garage for the morning. We still send e-mails back and forth occasionally.

I'm showing my age here, but... you ever miss Paul Harvey on the radio?

[Nathan289]

One of the am radio stations over here on the right side of the state used to replay the old paul Harvey radio shows.

Its been awhile now since I've found them on the radio, I doubt they still replay them.

We have another station that plays all the classics of the 50-60s kinda cool while cruising.

[redfalken]

Glad you and the Wonder Falcon made it to safety! Nice of those guys to help you too.

Paul Harvey - I remember listening to him in the back of the family wagon on vacations. I always loved his segue into a commercial. "...It's true, and speaking of true, True Value is the only hardware store you'll need."

[EdsFunny]

" ... and now, the rest of the story."

[ew1usnr]

" ... and now, the rest of the story."

I picked up the car from the mechanic yesterday, and yes, the fuel pump had quit. The fuel pump was about the only thing that I had not replaced. The funny part is that I had bought a new fuel pump about a month ago as a precautionary measure and just had not gotten around to installing it. Oh, well. Now I know what it is like to have a fuel pump fail. I had the new fuel pump on the front seat of the car when I left it with the mechanic. His bill read "install customer supplied fuel pump".

I had also developed a coolant leak that seemed to be coming from behind the water pump. While the mechanic had the car I asked him to make sure that the water pump mounting bolts were tight. When I picked the car up he told me that that they had been "loose all the way around". That has probably fixed the coolant leak.

[Nathan289]

" ... and now, the rest of the story."

Thats a paul Harvey line..


" if I were the devil."

[EdsFunny]

I had also developed a coolant leak that seemed to be coming from behind the water pump. While the mechanic had the car I asked him to make sure that the water pump mounting bolts were tight. When I picked the car up he told me that that they had been "loose all the way around". That has probably fixed the coolant leak.

I'm now about to take the front of my motor off ( again ) for this exact problem. bad mechanic. Oh, wait, that would be me...

[Luva65wagon]

This is the one thing on these motors I dislike, how the water passages for the pump pass through a plate where the water (if the gasket fails) can find its way into the oil. Good sealant and a sound timing cover (these mounting surfaces corrode bad) are a must.