Greg out west
Hi Folks,
Just a quick update. For those who used to correspond with "Greg out West" (San Pedro, CA), he passed away in ~17 from a heart attack after surgery for a brain tumor.
Greg was a great friend and I remember riding in his Model A rumble seat back in 1971 on the 55 Fwy to go to a meet or rally. He used to drive me and my sister in that car all the time and I always enjoyed it and its history.
He did a few body off restorations since he bought it in 1962. The last one in ~14, he added a B engine. He left the car in my parent's garage when he lived with my parents during his illness. He willed it to my mom who willed it to me when she passed. I've been trying to be a good temporary steward of this great machine.
I've given her new tires, FSI, new valve train, floaters all the way around, modern shocks, new radiator and fan, new alternator (the cut out sucked) and starter and a 39 transmission that I rebuilt and soon to add A/C for AZ and a Mitchell for longer drives. A paint buff out with clay. That and I clean and polish her regularly. Not knowing the B engine, timing and spark advance as well as I do now, I used to drive it full advance on the advice of an "old-timer" who said "stop fidgeting with that spark lever and leave it all the way down after start." He failed to understand that Model B engines don't like that with their ~24 deg full advance vs the Model As nearly 40. I cracked the block and had to get it stitched. Lot's of opinions out there and many are wrong. I learned the hard way in the beginning to challenge and research now.
Greg was a great mechanic and an even better friend. One of the funniest guys I knew too.
RIP Greg,
Steve
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