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Home My WebLink AboutThe Citizen, 1987-04-15, Page 15THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 1987. PAGE 15. Today's hobbyists keep classic cars alive A classic 1964‘/2 Ford Mustang is the car for Jean McNeil. The car is in mint condition both inside and out. Continued from page 14 Model Roadster T he bought when he was only about 15, through the 1924 Model T coupe to the 1930 Pontiac Roadster to his 1932 Chrysler Imperial 8 convertible coupe. He sold that last car for $65 an amount that wouldn’t buy one tire today, he says with a touch of sadness. He’s searched all over the continent and never found a similar one except one owned by a car company executive. Born in Walton, Mr. McNeill moved with his family to Belmore when he was only four years of age. Later he had one of the earliest and best PCV licences in the area and trucked a lot of lifestock out of Belmore. When the war came he joined the air force and sold his trucking business. His mechanical skills were put to a variety of uses during the war first as a heavy transport instructor and a mech anic in motor transport, later as a member of crews that were sent out to salvage aircraft that had crash- landed> When the war ended he and his family moved to Brussels where he took over the old Ament building, a factory that had manufactured children’s wagons and sleighs and wooden finishes for houses but which had been closed since the 1920’s. He opened up a Shell dealership and fixed tractors as well as cars and trucks in the next 30 years. “If you had an old car then it didn’t mean a thing, ’ ’ he says, and speaks a little wistfully about all the cars that would be classics now that he shipped up the road to the junkyard. Later he quit for health reasons and the building was leased for several years to Dominion Chain for a factory until that closed. He got involved with the old vehicles as something to do, he Spark plugs need plenty of TLC Thanks to the electronic ignition and fuel injection, we have proba bly more than doubled the useful life of spark plugs, but long life or not, they should be checked at least once a year. That’s a good rule to follow even if some manufacturers suggest replacing the plugs every 50,000 kilometres (30,000 miles). The 50,000 km. figure is for optimum driving conditions only, something very few of us experience. The spark plugs also give backyard and garage mechanics a peek at what has happened inside the engine’s combustion chamber lately. If the plug has a tan or light gray chalky material on the tip of the electrode, you haven’t been abus ing it. Using gasoline that was too highly leaded once produced yel low or black deposits on the insulator tip and often carried a bit of glaze; light oil or carbon fouling could bridge the plug gap. In all three cases above, the plug can be cleaned either by hand with a small brush and a big amount of patience or by using the small sandblasting machines designed specifically for cleaning plugs. In the past, when plugs fouled more quickly, a small machine like that could pay for itself in two years by enabling motorists to reuse dirty plugs. Bluish-colored or melted elec trodes are a sign of engine says. All those years of tinkering with cars made it natural for him to turn to cars as a hobby. For all people who like to see the old cars preserved, it’s fortunate that people like Mr. McNeil like to keep their hand in. over-heating and sometimes can happen if you have either too hot a plug or the ignition timing is quite a bit off. There’s no hope for these plugs. They have, however, given you fair warning that cooler plugs are needed, that ignition timing needs checking, that a valve might be burned, that your fuel pump pressure is low or that you have been using the wrong type of fuel. Taking the spark plugs out of the engine can be an easy task if you plan accordingly. For those hard- to-reach cylinders, try the U-joint sockets or socket wrenches. Un screwing a plug that has been in the engine through several years may require a little penetrating oil before it can be turned by hand to remove. If the plug will not budge or sticks in one position, there is the danger that the threads have been stripped or damaged and that may be a job for a garage with the proper tools for removal and cutting new threads in the cylinder head. To preserve the spark plug cables, use a spark plug boot puller to disconnect the cable boot from the plug. A reminder too that when reinstalling the boots on the plugs, use a light application of silicone grease to avoid having the boots glue themselves to the plugs because of excess engine heat. TRUCKS FOR WORK OR PLAY TRUCKS FOR WORK OR PLAY Sales Representatives: X^Jim Hayter Sr., Jim Hayter Jr Every model is backed by “OK” Seal of Approval YOUR GM DEALER’S SEAL OF APPROVAL & USED CARS Chevrolet ------ . ................................................................................. , ....................—... ................................................................................ 1985 Nissan King Cab Pick-up 4 cylinder, 5 speed standard transmission, AM / FM stereo cassette, low mileage, complete with topper. No. 029721. 1983 Chev V2 Ton Scottsdale Pkg. 305, V8 automatic, power steering, power brakes, AM radio, chrome mirrors, 2 tone paint. No. 117997. 1981 Chev % Cargo Van 350 V8, automatic, power steering, power brakes, all windows, two tone paint. Ready to work. No. 151672. 1985 Ford Ranger Explorer XLT Pickup 6 cyl..automatic, P.S., P.B., AM/FM cassette, cruise control, rally wheels, sliding rear window, fibreglass topper, dual fuel tanks, plus many more options. Finished in 2 tone brown. No. 825383. 1982 Chev V2 Ton C10 Scottsdale trim, V8 automatic power steering, power brakes, large mirrors, rear step bumper, low mileage. Finished in two tone brown. No. 144188. 1983 Chev % Ton 4 Wheel Drive V8, 4 speed standard transmission, AM radio, chrome mirrors, running boards, rear bumper, 2 tone paint, also has Myres Hydraulic Snowplow. Only 48,000 km. No. 147807. 1984 GMC V2 Ton High Sierra V8 automatic, power steering, power brakes, AM radio, rally wheels, chrome mirrors, rear step bumper, 2 tone paint, topper. Only 57,000 km. No. 502972. 1983 Chev V2 Ton Pick-up Silverado trim. 305 V8, automatic, dual fuel tanks, gauges, chrome mirrors, sliding rear window, AM/FM stereo. Finished in two tone brown. No. 141707 1983 Ford Ranger Pick-up 4 cylinder, 4 speed, manual transmission, chrome mirrors, rear step bumper, AM / FM cassette, fiberglass topper, silver No. A53821. TRUCKS FOR WORK OR PLAY - TRUCKS FOR WORK OR PLAY