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I showed Fred the ad, and she did turn up her pretty little nose. My guesses for no interior pictures: 1 - the dash is all over that blanket. 2 - there is lots of daylight coming in where the A-pillar floors used to be. 3 - someone had best know a decent upholsterer and a source of cloth, or where the Mexican blanket store is.

Fred does like coupes, however, but she's more . . . discerning, shall we say. ;)


Regarding the '38 and the "asking for" price: One fried used to call that "wishin-n-hopin'." And another used to say, "wish in one hand and $#!t in the other and see which fills first." And I thought the experimental aluminum block was in 8 form only . . . .

Okay, good information. I have 16 of those things sitting out in the engine I brought home with me, so as I get into it - if work will just back off for a bit and leave me be - I'll experiment with them. Looks a bit challenging, and I kinda like that.

I seem to recall seeing something not all that long ago that said that new 356 lifters were purt-n'ar scarce as hens' teeth. And Google is nearly my BFF, so I looked for something about rebuilding hydraulic lifters. I found this:

This is a quote from Mr. David Vizard.

"Let's discuss cost savings on lifters. First, we all know that lifters cost money. Along with this we're also told that you must use new lifters on a new cam. At the risk of near-certain death by the hands of my friends in the cam industry, I have to say that's not quite true. I've used one set of lifters on as many as five different cams. The truth is, it's possible to recondition lifters yourself. The innards of a hydraulic lifter don't really wear out. Usually they become noisy due to dirt, preventing them from functioning as intended. Many lifters never get to this stage and all that wears is the lifter's face. I find it difficult to throw away a set of perfectly functional lifters that have worn only a couple of thousands off the face. To restore them to useable condition, I rub them, in a figure-eight pattern, on 100 grit emery paper on a flat surface such as a surface plate or a sheet of glass. About every half dozen passes I rotate the lifter a quarter turn. Whether we like it or not, this action generates a spherical radius on the lifter face. To check how things are shaping up, use a steel straight edge or a quality machinist steel rule, or best yet a precision square. By holding the lifter up to the light you'll be able to see the form taking shape. The edges should be about .001-.0015-in lower than the middle. Do not chamfer the edges of the lifter and do not put too fine a finish on the face as the coarser finish helps with rotation and break in. I have prepped lifters this way, which have subsequently run as many miles as could be expected of a new set."


I have read one of Vizard's books, and he seems (to me, at least) to understand engine theory as well as anyone else I have read and more than many. His explanation here seems simple and straight-forward. I pass it along both as an offer of help and as a filing system because I'm going to have some 356 sorting out to do and this way, this remedy will be easier to find.

I suspect that (Internet Sensation) Fred thinks that should be Fred and Wat. She is in KY and Wat is in VA along with this car. I'll get some Fred pictures with it when it makes the trek up there, which may be later rather than sooner.


It looks like AMC is making reproduction skirts for the price of one's eye teeth. I was never much of a fan of skirts anyway, but dear old granddad had a pair on each of his bathtubs. I like the shape of the Clipper wheel opening, so I don't think skirts do a thing positive for appearances.

Thank you very much!!! It is a good, clean, very decent car. Not a show winner but what I consider to be a very respectable driver. Darn near everything works. It doesn't have the electromatic clutch nor overdrive, so those are two things not to have to tinker with, which is nice. And it doesn't have that Old Car Aroma, either.


I did change the hood ornament from the bird to the stylized post-war donut chaser. Or is it doughnut???


You know, I have yet to see any Clipper fender skirts. None of my coven has them, and I haven't even crossed a pair for sale. I have no idea what people are asking for them, but I'm willing to wager that they're asking plenty since they seem to be scarce as hens' teeth.

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Home with the latest score. The Clipper with the c-clamp holding on the broken battery terminal. Fred really made a production over it, so it was tossed in at no additional cost.


Hope to get it legal next week and make it into a weekend warrior.


That Fred drives a hard bargain.

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Assuming we don't weasel out on weather and such, If so, we'll postpone it a week. Pictures when it's mine.

She may be applying to be someone's Kept Woman, but you cannot hide her working girl origins. ;)

The blue interior for those cars looks fabulous, but that red looks like the inside of a Parisian whorehouse.


At least, that was what I was told . . . .

Still glad I passed on bidding to win. It's just not right here timing-wise what with this particular manager at work and who knows what could have been for weather.


Besides, I'll be hauling home a Clipper this weekend, looks like. I'm good this way.