Whizzer Disassembled

In anticipation of my 60-day license suspension, as mentioned in the previous post, I've finally begun to fix my 1939 Whizzer Motorbike replica, as it will be the only legal motorized form of transportation available to me come the 19th of May. It's hard to believe that in a state as fucked up as Massachusetts; a state that taxes the shit out of anything and everything, the Whizzer does not have to be registered, titled, or insured, and no excise tax is collected on it.

So anyways, when this thing last ran, it seemed to have stuck a valve. Taking the little access panel off of the top of the lower end to expose the bottom of the valves confirmed this; it was the intake valve that was sticking. Upon finding this out, it was wheeled down to the basement with every intention of having it running in short order. But, one thing led to another, and before I knew it, six years had gone by since the little guy had last run. On a warm day last fall, after soaking the crap out of the valves and cylinder with Marvel's Mystery Oil, which is the greatest stuff ever conceived by man, I got it to putt-putt up the street with the choke wide open and smoking something awful, but the valve still kept hanging up and eventually stuck again once all the Marvel's burnt off. More of it was added and she was once again wheeled down into the basement.

Here it is, wheeled into the workshop portion of the basement with the engine out of it. The exhaust, carburetor, and electronics are all still attached for ease of assembly when it's ready to go back in.

And here's the little 123 cc aluminum air-cooled one cylinder flathead that powers it, on the workbench with the top cover off. An old Hawaiian shirt makes for a festive drop cloth. Now it's time to see what's wrong with it.

Diagnosis: burnt intake valve. Better than what I intially assumed to be a bent one, but not by a whole hell of a lot. See the area in the middle that looks a little rough? That's a burn mark, and the reason the valve was hanging up inside the guide. Time to order a new one, along with a spring, a guide, and new gaskets all around. The mighty Whizzer will run again (hopefully)!

Yanked

When I was younger and first started driving, I got myself in a fair bit of trouble with a combination of a few accidents and a few speeding tickets. Now, after nearly two and a half years of trouble-free driving, a bullshit speeding ticket way late at night means I've stacked up enough surchargeable offenses in a set time period for the state of Massachusetts to take my driver's license for 60 days. Shame, too, since offenses would have started dropping off of my record in December of this year. But, not to worry. Come May 19th, the day I officially get my license yanked, this site will become the official chronicle of a guy forced to live (temporarily, thankfully) without the thing he loves most: cars. Fun things are on the horizon, however; there's a good chance the 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme will be coming home before the big day to sit out in the street with my '96 Riviera to ensure that I have enough automobile-related projects to keep me from going nuts. Things are about to get interesting.

Registered!

Yes indeedy, the 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme is now officially on the road with antique plates. Phase one complete!

Buick Riviera Wheel Stander

Okay, so maybe all I really did was change the oil in the thing, but that's really not worth writing about now, is it?

For more on a real wheel stander, check out this article on Bob Riggle's 1968 Plymouth Barracuda Hurst Hemi Under Glass.

Cutlass Cop Car!

In response to yesterday's post of the photograph I took of the '77 Cutlass Supreme for the insurance company, kind reader Jim e-mailed me this great picture of a restored '76 Cutlass Supreme police car.

Faded red with a white steel roof! Imagine a light bar with two revolving red gumdrops and a big giant siren behind the front bumper. Well-worn gold leaf lettering on the doors from the municipality of your choice and a CB radio and you're off and racing to the scene of the blaze! It could totally be the fire chief's counterpart to the police car.

Anybody want to make a photochop?

For Insurance Purposes

In order to obtain antique plates here in Massachusetts, your insurance company requires a current color photograph of the vehicle you wish to register. A few quick snapshots around the corner from a friend's house means the '77 Cutlass should be on the road in no time.