Francis Birtles Pioneer Trip

Guessed as Much...:dry:

I was on the lawn mower today thinking Ï should ask how Lang is going with the Bean?"

Clearly very well and the young bloke has a good future ahead of him.

Good day today. I decided to start the car for the first time in 10 years.

Turning it over by hand I discovered number one exhaust valve stuck open. Lots of hand turning and whacking the valve down through the plug hole (side valve engines have their benefits). Soaked in WD40 overnight but still stuck but with less grip. I started the engine and it fired first turn after ten years!

Idling with number one plug out I held down a thinned broom handle through the plug hole on top of the valve to make it go down. After about 30 seconds the valve spring was returning it OK by itself.
Put the plug back in and it purred like a kitten.

Makes no difference if I switch from coil to magneto or both. May be able to notice at highway speeds.

Out into the paddock and what a smooth little jigger! Clutch and brakes really nice and absolutely no play in the steering. Now for the overdrive fitting.

PS Bev took a couple of 10 second videos of the first drive on her phone but they are sent MP4. Can somebody suggest a way to get it into MP3 or some other format so I can put it up.

Lang

The noise is Bev's phone microphone not the car which is very quiet. I think it is stuffed from over use.

Lang wrote:

PS Bev took a couple of 10 second videos of the first drive on her phone but they are sent MP4. Can somebody suggest a way to get it into MP3 or some other format so I can put it up.

Lang

Email them to forum@hcvc.com.au

Gryphon or Scout should be able to put them on the HCVC's Youtube Channel..

done

I have just been sent this clipping from
The Mail" Adelaide 1928

Birtles' exploits are fully described, including photos of the 'chain drive" episode, in the 380 page biography penned by Warren Brown, someone who Lang knows rather well.

RACQ Magazine just out.

Article on page 48. There is a link on that page to a nice photo montage set to music by the Australian National Museum.

Maybe this might help in the sponsorship battle. Prolube have given us unlimited lubricants but we can only carry so much.

racq.smedia.com.au/magazine/default.aspx

Lang wrote:

RACQ Magazine just out.

Article on page 48. There is a link on that page to a nice photo montage set to music by the Australian National Museum.

Maybe this might help in the sponsorship battle. Prolube have given us unlimited lubricants but we can only carry so much.

racq.smedia.com.au/magazine/default.aspx

Going by the number plate, it looks as though you will call the car Chloe.

A girl down the street had that personal plate but never used it. I figured it looked pretty old fashioned and as a bonus my initials backward. A good $50 investment.

In Queensland you can put personal plates on a club registered car, don't know about elsewhere.