“We’re not young any more”

Cherry-Bomb. (That’s Art.) (Photo by Linda Hughes.) (I may be down in the pit, but appear to be kneeling at the driver’s door — Libinati is probably in the car.)

My friend Art Dana (“DAY-nuh”) has a classic customized 1949 Ford hot-rod; souped-up Flat-head Ford motor, floor-shift, pearlescent red flames on white paint.
Dana is the retired bus-driver with fairly severe Parkinson’s disease. We have similar tastes.
His car looks great, but has flopsy steering; so much play he dare not drive it on the expressway.
He’s tried to farm out rebuilding the steering-box, but crashed mightily in flames each attempt. No returned calls; nothing.
So he called me — suggested we remove the steering-box ourselves, so he could rebuild it himself. I was thinking the same thing.
My advantage is that our garage has a pit.
Drive the little dear over the pit, and remove the steering-box from underneath.
I suggested we call in another buddy; one Joe Libinati (“lih-bih-NOT-eee”), another retired ex bus-driver, who helped Art replace an electric fuel-pump to get the old car running.
First order of business: transport ancient car 22 miles from Art’s place to out here.
We decided a route that avoided traffic and expressways.
Set out for our house, me in our CR-V leading, Art in the 1949 Ford, and Libinati in Art’s Camry.
Fear and trembling.......
A 22-mile jaunt over hill-and-dale can cripple an old car, but the Cherry-Bomb soldiered behind me, a gleaming white antique apparition from an earlier era in my rearview mirror.
Our route was a tiny bit more challenging than I expected, but Art wasn’t wandering all over the road.
Arrival finally at my place.
“I’m sure glad you knew where you were going,” Libinati said. “I never saw so many fences in my entire life. I felt like we were in a foreign country.”
Arrow old car carefully over pit.
I have 4x6 decking on top, so it wouldn’t fall in.
Remove some of the decking boards; install step-ladder; no steps into pit.
Next order of business: remove steering-wheel from steering column.
Not a problem. Undo horn-ring and retainer nut.
We had fashioned a puller at Art’s place in conjunction with a slide-hammer; but it wasn’t needed. Libinati just popped the steering-wheel off its splined taper by jimmying it.
Next order of business: undo U-bolt clamping steering column under dashboard.
Nearly impossible. I had to climb under the dash on the floor wedged in front of the seat.
Libinati could have never done this; he had enough trouble wedging behind the steering-wheel — about 250 pounds.
Unable to see the nuts — mass of wires and assorted paraphernalia. —But finally determined it was 7/16ths through trail-and-error.
Bolt undone; column loose.


Blatt! (Photo by Linda Hughes.)

Next item of business: “we should probably remove that Pitman-arm” (from the steering-box).
1&1/2 feels too sloppy, 1&1/4 won’t fit, “Let’s go to the hardware in Honeoye Falls and get a 1&3/8ths.”
1&3/8ths also wouldn’t fit, so the 1&1/2 popped the retainer nut.
No cotter-pin, but it felt like the Pitman-arm was on a splined taper.
I had a puller, so BAM! Off came the Pitman-arm.
Steering-box seemed to be bolted to frame with three long through-bolts.
Just about everything needed my “persuader;” a four-foot long piece of 1&1/4-inch steel pipe I have.
I slip one end over my wrench, giving me about four feet of leverage.
Meanwhile poor Art and Libinati couldn’t do much except watch. Art is very weak, and Libinati partially disabled.
Finally, steering-box loosened from frame, although one through-bolt broke.
Wiggle-wiggle-wiggle. Grease and filth.
Steering-box loose, but can’t be dislodged because of an internal shaft between the column and the box, that disallows angling.
I musta washed my hands at least four times — plus had to take a shower afterwards, and wash all my clothes.
I was covered with greasy grime.
We finally had to give up. Libinati took Art back home.
About six hours total; and steering-box dangles between an exhaust header and the frame.
The car is not drivable — no steering.
Libinati could no longer help — he had to abscond yesterday from grand parental babysitting.
So the drill was for Art and I to continue today (Tuesday, June 30, 2009).
But I had to call Art this morning. “Arturo,” I said. “We’re not young any more. I was hoping a night’s sleep would get me back to par, but I’m still bushed.”
Tomorry perhaps, but it looks like the entire project will get farmed out; and the Cherry-Bomb pulled outta my garage.

• “Linda” is my wife of 41+ years.
• For 16&1/2 years (1977-1993) I drove transit bus for Regional Transit Service, the transit-bus operator in Rochester, NY. My stroke October 26, 1993 ended that.
• RE: “Out here.......” —We live in the small rural town of West Bloomfield in Western N.Y.
• The “CR-V” is our 2003 Honda CR-V SUV.
• Dana has a new Toyota Camry.
• The “Pitman-arm” is the main linkage from the steering-box to the steering tie-rods; maybe five-to-six inches long — a forged steel arm.
• Often a retainer nut is held from loosening by a “cotter-pin” through the bolt and across slots in the nut.