I do think that the social aspect of mechanical works is strong ~ back when I was a working Journeyman mechanic I'd bang out more jobs than anyone else in the shop and no comebacks either .

Brake works are more effort than expen$ive these days, I look up the part numbers and inter changes then I can hunt up the correct parts for serious discounts ~ I was a parts man off and on for many years .

I know bupkis about radio repairs but 1950's technology is pretty basic if not crude, most of the time you need to replace all the capacitors and the speaker, I always match the correct impedance and these days there are better quality speakers available, the trick is finding the correct size and mounting then you're pretty much golden .

I just did this in my truck and am loving listening to music clear as a bell =8-) .

I can often take the volume potentiometer apart, clean it and make it work as new again, I can clean the breaker points in vibrators but prefer to replace them with modern solid state ones .

A lot of fixing older things is simply taking them apart, cleaning and making very simple repairs then re assemble, lubricate and adjust and you're good to go .

Radios not so much because one you've replaced much there's a whole deal of adjusting that I don't really understand very well .

Variety is good, as they say : just don't let your paramour find out .

The 36HP engine case is kaput as a connecting rod came through it but I'm sure the heads are O.K., I already have too many old 36HP engines, I should try to sell them I think .

An old friend from back when I had the VW shop and he was in high school recently gave me a bunch of 36HP parts including an complete 1954 (I think) engine, I selected a really nice flywheel and used it on the rebuilt engine I need to install .

Yeah, life is a bee-otch, if I told my entire pathetic life story you'd use up boxes of Kleenex (or, not ) but I choose to look forward, life is to be enjoyed, not tolerated or suffered .

I'm very, VERY lucky to be alive so I don't want to waste a minute feeling sorry for my self, I have things to do while I'm still ambulatory .


Reverse lamps were a factory / dealer VW accessory from the early 1950's, yes they became standard in the 1967 model year (thanx U.S. government) I do like them and use them....

I suppose I could hunt up one of those old early typ III speedo cable activated reverse light switches, I just prefer to do things a particular way is all .

There are certainly junk shops near you ! they're everywhere, maybe the sign says 'antiques' but the stuff inside is what's critical and I find lots of really good tools and things when an 'antique' store doesn't know what the hell it is...

My psycho-beech ex girlfriend was a black belt thrift store shopper , she'd always find new and near new clothes in her size, I have no idea how she managed but we'd hit up thrift stores every time we traveled .

Of course, she was also crazier than the proverbial shytehouse rat and violet to boot so eventually I had to give her the gate in spite and hands down the best sex I've ever experienced .

I saw her in traffic in South Central Los Angeles a few weeks ago, still cute as a button, not a lot or 60 year old women can do that .

Sigh .

Anyway, life goes on apace, that's the way it should be, just learn to not have so many things they own you instead of the other way 'round

-Nate