Story and photos by Mark Wing

Larry’s garage regulars were joined on this first work party of March by Eddie Paquette.  Eddie was a former Tin Lizzie member who has since rejoined the club.  Eddie moved from Albuquerque to Milan, NM, a town approximately 1 hour west on I-40.  Welcome Eddie!

Eddie recently bought a 1922 runabout modified by a previous owner with a wooden pickup bed.  The transmission/magneto came in a separate box.  In addition to rebuilding and reassembling, Eddie knew the magnets were weak and sought out Larry’s help.  Larry has a battery and coiled wire specifically for recharging magnets.  After zapping the weak magnets with the battery, the magnets could easily lift a 2 pound steel weight.

Many of the projects on this day were continuations of work from the previous work day.  The Lance’s continued work on the 1926 roadster project.  Danielle was working on lubricating and tightening the spokes and bolts on the right front wheel while her brother Zack replaced the hand brake quadrant and pawl.

Phil Lance wanted a front wire wheel hub for a 1919 speedster project and fellow member Art Gebeau brought one to the work party.  Unfortunately, the hub was a bit bent, but it was repairable.  Art, Phil, and Larry straightened out the hub using Larry’s hydraulic press.  After applying enough pressure to just the right areas, measurements showed the hub was not straight enough to use.

Mark brought a driveshaft for his 1925 touring car project.  The original bronze bushing was replaced with one of the modern needle bearing versions.  The drive shaft Hyatt bearing is going to be replaced with one of the Timken-type bearings – necessitating the removal of the original driveshaft bushing.  This bushing is a super tight fit on the driveshaft so heat and a sturdy puller were used to remove it.  The Ruckstell rear end is nearing time for final assembly.

Al Schwanke and Larry continued doing body work and priming of the 1926 touring body for Larry’s grandson Cole.  Al has done numerous body restoration and painting jobs and prefers Dupont lacquer-based paints.  Using a HVLP gun, he’s able to spray where he needs to without a lot of messy and sticky overspray.  The body is making wonderful progress and we’re all looking forward to seeing the color and clear coat application.

Thanks Larry for a great work party!