“There is nothing more important than appearing to be religious.” — Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince (1532)
Author Archives: Steve Mays
No-slip Jeep pedals
No idea what the original brake and clutch pedals looked like on my Jeep but by the time I got behind the wheel, they were pretty slippery. Today Machinist Wizard Andy Cain welded on some some non-slip tread.(bottom photo)
Dr. Strangelove
With Putin rattling the “tactical nuclear nukes” saber on a daily basis, this seemed like a good time to enjoy a couple of my favorite scenes from Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, known simply and more commonly as Dr. Strangelove.
W. C. Fields: The Great McGonigle
Paul C. Miltenberger: Hero
Barb’s father, the late Paul C. Miltenberger, receiving the Silver Star following the Battle of Luzon in WWII. Dr. Miltenberger. From the St. Louis Post, July 18, 1945:
Captain Paul C. Miltenberger, 29 years old, Army medical corps officer, has been awarded the Silver Star for gallantry in action last April 23 on Luzon. When a platoon sergeant had been seriously wounded and had fallen in an exposed sector of the jungle, Capt. Miltenberger dragged him 800 yards to a protected area where he administered first aid.
800 yards (almost half a mile) through the jungle, under enemy fire, is a long way. Dr. Miltenberger was one of the best people I’ve known in my life. I never heard him say an unkind word about anybody.
Spare engine block for Jeep
I took the Jeep to Cruise Night where hundreds of (mostly) old car and truck enthusiasts gather to see and be seen. My friend Paul introduced me to Bob who finds/buys/sells old Jeeps and Jeep parts. Bob and his wife were on their way home (Colorado) from a Jeep gathering in Ohio where Bob purchased an old engine block.
As fate would have it, just the engine block I’d need if the tiny crack in my block (see image below) made the Jeep un-drivable.
So I bought it for $100 and will keep it in the Annex as Cosmic Insurance against my current engine blowing up.
Spare tire of the Jeep
Paul is very particular about the tires he puts on vehicles. They must be the right tire and they must look great. Including the spare which he had to track down out in Colorado.
While I could have lived with this tire as a spare, Paul insisted it get a fresh coat of paint and gave me the privilege of getting all the old paint off.
This involved a few hours with sandpaper and some time in the sandblasting box. A very wax on, wax off experience. This simple chore gave me an appreciation for the time and effort that goes into restoring an old vehicle even though that was never the plan for the Jeep.
When I went to pick up the tire after mounting and balancing, the young man asked for the key so he could drive the Jeep into one of the service bays.
“Might be best if I do that since the transmission is a little… wonky,” I said. “Oh, I think I can figure it out,” he replied.
When he finally did get the Jeep in gear (first instead of reverse) he almost drove into the front of his building. I drove the Jeep into the service bay. (On the topic of shifting gears, I’ve discovered the Jeep is happiest when I double-clutch between gears.)
Fast food run in the Jeep
I’d love to know what the designers of the Jeep had in mind with the fold-down windscreen. Perhaps easier to carry more equipment or people?
Barb got her first ride in the Jeep today.
I’m still getting used to just how small the Jeep is.
And here’s the boy with his new toy, decked out in his anti-tick treated wood clearing outfit.
Fleet complete
I’ve never considered myself a collector but don’t know how else to describe my love for old vehicles. And for almost the first time they’re all together.
Jeep pedals (this could be a problem)
Now that I’m driving the Jeep every day, I’m starting to notice small things that will need attention. For example, the brake pedal is so close to the accelerator pedal (and both are loose) that pressing on the brake can press on the accelerator at the same time.