I Did Something Stupid
I’m going to confess to something really stupid that I did a few months ago.
Back in the spring, I posted about having my carbs worked on. This was during a time where I had eye surgery and wasn’t getting around so well. In the down time, I removed Pearline’s carbs and took to Mike at Glass Auto to have them cleaned and new floats installed.
After getting the carbs back, and still working with one eye, I reinstalled the carbs. Pearline started up with a little persuasion and chugged along. I called Mike and asked him if he wouldn’t mind tuning the carbs on the car and he said yes. We set up a date for the next week.
I still wasn’t feeling like I could drive Pearline safely, so I loaded her up on the trailer for the 70 mile (105km) drive to Mike’s shop. My MGB doesn’t have the rear lash points for chains, so I lashed the front bumper and used some ratchet straps around the rear tires. I didn’t feel comfortable with the rear, so I tossed another ratchet strap over the doors and put a couple of thick towels on the window sills to keep them safe.
Well, what I didn’t count on was the ratchet straps coming into contact with the upper door area below the sill. When I got home with Pearline running smoothly, I had noticeable ripples on each door about 4 inches (10cm) below the window sills. Sorry, I didn’t take photos of the damage.
I took Pearline to the guy that painted her back in 2021. He laughed and called me a dumbass, which I deserve. But, he said he’ll take care of her and not break the bank. He has been on vacation a couple weeks but when I stopped by his shop earlier this week, he had both injuries ground down, filled in, and primered. He’ll put the clear coat on in the next week or two.
This experience reinforces my decision to go with a common paint color rather than a custom color that matches the OEM shade. I’m not paying a premium for custom paint–it’s Mopar White.
With luck, I’ll have her back at home in a few weeks and ready for autumn driving. Maybe I’ll get to Coffee+Cars in OKC when she’s back. I’m probably going to take this opportunity to fix the window cranks on both sides.
Anyway kids, don’t tow a car with a ratchet strap across the top of the passenger compartment.