Despite the fact that there is a deep blanket of snow on the ground, the wind is howling, and the temperature is well below freezing, I am thinking of spring.  I am excited about the prospects of getting Dixie back out on the road.  True to form for an old truck, she needs some attention before the first voyage out.

The last report I provided on my beloved Dixie was in August and we had just finished successful completion of the wiring overhaul.  Despite the few lighting issues, Hubby and I did get to take her out on a journey.  She was a bit loud in ways she should not have been, in my humble, inexperienced opinion.  We parked her in the barn after her time on the road and let her rest. 

The next morning, I went out to check on the cats and noticed an odor of gasoline in the barn.  Upon inspection, I found it was indeed coming from Dixie.  The truth is, it was coming from the concrete floor beneath Dixie.  There, under the engine area, was a large puddle of fuel.  I put a large piece of cardboard on the floor and lifted the hood.  It did not take much time into the inspection process to trace the cause.

Fortunately, the space under Dixie’s hood is vast and wide open.  It is not cluttered with things only diagnosed with a mechanic and computer.  I could see where the fuel was now dripping on the cardboard below.  There is a metal fuel line that starts on the left side of the engine at the fuel pump, bends up and around the engine, and ends at the carburetor.  I ran my fingers along the line and low and behold, it was cracked.

This was not a little crack.  The thin metal tubing was separated into two distinct pieces.  What amazed me is that the separation did not happen when we were on the road the day before… thankfully!  I went back to the house and started my hunt for a new line. 

I was surprised to find a pre-bent metal line specifically made for a 1959 Chevrolet truck meeting Dixie’s specifications.  Hurray!  I placed an order and waited.   Within a few days a large box arrived with the shiny, new fuel line.  I took it out to the barn and thought I would surprise Hubby by doing the installation myself.  Everything was within reach, I had the proper tools, and so how hard could it be?

Famous last words when working on an old vehicle... “How hard can it be?”

I held the new line in place where the old one was sitting.  There was no way this new line would work.  It was not long enough, nor did it have the same “bends” in the same places as the old line.  A wave of disappointment spread through my mind.  Oh no.  As I pondered my dilemma, I realized that Dixie’s engine had been changed at least twice in her lifetime.  Therefore, it was highly unlikely that the latest version matched her original set up.  Sure, it was the same model of her original engine, but the components added such as the fuel pump and carburetor were added on without necessity of assuring the placement was “as original”.  It was most likely that someone fabricated the fuel line I was seeing installed many years ago.

When Hubby arrived home from work, I shared the sad story with him.  He determined we could either have someone create the necessary fuel line for us, or we could do it ourselves.  That is where our story ended back in August.  Poor Dixie has been sitting for the winter awaiting some love and attention. 

A couple of weekends ago, when the weather seemed like spring, Hubby decided to take on the task again.  Although he is not a mechanic, he is no stranger to bending things.  As a commercial electrician, he bends conduit to house wiring in multi-story buildings that run every way possible.  When he has shared photographs of his handiwork, I am amazed.  He is able to take three and four inch pipe and bend it up, down, and around structure, supports, and through walls.  Some of the multi-pipe runs he has done look like an elaborate pipe organ.  He is an artist within his craft. If my narrative does not convince you, take a look at the photos below.  Unfortunately, most of his work gets covered with walls.  Nonetheless, the man has pipe-bending skills.

After a bit of practice with the “bender” (the tool used to form the bends at the required angles), he was able to transform a piece of stainless steel tubing into the perfect pump-to-carburetor fuel line for Dixie.  He installed the line, added fuel to the tank, and turned the key.

No joy.

Since Dixie had been sitting for a bit, he decided to put the battery on the charger, and wait a bit.  I entered the barn at the end of the charging time and inspected the new fuel line.  It was perfect! It was even nicer than the old line.  Before he attempted to turn the key again, I took the air filter off of the carburetor and held a can of starter fluid at the ready.  As he turned the ignition, and the starter fired, I sprayed a squirt of fluid into the carburetor and… TADAH! 

She started!

We let her run for about 20 minutes to get good and warm.  There were no leaks around the fittings of the newly installed fuel line.  She sounded great! It was good to check one more item off of the list, with minimal expense. 

Now that we are back in the deep freeze, work has halted again.  Like so many things, Dixie is a work in progress. 

Dixie and I are not so dissimilar.   We are both antiques.  We both run pretty well, with routine maintenance.  We are both eager for springtime.

We are both works in progress.