Articles

    I've been asked to comment about how EG has been performing to date, so 

this article will put the trip out of Charleston on hold long enough to recap 

how the South African Wolseley is performing north of the equator.



    But first, a couple of clarifications. As always, I found a glaring error 

in Part 8. Of course, when I was ranting on about the symbols on the various 

license plates (orange, peach, palmetto) I really did mean license plates and 

not flags as I wrote. (North Carolina has a good license plate, but that will 

have to wait for Part 10.)



    Also, I've received a few emails from people way back down the line of my 

march across the US suggesting we get together. I can only conclude that they 

are only reading the articles and have missed the "Wolseley Across America" 

thread on the Message Board. It is there that I've been trying to update 

everyone on my real whereabouts. The articles get written when I have time 

(which seems a precious commodity) and lag far behind my current hideout in 

the US. Tonight (Friday, August 25th), for instance, I'm in Lee Summit, 

Missouri, just a little SE of Kansas City, Missouri, even though the articles 

still have me trying to get out of Charleston, South Carolina. Sorry for any 

confusion, and the following is a quick synopsis of the route to date and for 

the next couple of days (probably!). Get your maps out and follow along if 

you wish.



Florida:

Miami to Palm Beach Gardens to Melbourne to Orlando to St. Augustine to 

Jacksonville



Georgia:

Savannah



South Carolina:

Charleston to Myrtle Beach



North Carolina:

Wilmington to Camp Lejeune to Cedar Island to Ocracoke Island to Kitty Hawk 

to Point Harbor



Virginia:

Virginia Beach to Newport News to Waynesboro (north end of the Blue Ridge 

Parkway)



North Carolina (again):

Boone (via the Blue Ridge) to Asheville (via the Blue Ridge) to Great Smoky 

Mountains



Tennessee:

Knoxville to Clarksville (NW of Nashville) then through Land Between the Lakes



Kentucky:

Land Between the Lakes to I-24



Illinois:

I-57 to I-64 through East St. Louis



Missouri:

St. Louis to Jefferson City to Lee Summit (As of Friday, August 25th)



Kansas:

[Probable, Saturday, August 26] Kansas City north along the Missouri 



Nebraska:

[Probable, Saturday, August 26] Continue north along the Missouri until short 

of Omaha



Iowa:

[Probable, Saturday, August 26] Glenwood



South Dakota:

[Probable, Sunday, August 27] to Pierre



North Dakota:

[Probable, Monday, August 28] to Bismark



EG'S BEHAVIOR



    Well, it hasn't been perfect, but pretty close. Remember, this is a car 

that went through an extensive rebuild that was finished in May 2000. I 

bought the car (with effectively no miles on the clock), did some minor 

checkout and work on it and drove it 1877 miles in South Africa to break it 

in; including, a hundred miles or so on gravel roads in Kruger Game Park!



    More details of what has been done should appear in the normal travel 

articles.



Statistics:

    Car arrived in Miami with 1877 miles on the clock

    Car left Miami with 1882 miles showing

    Current mileage, 5060 for a trip total to date (Friday, August 25) of 3183

    Miles as of last gasoline stop: 3069

    Gallons used to that point: 90.827

    Average miles per gallon: 33.8

    Total dollars spent on fuel: $141.97

    Average cost per gallon of fuel: $1.563



System Failures:

    Starter Solenoid

    Turn signal bulb on end of stalk

    Fuel gauge



Trouble Spots:

    Fan nicking radiator shroud

    Cooling. Running hot at idle but OK at speed

    Brakes need pump

    LR Wheel Bearing slightly loose

    Oil pressure gauge hose very slight leak at clamp (Follow up from problem 

in South Africa)

    Running rich

    Speedometer needle is beginning a very slight "nervous tick"

    Engine rocking more than it should (magic wand shift)



Maintenance and Repairs Performed:

    Replaced starter solenoid. Solved problem

    Reinstalled wire that had slipped off the fuel-sending unit after 

crimping the terminal to tighten. Solved problem

    Modified and adjusted bottom radiator to motor mount bracket. Partially 

successful. Note: bracket slightly different from English built version.

    Adjusted brakes. Successful

    Changed oil. Castrol GTX (what it was run in with in S.A.)

    Tightened screws in switch panel to stop rattle. Successful

    Tightened clamp on upper end of hose for oil pressure gauge. Successful

    Exchanged blanking cap on radiator for late style 13-pound cap (with 

check valve). Jury is still out (Note: car has an overflow system)

    Leaned out carb twice. Both times two flats. Appears successful

    Checked torque on LR wheel bearing. To specifications. New bearing, but 

maybe installed in old, worn hub. Monitoring. No change. Continuing to 

monitor.

    Tightened the three bolts on the upper stabilizer bar. Partially 

successful



Miscellaneous Notes:



    The head is a "leaded" one and I've been running RedLine additive. I am 

now out and no auto parts store that I have checked (about 10 in several 

States) has ever heard of it! I had two bottles at home but only brought one. 

Why bring both when I can easily buy another? RedLine needs to do some 

marketing in the South!



    EG has neither burned nor leaked any perceivable amount of oil in the 

3200 hundred miles since being picked up in Miami. (It can be done!)



    Climate and altitude have varied from the heat and humidity of Miami, to 

a thunder storm (and heat and humidity!) in Newport News, to mild 70s 

temperatures and 4000 feet elevation on the upper section of the Blue Ridge, 

to cooler weather, some mist and one point of 6000 feet elevation on the 

lower section of the Blue Ridge, to the 98+ degree heat of central Missouri.



    Roads have varied from medium fast, two lane country roads, to slog 

through the city from traffic light to traffic light, to freeways (running 

about 55-60mph normally - remember this is a 3.76 final drive car; i.e., 4000 

rpm = 60 mph), to the up and down hills of the Blue Ridge (down to third gear 

to climb many sections).