Antennas.

One of these is not like the others. See if you can pick it out.

Foreground, 1966 Mustang and background 1971. 

And here is the 1994. After a stint of windshield antennas we get this on the 2013:

A rubber duckie?!?!? Really FoMoCo? Sheesh. I had to do something. So Scott Drake makes stuff for Mustangs. Really nice repro parts for the old rides and stuff for the new ones. I stuck one of these on.

 















Much better! I really don't care if it works or not. I have music beamed from space, a USB port for the iThing and CD slot. Looks cooler though!

Retro Sunday! The Zenith 882H

On today's trip to the past, we need a couple of things to help get there. First, one of the best books on the subject in my opinion:

 And if at all possible the schematic for the object in question:

Then to the heart of the matter:

One of the first things in restoring old radios is to "recap" it. The old wax and paper capacitors (called condensers back then) are notorious to fail over time. I chose a functional rather than cosmetic approach. Lets face it no one is going to see this without some effort:

Yeah, everywhere there is a "CXX" up there needs to be replaced.

So after recapping, restringing the dial cord and replacing a resistor or two what do you get?

Why one of these!

The "Chippendale" or the Zenith G882H to the gearheads out there. For $279.95 (American) It's all yours! Zenith made these from 1949 to 1952. This one came from a wonderfully eclectic antique store in Johnson City, TN that sadly is no longer there. I bought it in 1991 and restored it in 2002. It is still running the tubes that came with it.

So after consulting the manual

We turn it on!

Sometime later, I will show you how to run an iPod through it.  And since the Retrotechnologist has clued me in for period correct wiring, I guess I will need to replace the power cord (again)! 

We will get to the strange black thing on top of the radio another Sunday!

I have a long week coming up with 4 12 hour days. Blogging will probably be intermittent at best!

Have a great week everyone!

Godspeed George

The man simply defined Country Music. For decades. His songs were of real life as he struggled with his addictions and whatever else he was fighting. Fortunes made, fortunes lost. Whatever happened he stayed true to what he thought was country music. Many came to him to learn as he became an "elder statesman" to the craft. He was quoted as saying that most of the people in Nashville don't even know him in his later years.

So for tonight I spun up this. 

I had to find a 45 adapter to run it on the 1958 Zenith G882H, but it came out fine. I'm sure he would approve. 

Godspeed George.  



   

From The Bench.

Finally the firing pin showed up for the Springfield XD-SA in .40 Cal S&W. It had more problems too. A broken slide stop lever?!?!

Yeah, the bench gets ugly when backed up! 


Here is all that got replaced. 

 

























Firing pin, buffer spring, firing pin indicator, firing pin indicator guide, and slide stop lever. Go to the range tomorrow and test. 


Another one. A Browning BDA-380 that would not go into battery. This one is important as it is Mr. Curmudgeons FAVORITE .380 pistol. 

A nice pistol, but the sights leave a little to be desired! I test fired after new recoil spring and magazine spring today. Looked like this at 10 yards. 

   




















She still will not feed the Winchester white box blunt nose stuff, but works with round ball! 

Back at it tomorrow! Glad to get some stuff off the bench! 

Shhh.... Don't tell anybody!

The Mountain of Geese "Firearm Superstore" did a soft open this week in preparation for its Grand Opening soon. And no, I'm not telling when =).

I scored some training food for the Smith M&P .22LR:

 












Perfect for new shooters! I can reload everything else, but these are hard to come by right now. 

As a plus they also will feed this:

 













My first pistol. A Colt Match Target Woodsman. If I had known then what this pistol is worth now I might have not carried it in my back pocket then. On the other hand, I am glad to have the memories and cherish the fact that it is still with me. 

 

Another day at the office!

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A Perfect Birthday Gift!

For my favorite Pistol student. She just turned 70.

Before everyone gets bent on the pink and all of that, I wish I could shoot like a girl!




In the meantime back to it this weekend. New shooter class tomorrow and CCH Sunday! 

 











Wish me luck!