Okay; Who Pinched The Engine From My Criterion?

Your car looks great, Robert! The break-in drive sounds fantastic-gonna do a few laps with it at Laguna Seca? Now it looks like all you need is to restore that M-M data plate. All of those aluminum ones seem to lose their paint over time. I think that PCS member Dennis Moser in N. Wilkesboro, NC has a method of reclaiming/restoring these plates. I'll double check w/ Kent Dorsey.

Loren Baldwin said:

Since you're gonna be in SF, would it be too much to ask to meet up and admire this beautiful coach? I know my location says Ohio, but I'm in the Bay Area for just under a month.

Click to expand...

Send me a PM, so we can plan a time and place to meet. Are you in "The City", or elsewhere in th eBay Area?

NICE!! I dont even think they looked that good when new.

John Burchfield said:

Your car looks great, Robert! The break-in drive sounds fantastic-gonna do a few laps with it at Laguna Seca? Now it looks like all you need is to restore that M-M data plate. All of those aluminum ones seem to lose their paint over time. I think that PCS member Dennis Moser in N. Wilkesboro, NC has a method of reclaiming/restoring these plates. I'll double check w/ Kent Dorsey.

Click to expand...

While I will not be doing any laps at Laguna Seca, I will be running a few around Sears Point Raceway this summer before a crowd of thousands. These laps will also include a "race" between 2 Criterions; mine and Chris Bruno's. Chris just had his Criterion painted to match mine, so it should be a fun event to watch.

It's not the car, but the driver. I know who I am placing my money on...

Robert Shepard said:

Send me a PM, so we can plan a time and place to meet. Are you in "The City", or elsewhere in th eBay Area?

Click to expand...

I'm actually in Vallejo, I'll shoot you a PM later this evening.

Robert Shepard said:

While I will not be doing any laps at Laguna Seca, I will be running a few around Sears Point Raceway this summer before a crowd of thousands. These laps will also include a "race" between 2 Criterions; mine and Chris Bruno's. Chris just had his Criterion painted to match mine, so it should be a fun event to watch.

Click to expand...

Please make sure someone gets that on film with high def video. That has to be shared!

I agree w/ Adam, you definitely need to get some good video of the Criterions at Sears Point, Robert!

The bad weather has cleared, and it's now time for me to pick up the Criterion from the restoration shop. This Saturday morning, fellow Golden State Chapter member Chris Bruno wil take a BART train from San Francisco to the station near my house, and will get picked up by me and his employee in his Criterion. We will then load my car's gurney and other equipment into his rig for later transfer. We will then drive down to Los Gatos to pick up member Tom Bellew. The four of us will then make the hour trip to the restoration shop in Seaside. My Criterion has been driven on two shakedown cruises by the shop owner. He reports that it is now road ready and the torque from the rebuilt engine is unbelivable.

I had planned on an initial 500 mile drive to break-in the engine, and have since learned that this was a bad idea. The break-in proceedures for a newly rebuilt engine require using lower non sustained speeds. Additionally, I learned that it is important to place the various loads engine by climbing hills, making stop and goes, as well as other driving variations off the freeway.

Our driving route has now been altered to using the mountain roads on the peninsula that seperates the Pacific Ocean from the San Francsico Bay. These roads will present a lot of twists and turns, and variations in elevation. Once we reach Skyline Road (Hwy. 35), which is atop the ridgeline of the peninsula, we will be able to look out the car windows and see the ocean on one side and the bay on the other. Using this route we should be able to put over 200 miles on the rebuilt engine. I'll then take the car out every weekend to add the other 300 miles needed before I have to change the oil.

One of the great stops on Hwy. 35 is Alice's Restaurant and the store acorss the road from it. This is where you could find me every weekend during my sport "go really really fast" motorcycle days. This link tells the story best: [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDI89xwatX4[/ame].

My Criterion was released from the restoration shop today, and went on its first long cruise to break in the engine. Shop owner Randy Reed was on hand to transfer the car back into my hands. The car has been in his shop for 6 months, and as you can see by his oh so subtle gesture, he was glad to see it gone.

Some of the shop crew was there to see us off, and to make sure all the little details were taken care of before our departure. The car shined like a new penney, and the engine sounded great. PCS member Chris Bruno helped by transporting my cot and other equipment in his rig. The shop owner's eyes were as wide as a pair of full moon wheel covers when he saw 2 Criterions on his lot.

We drove mountain roads to give the rebuilt engine the kind of workout it needs to seat the rings. We started at sea level, and climbed to about 2,000 feet. After reaching the summit on CA 35, we stopped for lunch at Alice's Restaurant in Woodside. There must have been a 100 motorcyles, and a nice assortment of exotic sports cars on hand. Pictured with the Criterion is a classic Triumph and a vintage BMW. After lunch we drove out to the beach at San Gregorio, then up the coast to Half Moon Bay. From there we headed east on CA 92 to I-280 and back to Los Gatos to drop off Chris and my old pal Tom. What a perfect day.

I know just how he feels. I remember it leaving my place one fall afternoon to. bet it's as good to have it back home as it good to have it gone. see if you can keep it out of the garage for awhile now

Always nice to get your car back. So, how is the power compaired to before?

John Royark JR said:

Always nice to get your car back. So, how is the power compaired to before?

Click to expand...

When the car was climbing a grade the speedometer indicator was increasing as I gave the gas. In the past it dropped like a stone no matter how much gas I gave the engine. The new torque is really something, and I can now pass slow moving vehicles on the freeway with confidence, not to mention that I am no longer relegated to the slow lane!

Robert Shepard said:

When the car was climbing a grade the speedometer indicator was increasing as I gave the gas. In the past it dropped like a stone no matter how much gas I gave the engine. The new torque is really something, and I can now pass slow moving vehicles on the freeway with confidence, not to mention that I am no longer relegated to the slow lane!

Click to expand...

Nice Robert, very nice.

Looks Great Robert. I was just about to ask about it when i seen the pix go up

Robert Shepard said:

When the car was climbing a grade the speedometer indicator was increasing as I gave the gas. In the past it dropped like a stone no matter how much gas I gave the engine. The new torque is really something, and I can now pass slow moving vehicles on the freeway with confidence, not to mention that I am no longer relegated to the slow lane!

Click to expand...

First impressions from the engine break-in cruise:

The Flowmaster and silencer combination with the headers and larger diameter exhaust pipe produces a very nice exhaust note. It is quiet at idle, and has very low rumble when the car is climbing a grade.

Engine temp has been reduced greatly by the rebuild of the engine and radiator. Upon each stop we opened the hood to find the engine bay was just warm, and not like opening the door to a sauna.

Tracking: With all four wheels aligned the car tracks straight as an arrow, and takes corners with ease.

Transmission: The rebuilt TH-400 now shifts very smoothly and at the optimum shift points in concert with the renewed power plant. The gear selector indicator is now aligned perfectly, ulike before where it was between gears on the indicator.

Brakes: The rebuilt brakes perform very well, and have a completly new feel.

Overall, it is like driving a new car. The engine on the other hand is much better than what it was new from Cadillac, as it now has twice the horse power.

Owner: Still smiling.

Congrats, have fun with it!