2008-05-28 23:33:31 | Greg Casey writes:

I've owned this vehicle for over 10 years but couldn't work on it as I've been in Africa courtesy of the United Nations. Having recently retired, I'm now going to sort it out and just enjoy it!

2009-11-27 22:59:30 | Greg Casey writes:

Just a progress report for November 2009: The Mark IV's engine is now at the machine shop being rebuilt. We discovered the engine was not only extremely worn, it had been rebuilt several times, and not always by the best technicians. The bore has been sleeved (again) to standard and the pistons are custom domed, high-compression. The goal is to increase the compression ratio to 8.25:1 without having to shave the head. The connecting rods are custom forged aluminum and have been machined to accept Chevrolet standard bearings and wrist pins. The camshaft will be re-profiled to increase power/ torque in the 2000 to 4000 RPM range. The head received new valves and hardened valve seats. Hopefully, when completed, the engine will have a bit more spunk on the road. I'll post additional pics when the engine has been reassembled.

2009-11-28 14:27:23 | Greg Casey writes:

Prior to the engine going to the machine shop, the chassis was sorted out. Once the chassis was completed, we decided to pull the pan and clean out an estimated 60+ years of sludge but one look at the bottom end of the engine, we knew it had to come out. With respect to the chassis work, we replaced the king pins but they were so worn, the entire axle had to come out and be machined/ repaired for the new pins. The shocks were rebuilt and new rubber bumper stops were installed. The brake drums were machined and new linings installed. We found that one of the rear axles had been broken and repaired years earlier but it was not completely true. The poor repair had damaged the wheel bearing and housing. We made a new axle by trimming/machining one from a Mark IX. Extremely poor shifting led to the discovery of completely worn bronze lever selectors which were replaced by lightly machined ones from an XK 120 gearbox. A new bronze nut was installed in the steering gear to take care of the poor steering/tracking. Even the windshield crank mechanism was worn to the extent a new worm drive had to be machined. Perhaps by January I'll be able to take it out on the road!

2010-03-30 17:51:01 | Greg Casey writes:

It's April and still no car! All new engine rotating assembly parts are back at the shop and ready for reassembly but now the machinist is off racing. Perhaps May?

2010-07-23 19:19:14 | Greg Casey writes:

Well, it's nearly August and the engine is still in pieces. We had to install new camshaft bearings then discovered that the journals on the cam were worn. They'll have to be built back up then machined to fit. Thankfully, the lobes are OK. Should I have the cam re-profiled? What will be the next obstacle?

2010-11-22 11:59:26 | Greg Casey writes:

Note the license plate--1945 Arizona. I found it on eBay and had it restored. If you bought/licensed a car in Arizona in 1946 (and a few other states like Washington state), you got a 1945 plate (presumably to save on metal due to the war) and a 1946 windshield sticker with matching numbers. Fortunately, there's a company in the USA--inspectionsticker.net--that reproduces these little detail gems--with matching numbers, no less!

2011-06-05 19:05:28 | Greg Casey writes:

Came out of retirement in September last year and am now back with the United Nations in Port-au-Prince, Haiti--a little closer to home than I was in Africa anyway. The camshaft was so worn it had to be sent to Los Angeles to build it back up then re-machine it to fit the new bearings. Always something--what's next?

2014-01-05 23:58:17 | Anonymous writes:

It's January 2014 and I've been driving/enjoying the car for nearly a year now...it's been great fun! Just a few minor detail items left to do--I want to get my RCA HMV-100 original radio installed soon. I gutted it and found a new radio, Retro Sound, that fits right inside the original RCA. Was able to fit the on/off and tuner switches to match the originals so it looks entirely factory. Also found an original set of Ace Wheel Discs and installed them. Very handsome.