Day 8, Saturday, July 5

My wife Nance called Saturday to tell me that my mother was slipping fast. I decided to make the trip from Flagstaff to Albuquerque mostly non-stop after bidding good bye to the Wrobels. This worked out well and Mom was lucid and very glad to see me -- and the rest of our family who arrived from all over the country.

The I-40 segment from Flag' to Albuquerque was light on traffic. No doubt the high cost of gas was taking its toll. This is a pretty route, with red sandstone cliffs and mesas punctuated with multi-colored volcanic inclusions. It was still plenty warm, but nothing like the sauna in Arizona. I made very good time, covering the 325 miles in about 5 hours. I put the Healey away for a next few weeks. I was quite impressed with its performance, it ran like a train through some severe conditions.

Still, I did generate a short Healey squawk list:

Oil leak, the rear main leaked constantly, just like it always has. I had hoped my engine rebuild with fix this, but it was not to be. Healey leaked about 1 quart every 300 to 400 miles. It made quite a mess at gas stations and hotels. I was able to fix this when I got home, but that's another story.

Carburetor leak, I discovered a gasoline drip from the foward SU carb, right onto the exhaust pipe. This generated some fumes and fear of fire, but it should be easily repaired with a gasket kit. I had not rebuilt the SU's since the mid 70's.

Wandering idle speed, at sea level the idle sped ended up from 1000 to 1500 RPM each time I let off the gas. It works OK at high altitude, this quirk will be hard to fix without returning to sea level.

The cowl and transmission cover were full of small air leaks that really heat up the interior. Some duct tape needed here.

One broken and one loose short spoke on the RF wheel. These are easy to fix and a common failure with 48 spoke wheels. It has been a few years since the last broken spokes, but I still carry spares.

That's about it, looks like Healey 100 and I will be ready for another big trip soon. Maybe next year. Meanwhile, thanks for following along. Take care and drive safely on your next road trip.