Tag Archives: 1928 Plymouth Roadster

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Day 35: Repairs in Novosibirsk

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Number of tie wraps: 16 (8 added since last post)

Countdown: 4021 miles down, 4564 to go

Quote of the day: “We got spring!”

First, a picture of a nice contrail over our hotel in Novosibirsk. I’m a bit starved for airplanes on this trip!

Contrail over hotel in Novosibirsk

Contrail over hotel in Novosibirsk (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

At 10 this morning, we caught a taxi back to the auto market to put our rear shock plan into motion. The goal was to make a field repair that will get the Roadster to Moscow, where Luke has a friend who can fabricate some shocks if we still can’t get the ones the Roadster really needs.

First, we found a can of “Tire Doctor,” which Luke thought he might use to re-inflate and seal the deflated air bags on the rear shocks. The can holds a foam that can be used to make an emergency repair to a flat tire when a spare isn’t available.

The Tire Doctor

The Tire Doctor (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

Next it was time to look at springs. Lots of springs. Luke’s idea was to put the springs over each shock on the outside and clamp them in place.

Spring display at the auto market

Spring display at the auto market (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

A set designed for a Honda Civic looked like they might work.

Checking out the springs to see if they'll work

Checking out the springs to see if they’ll work (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

After getting some heavy-duty clamps, we returned to the hotel parking lot, and laid out the goodies.

The haul from the auto market

The haul from the auto market (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

First up was the Tire Doctor. Note the label, “For Professional Use Only,” so we let Luke do all the dirty work (not!).

Don't try this at home!

Don’t try this at home! (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

But first the rear of the Roadster had to be jacked up, using this handy brick from the side of the parking lot to help out. The brick is now part of the Roadster toolbox.

Russian brick used to help jack up the Roadster

Russian brick used to help jack up the Roadster (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

Here’s what the collapsed air shocks looked like.

The collapsed rear air shocks

The collapsed rear air shocks (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

Luke hooked up the nozzle on the Tire Doctor to the air valve used to pump up the struts and started spraying. At first, the foam seemed to be going into the tubes and into the shocks, but after about 20 seconds, the white foam started spewing all over the Roadster, the spare tire, the ground, and pretty much everywhere but into the air lines.

The Tire Doctor was a little messy to use

The Tire Doctor was a little messy to use (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

At that point, we thought the Tire Doctor wasn’t going to work, but then Luke checked the struts and found that they had re-inflated a bit, so John started spraying the foam while Luke stayed under the car to watch the progress. After about three more minutes of spraying the foam in a bit at a time, Luke called out, “It looks like they’re holding!”

Luke checking the struts

Luke checking the struts (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

After pumping up the shocks with a bit of air, John tested them, and the patch job seemed to be holding.

Shock test

Shock test (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

After a lot more air, Luke lowered the car back onto the rear shocks, and they now have about 120 pounds of pressure, which four hours later, is still holding steady. The rear of the car looks much better now — you can see the tops of the tires again!

Success!

Success! (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

The springs are now a backup plan in case the Tire Doctor fix doesn’t hold. Luke figures he can put the springs on in about an hour by the side of the road if necessary.

The backup plan -- slide the springs over the shocks

The backup plan — slide the springs over the shocks (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

John and Luke also repaired some damage to the right rear fender of the Roadster shown in the photo below.

A crack in the right rear fender, probably caused by jarring from the bumpy roads

A crack in the right rear fender, probably caused by jarring from the bumpy roads (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

Luke patched the crack with Gorilla tape (a suitable substitution for duct tape, I’m told).

Gorilla Tape repair

Gorilla Tape repair (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

John worked some tie wrap magic to pull the fender closer to the frame to reduce the vibration, adding eight more tie wraps to the total. With a little luck, the fender repair will last until Moscow, where Luke’s friend can spot weld the crack.

Eight more tie wraps -- total is now 16!

Eight more tie wraps — total is now 16! (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

This afternoon, we walked around Novosibirsk for about two hours and watched people enjoying the nice weather in the central square,

People enjoying their holiday in Novosibirsk

People enjoying their holiday in Novosibirsk (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

as well as a celebration in a large park, where there was fun for both young and old.

Young singers in the park

Young singers in the park (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

Older dancers in the park

Older dancers in the park (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

Tomorrow morning, we head to Omsk to try out the Roadster repairs from the last two days.

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Day 34: Tomsk to Novosibirsk

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Number of tie wraps: 8 (2 added since last post)

Countdown: 4021 miles down, 4564 to go

Roadster Shock Absorber Score: Russian Customs: 2, World Auto Tour: 0

Quote of the Day: “C’mon baby, spin!”

It was raining when we left Tomsk at about 8 a.m., but the weather improved later in the morning as we approached Novosibirsk. We encountered some construction on the way, but the drive was smooth overall, and we arrived at our hotel at about 1 p.m.

 

Rainy day in Western Siberia

Rainy day in Western Siberia (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

We saw this house on chicken legs when we stopped for rest and gas. The design originates from a Russian fairy tale.

 

Play house on chicken legs

Play house on chicken legs (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

Despite the relatively easy drive today, we received some bad news during the trip. The shock absorbers for the Roadster that we thought would be waiting for us in Novosibirsk never left the U.S. Apparently there is no way to get them through customs in a timely manner, so we’ve reverted to Plan C, or D, or maybe even E.

After checking into our hotel, we caught a taxi to an auto supply facility on the edge of town. The nondescript building in the photo below houses dozens of dealers of both new and used auto parts and accessories, sort of like an auto parts flea market. We figured if we couldn’t find the shocks there, we’re not likely to find them in Russia.

 

The shock search continues

The shock search continues (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

We found the front shocks on our second try, but the rear shocks, being air shocks, proved more difficult.

 

Front shocks -- we're half way there!

Front shocks — we’re half way there! (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

Luke and I went up to the second floor,

 

Stairs up to the second floor at the auto market place

Stairs up to the second floor at the auto market place (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

and found a vendor who spoke a little English, who tried to help us find a suitable substitution for the rear air shocks, since air shocks are virtually nonexistent in Russia.

 

Searching for the rear air shocks

Searching for the rear air shocks (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

After much consultation and attempts by at least four other vendors to find an alternative for the rear shocks, we gave up. Once again, everyone we encountered was extremely friendly and willing to go the extra mile to help us. The man on the right in the photo below, Aleksey, even offered to open his auto repair shop tomorrow (it’s a holiday here) to help us out. And our taxi driver waited patiently for 45 minutes for no extra charge while we sorted things out.

Aleksey, on the right, one of the many people who tried to help us out

Aleksey, on the right, one of the many people who tried to help us out (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

We arrived back at the hotel about 5 p.m. to begin installation of the front shocks.

 

The precious cargo

The precious cargo (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

First the right shock came off,

 

Taking the right shock off

Taking the right shock off (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

then a loose bolt had to be tightened,

 

Tightening the loose bolt

Tightening the loose bolt (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

and then Luke and John wrestled the bushing from the old shock to put into the new shock so the attaching bolt would fit right,

 

Pulling out the old bushing

Pulling out the old bushing (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

and then Luke installed the new shock. I’ve never seen a more beautiful shock in my entire life.

 

The new shock absorber

The new shock absorber (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

They then repeated the process for the left shock, although the old bushing on that shock proved to be a bit more challenging to remove, but nothing that a little WD-40 didn’t help take care of. This is also where we got the quote of the day from Luke: “C’mon baby, spin!”

 

The stubborn left shock bushing

The stubborn left shock bushing (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

Finally, Luke tested the new shocks by jumping on the bumper.

 

Testing the new shock absorbers

Testing the new shock absorbers (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

Two more tie wraps have joined the Roadster, this time to make the sole windshield wiper work better.

 

Two more tie wraps, this time on the windshield wiper

Two more tie wraps, this time on the windshield wiper (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

Tonight at dinner, we debated what to do about the rear shocks, and we now have a plan that involves getting some air shocks to Moscow, an aerosol can of flat tire repair, several large pieces of heavy rubber, and lots of duct tape. As I believe Dave Barry once said, no problem is too large that it can’t be fixed with a hammer, a can of WD-40 and a roll duct tape. Before this is all over, I think we will have used all three. If anyone out there has any other ideas, please let us know!

Tomorrow we look for some things to help fix the Roadster further and perhaps visit a railroad and car museum before we join the Russian holiday festivities in the evening. Assuming we survive all that, we head to Omsk on Friday, a drive of about 420 miles, the second-longest drive of the trip.

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Days 29-31: Irkutsk to Tulun to Kansk to Krasnoyarsk

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It’s been a busy three days without much Internet connectivity, but we arrived in Krasnoyarsk about 12:30 this afternoon (Sunday), so I’m back online.

Last night, we had some spontaneous hosts in the town of Kansk. The woman signing John’s car in the picture below is named Irina, and she is married to Gadzhi, the gentleman who owns Zhemchug, translated Pearl, the excellent restaurant where we dined. After we ate, Irina asked if John was the one who owned “the car.” By now, we all just call the 1928 Roadster “the car,” because it’s the one that attracts all the attention! Ksenia translated Irina’s desires and said, “She is very proud of her hometown of Kansk and she would like to sign the car.” How could John refuse that offer?

 

Irina signing the 1928 Plymouth Roadster

Irina signing John’s 1928 Plymouth Roadster (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

We walked 100 yards back to the parking lot where the cars were secured, where we were joined by Irina, Gadzhi, and three other Russian friends shown below.

 

Our new Russian friends in Kansk

Our new Russian friends in Kansk (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

After the signing, Irina and Gadzhi insisted that we come inside a tent outside the restaurant for some champagne and chocolate. We had many toasts as the ten of us shared three bottles of champagne and two delicious chocolate bars. Our new Russian friends wanted us to stay for vodka shots, but we begged off so we could get an early start today. If you ever get to Kansk, be sure to stop by Zhemchug/Pearl for some terrific hospitality — they love foreigners!

 

Champagne and chocolate toasts

Champagne and chocolate toasts (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

Our drive from Irkutsk to Tulun on Friday started with the realization that we were about 3,000 miles from Moscow, according to the sign in our hotel — it actually says “5039 km.” At this point in the trip, 3,000 miles doesn’t sound very daunting any more.

 

Luke with the road sign in our hotel in Irkutsk

Luke with the road sign in our hotel in Irkutsk (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

It was a rainy day, and we followed the Trans-Siberian Railway for much of the trip, just as the 1908 racers did. The terrain was mostly rolling hills, with a mix of forested areas, pastures, and plowed fields. Today, we stopped for a train for the first time, and I got this nice shot as the train approached the crossing.

 

Railroad crossing on the way to Tulun

Railroad crossing on the way to Tulun (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

As we drove along, I noticed many buildings painted in IKEA blue and yellow colors. Maybe someone from IKEA made a good deal with a paint dealer in Russia? Here’s some buildings behind our hotel in Tulun.

 

IKEA colors in Tulun

IKEA colors in Tulun (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

We also got some bad news on Friday. There was a problem with Russian Customs in Moscow when the package with the shocks for the Roadster arrived, and the package was returned to the U.S. So Luke had to stay up late once again to get another package sent over, which we hope won’t have the same problem. The new shocks are being shipped to Novosibirsk, where we arrive on Wednesday. On the other hand, the Roadster hasn’t blown another brake light fuse, so maybe that problem has finally been fixed for good.

Checking the Roadster to be sure it will make it to Novosibirsk

Checking the Roadster to be sure it will make it to Novosibirsk (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

Saturday morning, after singing Happy Birthday in Russian over a cell phone to Luke’s brother, Tony, which won’t win any Grammy awards, trust me, we headed off for Kansk. We had a very slow morning over roads under construction, going only about 30 miles in the first three hours. We passed this monument on the way into the town of Sherberta, and Ksenia said that the monument was used to indicate Soviet-era collective farms.

 

Sign for old collective farm in Sheberta

Sign for old collective farm in Sheberta (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

After about three hours, we reached better roads and the pace picked up, and we began to anticipate a mid-afternoon arrival in Kansk. But we always seem to find a way to extend our day, and yesterday was no exception.

About 12:30, at a fueling stop near the small town of Alzamay, John discovered that a bag containing his passport and other important papers was missing. After tearing the Roadster apart, we concluded that it had been left in Tulun. Ksenia immediately got on the phone with the hotel, and after the security folks reviewed video from the parking lot that morning, John realized that the bag had probably been left on the driver’s side running board by accident and then fell off as we departed the hotel. We pondered what to do while Ksenia made dozens of phone calls to Tulun, to Mir Corporation, and to the police. At least we had managed to pull into the nicest truck stop we have seen so far, complete with two mini-markets, a café, a hotel, and clean flush toilets, so it wasn’t a bad place to hang out for a few hours on a sunny 70 degree afternoon in Siberia.

 

Discussion options regarding the missing papers

Discussion options regarding the missing papers (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

John called the consulate in Ekaterinburg and they were very helpful, saying that he can get an emergency passport when we arrive there. In the meantime, we drove into Alzamay to file a police report to help with the other missing paperwork. While John and Ksenia took care of that, Luke and I admired this Kermit-the-Frog colored troop carrier that, based on my limited Cyrillic and Russian skills, I believe was used for counterterrorism operations at some point.

 

Outside the police station in Alzamay

Outside the police station in Alzamay (Eileen Bjorkman photo)

The police in both Tulun and Alzamay have been very helpful, and we are still optimistic that John’s papers may yet be located. But with the help of Ksenia and Mir, we should be able to recover from this before we cross the Russian border again on June 28.

Today, we were thankful for an uneventful 140 mile drive to Krasnoyarsk. We have the day off tomorrow to rest, run errands, and work on recovering John’s paperwork. On Tuesday, we have one of our longest drives of the trip, 603 km to Tomsk, but we believe the roads will be much better!