[DeTomaso] Wiper System Upgrade?

[Mike & Elizabeth Thomas]

Julian, looking forward to having you join us.  Remember to bring the Rain-X
as well, we all live by it up here.

All y'all.  We have 35 people and 14 Panteras signed up for this years'
Panteras Northwest Fall Cruise, so expect a Profiles article going to Mike
Haney not long after we get home.  We head out Friday, Sept 7 for a 3 hour
cruise to Ocean Park, WA where the Beach Barons car club hosts the Rod Run
to the End of the World on a 27 acre plot owned by the club.  Well over
1,000 cars show up every year and you have to book your room to stay locally
about a year in advance.  The show is Saturday and Sunday, after which we'll
decamp and head for a night in Vancouver, WA to visit a chapter member's
collection on Monday morning then enjoy a drive over the Cascade mts around
Mt. Rainier on the way home.

We have two couples coming all the way down from Calgary, Alberta as well as
Julian and his wife from Reno.  Should be epic.

Mike Thomas
Pres., Panteras Northwest
206-795-3302
Yellow '74 #6328
www.panterasnorthwest.com



-----Original Message-----
From: DeTomaso <detomaso-bounces at server.detomasolist.com> On Behalf Of
Julian Kift
Sent: Saturday, September 1, 2018 7:01 PM
To: detomaso at server.detomasolist.com
Subject: [DeTomaso] Wiper System Upgrade?

I'm going on the PNW Fall Cruise this coming week and having lived in Reno
with the GT5 for 11 years I have never had call to have a functional
windshield wiper system. In Monterey a week ago the morning fog was a
nuisance, just enough to wet the windshield, not enough to run off. That is
exactly what I imagine I might be up against on the Pacific Northwest coast,
light rain or drizzle, so this afternoon I buckled down to getting the wiper
system working more for a safety factor (and to pacify my wife who is coming
along).



Of course turning the wiper switch on led to a dismal nothing, but what else
was I to expect after such time. I checked and there was power at the wiper
motor junction block, this is great news, as I hate tracking wiring problems
and I don't have a lot of time before hitting the road Thursday! I removed
the motor and dismantled it to find the armature winding completely rusted
to the magnets. I half expected to have to go dig out the motor from my '74
which in itself has been actually sitting unused longer than I've had the
GT5, albeit on jack stands in a garage. I once questioned how Mike Drew
could have let his car sit for 17 years, and here I am finding it is quite
easy!



So I started cleaning everything up, the brush springs were so rusted they
disintegrated upon touch, one dismantled pen spring later and they are all
good again. Reassembly with all new marine grease and I silicone sealed the
motor housing as I don't have an under fender splash guard for protection.
To my surprise the motor works, that is as well as any old Lucas 14W motor,
it has the 2 speeds stuttering (maybe this is what they called intermittent
wipers in the day!) and lethargic, I tell myself it will be better when
there's water on the windshield!



So I'm as good as I'll get for this trip, we have wipers, the wife will be
happy.... but I got to thinking I haven't seen any discussion on a modern
alternative to the Lucas system, has anyone retrofitted something that
doesn't involve hacking up the grill and trunk? Or is a new Lucas 14W as
good as it gets?


Julian