Everyone has heard of the Quest for the Holy Grail. There have been books written and movies made
about it and the phrase has come to mean finding something that is extremely
rare. By this definition I found the
Holy Grail. I have an old Greyhound bus. It is a 1960 GMC 4104 to be precise. In October of last year I discovered that the
throttle cable on the bus was no good.
It was not the original cable.
The replacement cable used was not the same design as the original. The replacement was a simple braided steel
cable. A braided steel cable is designed
to be pulled on. Because there is some
pushing on the throttle cable and braided cables are not good for that the
cable failed.
I began looking for a new cable and quickly discovered that
most people did not even know what I was talking about when I said I need a
cable with one strand standing proud in kind of a screw like fashion. I discovered that GMC had a department where
they were supposed to preserve all the old material on their products. I called the legacy project at General Motors
and they said they could not find the drawing for the part.
I sent emails and contacted cable manufactures all over the
country without success. I did find one
company that made something close and they wanted $25 a foot. I needed 35 feet. That was not going to work.
Finally fate stepped in.
I posted a request for information on a forum about converting the bus
to an electrically operated throttle. I
guy who read the post wrote me saying he had a cable and would send it to me
for the cost of the postage.
Will wonders never cease?
It is a miracle, Manna from heaven.
Now I need to get it installed and get on the road.
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