"The Raiders of the Lost Filter"
or
"Will the REAL Tiger Fuel Filter please stand up!"
An Article by
March, 2003
Page 2
Nothing beckons to the heart of a dedicated scientist as an unsolved mystery. To an archaeologist, "Quick, Watson, the games is afoot". After more than 30 years, with the destruction of the "Rootes Temple" archiving the valuable records, the many conflicting and undocumented photographs, the heated differences of opinion, the cry for the TRUTH rings through the soul.
Donning my worn leather fedora and jacket, my bull whip, and dragging a beautiful girl along (kept near at hand for just such emergencies, the Quest was on. First came the library data. We had the Rootes Ford part number lead (above), and all Ford documents, including musty files, were examined under the yellow glow of the torches carried into the archives. No pictures, and no descriptions other than "in line".
Time to start the field expedition. Before mounting the trusty steel steed, I let the Yellow Pages and my fingers do the walking. No one had seen one in years, and couldn't remember what they were like. No cross references in their own archives. Ford dealer sources were hopeless. First thing they wanted was the "Application". "1965 Sunbeam Tiger?," One hears, " you have got to be kidding."
Next, Into the field. The wild hidden ruins, unexplored for decades. Going from one "old Ford parts" dusty old "temple" to another. "No, thank you, I did not want a Model T spark coil". "Yes, that is an excellent Model A intake valve". The hours, and miles went by following leads supplied by sequential parts squirrels to yet another small, old store - naturally in a remote, and mysterious "Casbah" area. They all seemed to buy their dim, solitary 60 watt bulb and fixture from Edison himself. The dealer's appearance seemed similar. A two day growth of facial hair, all gray, little hair on the head, and a cigarette This seemed to be the role model. You would swear they just got off the "African Queen" river boat. The musty smell must be sold in spray cans.
One day I met the counter man/owner with my standard quest for a Ford part number. This one looked as if he made Model T's, with his parchment dry skin, and obligatory cigarette dangling from his lips. It masterly clung to the lower lip while he talked. One half inch of ash mysteriously refusing to obey gravity laws. . This wasn't the "African Queen" model, but more based on "The Mummy". A Fez would complete the "look". He vanished behind the dusty racks and was gone for about a half hour. When he came back he had an old corrugated cardboard box, held together with string. It had some numbers in hieroglyphics scrawled on the outside. He untied the string, which seemed to be the only thing keeping it from falling apart, and opened the folded top. He reached in and took out a paper box that said "Motorcraft Ford" and a part number, under a light layer of dust which he blew off. He handed it to me, and this is what I saw:
Note the hieroglyphs that mysteriously covered the parts sarcophagus. Inscribed were the Mystical Incantations "Motorcraft" and "Ford" inscribed in the Royal Oval, the date "1966", and the contents mystic encodified name C2RZ-9155A !!! These markings are indicated with an added red arrow.
"N.O.S.", the counterman croaked across the counter. Say what? "NEW ORIGINAL STOCK", he replied, "this is a never used part made by the original car's manufacture - not a reproduction or newly made replacement. In high demand for cars that are judged for originality."
Well, that is what he said!
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