CHARIOT OF EXCALIBUR

Chariot: (Poetic) A stately vehicle; a triumphal car, as that in which the sun, moon, etc., are represented as pursuing their courses.
Cruise control, stereo sound system, captain's chair for the driver, chrome every- where, and 18 wheels ... 18 wirewheels. Afterall, the vehicle that delivers the most exclusive automobile in the world can't be just any ordinary semi.
    Excalibur's "chariot" is a 1979 Peterbilt with 13 forward gears, two reverse gears and all the extras. And the man who drives it is no ordinary driver.
    Explains Wayne Zeiinski, driver extraordinaire, "My job is a 24-hour a day job. Rolling down the road with six cars, valued at over $300,000, is a big responsibility."
    It's no joy ride. In fact, when Wayne pulls into a motel for the night, he always parks the semi right in front of his room. And, he gets up two or three times a night to check it for curiosity seekers.
    "I always make sure I check around bar closing time. I know people will be out there then. I've never found anybody actually messing around with the cars, but they sure like to look.
    Once, in a small farming community, I bet, a thousand people came out to stare at the semi. Nobody had ever seen cars like that. All night they came! Another time, there was a tough looking motorcycle gang gathered around the truck. Sure scared me at first, but they weren't doing anything. Just looking. They all jumped on their bikes and took off about 20 minutes later."
    Wayne  usually  gets special  attention

from local police, too. "At first, they'd just ask questions about the cars, but now that they know me, they're real good about making extra patrols to insure the safety of my precious cargo." The attention doesn't stop when he's out on the highway. The 'Mad Polack' (Wayne's CB handle) gets all sorts of comments from other drivers. People drive past taking pictures from their car windows; weigh station attendants ask if they can buy one. In fact, Wayne actually sold a car off the truck once, although, needless to say, it wasn't to a weigh station attendant.
    "I had stopped for the night in Rock Springs, Wyoming. This guy came up to me with a beer in his hand and asked me if I'd stay in town until the next morning so he could test drive one of the cars. I thought  he  was  kidding, but

the next day there he was serious about buying one. I told him I'd need a cashier's check for the total amount. He said, 'Give me a couple of minutes to go to the bank.' Sure enough, he came back with the check and I handed him the keys. Nobody believed it!"
    Wayne usually makes two trips per month, one to Houston and one to Reno. "I drive 10 hours a day, the limit set by federal law. But then there's also hours of record keeping and forms to be filled out when I return."
    The truck is a great PR and advertising vehicle for Excalibur. It is as unique as the automobiles it so carefully cradles while in transit to their owners.
    "Driving the truck is like driving an Excalibur. Maybe even better." We think we know what he means: After all, he's driving six at once!

Excalibur's "chariot" is a 1979 Peterbilt that transports new automobiles to Houston and Reno dealers.

Shoptalk:
Muffler Replacement

    How to achieve a very "mellow sound" using cyclone muffler inserts, and save a lot of money in the process is the tale related by Excalibur owner Corbett P. Sheeran of Milwaukee.
    Sheeran recently dropped a note to Excalibur to tell his story. He pointed out that Corvette muffler inserts, which could be used for the Excalibur Series I and II, cost $192.92 a pair if replacement was made today. And he further pointed out that they must be cut down to size, with the remainder disposed of.
    His solution: He purchased two cyclone muffler inserts from Whitlock Auto at a cost of $12.97 each. The cyclone muffler had a diameter of two inches, with a length of 24 inches, ideal for the Excalibur three inch diameter collector pipes.
    A flange on  each  end of the cyclone

muffler is easily removed with a hacksaw, Sheeran said. Since the glass insulation matting that comes with the muffler is useless, Sheeran purchased one square foot of glass mat, one half inch thick (I.D. #7620500) through the Allied Insulation Supply Company, 315 North 12th Street in Milwaukee.
    The glass mat had a heat resistance temperature of 1200 degrees, and cost only $4.00, according to Sheeran.
    Sheeran suggested that the glass mat could be wrapped around the muffler with a heavy string. He said that the string would burn off in time and ex- pand the glass mat within the collector pipes.
    At any rate, this Excalibur owner found excellent results with a very "mellow sound" at a total cost under $32.00

Wayne Zelinski takes special pride in his "rig" and its valuable cargo.