I had been making a list of things to order from TSI and finally pulled the trigger on ordering those parts. When Ted had my shopping list completed, he called and mentioned that since I lived just a little over an hour from his shop, I might want to drive down and pick up the order, saving the shipping cost. It turned out to be a sunny winter day, and the roads were clear, so I pointed my Ram truck to Pandora, Ohio, home of Ted Schumacher Imported Automotive.
A short list of Ted's 40+ year involvement with British iron includes racing, engine building, part design, and part manufacture. He is truly a legend among British car enthusiasts! These days, other vendors do the actual parts manufacture, engine rebuilding, etc., but the work is done to Ted's specifications....to very high standards !
For me, one highlight of the visit was seeing his shop. The building that is home to TSI was originally opened in 1914 as a Dodge dealership by Ted's uncle, Leon Steiner.(Steiner Motor Sales) Ted's dad worked in the dealership before and after WWII, (Leon had all daughters),until retiring in 1968,and it remained a Dodge / Plymouth dealer until the franshise was sold in 1987. In 2000, Ted was able to purchase back the building and is restoring it to look like it did when he worked there as a kid the the 40's and 50's....very cool!
Just to show you what a small world we live in, my first grade teacher in 1954 was a Miss Steiner, and her brother, Hayden Steiner, lived next door to where I was growing up. They were originally from Pandora, and when I asked Ted, he confirmed they were his mother's kin. That explains why they always drove Dodges bought from the dealer in Pandora !!
Here is an example of Ted seeing a need and providing a fix. The standard oil pressure line from the engine to the oil gauge in the dash was plastic, and when it broke, it made a mess. Ted's fix is a braided stainless steel line....
Likewise, part of the line from the clutch master cylinder to the slave cylinder was plastic. Braided stainless steel is way tougher and looks great !
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