Tuneup Sought for Child’s Pedal Car

Sandy Espinoza of Redondo Beach is looking for someone who can recondition an old-fashioned children’s pedal car. The car she has is a metal fire engine made by AMF. Can you test your mettle by setting the wheels in motion for Espinoza, or will she wonder whether this may be just too piddling a matter?

Mrs. Leo Rhodes of Palos Verdes Estates is wondering whether anyone still makes electric sheets. These, she says, resemble regular electric blankets and are used as covers over the sheets, except that the wiring is contained in sheet fabric. Can you provide Rhodes with the shock of her life by finding a source, or will she be tempted to end up three sheets to the wind?

Lila Corrigan of Brentwood would like to find an ice cream flavor called green tea. She says that Chinese restaurants sometimes serve that flavor, but lately she has not been able to locate it, and she does not remember the brand name. Can you be real cool and help Corrigan see green (instead of red), or will she be convinced that, on this issue at least, she is licked?

Reader-to-Reader Help Line: Two weeks ago, we goofed on a request by Harriet at (818) 981-2634; Harriet is actually looking for an old Metzner Starlight phonograph turntable with a long-handled lever to adjust speeds between 32 and 78 rpm. Please help before Harriet gets really cranky. . . . Chris at (209) 582-4843, who is running a free library for the blind, needs some three-ring, leather-covered (or imitation leather) 5 1/2x8 1/2 binders that have metal hinges. The company that made these binders is no longer in business, and no stationery store seems to carry these high-quality binders with the metal hinges. The fate of all of her files hinges on this request, so please help Chris out of a real bind. . . . Pauline at (213) 257-8667 would love to find a motor for a really old Hamilton Beach mixer. Please help, so that things can start humming again in Pauline’s kitchen.

Note: The Reader-to-Reader Help Line is only for one-time items and for products that are no longer available in stores. And you must give us written permission to publish your telephone number, so that other readers may contact you directly.

Five readers said “aye” to the request by Cordelia Via of West Covina, who was looking for glass cups for bathing her eyes, but we have only one retail source. These eye cups are in the drug department of Van’s, where they caught the eye of Dorothy Eckert of Pasadena. The other four readers are willing to part with their own eye cups, so if anyone, including Via, is interested, send us a stamped, self-addressed envelope, and we will see to it that you get the list of names.

Jane Howard, who was trying to locate hair curlers made with a tight spring and with strong mesh around the outside, may have to sit tight a while longer. We had only one reply, from a reader in Orange, who says she has some of these curlers in five sizes and in good condition. Send us a stamped, self-addressed envelope and we’ll spring into action.

R. William Greer of Pasadena, whose Missouri friend was in the mood for some Black Lace candy, will soon be able to relieve the friend’s misery. Donna Schildberg of Buena Park writes that the candy is available in dark or milk chocolate at a Panache restaurant and gourmet food deli on Harbor Boulevard in Fullerton. N. L. Preusch of Pasadena, who was also interested in this sheer delight several years ago, wrote to the Magic Chocolate Corp., 14 South St., Danbury, Conn. 06810, and was given these local sources: Bon Voyage Bazaar, 348 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills; Country Cupboard, 1682 Kenneth Drive, Santa Ana; and the Hillcrest Country Club Gourmet Shop, 10000 Pico Blvd., West Los Angeles. Marcia McGuire of Flemington, N.J., also has a Danbury, Conn., source: Chocolate Lace at 8 South St., which might be a more recent address for the same firm. And Roberta Jolly of San Bernardino writes that Karl Bissinger, 3983 Gratiot St., St. Louis, Mo. 63110, has been making Black Lace candy for years.

For those who have been trying to locate an old-fashioned hand clothes wringer, we have a mail-order source. The Vermont Country Store, P. O. Box 3000, Manchester Center, Vt. 05255-3000, sells the wringer (No. 15314) for $89.95; this information comes from Myra Veralde in Glendale.

Herb Hain cannot answer mail personally but will, space permitting, respond in this column to readers who have--or need--helpful information. Write (do not telephone) to You Can Help!, You section, the Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053.