BRB62
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Posts posted by BRB62
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I have just finished rebuilding my cars convertible top frame. Stripped completely, repaint, rechrome hinges with new S/S rivets. New pump, hoses and cylinders. Prior to refitting a new vinyl top I am in the process of setting it all up to operate correctly.
After building it up on the car and manually operating without the cylinder rams attached, I aligned it OK. Today I set up the hydraulics, bled the system (Dex III ATF) and operated it but have a couple of issues that so far I have been unable to find any answers to. Hopefully someone can help?
Firstly the mechanism "binds up" when trying to raise from the fully lowered position. Minor assistance by lifting the header bar slightly eases this immensly. Is this just because I am operating without material and so the top lowers too far and kind of overcentres? Once it starts moving it operates OK.
Secondly the right side operates differently to the left. When fully lowered it "springs" back up about 1" and when rising it seems to move faster than the other side and hits the windscreen top early. I have tried rebleeding the system but no change. The top now tends to swing left and I am having a lot of trouble bringing back the alignment. I have tried adjusting the stack height.
Thirdly the top will not hold position when partly raised but slowly drops as if pressure is being bypassed somewhere- there are no leaks. Initially I thought the cylinders but clamping the hoses did not make any difference, now suspect the pump? Fluid level is OK, bottom of fill hole as per instructions. If I drive the top to fully raised position it slams down hard onto the windscreen top, to prevent this I have to stop the motor about 2/3s into its travel (past fully vertical position) and it will slowly drop down all the way to the windscreen.
A very frustrating day. Will have another look tomorrow (and the next etc) but with any luck I can get some helpful pointers as to what I may be missing?
Thanks
Rick
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Thanks Pete. The clips are used from 1957 up so I can always widen my search. Hopefully as they should be "above the water line" they might be salvageable.
Rick
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Hi Pete
Not sure if this car is still available for parts? I am after the clips that hold the cardboard lining in place inside the trunk. 4 clips onto the trunk hinges and 2 "pins" holding the long side panels. Also chasing the spring attachment that clips to the jack when held in the side frame of the trunk.
Regards
Rick
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Thanks Mark. Not sure if Invictas have these hinge covers either but if you do have them that would be great.
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Still hoping for some help with this? If anyone can supply me a photo/ tracing/ sample, anything that can show me the shape of this card would be greatly appreciated so that I can at least cut out my own pieces. Nice to have these finishing touches if I can. I hope to begin lining the trunk soon.
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Thanks for the further responses. Seems to be a 50/50 opinion of what is correct? Some very definite answers for both methods. It seems that over time both methods have been used. The memories of a new Electra of similar vintage add a lot of weight towards shiny side down but who knows?
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Thanks for the replies.
Dave, I did not consider that problem, only the glare issue. Something else to consider.
John, do you know if your friend has replaced his well liner? He may have purchased from the same retailer? I got mine a LONG time ago (1995) from Classic Buick, usually reliable.
Thanks again
Rick
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Almost ready to start the upholstery on my 62 but have a question about the well liner that the top sits on behind the rear seat. My original had the (brown) vinyl upside down with the cloth backing on top and shiny vinyl side viewed from inside the trunk. This makes sense as the non reflective side is under the rear window. My replacement purchased some years ago has been stitched with the obvious intention of having the (black) vinyl on the top. Having searched numerous photos on the internet I cannot make out which is correct? Seems both methods are used but this is not normally an area of the car that gets photographed very clearly so I cannot be certain. Any thoughts please?
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Any offers? Please remember that this is how different suppliers (eg Steele Rubber etc) are able to provide restoration products that we all hope for in our restorations. Hopefully someone has a sample? The shop said they prefer an original sample but I am sure that a good copy/ tracing/ cutout would still help as I don't think the differences are that great?
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Thanks Paul
My situation is that I purchased the set from Class-Tech-Cars that were advertised as suiting the convertible but they do not fit. The have offered to replace them but they require a correct sample, hence this post. Once they have the patterns I believe this set would be added to their listings.
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29/30 Chev 6 with a 28 Chev 4 radiator up front.
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Class-Tech-Cars in Arkansas now make repro trunk boards for 1962 Electra (etc) sedan/coupe. I have an Electra convertible and the boards are different due to bracing and hinge design. They have offered to use my samples to set up for a convertible set but I can only provide the long side panels. I am missing the hinge boxes that are different to the sedan style. Would anyone out there be willing to provide a sample of the hinge box cardboards to suit 1962 Electra convertible to this company (or to me) so an accurate repro set can be made available?
Thanks, Rick
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John
Have made a rough measure of my 2 pumps. The early pump 59-61 off the car against the later 62-66 pump on the car. Measurements are thus approximate only.
They both appear to share the same bolt pattern but the later pump has a longer extension that the radiator hose attaches to. The housing/ gasket is about 1" longer at this point so a late pump on an early housing has an opening at the back and so will not fit.
As stated above, the early pump has a longer shaft to the cooling fan flange about 1.5 to 2". To compensate, the early pump has a deeper pulley and a shorter aluminium adaptor to the cooling fan. My rough measurement shows the total difference being about .5" so if an early housing/ pump/ pulley and adaptor are used on the later block the cooling fan would be about .5 inches closer to the radiator but the pulley grooves do seem to line up okay.
Seems to me to be a lot of work/ replacement parts?
If the complete engine was replaced for the early block (engine number would confirm this, second letter should be J?), it is not simple either as the oil pump is not interchangeable without drilling new mount holes in the block. I have had to do this on my car so I have an early (1961) block with later oil pump, sump, water pump and timing cover housing fitted.
What state does your friend live in?
Rick
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I left it too late to check today but will have a look tomorrow. The 59-61 timing cover and water pump is definately different but is easily interchangeable with the later 62-6? setup. I have done this change myself. I just need to double check that the later one is the wider of the two, memory tells me that the early housing is different around the radiator hose area but otherwise very similar. The bolt pattern to the block is the same- I fitted a 62 housing and pump to a 61 block no problem which is probably the opposite to your situation. Good housings are very hard (expensive) to find now.
Rick (Perth WA)
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Both of my Electra's, 61 and 62, have tri-shield mirrors and neither look to have been changed from new. The 61 was converted to RHD when new and has the same mirror but mounted on the right side door. It looks OK so I am fitting a pair of reproduction ones to my 62 as it remains LHD. I am pretty sure that no mirror was specific (if even available) for the right side at that time. It is possible that both styles where available during 61? Although not very clear, the 61 sales brochure seems to show an Invicta with the BUICK style mirror? Of course this is not a photograph so not really a useful guide.
Rick
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Larry, sorry for the false lead given earlier. Further research shows 4 ohm for valve type radios. I forgot that my Delco radio is transistorized and so has the 10 ohm speaker. You are correct to change speakers.
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I had my 62 front bumper re-chromed here in Perth $$$$, had to wait before trying the rear one. In the meantime I found one ex USA, show chromed, on Ebay. It arrived on my doorstep at less than half the cost of having it done locally and a million times better than my front bumper. Now I am stuck with a second rate front bumper that already looks very second hand that I may have to change at a later date. There are NO good options locally here for quality chromework except interstate or international.
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I believe 8-10 ohm is correct for Delco radio speakers. As long as it is not 4 ohm it should work correctly. turnswitch.com sells this size reproduction speakers as 8-10 ohm for this same application.
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1959/60 Buick vent window regulators #4775801 and 4775802 were superceded to #4814806 and 4814807 prior to my 1963 parts books being published. Yes, these parts ARE the same as 59/60 Chevrolet. These parts are reproduced and available as repaired originals via several Chevrolet restoration companies (eg Ecklers Late Great Chevy).
Cheers,
Rick (Fron the other side of Australia)
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Jim
I considered that but these panels are used for most full size GM models, Buick, Chev Impala etc so the Buick forum would possibly limit responses?
Cheers, Rick.
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Can anyone please tell me what the difference is between the upper side aluminium panels on GM bench seats from 61/62 and 63/64. Some say they are interchangeable and others say they differ. I understand the lower side panels on the left are different due to the seat adjusters but not sure about the upper sides?
Thanks, Rick.
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Slightly off topic but what do you use to replace the cardboard side panels. I would like to replace them in my 62 Electra, plain grey finish. I can find new ones for 63 onwards only. I have reasonable patterns to use. Thanks, Rick.
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I would assume the design is similar to a Buick convertible of 61/62 vintage. A check of my 62 Buick manual mentions for convertibles, (a) remove seat cushion, (
disconnect speaker wire, © working over rear of seat back remove screws securing rear end of folding top side panel trim to rear seat back frame (in other words the screws face to the rear of the car and are found at the top corners of the rear seat frame to the side panels), (d)at bottom of the seat back remove two screws and washers that secure to the seat back support (I don't seem to have these on my car?), (e) lift from hangers and remove. I am in the process of trying to replace these parts in my car that I removed 20 years ago. I am trying to identify how step © looks. The side panels fold around behind the rear seat back and it looks like two philips screws with washers (same as used to hold the side compartment panels together) are screwed from the back into the seat frame but not sure where? If your car uses the same system can you please have a look and tell me what these screws look like and where exactly they screw into?
Cheers, Rick
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If you have not solved the issue with the rubber conduits yet, I purchased a set from Ecklers Late Great Chevy part # 561148 (their number) for my 62 Buick ($80). Same parts used for all GM 61-62 models. Not cheap but a perfect reproduction and complete with all the clips as well. They have an online catalogue to view. As mentioned earlier, many parts interchange between the GM brands in those years and Chevs have a much larger selection of reproduction parts to choose from. I have used this option quite a few times myself.
disconnect speaker wire, © working over rear of seat back remove screws securing rear end of folding top side panel trim to rear seat back frame (in other words the screws face to the rear of the car and are found at the top corners of the rear seat frame to the side panels), (d)at bottom of the seat back remove two screws and washers that secure to the seat back support (I don't seem to have these on my car?), (e) lift from hangers and remove.
TIMING COVER 401 nailhead
in Automobiles and Parts - Buy/Sell
Posted
TA Performance sell a "universal" cover that suits both early water pumps to 1961 and later pumps to 1966. Expensive though @ $499. Only other option that I know of is a used cover.