EmTee

I can see that comparison. I had a '92 Le Sabre and I really liked the look, ride and overall performance. That 3800 SFI was a great engine. Nearly 30 mpg on the highway - a nice car that finally succumbed to the CNY road salt...

I recognize this as an aftermarket bottle that was widely available in auto parts stores in the 70's. That funky bracket is surely up to the task of holding that plastic bottle with a quart of coolant -- but it's not an OEM installation!

I believe that 1967 is the first year for the 'energy absorbing' (collapsible) column.

Wix 51258, which I believe is the same as Napa's 1258.

Dan -- Thanks for the continued snippets of Rt 66 history. The tree growing between those service ramps is the only clue as to how much time has passed. Glad to hear the Buick is running like clockwork. So, how many miles traveled thus far?

I think those bags look Photoshopped!

Yeah, but there are no Flowmasters available for the Tesla -- that Hellcat roar is half the fun!

Indiscriminate sandblasting could be the root cause of some wheel failures. Heavy blasting work hardens the steel and can make it brittle. Oxidation has the same effect chemically and put the two together and it can be trouble. A severely corroded wheel that is heavily blasted will look clean, but will have a hardened surface with oxidation remaining in the nooks and crannies that the sand missed. Such wheels would fail regardless of the tire type. I contend the greater grip provided by the more uniform radial tire contact patch is the reason that radial tires 'break wheels'. Bias ply tires, on the other hand, will break traction and put the car in the ditch, sparing the wheel. Most likely any wheel that failed with a radial tire mounted was unsafe to begin with.

This trip is now on my 'bucket-list'...

"Reversible white sidewall tires..." Interesting -- so, does that simply mean that the other side is black; or the additional $60 allows the car to safely back-up...?

Didn't the new bearings that you bought come with the races? Re-using the same worn race could explain the persistent bearing failures at that wheel. Also, carefully inspect the inner bearing and race. That bearing is larger and carries more load. A problem there could possibly stress the smaller outer bearing.

Wow! That '59 El(ectra) Camino is slick! GM shudda built that one!

Thanks, Barney - I'm familiar with you from the Buick forums. What's your 'guesstimate' for fixing the antenna on my '64 GP? It's currently in the DOWN position, the motor runs, but it won't go up...

The symptoms definitely sound electrical, rather than mechanical. I agree with KongaMan that this could be a different manifestation of that other pesky gremlin you're chasing. It may also be the sending unit is right at its ON/OFF point when hot and idling in DRIVE. If so, raising the idle slightly (as Riviera63 did), or replacing the sender may fix it. In any case, temporarily (or permanently) installing a gauge will confirm or rule-out an engine issue.

That's how you know it's alive!

I'm thinkn' Rat Fink' vehicles. I wonder what the chassis is/are...

I don't like Spam! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE

~20 years ago, belts for situations such as this were matched at the OEM and sold as 'matched sets'. I haven't seen this anymore (since serpentine belts have taken over), but maybe those are still available for some sizes/applications on Evilbay. The other alternative is to get all of the stock at your local NAPA and match them up as best you can on the parts counter...

Wow -- both hood and fender ventiports! I like those bedrails too!

Ford green?

Looks like a car Sir Galahad would drive!

Chris, I do not know you personally, but I can relate to what you're feeling. I have had similar disappointment when finishing much smaller projects and wondered whether i should have just 'bit the bullet' and paid to have it done. Then, I inevitably get into a discussion with someone who tells me a horror story about some work they had done on their house, car (you name it) and after reflecting on it, begin thinking that my work wasn't so bad after all... I think you have just finished climbing Mt. Everest and need time to decompress. Obviously there was something about this car that sparked your interest in the first place, so I wouldn't let the fact that so far it's just been 4 years of seemingly endless toil drive a decision to let go. I suggest taking a step back, use the car and take the opportunity to enjoy it, rather than having a wrench in your hand every time you touch the car. In the end, you can still sell it (heck - it's your car, after all) but, as Seafoam said the additional miles will probably help with that as well since any little niggly things can be corrected during that period. Oh, and the compliments that you'll certainly receive as the car is out and about certainly don't hurt! I wish you luck, whatever your final decision.

It sounds like the engine is burning some oil; the question is: where is it getting in? It could be rings or valve guides. Blocked crankcase venting seems somewhat less likely, but possible. The best way I know to remove all doubt would be to have a cylinder leak-down test performed. The problem may be finding a real mechanic who knows how to do it and has the tools, since this procedure does not involve plugging the shop's computer into the car's OBDII port and replacing sensors...

This is consistent with the engine lifting from its mount under acceleration torque. Seems unlikely that you would have missed spotting a jay-walking armidillo as you checked the intersection, but those Buick fenders are pretty big...

My opinion: the issue isn't so much the advertised specs -- it's the manufacturer's testing and quality control that matters. Subtle variations in the manufacturing process can yield different spring rate and/or installed ride height. I need to replace the springs in my '67 and I'm willing to pay more to get springs from a source others have used with good results. I may be mistaken, but I'll bet the $39 Autozone springs are 'seconds' which may deviate from the OEM specs, but people buying those springs for their $500 winter 'beater' are unlikely to complain if the stance of their 1987 Caprice is 1" too high or low...