76 Caddy

My grandparents bought their first new car in 1966 (Impala) from Burwell Chevrolet in Spartanburg SC and it had the Burwell name on the trunk lid. They went back in 1969 and bought a new pick up, the one I have now. On the passenger side cowl is the pot metal name Burwell. The 1971 Impala I got earlier this year has the same Burwell name on the trunk lid. Burwell Chevrolet sold many, many years ago and the current Chevrolet dealer is Park Chevrolet. I am leaving the name plagues in place on both. They are the only ones with dealership names, and I honestly don't remember if any of my past cars had names on them. My Brougham has a Casa de Cadillac sticker on the driver's door jamb, so I know where it came from, but not the others. Tim

I would take a picture of the inside of my garage, but I would be embarrassed to let anyone see it. Yes, I'm a hoarder of most anything car related. Tim

I've never budgeted for repairs, nor do I keep up with what I spend on an old car to keep it up. If I can afford to buy the car, then I can afford any repairs it may need. It's a hobby, something I do for fun. Tim

I had an '88 S-10 with a 5 speed as a daily driver for a number of years but really don't like straight drives. The Terrain we had had a manual mode (never used) and the XT5 has paddle shift (never used). If I have to do the driving, I want an automatic. Tim

And here I was about to put one on my '71 Impala, right before I take it to Maaco. LOL Tim

I'm at 5, and that's too many for me to keep up properly but I don't want to let any go. I can only get 4 in my garage and when I brought the Impala home, I had to take one of the '76s to work and put it in the garage there. Tim

Also, I guess I'm getting old (58), sometimes running the a/c, especially on long drives, it gives me a headache. When I do use the a/c, I set the fan to the lowest setting. Like CChinn, I like to hear what's going on. Tim

Didn't want to highjack the A/C thread so I started a new one. Anyone notice how noisy and unpleasant it is to ride in a new(er) vehicle with the window down? I first noticed it with our Terrain, you couldn't hear the radio or carry on a conversation with the window down and the XT5 is no better. When I drive either one of the '76s, I always put the window down if the weather is nice, and there is very little noise, and it just makes the drive more pleasurable. Even the Silverado isn't noisy. I've driven several other makes and models and it's the same. Are new vehicles not meant to be driven with the window down?? Just my observation. Tim

I like driving with the window(s) down. The Silverado's a/c quit in '15 due to a bad shaft seal. The Brougham hasn't worked since I've owned it and since it only gets 10-12 mpg, I hate to see what it would get with a/c. The Seville was already converted to R134 when I bought it, however it leaks down over the winter but will last all summer when charged, but I haven't charged it in the last couple of years. The Impala has been converted but I haven't started it yet, so it's still a mystery. Tim

I bought my '76 Brougham in 2001 and it needed new tires. I went to my uncle (who owned and operated a tire store) but he couldn't get any with the correct white wall size I wanted. He recommended Coker Tire. I called and ordered a set. I received a set of Dimension IV All Season tires. Fast forward to 2022 and 16,000 miles later I decided to replace them. Called Coker again to get a set, can't get Dimension IV's anymore, got American Classic instead. My uncle is now retired so I had to go to another tire shop. The shop owner wanted to know why I was replacing "new" tires. I told him they were put on 21 years ago, he didn't believe me, checked mfg date and they were made in 2001. When he removed them from the rim, he inspected them and couldn't believe how "new" they still looked and wanted to keep them and resale them, but I kept them, and they are in my garage and will be used as rollers for the '69 pickup. From the time they were mounted until they were replaced, they were never removed from the car, never once rotated them and they looked just as good as the day they were put on. I always do a visual inspection of the tires before I drive anywhere and if it's been a while since I drove it, I'll check the air pressure and really do a thorough inspection for any signs of damage. My '76 Seville has 10 year old Cooper Trend Setters with 7,000 miles and they show no signs of aging, but I will probably replace them later this year. Tim

Congratulations! Good looking Cadillac. Tim

I have been a HCC subscriber for a very long time and am thinking about not renewing. Like with what happened to Cars and Parts, I kept them for 1 year after the "change" then cancelled them. I want an old car to drive like an old car, not a new one (that's why I have a '19 XT5). I'm slowly trying to restore the '69 Chevy pickup that my grandfather bought new, and I have been asked many times if I was going to put disc brakes on the front to which I reply, it didn't come that way, so no. I want to feel the way it drove when I was a teenager and he let me drive it, four-wheel drums and all. When I read HCC now, the impression I get is that they want you to think an old vehicle is unsafe unless you "upgrade it" with modern parts like disc brakes, electronic ignition, aluminum radiators, etc, etc. Therefore, I too am Grateful for the AACA and the Antique Automobile magazine. Tim

For what it's worth, I only use SOS pads on my tire's whitewalls. Tim

Thanks Tim

I'm thinking about joining one of the clubs for Chevrolets since I now have 2(3 if I include the '99 Silverado). Any recommendations on which one to join? I've googled them and not sure which would be the best one, one for just Impalas or one for cars and trucks. Thanks Tim

On Youtube there is a video of a guy resealing an A6 compressor, Centurybob is the name. From the video, it seems to be a very simple straight forward job, so much so, I'm going to attempt to rebuild one of the ones I have. Tim

I found 2 sets of these Thursday at the Charlotte Auto Fair. I almost bought a set for my '71 Impala. The $100.00 set had 1 badly damaged one and the $125.00 set had 2 missing the center flags. I really didn't want to have to buy 2 sets just to make one good set, but they were tempting. Tim

I do not buy parts online and never have. I buy 99% of my parts from my locally owned NAPA store which has AWESOME counter people! If I get a wrong part, I want to be able to go back to the same counter, and hopefully the same person and usually with the original part in hand, to show them what I got was wrong, can't do that when ordering off the computer. If NAPA can't get the part I need, they will try to find it for me from other sources and if possible, order it to come to the store. I don't mind paying more and I don't mind having to pay NAPA for the shipping. Granted, my vehicles are not as old as most members vehicles are, and most parts are still readily available through local parts stores. I needed a transmission mount for the Brougham and NAPA couldn't source it from anywhere, went to O'Reilly's who said they could get it, but when it arrived, it was incorrect, went to AutoZone (with original) and they said they had it and it would be there the next day, it was and was exactly correct. I don't mind the time, or the gas used to drive to a store to talk to someone in person to buy something. As my wife who buys everything online, says I'm "An Old Fart" who doesn't like change. Tim

I agree 100% Tim

I too have been going for 30 plus years and look forward to it every year. My problem is there are very, very few Cadillac parts but I enjoy walking the track and looking at the cars for sale. I'm going this time to find the guy who sells owner's manuals and dealer brochures in hopes I can get one for the Impala I just got. Also going to Myrtle Beach next week for the Pee Dee Rod Runners car show and swap meet. Tim

Let me say that this is the first non-running car I have ever owned so I may be asking some dumb questions on here as I wake it up. The day it was brought home, I didn't have room in my garage for it so all I did was check the fluids and they were all full thankfully, oil a little darker than I liked, and I pulled the plugs (it had autolites, such sacrilege) and sprayed oil in the cylinders. Finally, Saturday, with help from my son, we were able to push it inside and I attempted to see if I could turn the motor over by hand. After I removed the seized belts from the pulleys, I was able to turn it with little effort, YEH, no seized motor! Here is where I need a little advice. Looking at the fuel tank, it appears to be a "new" tank that was maybe installed when it was "restored" in '07/'08?? What would be the best way to clean the inside? I've watched every video of how to clean one till I'm dizzy. Thanks Tim

I have always liked the '65-'69 Corvairs and would like to have a 4-door hard top with the telescopic steering wheel. Tim

My dad's family is from Salisbury NC. My dad and grandparents moved to Spartanburg because they closed the Spencer shop and to keep his job, my grandfather had to relocate to Spartanburg. My grandfather worked in the Spencer shop working on steam locomotives. Have been to the NCTM many times over the years and enjoy it every time. Irony is when they closed the Norfolk shop in Spartanburg, my dad had to relocate back to NC to keep his job with the railroad until he retired. PS: this is the grandfather that bought the 1969 Chevrolet pickup new that I now have. Tim

JamesR Thanks Tim

Unless I stumble across a set for a price I can’t turn down, I’m staying with the originals. Anyone notice that the rims are painted the same color as the car? I wonder if those wire caps are as heavy as the ones on my Cadillacs. Tim