Angelfish

The engine had no coolant until this morning, the thermostat has been in the housing for about 3 years. The stuck thermostat seems possible. While still hot I did crack the radiator cap and it would have geysered if I had taken it all the way off. Engine oil does not show signs of water.

IT'S ALIVE! My 5 second video was too large so it wouldn't post. We preset the timing and plugged in the wires. Fuel was supplied by the pump fed from a can on the floor by the front wheel. I shot of few tablespoons of fuel into the carburetor. It cranked for 15-20 seconds and tried to fire. It took a few tries and some smoke and it would start and die, and then it fired and ran. Turned the distributor and it smoothed out. The smoke eventually subsided and it was running very nicely. The Good: It ran well but not perfectly, there's still a few things to sort it (as the saying goes). Oil pressure was 25 - 45 psi, but I didn't have a tach on it. Valve train tappity tap got quieter and subsided altogether after a few minutes. The lifters had spent a month soaking in oil before installation. The Dynaflow will not accept its full ration of fluid until it has been run for while. I had about 2 gallons in it and almost forgot to check and get it topped off. But I was able to get a reading on the dipstick and get it filled within range. It would stay running if I kept the rpm above idle. The Bad My water crossover is leaking at the O ring. Seemed to run hot, even for a stationary engine. I had a box fan up against the radiator so there was plenty of air flow. After about 10 minutes I had your classic old movie steaming radiator. How can I tell if I have water circulating? There was an occasional squeal from the water pump. I released the belt and spun the fan, it was smooth and free like it should be. I reconnected the belt not as tight as before and didn't have the squeal. *Edit - squeal started again, stethoscope says it's not the water pump, maybe just the new belt on new paint? Doesn't look like the battery is charging while running. I consider this minor right now so we'll see how it goes. But this has been a very good day.

Ready to give it a try.

Notice anything? Hint: No oil pressure with the distributor installed. Also, the vacuum nipple is custom made, which is why it's crooked. I drilled out a 5/16 bolt and then tapped threads in side the brass fitting. Should work for now.

I guess tomorrow is the big day. Our wire harness is working, at least for the time being. The engine turned over under its own power for the first time in, I suspect, decades. So I'll fit the radiator and get some fuel to it and see if it will light.

I did actually find a fog light for an old Mercedes recently, but I didn't find it using the ebay search engine, it appeared in the "shopping" options on my internet browser. 10 years ago ebay the first place I would look, now I don't look at it at all.

I did not. They were clean and free. The cylinder walls were oiled and the pistons reinstalled.

And about this vacuum nipple on the distributor advance. That would appear to be 5/16 machine thread. Where do I chase down one of those?

My 364 had been rebuilt long before I acquired it. They used lithium grease for assembly lube and by the time I got to it the grease had turned into glue. It took a month of soaking the pistons in an ATF solution before I could move the rods freely. It was very hard to turn over but I didn't realize the real consequence of it. Generous assembly lube was used in the reassembly.

So how do I prevent this? I'm very close to starting a rebuilt 364. I was going to use break-in oil, pre primed by spinning the oil pump. Watch the oil pressure and say a prayer.

Thank you gentlemen. And I had a little bit of luck today digging through boxes and sheds. I found the line for the automatic choke and some fittings for the carburetor. And Lance, if you happen to see this, I found a very nice rust free fan shroud. You get first dibs if you find yourself needing another one. I should be very close to turning over the engine under its own power. I was planning to hook up the original wire harness in a mad scientist sort of way. I put power to the small pink and the green wire on the starter relay and got continuity to the large pink and black wires. There is a scary thread from a few months ago about a rebuilt Buick engine that tore itself apart, so I'll be looking at that.

I got the exhaust run to the rear axle so there goes my excuse for not trying to start this thing. I'll get the oil primed and review the break in information. Which position is PARK, referring to the shift lever visible in the center of the transmission. And a little but of information on plumbing the top end. I've looked at many nailheads but wasn't able to find everything I needed. Carter WDG (wgd?) 2 barrel carburetor. There is an inlet in the automatic choke housing that connects to a line that runs toward the firewall. Where does this line connect? The oil pressure takeoff is back there but that's all I've found. What thread is the fuel inlet on the bowl? What is the correct fuel line diameter? Second picture is the brass 90* fitting on the intake. Where does this connect? Third picture, outlet on the firewall side of the carb. I'm guessing this is where you would connect the vacuum for the wipers? Fourth, this is my best guess for the pedal start mechanism. Fifth, I'm assuming the two smaller outlets near the water pump are for the heater lines. I was just going to jump these with a short piece the the initial testing.

I stick a rear earth magnet to the door in the path of the departing clip in the event that it makes a run for it, I've caught a couple of them that way.

What was Cord's reasoning for the front wheel drive?

Still don't think of it as an antique but it's a 1982 380SL, I drive it every day.

Are parts available for this car? What a fantastic project but not much good if you can't get what you need.

So what's the point of owning a Maserati if you're just going to haul it around in a trailer?

I need a Chrysler LeBaron moved from Kalispell area to Billings Montana. It is a little rough but can be driven onto a tailer. Not a show car, just a good project for a high school kid.

All the inside front sheet metal is back from the paint shop. Prior to the Buick I did a 1949 Ford truck. The inside sheet metal - inner fenders, valance, that sort of thing - on the Ford consisted of 5 pieces. The Buick has 18, +/- a few, I lost count. Thankfully, Hometown Buick has a very nice drawing of all these bits and pieces so I should be able to work out how they go back together.

Bought a can, I'll try it this weekend. Sounds like a good solution for winter storage.

Obviously the best way is to clean out the source of the smell, but if that proves elusive you're left with the ozone treatments and that sort of thing. I had the car professionally deodorized and it did help, but after that I found 3 dead mice inside the dash and center console (no wiring damage!) I vacuumed out everything I could reach and sprayed some enzyme treatment. But it still lingers. I will need to tear out the center console but that's a job for a long cold winter. So there's the sprays, gel cans, 12 volt air purifiers, etc. Have you had reasonable success with any of them?

Let's not overlook that really nice headlight.

No longer missing a front tooth, although the new one is a little crooked so I'll have to take a look at the mount.

When I was maybe 5 or 6 years old, my Dad bought me a red t-shirt and on it he stenciled "Unsafe at any Speed." It was my favorite shirt until I outgrew it.

I'd have to say in the seat. The tires are new but that doesn't always mean they are balanced correctly. It's a simple thing to check. This kind of vibration is commonly attributed to driveshaft flex discs and/or carrier bearing. But I remember when I first drove it before I bought it thinking that it had a tire out of balance.