NTX5467

I concur, Mr. Earl was the leader that shaped the vehicles that we cherish today. Some people are better off doing what they do best and leaving the political and turf battles to others (i.e., their bosses). The key thing is to not stifle creativity but to mold creativity into a vehicle that is both innovative, cost effective to build, and something that will make people want to have one (and part with their financial reserves in the process). Many of these things are also tied to the perceived financial "fortunes" of the corporation too. Sometimes it's better to be conservative, but if you loose styling and other leadership, it's very hard to get back. Chrysler and Ford have each had their banner years where innovative styling/products led to greatly increased sales (even if they didn't cost GM significant sales, they got GM's attention enough that they did some damage control) and corporate profits. This is a pretty cyclical situation, but under Mr. Earl it was a long cycle for GM. Sure, it's always the department head that typically gets the credit for the work of his employees, but it seems that in more recent times, we're seeing the actual designers themselves come into the media limelight. Spreading the glory has it's benefits too. It also indicates a department head that feels secure in his position and knows that his underling is not bucking for his boss's job. So, the boss shoud be a nurturer, facilitator, mentor, and leader to his employees to everyone's mutual benefit. Enjoy! NTX5467

I saw the black LaCrosse CSX on the turntable at the Dallas New Car Show on Sunday afternoon. Quite impressive. Looks larger for some reason than either the Grand Prix or current car for some reason. The High Feature V-6 is already in the Cadillac CTS with automatics, availability with manual transmissions will come later. The oil filler cap specs Mobil 1 oil for it too. The 3800 in the less expensive models will be the same one that's in the Grand Prix now (including electronic throttle actuation--no more throttle cable). I picked up a LaCrosse brochure. Quite nice as it went through the car's features with the specs in the back. There's also a "Win A LaCrosse" contest too. I think you can register on the Buick website for that one too, without having to be at the auto show. Putting the LaCrosse out into the media now is a good move. The Chrysler 300 will inhabit the same price range in it's non-Hemi variations and is in the same size class (regardless of what other names might be on that market segments). In reality, the 300 ought to be against the LeSabre and Park Avenue, but it's a car that more closely compares to the Grand Prix and LaCrosse in physical size. But the Buicks have quite a bit better EPA fuel economy ratings regardless of LaCrosse, LeSabre, or Park Avenue. Maybe not the performance of the Hemi V-8, even with cylinder deactivation for added economy, but if fuel costs rise as predicted, that fuel efficiency of the Buicks can be one big selling point. By the way, the new Pontiac G6, GrandAm replacement, is one slick car too. Inside and out. Things are getting better. To support that fact, in a generalized General Motors area at the Dallas show, there was a 3-D video presentation of the hot and cold testing and other testing that GM does to validate the vehicle before production. Danged impressive and neat with the supplied 3-D glasses. Enjoy! NTX5467

Which Harley Earl were you seeing? The "real" Mr. Earl that whose "life story" was replayed on American Musclecar on Speed Channel last week or the inspirational Mr. Earl that we've seen on those more recent Buick commercials? You might also find some answers to your other questions on the Harley Earl website. Sweet dreams! NTX5467

Unfortunately, the GM parts books back then typically had no mention of casting numbers or other similar numbers. I have observed that typically, the gear ratio of the particular matched set of ring gear and pinion are stamped on the outer edge of the ring gear. I suspect the "4116" number would actually be 41 teeth on the ring gear and 16 teeth on the matching pinion gear, yielding a 2.56 gear ratio. The other stamped numbers on the edge of the ring gear would be other related production codes, but I haven't seen that they are decodeable in the GM parts books. In those earlier times, the axles were usually identified visually (Chevy, Olds, Pontiac, etc.) by the shape and number of bolts holding the rear cover plate to the axle housing. There are also stamped numbers on the passenger side axle tube (usually about half way between the center housing and the brake backing plate, on the front side) that basically is the birth certificate for the axle assembly--with information that can be decoded in the GM parts book section on that subject. Usually, the diameter of the axle shaft and the number of splines is not mentioned in the GM part books either, unless there might have been a design change during a particular model year. The place where that information could be pertinent would be with the aftermarket drag racing axle people who usually key on those particular specs in building replacement axles for specialized racing applications. Several years ago, a friend had a need for information on a Dana-manufactured axle that no one had any information on. Local parts suppliers said "Check the dealer" and the dealer was similarly uncooperative. He finally found a Dana jobber that was interested in supplying him or telling him where to find the desired manuals on each rear axle or front axle they built at that time, plus vehicular application data. It took some tenacious doing, but he did it. Unfortunately, I have doubts that a similar manual could be obtained for any GM rear axle that was not a Dana-supplied unit. Anyone know of any similar strings that could be pulled with respect to GM specification non-Dana rear axles? Maybe some old "Advance Information" service manuals or maybe particular years of GM service manuals? I suspect that unless someone in the muscle car racing area or there exists some archived engineering data somewhere, it might be difficult to accurately ID the carrier with the information supplied. Of course, it might be possible to "go in through the back door" by possibly checking the side bearing mounting area diameters and getting into a comprehensive automotive bearing book that had those specs and then comparing them to bearings that GM spec'd for particular applications in the 1970s. Then cross-reffing that information with the ring gear diameter and gear ratio might get you into some "window" of possible applications. Hope this helps, NTX5467

The wires, with their "3Q75" date code mean they were produced in the 3rd quarter of 1975, which would have positioned them for installation on the initial batch of 1976 vehicles. If they had been replaced, the date code would be different, reflecting a later date unless someone specifically looked for a NOS set, which is somewhat unlikely. At that time the GM HEI system used 8mm outer diameter plug wires. Usually light gray with darker gray boots. Not sure about the color you mentnioned, though, unless some fading or aging has taken place. Enjoy! NTX5467

First thing to do would be to swap the tires front to back or side to side on the front. If it pulls the other way after the side to side swap on the front, it would be a "radial pull" issue. Of course, make sure the tires are aired up to about 30psi cold before attempting any diagnosis. Don't forget to check the brakes and make sure they are releasing completely and one doesn't have any residual pressure due to a brake hose that's going bad internally and is restricting the release of fluid pressure from the caliper. Or that maybe a caliper is not moving freely and is leaving one side in the "just a hair applied" mode that will wear out the pad on that side of the caliper pretty quick. Key thing in the alignment specs to look at is the caster measurement and "cross caster" or how the readings differ from side to side in the front. Also, very few roads are truly flat. There will be some angle to them so they'll drain during wet weather, not to mention a bit of crown that might not be readily apparent--even on Interstate highways. So, inflate the tires evenly and to specs. Swap the front tires side to side to see if the pull changes, or front to back after that. Get the alignment rechecked and get a printout of what it is. While swapping the tires around, check to make sure no brake drag exists on the front hubs. Might take a couple of hours to get all of that done and see if anything changes, but that's what it might take to determine what's happening and how to remedy it. Hope this helps, NTX5467

On some of those cars back then, there was a check valve that went to the cruise control servo. It was like one line in, two lines out and was a bonded together valve of two plastic pieces about the size of a dime. With time and age, they'd crack and cause a vacuum leak. If it works fine after you break it out of the idle system or until it comes off of fast idle, it would be an idle system issue. I'm not sure where the idle feed tubes are, but there might be an obstruction in them but would still "appear" open. About 12 years ago, I bought a '80 Newport V-8 from a wholesaler. Problem was it ran fine but would not idle. I rebuilt the carb and cleaned it out with spray B-12 Chemtool. Everything looked to be good, but as soon as I got it started and the B-12 was depleted from the idle tubes, it died. I checked all of my Chrysler manuals for the "low speed jet" and where it was located. I finally took the venturi cluster out of the Carter 2bbl and knew which tubes were the idle tubes. I started to probe the end with a bent-wire spark plug gap gauge. The jet was recessed up in the tube a little ways, but with each probe, the hole seemed to get bigger and clearer. I bought a selection of small twist drills and used them to get a uniform size on the hole, going just until I "struck brass". Then washed everything out again and that was the end of that problem. A regular rebuild would not have fixed that one as the tubes were corroded from flaky gas out in West Texas. One thing to investigate is whether it's not idling due to not enough fuel or if it's killing itself with excess fuel. If it's excess fuel, it could be just an air bleed in the venturi area that's clogged (causing the idle circuit to go full rich, even make gas drip from the venturi in some cases). Might even be an egr valve that's hanging open due to deposits where it's plunger seats against the intake manifold. Might even be a combination of things that might not be terribly hard or expensive to fix, just time consuming to track down. Hope this helps, NTX5467

Brake lining life is highly variable and would not be in the factory maintenance schedule, other than periodic inspections. Has more to do with driving and driving style than anything else (city vs. highway, easy vs. aggressive). One thing many dont' also put in the mix too, with front wheel drive cars, is that one of the first things that happens when the traction control (if equipped) does is apply the brakes to the spinning wheel. Hence, if you try to lay rubber with the traction control on, it's the brakes that automatically apply to stop the spin, not just intervention into the engine's power output by the computer, and front brake lining life can be affected as a result. On rear wheel drive cars, it'd be applying the rear brakes. End result, one system's putting power out and the other one is trying to better control it with brake intervention. Also, don't rely solely on the brake pad wear indicators to signal the need for brakes. Sometimes they break off! Plus, they are usually on just one of the pads too (sometimes, if the caliper does not move freely on its mounting bolts, one pad can be worn to the metal with the other pad still having most of its original lining left). Checking the remaining lining left when you do the periodic tire rotations/balance is the best way to make sure you don't let things go too far. Enjoy! NTX5467

Dan, don't feel like you have a corner on the market for feeling flaky! I scheduled a vacation day for last Thursday and ended up laying around the house trying to get over my semi-annual sinus issues. Seems that nothing really helps (at least what I can get as commercial remedies) or helps soon enough. Basic things that seem to work for me: extended hot soaks in the bath tub (with a little suntan oil sprinkled in so you don't "prune" so much) will get the body temp up some and help cook the germs, if you sweat, all the much better, so just laying back and listening to the radio as you soak is some good relaxation therapy anyway. After an hour or so, you'll probably feel better too. If you're not taking a quality multi-vitamin (Centrum doesn't seem to work as well for me as some others do, like MegaMen from GNC or TheraGram-M), getting some might be a consideration. After the long soak and your body heat is still up, dress warmly and head to the store in your daily vehicle. If you don't have some spray disinfectant, get some in whatever fragrance you desire. Getting some soft drinks or real fruit juice might be good too. When you get back and rest, if you need to, or even take another hot/warm soak, then "fumigate" the house with the disinfectant spray and leave for a while. Go seek out a nice steak dinner, for example, and drive around for a good while too, if it's still daylight. If you need to, make sure you have some tissue and your meds if you will be gone that long. Key thing is to get out of the house and see what's going on. Let the disinfectant spray do its deal as the fresh air you'll hopefully be breathing when you're away will certainly help and you don't need that "old air" when you get back home. A change of pace, some fresh air, a nice meal, and the vitamin supplements can be just what you need to get better quicker--even if the sun's not shining. Then plan your "playing cars" activities and the house-related items so you'll have plenty of time to play cars when the weather gets better. Hope you get better! NTX5467

If you go into the GMPowertrain.com website, the engines that are "corporate" tend to be listed by their trade names (i.e., Northstar, LS1 architecture, EcoTec, DuraMax) whereas the Buick V-6s, Chevy V-6s, traditional SBC Chevy V-8s, and other engines that Powertrain might have inherited are listed as "other". As time goes on, those "other" engines will be discontinued, though. Might be nice if they acknowledged the parentage of those "other" engines, at least to me. Maybe an archived site of engine information might be nice to have too instead of just what's in production now! Just some thoughts, NTX5467

As you might recall, when the bias ply tire's tread surface contacts the road surface, the tread will flex. This flex usually results in the outer edges carrying most of the weight if the inflation pressure is too low or the inner portion if the pressure is too high. Braking will only make for more flex on the front tire's contact patch. Higher pressure can help in this respect--to a certain point. Radials or bias-belted tires will keep the contact patch flat due to the added stiffness in the tread area from the belt. The added stability in the contact patch area is also why wet weather and snow traction is usually better with a radial or belted tire by the tread staying open. Other than those engineering aspects of a tire's braking performance, it gets to be more related to rubber compounding and frictional coefficients between the tire and the road surface. Remember those early Goodyear PolyGlas ads where the announcer took a gum eraser and rubbed it on the asphalt roadway? Everytime a tire rotates, the bias ply tire's tread is squirming against the roadway. Keeping the tread more stable decreased the squirm and enhanced tread life, handling, braking, etc. Taking the squirm out of the tire's tread area allowed for rubber compounds that were more performance oriented but would have better wear characteristics, kind of like a "best of both worlds" situation, unlike the former "hot tip" butyl rubber compounds that stuck well but had short tread life (Atlas Bucrons and similar, for example). Taking the flex out of the tread also took heat from the plies flexing against each other out of the mix too, multiplying the possibilities with the rubber compounds and leading to longer tread life. I mentioned "feel". A prime example might be my '77 Camaro. I did the upgrades to the Firebird WS-6 sway bars, Z-28 steel wheels, and KONI shocks. After a year or so, I found the wheels as take-offs as the stock 14" wheels/tires made the front valence panel spoiler vulnerable to curbs way too much. The first shock upgrade I did was to Delco 501 Big D shocks. Then came the BFG Radial T/As in the P225/70R-15 size and the KONIs were swapped off of a friend's '78 Z-28 the night before he traded it off. The combination of BFGs and KONIs gave the car a nice, gutsy feel and still rode well plus handled better by a big margin. Then Pirelli came out with some P77 Radials. Assymetrical tread and compounding too. An H-rated all season radial. I found a place in Dallas that had them and took my wheels over one Saturday and got them mounted, replacing the OEM-spec UniRoyals that '81 Z-28s came with. The Pirellis felt good on there and I was happy--until things got a little too soft and I adjusted the KONIs to get things firmed back up again. I had two sets of the Pirellis on the car and never could get them to feel firm like they used to with the BFGs. Rode like a Caprice, handled great, but just a little too soft. Other problem was weather cracking, even with protectants. One day I came out to go to lunch and saw stainless steel smiling at me from between the tread ribs--yikes. When I put the BFGs on it, the gutsy feel returned immediately and I have not put anything else on there since. Last set of BFGs went over 90,000 miles too. What I suppose was going on is that the rubber compounds and other things inside the Pirellis were filtering out the little stuff so the shocks thought they were a smooth interstate all the time, hence no firming up when they might otherwise kick into the high-speed valving activity for added firmness and "control". On a '67 Chrysler Newport I have, I needed to buy some tires after one of the tires that were on the car when I got it went south one night on the way home. I searched for a radial equivalent of the H78-14 and finally found some Kelly-Springfields that would do that. They did ok, but not quite what I knew it should be. I then bought some P245/70R-14 BFG Advantage T/A whitewalls from Coker (measured out as an exact match to the old H70-14 size!). As the Chryslers were supposed to be more sensitive to radial harshness, I bought the BFGs (and the previous K-S were glass belted radials) as they were all fabric instead of fabric/steel--plus the BFGs were 6-ply rated. I felt the fabric composition might be better in the long run too (this was in the later 1970s when steel belted radials were having some problems). With those BFGs and their stiffer sidewalls, the car felt better. Never did document any better fuel economy, but it seems to take much more effort to push it around in the driveway than it does my Camaro with the later BFGs on it. If you get into the guts of modern tire design, the more performance-oriented radial tires seem to have bead area stiffeners and a decreased flex area in the sidewall area. Plus a stiffer tread area than the other more mainstream tires (including the outer "cap" over the tread area's belt for added capabilities). Higher speed rated tires usually have these features rather than the basic S-rated tires unless they are like the Radial T/As and have some performance pedigree. Looking at the various tire websites can reveal these little differences. I noticed that Coker will have some higher speed rated bias ply tires in the near future. That ought to be interesting! Certainly will be a compliment to their existing muscle car Wide Ovals and PolyGlas GTs and other period red-stripe tires. From what I observed, the belted-bias ply tires were basically a two-ply tire with the added two plies of tread belting that resulted in a 4-ply tread area. There was always some debate of whether the 4-ply (4 smaller diameter cord plies) or 2-ply (2 larger diameter cord plies) were best. The stronger nylon usually went with the 4-ply tires whereas smoooother riding Rayon was in the 2-ply tires with Polyester being the best cross of characteristics regardless of how many plies the tire had (that was middle 1960s and later). Hence the name "PolyGlas" from polyester basic carcass plies with fiberglass plies for the tread-stiffening belt under the tread or "PolySteel" with steel belts replacing the fiberglass belt material. Seems like Firestone had some low profile performance tires that were bias-belted but with steel belts. Lots of choices! Back to tire pressures for a moment. In the older Chrysler owner's manuals, like other manufacturers, they usually spec'd lower pressure for the front tires than the rear in the basic "minimum" inflation pressure. But what they added was a spec for "high speed driving", when the basic spec was raised by 4psi. That meant a base inflation pressure of 28psi. What I did from there was to figure the weight distribution (usually 55 frt/45 rear for most of the full size and mid-size cars in the '60s and '70s). The extra front weight bias would mean more pressure so that all tires have the same proportional part of the total weight reflected in their inflation pressure. That usually meant that the inflation pressure min spec ended up being 30 frt/28 rear. Having the higher pressure in the front tires also sharpened steering response and helped handling somewhat too--by my observation, plus better tread wear. Plus kept the rear tires from wearing in the middle first from having too much air for the load they were carrying. Works with radials too. Worked for me, but proceed at your own risk. Enjoy! NTX5467

Front wheel drive vehicle wheels have a different backspacing in relation to the total width than do wheels for a rear wheel drive vehicle. Some of the wheels from a basically current rear wheel drive vehicle that use a front hub architecture instead of an integral brake rotor/wheel bearing unit might also have the correct backspacing in relation to the total rim width. Not sure if the bolt circle and center hole diameter on the wheel are similar to the late model GM wheels, though. Basic late model Buick Century steel wheels are 15" whereas most of the other Regal-size car alloy wheels are 16x6.5". Enjoy! NTX5467

Thanks for posting that link! Always liked "sleepers" that turned and stopped too! Especially the ones with incognito upgrades. Kind of wish it had a Blackhawk-style Buick engine, though, but that's the way the fuel evaporates . . . Enjoy! NTX5467

One of the reasons that law enforcement operatives did not jump on the radial bandwagon, in spite of the BFG Radial 990 advertisement of a masked police officer telling how they'd hang in the corners to keep the world safe from speeders and other 'ner-do-wells, was plain and simple--cost. Just like Rochester RamJet Fuel Injection was just too costly for the benefits received (lots of money for only 10 horsepower over a Holley 3310, for example, on a 1965 Corvette). The other reason many performance-oriented drivers did not like them was the sudden break-away at the limit of adhesion, as mentioned. Bias ply and bias-belted were very predictable and exploitable in their "at the edge" characteristics. I always considered the bias-belted tires to be the best compromise until the cost of radials decreasing and economic prosperity rising made them viable alternatives for everyday people. From those early days of real 4-ply tires (even nylon) and the old Michelin X radial, things have changed markedly. I always suspect the soft sidewalls on a radial would cause the lateral sway mentioned, but I never saw it to the degree it might have been. Maybe the Fords and Chryslers I was riding in with radials did not have the same lateral sway characterics of GM cars that were not "Radial Tuned"? When Pontiac came out with their touted Radial Tuned Suspension package, it made a marked difference in the lateral compliance of the suspension. For example, I could walk up to a non-radial tuned Bonneville, put my right foot on the rear bumper, then push down and sidways at the same time to compress the suspension. The car would bounce and shake like it was Jello. Doing the same thing with a radial-tuned Bonneville resulted in basically up and down body movement. Whether all of the firmess that came was in different suspension bushing rubber compounding or in the added rear sway bar and firmer shocks, could be debated. Not to talk bad about GM's approach to a smooth ride, but they did seem to have more later compliance in their rear suspensions that Ford or Chrysler did. Ford, notably, as they had coil spring suspensions on the rear whereas Chrysler had their leaf springs. In some cases with the older GM full size cars, you could watch them sway as they came to a stop. Where the bushings had to be retuned was to compensate for the higher impact harshness that radials put into the chassis at certain speed ranges. Adding the rear sway bar and firmer shocks/springs further exploited the handling capabilities. When P-metric radials came out with their higher 35psi max pressure for 4-ply rated or "Standard Load" ratings, the radial started evolving into a different tire. Used to be that if you leaned on one of the older radials (1970s time frame) when unmounted, the sidewalls would collapse as the tread stayed flat on the floor. A bias-ply would basically fold up under your weight. Current radials, at least to me, seem to be quite a bit difference as when you lean on an unmounted tire, the tread buckles as the sidewalls do too. And then there were the original Gatorbacks that were similar to bricks in their resistance to deflection. So, in some aspects, radials are similar but not the same to the older ones of the 1970s--plus being about 5 pounds/tire lighter in the process. Pirelli had a tire in the middle 1970s, the P76 which they claimed was tuned for American cars and the way Americans drove. A neat tire that offered ride and performance, but it was not as widely accepted as the Michelins were. It was even rated for police duty on middle 1970s Dodge/Plymouth mid-size police packages. I have the gut feeling that if you took a bias-belted tire's tread belt, put it on a radial ply tire carcass, took about 5 pounds out of the sidewalls, you'd have something pretty close to the modern radial tire. To me, if you're not chasing trophies in shows that demand "as produced originality" to the max, then whatever's reasonably priced and available (should you need assistance on a trip) and works on the car would be the optimum tire to use for the particular purchaser. Several years ago, a work associate was asked a question about what tire to buy. He immediately started extolling the virtues of Michelins, which is fine, but in our line of work that can be very dangerous as it could come back to haunt in the future. I replied to him that the typical "little old lady" that only goes to church and to the store each week did not necessarily need to spend $100.00/tire for Michelins with a life expectance of 80,000 miles. By the time she had put that many miles on the car (if she still had the car), they'd be so weather cracked to not really be safe to drive. If, with only about 30,000 miles, one went flat due to dry-rot, she'd probably be chasing that young feller that told her how great those high priced tires were! This gets to the shelf life issues that were mentioned in a recent 1956 Golden Hawk Registry newsletter "56J". Back in the early 1970s, I spent some free time at the Exxon service station of a friend's dad. He had one Exxon landman (or similar) that traded with him. At that time, they had a company policy that when company car tires accumulated 30,000 miles, get a new set of Exxon tires (the belted-bias of that era, which were made by Kelly Springfield). Something their safety department dictated, he said. Mr. Green didn't mind as it gave him a good set of used tires to sell. As the repro bias ply tires can wear to the neighborhood of 30,000 miles with decent care and use, that's going to be about 5+ years of use anyway. If they're right for the car and it feels right with them, then go that way. Even at 10,000 miles/year, that's three years of enjoyment. Sure, radials have their better wet traction and cornering power, but do we really drive our collector cars that way any more? By the same token, running the bias ply tires at the 30psi inflation pressure range, they will handle markedly better than at the "soft ride" 24psi, but probably ride a little firmer as they last longer too. In general, radials will make a better handling/riding/performing vehicle, but it doesn't always work that way. Of course, as we've mentioned, the condition of the suspension bushings and steering components can make more difference than just the tires themselves. Afterall, bias ply tires are all that we had to drive on for years and we survived that, just like surviving without cupholders or cell phones. Might have been that we just didn't know any better? Many things have changed markedly since the early/middle 1970s. Tires and shock absorbers are just a few of these. Just because a technology is newer doesn't make it better in all instances, by my observation. Enjoy! NTX5467

Instead of trying seal reconditioning additives, maybe you need to try a detergent additive? In the "old days" when trans additives were more "mouse milk" in many situations, it was somewhat common for service people to put a can of Berryman's B-12 (pourable can, not spray can) in the trans and drive the car for a while, going through all of the gears. After about 30 minutes, the fluid would be black as that lacquer thinner additive had cleaned up the guts of the valve body. Then, the car was brought in for an extended drip drain and then the fluid and filter changed. That usually fixed many valve body related issues where the shuttle valves might have gotten gunked up. GM has an "Automatic Transmission Conditioner" additive that is detergent and seal conditioner. Note that any of these seal conditioners will only result in about a 5% "swell" of the old seal. The GM item will stay in for about 1000 miles before it should be changed, as the instructions state. If you do the B-12 operation, adding the GM item might be a good consideration. Worst case scenario is that the valve body has some warpage and might allow some leakage between the various circuits. Hopefully not or that a new valve body gasket might take care of that problem if it exists. Once, after I had the trans rebuilt on my '70 Monaco by the local dealership, I came to a stop after being on the Interstate. The car did not downshift, but stayed in 3rd when I took off. The explanation was that a piece of grit might have kept the shuttle valve from doing its thing. Their clean-up procedure might have left something to be desired, but I trusted them more than anyone else in town at that time. The shuttle valves work on spring pressure resisting hydraulic pressure plus governor pressure modulating things too. Anything that interferes with their free operation can cause shift issues. Sludge/varnish or even weak/broken shuttle valve springs. We've discussed the ATF issue in the Buick Club General Forum serveral times. Finding Type A fluid is still possible, but usually not a name brand as such. Chrysler superceded Type A to the original Dexron spec in 1968. The current Chrysler ATF specs are highly complicated to me so using a Chrysler/Mopar fluid might be a little risky. The current Dexron III specs are for a fluid that should be highly superior to anything that came before it, I suspect, but some insist on seeking out the Type A fluid at the grocery store or auto supply. Hope this helps, NTX5467

Wheel flex is much more prevalent on stamped steel wheels, I suspect, than might be realized. Many middle 1960s Chrysler 14" wheels even had "travel limit" bumps and corresponding tangs on the inside of the wheel covers to match them and limit wheel cover turning that could overflex the valve stem. Remember some of the 1960s car chases where a front wheel cover flew off the wheel in the middle of a fast corner? Sure it could have been rigged that way, but probably not. When radials came into wider use in the middle 1960s, many people put them on 1960s era cars (they were too expensive to put on an older car) with no reported wheel problems that I heard about. Main issues were the rougher ride on some cars, which was smoothed out when they swapped the radials for belted-bias ply tires. Dallas vintage tire dealer Wallace Wade has also mentioned that older cars should not have radial tires on their older wheels due to the wheel splitting issue. I knew lots of people that put radials on middle 1960s and newer cars that came with bias ply or bias-belted tires from the factory with no wheel problems at all. Maybe this issue is more prevalent with wheels made in the 1950s and earlier? I would also like to see some definitive failure information on this issue. Maybe there was some assembly procedures that were changed or something similar? I do know that heavy duty truck wheels were stamped "For Radial Tire Use" or "Not Approved For Radial Tires" in the 1970s before radials were in more common use on those vehicles. I don't recall seeing anything about what made the wheels different in design, materials, or assembly techniques, but it was a big deal for the heavy duty truck people. Perhaps some more in-depth investigation with wheel manufacturing operatives might make a good tech article for "The Bugle"? Waiting for more information . . . NTX5467

I just saw the replay on Sunday. The remark in question used the word "almost" so that might lead me to wonder if they really know what a Buick looks like? BUT, would you not want a low $20K car that "famed" C&D said "almost" looked like a $26K+ Buick? In many cases, the smoother flowing curved bodies of modern vehicles don't really lend themselves to pizzazz-boosting cosmetics as in the prior times when cars had REAL LINES, lines that could be accented with two-tone paint, additional trim, or tasteful tape stripes. I even caught the Subaru ad that mentioned "sophisticated monochrome paint" on some Forrester variations. Some of the advocates of sharper body lines will always find vehicles with smoother lines to be boring--to each their own. But did you also catch the glowing praise of the Cadillac CTS-V??!! Even a mention of putting the Corvette-spec engine in "grandma's car" too! To their credit, they did much more to that car than just put a more powerful engine in it. I do tend to find C&D Television's new "in your face" background music and tone of voice a little too busy, though, but that kind of goes with adapting to the younger market, maybe? Definitely a change from the previous shows. Enjoy! NTX5467

I believe that all aftermarket wheels are built to the SEMA 5-1 specs (tested to 5 times OEM specs) or they used to. One of the areas that SEMA first "approved" was aftermarket wheels back in the early 1960s. Back then, there were good brands and not so good brands. Hence, the "Meets SEMA 5-1 Spec" became a huge marketing advantage for aftermarket wheels that everyone in the industry ended up adopting pretty quickly as their manufacturing standards. Just some thoughts, NTX5467

CAR AND DRIVER have been known to break new ground in many areas for quite some time. Not the first time they have chosen a Honda over a Buick (or other similar GM vehicle) and it won't be the last. In their last "family car" comparison test, they chose the Honda over a Regal and Impala by a large margin, but we know full well that a Honda would not nearly fit the mold of the middle '60s family cars WE grew up with--small trunk, no leg room, no shoulder room, no "makeout" room (had to mention that, hehe)--not to mention costing more to boot with more required maintenance. Oh well. Many in the press have somewhat "tilted" views of what used to be middle class luxury cars. They're always hammering them for their "old platforms" (but no similarly derrogatory mention that a current Mustang dates to the 1978 Fairmont!) or their "low tech" motors (with no similar comments about Corvettes or Vipers that similarly have pushrod motors) or allegedly low sales (as if they are ripe candidates for "heaven", regardless of how much money they put into the corporate bank on each one sold or what great values they might be). In essence, they don't understand the target market as most of those media types are NOT in the target market for those vehicles. They might live with them for a short time at best so they might miss some of their endearing virtues for whatever reason. I recall an Edmumds.com review and article on an Olds Intrigue. It was obvious that they did not want that car and especially not one with the rear spoiler on the deck lid, much less the color they found in dealer stock (and bought as they were under the gun to get one). That car had innumerable alleged faults that resulted in many trips to several local (Los Angeles?) dealerships, all with unsatisfactory results. The people the car was basically signed out to did not like it -- period -- and it showed in their comments about it. One staffer took it back east to visit the relatives. They told him up front how much he would not like the car (for their laundry list of reasons and should have taken the favored Honda Accord in their fleet). Funny thing was, his log book comments were about how comfortable it was, it's great handling and ride, room, economy, reliability, and general feel. He stopped in Denver for routine service and even had a good dealership experience there too--fancy that. The car performed flawlessly and he noted that. His associates back in CA probably could not believe that as it was totally opposite of their orientations. Some people are seemingly in awe of Honda or Toyota for their great cars, but that does not mean everything else is junk either. Even when that test was done, the GM products were already probably better than or equal to their oriental competitors in many respects, just that no one really knew it or bothered to look at the total picture. After reading that Intrigue article and a few others on the Edmunds.com website, I marked them off my list of "impartial" sources for automotive information. Dave, Buicks have been referred to in many aspects for quite some time and that's probably not going to change. Some are good, some might not be. Just have to look at who's saying it, consider their point of reference or hidden agenda, and go on down the road. Sometimes, those media people are in a space of their own. For a while, it seemed that C&D's main people looked at things through "Honda colored" glasses. We're paying them for their opinions, just that some put too much stock in their (C&D) opinions. Just because they say something (which should be taken as information that we will validate ourselves) doesn't mean it's "gospel". As for "anonymous" cars that blend in, the orientals seem to have those styling cues patented. If you look at a middle 1980s oriental vehicle, can you tell which one it is without finding a nameplate? Each one now seems to have some minor styling cues to distinguish them from others, but some are still pretty "blended in". Problem is that when GM tried to crack those particular market segments, they figured they needed similar styling so that's where they went as they suspected that target buyers in those markets wanted "anonymous styling". Enjoy! NTX5467

You might check with Coker Tire or someone that can sell you a tire/wheel package as a turn-key deal delivered to your door step. If they'll sell you such a package deal with radials of your choice (that they also sell), that could well be your answer and also get a written statement of compatibility too, possibly. Might even see if you can talk to Corky himself. Radial tires do put different forces into the rim that bias ply tires do not and some wheels might tolerate it better than others. Without knowing all of the specifics on the alleged failures, it would be hard to make a determination in those cases. Just some thoughts, NTX5467

I concur that Chrysler was probably the only manufacturer that had "Sales Bank" cars. What this allowed them to do was keep a steady supply of vehicles in popular colors, models, and options. Some other things slipped through the system too, as I understand it. A good plan, but wasn't administered very well in some times. Too many of one kind of car in the sales bank? Deal time to the dealers. Too many cars at the end of the model year? Deal time to the dealers. People that were around back then talk of 1/2 off of invoice to the dealer if they'd take some of them. Pluses and minuses, depending on which side of the transport truck you were on. Ended up costing the corporation money in lost profits in a time they needed all they could get, I suppose. Typically, there were "stock inventory/Retail" orders, "special" orders, "fleet" orders, demonstrator orders, and maybe the famous Central Office Processing Order (COPO) too. There could also be orders that were tied to trips and other perks for the dealers too. As independent business entities, the dealer and their operatives typically decided what they had on the lot. The divisional District Sales Manager (new car sales rep) might exert some influence in some cases and highly recommend certain option packages or individual options on particular models (for various reasons) and make sure that what they were ordering could be "dealer trade material" (where dealers swap/purchase vehicles from each other in order to satisfy a customer's request) so they might not have some unpopular vehicles left over at the end of the model year. Back then, there were many individual options that were not packaged as they are in more recent times. Through the model year, there can be times when certain options, colors, and such might be on "Stop" for certain periods of time, but would return at a later date. When yellow disappeared from the available colors for a few years, it was due to the yellow pigments in the paint having high amounts of lead in it, for example. Now, some models might be restricted due to Federal fuel economy issues. The manufacturer would predict the sales volume of each item and model and purchase supplies accordingly. Some times they missed (too much or too little) and some times they didn't miss their predictions. Some dealers might have listened to their sales rep while others had a better feel for their clientel and others were much more hit or miss in what they had on the lot--or any combination thereof. One of my friends in a Chrysler dealership mentioned that in order to get one Crossfire, they had to agree to about 50 Neons. Not to mention having a high CSI index too, in all probability. There are still some games just as there were back then, it appears. Enjoy! NTX5467

Very good point, Brad. Over the years, MANY '55-'57 Chevrolet 150, 210, and BelAir 4-door sedans have been sacrificed so the ever so desireable 2-door hardtops (maybe even a 2-door sedan "street" car) and highly valuable convertibles could regain their place on the road or show field. No one wants those "thousand doors" so they turn into donors for the cars that more people perceive they want to restore. Probably happened with some Buicks, many Oldsmobiles, and a bunch of Pontiacs too, plus other Fords and Chrysler products too. I went on a "buy" activity with a friend that was buying an unmolested '55 2-door station wagon COMPLETE with the 265 V-8, original battery tray, and oil bath air cleaner. Had a PowerGlide too. Completely unmolested in all respects--this was about 6-7 years ago too! It was indeed a "find". It was to be cleaned up and resold, probably to find a fate in some sort of customized situation, I suspect, as the later owner probably would put the requisite 350 V-8 and 3-speed automatic in it (so it would be worth more!). It was amazing how nice this car was, even considering for the years of use. Somebody that was into station wagons would probably have not slept until they bought it, it was so nice. Make a great and neat car for a young family too--except for the lack of air conditioning. A few more modern creature comfort upgrades and it would have been a great car--period. Nothing wrong with those 4-door sedans, just that they are 4-door sedans. Not to mention that most of the similar station wagons were used for what they were designed for and discarded. Like the television commercial says, "Who wants a used station wagon?" in the "normal" public anyway. Many of those station wagons are now more rare than many muscle cars too! Find a '64 Buick station wagon with buckets and console and you'll find an exceptional car that's hopefully in "carefully maintained" condition. Valuable like a rare car? Not quite! Of course, if you go to a major Chevy Club national event, you'll find those BelAir 4-door sedans that cost close to $100K to get to better than factory condition in all respects. Plus the "pit crew", display materials, and hauling apparatus mechanism. They'll probably have the seemingly requisite BFG repro whitewalls (except for the unusual Firestone Deluxe Champions) and other trappings of being correctly restored with as "the best it can be". As one old line Chevy guy mentioned, none of those cars came from the factory with ALL of their chrome aligned as good as it is on those cars. Whoops! BUSTED! Over-restoration OR Modified???!!! Those cars might be as perfect as they could be, but they weren't built that way originally. Every model of vehicle has their own little things that were acceptable at the time they were built although it might not have been as letter perfect as things typically are today. A reliable and accurate restoration usually results in a car that might be really correct, but it's not to the same standards as a circuit show car for ISCA or similar where incorrect shiney paint goes where GM never put it, yet it makes the car "show better" AND also gives the public the incorrect presumption that they all used to be that way too. One reason that a correctly restored Mopar vehicle will never win a trophy against an over-restored Pontiac, by my observation. Gets back to "WHO do you please?" It just depends on what the owner wants from the car and the way it will be used--period. For example, a vehicle that's going to be driven cross country to BDE events could be pretty much anything from Gold Senior Award vehicles to something that would not even get a Bronze level or Archival award. That car that receives a Silver award with its radial tires, halogen headlights, and such could also be a Gold Award vehicle, possibly, with the more correct items on it and/or a little more attention to other items. Just depends on what the owner wants. Sure, there are things that other owners do or don't do that we might like to see, but WE are not paying their bills, even though we could probably "improve" upon what they did in one way or another. Hopefully, if they did change something, we could change it back to what we knew it should/could be without too much trouble. Over the years, there will always be stories of cars that were "ruined" from the good vehicles they were when ownership changed to those of that vehicle that turned into a money pit and probably should have been left under that tree out behind the barn, except that it was some "rare" vehicle that deserved to be saved at all costs. That aspect of the hobby is NOT going to change. As the old Harrah's Collection proved, you can save anything you want to and make a museum piece out of it too--if you have the facilities to machine and remanufacture parts for said vehicle, cost no object. There are some great museums full of rare, vintage vehicles in this country. But I rather doubt anything from the Nethercutt Collection (or similar) will ever be anything other than what they currently are--restored vehicles on display in a magnificent facility in CA, for example. Not to say that some in private ownwership might make the trip to "custom" vehicles for whatever reason. The automotive hobby is highly diverse with areas and niches for most everyone that desires to participate. We are all part of that family, whether we like it or not--just like that blood relative that we might tolerate instead of being more friendly to at the family reunion. Or that cousin that we don't approve of who they married or the way they dress or their lifestyle or the fact they don't discipline their offspring. Fault can be found where fault is looked for, it seems, depending on one's point of view or orientation. Intrinsic goodness is the same way, but much more preasureable to deal with in the long run. Reality figues into the mix too. For example, "That clear coat metallic paint on that '56 Century might not be a correct-for-that-year color, but it sure is slick and has great depth of shine. Looks pretty dang good too!" instead of commenting that they wasted their money on that incorrect paint. The automotibe hobby is something of a multi-faceted game. How we take care of or restore or redo our vehicles usually depends on which "game" we want to play--the BCA 400 Point judging, weekend cruise events, other open car club shows, racing events, or just keeping it alive. Each orientation has it's own rules of acceptance and award/reward, whether it be trophies, smiles and compliments from other drivers, or the personal satisfaction of having it and appreciating it for what it is (even if it is a little worse for wear). Some aspects can overlap too, some will not, but it's all part of the basic group of "automotive enthusiasts" that is "the family". Enjoy to the level of your tolerance! NTX5467

Seems like there are some policies through the National Street Rod Association that have provisions for the type of activity you are doing. Sorry for the "street rod" mention, but being an NSRA member to get their insurance benefits, if they are what I understand they used to be several years ago, could be a viable alternative. As you have a low use vehicle, there might be some mileage-based policies available instead of just "antique" vehicle or "stated value" policies for antique vehicles. Seems like that is one of the ways that Progressive Insurance Company advertises their low base rates as their rates are based on where the car is driven and how much (GPS based information?)? You might check out their website for more information. Of course, if you get a pretty basic normal policy, you would not have to worry about many things (like the secure garage parking spot) that some of the specialty insurers might require for coverage and paying the claim. Or a "stated value" policy where you pay rates based on what the current value of the vehicle is. I heard one guy mention a policy for his collector-type car that only covered the car for driving between midnight Thursday to midnight Monday. Just some thoughts, NTX5467

Other than the linkage adaptations, the other MAIN issue will probably be the base plate bolt pattern, with the air horn circle diameter for the air cleaner being the next thing past that. Then there's the issue of whether or not there might be a heat track in front of the primary barrels in the intake manifold (not sure about that particular yeat) which require special gaskets to make work and not cause an exhaust leak. With a little practice with a tubing bender, you can make some fuel lines that can look like they came on the car too. Some of the old Carter AFBs had dual bolt patterns on their base plates and there could well be some variations in the air cleaner mounting circle too. In order to use a later carb, you might have to also find an aftermarket manifold that will fit the engine and the carb you decide to use also. Worst case scenario would be to use an adapter to mate the carb to the earlier manifold, which is kind of defeating the purpose of upgrading the carb. There's a website I ran across a while back that is devoted to Nailheads and modifications thereof. Might be some information there or in v8Buick.com or some information in the Buick Street Rod Club website. Just some thoughts, NTX5467

I got my BCA MBNA MasterCard when it was first offered. Neat thing to have and use! NTX5467