NTX5467

As a National Car Rental Emerald Isle member, I can say they do have GM cars and BUICKS in their fleet, but it can vary from location to location and even the time of year as to what they have. Several years ago, Buick partnered with National for their Emerald Isle members to have a access to Regal LS cars with leather, CD players, upgrade suspension, etc. National has also partnered with Pontiac at times too. Most recently, the Buicks down here have included Centurys, some Regals, some LeSabres, and even some Park Avenues in the Luxury section. Similarly, Grand Prix SEs, Grand Prix GTs, Bonnevilles, and Grand Ams too. Sedan DeVilles have also been in the luxury area too. As National and Alamo have merged operations in many areas, their fleet has become more diverse and even has some Saturns and Mopars now. Unfortunately, I don't know of any car rental company that will let you reserve a particular model of car as they typically sell a "size class" of vehicle. Emerald Isle membership allows renters to choose which car they want from those available in the designated area instead of having the keys to "something" chunked at you by the rental person (gently, of course). Avis also has some GM cars too. When I got to Indy last summer, about the only larger size car I could find was a Grand Prix SE in a group of Mazdas and Grand Ams. The odds might be better with National, but it's still a crapshoot of sorts to get a GM car specifically. Hope this helps . . . NTX5467

The Edsel "TeleTouch Drive" was in the steering wheel and I believe used an electric motor to do the shifting. Chrysler and others used cables. Pushbutton shifts were basically outlawed when the federal regulations for a uniform shift quadrant went into effect with the '65 model year. Also why GM cars ceased having "R" below "L" probably. Enjoy! NTX5467

There used to be one cable that AC-Delco was still making for Buicks that was the original cable--and it was for '68 full size Buicks with the plastic square conduit where it went beside the engine on the way to the starter. To find it, you had to get in the back of the catalog where there was a picture of it with the part number. I don't recall it being in the regular listing, but it might be. I know it was there a couple of years ago. NTX5467

"MC" = mixture control solenoid; it takes the place of the old power piston I mentioned that could be stuck in the "down" or "economy" position, resulting in no power resulting from no mixture enrichment when needed for extra power; basically, the computer pulses or cycles the metering rods up and down from commands from the ECM to deliver the correct mixture for the operating conditions at that particular time (i.e., idle, cruise, power, WOT). Not the previous "analog" (if you could call it that) system where the power piston was compressed against a spring by manifold vacuum to do basically the same thing. When you took the carb apart, there most probably could have been some small little circles of what might look like orange-red silicone in the bottom of the float bowl. When those appear, it's the mixture control solenoid that they came out of and failure is imminent or has already happened. Don't feel too bad, though, as not everyone remembers those solenoids are supposed to make a little noise. Glad you got it figured out and with everything else that got "attended to", things should run pretty good for a good while into the future without further maintenance. NTX5467

GM Restoration Parts recently put out a bulletin on reman steering gearboxes. I believe the vendor is Lares. Lots of coverages. There IS some adjustment on the sector and also on the input side of the gearbox. Normally, the sector adjustment on the upper side of the box (with the jam nut over an exposed threaded stud) is the most common adjustment, though. I concur that you might check the rest of your steering linkage under the car for possible wear areas and also see if the gearbox can be adjusted satisfactorily before condemning it completely. Might even be a tire issue, ball joint issue, or worn or "settled" suspension bushings too. Any pivot point in the suspension can be a possible wear area, especially where there are also rubber bushings. Just some thoughts . . NTX5467

I never figured the bigger wheels would make it into production on the Impala SS, bu they did. I you consider that these vehicles might reflect trends at the time of their "predicted" production, which is about 3 years out, 22" chrome plated aluminum wheels might be pretty common. Dodge has 20" chromed aluminum wheels on their current production Ram trucks (by the way, the 5.7L Hemi Ram 1500s are on the lots now . . .) and with the way the customizers are heading toward that 1" tall sidewall, then it's possible. Don't know what real good it will be other than cosmetics, but they will happen sooner or later. Enjoy! NTX5467

Fuel pump should be in the tank. Only frame rail mounted fuel pumps in that general year model orientation were on the diesel pickups. Relay will probably be in the underhood area with the other fuses and relays. If replacing the relay doesn't get the pump to run, then you'll need to troubleshoot the system starting with the oil pressure sending unit and tracing the wiring to the back of the vehicle and the sending unit/fuel pump module. Could ALSO be that the wires on the fuel pump module are melted due to the pump pulling too much current as it worked hard to push fuel through a clogged fuel filter. Repeatedly running a fuel injection-equipped vehicle out of fuel or with less than about a 1/4 tank of fuel will also kill a fuel pump as the fuel around the pump is also a cooling agent for the pump. When the Low Fuel light comes on, it's typically when there are about 2 gallons of fuel left in the tank, which, spread out over the tank is not much fuel. Always replace the fuel filter any time you replace a pump AND at about 30,000 mile intervals thereafter. If you heard a significant buzzing or high pitched whine from the fuel tank area, that was the fuel pump telling you it was starting to fail and/or needed a new fuel filter. Just some thoughts . . . NTX5467

Thanks for this information, Roberta. I'm not that "in love" with all of those curves, but it does look pretty nice. Visuals can be a little deceiving, though, as to interior room. Main issue might be the rake of the windshield A-pillar and how it interacts with your head as you get into the front seat. Hopefully, that new turbo 3.6L engine will find its way into other GM/Buick vehicles too as the horsepower wars are kicking in again . . . Still like the feel of the old high cubic inch torque of the earlier V-8s, though. Enjoy! NTX5467

First thing is to make sure that the remote you have is correct for that year and model of vehicle. They did change from year to year, typically, even though they might look the same (the keyless entry transmitter). Matching the FCC number on the back might be one way if you bought it used. Second, when you do the programming procedure, make sure to have ALL of the remotes there at the same time. The programming procedure basically clears the memory in the receiver and starts over so if you only program one, that's all it'll recognize. I think the vehicle receiver can be programmed for up to 3 or 4 remotes on the same programming procedure. I think the procedure for those earlier vehicles is pretty simple, but must be followed correctly. It might be listed in the owner's manual too. If, for some reason, you can't get them programmed, the first thing to check would be to put a fresh battery in the transmitter(s) AND make sure they are correct for the vehicle. When programmed, all of the functions should work and not just part of them. If just part of them work, the transmitter(s) probably might not be correct for that vehicle as to model year and model of vehicle. Enjoy! NTX5467

Philippe, I know that there can be good engines in the salvage yards, or at least they were good when they came in there. Basically, if the issue is in the bottom end of the motor and providing there are no other issues with oil consumption via the rings or valve seals, there's no reason to bother those things. In the middle '80s, it was somewhat common for a 3.8L Buick V-6 which had not received regular maintenance to develop a lower end knock as you describe. Basically, the oil galley in the block is rough cast to a particular size. Other GM carlines would use one long drill bit to machine them out to finished size, but Buick used two shorter drill bits, one from the front and one from the back. By design, they did not meet in the middle. If, perchance, the block's internal castings were not quite within the best relationship to each other, the drill bits might have a mismatch where they didn't meet. That area of the main oil galley is the area that feeds the center main bearing. In theory, it would receive sufficient oiling volume, but if gunk had built up in there due to poor maintenance, the oil supply was starved and guess where the knocking bearing always was. This typically happened at about 60-80,000 miles. To replace the crankshaft and bearings, the engine must be removed and turned upside down on the engine stand. It's not necessary to take the heads off or disturb other areas (as pistons, rings) but the lower timing sprocket and related items would be affected. Back then, when people bought one of those cars (usually Regals for some reason) with a knock, they just put a crank kit in them and went on down the road. As you've already done the timing chain and cam interrupter, that's less to worry about. If you've got an intake manifold leak, that needs to be fixed too. It could also be the reason for the knock if it's been there a while (from oil dilution with coolant) and undiscovered. Oil dilution will happen sooner or later if it's not fixed, either way. As for compression checks, as it was pointed out many years ago by a dealership technician, all you're checking with a compression check is the top compression ring and how well it's sealing. An engine with good compression can still have compromised or worn oil rings which might not be doing a good job of scraping the oil from the cylinder walls, therefore letting oil get past the upper rings regardless of how well they were sealing. Hence, an engine with good compression can still have an oil consumption problem that is ring related. I also know there are many good salvage yard operators, but I've heard stories of some that changed instrument clusters among like vehicles to sell the engines out of them. Naturally, the cluster had a low mileage for the year model. In more recent times, the clusters might be sold themselves as people don't want to send their defective clusters out for high dollar exhanges. End result, many times you're taking someone's word that can have little supporting evidence as a worst case scenario. Of course, if you can trace the vehicle back to the prior owner, those things can be verified, just as you might do if buying a used car. In your area, it might be common to have a rusted car with reasonably low miles, but down here in the TX areas, we don't have that rust problem and we usually don't have engine problems with Buick V-6s either (other than some intake manifold leaks of late). The problems we saw when those cars were newer included the crank pulley/damper and the interrupter you mentioned. Everything else was pretty much bulletproof, which is why everyone got by with just doing crank kits on the earlier motors. I fully understand cost overruns and such when starting to do a simple mechanical procedure. There are always things that are neat to do "while you're there", but if you don't have some guidelines in place, those things are sure to happen. Unchecked, a simple bearing job can end up as a full blown rebuild. Reality is, if the oil consumption is not an issue, the top side and rings will be ok so there's no need to get those replaced. Just because you might see some wear on the lower cylinder walls is no reason to rebore everything or get excited, especially if there are no existing piston knocks. Anyway, just some additional thoughts. Of course, it's your car and your money. Enjoy! NTX5467

Instead of guessing about what's wrong with your Concorde engine, get it to a shop that is competent in Chrysler stuff as there are some noises those cars make that are easily mistaken for other things. End result is that a good bit of money is spent to needlessly replace a part that wasn't bad to start with when all it might have been was an exhaust seal that needed replacement. Might even be a bad engine mount too! Chryslers still have several idiosyncracies that GM and Ford do not have. When a GM or Ford tech diagnoses them like what they are used to, with all due respect, they might come up with an incorrect diagnosis. As always, take the vehicle to someone that knows what they are looking at, regardless of what make or origin it is. Check out the FAQs at www.allpar.com too. There's also a Usenet newsgroup for Chrysler items. Something like www.rec/autos/makers/chrysler, if I recall correctly. There might be a link from the allpar.com site. Just some thoughts . . . NTX5467

If it's a lower end bearing knock, why not just put a crank kit in it (reground crankshaft with matching bearings in it) and go on down the road? Might also add a new timing chain set at that time too. Anytime you get a salvage yard engine, you're getting an "unknown" quantity, regardless of what the salvage yard people might tell you. In essence, you are basically getting a "core" that is rebuildable. Granted, there are many reputable salvage yard operators in this world, but they only know about the car the car has had since it came into their possesion. In other words, the "new" engine could have the same issues as the one you have in the near future--or you might get lucky. Basically, if you're going to do an R&R, why not do it with your existing engine and freshen it up in the process. That way, you know what you've got AND only have to pull it out once. As for the different versions, it might relate to whether the motor is a balance shaft motor or not. There might be something else I have forgotten about, though, which would be specific to your vehicle and hence make the motor more expensive. I'd say to just rebuild what you have. Don't forget to figure some new mounts in the mix too if they are needed. Just some thoughts, NTX5467

Those courtesy lamp lenses tended to deteriorate pretty quickly. Pretty thin white plastic. When I was looking for them on my '68 LeSabre a while back, I discovered them to appear to have lots of crossover with other GM lines too plus other Buick platforms too, if I recall correctly (it's been several years). Happy New Year, NTX5467

Could be a sticking power piston in the carb. If it is stuck in the "down" or "economy" position and does not move upward to give a richer mixture under load, it'll do just as you mention. Went through that with dad's pickup with a QJet on it. Your carb is probably the front half of a QJet if it has a carb or even a full QJet depending on the year. If it acts reasonably normal when out of gear, but bogs when you load the engine against the foot brake, that's the first thing I'd see about. Everything else can be new or working fine, but if the carb doesn't put any power mixture into the motor, it just doesn't respond. Once the accel pump shot is gone, so is the power. Some of those carbs also had dual stage accelerator pumps which were controlled by the ECM via a temp sensor. Not to mention the Throttle Position Sensor on the vehicles with computer controlled carbs. A friend had a Chevy pickup that acted the same way. The first shop that rebuilt the carb left the spring out (or lost it) from under the power piston so manifold vacuum kept it in full economy mode all of the time. Adding a spring again fixed everything. Otherwise, check for a clogged catalytic converter or a muffler with a bad baffle that's shutting down the exhaust flow. Slim possibility it could be a transmission torque converter issue, but very slim. Hope this helps . . . NTX5467

From what I found when researching my '68 LeSabre convertible, in '68 (and I suspect the same is true with other years, typically) there were just two sizes of convertible tops for all full size GM cars. The "smaller" one went on Chevys, Pontiacs, LeSabres/Wildcat, and Delta 88s. The "larger" one went on Olds 98s, Buick Electras, and Cadillacs. Within each version, most everything (i.e., weatherstrips) would be the same in many cases. Think of it this way, the longer wheelbase higher level cars need a longer top assembly than the shorter wheelbase lower level cars. When I was looking about body mounts, the LeSabre mounts in '68 were also Chevy parts too. Other things, like door weatherstrips and such would be specific to a given car line, though. Therefore, as there is much typically listed for Chevys and little for Buicks or others, there is more interchange there than many vendors would admit to or be aware of. In the case of the latches, the base latch would probably be the same among all of the carlines, but the handle on the latch might be unique to particular car lines. On my car, the hook on the latch is worn a little but still works. I probably need to do some more research to see if some of the more readily available items for other GM convertibles might be similar. Hope this helps . . . NTX5467

My mistake . . .it is the "Standard Catalog of Buick". My apologies . . . Also similar "Standard Catalog of _____" for other cars too. NTX5467

In addition to the great suggestions already made, there are also several books you can find at Borders or Barnes&Noble (or on their respective websites). One is the quarterly publication "Old Cars Price Guide". The others include "The Complete Book of Buick" (with yearly breakdowns on what was available each year as to model, equipment, and specs) and the book on Buick Musclecars (which really goes all the way back to the first V-8 Buicks in the '50s instead of just focusing on the '60s and newer intermediate Skylarks and such). It would be nice to find a dealer's Order Guide book on eBay as that would detail everything that was originally slated for that year (as the books are printed several months prior to actual vehicle production) as to model series, equipment options, color/trim selection and such. From there, you could progress to finding a Buick GM Service Manual from a literature vendor (who also might have the sales brochures for that vehicle too). One thing leads to another, just depends on what you want to pursue and how much you desire to spend in time and money. Also, you might check some of the larger libraries for copies of various car magazines from that general era for road tests and new model information. Usually, the main magazines were full of new model information in either the September or October issues back then (as everyone introduced all of their new models at one time each year--"Show Date"). "Popular Science", "Car Life", "Motor Trend", and maybe "Mechanix Illustrated" were the key players back then in new car information and road tests. "The Complete Book of Buick" might be the best general information resource. Also, do not forget the Buick history book which Terry Dunham co-authored. On the Internet, click on the Buick Webring area at the bottom of the BCA home page for a list of sites in the webring. Might find some websites of others who have those particular vehicles too. Other various bulletin boards related to Buicks too, but most of them probably are related to newer models. Hope this helps . . . NTX5467

Teamsternip, please do not confuse the GM body series designation with BCA judging classes as they are two totally different things. The LeSabre is a "B-body" as Centurion noted. The only place I have observed that vehicle platforms are referred to as "class _" is in heavy duty trucks were a certain "class" of truck relates to its weight carrying capacity and related SAE generated specificaions for minimum horsepower/torque, brake sizings, etc. in that particular "class". In the automotive and light truck (up to one ton ratings), the vehicles are mentioned with respect to their "_-body" (for cars) and "_-truck" (for the light duty trucks). For example, your '66 LeSabre would be a "B-body" Buick and a '66 Chevy 1/2 ton 2 wheel drive pickup would be a "C-truck" Chevy. Since '66, there have been some additonal body series designations for the cars just as there have been for the light truck vehicles too. Hope this might clear things up a little . . . Best wishes for a great New Year to all! NTX5467

If those systems are configured as the current GM systems are, there should be a seat heater control module "down there". Probably similar to a relay where a small electrical current controls a larger electrical current (keeps the higher amps from going through the control switch and probably "cooking" it. If that is not the problem, then the heating element is probably a part of the seat covering itself and that would have to be replaced with a GM part, I suspect. You might be able to troubleshoot it with a continuity checker to see if the heating element is getting the needed electricity to properly function. The passenger side should also be heated and could probably have the same setup as the driver's seat. Is that side working also? Is just the seat cushion not heating with the seat back cushion heating or is the whole thing just not functioning? Might just be an abraded wire or one that has come unplugged or similar. The whole situation should be located in the seat area itself. Probably have to unbolt the seat from the floorpan to properly look at things. Just some thoughts . . . NTX5467

The t-top roof option and the console w/bucket seat option would have been independent of each other and restricted to 2 door models only. Engine choice was independent of these two items too. When the '80 body series came online with the '78 models, t-tops were a factory order option and generally were better designed and integrated with the vehicle than the previous Hurst/Hatch models (from American Sunroof Corporation) which were not factory installed. The factory t-tops also had more glass area than the H/H conversions too. Hope this helps, NTX5467

My '70 Buick Service Manual lists the following: Horsepower 230@4400 Torque 350@2400 Taxable Horsepower 46.2 Octane Requirement -- Motor 85 Research 93 (Posted Pump Octane is the average of these two numbers and came into existence later) Compression Ratio 9.0 The "Net" power ratings came into existence a year or so later, when about the only significant change (other than appropriate for the particular year model emission controls) was a compression ratio of 8.5 and unleaded fuel compatibility. The ratings above would be by the earlier "gross power" SAE methods. This engine is more about smooth and economical power than maximum power output considering it has the smaller Rochester 2bbl carburetor. It "drives" better than many of the beloved Chevy motors of the same size, at least to me, and is really quite similar to what the current 200 horsepower 3.8L Buick V-6 is in the current Regals--except in fuel economy. The 4bbl versions also had a dual exhaust (and a higher compression ratio prior to '71) to help explain their additional power. The Buick 350 V-8 with the 2bbl might not have the cache of having a 4bbl or being a 455, but it's a pretty dang good motor in stock form and with the small (probably about 300 cfm) 2bbl carburetor. You could do a whole lot worse than just give it a good tune and drive it! Enjoy! NTX5467

For those small areas that don't really require the full washdown, a quality brake clean spray ("chlorinated" works better than "non-chlorinated", typically, but the "good stuff" is allegedly more non-friendly to the atmosphere) can work well as can B-12 or similar. The mat idea sounds really neat, especially in an enclosed shop with a nice floor. Better to lay on also, I suspect. Happy Holidays, NTX5467

The "time honored" cleaner that the service station people used to use to really clean their driveways and such was powdered Tide soap. Wet the concrete, sprinkle it on, use the wide sweeper brush or another strong brisseled (and with an appropriately long handle) scrub brush to mix it up and such, then wash it off with a strong stream of water. Somewhat labor intensive, but it worked in the '60s and probably will work now. I've used other similar cleaners but like Castrol's liquid cleaner--buy it by the gallon as the quart bottles don't go far enough. It works with cold water too, as it says on the label. Might need to scrub or scrape the accumulations, but otherwise letting it set and then scrubbing with the sweeper brush on the handle and it works pretty well. Once you get things really clean, then you might consider getting the surface sealed, but some sealers get EXTREMELY slick with the slightest dampness! But they have to be maintained with recoats every so often so the liquid/powdered cleaners might be best. Just some thoughts . . . NTX5467

Idle speed is most probably being controlled by the Idle Air Control stepper motor. This is a spring loaded plunger that varies the air flow around the closed throttle plate in the throttle body assembly. It gets its commands from the ECM and it's various sensors. Does sound like it's trying to work, though. EGR that has stuck or is prevented from closing fully at idle by deposit buildup under its plunger (pintle) will probably also cause missing at idle instead of just a varying idle speed. Could also be an intake manifold issue or manifold gasket integrity issue. Could be deposits on the throttle plate or in the throttle bore preventing the throttle plate from closing fully (or as far as it needs to) at idle. Could even be a malfunctioning fuel injector. The FIRST thing to do would be to pull the codes from the computer and see what they are! Otherwise, you can throw chunks of expensive parts at the car and still not have it fixed. Many of the auto supplies that will pull the codes "for free" are doing it so you will buy the parts from them--still no guarantee they will fix the car as some codes are inter-related. Similar with private/chain repair facilities that have a "simple" code scanner. You can also probably short two particular terminals on the ALDL connection to get the Check Engine Light to flash, but you'll need an ACCURATE list of codes for your particular year of vehicle to see what they are. Getting the codes and dignositics and repair estimate from a quality repair facility or GM dealer would be the most expeditious way to get your Buick back to it's smooooooth running best. Then you'll have a much better picture of what the problem(s) are and what it will take to fix them successfully. These people will charge for their diagnostic time and expertise (as any professional should), but considsering that "time is money", it can be cheaper in the long run. With computerized vehicle control systems, guessing can be conterproductive unless it's a clearly defined problem that is somewhat common. Unfortunately, as in other things, "No simple answers to complex questions". Vehicles aren't as simple as they used to be--and that's a whole 'nuther discussion. This probably might not be the answer you were desiring, but that's the reality as I have observed it to be. Happy Holidays! NTX5467

From what my '68 Buick service manual shows, the 350 V-8 (no carb spec) in a LeSabre could have the 3 spd manual trans, the ST300, or ST400. The Wildcat, and higher level cars with the larger motors (plus a selection of the intermediate cars with the larger engines) would only have the ST400. My uncle bought a new '68 LeSabre 4dr hardtop with the 350 2bbl and ST300 trans. I somewhat suspect there were lots of them equipped that way. My '68 LeSabre Custom Conv. has a 350 4bbl and ST400. The Turbo350 came out in '69 model year so it was either the ST300 2spd or the ST400 3spd automatics prior to that. It's possible someone could have swapped the engine/trans in a prior time, but considering how things usually happened back then, only the engine would have been changed and the trans would have "stayed there". Too many little side issue things to change to go from a ST300 to ST400 or vice versa. If people would buy some emblems and make "clone" Z-28s, they could also have bought the 400 emblems and added them to your car too. Might also have been a factory miscue or miscoordination on the assembly line--or a shortage of ST400s when that particular car came down the line so they substituted the 350 2bbl w/ST300 in its place, rebated the price difference to the dealer and everyone was happy. Possibly, if you desired to disassemble the car for a copy of the build sheet (if it hasn't disintegrated by now) that might indicate what the "build order" for the car was, either ST300 or ST400. That might narrow things down somewhat. Might also be some codes on the ProtectoPlate or data plate under the hood. Enjoy! NTX5467