NTX5467

There might still be a bumper recycling facility in your area. Check with some of the local body shops. Most of these places have now evolved into the bumper fascias of modern vehicles, but might still do the older straighten, recondition, rechrome operations. Fed regulations on emissions have driven many of the chrome shops out of business and have probably resulted in some buyouts and consolidation of facilities. NTX5467

I concur with Roberta, it's related to the SuperTurbine 400 trans, probably moreso than being tied to an engine option at that time as the ST300 could be had with larger motors too. The SuperTurbine 300 2-speed automatic was the "base" automatic into the later '60s. These were "switch pitch" converter automatics. The ST400 is a variation of the TurboHydraMatic 400 trans used by other GM divisions, yet the higher carlines got the switch pitch converter that Chevies and Pontiacs didn't. Every Buick 4bbl V-8 back then was "high compression" with the compression ratio you mentioned, typically. Enjoy! NTX5467

I concur Greg. Along about '73, I found an article in Chilton's "Automotive Industries" magazine that reviewed what Chrysler did in some testing. It wasn't until about the '74 model year that Chrysler's engines were fully unleaded fuel compatible (with induction hardened valve seats) so they recommended switching off between leaded and unleaded fuels (one tank of leaded for each two of unleaded) at that time. What they did was take a New Yorker station wagon with a 440 equipped with their heavy duty trailer equipment package and hooked it to a trailer that was "full rated capacity" for the vehicle. They ran it on the proving grounds at something like 75mph under that load with unleaded fuel only just to see how far it would go before problems happened. Valve seat recession had completely ruined the heads in about 10,000 or 12,000 miles. Again, this was heavy loads and higher speed conditions. I rather doubt that was all on level roads too. At that time, the only anti-wear additives in the fuel typically was the tetraethyl lead. During these earlier times, Amoco marked a high octane unleaded fuel. There were no issues with valve seat recession or it would not have been on the market as long as it was. If they'd been buying cylinder heads, it would have been different. There were other fuel additives that would do the same as tetraethyl lead would do with respect to valve seat wear, just that lead did double duty as an octane booster and wear preventative. Unleaded fuel also takes about 5% more crude oil to refine than did leaded fuel, so you can see the economic implications of using tetraethyl lead. I agree that few of us will drive our vintage cars at full rated load and higher speeds on a regular basis. I also concur that having a fuel of sufficient octane to work in our older engines (without clattering too much) is probably more important in day to day or other occassional use than worrying about valve seat wear. As long as the valve guides are in good shape, the valve will seat squarely and not typically cause any problems. It's when the guide and valve stem pairing get some wear on them that the valve might wobble and not seat squarely each time it closes. This will lead to oil consumption (from too much clearance and further wear the valve stem seals) and "burnt" valves. In retrospect, I haven't observed the unleaded fuel in engines originally designed for leaded fuels to be the big issue it was suspected it would be in passenger car use engines. Just some additional thoughts, NTX5467

The numbers might mean more than amp ratings. They can also refer to a different physical size and/or terminal placement. You might check one of the reproduction battery sites for more information on amp/hour ratings and other related things. Enjoy! NTX5467

The Lumina was a solid product and a durable vehicle. Somewhat mundane styling and a name that should have been something else were the main issues, as I perceive it. Mechanicals were good but nothing earth shattering. The rear suspension with the transverse leaf spring (as the '84 Corvettes had) was innovative and practical, but was later replaced with struts. NTX5467

Theoretically, any cylinder head without hardened or hard valve seats needs some kind of valve recession additive for the fuel. But, there are other variables involved in that deal too (i.e., how hard the vehicle is driven, valve rotators or not, other anti-wear fuel additives in the fuel already). From what I understand, it takes about 1 gram of lead per gallon to give minimal protection from valve seat wear with non-hardened seats. In the days of 100 Research Octane fuels, there were about 4 grams/gallon. Lead was also the main octane increase additive back then too. GM changed all of their engines to unleaded fuel capability in April of 1971. This included induction hardened valve seats in the cylinder heads. In later years, some engines actually have hardened valve seat inserts in the heads (cast iron included) as all aluminum heads already have. A competent machine shop can install the hardened seat inserts in heads which didn't come with them or did not have the induction hardened seats. I don't believe that valve seat recession has been quite the big deal it was originally suspected of being, so you might be better off driving the car on existing fuels (without additives) as octane would probably be a more critical issue than a lack of lead. The lead additives on the market will not supply even 1 gram per gallon unless you dump a whole case in the tank at each fillup. Not all fuels respond to that deal to increase octane either. NTX5467

There were some black LeSabre coupes for a few years in the later '80s as you described. Upgrade suspension and tire/wheel package and with the normal 3.8L V-6 of those years. At the last Flint BCA meet in the later '80s, there were also some black LeSabre coupes (with bench seats) on display that were part of a promotion Buick did at a NASCAR track like Darlington. Seems like they supplied about 50 or so of those cars for that event. (Strange how little bits of Buick history like that get lost during the 12 years that a Buick must exist before being allowed into a judged BCA event.) One of our chapter members bought one of those black coupes (not the promotional ones) and owned it for a while. A nice car that was distinctive and "not everywhere". I did notice that LeSabre couples built in Flint during that time frame had a higher build quality and slicker paint than those built in the other plant. Enjoy! NTX5467

The same 3.8L Turbo was also available in Monte Carlos during that same time frame. It was a "higher power" alternative to the 305 Chevy V-8, but not by much. The first year Turbo Monte Carlo that a salesman had as a demo back then clattered anytime the accelerator was depressed significantly (the knock sensor was not quite calibrated to keep all of the spark knock out as later ones did). It wasn't just a "trace rattle" either, or at least struck me as not being a trace rattle, but I supsect any further timing retard would have killed too much power back then. The oil seals on the turbos had some problems as time and miles accumulated. In a few cases, the seal on the output side of the impeller would coke up and deteriorate and basically evacuate the oil in the crankcase via the tail pipe over a period of time. Most customers did not check their oil often enough to be aware of this so they ended up buying a turbo center section AND a long block assembly. There was one Riviera Turbo 3.8 that we had problems keeping the turbo operational due to the fact the oil supply lines were gunked up from non-maintenance. The extended warranty company said they would cease to cover that vehicle unless the turbo was removed and the customer was unhappy with all of the problems they didn't know they had. Many early turbo customers weren't aware of the dynamics of how a turbocharger operated and functioned, other than that it made a little engine act like a bigger engine under full power. They had no conception or comprehension that the turbo was supplied with oil by the engine so that when the engine stopped and the oil pressure ceased, the turbo impeller could still be hot and spinning 10,000+ rpm. Plus that until the turbo got oil pressure after sitting overnight, the impeller was spinning basically without lube. Key thing--don't race the turbocharged cold engine just after startup with a turbo (before the oil pressure gets fully "there") and don't immediately kill the engine after a hard run (as the impeller's still spooled up more than normal, let it idle about a minute or so before shutting down so the impeller can slow down). These are little things you don't consider, but I saw in print in a Ford Service publication about how to "live with a turbo engine". In short, one of these various GM vehicles with the early Buick 3.8L Turbo engine might well be collectible some day, they can be rather expensive to maintain and repair. Not that they weren't good motors or setups for their time, it was at the basic infancy of automotive turbos in those earlier times. Chrysler later made "turbo" a common word when they became the world's largest supplier of turbocharged engines in the 1980s (and elevated the "art" of making a turbo last in the process). Later 3.8L Buick Turbo engines with their sophisticated electronics and other advancements/enhancements are in a whole different ball game. As I recall, those earlier engines were carbureted and not fuel injected. It made the turbo easier to adapt with a little extra plumbing, but did not work nearly as well as with fuel injection. As for performance potential, the accepted limit for the amount of horsepower that a front drive transaxle could transmitt to the ground back then was 200 horsepower. This was basically an industry-wide limit and explained why that was the upper limit of power for fwd cars in that time frame, regardless of brand. Therefore, with the other factors involved, unless the transaxle is seriously upgraded, it's not feasible to even consider any type of high performance modification for this setup. Usually, the Turbo 3.8L V-6 in a LeSabre was paired with the F41 suspension calibration for a modest performance image of sorts, but nothing near what the later GNs were capable of. Basically, they were nice Buicks with a higher technology engine than normal that were good driving and running cars but not "hot rods". That's how I remember them when they were new. NTX5467

[color:\\"blue\\"] HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO Y'ALL TOO, MIKE AND NANCY! It's been a very nice day down here in North Texas with a clear sky and temps in the higher 60s. Although I'm not a football fan, the Cowboys did beat the Redskins this afternoon too, so that completed an upbeat day. I hope everyone has a very nice Holiday Season. Enjoy! NTX5467

If it goes in like the Buick Service Manual indicates for my '70 Skylark Custom, there will be two small holes in the divider bars that the tangs on the "monogram" will stick through. I suspect the factory manual for the '71 will also show the same details my '70 factory service manual does. There had to be some "bulletproof" way for the people in off-line assembly to put it all together back then, I suspect, or they could have been placed all over the place. For a general idea, you might check some accurate sales literature pics too and then look closely on your existing grill for the holes I mentioned. Hope this helps, NTX5467

Many times, the rates on older vehicles don't seem to decrease as it seems they should, so you might end up paying for coverage on a "new" car even if it's got a good bit of age on it. But, it could be that as the vehicle valuation decreases, the rates keep increasing so the payments stay pretty much the same. One goes up as the other goes down. No doubt, the LeSabre operates better than the Lumina (with its basically middle '80s-type design, which was good for back then). I like the way the current gen LeSabre feels to drive and handle--kind of reminds me of my '70 Skylark Custom 350 2bbl in the way it winds the gears out for part throttle acceleration. I guess you've also noticed that it takes about 82mph to get to 2000rpm on the tack in 4th gear, yet still has no lack of low end performance due to that famous Buick Torque. In short, a very nice car! Enjoy! NTX5467

As I recall, the April date was for all passenger vehicle engines for the North American market. It involved induction hardening the valve seats. Such induction hardened seats will have a blueish tint in the immediate seat area from the heat. It only goes about .003" deep so one good seat "facing" could go through it. Usually, the reason a valve "burns" is from guide wear. When the guide to valve stem clearance becomes excessive, it can result in the valve not seating squarely in the seat. This can degrade the seat itself also start some erosion of the valve edge. End result is that a flat spot on the outer circumference of the valve head begins until compression is further lost past the valve head/cylinder head interface. In previous times, it was common practice to knurl the valve guides internally. This basically puts grooves inside the existing guide to result in raised areas to make up for the wear. They can last for a good while, but a temporary fix at best. When you get the cylinder head off, it will be evident from the way the crowns of the pistons are "cleaned" or have deposits on them how much oil is coming up past the rings and getting into the combustion chamber. In prior times, it was common to pull the heads and just fix what needed to be fixed on the cylinders that needed repairs and resinstall everything. Theory was that if you "renewed" all of the valve seats it would show up the lesser capabilities of the compression rings (due to their wear). It is possible to have good compression yet had oil consumption due to poor oil ring performance. The other situation is that when the heads were torqued onto the motor when it was originally built, the head bolts exerted a particular "distortion" into the cylinder wall areas. A distortion that the rings have come to wear into over the miles. When the cylinder heads are removed and then retorqued, this distortion pattern can change and compromise the rings' performance until they once again might become acclimated to their new "circle" in the cylinder wall. Oil consumption can increase until they get re-worn-in. Some of these things are "worst case scenario" situations. The deal with fixing only what needs to be fixed and putting things back together was the main way things were done in the '70s (an later) and prior with good results. Of course, the "high dollar" was to do things is to remove the motor, find a quality machine shop, and have them do an OEM-spec or better rebuild. That would include boring the block (probably about a .030" cut to clean it up) with deck plates to simulate the heads being bolted down, line honing the main web saddles to make sure the crank is in the block "true" and will spin easily, decking the block to make sure the heads are sitting squarely on the bore as they need to be, polishing and checking the index on the crankshaft, resizing and honing the rods, checking things for cracks or defects or high wear situations--and all of that is before you even look at the cylinder heads. As for the cylinder heads, putting a new set of chrome stem valves into correctly-sized valve guides with new bronze helicoil inserts, with high quality valve stem seals (but NOT valve stem seals that will not let enough oil get into the guide for necessary long term lubrication), and a quality valve job that does not "sink" the valves into the cylinder head. Of course, the heads will neeed to be surfaced to correct any surface warpage which might have existed when they left the factory or have accumulated over time. Not to mention being checked for cracks also. Don't forget to inspect the oil pump mechanism (if it's mounted in another engine part casting) for rotor and casting wear. If it's a self-contained unit, preplacement probably is the best option. When all of that is done and the long block reassembled, the engine is ready for reinstallation. Now, for the sticky part, there are always plenty of "good" engine builders but few of these have a full complilment of machines to do all of these machining operations themselves. Many times, though, they have access to these people. Quality machine work is the backbone of any engine build procedure and poor quality machine work can ruin an otherwise and previously good engine core--regardless of how "good" this shop allegedly is. Always use and specify gaskets, rings, etc. which are AT LEAST OEM-spec quality so that you don't end up with what I call a "30,000 mile rebuild". What that means is that those less expensive gaskets and rings and such will work fine for 30,000 miles before the oil consumption and such start instead of the basically 100,000+ mile durability from the at least OEM-spec parts. In the small block Chevy engine book that Grumpy Jenkins wrote in the '80s, he stated that they used used engine cores to build their race engines. Even if they had to buy new ones, they put them in a protected place outside for them to cure further. End result, when you remachine a used engine block, the machining does not "move" as it will with a "green" casting. So, if you take a used engine in good condition and then optimize the machine work on it (with high quality machines and an operator that knows how to use them correctly), it should last longer than the original buildup did. Depending on what your financial and logistical issues might be, the least deal with just fixing what needs to be fixed (but in a high quality manner) and let the other stuff sort itself out might be the best way to do things. If there are no issues with oil pressure or lower engine sounds, then it's still probably good enough to be usable for some time yet. Other than that, you can play it by ear on the rest of the things I've mentioned and see how it goes. Plus, it's probably a lot easier to find a garage that can get a good valve and guide job performed (probably less than $1000.00 depending on what all is done and how extensively, plus labor rates) than a complete engine rebuild (where the rebuild itself could run probably $2000.00 or a little more--without any remove and installation labor). I hope this might help explain some of the various orientations and options you might have to consider. Enjoy! NTX5467

Back in the later '80s and early '90s, there were many GM cars on the "low loss" list. When you looked at what they were and the demographics of the owners, it became obvious. Basically, they were the full size station wagons (Olds, Buick) and similar sedans (LeSabre, Delta 88). This was before GM started getting all excited about their higher carlines' customers age demographics. Those people didn't drive fast, travel to unsafe areas, travel during the wee hours of the morning, and probably parked their cars in their garages when they were home. At that point in time, there seemingly were several vehicles from Buick, Olds, and maybe Cadillac on those lists. The higher volume Chevies and Pontiacs typically weren't there (except possibly the Pontiac Parisienne wagon) which had much higher "exposure" to potential loss for many reasons. GM dominated that list with their larger number of vehicle choices. At the other end of the scale was the Olds Cutlass that usually came in on the "most desired"/stolen vehicle while similar Buicks and Pontiacs might have been well down on those lists (if they were there at all). Some Hondas were on that list too as were GM Chevy/GMC C/K series light trucks. There are several ways to look at those lists too, but trying to read too much into them can lead to incorrect conclusions. Enjoy! NTX5467

I'd forgotten about the Transmission Controlled Spark. It was connected to an automatic trans high gear pressure switch that ran a vacuum chopper/bleed solenoid in the vacuum advance line between the carb and the distributor. It allowed normal vacuum to the distributor only after the trans had shifted into high gear, keeping the vacuum bled off during operation in the lower gears. A "less advanced spark" led to higher combustion chamber temps and more fully cooked the unburn hydrocarbons before they went into the exhaust manifold. On some 1970 higher model series 455s with TCS, there was an override for the vacuum advance to help keep the engine from overheating during prolonged idle time with "less advanced" vacuum advance. When the coolant got to about 220 degrees, it would put straight manifold vacuum to the vacuum advance to increase engine speed (plus fan and water pump speeds) to cool things back down. The EGR that Chrysler used initially was like a controlled vacuum bleed, except it did it with small "floor jets" in the intake manifold that fed off of the heat crossover passage. A pretty neat concept that cost little to implement and obviously worked pretty well for what it was. The floor jets let exhaust gases be drawn into the intake manifold from the heat crossover passage that went laterally under the manifold plenum area. The jet sizing would be critical as if too much came in during higher vacuum situations at idle, idle quality would suffer, but once higher rpm levels for cruise conditions were reached, the engine tolerated the extra inert gasses better. In prior times, when or if a manifold might crack to do the same thing the Chrysler floor jets did, it would be replaced, but the Chrysler situation was carefully calibrated to do what they wanted. Later, they did go to the more normal and controllable vacuum controlled EGR valve. During those higher vacuum operational modes, there would be very little back pressure in the exhaust so the jet sizing "worked". Just as with regular EGR valves, the EGR would go away at WOT with the lessened manifold vacuum. I found an SAE Transastion along about '73 or '74. It was done by an unnamed GM division on the effects of EGR on engine performance. The two engine sizes were 350 and 455. From the way it read, I suspected it would be Olds that did it, but it could have been Buick. Many graphs, dyno runs, and data. They determined that a maximum of 15% EGR should be used for best results. Also, any power loss that occurred from the introduction of the inert exhaust gasses to decrease the heat of combustion (and oxides of nitrogen production) could be regained with advanced spark timing. After all, it takes more lead to fire off a diluted charge than a clean charge. This is why that some engines clattered when their EGR valves became non-functional. NTX5467

Typically, CA spec engines would have had leaner carb jetting characteristics, distributors with an altered advance curve (less advance at lower rpms than Federal spec vehicles), initial timing would be closer to TDC than a Federal spec vehicle, and they probably most certainly had the Air Injection Reactor system (i.e., air pump). Heated air to the air cleaner was on all cars and light trucks by that time so that would be constant. EGR came into the mix a few years later. In some cases, most of the calibration changes only affected idle, low speed, and midrange rpm cruise situations with WOT typically being the same or a little richer to compensate a little for the leaner primary calibrations. The rated horsepower and torque figures are at WOT and not part throttle. Some initial throttle reponse off idle and a little more lethargic reaction to throttle input during the altered operational phases might be evident too. As the spark advance was "slower" than optimum, fuel economy could suffer a little too. Ultimate cruise fuel economy might not suffer as much as everyday fuel economy as the lesser throttle response usually results in deeper throttle movements which could put the carb into the power mixture more, further decreasing fuel economy. The 8.5 to 1 compression ratio came online with the 1971 engines and hardened valve seats happened along about April,1971. During those earlier times, the strategy was to alter existing calibrations as that was cheaper than adding equipment and running the production cost upward and later redesigns specifically for emissions reduction were not yet funded. Hope this helps, NTX5467

That's the blower control module I mentioned. When you get it out, it looks like a big finned aluminum heat sink with one transistor on one side and a circuit board on the other side, typically. Easy to change, as you mentioned. Thanks for the input, NTX5467

PolyGlas was the name that Goodyear put on their fiberglass belted bias ply tires. This construction was a hybrid which combined the beneficial zero degree belt to stabilize the tread (from the radial) with the more conventional bias ply casing. It stabilized the tread for better handling and traction and longer tread life while keeping the more conventional manufacturing machines around for a bit longer. As I mentioned, they were a transition tire. When the P-Meteric radials came online, they were lighter weight tires than the previous radials. The P-Metrics were designed to run higher pressure (35psi instead of 32psi) and do so without a severe penalty in ride smoothness and impact harshness compared to the previous radials. In those earlier times, a typical H78-15 or HR78-15 would weigh about 29-30 pounds. Now, a P225/75R-15 will probably weigh about 25 pounds. Comparing the two tires, most of the weight removal has resulted in thinner sidewall areas. Also, by my observation, the tread of the current radials is not as stiff as the earlier ones. Lean on a current unmounted radial and the tread on the flat surface will probably buckle upward from the force. With the earlier radials, the tread flattened out and didn't buckle upward, letting the sidewals take the flex as they were designed to do in earlier versions. Bias-belteds acted like the later radials did, but pure bias ply tires would let the tread buckle inward. Therefore, Willie, it doesn't surprise me that you had the results you did while using your vintage tires on a late model vehicle, with respect to ride and handling on probably dry pavement conditions. In those earlier times, using the bias ply as a baseline, the bias-belted tires rode smoother and rolled easier than the bias ply tires did, with the glass belt radials (as opposed to steel belt radials) being a little smoother with better handling due to the stiffer tread and softer sidewall that seemed to be what a radial was all about. The Michelin steel belt radials were the primo tire, with Michelin's history going back into the earlier parts of the 1900s in France. The earlier radials had "belt" issues too. You could have a car that would align and drive straight with a set of bias ply or bias-belted tires and when a new set of radials was installed, it suddenly would pull one way of the other. Alignment would be to spec, but to get them to drive straight again you had to alter the caster to make it drive straight again. This drove the alignment guys crazy and caused many bad words to be said about lower quality radial tires of any brand. When rotated, you weren't supposed to change the direction of rotation that the belt originally turned when put on the car. Now, the current radials seemingly are not nearly as crtical to live with as the earlier versions. Even the older "X" style rotation is acceptable again. Whether it's due to higher quality manufacturing techniques or what, living with modern radials is no worse than the older bias ply or bias-belted tires. Keeping the inflation pressure above the 30psi mark on cars is also something that I'd also advocate, just as with the earlier bias ply and bias-belteds. I also concur, Willie, with your remark to not use radials as a band aid fix for a suspension that needs to be freshened or rebuilt. Enjoy! NTX5467

John -- I'm not sure if there is a web-based location you can get that information from. Perhaps someone from the Reatta Forum might have some answers in that respect. Otherwise, the Buick Service Manual for that year would be the best place to look--not a Chilton, Clymer, or Motor manual--as some of those systems had different kinks and whinks from year to year. Might be a mode actuator or servo not doing as it's commanded. On the non-electronic systems, when a vacuum supply line from the engine has a problem, the default mode is floor and defroster air output. It's been a while since I looked at those earlier systems, I suspect they are a combination of vacuum and electronic control. Therefore, you might start by checking the vacuum lines and any junction tees in the a/c vacuum harness under the hood. There was a vacuum check valve with a tee built in for the cruise control vacuum feed that tended to break with age and your vehicle could have one of them. There is a blower motor control board that usually mounts in the a/c housing under the hood. It will control the blower motor speeds. On the ones for a few years later than yours, they look like a big heat sink with a transistor and a small circuit board build in (after you get it removed from the housing). When it malfunctions, the blower will not work or just work on one speed. It takes the place of the blower motor resistor on the non-automatic a/c system, but the two are not interchangeable. I don't know if those earlier systems were sensitive to the level of freon charge in the a/c system as the later model units are. If they are, that could be an issue too as the a/c compressor will run during certain heat or deforst modes to help dehumidify the output air somewhat. Hope this helps, NTX5467

Good points, Yellow Lark. Parm, the key thing to remember is that the awards are based on point totals, not specifically a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so forth ranking. As mentioned, if all cars score above the point break between gold and silver, they ALL get gold awards and similar with the two lower point groups. Such a judging system might sound a little unconventional when compared to what we might normally see at other car show events, but having the point breaks as the determining factor of which award is received gives continuity from year to year and maintains a certain level that must be obtained to receive a particular level award. This prevents cars that are not "gold level" from getting a gold award just because the nicer cars didn't show up that year, for example. It also leads into the Senior Preservation Award and maintenance thereof from year to year. There is a "method to the madness". Getting a Judges Handbook is something that everyone who considers judging and/or showing a car at the BCA National Meet (or other regional meets which use the 400 point system) needs to have a copy of. There's a lot of good information in it and it details how the BCA juding system works. Contact the BCA Office to see about obtaining your own copy. As the 2003 BCA National Meet is a non-judged meet, just as the previous Flint-hosted BCA National Meet was, everyone will have plenty of time to get a copy of the Judges Handbook and be well versed by the time the 2004 BCA National Meet comes along. Thanks for posing those questions, Parm, as you probably aren't the only one with those concerns. Enjoy! NTX5467

Thanks for verifying the "earliest model year" on that, Keith. I was hedging a little when I said it was about '68 as I didn't have a judging handbook close by. Now that you mention it, I don't recall seeing where radials were available in the early 1970s years you mentioned or that many GM cars with them back then. At that time, everyone was still leaning toward fiberglass belted bias ply tires for most vehicles. Might have been a price issue or possibly that radials were perceived to be too expensive for the added benefits when compared to the "hybrid" belted bias ply tires. Pontiac did their "Radial Tuned Suspension" in about '73 or so and that probably started the radial tire push that culminated with the new GM Spec Radials being standard equipment on all GM vehicles starting with the 1975 model year (along with catalytic converter emission systems), touted as the "GM Efficiency Package" as I recall. Enjoy! NTX5467

Radials were optional equipment as early as about '68 on Buicks and probably other GM uplevel cars. Ford was deep into Michelin as a radial tire supplier for the full size LTDs and others in '69. Chrysler kept belted bias ply tires longer than anyone although radials were an option in many cases in the early '70s, but made the Goodyear PolySteel (a.k.a. "Bigfoot") radials pretty much standard in '74 on everything. The alternative for them was the PolyGlas belted tire back then in some cases as the dealers had alignment problems with some radials they didn't have with the previous bias belted tires and declined to order radials as optional equipment as a result. As with GM and Ford, the higher level car lines had radials as standard and the smaller cars had them as options, but that changed about '74 when everyone had radials on everything. Enjoy! NTX5467

It used to be that a P/Trac differential case assembly would go in the same place as the open differential case assembly, but it seems that when we tried to put the P/Trac case in some of the car rear axles after '77 year model, the P/Trac assembly physically would not fit inside of the non-P/T axle housing. It sounded wierd, but that's what happened in our shop. Usually, this is not the case as there is typically only one axle housing center casting that accomodates both open and limited slip "guts". Also, be aware that each rear axle differential case has a specific gear ratio spread that it works with. This relates to the total build thickness of the mounting flange for the ring gear and the ring gear itself. The pinion gear is fixed as to where it is, but the total thickness of the ring gear and the mounting flange it bolts to can vary with gear ratio. The aftermarket gear vendors will add a spacer plate to their gear sets to keep the build thickness to where it needs to be, but in the OEM production end of things, the mounting flange itself is where the total thickness is changed without using a spacer to do the same thing. Therefore, you'll need to know what axle ratio you have to make sure you get the correct limited slip unit. The gear teeth combination is usually stamped on the outer edge of the ring gear. For example 30T-10T would be 30 teeth on the ring gear and 10 teeth on the pinion, for a gear ratio of 3.00. Enjoy! NTX5467

"Junk" yard radio? That wordage should say it all! What you find in the salvage yard could well be just as bad as yours is--or worse. Basically, it's guaranteed to be what it is and no more. Even if it came from a "clean" car that got totalled, it could still be worn out or will need repairs in the near future. Price might be more reasonable, but considering the chance you take there with an "unknown" commodity, that's your judgment call. Plus, you'll have to know exactly what year it came out of so you can get the dealer to unlock the TheftLock code for you. Option 2 -- find a Delco radio repair station and get the radio to them for inspection and an estimate. Might cost upwards of about $400.00 or so, but when it's fixed it'll go right back in from whence it came and work as new as it obviously had been for quite some time. Option 3 -- find an aftermarket stereo shop to put some new model whiz bang CD Stereo in there (with an appropriate adapter plate). From what I've seen, most have flashing lights and other graphics that would seem to be distracting, but obviously some people like that stuff. THEN, they'll probably want to upgrade the speakers to something they have in stock to "make it all work together" and that will handle the extra power from the new amp. Plus adding a subwoofer, possibly, for that deck lid rattling bass. Even with a good deal on the whole thing, it could run over $1000.00 or so, I suspect. Option 4 -- Get a remote mount CD player for the trunk (that runs through the radio antenna lead-in on a certain frequency of the FM band). Similar price as getting your existing unit repaired, but might be easier to orchestrate. 4 disc units used to be pretty reasonable with the 6 disc units being a little more expensive. Just some thoughts, NTX5467

I mentioned that particular business as I could find the address easily (it's in most every car magazine that deals with high performance stuff), but I also know there are other similar sites. That company seems to have been one of the first to jump off into that sort of aftermarket sales of rear axle parts. Not an endorsement by any means, just a mention as an example of what might be on the web. When dealing with the earlier GM rear axles, they certainly aren't the same even though they perform the same function. Each GM division typically had their own designs although some of the higher car line axles could be used by other divisions too. Number of bolts holding the rear cover doesn't mean nearly as much as the shape and size of the rear cover housing (i.e, "cut-out" cover, completely round, somewhat squared-off round). Ordering parts by application could be the best orientation instead of trying to describe the rear axle to some guy behind the counter that's younger than your car or has little experience in such matters. Hopefully, there might be an illustration section when dealing with the rear axle gasket in the aftermarket rear axle parts catalogs so you could use that for definitive identification. As mentioned, many of these rear axle service parts are available locally from NAPA and such. Always better to deal with someone local when you can if you don't really know what you're dealing with on the vehicle. The more popular (i.e., high volume) applications might have kits available, but the same parts for other vehicles would be available as individual items. Also, when in doubt, consult the applicable GM Buick Service Manual for correct identification of the rear axle. Enjoy! NTX5467

Citroens were very interesting and "non-conformist" vehicles, when compared to other vehicles of the '60s and such. Many advanced features ESPECIALLY for the '60s. Those 2CVs seemed to be capable of many amazing things (as chronicled in several movies) for their modest power. Very durable too, as the many rally involvements tended to indicate. Typical of French cars, huge amounts of suspension travel for dealing with poor road conditions (i.e., undulating and not traffic related) and soft seats. Suspension travel seems to be something that many of our less vintage associates seem to not fully udnerstand the reason for being necessary. I haven't kept up with what they have in the more recent years after they exited the North American market, but probably need to find one of the Euro car magazines to see what they're up to these days. Thanks, NTX5467