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Everything posted by Matt Harwood
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What kind of fittings are they? Single flare is pretty common in pre-war cars. If they're not sealing, you can get little copper washers that will provide the crush surface and should conform to the shape of the fitting, even it it's a bit deformed and damaged. If they're standard compression fittings with ferrules, you can get new ferrules that should fit and as long as you're using new tubing, they should seal. Stainless can often be difficult to seal properly but if you work with it a bit and get it seated properly, it should be OK. Do NOT use any kind of goop in compression fittings, it should not be necessary and probably won't be effective anyway. The threads have nothing to do with the sealing process, it's all on the seat or the tubing.
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I'd be thrilled just to have a part I wouldn't ordinarily have been able to acquire. $35? Meh. I'd spike the football and call it a win.
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1974 Dodge Charger Rallye Hardtop 4-Speed Project
Matt Harwood replied to alsancle's topic in "Not Mine" Automobiles For Sale
BaT is technically just advertising, not a real auction. Nothing is truly binding. Yes, when you list a car there you acknowledge that you'll honor the high bid and if you're a buyer, you pinkie swear that you'll pay if you're the high bidder, but I doubt any of it has any teeth beyond BaT being able to take their 5% from your credit card. Deals that fall through, depending on the party responsible, either result in being banned from BaT (seller) or being banned and your 5% buyer's premium is not refunded (if you're the buyer). It's not really a major punishment, but as far as I know, that's all BaT can do. The seller in the case of this Dodge looks like a first-timer with no history, so being banned isn't going to hurt him. BaT will refund the 5% buyer's premium to the buyer who got stiffed and that'll be the end of it. I'll wager that Dodge will show up on the market with a price tag somewhat greater than the final $6800 bid. I occasionally get E-mails that a car I was watching has been re-listed because the buyer refused to complete the transaction. BaT will re-list the car at no charge and does a decent job of pointing out that the prior buyer backed out, they kept his money and banned him, and it wasn't any fault of the car or the seller. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't. My experience says that once a car is marked sold and then quickly comes back on the market, potential bidders assume that the first buyer saw it and ran away, so bidding may be depressed. In this case, there's no real penalty for ignoring the result of a BaT auction and there may be some upside if he can find someone else willing to pay more for the Dodge. The buyer, well, he simply doesn't get a car he might have wanted, which happens all the time in the real world. Another case of a seller expecting his audience to be stupid and being reminded that they aren't. -
1974 Dodge Charger Rallye Hardtop 4-Speed Project
Matt Harwood replied to alsancle's topic in "Not Mine" Automobiles For Sale
Ostensibly sold for $6800. But wait! There's more! Apparently the seller is refusing to cut it loose at that price. He obviously expected more. I doubt we'll ever hear how it is resolved, but as predicted, the seller's lack of participation in the discussion combined with the crappy photos and the car's lackluster condition seem to have given us a predictably low sale figure. This one left a bad taste in everyone's mouth. -
1932 Marmon Sixteen by Waterhouse *SOLD*
Matt Harwood replied to Matt Harwood's topic in Automobiles and Parts - Buy/Sell
Well, as much as I've enjoyed this one, it is on its way to a new owner. It sold for a market-correct price and I'm sure it will be seen at a lot of new shows since it's moving to a new region of the country. I'm sure going to miss it. I was making some operating instructions for the new owner and recommended some new tires. I made a mock-up showing it with blackwalls to show the new owner what it might look like, should he want to start shopping for tires. I should have done this years ago: -
It's unfortunate that this photo can't convey the amount of work that was required to reach this point: Water pump and generator are back in place. To get to this point, I had to reunite the generator and water pump on the bench, which was pretty easy. The fiber disc between them was a bit of a fight, but it eventually relented and it was a solid assembly once again. Then I had to get it back into the car, which is easier said than done. You might recall that last time I did this, I didn't have a hood or fenders or sidemounts or fuel pump or fuel lines to contend with. Well, this time it was a bit of a challenge. I first tried bench pressing the assembly up into place from below, but could not both hold it in place and rotate the generator so that it would align with the drive spur. So I called Melanie to come to the shop for an assist and we used the cherry picker to pull it up into place. She raised it up and I guided it into position. That took about two hours and still required a lot of muscle, so once it was secured we went home. I'll finish it up tomorrow by reinstalling the manifolds and oil cooler lines. While the generator was on the workbench, I noticed this little knob on the regulator for the first time. I have no idea what it does. It's clearly meant to be turned by hand since it's knurled. Could it adjust the generator's output? The manual makes no mention of it. Thoughts? What do you think this knob does?
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1941 Cadillac Series 61 - $24,500
Matt Harwood replied to Leif in Calif's topic in "Not Mine" Automobiles For Sale
That's... actually a really good deal. -
My father and I essentially joined the hobby at the same time. In 1973, we were driving to the hardware store to get something or other when we spotted a big tent in the town square. We went in and it was a car auction. A 1934 Ford sedan rolled onto the block and for reasons he still can't really explain, my father put his hand in the air and bought it. We joined the hobby together at that moment. Literally moments after the purchase of the '34 Ford. My father posing proudly with it shortly thereafter. I'm in the front seat (red hat). Did my father influence what I own? Well, kinda. We did a lot of club events and many of them were with the VMCCA, which allowed all sorts of cars. The ones that spoke to me loudest were the big Full Classics. I yearned to own something with a big engine and wide whitewalls and sidemounts, but alas, my father seemed to like quantity over quality. We owned something like 12 cars at one time, but they were all mediocre. 1925 Buick, 1930 Model A, the 1934 Ford, two 1941 Buick Supers, a 1966 Cadillac convertible. But never a Full Classic like I really wanted. So when it was time to buy something for myself, I bought a 1941 Buick Century, which, of course, is still in pieces because life keeps getting in the way. I knew the '41 Buicks were reliable, well-made cars because my father drove his '41 Super coupe to work daily in the 1980s. Winter, summer, whatever, he drove that car as a regular car for YEARS. When I wanted an old car, that's where I started. Eventually, though, I wanted something to use and that's where I started to move away from my father. By the time I bought my 1929 Cadillac, he had liquidated his entire collection and looked back at his time with old cars with a mixture of weariness and contempt. Being stranded was SOP with our old cars, and I think it made him bitter. He understood the way things worked, but his practical abilities were often lacking and the cars were never reliable (except that '41 Buick, which he had serviced like a modern car by a professional shop in downtown Cleveland--is there a lesson to be learned there?). I think all those times we were stranded and I watched my father lose his mind made me realize that I had to do better. I have a reputation for owning cars that just work, and I'm very proud of that. I don't want to get stranded ever again. I only wish I had the talents back then that I have now so I could have improved my father's cars to the point where he could enjoy them without worries. Anyway, I finally got the 12-cylinder Full Classic that I always wanted and it looks very much like that first '34 Ford sedan that he bought 50 years ago. I'm glad to be able to share it with him, even though he's not able to drive any longer. He still thinks I'm a fool for driving it long distances without a back-up or a trailer, but I also think he's proud of the results. I hope we can enjoy my cars together for some time (he's 86) and I make the effort to see him often. Melanie just lost her dad, and I can't imagine what I'll do when that day comes for me. And if anyone has a 1934 Ford Deluxe sedan, preferably in maroon, I'd kind of like to have one...
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1974 Dodge Charger Rallye Hardtop 4-Speed Project
Matt Harwood replied to alsancle's topic in "Not Mine" Automobiles For Sale
There's certainly a premium to be paid for a manual transmission, but I find that it isn't as significant as it used to be and probably not 40%. A lot of these guys are getting old and prefer an automatic. There's a reason the Corvette only comes with an automatic--they know their clientele, which probably overlaps quite a bit with the buyers for this Dodge. And we frequently hear comments like, "If it only had [transmission opposite of what is in it], I'd buy it!" A/C is a nice bonus but since it's so rare for an old car's A/C system to be operational (I'd say less than 10% of them actually work) that its appeal becomes more in terms of scarcity than value. It makes the car more attractive but I'm not sure there's much of a premium for it unless it's 100% operational. I wish I had a dollar for every time I asked a seller if the A/C worked and he said, "You know, I never tried it." Yeah, sure. That means it's broken. They're ALL broken. I try to price the cars as if they don't have A/C and let the next guy figure it out (which he won't). I think this auction will struggle. It's an abused, neglected, smog-era car. The photos are horrible and the undercarriage shots don't show you much so you can't see just how rusty this car is (probably very). It's only a 400, not a 440, and those fuselage styling cars still live in the shadow of their older siblings. If the seller is REALLY engaging and part of the discussion then he might do OK, but if he's absent it's going to wither on the vine. But hey, it does have a nice dash pad, so you won't have to replace that and I like that the description specifically calls out the alligator air freshener like that's some kind of bonus. Nice work there, BaT! On the other hand, maybe someone does something crazy and pays a fortune for it. I've seen more than one auction go way over a sensible number because the peanut gallery made the car seem like a smarter buy than it was. It happens all the time. Auctions are fun because they're so unpredictable. The recent sale of my Marmon engine shocked the hell out of me. But a manual transmission and a console do not add as much as they used to. Maybe 20% these days. Remember there's still only one buyer for any car. -
And my 2021 Buick will do everything better than your 1950 Buick. What's your point? As much as I like Buicks, I know a Buick ain't a Duesenberg.
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1930 Cadillac LaSalle - $69,900
Matt Harwood replied to Leif in Calif's topic in "Not Mine" Automobiles For Sale
Brown. Why is it always brown? -
SOLD! Great result on BaT.
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1940 LaSalle 52 Special - $26,600
Matt Harwood replied to Leif in Calif's topic in "Not Mine" Automobiles For Sale
Race car! Race car! Race car! -
AJ, if someone like Mullin decided not to make it run (or couldn't), perhaps that's all you need to know about it...
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I saw a brief video of cars lined up waiting to get into the Amelia show and thought I saw Ed's unrestored Buick convertible. Is it there? https://www.youtube.com/shorts/huQmQqbRf8E
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Installed fresh packing in the water pump. I'm fortunate that the Lincoln uses the same 5/8" water pump shaft as a Ford Model A, which means I can use these wonderful little graphite rings that are already pre-cut and ready to install. I slid one into place, snugged down the packing nut, then removed the nut and did the same with the second and third rings. I'd hoped that I could get four rings in there, but the threads wouldn't grab so three it is. Yes, don't worry, I clocked them so the gaps were 180 degrees apart. These nice little graphite rings sure make re-packing a water pump easy. Once I had it re-packed, I went to reunite it with the generator and realized that the water pump paint is pretty beat up. Some of that is from removing it and some is just from all the work I did trying to fix that leak and re-pack it when it was still on the car. So I decided to repaint it. A little masking, some primer, and it was ready for a few coats of gloss black. Unfortunately, this also meant that I wasn't going to get it reassembled today. Primed and painted the water pump so it will look its best back in the car. Since I was still feeling ambitious, I made some gaskets for the water manifold and oil cooler lines. Eventually, I think I might try to modify the oil cooler lines and actually install an air-to-oil cooler up in the front of the car rather than the loop that goes through the water pump. Maybe keeping the oil at a lower temperature will bolster my oil pressure. But that's a project for another day. For now, I just made gaskets to put it back to stock. New gaskets ready to go. I've probably made these seven gaskets about nine times during my time with this Lincoln. I'll finish the water pump job later this week and get the Lincoln back on the road. I have a few other things to do in preparation for driving season, including an oil change and some clean-up under the car. And the Buick has a few needs, too. Guess I need to get busy...
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The need for tubes depends on the wheel more the the tire. If the wheel is air-tight then you can probably eliminate the tubes. I run tubeless radials on my '41 Buick and when I put new tires on my '41 Cadillac, I also skipped the tubes. Either radial or bias-ply can go tubeless--it's one less failure point. Whenever possible, I try to eliminate the tubes as long as it's safe to do so. I'm working on a way of sealing the wire wheels on my wife's '56 Chrysler so I can ditch the tubes, which have been the cause of three flat tires.
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I think the better question is whether it's desirable to you. It's status or general "desirability" should be irrelevant if you like the car. Do you like it enough to own it? Then that's your answer. Ousider opinions on desirability are irrelevant. Obviously I'm a fan of Buicks and had a '32 that was a great driver. I think a 60-series would be a good choice for touring. It's probably a 50-55 MPH car and as others have said, it's going to be the only one at just about any show. Parts are not plentiful but it's not like it's a one-off so most of what you need should be available with some searching. A parts car is a BIG plus. I think the Buick and LaSalle will have similar performance and road manners. Values will be a push and I'm not sure Full Classic status adds much at this end of the scale, although a roadster is arguably more desirable than a convertible coupe. It will likely come down to condition when you're finished. But at the same time, if making money and getting a profit out of it is the goal, I'd recommend about thirty other things to buy before an antique car. My advice is this: buy the one that appeals to you the most. It's the only right way to buy a collector car.
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Well, it's March and I've been slacking all winter. No car projects, no home remodeling, just taking it easy for a while. Actually, the main reason I haven't done anything is because I have to replace the packing in the Lincoln's water pump to stop that persistent leak, and I knew that job would SUCK. Procrastination time is over, time to get busy. I fired up the Lincoln and it started without much drama. A little more cranking than I expected, but it's been dormant since November. But it ran properly and I pulled it into the back of the shop and put it in the air on jack stands. First thing I did was drain all 7 gallons of coolant, which was easy thanks to the drain on the bottom of the water pump, which is the lowest point in the cooling system. Second thing I did was start loosening the oil cooler lines while it was draining. With hindsight, I know this is a mistake. Oil dribbled out of the lines and into the fresh, clean coolant in the pan. So I guess I'll buy some fresh coolant and No-Rosion and refill it with fresh stuff. Idiot. I honestly did not expect there to be oil in the lines. It contaminated the coolant. I'm so stupid. Then I removed the coolant manifold that feeds the engine blocks as well as the lower radiator hose, being careful to leave the sleeve on the water pump intact--I fixed that leak with gasket shellac and I don't want to deal with it again. Once I had all the extraneous stuff out of the way, I loosened the three nuts holding the generator in place and reverse bench-pressed the assembly out of the car--it must weigh 70 pounds! Generator and water pump removed. With the assembly on the bench, I removed the two bolts holding the water pump to the generator, then I removed the fiber disc on the drive shaft and pulled the water pump off the generator. They came apart remarkably easily. Water pump came apart surprisingly easily. With the water pump by itself, I could tap out the woodruff key on the shaft (which promptly shot off into orbit but I was VERY lucky to find it), then remove the packing nut. I cleaned everything up and hooked up my drill to the shaft using some heater hose and used a Scotch-Brite pad to clean up the shaft a bit. I'm not 100% satisfied with the results, but I'm not sure I want to use anything more aggressive like sandpaper. It's a bit pitted for some reason Water pump shaft is a bit pitted. Do I go more aggressive to try to clean it up? And note the woodruff key slot--I was lucky to find the key when it vanished as I was tapping it out. Anyway, the whole reason I'm doing this is because I had to replace the packing, which I couldn't do with the pump in the car. There just wasn't enough room to slide those little graphite rings in there. This puzzled me because we were able to do it successfully in the past. You might recall that Melanie actually coaxed the packing in there back when we first got the car. Melanie was able to install fresh packing--why won't it fit now? I pulled out my box of water pump parts and had a look at the original water pump packing nut--sure enough, it's considerably shorter. New packing nut (left) is a lot larger than the original (right). It seems they made a new packing nut when they rebuilt the water pump and didn't use the original as a guide. Not only is it longer, it takes a 1-1/16" wrench where the original is only 1". And that explains why I could never back it off far enough to get the packing in there. That's why I couldn't get any packing in there. So this is a lot of words to say I took the thing apart and found a mistake that made it impossible to replace the packing in the car. At the moment, I'm planning on using the original nut when I put it back together which will hopefully allow me to install fresh packing in the future without removing the water pump. My only concern is that the original nut is a bit beat up and doesn't fit quite as snugly to the shaft--the tolerances on the new nut are a little tighter. I think with packing in there, it will be a non-issue. All I need now is a 1-inch water pump wrench. I have a 1-1/16 wrench for that new nut, but, of course, it won't work with the original nut. Off to eBay... Tomorrow I'll install fresh packing, put everything back together, and we'll see if the leak is fixed. I'll have to wait a few days for my No-Rosion and anti-freeze to arrive, but hopefully all the leaks will be solved. Then I can move on to the little projects that will be more enjoyable.
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Sounds like a complex solution in search of a problem.
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This is the oldest trick in the book. Deposit a bogus check and send the "shipping company" the overage to cover shipping costs, plus a little extra for you for your time. Pffft.