rocketraider

Wishing all of you the best of holidays, Oldsmobile or otherwise! Enjoying jazz and worldwide Christmas music on NPR while sipping a little Henry McKenna. Cat's snoozing on my shoes and the house is locked and quiet after attending Christmas Eve Mass. Family will be together at Mama's tomorrow. Hope your days are good and your holidays meaningful. BTW- we Oldsmobile folks are the only ones on the Forums who can claim the Happy "Holidays" as our own! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

You can make this using a piece of thin sheet metal. A piece out of the old turkey tray you removed should be about the right gauge metal. Speaking from experience, if you plan to drive this car in temps below 45 degrees, I wouldn't block the crossovers off completely. Maybe leave a small hole to get some heat under the carb, or just block off one side.

There is really no telling what electrical demon has got loose in there, but with the automatic door locks, I think they are supposed to lock when the gear selector hits D and unlock in P. It's probably an electronic control module has [@!#!$] the bed, and my bet is GM no longer services it. Also check the gear selector switch in the console, as well as to see if the ECM has set a code. There's a guy advertising on the Forums who repairs electronic dashes. One of the administrators stuck it down in Rants and Raves, so you have to be logged in to find it under "Advertisements for Commercial Services". And we just thought early cars with a lot of electrical gadgets were a pain. I'm scared to death of this stupid Bravada, becuse if the electrics start acting up, I won't have a clue where to turn. I'll bet there's five miles of wire in that truck! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Could be a very late production car, or the lenses could simply have been changed. The bumpers are identical, and the lenses will switch between them if you want the 71 lenses. I always thought the 71 lens was too plain and the 72 lens too busy. To me, the 71 lens would have looked better without the raised rib.

I've been looking for a nice original small-block equipped 69 Impala Sport Coupe. Sentimental reasons- my parents had one, learned to drive in it, etc. Seems like there aren't any left! I can find Custom Coupes (which I don't like) all day long. In over a year of casual web and trader magazine looking, I've found two. An SS427 car which is totally out of my price range as well as not exactly what I want, and a 327 car in California which is out of reach due to shipping. Didn't anyone save Sports Coupes? I know they had rust problems same as all GM cars of that era, but it's hard to believe there are none left.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have not posted to sell the position I take or to be loved, as much as to try to make people <span style="font-weight: bold">THINK</span> . I think Dave@Moon uses the same concept. Sometimes it actually works. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> hvs <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> </div></div> And you both do a damn fine job of it <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />. Provocateurs are a dying breed in these times of political correctness. Without them, conversation is boring. Think the Algonquin Round Table of the 20s- wit, wisdom, sarcasm and concepts. The basic elements of truly fine conversation!

Unless you just have one laying around, I think you'd be happier with a Chevy 350 or even a 283 than with the 307. It's a tough little engine and will last forever given reasonable care, but it makes something like 150 horsepower in stock form. The heads and exhaust don't really lend themselves to blowers. Small cylinders and ports. Try www.realoldspower.com for 307 performance tricks. I can almost guarantee they'll tell you to go with a Chevy engine or a 350/455 Olds, but it's worth a look.

Double check that application before you sell. That's a 69 dash in the instruction sheet, and that year vacuum trunk is different from the 65-68 parts.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Buick engines from the 1940's, probably earlier, (not sure when they started this) used pressure lubrication. On another issue, I am curious why you would never use a Fram filter. Joe </div></div> Thanks for clarification. Fram filters' internal construction is what bothers me. The end cap and outer wall are paper, glued onto the filtering media, and I've seen a couple cut open where that end cap had either bulged out or come completely loose from the element. That would allow total bypass of the filter media, ergo, no filtration. I've also seen them leak at the crimped seams, and have read two studies that showed they don't filter as effectively as other brands- high micron particle numbers, if you will. Those studies showed that AC-Delco, Motorcraft, Purolator, WIX, and AmsOil are the most effective filters available. They also gave Hastings/Casite high marks. The studies also found that most OEM filters were very good except for Mopar. I've heard rumours that Fram has two separate filter lines- one for professional trades and one for the DIY market, but that's hard to envision.

Puka is putting his car thru what the carmakers call "severe service"- lots of stop and go with only occasional high speed driving. I think I'm right that Buick still used splash lubrication in 51? Another thing to consider is does the engine have an oil filter? Anyway- I think 1500-2000 mile oil change interval is dead on for the type of driving the car gets, even considering the engine is new. My own rule of thumb is the collector cars get changed every 2000 miles (a year's driving more or less), the wagon with 273K and a carburetor also gets it every 2000. The Bravada gets it every 3000, because it's fuel injected and is driven mainly at road speed 50-75 miles a day. I've also put the old cars on Rotella 15W40 because it has higher shear strength and tends to stay on metal surfaces better than new gasoline formulations- important for engines that sometimes don't get started for a couple months. The wagon and Bravada get Havoline 10W30- again, because they are driven frequently and warmed up thoroughly. I also prefer to use AC-Delco filters on them, but with the part # consolidation they're doing, I don't know what filter I'll have to get from one oil change to the next. At least they're still making the PF24, though the PF58 the wagon used is now PF61. What surprised me is when they dropped the PF25 for Chevys. When I can no longer get an appropriate OEM filter from ACD, I'll start using Purolator or WIX, but never a Fram.

RPO W45 Rallye 350 came standard with N66 Super Stock II wheels without trim rings; however, as with all intermediate series, they could have been ordered either factory installed or dealer installed. Many dealers ordered them on the cars for a little chrome flash. The vinyl roof cover code is C08 which was NOT available w/ W45. I'm told that some Rallyes came with 15" heavy duty steel wheels and dogbowls, though I can't substantiate that. That would have been strictly a special order car. PM me for e-mail addresses of two people who would know- Bob Casey, OCA Head Judge, and Frank LaTorre, founder of the now defunct Rallye 350 Chapter OCA. Both own R350s.

Unfortunately, I have had to work so many Christmases (18 of the last 24) that it has become just another day to me. I'm at the point in seniority that I could take vacation and get it off if I wanted to, but with two young family men on the crew, I don't feel right taking Christmas away from them. (Of course, that doesn't stop them from arguing between themselves over who gets it!) That said, I'm in more of a Christmas spirit this year than I've been in some time. Even put the lights on the house this year, and all I'd done the last few years were door wreaths. Christmas cards will go out tomorrow. I remember one year my Grandma got handbags from all her children and several of the grandchildren. We gave them to Goodwill the year she died at age 97.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">By the way, Saturn IS a different kind of car company. Maybe if Oldsmobile had been, THEY would be around instead. </div></div> Oldsmobile WAS a different kind of car company until GM neutered it by establishing "brand marketing groups" in place of separate Divisions with some autonomy. They were known as the engineering and experimental Division of GM. Their engineering staff was second to none, and luring an engineer away from Oldsmobile was considered quite a coup by the other Divisions and carmakers. GM would have done better to have invested the engineering and styling money that was put into the Saturn startup in their existing product. They had the talent and ability to build great cars. The bean counters strangled any of that, and the company produced boring, mediocre cars to their ultimate peril. I'm convinced someone on 14th floor realised that Saturn could not be successfully introduced without eliminating another Division, and Oldsmobile became the sacrificial lamb. You cannot convince me it wasn't done intentionally.

The seats are identical for all 1965 A-body cars. But since you ordered them for an Oldsmobile, tell them you want Oldsmobile pattern seat covers. Does the car have Bowties on it? No, it has Rockets. Make 'em correct their screwup and tell 'em you want the same deal on the correct Olds pattern stuff because of the delay involved in getting the right stuff.

Have you tried having the original recored? It should be a fairly common size core and a good radiator shop can do the job in a day or less.

Seymour Coatings used to have the correct color "Buick/Olds Turquoise" but I'm not sure if they still stock it. An alternative is to find a body and paint supply that can custom mix you a spray bomb. If they don't have the color formula, they can usually scan and computer match it to a sample from the car. For the record, the 75-80 turquoise is different from the 70-74 Olds Engine Metallic Blue.

Andreas, check your private messages. Click "My Home" box at top of page, then "Received Private Messages". Hopefully we can help find those parts for your nice 1955 Holiday. Very unusual to see one in single color. Most were two-toned.

It's aftermarket. They offered the J2 3x2 option on 1957-58 371s, and I've heard rumours early 1959, but otherwise 394 were all single 2-barrel or single 4-barrel Rochester carbureted engines. I think there's enough difference in 371 and 394 that the J-2 won't work on 394, but I may be wrong on that. Back in the day though, the Rocket engine was a popular hotrod swap and had a lot of aftermarket high-performance support. I'd guess you have an early Edelbrock, Offenhauser or Edmunds intake.

Coupes are 209.6", sedans are 215.2" and wagons are 219.9". Straight from 1976 Chassis Service manual.

or rotten cabbage-ey... <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> The Pontiac brand has been in decline because it hasn't been properly nourished over the years with exciting products. But we're out to fix that.</div></div> What a shame the Corporation couldn't have seen that with Oldsmobile. I will believe till my dying day that what was done to Oldsmobile was contrived and intentional, and I blame Roger Smith and his Saturn for it. I repeat, the man should have served prison time.

Had a good dusting of it here Wednesday night, and the Friday paper's lead story was a picture of a 4wd Tahoe upside down in the ditch. Witness said "he was having a hard time in the stuff just before he wrecked". Probably still had it in 2H. It'll be interesting to see how this AWD Smart Trak Bravada does in the stuff. Not that I want any to try it out in, you understand. Wayne, I work with a guy who puts on long johns if the temp drops to 60 degrees. Skyking, two winters ago Sears had a snowblower on display. Lot of people got a big laugh off it, since we rarely get enough snow to use one. But do you know that somebody bought the thing?

Tom, have you tried on 442.com ? Their forum is open again, and seems that's the best place for 68-72 information.

Only every day I'm at work... Some of the young ones around there have the same idea that they can take a powerplant curriculum at any of the several trade schools that offer them, and then come in and tell me what's what about the place. I say, fine, go out and learn the place and then come back and tell me not only how it works, but what you've learned to make your life out here easier. Then, two months later, not only can they not tell me how it works, they can't even tell me where major equipment and systems are located. And they do everything the hard way. I've got one right now that graduated from a trade school with honors, and the boy still cannot tell me the principles of how the ash conveying systems work and what will happen if he does something out of sequence. He started work in August, and he's enrolled in the company's own basic operations training course right now. Being the resident dinosaur and unofficial new hire trainer, I find that I am often the only one in the work group who remembers the original design specs and why the component was installed. The young bucks are totally lost on pneumatic control systems since all they're taught now is electronics. For some odd reason, they have trouble accepting that they HAVE to go out and trace pipe-and-valve arrangements- they want everything in a procedure, in black and white, detailing where everything is so all they have to do is walk directly to it. I often tell them I can teach them everything I know in 15 minutes. They're finding out it takes much longer than that. I also don't give up all my secrets about the place. They can learn their tricks of the trade same as I did. What was the old saw about age and treachery always overcoming youth and skill? <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> Thankfully I'm not really like that. Few weeks back, I saw a couple of young hotrodders I know in a parking lot with the hood up on another kid's ricerocket. Stopped to talk and see if there was trouble, since I keep a toolbox in the wagon. The owner of the ricerocket (who I didn't know) immediately got an attitude about the old guy in the station wagon who couldn't possibly know anything about fast cars. The ones I knew then asked him if he held an IHRA class record. "No." "He does. Reckon he knows anything about fast cars?" I laughed and excused myself, telling them that if they needed any tools or help, I'd be inside Sheetz.

Like most Yahoo! stuff, the link won't let us in without a password. Anyway- glad the Omega found a good home, and if you would do me and the other OCA Forum participants a favor, make sure the new owners know about the OCA and AACA.