rocketraider

NTX- reminds me of the time around 1990 I took the blue Starfire in for state inspection and the 21 year old tech pulling it into the bay couldn't find reverse! He hollers "how do you get this car to back up?" I said "Put it in R" "Where's R? All I can find is N!" He had never seen a real PNDSLR HydraMatic. I can only imagine what a 1957 vintage Turboglide would have done to him.

Like I said- screwy ABC laws. Besides Dave- they have to catch me first! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> Been thinking about this a bit, and I'm scratching me head. If I can buy a fifth of fine Canadian liquor, and a case of Canadian beer, at the duty-free shops and bring it back into the US as long as I declare it for personal consumption at the customs station, why does the Commonwealth of PA want to fine me for bringing alcoholic beverages for me own personal consumption into their state? Are they that desperate for tax revenue? Must be, and something tells me the package stores in MD and NJ are way cheaper. We have state-run package stores down here, and there is little price and tax difference on booze between NC and VA. Groceries and convenience stores can sell beer and unfortified wine; everything else must be bought at Aunt Bessie's Cafe (or as my daddy always called it, the bootlegger's). Go in a Pizza Hut here and ask to buy a carton of beer and they would laugh you out of the place and then call an ABC officer. And Wayne, I have never owned a Buick, but if I ever do, it will have VA personalized plate "BURICK" <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />. Two of Mama's uncles had 'em, and all they ever called them was "Dynaflow Burick" or "Burick artomobile".

Yup- we stopped and gawked at the tattoo trailer like we do every year, and we brought our own refreshments up from VA 'cause Pennsylvania has such screwy ABC laws. We are used to buying beer in any convenience or grocery store, not Pizza Hut, or having to find a warehouse distributor! Kid at work moved down here from PA a couple months ago and he is stunned and amazed that he can buy his beer at Food Lion. His first day on the job, he asked where the beer distributor was, and we told him to go to a grocery store. He had this <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> look, and I said Adam, you ain't in Kansas anymore.

What you need are the factory issued 1970 Oldsmobile service manuals. Three- the Chassis Service Manual (which is being reproduced and easily available), the Fisher Body manual, and the 401 New Product Service Information Manual. The CSM and Fisher are essential. The 401 isn't but is nice to have. You might have to spend $100 or so, but they are the stuff the dealer techs used to service the cars. Search ebay- they're on there all the time. Haynes manuals are useless IMHO. If you could find an old Chilton or Motor's Professional Edition, those are way better than the Haynes but still not as thorough as the factory stuff. The Toronado Chapter OCA also had the original 1966-70 product information manuals reprinted which are what the factory used to assemble the cars. Those are still available at about $50 or so I think, and the guy who handles those sales owns a 1970 GT and knows them inside out. PM me and I'll give you his name and number. I don't really like posting them on the forums.

Someday I'll get there... We have traditionally done Spring Carlisle, but work thwarted that this year and we ended up going to the Fall show. I tried to talk the other two guys into Hershey instead but they're more familiar and comfortable with the Carlisle shows, so that's where we went. And none of us had enough vacation time left to do Pennsylvania runs two weekends in a row!

The first thing I would check, before even driving the car again, is that all fasteners are tight on the replaced parts. Also check the steering box to frame bolts, the flex joint between the steering box and the column, and the shocks. Tires are also suspect. Try rotating them front to back and see if the vibration goes away. Here's a long shot, but also check the transmission and motor mounts. If one is bad, the vibration may be transmitting to the column thru the shift linkage.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">THERE IS NO DEMAND FOR THESE CARS.</div></div> Which is one reason I like them. Makes nice examples easy to buy, and for someone like me who keeps a car forever, turning over money is not an issue. People have told me that once I buy an old car, it goes into a vacuum. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> I've had three cash offers for my 69 this summer, but I don't want to sell it. Of course that happens almost anytime it goes out. And yes, I have also had people tell me front-wheel-drive cars weren't made back then. I smile and tell them I appreciate that they think I could build such a car in a backyard garage. It's the same with Starfires. I regularly see Impalas going for $18-25k, when I can buy a way nicer Starfire (or Riv, or Grand Prix) for half that. Do you think I 'm going to turn loose of that kind of money for a Chevrolet when I can get a more desirable Olds? Again, supply and demand. Everybody thinks an Impala is the s**t. They're nice to have, but not $20k nice. But then I have also run into people selling Starfires who deal mainly in Chevys, and think nothing of asking $20k for a car with wrong paint, bad trim, no documentation and a generally shoddy restoration- same as they do with the Chevrolets. Even had one try to sell me a 63 as a "late production 62" because DMV had botched the original title when the car was new. And that is when the hammer drops... I normally won't pick a car apart, but if the situation calls for it, do it. And then I will tell them the car doesn't meet my standards and walk away. It's a shame when you have to be like that. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">His prices are too high</div></div> That was the understatement of the century. The 88 convertible quarters were even worse than the hood. Originality Plus is another one to watch out for. Their ebay prices and opening bids are ludicrous, and I never see anything they list sell. But they have outrageously positive feedback, so someone who doesn't mind being raped is buying it. Don't get me wrong. I'll pay a fair price for anything, but I'm not gonna let someone grow wealthy off me, esp since I know what these parts are realistically worth. I also know what most of these guys have paid for their NOS pieces. I've cleaned out a few dealer attics meself. The big trouble is, if one of them gets that price, that's what they'll all ask for it. I laughed in a guy's face at Carlisle last week when he told me $200 for a 1974 Oldsmobile color and fabric book that was missing the paint chips. Dream on, bubba- even Bob Johnson won't dare to ask that much for a complete one.

Keith, I think you have the wrong water control valve. Some of those things are vacuum open, some are vacuum close; most apply vacuum to close only when A/C is on. Also possible the vacuum selector valve on the control head has quit since you say you can cycle the heat lever and it'll work a few minutes. The 97 Bravada pulled this stunt last Thursday AM in Carlisle. It was working fine and then suddenly no heat, which provoked several unkind comments toward it, but it was working again that afternoon and has worked fine ever since. The Tempmatic in the wagon shat the bed a couple winters ago and stuck in full cold on a 22 degree morning. Miserable drive to work! I went to a local junkyard and scarfed up every programmer I could find. When all was said and done, I had enough good components to fix the one in the car and have 2 working spares. And got rid of the wheezing and creaking under the dash, which used to scare the bejeezus out of people unused to its antics.

I know for fact Olds and Pontiac offered reverb but the systems are also different enough that I don't know how well the Olds unit will work in your Buick. I don't think I've ever seen a Buick with one, though it stands to reason if the others had it, Buick would have too. Oldsmobile's "Reverbatone" used a fader control for front-to-rear balance and the reverb triggered off the rear speaker lead. The reverb power plugged into the radio power lead with a jumper harness and was controlled by a simple rotary on-off switch. Pontiac's "Verb-a-Phonic" used a 3-position switch to control it and you could select front speaker only w/o reverb, front and rear with reverb, or rear only w/o reverb. It triggered from the front speaker lead and had a power lead coming out the side of the radio for reverb power. We just went thru this with a buddy's Pontiacs. The 64 GP's reverb was disconnected, having had its power lead usurped to control an aftermarket power antenna. We put the corect antenna on and wired the reverb back in, and it works nicely, "boinging" every time you hit a bump. The one in the 66 Bonneville Brougham was working when he got the car so we have left it alone. My blue Starfire is a factory AM-FM reverb car. The green one has AM radio and an Archer reverb, with switch underdash and reverb unit in the trunk. I need to go under there and check it because the way it's wired in, I have no front-to-rear fader. I may eliminate it entirely, because I'm considering having the AM converted to AM-FM stereo and I don't really like having aftermarket stuff hanging off the dash.

Great pic, progoofoff! And an interesting solution to the problem. Just hope you've got everything insulated good under there. Would be a shame to set yer rug on fire. His pic shows an old Shell gas station in Winston-Salem, I believe 30s vintage styling. Am I right it's the only one left?

Yup- the General pulled the rug out from under Oldsmobile, and production will cease in 2004 or 2005, depending on how long they elect to produce the current platforms. I wouldn't count on values going higher because the Division is shut down. Some cars might, but I think you'll see values hold steady same as most other "orphaned" makes have. Your Omega is a nice car by the pics and is a fairly rare piece. You need to price it high enough that someone looking for transportation only doesn't get it and trash it, but not high enough to scare away someone with true interest in these underappreciated little Oldsmobiles, and your figures are in the ballpark for that. Try running an ad on www.442.com or www.oldspower.com. Most of the traffic there is Cutlass/442 based, but they do love Oldsmobiles on there.

If you're talking about the fuse labeled "ACCSY-PWR RLY" in the top left of the fuse block, install a 40 amp circuit breaker in there as the factory did, instead of a fuse. You can get these at an auto parts store. It will have round clips that snap into the fuse block cavity same as a fuse, and depending on mfg will have either a round or rectangular body.

The high speed runs thru a relay to keep excessive amperage from going thru the HVAC control head. The older units where everything ran thru the control head would often put on a fireworks show under the dash- not a pleasant experience! The 1, 2 and 3 speeds run power from the fuse block thru the control head and blower switch to the resistor block, controlling fan speed. When you put blower switch in high, it triggers a solenoid inside the relay which connects 12v directly from the battery to the blower motor so it can run at full speed. The high speed wire (orange/black) runs from the junction block on the firewall to the relay, and it sometimes has a short 30 amp inline fuse. That fuse is sometimes hard to get out if its rubber clip so I usually replace the whole thing with two inline 30 amp fuses wired in parallel. Sometimes I use glass cartridge fuses, sometimes a blade type fuse, either will work fine. (It's a trick I learned working on Pontiacs.) Other than the relay itself or the aforementioned fuse, I don't know of anything else that will cause high speed blower failure. Thsi is a common problem, BTW. The top motor relay is at the front of the car and serves same purpose as the hi blower relay- to keep excessive amperage from going thru the top switch. The one you see at the back of the car is to change direction of the top motor for raising or lowering the top.

Wish I'd known you were going to be there. I'd have tried to get together with you. We were there Thurs till around noon today, got home about 8PM. OCA space was not quite as active as years past due to Fochi's have a newly arrived grandchild and Ed was working the space alone. Bonnie and Laura weren't there this year- I think Ed said this is the first Carlisle Laura had ever missed since childhood. She had a good reason! Was also told that the OCA Roadshow coordinator yelped about the expense of the big East Coast meets and nixed the club porta-john. Unless things have changed drastically, $5000 was budgeted for Roadshow every year and we rarely spent more than $1000 of that. Just because they only do one-day shows out in CA, they don't have a clue about an East-Coast style swap meet. Sure missed that PortaJohn too- first time in years I've stood in line to pee at Carlisle, and spent several bux in washroom tips.

Yes. Not easy but can be done. Easiest way is go in from the front of the engine with spark plug socket on a 3/8" swivel-handled ratchet, or you can get a long extension and universal joint and go from behind the a/c. U-joints being the marvelous pieces of engineering they are, I like the swivel-handle ratchet better. You don't bust your knucks near as much.

Bob, can you say "easy revenue"? If they have a law that says they can, they will. Back in the 70s when I had the arse-end of me 66 442 up in the air with a pair of Gabriel HiJackers, we had a cop here who would write you an altered suspension ticket for 1/4" over legal bumper-to-ground height. He kept a stainless steel yardstick in the copcar and would pull us over if we so much as put the front tires on the street. Smartalecky and going broke punks that we were, we figured out that we could adapt Cadillac Automatic Level Control to our air shocks. Scarfed up every one a local junkyard had one Saturday morning and spent the afternoon rigging it up on a 69 Chevelle. Sure enough we got pulled. While Johnny Law was getting his stuff together, we dropped the Chevelle's tail with the dump valve. He measured us, scratched his head, and measured two more times. Let us go, as soon as we were moving we raised the tail up. Got pulled again about an hour later, same scenario which provoked a spiel "I doan know how you droppin' that car, but I know damn well it's over the limit!" He never did figure out our little secret weapon... And he's still out there, bugging the lowered Hondas with that yardstick. Of course they're not getting away with it as we did because it takes longer to pump up their air suspension than a pair of air shocks did.

If Ajax's experience with the 4GC is anything like mine, that is why he wants something else! Miserable, rotten POS... sometimes they are simply beyond any hope of rebuilding and working properly. One on the blue 64 Starfire gave me fits for years until I said that's it, I quit, enough. A Holley-remanufactured unit has run pretty well. Ajax, check the Holley website. They may list a remanufactured 4GC for 1956 Buick. Mine was under $200 with a warranty, and I got it thru AutoZone.

I'm just glad someone thinks enough of one of these beasts to spend this kind of time and money on it. Lotta people say "it's just a big ugly <span style="font-weight: bold">station wagon</span> " but I have a soft spot for them. I used a 76 for a daily driver for many years and it never quit until one day it developed a heavy rod knock. With nearly 200k on it, I knew it owed me no service at all. You may be able to clean the lifter valley and rod out the head drainback holes and get by. Then use a good quality oil and filter along with some Marvel Mystery Oil or Rislone for a few thousand miles and see if things improve. If not and the car is nice, go ahead and do the job right.

They were issued to long-time Olds owners by their selling dealers back in the mid 50s. You see the circle is blank and has spaces for the owner's initials and I think someway to attach a year plate to it. They will bolt right to the center screw on the inside lower windshield garnish molding on any Olds that uses it. Always thought these were neat pieces. Used to see 'em at swap meets all the time. These are the first I've seen in several years. Price? I might be interested in a couple. An aside- Oldsmobile used to also publish "Rocket Circle" magazine for its long-time owners. It was similar to the "Ford Times" magazine that FOMOCO published.

Seasand, you'll see a screw in the doorjamb up toward the top of the kickpanel extension. Remove it, then take the sill plate off, and there may also be a screw in the middle of the panel behind the parking brake pedal on some body styles. There should be enough slack in the hood cable to allow removal of the kick panel; if not go underhood and uncouple the hood release cable where the inside cable and underhood cable connect but be careful not to break the plastic coupler. Pull the kickpanel out at the bottom edge, pull it back off the doorjamb pinchweld and then pull it out of the bottom of the a-pillar inside garnish molding. Reverse to install.

Virginia passed similar legislation several years ago and it is required to be posted in all state inspection lanes. A big stink got stirred up when it was discovered that "University of Virginia Alumni" license frames were technically illegal. Governor George Allen had one on his personal car! <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> Plus the Commonwealth now has so many different license plate designs that it's hard to find a frame that doesn't cover up some of the rhetoric. Some have the validator decals at the top, some at the bottom. "Virginia" at top or bottom. Luckily the YOM or state-issued antique plates can wear almost any frame. I'm kinda partial to a simple chrome outline frame anyway, though most of the cars have an OCA frame on the back if it will fit properly. And the Bravada has a diecast "flames" frame (old hotrodders never really die <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />).

As of yesterday morning Dominion had nearly 10,000 people on storm repair- all the Progress folks headed up to Richmond/Williamsburg once their work was done in their own territory. Apparently Richmond took a real hit. Papers said ice trucks got mobbed if they appeared anywhere, and most drivers simply started throwing icebags off the truck to whoever could catch it rather than get bushwhacked. If we're lucky, this is the only one this year. Hurricane gets old real quick.

Didn't Guide lenses have the year cast into them back in those years? Something like Guidex-xxx-56? That said, I'm guessing somewhere from 54-56 going by the squared-off shape. Seems like earlier ones were more rounded in the crown area.

If you've got some electronics training and experience, and a schematic, I suppose you could do it yourself. Me- I prefer to leave stuff like this to the pros. I never saw a thing wrong with good ol' analog gages. I still trust them more than digital stuff. That may come from getting me arse scorched one too many times by faulty electronic instrumentation when driving the powerplant.