rocketraider

Tony, in a wagon, I'd be inclined to ditch the 307 and get a Jasper, Interstate, etc remanufactured 403 long block and stick in there. It'll drop in on the same mounts and all the 307 auxiliaries, emission equipment and carb will bolt on. Olds 260-307-330-350-403 engines are the same engine family. Paint it black and nobody will be able to tell it's not a 307. I think you'd come out ahead financially and would have a warranty to boot. I had an 81 Pontiac Safari 307 OD car, and while it was a dependable engine and got 24 mpg, hauling that 4000 lb wagon around worked it to death especially if it went thru mountains.

I suspect the people who wouldn't pay over $2200 are thinking its a Cutlass. It's a 442. It's a rare piece, even though it's not a real street killer like the 64-74 cars. If it's nice like you say, and still has its original drivetrain, (VIN code 9 307, if it has a Y engine code in VIN it's not a 442) I don't think $2700 is outrageous for it. I see GTs with that mileage go for $4000+ regularly, and those aren't factory built cars. If you like the car and it's got a good body and mechanics, get it. The hell with what everyone else thinks.

Dang, Bruce- I had forgot Chevy had a whole series of "Classic" cars in the 70s and 80s. In addition to the Caprice they made "Malibu Classics", "Nova Concours Classics" (now there's one to set the CCCA on its ear) and I'm almost sure there was some Monte Carlo Classic variant too. And then Oldsmobile made "Cutlass Supreme Classics" in 1988. Didn't Chrysler hang "Classic" on some of their downsized Gran Furys too? Ah, the 1980s... a time of excess and big hair <span style="font-weight: bold">Greg Everett</span> - join the group. We're not all crusty old coots like you would infer from reading some of our posts. AACA is made up of many fine people who have a common goal and interest of preserving and restoring old iron, whether it be classic, mundane, or motor scooter. We just like to run off at the mouth sometimes . <span style="font-weight: bold">Bill Thomas</span> - no offense taken by anyone here. We're all used to Pete- just don't get him started on Britney Spears . Sounds like you're creating a neat website. There'll be people here who'll help. I'd love to send you some pics of my 64 Oldses, but I don't currently have the capability to post pics anywhere.

Olds chrome valve covers are available aftermarket, but all I've seen are based on the 1965-67 425 ci design which has the PCV valve and breather cap holes toward the ends of the cover instead of in the middle as 1968-later are. PCV valve would be no big deal, but you'd have to create some plumbing to connect the breather cap to the aircleaner. Try Jeg's or Summit. These engines are common enough that you could find a junkyard set and have 'em plated. They'd last longer than the aftermarket Taiwan chrome anyway. Every set of those I ever bought started to rust after a couple years. As hateful as 307s are to r&r valve covers or even to get at them, you want plating that will hold up.

Try www.kanter.com . Not always the least expensive, but they list new wheel cylinders for 1936-60 Buick in the catalog and website.

Hmmm-mmm... we have Rambler "Classics" from the 1960s, 1961 Oldsmobile "Classic Ninety Eights" - <span style="font-weight: bold">HAY!</span> it's not only us unenlightened car owners who make the mistake. Even the carmakers got in on it!

1952. Option M2, "Self-winding Steering Wheel Mounted Car Watch" was designed to get rid of problems with electrically self-winding clocks, which typically quit after a couple years in the car once the points in them corroded a little or the works gummed up from dust. It mounted in the bottom spoke of the horn ring which, along with Deluxe steering wheel and turn signal lever, were specific to the option. Turning the wheel would wind the clock, kinda like a self-winding wristwatch, and it would supposedly run for eight days without winding. If the steering wheel clock option was ordered, the clock nacelle on the dash was typically used to mount a compass. It's a neat piece to have. Olds went back to dash-mounted electric clocks in 1953.

You can get rubber fuel line and proper GM-style spring clamps at any auto parts store. If you need new metal lines, try www.inlinetube.com . Or you could just buy steel tubing at the auto parts store and bend and flare it to fit.

Streets, right now the best I can do is tell you that 1966-67 use one part number, and 1968-70 use another. The pics in the 67 and 68 manuals don't offer much to distinguish them, but the 66-67 looks like it's more squared off at the bottom. Being as the cars are pretty much the same under the sheetmetal 1966-70, I'll say it <span style="font-style: italic">should</span> fit. Check to make sure the bolt holes are in the same locations. There's a note in the 67 manual that says the shroud is used only on A/C and HD cooling cars, so if you ain't got all that, you can probably get away with not using it. But then again, you are in AZ.

What year car?

"Chinqua-Penn", the Jeff & Betsy Penn estate in Reidsville NC, had Mrs. Betsy Schoellkopf Penn's 1960 Fleetwood Seventy-Five formal sedan that was getting in much the same shape. When I started volunteer work there in 1995, one of my first projects was to clean up the Cadillac to at least get the sap and mold off it. Eventually several Greensboro area AACA members took it on and repainted it. Not a show winning job, but presentable and at least preserved it for a few more years. Unfortunately, Chinqua-Penn has closed again due to lack of funding (and I suspect some mismanagement) so neither the mansion, the worldwide antique and treasure collections, nor the Cadillac will be shared with the public again in the foreseeable future. From past posts, I know a lot of DFers absolutely disdain volunteer work, but AACA folks can help these estates preserve the transportation. Don't wait for them to ask for help. Get a bunch of yourselves together and ask them how you can help with the cars. If nothing else, wash them once in a while. Besides, you can take a tax deduction for your volunteer time and donations if the foundations are set up properly. Betsy Penn was the heir to the Niagara Falls Power Company fortune and Jeff Penn was The American Tobacco Company's magnate. They built the house in 1925 and furnished it with antique collections from their world travels. Of all places to see a bit of the house interior, rent the Frank Langella version of "Lolita". It was filmed at Chinqua-Penn, though things were, of course, altered for the movie set.

You might find that a built 350 will do closer to what you want than a 403. You're really limited to head choices on a 403 unless you're ready to pay the machine shop to open up 350 head bolt holes to work on a 403 block. May have trouble finding high compression pistons for it too, though you could always go the blower route with low comp slugs. The 403 is a little torquier and has the 50+ extra cubes. Think I'd told you earlier- 260-307-330-350-403 are the Olds small-block engine family. Meaning- all those engines fit in the car the same, use the same accessory brackets, exhaust etc. It would be the simplest way to do this and most people couldn't tell the original engine was no longer in there. You can get a stock rebuilt 403 thru most chain auto parts stores which would be a good start. Very mild cam of course, but that's easily fixed. You may even be able to find a rebuilder who'll put a little hotter stick in it. The advantage of these engines over one you do yourself or one your buddy or uncle or whoever builds is that it has a warranty. If it quits, you come out ahead. If you build it and it quits, well, you might get some cash back on parts but you're totally out your labor and time. Also- key to remember here. A 200-4R transmission will keel over dead soon behind a big-block or built SBO. You'll need to beef up the tranny or convert to a Turbo 350, which won't work too well with Lightning Rods.

It can be done by unbolting the motor mounts and jacking the engine up high enough to remove the oil pan. Then you can drop the oil pump (replace it while you're into it that far) and the rear main bearing cap. Factory issue was a rope seal, but a lot of guys are using neoprene seals for Ford 460 engines with good results. Any more, I find it about as easy to yank the engine as to go thru all this underneath the car. If the rear main is leaking, odds are the rest of the seals are getting close to letting go too. Ask me again in a few months when I decide to replace the rear main on a 64 394!

Well, Brian- for those of us who like these cars, that spells an advantage. We don't pay as much for our overlooked treasures as the midsize guys have to, and we can go just as fast and look WAY <img src="/ubbthreads/images/icons/cool.gif" alt="" /> er doing it! Agreed that 65, and to a lesser extent, 1962 and 1969, were the pinnacle years of GM styling. I'll even hazard a thought that 1973 styling was generally good, in spite of the federal bumpers. The cars still had identity. You'd love the T-shirt that the DC Metro Chapter BCA did for their 1999 BOP show- red 67 Wildcat, white 66 Starfire and blue 66 GP. I've had people literally try to buy mine off my back. Cory Correll outdid himself on that one. Lot of people said the one he designed for the 1995 Olds National in NC was his best, but the 1999 BOP ranks right up there with it.

If you don't already own one, I suggest getting a 1959 factory Buick shop manual. It will explain how to R&R the clock as well as all other service procedures. There's a nice one on e-bay right now that opens at $30.00 and hasn't attracted any bids even at that reasonable price. Approximately 20 hours left on the auction which gives you time to register. Search "1959 Buick" or "59 Buick" to find them. I bought the first manuals the guy auctioned on e-bay and was well pleased with them and the overall transaction. There's also a 59 body manual auction running too. The pair would be a great start to a service literature collection and they display well with the car.

You can try the <span style="font-style: italic">Old Cars Price Guide</span> or the NADA older car value book to start. Banks often have them. It's hard to say what a Ninety Eight is worth. I've seen nice ones go for anywhere from $800 to $7000. Their market is limited, but more and more Olds hobbyists are looking for them as a big, comfortable travel car that can also pull a car and trailer if needed. You'll also see them on the OCA National Meet showfields, often in pristine original condition. And then there's an element that sees them only as a source for a 455 to be transplanted into a Cutlass <img src="/ubbthreads/images/icons/frown.gif" alt="" /> - and with a 60k mile engine, you're going to attract some of them. Even worse are the folks who want them for a demo derby <img src="/ubbthreads/images/icons/shocked.gif" alt="" /> . You need to price the car high enough to discourage them. Post the color and interior, and options, and see what kind of response you get here. I'm a sucker for a nice Ninety Eight myself, but having just bought another Starfire, and also getting the Pace Car ready to go in the paint shop, I do not dare even look at it.

Actually five screws holding them on from the back side. EZ way to ID is the center cap goes all the way to the lugnut area. Snap-ins set on a protruding part of the wheel.

In no particular order... 1951-52 Roadmaster (three uncles had them at the same time- my dad was the rebel with the 1953 Ninety Eight) all 1961-64 big cars 1959 LeSabre/Invicta flat-top- a more dramatic car , GM never produced. Looked like it was ready to launch for the stratosphere and points beyond...

Is the lettering block or script? that'll help us narrow it down.

Victory John- was that something like a Ch-ch-ch-Chia Pet?

Have you checked all the wheel cylinders and return springs to make sure they're working? And is it all four wheels locking or just one? Also a possibility a rubber brake hose has collapsed internally and isn't letting the fluid return to the master cylinder. Maybe some rust or crud built up in the steel lines? I'd try flushing the whole system just to eliminate the hydraulics as a problem. Then- even though it'll mean a hard stop with a heavy car- try disconnecting and plugging the booster vacuum source and then make the same kind of stop that locks the wheels. If it doesn't happen, then you know it's booster related. I assume 1962 Buick uses the same Bendix or Moraine power boosters as Oldsmobile, and the 1961-2 Oldsmobile manuals have rebuild and troubleshooting procedures for both.

Some late 60s GM cars have a small gage ground wire from the battery (-) post to the fender that if not connected, will make one do all grades of weird things including not starting. Others have this small gage wire run from the engine block ground point to the frame. If the heavy battery (-) cable is connected properly at both the battery post and the engine block, and there is a small wire at the terminal that is not connected to anything, then connect it to the fender and see if the car will start. This applies to the (-) side only, <span style="font-weight: bold">do not connect any wire from the battery (+) directly to ground</span> unless you want arcs and sparks- and not KMatthews, it sounds like someone either tried to steal your battery or decided to have some "fun" with you. If you're not completely sure what has happened here or how to repair it, consult a mechanic. It would be cheaper than an electrical fire.

Gross horsepower probably is, even with the post-1970 lowered compression ratios. The 225 hp figure is <span style="font-weight: bold">net</span> horsepower, measured at the transmission with all auxiliary equipment (PS, A/C, alternator etc) installed and running. The carmakers started measuring it as net in 1971, partially to appease the Feds and insurance companies who were trying to lobby and price high performance out of existence. Believe the SAE also had some input, trying to give drivers a more real-world view of what their engines were actually doing.

It was after the cheap seats started coming apart about 2 years into ownership. Car was a tuff li'l POS mechanically, but it was what it was- a cheap car. 12" wheels and all. But it got nearly 40 mpg and carried him thru four years of college and then some. And granted- a college kid is kinda rough on a vehicle, seeing as how most of them use their cars for storage if not nearly live out of them.

Glad the SMS link worked for you . I posted it and had wondered if they had the 56 Buick yardage. I figured they would, since a fellow in Sweden had asked about the 1958 Navajo pattern several months back, and they had it. They're not the least expensive, but they have stuff nobody else has. As in original style VW yardage- hey, it was way tougher than what the Japanese were using in those years. One of my cousins had a Datsun 1200, and the vinyl on those seats was so thin you could see a flashlight beam thru it.