rocketraider

I've never known GM to use a gasket behind a script. They used them behind side marker lights, or door and trunk handles and locks.

The fear of a bumper jack collapse is why I have bought inexpensive small 2-ton hydraulic floor jacks for all the cars. Sears has them on sale every so often complete with molded plastic storage case. That and folding wheel chocks give me ever more peace of mind in event of a roadside tire change. I keep a short length of 1x4 plank with the jack to give it a reasonably solid surface to bear on- soft dirt or gravel don't work too well. <P>Also learned long ago to keep an 18" breaker bar and appropriate 6 point socket in the trunk. I never could break a lugnut loose with a jack handle.

There was a time I'd have turned up my nose at a four-door, but since the 1976 Olds Regency fell out of the sky on me I've come to like four-door hardtops immensely. Stylish, higher-line cars, often nicely optioned and well-maintained. And affordable too!<P>I'd say leave the Galaxie (or is it a Custom? there were differences) as is and enjoy it. You'll get looks and thumbs-up, especially if it's in real nice shape. Spend a little time and money on the car and do it the way it's supposed to be. No velour or tweed, or cheesy diamond-tuck vinyl, just match the original type Ford cloth best you can. And above all, drive the car and enjoy it. It doesn't do anyone any good if it's not used and seen.

Frank- it was 95 degrees in Carlisle/Gettysburg area last week. I have the swap meet suntan to prove it! Guess I really am just a redneck after all... <P>Congrats on getting the Valiant roadable!

Polite disagreement and discussion welcomed! That's how knowledge is gained. <P>Even with the advent of API SL oil rating, I still have qualms about going more than a few thousand miles on an oil change, especially after an engine gets 75k or so on it. I think one reason the aforementioned Olds has done so well is that it has had oil and filter changed every 3000 miles the first 100,000 miles of its life, and every 2000 since it turned over its first 100k. Uses no oil and the oil never darkens- the garage owner commented on that last week when it was changed. An unnecessary expense? Maybe. Peace of mind for me. The wagon sees 60 mile trips each day, meaning everything is warmed up and equalised so I could probably go longer between changes. I tend to believe all cars are actually operated under "severe service" conditions, especially our old cars.<P>The Honda dealer here is notorious for trying to (literally) cover up Hondas that have to be towed in. They send the rollback (which has no dealer signage) and cover the Honda from the time it's loaded until it disappears behind the dealership. I'm told the service department was intentionally designed with the holding area and all entrances at the rear of the building, out of sight. <P>American/foreign. A now difficult question to answer since a lot of current "domestic" production is built in Mexico, and all the major foreign players have assembly plants in the States. For starters, let's define it by the corporate engineering and marketing philosophy and ethic, since the Americans, Asians and Europeans all seem to have fundamental differences here.<P>Other ideas?

Sho' ya right, John! I always define Yankee by how they say "y'all"- for some reason it either comes out "yull" or "you guys" but no problem as long as we can all laugh at ourselves and understand each other. We speak the universal language of oldcarese.<P>We traveled 81 coming back from Carlisle Saturday and southbound traffic was honestly not bad. Northbound however was a different story, complicated even more by a three car pileup near Winchester VA. Northbound was backed up nearly ten miles. I learned long ago to keep a DeLorme map in the car and use it to get around such messes. The big concern about 81 in VA is the volume of truck traffic it's carrying- currently about 80% more than it was designed for, which provoked VDOT to explore additional lanes and to start rumbling about truck-only tolls the entire 323-mile length. That's scary, because to cut expenses, truckers will get off the toll roads and onto US and state highways, which sure weren't designed for trucks. And we'll be in ever closer quarters with them on the smaller roads.

The I-81 thing is from expected future traffic load, especially after I-73 and I-785 become reality. Right now I-81 and I-77 parallel in SWVA and I-81 and I-64 parallel from Staunton to Lexington. I-73 will add even more when it connects Roanoke to NC along the current US220 corridor (which NEEDS upgrading badly) and the I-785 spur will connect Danville to Greensboro NC and that is gonna make US29 traffic unreal, since the trucks will then leave 81 for 29. Especially if the I-81 truck toll thing goes thru.<P>I drive the stretch of I-85/I-40 between Raleigh and Greensboro frequently. 75 miles of 6 lane highway and everything running wide-ass-open. Sometimes, if I have time, I get on US 70 just to get away from it. We did the 1995 Olds Nationals in Greensboro and recommended people coming from points north use US29 instead of I-95/I-85/I-40 since traffic would be way less hectic. One guy trailered a car along that route, expecting NC to be bucolic and laid-back. His comment upon arrival was that DC and NOVA didn't have a thing on the traffic he'd fought from Durham to Greensboro.<P>And yes, though we may be backwoods and primitive here in the South we have traffic same as the rest of the world. And we just LOVE to "Gomer" those not from here...

The aluminum 215 V8 was used in Buick and Olds compacts 1961-1963. The tooling was then sold to Rover where it was used into (I think) the 1980s.

Join Oldsmobile Club of America and National Antique Olds Club if you haven't already. Their monthly magazines have an ad section and you can run a "parts wanted" ad. 58s have a following in both clubs.

All car engines last longer than say even 20 years ago due to improved metallurgy and manufacturing methods. I know several people who have 3.1 Cutlasses with 200k+ miles and no major service issues. Use good oil and filters (AC-Delco are the best for your car) and keep it changed regularly on the severe service maintenance schedule- never more than 3000 miles between oil and filter changes.<P>You don't need to beat on a car too hard, but it doesn't hurt them to run 'em thru their paces every so often. They're designed for it and need occasional "exercise".<P>A good friend just traded his 95 SL sedan on a minivan since his last kid was born and they didn't think the Cutlass was big enough anymore. He misses the car.<P>By the way- glad to hear you've decided to buy American. This "foreign means better quality" thing is a bunch of hype anyway. I have an 83 Olds wagon, supposedly built during the worst days of American car quality, that has 246k on it. Everything works, it's in very nice shape, and just made an 800 mile trip this weekend. It's had regular maintenance and stuff fixed as needed- and it's never really needed much. For some reason, the foreign carmakers' recalls and QC problems never get reported in the media, but they have just as many as the Americans.

On the OK-city anniversary- I have several friends in SSA and other Fed buildings who took Friday off. They're still very nervous about anniversary dates, scared some lunatic-fringe will try it again.

Woah, Electra, I was very much for Sen. Hawkins' bill. I saw what Sheetz did to the Exxon right next door when they opened here, and my uncle ran a Gulf station for years. I might stop in Sheetz for an overpriced soft drink and snack late at night sometimes, when they're all that's open, but I don't buy my gas there because I have cultivated a good business relationship with an Amoco down the street from the house, and it's more important for me to do business with someone I know.

<A HREF="http://www.dickmillerracing.com" TARGET=_blank>www.dickmillerracing.com</A> <P>There's supposed to be a guy in Pickens SC who is good with them too but I cannot get his name from anybody down there.

All TCS is supposed to do is eliminate distributor vacuum advance until the transmission is in high gear. It's entirely possible that sticking mechanical advance weights are causing this problem; combined with no vacuum advance in lower gears, it could well be the problem. Lube the weights with some WD40 and make sure they swing freely. Then try running distributor advance straight from a ported vacuum source on the carb, bypassing the TCS switch (Just don't trash it, the 442 hardcore restoration crowd will do bizarre things to get them ).

Hallo again, young James- two things to check. EGR valve (which I think we already talked about) and spark plug gap. Early 1976 cars used a .080 gap and it was changed to .060 early in the 76 model year.<P>This is involved, but it's possible your timing chain has stretched or timing gears are wearing out. How many miles on the engine?

My 74 parts book has the info. Post yer codes here and I'll decode them. It'll also be in the 1972 dealer Color & Fabric book, but I just got back from Spring Carlisle and the damn things are going for nearly $200 and the 70 is worse!<P>Any good paint supply jobber should be able to mix you a vinyl dye formula for your dash and other hard plastic parts. The key to restoring/repainting these is that they HAVE to be clean and free of silicone.

Most guys who do this find a factory 8-track player housing and mount in there. The 8-track mounts underdash and also has to have specific A/C lap vent manifold outlets. These will be junkyard or swap meet parts.

Curtis, excellent info on the trans codes. Am I right that all 2004R were universal bolt pattern? and Chevy didn't go off on its own as they did with earlier units?

I'l venture the same can be said about people who stash away parts for cars they do not and will probably never own, but will not sell any to folks who have a genuine need for them. I know a guy who has 6 complete sets of NOS 1962 Oldsmobile Starfire side trim. Doesn't own a Starfire, much less a 62, but he stumbled on this stuff years back and is sitting on it. Kind of a "Look what I have" syndrome.

Last couple days have been really nice weather here and the old cars have come out! Not necessarily antique licensed either- Since Saturday I have seen: 1968 Wildcat 4dHT, 1969 Charger Daytona, 1969 Olds Ninety Eight, 1955 Dodge Royal and today, a 1966 Crown Imperial sedan, traveling as if it were the king of the highway. 70 mph or so and leaving the smell of burnt high octane fuel in its wake. THE GOOD STUFF! gawd, I can imagine feeding that thirsty beast at 4 bux a gallon for 100 octane unleaded or 110 leaded fuel. At least we can still get it here. Clumsy to put it in a gas can and then pour into the tank, trying to keep an eye out for EPA-man.

I have good friends in NJ who watched the whole sordid mess as it unfolded. They're slowly getting back to normal.<P>It's hard to believe that in July 2000 I was in the WTC. A year later it's gone, courtesy of people who think the American people are defined by symbols of prosperity. Wrong. <P>Just shows what the results of fanaticism are.

72 Electra, were you aware of the Virginia legislation sponsored by Sen. Charles Hawkins (R-Pittsylvania) to specifically eliminate selling gas under cost? It was dubbed the Sheetz bill or Wawa bill and ultimately failed when Sheetz put the lobbying pressure on.<P>Sen. Hawkins is one of the few completely honest politicians I've ever met. He's also old-car-friendly. Good guy to have on your side.

Doubt you'll find a new one, but if it helps 66-67 are the same. Orig Olds part # is 394561. 68 is a year unto itself and 69-70 use the same tank, unless the car has Evaporative Emissions System.<P>Lotta GM dealers are on nationwide parts search. If you can find one who'll do the search for you, you may run up on one NOS on a dealer shelf. Maybe even for the original price!

Dick Miller is as good as or better and way cheaper. He's not as impressed with his name.

Check the vacuum line going to the trans vacuum modulator. Round thing, right side of tranny, only thing that has a vacuum line to it. Sometimes the rubber elbow will break or leak and cause a no upshift.<P>The modulator itself could be bad. They're cheap and easy to replace- compared to a transmission job, which I just shelled out $650 for a THM 350 rebuild & torque converter.<P>If the trans is bad as you say, nothing short of a rebuild will straighten it out. If originality is not a concern, you can get remans for about $450-500 at most chain auto parts stores and install it yerself. <P>Keep the Omega going. They were underappreciated little Oldsmobiles. I get this stupid idea sometimes about sticking a built 455 in a 73-75 and going Mustang and Nova hunting.