jrbartlett

My radiator shop cleaned a 30-gallon tank for me that had 40-plus years of varnish and rust inside. They completely filled it with caustic soda and let it sit. When I got it back it was pristine.

This is almost certainly a Locomobile, judging by the toolboxes in the splash aprons, the headlights and radiator, the raised side panel on the hood, and a few other details. Not sure of the year and model, as I don't have my Loco literature available.

You need to think about whether you are going to seriously drive the car, or use it as a show car. If the former, I think you'll find that both the wheels and rims are probably crooked and/or out of round. So if you want to tour with the car, new wheels and rims would be desirable, and they are available brand-new in many sizes. As for whether the original wheels are strong enough for driving after all these years, see the Calimer's website.

I've seen a few references in print, but nothing definitive enough to actually identify the tour.

Can someone tell me what this tour is, where and when it is held, who sponsors it, and what vintage cars are eligible? Thanks.

You can get the thick 0-guage battery cables at a truck parts store in any length needed. Here in Houston, I go to the industrial side of town near the docks, where there is a lot of truck traffic. The regular auto parts store does a lot of truck business, and they have a big variety of cables and terminals in stock. You can buy them ready-made, or they can customize the length if needed.

I think I've seen that V-12 Auburn. It was awesome.

Agreed. Lots of people I know put in similar hours for months or even years at a time -- I certainly have. It's more a question of how each individual person handles stress, and the luck of the draw on genetics. That said, I think we all should focus on moving back to a normal work week.

Does anyone have the latch pieces that hold down the litter bin door at the front of the long console in a '66 Riviera, and the two springs that rotate the door up when you press down on it to unlatch it? Also, how about the locking latch for the storage door at the back of the same console? Please send me a private message, or contact me directly at jamesandeileen@comcast.net Thanks.

My '35 Auburn has the original running board rubber, as I restored the car before the replacements were available. I found that an earlier restorer in the 1960s had simply filled in the gouges with bondo, sanded it to fit the pattern and then sprayed it all with flat black. The boards still look pretty good -- but obviously not as good as new rubber. I'm going to install the replacement rubber in the future.

How about a photo?

I agree. I see a lot of older cars that look like Easter eggs -- too many colors, often in screaming contrast. And too many color combinations that have "aged" -- meaning that when restored, they were done in the trendy colors of the day that now look, the best word I can use, is unfortunate. A good color or combination of colors -- typically something subtle --is timeless. I have one car that is wildly over-contrasted, and it gets tiresome. And I have another restored in one base color, inside and out, that is as appealing today as when I first did it a decade ago.

A solution has emerged, thanks to Carb King (I couldn't remember his user name earlier; it's not Carb Doc). I spoke to him today and he suggested checking out the vacuum tank. We pulled the line from the tank to the intake manifold, and it was full of gas. The engine was pulling so much raw gas into the intake manifold that it was flooding out, and the raw gas was then running down through and out of the updraft carburetor -- creating the impression of a sticking carb float. Thanks for everyone's help. If not for the Forum, I wouldn't have known about Carb King. Now, does anyone know who the vacuum tank guru is? I've had the tank apart before, and know that I need a part or two.

I have a '66 Riviera with the accessory two-spoke wood steering wheel. I'm getting poor contact on the horn button -- only one side works, and you have to press hard on the lever to get that. I'd like to pull the horn button off and clean the contacts, but I've heard that these parts are fragile. Can anyone offer any tips on removing it? Thanks.

I'm having flooding problems with a Stromberg SF-4, and am confident that it is not a float problem, or the needle and seat. It seems to be pulling gas through the accelerator pump circuit. Are these carburetors subject to this? The carb is clean, passages are clear, I installed a rebuild kit and it ran perfectly for 500 miles before the first instance, and now does floods continually. There is no gasoline in the float itself, or leaks out of the bowl. Any suggestions?

They give good service, but are difficult to clamp down in some applications because of their odd size and shape, which none of the over-the-counter clamps will accommodate. The company itself makes a few limited clamps, but not enough to really make their batteries as adaptable as they should be. In too many cases you have to use home-made clamps. I contacted the company and suggested that they make a wider variety of clamps and sell them to regular customers like me, and they told me to buy a lead-acid battery instead.

Check to see if there is an adjustment on the brake actuating rod that activates the master cylinder. It is possible that you have too much play (or clearance) in the rod before it begins moving the piston in the master cylinder. Some cars have an adjusting nut on the end of that rod where it enters the master cylinder. Some may be adjusted differently. You do need a slight amount of play, to ensure that the piston moves enough to allow the brake fluid to return to the master cylinder after you let off the pedal. I've run across this several times in '30s-model cars. A classic symptom of too little play is if the brakes fail to release fully after being applied.

I may be wrong on this, but I think that 1930 Super 8 Packards had 19-inch wire wheels, with 8 lugs. The 29s had 20-inch with 8 lugs. It is possible that the 1930 20-inch wheels with 7 lugs were a holdover from 1929 on the Standard 8 cars.

Maybe I asked this before, but do you have the factory instructions for adjusting the brakes? In particular, on starting by adjusting the big nut on each backing plate first, before moving to the cables and levers?

Can't be number one. Duesenbergs have roughly a 70% or higher survival rate, and I would not be surprised if Cords nearly match that.

It was not the same fellow, but thanks anyway.

Seeking Ernest Bradford of Fairfield, Calif., former owner of a '66 Riv GS that I now own. I hope to find out the car's history. Please send his phone number or e-mail to jamesandeileen@comcast.net or call James Bartlett at 713-661-1659. Thanks.

Seat adjustment gears (and maybe track too) needed for driver's side bucket seat. Does anyone have these or make them? Please send an e-mail to jamesandeileen@comcast.net Thanks.

Besides the heat riser (which may be the source of most of your problem), I would particularly look at ignition timing. Most cars I've run accross are timed at about 6 degrees before TDC with the vacuum advance disconnected and the engine at idle. You mentioned 2 degrees after TDC. I think you should double-check your specs and make sure you timed the car using the proper procedure. Then, with the vacuum advance still disconnected, you should gun the engine and check to see if the mechanical advance in the distributor is working. If it is, reconnect the vacuum source to the vacuum advance unit, rev up the engine and check total advance. It should be much greater than the mechanical advance alone. I have a mid-60s Buick book that lists total advance at maximum RPM in the range of 40-60 degrees.

Why not use a stainless steel bolt, then grind down the head and saw in a scredriver slot? Then you could polish the stainless. I've done this on some smaller applications than the bumper ends.