JohnD1956
-
Posts
15,799 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
109
Content Type
Forums
Gallery
Events
Posts posted by JohnD1956
-
-
[color:\\"red\\"] <span style="font-weight: bold">a Fake!!!</span> Oh man, this is the 2nd piece of bad news this week. Can't you guys let the rest of us dream a while?
JD
-
I only saw a left and right leg!
Whew!
JD
-
What modifications did you make to accomodate the turbo charger?
JD
-
I would think you still have a bad ground situation, or some faulty connectors. What about the main wire harness connection between the engine compartment and the interior? Or the connectors on the computer box itself?
JD
-
I can't believe you sold that car! I so want to paint mine and get it fixed up. And yet there goes another beauty.
Hope you enjoy the 72, but I'm sure you'll miss that 69.
JohnD
-
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Five spoke chromed wheels $89 </div></div>
Wow! you can just about ship one today for that price.
JD
-
Wow!, that little lady is going to need some dedication to bring her back. It would be a shame if the rear fenders were extended, but I think you are right that they were modified. With that green dash, and the dark outside I wonder what color the car would have been? Regardless, I think it is a super car and I hope you can find the time and $$ to put her back together.
JD
-
Just in case some may not be viewingt he club events forum, here are details on our tour plans to Rhinebeck:
Please see the following details for our chapters first tour. Then, advise Ken Nichols at questor9@flash.net or 518 254 0909
or Ray Buck at BCK110@verizon.net or 518 272 2710 if you will be joining us and from which point you will meet up with us.
We'd like to plan appropriately, so please be sure to contact them as soon as possible. If you have a cell phone and want to be included please advise them of your number.
This ought to be fun, and even if you are not driving your car that day you can still join us.
MAY 7th Rhinebeck Fairground Tour Event:
Note the departure times will be followed very closely.
7:00 to 7:30 most folks gather at Krispy Creme in Latham, NY.
(Those south and west can meet at the second stop below)
Leave Krispy Creme by 7:40 traveling south via the Thruway to exit 21, Catskill, NY.
Follow signs to State Route 23 towards Rip Van Winkle Bridge.
8:15 to 8:30 rendezvous at Tori G'S Family Restaurant [[big Pizza & Pasta sign on right side of SR23]]
next door is Food mart Citgo gas station on SR 23 just before the Rip Van Winkle Bridge.
Leave Tori G's by 8:40 traveling east over bridge,
then bearing left to SR 9G north and then bearing right to remain on SR 23 east/south (for about 3 miles),
we travel on US 9 and we'll stay on this for a while (approx. 20 miles) going through the town of Red Hook,
we continue on till we arrive at SR 9G (right after Weys Corners),
we turn left on SR 9G south (for 1.45 miles),
we turn right on SR 308 west (or East Market Street) (for 1.45 miles),
we turn left at Parsonage Street and the entrance to the fairgrounds by 9:20- 9:30.
We need tconfirmations by the night before the event (how many cars we will have).
The Event Passes from Al Krumm will be given out (quickly) at our rendezvous points.
John, I assume you can be lead car from Latham if Ray can not make the event?
I will be lead car from Catskill. I can give out a walkie talkie at this point for the car holding the rear.
We'll also need to know some cars with known cell phones for general / emergency announcements.
I'll have mine on me.
-Ken Nichols :-)
-
Great pictures. They show some details which indicate what work may be required.
First of all, that spring running sideways inside the valve cover is okay. That is a rocker arm onto which the rockers are located. It may appear to have some grime on it but it probably would not look wet and oily regardless of use. I'm not positive about that engine in particular but oil is usually pumped through the inside of the rocker arm and released on each rocker itself. So lack of oil on the small amount you could see should not be a problem.
Likewise the scraping you heard is most likely a brake shoe hitting the inside of the brake drum. While the brakes should be gone over, it should not be a bad wheel bearing making that noise.
What I did see that leads to some concern is a combination of the hole in the exhaust and what appears to be improper fuel line. It looks like the fuel line is some sort of clear plastic tube? I cannot recall clear plastic fuel line being sold. It certainly isn't "original design or equipment" and was probably a replacement for an original steel line, in an effort to prevent vapor lock. Vapor lock is what happens when gasoline lines run too close to hot engine parts and asorb the heat, causing the gasoline to vaporize inside the fuel line which interupts the fuel supply to the Carb. Naturally, no fuel in the carb and the engine stalls. Usually corrected naturally once the fuel line cools off and the gasoline returns to a liquid state.
Anyway, that clear plastic tube should be replaced with a steel line. I imagine that tubing is from 1968 and if you tried to run the car it could break and leak gasoline right into that hot exaust. While this may result in a heat source for drying the garage floor, as well as some neat orange flames, I don't think the garage owner would appreciate the new holes in the roof from the firefighters.
This fuel line should be relatively easy to replace. But do like Joe says. All the NAPA stores in our area sell PB Blaster which is a rust penetrator made from petroleum, as opposed to WD 40 which is designed to eliminate moisture. Get one or two cans of this and hang onto the WD 40 for a time when you'll need it.
Did you get a picture of the gas tank on the car? Given the exceptional condition of what you've shown so far it would be unlikely that the tank is damaged. However it would be good to see if the tank shows any evidence of a leak. Most of these tanks have a threaded plug on the bottom for draining the tank. You should spray that with the PB Blaster for easier removal later.
John d
-
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I don't know how to solve the internal (club) bickering, much of that is human nature and some people thrive on conflict. They also drive good member away. </div></div>
Being our Chapter is in it's formative stage, we had a member who suggested we do things according to "Roberts Rules of Order". I bought a small book on Roberts Order Newly Revised and am in the process of reading it. The entire book deals with conducting meetings and there are several hints in there on how to prevent infighting. One I saw was that everyone is allowed to talk twice on a motion. Once to initially address it and the next to rebut what others have said. The best hint says to make everyone address their comments to the board, or chairperson, running the meeting. This will stop the speaker from addressing the member who just pissed em off.
Of course, you need a strong chairperson running the meeting who can focus on the conversation and enforce these rules consistently with all members and make sure the conversation stays on point. This is much more difficult in a voluntary group than at work. However, it is usually appreciated by people who don't want to see that infighting which leads to no resolution.
BTW, for our Chapter we agreed to follow five basic rules as follows:
1) any member may make a motion, and any other member may second it. If no one seconds it, there is nothing to discuss.
2) we can only work on one motion at a time.
3) Motions may be amended by making a motion to amend, but that becomes the active motion and must be voted on before returning to the original motion or proceeding on the amended motion.
4) Discussion is limited by the chairperson.
5) Members should address their comments to the board.
That's enough rules for us at the present.
JD
-
Maybe he is selling that Riviera in the background with it?
JD
-
Okay, Lets try that attachment a 2nd time
-
If you are not adverse to raised white letters, then I'd recommend...235 x 60 x 14's. See the attachment
-
I would think you can do this filter job yourself. It is probably under the car, and threaded to the line on one end, but with a neat pushbutton clip on the other end, They say you have to discharge the line first. This usually means pulling the fuse for the fuel pump and then cranking the engine. However I have disconnected the line on several cars after they have sat for a while and never had a real problem. Of course I always use eye protection just in case of spraying fuel.
-
Being from NY, what is the frost law?
JD
-
Keep in mind that some states require original smog equipment to be present in order to get a current inspection sticker. If you are in one of those states, your performance car will not be too fast sitting in your driveway.
If not, I heard the 403 motor was pretty good for guts already. Perhaps you'd want to look into beefing up the transmission and swapping in some higher performance real axle gears. Not sure what is available for the BOP carrier in those years, but you may be able to swap in a station wagon rear axle carrier from a similar generation car with a towing package. Presumably they have a higher ratio gear set.
JD
-
Maybe a new hybrid design? They can build the liposuction machine right into the car and think of the time savings too...
JD
-
I would jack the car up and support the car with jack stands under the frame. Then put the jack under the axle and take the pressure off the spring first, disconnect the shock at the bottom bolt, and then lower the rear axle.
Of course, if those shocks have been on the car for a while, don't count on the lower bolt coming off too easy.
-
Great read on the Blue Bonnetts show. Reminded me of when we took our 56 Super to the Centenial meet. We were riding on brand new Vheel Vintiques 40 spoke wire wheels. Drove out over a day and a half period and then on Wednesday AM while washing the car I noticed one tire going flat. I figured I drive down to the gas station about a 1/4 mile away from the hotel. But the end was broken off the air hose and it was un useable.
Luckilly there was a tire store across the street from the Hotel. It turned out to be a leak by the spoke next to the valve. I found out later that the original installer cut the sealing bead of silicone because he didn't think the valve stem would seal. Anyway, the tire store put in a tube for me and balanced it and I was good to go. Before leaving I ordered three more tubes in case I needed another later on. Good thing too, two more went flat before getting home and I didn't wait for the last one. I had all three installed. Still have them today too.
What an experience!
-
$2.399 for regular grade in Albany NY as of today. It's up from yesterday even though market reports indicate Sweet Brent Crude dropped today. That's the thing. If the market indicates the price per barrel went up, the price at the pump goes up. But you never seem to see the price at the pump go down when the market reports a drop in price per barrel
I guess I'll keep paying what ever the price becomes. My wife can't drop me off at work so I don't have that option. However, as soon as I fix my Riv, ( tomorrow, hopefully), I'm parking the 4 wh drive with the forsale sign. If I get my price it's down the road. If not???
And I'm going to Batavia no matter the cost...And I'm driving my classics no matter the cost too. Life is short enough. I intend to enjoy what's left of mine to the max...
JD
-
The 56 Roadmaster did have a fender ornament. It had a similar base to those in the phote of that red 54, and a circle attached towards the front of the base. Then a small gold ball on top of a post coming up from the horizontal base, and the bottom of the circle so the ball was centered in the circle.
I can't tell from the red 54 you originally posted if that is what is on that car. It's just too far away.
As to the 53 picture you posted, that fender ornament sort of looks like an aftermarket ornament, based on the hood ornament on a 49, although a bit
smaller in the center spear. Don't know if the 53 ever had a factory fender ornament and have never seen one to date.
JD
-
I agree with Jaybird. My car is pushing 129K and runs like glass at this point.
Because your car has sat for a while, you can be guaranteed the valve cover gaskets are dried out and cracked. Originals are cork but Neoprene are available and may be at your local NAPA store?
Also the gasket on the oil filter is probably leaking too. This will cause a dribble that looks like a rear main seal is shot But until you replace this gasket, don't dive in there just yet.
I can guarantee that the tranny is leaking BUT consider this. If I don't run mine over the winter it will leak two quarts of fluid. Two quarts on the floor of the garage looks like someone parked the Exxon Valdez in my garage. Still, If I fill it and begin driving it the seals will seal up again and I can get a whole driving season here (3 months) with maybe one more quart. You should really try to get her running and drive it or idle it regularily for one year before investing in a tranny job.
Also go for replacement plugs, points and condensor, plus a new distributor cap and rotor. All of this is going to be less than a hundred dollars and you can't begin modifications for another motor for less than that. If I just idle my car without getting it on the highway to really warm it up I will have a plug or two get carbon on it and they will foul out. Just drive it a few miles when it's warm, and things clear up.
As for replacement engines, I don't think anything is easy, at least not anything you really want in there. I think the 53,4 and 55 are bolt in's, but the 56 is more powerful. The 57 and 8 are 364 cubes. I believe they bolt up to the tranny but not the motor mounts. The 59 - 66 will be the 401's. Up to this point they all look similar being the "nailhead" design, but I don't think any are bolt in's. The 455 and its Turbo 400 mate will not hook up to the torque tube driveshaft and rear. While I understand all of these problems have been overcome by enterprising hot rodders, I do not think any of this would be any cheaper than firing up the 322.
Check that oil for evidence of gas too. Could be a bad fuel pump. They are available from several vendors. But I bet it dropped dead from points that closed on you after not being run for a long time.
One nice thing about the 322 is that the timing gears are all metal. this usually eliminates a timing problem from a worn chain. But I'd also check that the distributor actually rotates by observation with the cap off. You never know, depending on how long that chain sat without lubrication ....who knows?
Still all this is fixable while the engine is in the car. Save your dough!
JD
-
Don't waste your time going to the barn Mr earl. I already have your 2 54's and am cutting them up to make one 54 with two ass ends!!!
JD
-
Coming from Albany NY I can't help ypu woth local recommendations, but I definitley recommend the gas tank renu system for your car. I had mine done in albany two years ago and they did a fantastic job. The tank was opened at the top to be cleaned and visually inspected. I also had a big dent in my tank which they pressed out so it looked like new. Then the tank was welded back together, and coated inside and outside with a coating impervious to gas. It worked out beautiful.
Meanwhile what makes you want to rebuild the engine?
JD
Upstate Chapter tour to Rhinebeck
in Buick - General
Posted
I took some pictures of the cars at the Rhinebeck show. It was the day for hot rods and customs, so I didn't get many pictures of restored classics. But I did get pics of all the buicks for sale in the car coral. These have been posted in the yahoo grouppfor our chapter at
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/upstatenybca/
Meanwhile here is one from our members who made the tour despite the threat of rain showers.