Oldsfan

I'm at home now, looking at this on a better screen and with my reference materials near me. I can see now that it is a '51 or '52, not a '53. There was a Traveler available in '51 - they made 850 of them according to the Encyclopedia of American Cars, and Collectible Automobile magazine. The '51 Traveler was apparently not on an extended wheelbase (like the earlier DeSoto Carry-All) and did not have a roof rack. As far as being titled as a '50, it must have been a very early '51 registered in the latter part of '50 and was titled as a '50. I've seen cars advertised for sale in the past that have been incorrectly titled based on the year is was sold instead of for the model year that it really was.

You can bolt a 400 to that 394, but you have to send the case to a place in California to have it machined to fit, then you have to put the guts back in it. Then there is the issue of floor clearance. And the shifter quadrant. And throttle linkage. If I haven't discouraged you, I can come up with the name of the place. I gave all of this some thought a year ago. Haven't given up yet. Actually, my buddy suggested a 700R4 to get the overdrive, and then I could go back to my stock 3.42 gears. Paul

The car in the photo is not a '50 Chrysler. Looks like a '51, '52 or '53.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Far as I know, the 3.4 is a pretty reliable engine.</div></div> But when they break, they break big time. Timing parts can be an issue and are getting hard to come by. And if timing parts break, this an interference engine, so there will be bent valves. These engines, like the 3.1s, like to leak oil at the oil pump drive cover o-ring. This is not a big deal on a 3.1, but requires head removal on a 3.4. Intake gaskets can be an issue just like they can on 3.1s. Ditto what Glenn said about alternator replacement. The last 3.4 we had in the shop managed to jump time. The customer junked it. Paul

With the very little bit I know about Diesels, I didn't think they used injectors. I thought they used and injector pump. I tried to look injectors up in the parts catalog and was unsuccessful. Paul

If you can find a '78-88 Cutlass, 78-87 Grand Prix, 78-87 Regal or Century or 78-88 Monte Carlo with buckets, the seat tracks should all interchange. So you should be able to just get a manual track and switch it with your electric one. Paul

Did I make it that obvious? I was trying to be discreet. But some folks don't know to look for the little flashing envelope. I know I've missed it already. There should be a better way of knowing you have private messages, or an email should be sent notifying of a private message. Anyway, now that these folks have decided to sell, they probably won't visit the forums anymore and they'll never even see my message. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> Paul

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">61-63- full leather seating surfaces</div></div> Whoa... I don't have full leather in the '62 (you know, the one with the 3 speed transmission because all it has is D, S & L... <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />). '62s were Morocceen in the [dark] inserts, leather just on the [light] bolsters. '61s were full leather (they cheapened 'em up for '62). Can't vouch for '63s - haven't looked at one in a while. Paul

Is/was this a vinyl top car? I am looking the retainers that run in the rain gutters.

ljh, please check your private messages.

All '63 Starfires came standard with automatics - but they are three speeds, not four. Paul

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">It's really not "normal" but with Slim Jims, "normal" can be very widely defined... <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> </div></div> Mine buzzes. And that's how I know it's working good. I changed the filter last year and it didn't seat properly, so it wasn't pulling fluid out of the pan. No buzzing. Also no gears. So I drained it, took a BFH to the filter to get it seated, and started to refill it. I knew I was OK when it started buzzing... Paul

That must be a Limited. I think I saw in Hemmings that there was going to be a Limited auctioned somewhere...

Maybe some leather cleaner might help with the seats. The headliner bows are chrome or stainless strips that run from side to side on the inside of the roof. I think yours should have them. The standard coupe and sedan didn't have them. They were supposed to give you the idea that you were in a convertible.

I think you're vacuum source is a reserve tank mounted on the firewall under the hood. You should get a show manual and trace the lines. The heater control has numbers on the head. The vacuum schematic in the manual will tell you what components need hooked up to which numbers. If it's got the original vacuum line, they are color coded. Paul

You just bought a 98 Holiday coupe? I've been wanting one of those for years... 98 was the top of the line. Super 88 was the mid-line model, a little smaller than a 98. Shorter in the trunk. Might be shorter in wheelbase, can't remember. Base 88 had less trim than a Super and I think only a 2bbl carb where the S88 and 98 had a 4bbl. Holiday means it is a two door hardtop - all open when you roll the windows down, as opposed to a 2 door sedan with posts around the door and rear 1/4 windows. Now, there were two different 98 Holiday coupes in '54 - Holiday Coupe and DeLuxe Holiday coupe. Base Holiday had all cloth seats that are the same as a 98 sedan. DeLuxe Holiday came with power windows and seat, chrome headliner bows, and leather and cloth interior. Paul

They are skinny and long. 4 x 8? Been a long time since I replace the speaker in my Cutlass. They were available from GM then. Paul

'55 Chevy? There was just an article in Hemmings on those. They have bowties on the dash (609 of them). I was thinking this was something from a Cadillac, back in the years when they used Vs all over the place - early 50's? Maybe not...

1953

394s tend to have blow-by. Slim-Jim transmission wasn't the best design. They shift kinda funny. Some of these tend to rust in the floor and rear quarters, and in the frame, but a CA car should be pretty rust free. They're good cars, you just kinda have to get used to them. Check out my website http://mywebpages.comcast.net/oldsfan/MySite/62oldspage.html Paul

All F-85/Cutlass/Jetfire motors had an S prefix in the motor number. A true Jetfire motor will also have a T suffix. A G suffix would be a 4bbl motor and no suffix would be a 2bbl. E and H were for export. Oldsmobile did not service a bare block, so I can't compare part numbers. I would imagine they are basically the same. Heads interchanged on '61 & '62 F85 4bbl, '62 & '63 Jetfire and '63 4bbl manual transmission. Jetfires used different valves than other F85 models. Camshafts appear to be the same as used in other F85s. Pistons were '62 & '63 Jetfire only, and '63 F85 4bbl automatic. Interesting considering the heads are the same as '63 F85 bbl manual trans. Standard transmission appears to have been a 3 speed on the column like a standard F85. 4 speed on the floor and automatic on the floor were options. Paul

If you can hang in there a couple of weeks, I'll have one. Paul

Yours can be straightened and rechromed, but I think you'll spend more than $200 to get it done. Paul

I can't speak for the one in the center, but those other two look like '41 Oldsmobile to me.

Well, if you buy the hood, then you'd have something to aspire to... The first time I tried to buy a '62 cruise control setup, I was '62-less. And then there was the time I bought that NOS '54 Autronic Eye in anticipation of buying a '54 to install it on... Paul