Aaron65

I'm a high school liberal arts teacher, and you're mostly right, but most schools are pushing STEM degrees (science, technology, engineering, math), at least in Michigan. Unfortunately, few of these students (at my school anyway) are truly interested in anything mechanical. Those who want to be engineers seem to go into it, to some extent, due to the perception of a comfortable lifestyle more than any burning interest in how things work (not that I blame them). The medical field seems really popular right now. Times change... Cars are more reliable, so you don't have to get to know them by working on them on a regular basis. Most schools don't have auto shop (which is partially a chicken and egg deal), so they're not exposed to cars there. I think quite a few kids like the modern stuff, some like older stuff, but it's never going to be like it was when my dad was a kid, or even when I was a kid, when 5.0 Mustangs were really popular. This year's graduating class had a refreshing number of kids going into the trades, like welding and construction. Few mechanics. I'd still say it was under 10 percent. I hope things get better in the future; I try to sell the trades to interested students whenever I can.

I too am using Remflex gaskets on my '53, and Matt is correct in saying that they are a huge improvement over anything else (at least in my experience). I think the main reason they're so good on the straight 8 is that they're thick enough to allow movement but not break the seal. The top layers of my gaskets are a little scrunched up, but they don't leak.

Both of those are super cool! I'm surprised they're still there after six days; both the Courier and the F-250 look solid. I'd dig a Courier or a LUV, but shipping that thing would cost more than it's worth and I've truly got no more room. I'm paying for storage on three as it is.

How is this still here? What a generous gesture and a great car! Someone in the area ought to be driving this around already... My wife just added, "What a great potential Father's Day gift!"

A lot of condensation builds up in a crankcase, especially with a road draft system. If your road draft tube has any rust in it, which it probably does, thanks to the aforementioned condensation, the water that drips from it will look like oil. If you're truly concerned that it could be antifreeze, the first thing I'd do is rent a radiator pressure tester from a parts store, follow the instructions, and see what you come up with. If it's running well and not running hot, then you probably just need to take a longer drive to get the oil really hot. 15 minutes around town won't do it. Regarding engine vacuum: If you connected your gauge to the port for the vacuum advance, there's a good chance it's a timed port, meaning it doesn't see vacuum until the throttle is cracked open.

Good luck!

Wow. Why would a person order such a beautiful car with that color combination? One or the other, people!

I think they were felt.

There isn't one! I found this out the hard way when I had the rear end refreshed; the pumpkin gasket kept leaking as a result of the pressure. I solved the problem by replacing one of the back cover bolts (up high) with a large brake bleeder screw, which I connected to a long hose and a fuel filter (to keep dirt out) and tied up somewhere under the car. It didn't help that the pumpkin gasket folded funny when the shop reinstalled it. Needless to say, I used RTV and sealed it up, and it hasn't leaked since. The only conclusion anyone I've ever talked to (including myself) could come up with was that the old axle seals were not lip seals, they were felt, and they must have allowed some pressure in/out.

Remember, the straight-8 has a metered fitting at the cylinder head. Therefore, the rocker shaft is not under full engine oil pressure, so it's more than a trickle, but not much. If one lifter bled down over the winter, it could take several minutes to fill up.

I had a friend in high school whose family drove a medium red MT5 wagon! There couldn't have been many of those...I think I rode in it once, and it was a bit weird to see a "modern" wagon with a manual transmission.

Of course, your results may vary (i.e. don't blame me if something goes wrong), but I think you'll be OK if you used the Remflex gaskets (as long as everything lined up when you installed it). Do a vacuum test...if the engine pulls 18" or more steadily, it's probably fine.

I can't help you on the brakes, but if your carburetor is in decent shape, I would rebuild it rather than replace it. You will have to tune any new carburetor to suit your engine, AND you will have to ensure all the linkage adapts properly. On the other hand, your Riviera likely has the original Carter AFB on it, which was tuned to your specific engine (the carb number is usually on the passenger side front of the carb if you want to check). If it's in good shape, no new carburetor will likely work any better than that one. Original AFBs are great carbs. Even if you have to send it out to a trusted rebuilder (if you are at all mechanical, it's a fairly easy job doing it yourself), you will probably save money, too. Another thing...1963 Rivieras use Dynaflow transmissions, not Powerglides...totally different transmission.

Nice car with a cool story!

How are all the engine/transmission mounts? Can you replicate the shudder in neutral as the engine revs?