Aaron65

When the exhaust and intake manifolds are on different sides of the head, the heat from the exhaust doesn't affect the carburetor and intake manifold, because it's not right underneath them as it is on most American inline engines. Modern gas boils and expands at a fairly low temperature, so anything you can do to keep the carburetor cooler will help a car with heat soak issues after a long run on the highway. This may not have been a problem when these cars were new, but it is now. I know exactly what he's talking about; I run a return line back to the tank on my straight-8 Buick to bleed

We took the Corvair out for a nice spin on Saturday; we've had a few good weekends up here in Michigan.

Yeah, you need to fix that. Mine is more like a drip on the ground once it overflows the lip of the pump.

Hey Phil, If your fuel pump is anything like the combination fuel/vacuum pump in my '53 Buick, get used to the oil leak from the pump. I've discovered that it's dry for about 1000-2000 miles, and then it starts weeping, and eventually it's a full-fledged leak. It doesn't matter if I rebuild it or buy a rebuilt one; I use some lawn mower foam air filter material and a binder clip as an "oil catcher," and I just replace it or flip it around every once in a while. Maybe others have been luckier or smarter than I am. Aaron

This car was at a shop in my town a few years ago. I stopped by and asked about it (I love '54 and '55 Coupe DeVilles), and the shop owner said the then current owner wanted about $15,000 for it. That was too much for me. I later saw it on Craigslist for somewhere over $15,000 - I can't remember. I did see it on its way out of town on a trailer...I guess it ended up in Howard City.

Anyone notice that the left front fender says "Eldoardo?" Either way, nice car in a nice color.

Took the Firebird for a nice rural drive; the trees are already coming along.

That DID happen to me once. I bought my '53 Buick in 2005, when I was 28 years old. When I was in my early 30s, an older gentleman asked me if I was the original owner. I very rarely am left without a snappy comeback, but I didn't know what to say. The only other time I was that flabbergasted by a question or comment in public was when an older lady looked at me on a Sunday morning in a grocery store parking lot and said, "You look like I feel!" Well OK then. Nothing like keeping a fella down to earth!

Hey all, I'd like to have the vacuum motors on my '65 Dart rebuilt; they work, but they no longer hold a vacuum when I use my vacuum pump, so they're likely on their way out. The heater's important, because the Dart is my cold, dry weather old car, and nobody likes vacuum leaks anyway. Anyone know of a reliable rebuilder with a reasonably quick turnaround time? Thanks! Aaron

Thanks! I'll give them a call...

I've switched to electronic in 5 out of the 7 as well...new points just seemed to be a crap shoot. The only thing keeping me from making the switch (ha!) on the '53 is the generator; I've read that electronic modules don't like the inconsistent voltage. I forget...did you convert to 12 V?

EDIT: First, thanks Robin. I did a ton of investigation over the last day or two after work, and I may have crossed wires in my head. Either way, I figured it out. My newer wire from the points to the coil broke at the connector. When the vacuum advance moved the points plate, it broke the connection momentarily. New questions: 1. Modern wire insulation seems less flexible than the original, and I think that caused the wire to bend at the connection rather than bending the wire. I made my new wire a little longer to offer more flex. Is there an alternative with

I'm chasing an intermittent cutout problem on my '53 Special. When I push down on the accelerator for normal acceleration, it will feel like all power is cut, but it only lasts a second. It pulls fine at full throttle and has plenty of fuel from the accelerator pump. In case you're curious, here's what I've checked: 1. Fuel pressure at highway speed is 2-4 psi, depending on whether the needle is off the seat or not. This pressure is after the inline filter. The gauge is unaffected when the car cuts out. It pulls fine at full throttle. 2. I've tried three different conde

You're exactly right, Lebowski. Since the model year was extended, they needed more letters. My April 1965 built car has "R" on the VIN tag, so this car was apparently scheduled for May 14, 1965.

I was just down there in my (shame) Buick. To add to what Glenn said, you can "adopt" a car at the R.E. Olds Museum quite reasonably.