Aaron65
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Posts posted by Aaron65
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I talked to a rep at Lock-N-Stitch, and those guys seem on their game on the phone. I had to send several pictures of the crack and I had to drill a hole to get the wall thickness. Then they'll put together the necessary items and give me a quote on materials. So far, it looks like the most plausible option aside from finding another block. Wish me luck!
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Man, this is one of my favorite cars. I'm always surprised at how many have survived and are for sale out of a relatively low production run ('40s and '41s). If this were down in the 15 grand range, I'd probably be powerless to resist it. Of course, my beloved '53 Buick has a cracked block now, so I've got that to worry about, in addition to a T-Bird with a bad power brake booster, a Mustang that needs a pinion seal...........................
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I just called up Lock-N-Stitch in California, and they asked me to send a bunch of pictures, a measurement of the length of the crack, and the thickness of the wall. I have to drill into the wall with a drill bit that's less than 1/8" and take a thickness measurement.
It looks like a pretty good system, and I don't have a lot to lose at this point.
Ed, I don't think it was previously welded; it's probably just the picture. It does look like there is some kind of light casting line near the crack. It's not really a paperweight until April or so when I get it out for the summer, so I have a little time to figure it out. It's my favorite car, so I'll fix it one way or another...it may take a few attempts.-
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Hi moderators - could you please leave this here rather than moving it to the Buick section? It's a general technical question and I'd like more eyes on it if possible.
I found a cooling system leak on my '53 Buick with a 263 Straight 8; I made an amateur error by tearing the head off before pressurizing the cooling system to double check. I figured it was a head gasket leak when I first saw it, but looking at the location of the cooling passages and where the leak was, I now suspect it's a crack in the water jacket. I've included pictures below.
A few questions:
1. Anyone have a good way to make this crack show up better?2. I'm going to come right out and say it...is this a situation where JB Weld might work?
3. I'm not keen on shipping the engine of my $12,000 car to someone who stitches blocks, so is there anything else that's perhaps less expensive that I might be able to do?
Obviously, this has been going on a while. I even brought something up about 10 years ago because I noticed a slight drop in antifreeze, but it was so slow that I just ran it. In hindsight, there were a few other clues like a milky breather that wasn't milky when I ran a hotter thermostat.
Anyway, any help, even if it's just talking through options, would be helpful. Thanks!
Aaron
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Do the cassette tapes come with the car?
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The small-block Ford was introduced in the '62 Fairlane and Mercury Meteor, but it was a 221, not a 223.
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Hey all,
I'm not really sure where to put this, but I found this as I was cruising Marketplace today...it's a bunch of '56 parts sitting on a lawn in Midland, MI. Maybe someone could use something?
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/238411375007043/?ref=category_feed&referral_code=undefined&referral_story_type=listing&tracking={"qid"%3A"-7423181295591396556"%2C"mf_story_key"%3A"4328703887227047"%2C"commerce_rank_obj"%3A"{\"target_id\"%3A4328703887227047%2C\"target_type\"%3A0%2C\"primary_position\"%3A66%2C\"ranking_signature\"%3A856210913097678848%2C\"commerce_channel\"%3A504%2C\"value\"%3A1.622389301533e-5}"} -
Not to sound pessimistic, but I hope '40 and '41 Continentals get down to a price where I can afford one without feeling like I've risked house and home to do it. They've always been one of my favorite cars simply because I like the way they look - I've never driven one.
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16 hours ago, GregLaR said:
The added air dam up front must really help to stabilize this rocket at higher speeds.
Chevy actually added a factory air dam on the front of '66 and later Corvairs because they tended to wander at highway speeds without it. The front ends on these things are, as you may expect, very light.
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On 10/14/2021 at 3:13 PM, 41 Su8 said:
Fender emblems look ok to me.
Check out the passenger side.
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The fender emblems are upside down. I'd check the rockers carefully for rust; it's a common problem on these (I own one and did significant rust repair: lesson learned?) and this one is missing the rocker trim like mine is. I never redrilled the holes to install it when I did my rocker repairs.
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What a deal! I paid $50 for my 1115, but I don't need all the emissions stuff (which the dealer I bought it from claimed didn't work anyway), and yours is in better shape. Great find!
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That's good to know, Ben. I probably sealed those threads, but I really don't remember. This will serve as a reminder.
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I have a decent oil leak on the passenger side of my 263, and I haven't been able to find it (even using dye). After a couple of months of head scratching, I decided to pull the pushrod cover and check things out in that area. Unfortunately, I found that the head gasket has been seeping into the lifter area, probably for years. Over the winter, I'm going to pull the head and have it checked out (the engine was rebuilt by my machine shop 15 years ago and probably has 15,000 miles on it). I'm guessing it's never been a huge leak because I've had my cooling system pressure tester on it, with no alarming results. But it explains the milky breather and water drips from the draft tube.
Anyway, when I eventually get it all back together, I want to obviously avoid future leaks. Does anybody spray those "coated" steel head gaskets with coppercoat or anything similar? Thanks!
Aaron -
That is a beautiful car! My '63 T-Bird will do 10-12 (rarely) mpg no matter where or how I drive it - just part of the game in the "luxury" class, I guess.
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I just bought mine - it didn't work on Google Chrome but it did on Firefox.
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4 hours ago, 60FlatTop said:
You can rent one: https://www.vintageautotools.com/vintage-auto-tools-for-rent-KMO187-10.html
It looks like a simple tool to make from a cheap box end wrench.
I did this by bending a cheap box wrench with a MAPP gas torch. I'd have to go out and look, but I might have even welded a socket on the top with which to engage the torque wrench. Even so, it's a little flexible, but once the wrench takes a set, it should be accurate. Loosen one bolt at a time and retorque it - don't just try to crank on it or you won't get an accurate reading.
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Hey everyone,
My '53 Special (263) has always leaked from its double-action fuel pump vacuum port. I've owned the car for 16 years, and I've either rebuilt the fuel pump myself or bought a remanufactured one probably 4 times. The pump stays dry for 6 months to a year or so, then it starts to weep, then it starts to leak.
Is there a single-action alternative from a different year that will work on a 263? I almost never use the wipers anyway. I'm sick of the oil leak!
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That is super cool, although finding specific parts must be a nightmare!
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8 minutes ago, Buffalowed Bill said:
Aron,
I hope you see that a perfect car isn't really necessary to enjoy the hobby. A real car person will accept almost any car and owner for they are. A negative or even hurtful comment is really rare, and it says far more about the person asking the question then it does about the owner. Just be prepared to answer the questions authoritatively and civilly. You never know maybe maybe you can really teach the guy something. A chip on one's shoulder can really be a weighty burden. It's better to get rid of it before it brings you to your knees.
From my previous comment:
"I'm never embarrassed by my own work, as I could hardly care less what people think about me or my cars."
I live and breathe cars. I've always loved "well-used" cars but also have a couple of nicer ones - I'm perhaps the poster child for really enjoying less-than-perfect cars. These questions about doing my own work annoyed me more in the abstract, which I thought I made clear, but if you can judge me as having a chip on my shoulder based on one offhand internet query, you're a better man than I.
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Well, this has been an interesting discussion, and I hope nobody's been put off by either side. I tend to root for the underdog, so yesterday I imagined how I might feel if I didn't do much of my own work, and asked the question accordingly. I think the majority has spoken, so I'll let it go from now on when someone asks (or at least I'll attempt to).
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59 minutes ago, Buffalowed Bill said:
We no longer live in the 80's or 90's when every car had to be restored, or was just waiting it's turn at restoration. I honestly don't know why anyone would be embarrassed by the work done, or by whom it was done, after all it has survived while most of its brethren haven't.
Judging by the replies, I think I'm in the minority! Not the first time...
I'm never embarrassed by my own work, as I could hardly care less what people think about me or my cars. I simply think the question is meant to belittle an owner who doesn't know how to do the work or chooses to have it done by someone else, or imply that if they didn't do the work, they don't deserve to own the car. Like I said, that doesn't really apply to me, but I think it it sends a bad message. Maybe it's just the tone I notice with people around here. Maybe I'm being cynical...that also wouldn't be the first time.
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The great thing about forums such as this one is that we see a variety of people who think like we do and have some technical skills. It's therefore easy to forget that people like us aren't a majority in the "real world." Good points, both.
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This year especially, I've noticed that the first thing people ask me when I'm driving one of my old cars is something along the lines of "Did you build that?" or "Do you do your own work?" or "Did you restore that?". To me, that's almost like asking someone how much they make a year. My cars are basically 3s and 4s, and I buy cars that need TLC and do those improvements over time. I actually do most of my own work, including bodywork and mechanical rebuilds; but if I'm short on time, a specific tool, don't feel like doing something, or just flat run out of talent, I'm not ashamed of farming it out. Therefore, it's a complicated answer, and I wouldn't call any of my cars "restored."
With that being said, I wouldn't dream of approaching a stranger and attempting to shame them if they didn't do their own work. Am I the only one who finds this question a little rude? I'll simply say "Nice car," and if they feel like talking, I may ask them something more specific about it. Just a random thought on a Sunday after filling a car up at the gas station and hearing that question for the 25th time this year.
1951 Buick 4x4
in Buick - Performance and Modified
Posted
Great looking Corvair! Go check out corvaircenter.com; I've been following that forum for almost 15 years now.