Aaron65

Car Craft magazine this month has a two-page spread on the 702, and (Thunder? I think...)'s efforts to bring rebuilds to market. $18,000 an engine, and weighing 1400 pounds (!), it seems pretty cool. The article said there are fewer than 200 known to exist right now. The whole deal makes me want an old GMC V-6 for a work truck, just for the weird factor.

The Ypsilanti Orphan Car Show also allows Corvairs, which were built right around the corner from Ypsilanti. They're not really orphans either, but I like that they're there. Maybe it should be called "orphans and uncommon stuff that doesn't often show up at car shows."

A friend of mine drove one of those in high school...it was pushing 10 years old, and smoked most of the time. It was a Turbo Automatic. From what I remember, it ran neck and neck with my 302 Thunderbird...

Thanks for the pics! I didn't make it down this year, so they were welcome!

Buick Fireball!

It may be our geography here. I know in Michigan, at least where I'm from, there's an old car on just about every block. The city where I teach hosts a HUGE car show, and the car is a lifestyle. But that's going to change, for the reasons many have eloquently mentioned above.

I totally agree about this...we need skilled trades right now, and it's not happening. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that these tradesmen and women have to come from somewhere, and if we don't foster that interest at a young age, we're sunk. Therefore, we're sinking. I can say that this is not coming from the classroom teacher, but from state curriculum guides that make ALL kids take certain classes that won't do them much good unless they're college-bound.

What are you talking about? I am a high school teacher, and while I agree that younger kids today largely could care less about old cars, I have never once heard of any teacher in my schools bad mouthing them. Unfortunately, state curriculums have left no room for students to learn a trade, which is 100% sad and stupid, but to say that my coworkers and I are actively promoting the death of the old car hobby is flat wrong. I promote it every chance I get.

I just came back from a trip to Michigan's UP, and most of the gas stations there advertised Ethanol-Free Premium. There was no option for E10 premium anymore. I'd love for that to come down to the Lower Peninsula!

Did you try tightening the pump cover bolts?

A Y-Block looks and sounds great too...is it a 292?

First, try tightening the pump cover. When you remove the inspection cover on the bottom of the bellhousing, you'll see a bunch of bolts. Only three are to hold the flexplate to the converter (pump). The rest are to hold the converter cover on. Behind that is a big o-ring. If these bolts are loose, it will leak like holy heck. So, torque these to 25 ft. lbs. and check it out again. Of course, it seems you'll never stop a Dynaflow from completely leaking. If these are tight, you'll have to remove the trans or live with it, because there is also a front pump seal that is a standard lip seal in there.

Is the car running on all 8? If so, why take off the heads and send them out? Literally, you need to drive this car some more before you can realistically analyze what's wrong with it. Otherwise, IMO, you'll be throwing money down the drain. Get the brakes and suspension safe, and put some miles on it, and then decide what it needs, if it needs anything.

When you took the compression test, did you pull all the plugs before you tested it? If you pull one at a time and/or don't block open the throttle, your readings will likely be low. As stated above, drive it for awhile! Why spend money you don't need to spend? Old cars take enough as is.

Does anyone have any idea what the factory jet size is on a C3AF (AN) Autolite 2100 is? I bought this carb years ago, and it came without a tag. I'm having a few driveability issues, and I'd just like to verify.

As stated before, I'm 35. Some guy in a parking lot asked if I bought the '53 new. I didn't know what to say.

I'm a '77 model...so all of them (other than a '12 Focus, which I don't count).

Yes, there should be one there...did someone break the stud off in the head maybe?

I got a definitive answer to the advance question today...going up a long bridge approach, I got some pinging when I pressed down on the gas. Oh well, the heavier springs go back in. I pulled over and backed the timing down a little.

That is correct...

Mine does NOT have it.

Valve covers were up and down until the 1966 or 1967 model year, so they could share a family appearance with the Nailhead. I saw a '67 300 in a junkyard with the valve covers from your picture.

The valve covers won't help you, but the intake on a 340 is wider. I checked that number in the American V-8 database and it doesn't come up, but I think the info in there is wrong, as it has the same number for the 300 and 340 intakes.

Strange--my 289 Mustang sounds nothing like that!

Yep, just had the radiator cleaned and it's fine. I actually was thinking the same thing about the carb...I'm glad you were able to back that up with a similar occurrence! As far as the timing, it seems to like a lot of initial advance, so I adjusted the curve. What kind of AFB did you replace it with?