60FlatTop

On these older tanks the filler connection hose is a special material designed to inhibit static electricity and a possible spark jump. NAPA used to carry it in 3' lengths and sell it by the inch. I replaced a lot of it service both restored and original cars. I remember one that was only fabric with a few alligatored pieces of rubber hanging on. The owner said he smelled gas when he filled it. Fuel filler pipe hose is recommended over a piece of cooling hose that might be the same size. Note, by recommended over a cooling hose was aimed at those frugal creative types who see the price of the correct hose and seek an alternative. A gentle "don't do it".

I can't find the link to the Fizzbin Handbook. It should be in there.

Here is one of the plans for the future: https://www.nlc.org/article/2023/06/13/exploring-the-15-minute-city-concept-and-its-potential-for-communities-of-all-sizes/ And here is a great example right near me: https://ecovillageithaca.org/ "No Self Propelled Cars Beyond This Point".

It's the possibilities for "and then some" that has my imagination going.

Transtar makes a brushable 2K polyurethane primer. I have a gallon of it that I have used for small jobs. It is very good paint. It is designed for high volume shops where booth time is at a premium. I also have Mar-Hyde 2K that I would not hesitate to brush on or use a 4" roller.

If you have sold things before think of the first adjective that comes to mind for buyer. Multiply that by the number of parts. That's worked for me. And it ain't getting better.

After doing the things an ace would do, like prying up on the mounting locations, checking for movement in the harmonic balancer, making sure the fan shroud was secure, the routine stuff. I would jack the car up on the floor, not the lift, and support the front end with jack stands under the lower A-arms. That is close to normal support yet takes the weight off the drive system. Being really careful one ace can stand or squat on either side at the front while a third operates the gas pedal, shifter, and all the other controls. Even a third peering into the open engine bay. That would be a peer group of three. I have used that method with only one other person and found it quickly reveals those untenable noises. I remember one of those noises that echoed along guard rails. No doubt about that bearing once the weigh was off. Just screen the ace's names and exclude any named Ferris.

I figure the fuel pump motor winds are cooled by the fuel in the tank. I try to top off the tanks on the electric fuel pump vehicles at 200 miles that usually assures me that there will be plenty of heat absorbing liquid. Seems to work for me.

Just a tip: I know they are called tack strips but I have had good luck using a light weigh quality staple gun and staples. Last year I replaced the Hide-Em strip over the back window of my convertible using a nice cordless rechargeable stapler. That was a new thing, the old manual staplers have worked well in the past.

I live within the village limits. Anything of "perceived value" gets set between the sidewalk and the curb. Two days ago a picnic cooler and a dog crate virtually vaporized before I got back to the house. I strongly agree with this method because the people who pick these items up do it with knowledge and intent. It appears that "official" recycling services use little discretion and have a habit of contaminating recyclables in ways that get the whole load rejected. Even loads that have been shipped as far as China have been neglected due to contamination. That guy with the beat up old truck will treat junk with value.

Our local library has a monthly rotating display of collections belonging to local people. I had a display of automotive items with a display card reading "My collection of things that were too good to throw away." None of mine had a electric cord attached.

Over the years I have cut the top off a few cars. Usually my thought was that the next owner would be a junkyard. Funny, I sold every one of then and not to a junkyard. The comment I quoted brings back a 35 or so year old memory. I had a red, topless 1962 Buick Electra 225 six window 4 door hardtop that was finessed into a very deceitful convertible. There was a car show at the other end of town and I was standing in my open garage door looking at a light sprinkle. Off I went anyway hoping it would let up. At the show it started raining harder. A friend's '57 Ford factory convertible was next to me, top up. I slipped inside for some shelter. I might as well have stayed in my car. Water was pouring into the Ford everywhere. It takes a lot to seal up an old car. Translation: When an old guy tells you he got a car just for fun that means it was really cheap and he thought he was stealing it, found out he got what he paid for or less. Impulse buys tend to be keepers. Those pragmatic, carefully weighed purchases.... I never kept them long.

If Maurice Schwartz had wielded the hacksaw these guys would be swooning. He did some awful things in his cave. I drive a car with the roof cut off and really enjoy it. I took it to a car show 7 or 8 years ago. Left early and tend to take long rides in the country.

I would do something like that. I haven't rejected ALL the things those old tricksters who influenced my youth would do. But most.

I took this twenty years ago when my daughter was going to college up in the north country. It was a one of the Mace Motors locations. It has been Photoshopped to a watercolor. There always seemed to be a hint of Norman Rockwell in the scene. Like the young girl in the field.

All ashore that's comin' ashore.

I am a very defensive driver, trusting no one. The signaling, hand or mechanical, I can get through with ease. The really bad people on the road are those who see themself as being "nice". One's own perception of "being nice" supersedes all formal rules of the road. The fluttering of fingers above the steering wheel from the car to your right at a four way stop and the driver mouthing "You go" is very common. As is the person who stops in the flow of traffic to let someone enter from a side street. "I'm so nice" they think. A defensive driver knows to be aware of the unexpected. But there is also an expectation of others simply following the rules. If they don't the dangerous situation arises. Two lanes of traffic and a young, inexperienced driver gets waved into oncoming traffic. How common is that at the Mall exit. The classic is the driver telling the story of the horrific accident they witnessed in their rear view mirror. "Why, a couple of seconds earlier and I could have been involved!" No, I am not a "nice" driver. Expect me to follow the rules. You know, the ones you had to learn one time in your life when you were in your mid-teens to pass the driver test. That group of nice drivers is right in there with the ones thinking four way flashers exempts them from any rules.

Sometimes intimidation can be a wonderful sport. This is an older picture I always liked. One was my wife's.

This may help in exploring options. This the subframe from my '86 Buick Park Ave. My bushes were fine and did not need replacement but they may be similar and just show a different part number. A similar thing happened in the early 1990s when I wanted new mounts for my '64 Riviera body. I went to the Chevy dealer and order a set for a '76 Impala. They worked out fine and are still holding the body up. GM has a lot of parts in their bins that are quite close.

Record high temperatures are predicted for the next few days in my part of the country. I had just sent a check to extend my storage until July 1st. But from the 5 PM news Thursday until 10 AM Friday the wheels were literally put in motion. My '86 Electra Park Avenue convertible started right up and came home from up south of town flawlessly. The new top cylinder I installed last year smoothly brought the top down for a ride up Main St. Usually putting the top down in a one time seasonal event. This year I have a little paint touch up to do on a few panels so it will be raised and lowered a few more times than normal. 38 years old.

Interesting. The first comment and the last comment on the job had such a different tone. One of my two sentences yesterday was that my engine had, maybe, 3,000 miles on it. Didn't say a word about the 12 annual oil changes.

Over the 45+ years I have owned my '64 Riviera I have thought about a manual transmission a few times. I have also owned large cars with a big torquey engine with four speeds. I found myself not using 1st gear unless was being a real Yahoo and "rowing the boat" became tedious. My final choice, if I ever did pull the trigger, would be a Chevy close ratio three speed with something like a 3.55 gear set. Think about that for a bit and the Turbo 400 sounds just fine.

Since the topic was opened I looked up information about the qualities of JB Weld. I would not totally reject the idea of using J B Weld to balance the mass of a set of rods while going through the process of an engine rebuild. It has a tensile strength of about 5,000 PSI and can withstand temperatures above 500 degrees F. Since all it is required to do is hold its own mass to the rod and be exposed to a quite compatible crankcase atmosphere I would not argue its use. And if given that choice over drilling or grinding away material an advised and thought out decision would give the epoxy the green light. For me rebuilding an engine is a one time thing. I would not plan on taking it apart again during my ownership and I would be surprised at a successive owner would need to disassemble my work. I got a car out of storage today that had an engine rebuild in 2011. The rebuild was mentioned with a friend who came along to help. I may have uttered two sentences about the rebuild. I wouldn't expect to dwell on it more.

Yeah, that may be the shop that moved forward to doing exhaust manifold bolt repair on early '50s RR&B's. Almost every one. Check the next time you see one.

Lots of discussion but I am still wondering the reason for tearing down an engine at an obvious great expense. Could a borescope have been slipped into the crankcase to look at the rods specifically when another diagnosis led to "There must be foreign material on the rods!" I wouldn't think it happened like that. I am not so sure I would throw that whole concept out. I might change a few details of the execution but I have been know to be one who weighs the concept and the details quite analytically.