60FlatTop

How do flies find honey?

Honey and vinegar ain't the only fly bait! And I can come up with a lot of the third. Bernie

The pushy, annoying ones don't have much of a chance anyway. Maybe that's why I don't care for the clowns on TV car reality shows. What you think and what you do don't have to be transparent, as the politicians say. Around 1990 we had a residential furnace salesman who was knocking down about $120,000 a year in upstate NY. He would visit a customer and ask them to stand by the cellar door to listen for the furnace to turn on. Then he'd peek into the refrigerator to see what leftovers were there. The furnace would be discussed and the nice home would be mentioned, just like home and reminded him of home. Then he'd mention the get lunches his Mom made from leftovers, like warmed up chicken. The lady of the house would exclaim "Oh, I have some chicken in the refrigerator. Would you like to join us for lunch." It wasn't hard to get that contract signed half an hour later. Sounds like your experience is with the guys who brag about shooting at the code officer. Down here by the Lake we are smoother. Bernie

The rings on the cylinder with the open intake valve will only push the rust on the walls just so far. I had to look up some other stuff this afternoon and ran across this: /www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTUwn15evsI That's the stuff inside cylinders that have been sitting. Bernie

There is an old rule that a vampire can't take advantage of you unless you invite them in. I view an advertisement for sale to be the same kind of invitation. You get a chance to see everything they have and can always ask about the other stuff. Years ago I saw a Swap Sheet ad for 100 hubcaps. I didn't need them, but anyone with 100 hub caps for sale HAS to have more of something. The lady said they were sold, but I talked her into letting me come over. Turned out her husband had died 20 years before and was big in the Model A Club. The guys had picked it all over after his death. 20 years later the stuff they didn't want was more valuable. I spent all the spare money I had. Think like a vampire. Take advantage of the invitation. Bernie

Sometime in the early 1990's when cars with 100,000 miles started to become common, a little car lot near me got in an absolutely mint red, Mustang GT, 5.0, with a five speed. I tried it out one Saturday and took it for a good long ride. There was not a flaw. It didn't even have dust in the interior. As I remember they wanted $4200 for the car so that should give a time frame. I got to choking on a hairball over the 105,000 miles. I offered them $3800, I know it was $600 less. They were closed Sunday while I obsessed about the car, even went back and looked it over on the lot. I spent Monday at work and made it to the lot about 4PM. The car was sold. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. That was a turning point for me. The car is not important, I'm not much of a Ford fan, but the idea of having something I really wanted and for $600 lost it. The lot is about 5 miles from me and I think about that deal every time I drive by. I can guarantee you I haven't missed one since. And that thought is very close to the surface all the time. The wife thing is funny. A couple of years ago I bought a major project car, knowing 95% that I would sell it. A friend and his wife stopped by and all four of us walked around the gardens and looked at the new treasure. His wife looked at mine and said "You let him buy that?" After they left my Wife commented on what she said. She didn't understand where her input would be required.I told her it was an ethnic culture gap and not to even think about it. She didn't. Bernie

Those years go by very fast. 20-25 years is a blink. When I bought my '64 Riviera it was about 15 years old. I remember how long I thought it would be until the car was 25 and eligible for Taylor's insurance. That breezed by and the car is 51 now. I bought my '60 in '01, there's a decade and a half. I am planning on another 40 years (planning, not necessarily expecting it). I like originality mainly because I like cars that were better quality when they were new. And I try to have something a little different. Back in 1977 I took this picture in Strongsville, Ohio. At the time I owned a 1939 Buick Series 40, my second one. That row was longer than the picture shows. On that day I decided that enough 1939 Buicks had been saved for posterity and dropping a 350 Buick engine with some alterations wasn't going to affect history. When I sold that '39 I pulled the 350 Buick out of it and dropped it into a 1960 F-100, enough of those as well. When I bought my '64 Riviera there were a lot less in the hobby than there are today. I have been quite faithful to originality on the car. I have owned it a long time. It's value means little. I don't plan to sell it. The styling would be very hard to improve upon and the mechanical components are pretty much flawless in design. Any effort to modify it would really have to be a driving urge on my part. But I do consider some personal touches. Maybe they will show up in July 2017. You never know. Bernie

Some people have been disappointed when an item, car, or whatever was no longer available from me. A few times I have said "Don't take this personally. It is those who came before that I reacted to." It is not just cars sales. It's dropping the car off for some service, or as important as going to a doctor. There are just so many times that expectations aren't met that it becomes predictable. And it gets worse all the time. Chiselers I just stay away from in general. If one does latch on like a tick I want something from them. About 30 years ago I had a 1967 Electra in my front yard for sale at $800. A local looked at it and asked if I would sell it for less. "Sure, I put new tires on the front a couple of months ago and need them for the replacement car. I'll put some used ones on it and keep the new ones. I'll knock off $100." The guy was back in an hour with the full amount. He did some tire pricing. That was a great nirvana for me. Ever since I have always asked for something in exchange for a lower price. Tires or a battery are most common, but the idea is to NEVER make a gift. I have found that the deep seated motivation of these chiselers is not the few dollars. It seems to be their need to demean the value the seller has placed on their item. It is an uplifting thing for them. Then they brag about the deal they got to their friends. I even know some who lie about what they paid to "save face". Oh, another thought. Always tell them to bring money. I know people who are deathly afraid to mention money until the absolute last moment. Money it the first level of screening not the last. A few years ago I got a call on a Jaguar I had for sale. There was a city between us and it was early afternoon. I told the buyer it was a long way, "are you bringing cash?" He was taken back a bit but thought he could get to the bank on time. He arrived, cash in hand and ready to buy. I was glad I helped motivate him. Bernie

I wouldn't have known, but I would have asked if it was a Rochester or a Stromberg. And, for sure, I would have hd a tough time with a Chysler product. But I did like the offer to call with your light and magnifying glass handy. How many post back was that? Bernie

Sam Rawlins was the chief judge for Rolls-Royce Phantom II cars back in the mid-1990's. I had the job of bringing the wiring in the distribution box on 201RY up from the 1976 standards when it was first restored to the current higher standard at the time. No cars existed that were correct. Sam sent me pictures of three cars that, combined, had all the correct facets. He sent me a sample of correct Ross Courtney terminal rings and cotton string, coated with bee's wax, wrapped, and tied with the proper knot. I got an envelope with plastic end cups that identified the factory chassis wire ends. The cotton wrapped wires were to be used on couch builder terminals. All the instructions were specific from the judge. I used to use a local surplus electrical supply for materials to make Bakelite boxes and covers. They had a very similar number tag. When I asked about using them a letter came back stating "For judging purposes" use the ones I sent you. That is the expertise to do the job. Today we sometimes lack that personal touch because of the abundance of misinformation available and it is hard to sort out. The best resource is the membership of your marque club, then detective work by examining your own car with AACA support. In any case, always remember to leave one blatant flaw. That will be obvious to the self styled expert and maybe he will move on a little quicker. He's gonna be there no matter what. Bernie

I have sold worse cars. And I have described them as being in worse condition; even used a term like "very rough". If it is an online sales the buyers will send a flood of emails asking if I will take less. It happens on smaller Ebay items as well. Then the get it and write back saying "I didn't think it would be that bad" or "I thought it would be better." The ONLY question they asked was "Will you take less." I wonder if I should write "very, very rough" instead of one "very". That car and every one in the range of low value condition needs 300 $100 jobs done to it. Plus parking space for a minimum of two cars for a long period of time. That's a big commitment to a car that has been subjectively screwed up and a real bear to restore objectively. And subjective or objective are the words left out too often. Bernie

Never thought of taking it to Goodwill, There is an irony about that.

Bill's story reminds me of my Nephew, Donovan. He had a night job delivering pizzas. One night, south of town, at the intersection of a side road he saw a deer flailing in the road after it was hit by a car. He felt bad but continued on with his delivery. The deer was still there on his way back. He pulled over and got a hatchet out of his trunk. He hit the deer in the skull and killed it. But he was surprised at the way the blood sprayed all over. It made a real mess. So he walks back into the pizza shop carrying the bloody hatchet and blood all over the front of his clothes. Around the counter and back to the deep sink to clean up. The guys say "Hi, Don." without interruption of their work, just another day at the Pizza shop. Not a car joke, just a story we enjoyed. That's the Nephew who was at our house Christmas eve and started talking about canes with a sword inside. I said "Oh! I have one of those." I gave it to him and he said he was going to keep it under his car seat. My Brother was kind of distant for a couple of Christmases after that. Bernie

Nuthin' but a couple daily drivers here.

Mine are. I pulled them from a 9 TB NAS on my desk that wasn't here a year ago. Bernie

It is never as straight forward as you think. It might be wise to drain the cooling system and remove the radiator and fan shroud just to be safe. Also disconnect the throttle linkage before the back of the engine goes down. With the engine lowered you will have real good access to the heater hoses where they enter the core. It would be a good time to change them. Slice the hose with a razor knife along the fitting and peel it off. Twisting and pulling can damage the fittings. The factory hoses were molded with a 90 degree bend, If you new hose kinks you can put a copper 90 and a couple of clamps at that point. There is also special tight bend heater hose if you choose. Those cheapie split tube jack stands look pretty scary once you get a good one in your hands don't they. Well, I do practice what I preach. There's a stack under the bumper. Good luck!

Chewing on a piece of grass Walking down the road Tell me, how long you gonna stay here Joe? Some people say this town don't look Good in snow You don't care, I know Ventura Highway in the sunshine Where the days are longer The nights are stronger Than moonshine

My "60 Electra makes that little gurgling noise when I start out on cold season mornings. It gives my car kind of an organic presence, a friendly sound, really. Bernie

We all have a cross to bear. Sometimes it is a Lacrosse, sometimes a Crossfire. In the end "if it don't say Delco you paid too much." You, surely, must be much more generous and charitable. Bernie

I kept looking at that engine, I looked at the valve covers, counted the bolts, looked at the shape, but didn't recognize it. Chrysler, well, I feel quite blessed that I didn't know what it was. Not recognizing a Chrysler part gives pause to appreciate the little things in life that go unnoticed. I bet that Caddy steering column is attached to a Volare steering box.

This coming Spring will be my 50th year of operating power plants. Somewhere in the beginning I was told "When in doubt, throw it out." It has been a wonderful policy and I can't begin to list the problems it has helped me avoid. Please, join me in my success. Bernie

Space is really tight and the X-frame makes it a little touchy to support safely with jack stands if you are really a home garage mechanic. Be very careful in selecting jack stands. I would suggest two pairs of Hein-Werner, like these: http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200349988_200349988?cm_mmc=Google-pla&utm_source=Google_PLA&utm_medium=Automotive > Jacks&utm_campaign=Hein-Werner Automotive&utm_content=155719&gclid=CM-p7NGw-88CFZA2aQodK6MLhQ Your life depends on it. When working under the car use the stands plus the jack under the end you are working on. A stack of mounted wheels between the frame and floor are another good safety measure. If your tools are limited you will be using your jack to lower the tranny. If you lower the rear of the engine don't break the fan shroud, bend the tranny lines, or stretch the radiator hose. As above, be careful about mixing old parts with new. Most leaking seals replaced on old shafts don't last. I walked out of a Tim Horton's coffee shop Tuesday night and saw a sign for help at $9.50 per hour. At this point it might be good to work part time there and give the money to the shop. There will be many more jobs to develop your learning curve and independence. Make every effort to do things yourself. But this is a big bite. Better to defer the job and think "someday I will be doing that myself". Get the jack stands either way. Bernie

That's not really the traditional Carson top. I think it is more the Conestoga style. I wonder if he parked the car when he started construction on that building in the background Why do these Craigslist sellers post so many pictures of cars sunk into the ground. The foot paths (not mower paths) show someone walked around it. How hard would it be to hook a chain on it and drag it 3 feet before they took the picture? I did add the picture to my "Sunk In" folder. Texas, huh. A few more of those and we might have to call it The Lone Car State. Bernie

So I tried to help out a Vet who was a little down on his luck. After a very heated discussion about the difference between naphtha and napalm I gave the job to my Wife. She's ready. We got some practice in this summer sitting in lawn chairs and shooting bumble bees that tried to nest in the soffit. I guess I better fix those holes when I make the repairs from taking home movies from the Allis-Chalmers bucket. Bernie

" An observed problem is when OEMs answer a customer's concern with "That's normal" (which can have many hidden meanings!) and the customer's prior vehicle did not behave in that particular manner. IF an informed dealership operative can accurately and understandably explain what's going on with the vehicle and WHY it's doing what it does, THAT CAN help the customer better understand what's going on and why, which CAN also decrease their frustrations with "a normal" situation." I have been buying cars for 57 years and I have expectations of a smooth, effortless drive unless I chose a different performance style. The only response I will take after a visit with the dealership "schmoozer" will be abstinence. That's how Lexus got the higher position. Luckily, I have over 100 years of automotive technology to choose from. I needed a car for my Wife about a year ago. I tried out every GM car I could. I swear, the Cadillac STS shifted more times than I took breaths on the test drive. I already had a 3,6, 5,000 pound Enclave for a company car (isn't that the large Fiat platform?). That gutless thing brought me home seething many nights, about 20,000 miles worth and it was gone. We are very happy with her 1998 Tahoe LT that she has driven 2,000 miles in the last year. They can run all the surveys on buyers they want, but did they run a survey on those whom chose alternatives? "When a "kind of" better car is built, Buick will badge it." Toyota has been in bed with GM for quite a while. Rebadging a Lexus to a Buick could be a real winner, might be better than an Opel or Mokka. Bernie