60FlatTop

Yeah, must be me. Three of the five in the garage, that all stop well, have four self energizing primary and secondary drum brakes that have all had major overhauls within the last ten years and all four are connected by 1/4" double flared steel lines except the locations where rubber lines were replaced. The wheels cylinders are new and the master cylinders, harder to get, have been sleeved and rebuilt. The hygroscopic fluid is flushed each year to avoid rust build up. And it is, apparently, ridiculous for me to think there was a level of intelligence that looked at the design systemically. To save humanity near me I should jettison the front half, make it different with fabricated components and calipers ground so they don't rub my wheels, put in the random master cylinder from and auto parts with a pair of 3/16" bubble flare fittings and orchestrate two systems. Now, would I run smaller lines all the way to the calipers or put an adapter right at the master cylinder port. Should the small lines run all the way to the rear with adapters there or should I bump it to a 1//4 inch line at the master cylinder, I guess GM just read about brake parts in old trade magazines so the kid at the parts counter would know best. Sounds more like the cook and the alphabet soup plant. I guess I'll just continue the path of increased awareness I have for the last 50+ years of working on the brakes and live this ridiculous life. I read and interpret what the contributors younger than my brake tools have to write. I even absorb some, but personally I'm not throwing anything out because I don't know how to fix it. What does that term mean; ridiculous? Hell, who can recognize a rhetorical question? Bernie

I'm a total impulse buyer and usually pay 2X what experts tell me I should have. If you were un-impulsed enough to write into the forum for advice and you are not suffering heart palpitations worrying about some else buying it while you consult there is a better "something" out there for you. And that will surely show up a week or two after you buy the Clipper. In most parts of the country this is bargain time. Sellers enjoyed their car all season and now want to unload them to avoid storage and the problems related to it. Since it's a "hots" driven purchase play the field. Some of the active contributors to the forum sell cars on consignment. Fall would be a good time to contact a couple to find a really motivated seller. Bernie

My daily driver in the early 1990's was a '56 Olds that always had very fine rust slit in the gas I had a filter in line but the stuff was so fine it always got through. The only thing noticeable was when I pulled the plugs expecting clean white tips, they were clean orange tips. I think I drove the car 3 years like that, sold it, and had a chance to buy it back with fresh paint a couple years later for the same money. No one touched the tank but they painted the car. I guess no one found it an issue. That's experience from someone who is pretty fussy. Bernie

Genesee Beer is the San Miguel of the Northeast. But you gotta be an ex-sailor from New York to really feel it. A couple of years ago the Pierce-Arrow Society held its national meet at The Genesee Country Museum. There was also a Genesee Valley Canal that connected to the Erie Canal in Rochester New York. This transportation system played a major part in opening trade and developing the (then) western United States into a prosperourscountry. In the 19th century it was probaly one of the most important trade project areas in the world. It's a good keepsake and if you look into western New York history from 1800 to 1950 you will be able to attach some great stories to it. Bernie

Nice to see some good cars with realistic prices........... and at about the price I'm putting down on a bigger garage building. Bernie

Each of my cars carries the Karma or stigma of the previous owner. It's what I leave behind that will be interesting to the next owner. Bernie

Genny Country is a beer statement. Here's Jenny She lived about 3/4 of a mile from me and stayed looking that good all her life. Some boys would ride their bikes past her house just to get a glimpse. There used to be a advertising campaign about the secret of good beer "What's the Genny Secret?" PM me and I'll tell you what I heard. Bernie

The molding probably matches. Bernie

I lost the ignition key for my '64 Riviera about 25 years ago. The ignition is unlocked so it hasn't been a problem; gonna have to fix that some day. Don't lock the house either, What if a friend stopped by and couldn't get in? A couple of years ago some kids went through my wife and my cars during the night, CD's scattered everywhere and glove boxes emptied. Nothing was missing. I've heard about people feeling violated after something like that. We felt rejected. Bernie

I've been around long enough to have seen science replaced by dogma (dogma du jour, if you like). If one questions a pseudo-science the supporter quickly points a finger and gyrates, chanting "Denier! denier!" or uses ridicule which is one of the most effective censorship devices available. Effective ridicule causes the intelligent one to just roll their eyes and walk away. Recently there was an attempt to revive the sciences with a national STEM program. I joined and never got any follow up. The program name has changed to STEAM. Apparently the majority couldn't connect Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, but STEAM, relating to 19th century locomotives was recognizable as getting the program "up to steam". The "A" supposedly puts Art into the equation. I guess they left out all the dogmatic BS artists the first time out. Think LA was bad? Here's the good old home of the EPA, any night 2015. OK, this is where they just passed a law for more efficient power plant operation. Really, the power plant is running for the lights no one turned off. It's too bad DUH is a three letter word. If it was a four letter world it might get attention, Atlas Shrugged, Duh Sequel Bernie

In 1974 I had my first chance to go to Hershey, BUT I was relief man in a power plant operation. One guy decided to get married and go on his honeymoon that week. AND celebrate that week for the next 10 years! All in all it wasn't until 1990 that I got to go. I got off 81 at Manada Hill and came down 39. I'll never forget coming over the hill and seeing the meet spread out in front of me; balloons all above thousands of people and tents everywhere. It was great. I have never seen anything annoying, no one has farted,I never walked too far, my car never slid down a hill on wet grass, I never ate a raw turkey leg, my feet never hurt, AND I only remember it raining one time. The last year I was there I split the cost of a golf cart with a friend. I don't remember my cost, either $100 or $200. It was sure nice to ride. The cost? Well, I took two days off work, drove round trip 700 miles, paid for two nights in a motel, bought all my meals in restaurants or the perfectly cooked turkey legs. I really do forget what I pay when I'm happy. The only way I'd know is by asking the pale old guy wearing the blue uniform pants and taking a quarter tip out of his leather snap change purse. The one thing I do love is all the characters, especially the ones whom work sooooooo hard to live up to a stereotype. Watch that big smile when I see you, There's a stereotype for me, too. Bernie Oh, that guy in the power plant got divorced in 1990.

Frank, easy to remember, Red, White, and Blue and the beginning of the Depression. I'll look for you. Bernie

You just can't get the best acceleration with sniffled emissions waffling from a diesel tail pipe. It takes something like this: Where's the EPA when those get doled ot? Bernie

It probably has the optional Hazard lights, too. Bernie

I have some neat stuff in the brake drawer of one of my tool boxes. There are a handful of short sections of line with fittings and the tubing soldered closed. I use those for the untenable jobs where I need to isolate the master cylinder, wheel cylinders, or hose connected line sections. That way I can establish a hard pedal from the master cylinder outward. I have real drum pullers of both types. And I have a master cylinder cap with the vent hole soldered closed and a 3/8" pipe nipple out the top for reaching those pesky GM master cylinders under the steering column with Tygon tubing. It is all stuff you buy and make as you go along. I can isolate and build a firm pedal on a master cylinder in about 20 minutes. Pulling the pedal up with a hand or toe makes me wonder how old the brake return springs are. It can also indicate lots of brown mucky rust in the wheel cylinder. Peeling back a couple of wheel cylinder boots usually confirms that. If there is rust in the brake fluid water has been lying in the low spots and eating the inner diameter of the steel lines. I check those by gently squeezing the sides of the line with vise grips, just a half turn at a time. If they are thin the bottom cracks open like a lobster shell. It's a system and all the components function together. Check it all and don't worry about breaking something. If it breaks it was probably ready to. Bernie

Repairing brakes is a diagnostic and mechanical repair job. Converting seems like an engineering, mechanical repair, and diagnostic verification of the changed system. The second option is easier? The only qualified brake designer for my car is GM. I'll bet you two bumpers fixing the original system is the best option. Bernie

Remember a TV series called Sex on the Riviera? :) :) :) Bernie

"Really great" never had anything about VW's or diesels to me. I di like cars over 25 years old, though. B

I was taught that we are the government and THEY are elected officials. Observation has shown THEY are elected through default by the 30% of eligible voters whom stay home and think they don't count. We need to go back to the days of the founders when the leaders of the Minute Men were the ones who bought the most rounds at the tavern. Bernie

I remember a standoff with a big black spider in the bathroom and one of my last minute Harrisburg motels. It was about 2 AM and I was glad I turned the light on. I didn't want to hurt him because I think they eat bed bugs. My work gets me into lots of economically depressed towns and their living quarters. We just take it in stride. A couple of years ago I had a team in the southern tier of New York and thousands of spiders made a midnight migration across a lighted parking lot. Light and spiders came in under the door. The guys spent the night folding blankets and sheets in the cracks. In the morning the desk clerk said "Yeah, they do that sometimes." and knocked $15 off each room. Some call it adventure. I was in Baltimore once and turned a corner in my truck at night. I immediately recognized a location that had been in a recurring bad dream I had been having. Now, that will really scare the hell out of you! I'm staying at the Hollywood Motel with a great view overlooking the cemetery. Somewhere I have a picture of the cemetery, my son, my '77 Sedan DeVille, the motel, and fresh snow. Adventure is in the eye of the beholder. Bernie

My first thought was with Marty, check the timing. "Feels like too much compression" sure sounds like too much advance. Make sure the plate for the points is free and the mechanical fly weights aren't sticking. Did the same person rebuild the starter both times? Bernie

At least no one has said it was released as a smoke screen for what the EPA did to the Navajo Nation in August. Hmmmmm, smoke screen; interesting term. Bernie

It is annoying and detracts from Ebay's fabled "customer experience", something they would destroy a seller for doing. I just use Ebay less and save money. The only thing I have that is of value to Ebay is my money. I keep it. Bernie

When I taught my son and daughter to drive the first thing I asked was if they knew what the right of way meant. They both said "Yes". I replied "I just revoked yours." It works fine. Years later, I know a professional driver who has a lot of trouble with other people who don't know who has the right of way; and has the wrecked cars and trucks to prove it. Newsflash- if you have the green light stop for the car speeding toward the red side of the light. It's not a legal thing. It's a Darwin thing....... well, if you are still reproducing it is, anyway. Bernie...

I know of one politician who could have used that sharp programmer to set up his healthcare data base. Bet he wasn't the low bidder. Bernie