60FlatTop

Could be a close relative of one on these Bond (not James) cars: Bernie

I use the Ebay search way less than I used to and look at it for shorter periods of time. I don't feel at a loss for it. Thanks, Ebay, for the continued bumbling management. I just checked parts for a 1948 Packard- Chrome Amber Custom Marker Lights Pair Custom Car Truck Hot Rat Street Rod New (Fits: 1948 Packard) You won't find that in a brick and mortar store. Ebay, yawn. Bernie

Well, what do you think of that. Bernie

John, you watched the show and remembered what it was about. They scored! There is a good movie called "The Evocateur" about Morton Downey Jr. that gives some great insight into the TV sideshow stars and their shows. To the topic, my motivation has always been to buy the vehicle because I really want it. If I don't want a car for $3500 I'm pretty sure I won't want it for $1500 or $1000. I just don't see money as the motivator when it comes to old cars. I don't want this car for this much money, but if it was less I'd want it? Yeah.... don't work that way. Bernie

I have spent some time the last couple of weeks asking people what the Confederate flag symbolizes to them. I ain't heard anyone say racist yet, but the answers seem consistent. Bernie

I'd guess a Jaguar Mark VIII or IX. Bernie

Did they check it with the top down? I have a Triplet analog electrical multimeter that a friend gave me around 1982. We were moving into a lot of field testing and the traditional Simpson 260's were bulky. I was looking at a digital. He gave me the meter and said "Never use a tool that is smarter than you. It will only get you in trouble." It's pretty likely that a couple of strings with nuts for weights will amaze them..... maybe not. Bernie

Yeah, after cleaning you have to keep sitting on them and rubbing across the seat. Come to think of it, that's a good way to remove them. Just wear old clothes. Bernie

One of the best resources for 1980's tech, whether maintaining, modifying, swapping, or the like is the Fiero Forum: http://www.fiero.nl/cgi-bin/fiero/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro. Bernie

Well, if it's just a Chevy it doesn't make much difference. Actually, I took them off a couple of weeks ago and went back to the stock wheels. I didn't care for them that much, they were only modification, and the offset wasn't quite right. I just thought I'd try reliving that Cragar dream of the '60's. It was reversible. I guess I can say I'm running 17X8.5 reversed rims. Bernie

Times have changed. You have to finish them now? I would have lost out on a lot of fun over the past half century if that had been the rule. I never really cared about finishing a car if I could sit in the garage and admire it's profile and lines until I passed it on to someone with rose colored glasses. One can always go out and buy an interesting car to drive. That nirvana arrived to me one night in 1984. Things have been pretty pleasurable ever since; kind of like being immune to the frenetic hobbyists and angst around me. Lay out $4500, budget $2,000 a year, and enjoy all the privileges of ownership for a few years. Then dump it and move on. One wife, lots of cars; just livin' on the cheap, so to speak. Bernie

Lots of good day dreams for not a lot of money. I could see it in my garage if space wasn't getting so dear. Bernie

Out in this neck of the woods we got yer General Grant; an unmarked Buick driven 9 to 5 to a regular job, Monday through Friday, smells a little like booze on the weekends, and the only stunt drivin' was fishtailing around the angry husband on crutches in the dirt parking lot. I always did believe that General Lee was a Hollywood fake; them boys come from Ford country. Bernie

A '62 full sized Buick is a pretty good looking car. And the factory wheel covers are nice looking. A natural look is when your eye moves across the whole entity of the car without being draw to something that disrupts the flow; like odd wheels, weird tutone paint, a big rust whole, or rusty bumpers. Bumping it up to an Electra wheel cover is a nice touch. Spend a little time on Craigslist. I bet the most frequently asked question is "Do you have the correct wheels?" Bernie

Ummmmmm..... maybe referring to the 1928 Le Mans Chryslers is not the way to go if you don't want it street rodded. If it looks like a duck. Bernie

Back to the lifter diagnosis, check the rocker arm shafts for wear on the bottom side. A lot of Buicks have had new lifters installed when the problem was worn rocker arm shafts. I have stripped the shafts down and held them at a 45 degrre angle; they look just like a set of steps. Bernie

I have thought about replacing the almost 30 year old top on my '86 Park Ave and happy to see Aro listed H&E and Kar Kraft. I don't need it right now, but I took this link: http://www.biddingowl.com/Auction/item-detail.cfm?auctionID=4742&ItemID=179362&viewType=1&style=57&font=0&catName=Automobiles%20and%20Bikes It looks like a good cause. Maybe I'll put in a bid. Bernie

Lots of symbolism there: That's what I think of what you learned to make in rehab! Wrong car, though. It needs to be an absolutely quiet car like my Electra. "He wasn't SUPPOSED to hear me coming." Bernie

One of those kids Matt showed usually has a tape measure in his pocket and will impress the others by holding it near the windshield or window and saying "about 4" out of here...." The stereotypes are the most fun. A few shows and you will be able to tell what kind of car a person owns at a glance. Bernie

Same thought; that looks great. Aren't you glad you cleaned it? A couple vacuum cleaner bags of dirt can restore that benevolently neglected look in a few minutes. I use the WD 40 on my engine compartments. If you want to get into the true feel of a 1920's car owner put a little kerosene and a corn cob in a two quart bucket. Give 'er the once over every Saturday morning. It might be a little dusty for that fish fry on Friday night, but it will look great in the church parking lot on Sunday. Now you can sit in a chair and admire the reflections off all those shiny curves; peaceful and satisfying like meditating. Bernie

Here it is; only time since I bought it in '02. No ill effects and I didn't use the two most terrifying words in the English language......... "I thought". Think back to then events that have preceded THOSE two words. Bernie

X2 Bernie

I'm getting flash backs of my High School permanent record. And then there was the time Kodak had me sign my annual performance review in pencil. I just feel like an underachiever without a warning point. I should, at least, get one when a post is deleted. Bernie

I grew up working in the social-economic circles of used car dealers and their customers. I would be at a lunch table with my Grandfather listening to stories about someone's Cadillac being trashed because buying the Cadillac was overstepping their place in the social ranks. It seemed like after they had been shown their place they reappeared with a Lincoln. And you never hear of a Lincoln being trashed. Those youthful memories like that (from 14, 1962 to 18, 1966) always attached the stigma of the Lincoln as a lesser car to the Cadillac in my mind. It is really hard to get something like that out of your head. Recently I have been looking into Lincolns more than before, but I'm pretty sure I will be swayed by a Fleetwood or Electra before I pull the trigger on one (pull the trigger,now that's Freudian!) Bernie

On May 15, 2011 I had my '60 Electra on a two post lift in a shop I don't normally use. On the rare visits to the shop I do use, they always go around to the four post. At home I use a floor jack and only support on axles. I'm just fussy like that, Of course, when they test my windshield wipers for the annual safety inspection they bring the local Priest in to sprinkle my windshield with Holy Water so the wipers don't rub it dry. Just has to be done my way. Hey, it is interesting that this is the Post War section. Would that be two post vs. four post? Bernie