60FlatTop

Yeah, that's pretty much what I wanted and ended up with. My other cars are all very quiet. Bernie

My car is fairly quiet in normal driving and does not drone at constant speeds. The Hushpower's are from Flowmaster. They use a laminated steel plate baffle system that copies the tone of 1950's steel packs. It has the exact Chris Craft idle I was looking for and sounds good upon acceleration. If I wasn't happy with it all the parts would be in my nephew's tin pile with the Waldron's "quiet" system I bought for the '60 Electra. I had a Flowmaster 3" American Thunder system on a Z-28 a few years ago. They sure picked the right name for that one! I think the 2" tailpipes are benefiting me. The bigger stuff echoes. I've had enough cars with tachometers so I have a good idea what RPM range I am running in and I have to trigger a whole bunch of yahoo neurons to go over 3500 rpm. What in the world are you guys doing to need these high flow, low restriction systems? These are Rivieras. Bernie

She's a librarian and says shhhhh! a lot B.

Here is my 425, stock pipes back to the muffler flanges, then a 2 1/2" equalizer pipe in place of the muffler. A Tee on each side leads into a 2" Hushpower 12" body with chrome tips, rolled at the end: http://brockportinternational.com/xjs/Dir5/Riviera/64riviera.mp3. Eight bolts and it all drops down so the stock muffler can slip right in for church on Sunday. Bernie

Step one: always do a complete compression test. Then proceed through a logical procedure of diagnostic steps with the ignition system, fuel system, and then major mechanicals. Develop your own personal details for your method and always follow the same steps. When others do work, trust but verify. I knew a guy, not me, who bought a car with a match book stuffed in the corner of a dashboard panel. When he took it out there was a rattle. He disassembled the dash, put in rubber bumpers, and ended up with a new match pack. A few years later the car got a major tune up and the guy who did the tune up saw the matches during a test drive. He threw them aside because he didn't know about the rattle until the owner asked about the match pack. The rattle was gone. I think they are still lying around on a shelf somewhere in my garage. Be careful to check all the simple details and make no assumptions. Bernie

I put the first bids in on all five items. And I don't even own a 1937 Buick. I will probably bid again before the end. Of course, I am intrinsically a packrat. Bernie

I'm about 40 minutes east of Buffalo. That picture looks like the tropics to me. My cars are not stored and driven on dry days in December, January, and March. Dead storage for 5 or 6 months is really rough on a car every year. Condensation, corrosion, idle lubricated pivot points and bearings, and now genetically altered fuel all takes a toll. Last year I started maintaining the temperature in the garage instead of letting my random visits keep the heat on. I didn't let it drop below 38 degrees. That cost me about $90 per car. Maintaining the heat and judicious driving looks like the best thing. An important concern for me is my age. I don't have to preserve my cars as long as the younger guys. Thirty years from now, when I am 96, I won't look at the dog leg on my car and say "Oh, crap, its starting to rust." Of course it is not a Ford or Chrysler product, I bought a GM car. They last better under all conditions. About these parking thoughts: See my Packard? Although I am pretty talkative, there are a couple buttons one can push. John, check out my Utica license plate! Bernie

Bill, there were only 30? It looked like the whole 7th Fleet to me at 19 years old. We did a double on Yankee Station (56 days) and crossed the equator for R&R in Sidney early June, weather changes enough to crack your teeth. Matt, I raffle those rocks every payday. 100 tickets from $0.01 to $1.00, you'll never risk more than a buck. That sales method might work with MMO. Bernie

BillP, was that you standing on the Enterprise deck off the coast of Korea in February 1968? I was on that funny looking CVL with the antennae bristling out, the Arlington. Wasn't the MMO stored right between the Line-A-Way Nontwist and the relative bearing grease? No spawning problems here either. Bernie

The Buick Farm? Maybe it has something to do with international shipping of agricultural products. Bernie

I always remove the distributor, myself, for similar reasons. Also, well over 20 years ago I started turning the engine to point the rotor at 90 degrees with the firewall EVERY time I pulled a distributor. Then there is no doubt how it installs. Bernie

Some say "One man's junk is." B

Twenty-four years ago my son was eight years old and gave me a 9/16 NAPA auto parts combination wrench. My wife and he had walked to the store and picked it out. She remembered that I would say 1/2" and 9/16" wrenches liked to hide from me. It probably cost about $8. The wrench is hanging in size order on a hook with a line of other brands. I never look at or touch the wrench without thinking about him. To do the same thing today he would have to get me a 14 MM wrench. 13's and 14's like to hide now. If he is a car guy he'd be amazed at how you thought of that. Gifts never have to be big. Bernie

It should have a dust cover. Although it would have come with one it is not a critical part today if it lives a collector car life or even does things like my signature picture shows. Over the years the majority of the cars I have greased for the first time have water in the grease cover. I use close to a full tube of grease on my first lube job. On that first greasing I peel back the edge of the seal and pump grease in, first seeing water cum out, then darkened old grease. I pump until fresh grease comes out. It can take 10 or more pumps to do a good flush. I lot of guys give two or three and watch the seal "plump" up. I did that because the old timers said to be careful about the seal. Then I found out the thing was full of water anyway. Giving a thorough flush and regular greasing after assures fresh grease with no trapped water and minimal entrained dirt. Twice a year on a car driven 1,000 miles is good. Bernie

Always good to see Debbie Harry show up with a Buick. Being an old guy really expands your taste......... I just did some quick math in my head. I guess my taste was already expanded in my teens. Bernie

As a used car or modified car a different color would be looked at as "Nice Paint" or "Sharp car". As a collector car appraised at collector car value it would be "1967 Riviera, wrong color, needs paint, vinyl top missing". At bare metal you get to chose your market. In 1980 I painted my brown Riviera maroon. During the years it has not affected the value and I expect it never will for me. The price I gave my wife to sell it for if I am dead is low enough so color won't be an issue, either. Of course, you are fixing up a pretty nice car and you may want to keep it. Be sure the other half of "we" will let you buy them out so you can keep it. Bernie

Fall timing to sell a collector car is no good in northern states although frequently an owner decides they have enjoyed their last season and will let the car go in lieu of storage. Storage will be a concern of the buyer as well. "Where will I store the car I just bought" lacks a lot of the motivation "Where am I going to drive my new car this week" carries. The middle of May is the time to sell, when people didn't get the winter project finished and want to get out and go. I am planning to thin the herd by two, maybe three, this spring. Winter is a good time to clean and polish with fine brushes. Bernie

Dwight, You might want to check with the EPA before transporting that wood across state lines. Bernie

Thinking about winter kinda gives you the willys: Bernie

There are 300 $100 jobs to do and they actually can be listed. I certainly do not promote a pragmatic approach to the old car hobby. The ones I bought with logic belong to someone else now. However, being aware of the cost after the entry fee, the time required, and the space taken up can all affect buying a better illogical choice when it ops up. And they do. Bernie

So he is looking for a new owner who will take better care of it than he did, promise, scouts honor. Those sentimental attachments are so touching, and common. Bernie

If it makes you feel good use it. The better one feels, the better the stories. And it is magic, you know, with a real neat label. Bernie

Steering wheels are in abundance on Ebay, just be patient and watch the low starting bid auctions. The mid-'80's cars with the woodgrain insert crack and break off with age. My convertible did. I wasn't in a hurry and wanted matching colors (like matching numbers, but more noticeable). I scored one for a buck. Where do you find two bidders for a 30 year old steering wheel. Bernie

1953 Chrysler. Bernie

Rat rods preceded by beaver rods? B