60FlatTop

I could put my switch in the Buy/Sell section for 60 bucks if it is needed. Bernie

I have one of those switches:

Just just saw this car listed on Ebay with a $30,000 starting bid and the reserve not met. It makes me image how many cars I would have to decide between when it came to laying out that amount. I think I would also find out why the door latch post is painted red as you can see in the picture. They didn't come painted. And the fit of the deck lid on the left side...... Bernie

Don't let them sit. Strive for 15 miles per week minimum. This will also maintain your car at its highest value. Cars that don't get used don't need to- stop well, cool well, start well, steer well, and on and on. This leads to deferred maintenance (benevolent neglect) and all those things are repair jobs the new buyer deducts from the value should you decide to sell. Splashing hot oil inside engines, transmission , and rear ends is just the greatest thing you can do for your car!

I usually buy Texaco oil for all the cars. I was raised in the 1950's and buying Texaco gives me the image of an American Indian riding off into an oil field sunset; head dress, Buick convertible, and all. Maybe a Caddy, but nothing less. It may be a fantasy but it sure makes me feel good. I would love to see them get my oil money. Bernie

An LS3, six speed, and all the goodies are for yourself. Rare (and not that rare) are for someone else. Well..... the other stuff might be for conformity to a certain group. Make it the car of your dreams. Bernie

I am the guy traveling the New York State Thruway with in a red Silverado with a "Darmok and Jarad at Tanagra" sticker on the tail gate. Some of you might be out there. I have a 1964 Riviera and I remember their introduction. They have always been as advanced as Star Trek to me. Here is a little treasure I picked up. I sent these pictures and a bit about my car to Mr. Nimoy's gallery. No response yet but he may be light years away by now. I am still enjoying my Riviera after 33 years of ownership. Bernie

Check to be sure there is not a bolt in the center of the connector pulling the two sides together. Bernie

This picture was posted on ebay a few years ago and I had to save it. It really looks like a trap set for a Riviera guy. Another use for contraband chrome:

"Restraint is my least recognized attribute." Some days I take a lot of comfort in that thought. Bernie

When I first started reading this thread I thought some guy might be sneaking into the shops at night and hauling those parts to a gully in Idaho.

I'd like to see him try that with the '48 Roadmaster. Bernie

Those '41 Cadillacs are loaded with die cast chrome. Just get a quote on the rechroming and I bet your decision will be made quickly. They are very nice drivers. I like them. I am near Rochester and travel the state all the time. Bernie

I missed the part about crooks. The question was about agreements and no matter how well an agreement is written it can be superseded by levels of competence and human nature. A raised level of awareness makes a better customer. Bernie

I think that should read "Have someone hold the fan and then YOU start the engine"

In the 1990's I made a very good business of servicing original and restored cars. I did not do restoration work. Most of the work I did was on freshly restored cars to make them "steer, start, and stop". Very few cars left the other shops in a condition that would allow you to throw your wife the keys and let her run to the store for a gallon of milk. With the customer's permission I did just that. I would exercise the cars in the way they were used when new. In the end there is no substitute for an original well maintained car. If you are considering a restoration think over the option of buying a finished car. Restoration does not guarantee perfection. I have a car I own that is under restoration. I know better and still choose to do it myself (at the moment). A restoration requires too many talents for any but the largest shops to complete. Most restorations exceed the owner's expectations in time and money. The best relationships can become strained over time and from many checks. The last 10 to 20% of the work can become a grudge match with both parties angry and not speaking. Critical work may not be done right because the restorer does not want to ask for more money. Simple things like the weatherstripping around doors and windows is very costly. Next time you go to a collector car auction look at how many cars fall short in this area. Shake down and reliability testing is almost nonexistent. I would tell my customers to add up all their hidden bills. Once they got the total I figured they were about 85% of the way to the car they wanted. $30,000 invested in a nice shiny car would usually mean about $4,500 in cooling, electric, brakes, alignment, and body fitting. $60,000 was around $9,000. Again, it is very hard to get from a one stop shop. In today's economic situation you can buy a really nice car of the type you want for much less than a restoration. If a restoration is your chosen path, buy the best car you can find and begin a "component" restoration. Fix all the mechanical things to make a good reliable and drivable car. Much of this you might do yourself. Remember, you will need these skills to maintain your car through your years of ownership. Much of the component restoration can be done by good local garages. You just need to find the white hat guys in a non-chain garage. You can do as much or as little as you want and act as a general contractor. Pay on completion and tip the help. They will greet you with a smile. (You don't think I fixed everything myself in the '90's did you). Being your own general contractor on a component restoration gives you a drivable car early in the game. It puts you in a good position if you want to divest yourself of the project. A lot of cars are just not nice drivers from new. 50 or so years erases those memories. Imagine finding out you don't like driving the car AFTER the restoration. Bottom line, I am doing a restoration. I know I shouldn't. I just like the shape of the car in my garage and the sense of ownership. It is best to buy a good car, unrestored if possible. Second best is do a component restoration, never leaving your car disassembled for a long period. If you restore, orchestrate the job between good craftsmen and be your own GC. All that written, what are you planning to restore? Bernie

With what you have learned, would you do it again? Bernie

If a car has been in long storage I like to prime the fuel system by disconnecting the fuel line at the carburetor and connecting my MyTeeVac vacuum pump to the fuel line. I use the brake bleeder bottle and draw fuel from the tank into the bottle. Each time it fills I check the fuel color and contaminants. The first couple of draws will be brown and rusty. If it does not clear up you need to drain the tank. Doing it this way gets fresh fuel to the carb without cranking the dry engine as well. Bernie

I guess it was Saranac Lake, just working from memory.

I had to kick off a job in the north country last week, Malone, New York. So I took Route 30 right through the middle of the Adirondacks. I came across this '29? Parkard happily sitting on Main St. in Saratoga Springs. Painted with a broom, the locals said it was driven year round. I saw a picture of it with a roadster body in one of the store windows. I love seeing these drivers.

You might have trouble with stale gas in the Caddy. You'll be driving the Buick more, there is just something about a Buick.

8:30 PM here in New York. Had a nice day. Drove the Electra and the Riviera. And the lighting was just right for a picture to share. Thanks, Bernie

Thanks, Rawja, I see they have a picture of a 1988 Park Pave on their swap page. About ten years ago I bought a 1984 Fiero with a 4.3 Chevy in it. It was an interesting swap; all the internals of a small block with two cylinders lopped off. It made a nice fit. I think that car is still floating around somewhere.

We are armed and dangerous on this one. I specialized in wiring when I serviced collector cars in the 1990's; those fussy expensive ones with Lucas smoke in them. When my nephew was going to mechanic school I fed him mechanics text books from the 40's and 50's to learn along with the modern stuff. He got his practical factors in with high end Japanese stuff. I had a method. The 3800 SC swap is also a popular one with the Fiero guys; same brain vintage. We are reading through a ton of swap and brain info on Penock's Fiero Forum. Next week I he should have the subframe dropped and I will take the Riviera to his garage to drop that subframe as well. Side by side and nice and open for those little modifications. I will be driving it in a few weeks. Bernie

John, Thanks for the comment. Here is the '95 Riviera I bought for $700. It has some rust in the unibody on the passenger's side. I licensed it about 5 weeks ago and have been driving it. It is going to be hard to make it a donor, but there are lots of little things that need fixing.