37_Roadmaster_C

I have had the same thing happen to me also. Tires to old, not the proper size/rating for the vehicle etc... These excuses from both BIG chain stores and small independent operations. It frustrates me to no end, BUT I understand it. It is a simple liability issue. The insurance carriers have coverage rules that MUST be followed or they will not pay a claim. Period. Weather we like it or not, agree or not we live in a sue happy society. In this day and age, a liability lawsuit is more likely than not if there is even a small chance of a payout. These companies refusing old time service is a simple act of self preservation. One loss in court costs more than the profit gained with 1000 happy customers. I am VERY happy that I no longer work on other peoples stuff in any capacity!!!

Not a summer/winter thing, but my father told stories about his brother as a teenager having a model T ford with three different bodies. My uncle and his buddies would choose a body for their weekend carousing and spend less than a hour swapping bodies and off they would go....

Just to toss out another owner opinion... My 37 Roadmaster has the Buick sealed beam conversion. I am keeping it as I do not think it looks bad at all. The sealed beam bulbs are a bit brighter, but they do draw more current (amps) and really need a bigger wire to be their best. Just something to think about.....

@Ben Bruce aka First Born, The 320 had babbitt rod bearings from 1936 until sometime in the 40's I think. I have no idea on the rest of your question, but the 320 is a long stroke engine and they are not a high rpm engine. I would expect, because of gearing, the engine would be safe up to around 70 MPH. I do not have my 37 shop manual handy, but there is a graph showing RPM VS MPH for all models and as I recall all of the big cars were good to about 70 MPH with the RPM still in the safe power band area. Now an old engine with worn bearings may very well beat its self to death at that RPM under load for long periods. I also would like to read Eds report!!

Glad you got it repaired. Looks great!!!

@Doctor's Pontiac, I stand corrected. You are absolutely, 100% correct, as shown in your manual page. My number came from someone I felt was in tune with your 50 Pontiac. He was obviously wrong!!! I will eat my CROW head first do the feathers do not get caught in my throat 😇. Ok, I now need to eat another crow. I was going to go look up the difference between the two bulbs before I went back and read ALL of your post. You answered my question with your candle power specifications... I will now go off and digest my crow dinner.

Bulb number 88 is NOT the correct bulb. It MUST be a number 82 or equivalent.

Sorry @Frank DuVal, I missed the bulb number in your post.

Looking at the picture, you have the wrong bulb for sure. What I see in the picture is a dual filament bulb. This bulb grounds both filaments to the brass base. What you want is a single filament bulb with an isolated filament. I am not sure of the bulb number, but someone will chime in with the answer. A little quick research shows the proper bulb to be a number 82.

Chris, Thanks for this review of both the product and the vendor. My Electra has a new in 1992 muffler with about 500 miles on it, but I am always watching for answers to the oddball parts I may need. I think I will be likely to order one of these mufflers and put it into dry storage so I have one when I need it.

This is a question for a professional welder. All aluminum is weldable with the right equipment and knowledge. One VERY BIG issue is cleanliness of the metal to be welded. It MUST be clean and 100% oil free! There are ways to clean the metal and it is not a sponge and dish soap 😆. Now seriously, contact a welding shop. They can give you a much better idea of the process and cost. Take a LOT of pictures of the break and then go from there. Good Luck!!!

I have a technical issue with this statement. A "Growler" is an 'open pole' AC device. It is impossible to "Magnetize" predictably with an AC magnetic field, however it is VERY easy to DEMAGNETIZE with an AC field. My point is to keep someone from doing damage by not knowing how to perform the procedure. In Rustys defense, I am sure it would be possible to set up a growler with DC voltage to form a magnetizing tool, it is just not the norm for a growler. A good older auto electric shop is an excellent place to check!!!!

One thing to keep in mind is the power of local law enforcement. It is definitely not a perfect answer but it can help. If someone on Ebay defrauds you or steals from you (keeps your item and returns a lesser item), first complain to Ebay. Next, call the cops in the town/county of the buyer and FILE a theft report. Be sure to include any and all supporting evidence. Wait for the return call. You may get nothing, but you will get satisfaction. Follow up on the filing with calls to the police department and prosecuting attorneys offices. BE A PAIN IN THE A$$. Remember, squeaky wheels get the grease...

This is one area I would like more information on. I really like the star lock washers, but I do not know if I am using them properly. Ok, I looked at the NASA document that @John E. Guitar linked to. It has an amazing amount of information. Well worth the read and saving as reference material. The part on split lock washers is an eye opener!!!

Do an audit of project cost verses billed parts and labor. Pay special attention to hours billed. Also, look closely at the shop labor rate verses the labor cost. Remember labor cost includes hourly pay plus any benefits AND all costs added by state and federal labor costs. When I had my business open it was amazing to figure out what an employee ACTUALLY cost.

I agree with Ben. Price seems a bit high. Also, look carefully for modifications that may be problematic. I see a 12 volt battery in a car that was born 6 volt. This may not be an issue if done properly, but I am a purest and it would make me look very close...

As said above. I had my 37 320 rods machined by Egge and they supplied the .010 under bearings. When assembled everything was exactly as needed. Many machine shops can do the work. Just check references as this is a one time modification.

Excellent machine work Dave. I also like having the machines to do work when needed. I love your comparison of the machine to wives.....SO TRUE!! I think my actual wife costs less to keep happy 🤣.

I do not know what the spec would be, but seating a taper with to much torque WILL make disassembly a royal pain in the a$$. Possibly even to the point of damaging the parts. Without a spec I would stop at about 30 Ft-Lb plus keyhole alignment. @Dandy Dave, your thoughts on this????

If you are doing it properly you do not need one 🙃.

What Matt said ^^^^^. Matt was not specific, but use another 6 volt battery for the nurse battery. Charge both until charged, then disconnect the nurse battery and reconnect the Optima and charge again on low current until charged. Chanced are that the Optima is slightly damaged, but they have the ability to survive much better than regular lead acid batteries.

I, also, have not gotten a lot of personal help from anybody except my long time best friend, @Bloo, however the things I have learned by following the members questions and answers has been priceless!

And a Merry Christmas to you and Barbara also 😄.

My wife and I bought our first NEW vehicle in 1996, a GMC Jimmy and our second NEW vehicle in 1997, a GMC Sonoma. Neither of us had ever had a New vehicle before. Both of these rigs are V6 and 4 wheel drive. The Jimmy is an automatic and the Sonoma is a 5 speed. Both have had various, fairly minor problems, that were very cost efficient to repair (with Bloos' help). The only big problem was with the Jimmy when it ate a front differential. It actually broke the housing when things went very bad. We chose to replace the differential because we knew the vehicles entire history. Anyway, both of these vehicles are daily drivers and will continue to be for hopefully a very long time in the future. As was said above, new vehicles are so tech forward they are not easy for a DIY mechanic to diagnose and repair. Don't even get me started about what will happen when the electronics begin to fail and factory support has timed out and modules are not available. Kiss your $80000.00+ vehicle good bye for the want of a proprietary $1000.00 part....... I will, most likely, never buy another NEW vehicle, but I do see several used ones in the future. rant off....

@Auldon, I think in 37 both were used, but I am not 100% sure. Others will chime in with a better answer or @carbkingmight drop by with the answer. Very nice looking car!!