joe_padavano

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Seeing that you own a '69 Hurst Olds, I'll bet we find out where that line should be drawn if when you start sanding for a repaint and find a burnt orange cowl with dark green quarter panels. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> </div></div> Actually, to me the body panels are only sheet metal. My H/O is badly rusted in the pinchweld areas around the windshield and back window. Frankly, it's significantly less expensive for me to get a rust free Cutlass body than to try to patch this rust. The end result will be better, and frankly, that's how Hurst built the cars in the first place. Besides, after a bare metal paint job, no one will be finding burnt orange paint. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> More to the point, how different is this from welding in a new roof, new quarters, etc? I've still got the original frame, the block is long gone, but I do have the correct trans and rear end. I plan to keep this car for myself. It's 1969 H/O no. 180, originally purchased by one Jerry Felson, if you want to flag it for future potential buyers. I'd give you the VIN except I don't have it in front of me.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">While we are on the subject of fraud, if you own aa Chevy and you instal after market bumpers, hood, fenders, doors, rocker panels, floors, qut. panels and trunk lid along with all the chrome and lights, Is it still a Chevy? </div></div> Amen. I've always wondered why the few square inches of sheet metal surrounding the VIN tag are sacred ground, but it's OK to replace anything else. I've seen buildups of cars (OK, Goodmark was trying to hype their repro panels...) where the roof, quarters, floors, trunklid, front fenders, and hood were replaced with repro parts. At what point on this slippery slope does the cowl become sacred? Face it - when GM built a W-30 442, they started with a Cutlass body shell. Replacing the quarters, roof, and front fenders on my W-30 with Cutlass parts is OK, but replacing the entire body shell isn't? I've still got the frame, engine, trans, etc, etc from the original car. Using a complete, rust free western shell ends up with a better final product anyway, since now all the welds are factory welds, the seams are correct, and there's nowhere near the amount of filler that repro or used panels would require. Besides, by using an original shell, these are factory-manufacured parts, not repros. One situation is considered "fraud" by some people, but the other isn't? I fully plan to document the process and (while I never plan to sell the car) would disclose it to any potential buyer. I'm sorry, but I fail to see where the line is.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Your example of the truck constitutes what's called a reconstructed vehicle in Pa. which gets a state issued blue vin tag. </div></div> As I noted, it is NOT against federal law to remove and reattach a VIN tag in the course of a repair, but some states have superceding, more restrictive laws.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I've been told it violates Federal law to place a vin tag from one vehicle on another vehicle. This makes the new repro '69 Camaro, '57 Chevy convertibles, and '48-52 Chevy pickups very questionable.</div></div> That is not correct. The applicable federal law is Title 18 of United States Code, Chapter 25, Section 511. You can read it for yourself here: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=browse_usc&docid=Cite:+18USC511 There are a lot of double and triple negatives in the text, but the bottom line is that it is illegal to swap VIN plates with the intent to commit fraud. The legal owner of the vehicle or a designated repair shop IS allowed to remove and replace the VIN tag if such removal and replacement "...is reasonably necessary for the repair...". I had a long talk with the vendor selling the repro Camaro bodies at Carlisle last summer and as a business owner you can bet he has had his lawyer research this in detail. Think about it this way. Say you own a brand new GM pickup and a tree falls on the cab. You can run down to the GM dealer and buy a brand new body-in-white cab. This new cab does not come with a VIN tag - you need to swap the one from your old crushed cab. One caveat is that state law may override federal in this instance, so be sure you know the requirements in your specific state.

Is this an ad someplace that says "475"? Odds are someone's handwritten "2" came out looking like a "7".

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have a '66 Buick Riviera with a 425-cubic-inch engine that has a sticker that says "465" on the air cleaner. The latter number actually refers to the engine's torque output, not its size or horsepower (340 HP). I've seen a lot of for-sale ads on these cars that refer to their "465" engines. It's possible that your "475" also refers to torque. I don't have any Olds info available here at work. </div></div> Buick is the only car company that used torque instead of cu in on the air cleaner. The largest Olds engine in 66-67 was the 425. This was bumped up to 455 for 68-up. Toros always got the top of the line engine (at least, until the late 70s).

Ya had me going for a second there, Chris...

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">i want to thank you for your help. the info is very helpful the only question is with the brake distribution block, where do you relocated it to and how involved is that. again thanks aloha geoff </div></div> If the car is an automatic, I've had success with unbolting the block and the nearby line clamps and rebending the lines to allow the block to be bolted to the top of the frame using the pre-drilled holes that would secure the clutch Z-bar linkage bracket on an MT car. I've been able to do this without disconnecting the brake lines. It isn't pretty, but it works. If you care about how the installation will look, expect to disconnect the brake lines and bend up new ones.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I use the back drive linkage on my 4 speed 4-4-2. I'm on my second set of headers too. IIRC, (it's been a long time) I just moved the rod to the other side of the arm near the collector. </div></div> Really? Cool. I'd like to see a picture sometime. I've just always yanked the linkage and not bothered with it.

After three decades of collecting and restoring Olds 442s, I can assure you there is absolutely NO OFFSET in the engines on Supremes or Convertibles. I have personally measured the engine location on a 71 Supreme convert and it is exactly centered. The motor and frame mounts are the same for the Cutlass, 442, Supreme, and Supreme convert. I've contacted Hooker Headers about this and they blew me off with a form letter email response. Suffice to say that all you need to do is get headers for a Cutlass/442 of your year and engine config and they'll fit fine. If this is your first header installation on an Olds, there are a couple of things to be aware of. First, ALL header manufacturers seem to have a problem with fabricating headers that fit consistently. Expect to have minor fit problems. Second, you will need to relocate the brake distribution block on the driver's side frame rail. Third, you will need to remove the backdrive linkage that locks the shifter when you remove the key. You cannot use this linkage with headers. If you have a column shift, you cannot install headers unless you change to a floor shift or convert to a cable linkage for the column shifter. Lokar is one vendor that sells a cable shift conversion for column shifters.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Copper, I'm thinking about just going up to headers, so should I follow the same procedure? I planned on getting the heads polished and ported, getting headers, x-pipe and larger diameter pipe up to the mufflers. The machine shop taking care of the heads would resurface the exhaust flanges on the heads, correct? Thanks and I look forward to your response. Sincerely, </div></div> No. Gaskets are mandatory on headers. Get the copper embossed gaskets, they're the best. Also, a machine shop will not normally resurface the exhaust flange of the head since it isn't as critical sealing surface as the head gasket surface.

The difference between the A/C and non-A/C pumps is the impeller AND the length of the shaft. The latter is a problem, since the different shaft length requires different pulleys for the belts to line up. Note that non-A/C HD cooling cars (like the W-30s) used the A/C water pump with special pulleys that accounted for the longer shaft. When a water pump goes bad, it's almost always the front bearing, which results in coolant leaking out the shaft seal. If yours isn't leaking, then it's highly unlikely that the pump is your problem. Check everything else first, like ignition timing, carb jetting, and cam timing. Also, be sure your radiator is in good shape, belts are tight, fan is working properly, thermostat is working and installed right side up. Be sure all the air is out of the system, jacking the front of the car up if necessary while the engine is running. Also, if the radiator is not new, check that there might be blockage in the bottom of the core. You can easily test this by running the car until the temp rises then feeling the core with you hand (be careful, it will be hot). If there's a big temp difference between the top and bottom of the core, get a new radiator. What car is the engine installed in, what size radiator, and what fan? Does the car overheat at idle or at freeway speeds? Straight anti-freeze or a 50-50 mix? The mix actually cools better than straight antifreeze. Using a factory 4-row radiator and stock clutch fan, I've never had a 455 overheat, even a modified one. The aluminum heads should make it run a little cooler anyway. If you feel like you must have a different water pump, get a Flowkooler pump. Finally, I'd invest in an aluminum radiator before replacing a non-leaking water pump.

Don't worry about the bench and column shift; both were factory available on a 69 442. The base 442 configuration was a 3 speed manual floor shift and bucket seats (but no console). If you ordered an automatic you got the column shifter - the AT floor shift and console was additional cost. Also, the bench seat was actually a credit option - something like a $35 credit over the buckets. I once saw a 68 442 Sport Coupe (with posts) with the three speed and bench seat and no other options. That must have been the least expensive 442 one could have ordered that year.

Assuming the car is really as rust-free as it appears, $7K sounds like a good deal. I assume you've verified that the VIN starts with 344... to prove it really is a 442. The numbers-matching engine and trans are certainly a bonus. Given the repaint, I would be most concerned about rust that had been patched. Look carefully at the seams at the bottom of the rear fenders behind the wheel opening. The inner and outer panels should come together at a pinchweld that is factory spot welded. If a patch panel has been installed this seam will usually be covered by the new metal, which often has a somewhat ragged edge to it. Similarly look for a patch panel at the bottom of the front fenders behind the wheel openings. The factory fender contour is folded under the bottom of the fender and has two indents where the bolts hold the bottom of the fender to the cowl. Finally, look carefully for rust under and adjacent to the chrome trim around the windshield and back window. These areas commonly rust on the A-body cars and can be expensive to fix correctly. Everything else you've mentioned is minor and if the body is truely rust-free, then this sounds like a good deal. Just keep in mind that to have a quality repaint done by a reputable shop will cost several thousand dollars (as opposed to Maaco or Earl Schibe).

All GMs of that vintage use the same Saginaw pump, so that isn't the issue. I've had a similar problem on one of my cars and it turned out to be a loose pressure valve that's located in the fitting under the pressure hose connection on the back of the pump. Unscrew the pressure hose fitting (dumping PS fluid on the ground in the process...) and check the valve assembly that's screwed into the center of the fitting on the pump. Mine was loose and when I tightend it up the PS worked fine. If the valve is tight, it may be contaminated an need cleaning.

The "flat" part of the spring goes up into the frame. The lower control arm has a recess that the end of the spring wire fits into. There's a small hole in this recess. The end of the spring wire is supposed to be visible through this hole.

If the car is that far apart, don't waste $20 on somebody's copy of a wiring diagram. Get a correct factory service manual. The FSM will have the color wiring diagram in addition to torque specs, overhaul instructions, and just about everything you'll need to get the car back together.

Have you checked for vacuum at the hose and fitting going to the power booster? It's possible that the check valve is bad, the hose has collapsed internally, or some creature has build a nest in the hose. We have mud borers here in VA and they tend to plug up hoses and fittings.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Gentlemen, let me add this. My experiance with 68 to 72 "A" bodies that were unmolested and factory original is with cutlass s and cutlass supreme models. The louverd hoods were used only on 68 and 71 model years. The 68 and 71 hoods only interchange if you also replace the radiator support and grill assembly. Convertibles for 70, 71 and 72 used the sme quarter panels as the supreme hardtop for those years but, convertibles can be had as "S" models as well as the other variations. The louversd hoods for 71 came on the "S" cars only, but will fit all 71 and 72 "A" bodies with no modifications. Mike </div></div> That's not completely correct. For 70-71, ALL A-body convertibles were either Cutlass Supremes or 442s. In 72, the only convertible was the Supreme convert; the 442 was only an option package that year. Louvered hoods were available in 71 and 72 - in fact the 72 A-body cars were virtually identical to the 71s since they were a last-minute replacement for the delayed redesign that finally came out in 1973. There were actually FIVE different A-body hoods in 1972, the fiberglass W-25 hood and four different metal hoods. The four metal hoods were the four possible combinations of with or without the chrome louvers and with or without the stamped slots at the base of the windshield.

I'll be the heretic here. I currently have five OBD I or OBD II cars so I finally broke down and bought an OTC Genysis test unit on ebay. Note that the Genysis is not just a code reader but has bidirectional test capacity, just like the factory testers. It cost me about $600 used (plus software updates as I get newer cars), but I now have the ability to read everything going on in the electronic systems of these cars. I can also monitor every possible parameter while I drive and even save a snapshot of an intermittent problem. Combined with a factory service manual, it turns out that troubleshooting is much easier than before. There are also less expensive shareware programs that can run on a laptop; you just need to buy the appropriate interface cable to plug into your car. I have several friends who are using these tools to reprogram their car computers to make the most of performance upgrades such as cams, headers, etc. For example, if you want to turn up the idle speed, just a few keystrokes and it's done. Contrary to popular belief, many of the electronic components ARE common to a lot of cars (particularly on GMs). For example, virtually all of the OBD I throttle body injected GM vehicles use the same computer - only the memory chip is changed for the specific installation. Same for the sensors, coil packs, etc. Do it right and you can change your fuel map, get more performance, then download the original map when it's time for an emissions test - all without getting your hands dirty.

Actually, there's an adapter kit available now: http://www.transmissionadapters.com/Pricing.htm

New windshields for 68-72 A-bodies are available for $100 - $150. Don't waste your time with any coatings - you'll still have chips and scratches.

Hurst has had a factory rebuild program for their shifters forever. Mr. Gasket (which bought Hurst and just about everyone else) has continued this program. Here's the form to have your shifter rebuilt. http://go.mrgasket.com/pdf/hurst_rebuild_form.pdf

Any 78-88 RWD GM mid-size is the same. That would be the Monte Carlo, Malibu, El Camino, Grand Prix, Regal, LeMans, and Cutlass variations. Keep in mind that GM reallocated some of these model names to FWD cars, so only the RWD versions in those years will work.

I'm pretty sure Year One and USA Part carry nothing that's diesel specific. You'd have better luck with a diesel truck vendor. The Olds 350 diesel was also used in Chevy and GMC pickups in the late 1970s and early 1980s, before the 6.2 was released. Might want to try those sources. I did try a quick internet search for injectors and came up empty.