rocklin_ron

I have ordered a front bar from Bill Ehrsam. He is not currently making a rear bar. Tanson is no longer making either front or rear bars.

I have a '49 Club Coupe on which I usually have to lightly tap the chrome frame on the gauge cluster just below the temp gauge to get it to come off C after the engine heats up. Then it records fine, but usually hangs up at C again every time I shut the engine off. I keep a half golf ball in the car to save my knuckles for this love tap, which everyone thinks is real funny. I have a 1952 Motor's Repair Manual that has a pretty good section on the AC electric type temp gauge. Maybe this will add some to the detailed response you already have. Check as follows: 1. Disconnect wire from binding post on engine unit and hold end of wire away from all metal. 2. Turn ignition switch on. 3. Check dash unit; the needle should point to the low mark C. 4. Touch the bare end of the wire to the engine block. 5. Check dash unit again; the needle should point to the high mark H. 6. If the dash unit does not indicate properly, first check the wire. If it is OK, replace the dash unit. If the dash unit is OK per steps 3 and 5, this indicates reasonable performance of the dash unit and connecting wire. In this event, they have you check the engine unit by removing it from the block and operating it in a pail of hot water with a thermometer for reference. Be careful not to immerse the portion of the unit above the block threads as it may ruin the unit. Also, you must ground the unit to the block of the car at some point below these threads. If it does not read OK, replace the engine unit.

I have a '49 Sport Coupe. I have been considering these bars both front and rear. I have several friends with '50 Olds who feel they are a good improvement. Was the fit of the Ersham bar good on your car? Do you feel that the 1" bar is not too stiff? One fellow told me a horror story that his 1" bar was transmitting so much force that it tore the end links out of their anchor holes to the body (maybe he was cornering like a maniac). Another, said he found the 1" bar too stiff for his 4 door sedan (he is going to remove it), but OK for his Sport Coupe. Any comments?

I did the trunk on my '49 Olds 88 Club Coupe recently. I assume some similarity exists, so I will offer the following. Yes, the piece in the gutter of the body at the top and the piece used on the sides and bottom of the lid differ. I would suggest you get a Steele Rubber Products catalog (800-425-6088) and examine the partially dimensioned profiles in the catalog. Steele will send you free 1" samples of any cross section that looks promising, and you can match them up to your old strip for best fit. Fusick might also send you free samples; they are a good house. I ended up using 11' of Steele 70-0463-85 for the lid and 6' of 70-0412-85 for the body gutter (your 98 will probably use different profiles). Steele sells an expensive molded corner for the ends of the gutter, but you can easily curve the gutter weatherstrip around the corners. One other thing, I found that I had to install the lid weatherstrip gapped slightly away from the lid flange in order for it not to high center on the body flange and prevent lid closing. I had the same experience with a '49 Cad fastback.

I solved my problem by approach #3. I purchased a rebuilt '51-'53 distributor from Fusick and it works properly with the full vacuum from the WCFB carb. I believe that using only the '53 vacuum advance on the '49 distributor would not have solved the problem, although it would probably fit mechanically.

I have purchased a '49 Olds 88 with a Carter WCFB carb installed (probably '53 Olds) but the car still has the '49 distributor. The '49 vacuum advance needs venturi vacuum (above the throttle plate) but the WCFB carb only has a tap for manifold vacuum (below the throttle plate). Therefore, I cannot use the vacuum advance as is because it is advancing considerably even at idle. I believe I need to do one of the following: 1. Have a venturi port machined on my existing WCFB carb 2. Install a '53 vacuum advance on my '49 distributor (will it fit and work properly?) 3. Install a '53 distributor with vacuum advance (will it fit and work properly?). 4. Put on a stock intake manifold and carb (I do not want to do this as I have no parts). 5. Install a modern carb with a proper vacuum tap (I do not want to do this because it will create linkage problems with the hydramatic kickdown rod etc.). Any helpful responses would be appreciated. Thanks.

Call Bob's Classic Auto Glass at 1-800-624-2130. They will have it in several choices such as clear and tinted. I believe they are in Portland, but also have other locations.

I believe the valve should be fully closed when the thermostatic spring is at at room temp. If you look at Page 42 of the Fusick catalog, you can see a new one for 1949-60 with its valve closed.

Post deleted by rocklin_ron

The firewall data plate reads: style #49-3527d body #c-646 trim #2 paint #410. I assume that confirms it as a '49. What does it say about how late in the run it was built? The current title says it is a 1949 first registered in October 1949. Thanks. Ron

I just purchased a '49 Olds Club Coupe. The trim is a mix of '49 and '50. It has a '49 trunk handle with the hyramatic emblem, but has a '50 spear on the front fenders, '50 trim atop the rear fenders, a rear quarter spear with "Futuramic" above the rock shield and rocker trim without the Futuramic emblem aft of the front wheel. The car has a 2 piece windshield. Unfortunately, the originlal VIN is unknown so the state of Idaho has assigned a VIN riveted to the door frame. Were some very late '49s made with such a mix of trim? I previously owned an early '50 with a 2 piece windshield, which is somewhat rare, so I know there were some oddities around the year end model change.