My new infatuation, a '69 Electra

[Buicknutty]

Sebastian, I am running with original points and condenser system. I had a Pertronix in it for a while, but then it failed, and that is second one that has done that on me. I like electronic ignition, but the unreliability I don't. There are the later model fully electronic distributors which will fit, but have a much different look, than the stock one. Which, for my car, is important, also these units are a bit expensive too, but mainly its' the look I don't like.

 Whenever I get back into my wife's '68 Wildcat, that is what I think I will use, as we aren't as concerned about dead stock, as I am on the Electra.

 Keith

[sebastienbuick]

Hello, yes, indeed there is less reliable system than others, the original system is very strong  
I redid my ignition on mine as originally, and it works well  
  have a good day  

[Buicknutty]

It has been quite  while since I've posted anything here. I didn't drive the Electra too much after we got back from the National in June, we had a few tours in the older cars.

One of the previous issues was the lack of a choke on the replacement intake manifold.

So, with my shop in better order, I thought I'd give a try at repairing the broken bolt at the front of the carb. That wasn't the real problem, of course. It was how someone else tried to drill it out, and very badly, without removing the offending piece. It was seriously butchered up. I tried a couple of other people at the time of the rebuild, but they all declined to tackle it.

 So, with little to loose, I took my time, and a few drill bits later, I was able to get the bolt out, but shied away from trying to drill to insert a helicoil. Through my efforts I was able to get a solid 5 turns on it, which I deemed acceptable for the carb bolt. The top was so messed up that I was concerned about drilling it in the correct spot to insert the repair helicoil. At this point I don't have access to a knee mill or a similar machine, which would my tool of choice for that job.

 Next my son and I re and re'd the intake. That was a pain, as we had a great deal of trouble with the short seals in the middle, that go on top of the block slipping out, not once, but often. We finally got it all together.

 Now I have a choke again, and the original intake manifold is back on.

 Here's a shot of the car with my Reatta from last Sun. Sorry folks, no pics from the re and re of the intake.

 Keith 

Edited May 7, 2020 by Buicknutty (see edit history)

[sebastienbuick]

You did a good job , your Electra and reatta are very beautiful   

[Buicknutty]

Thanks, Sebastien!

[Buicknutty]

If the date is correct on the previous post it has been exactly 2 years since my last update!

Since then the gent who did the work on the A/C for me a couple of years ago installed a fully rebuilt compressor for me last summer, and it works well now. The auto climate still works nicely, but it does take a couple of minutes to think about it first.

 We have our first local cruise night coming up in a few days, so I'm doing a bit of repair and maint on it. Oil change of course, and the replacement of the left side brake reaction rod bushings as I changed the right side, which were really bad last year. These weren't nearly as bad, but since I had the parts I decided to just change them out.

 Then of course the sway bar bushings were looking a bit tired so I did them too!

 Tomorrow I have to have a closer look at the wheel bearings as they seem a bit loose.

 Keith

[sebastienbuick]

4 hours ago, Buicknutty said:

If the date is correct on the previous post it has been exactly 2 years since my last update!

Since then the gent who did the work on the A/C for me a couple of years ago installed a fully rebuilt compressor for me last summer, and it works well now. The auto climate still works nicely, but it does take a couple of minutes to think about it first.

 We have our first local cruise night coming up in a few days, so I'm doing a bit of repair and maint on it. Oil change of course, and the replacement of the left side brake reaction rod bushings as I changed the right side, which were really bad last year. These weren't nearly as bad, but since I had the parts I decided to just change them out.

 Then of course the sway bar bushings were looking a bit tired so I did them too!

 Tomorrow I have to have a closer look at the wheel bearings as they seem a bit loose.

 Keith

 

hello, I see that you have worked well on your Buick  
And it must be great to go on vacation with your Electra!
I can't wait to take trips with my Electra 69 when it's finished too  

[Buicknutty]

Thanks again, Sebastien! These are really great road cars amazingly quiet for a 50+ year old car and the ride is so smooth too. The down side is of course they require regular "feeding", but they need to good stuff, not regular.

 The steering is very light, and does take some getting used to.

 

 I am so looking forward to hearing that you are finally driving yours. Your work is looking fabulous, so hopefully soon you will be able to drive it.

Keith

[Buicknutty]

 This is a quick picture of it after last night's test drive. Don't worry about the missing wheel cover, I left it off so I could double check the torque of the lug nuts.

 

[sebastienbuick]

5 hours ago, Buicknutty said:

Thanks again, Sebastien! These are really great road cars amazingly quiet for a 50+ year old car and the ride is so smooth too. The down side is of course they require regular "feeding", but they need to good stuff, not regular.

 The steering is very light, and does take some getting used to.

 

 I am so looking forward to hearing that you are finally driving yours. Your work is looking fabulous, so hopefully soon you will be able to drive it.

Keith

 

Yes, these cars are incredible, they are very comfortable, powerful, they drive very well, they are a great trunk to go on a trip,they are very well optioned ..., they are superb cars for long distances  .

Thank you , I think the restoration of mine will be finished around September / October (maybe   )

[Buicknutty]

 The picture I'm posting tonight is almost the same as the one I posted nearly one year ago! As some may know, I'm working on a '68 Wildcat Convert for my wife, and I have bought a number of new parts for it and not all of them are on it yet, including a brand new HEI distributor.

 Those who have followed some of my adventures know I don't seem to resist temptation very well! So as it happens I decided to see how the HEI distributor works in the Electra's engine. The answer is Fabulous! The points and condenser were requiring service on it anyway, so I'm going from old points to new electronic.

 My wife gave me a sad look when I told her I wanted to "try" the unit designated for her car, but I promise to put it in for her after some running in the Electra.

 

 Now I have the dilemma, do I buy another one for the Electra? Or go back to the points. The last few years I've had so much sub standard ignition parts I'm almost afraid to buy new stuff to put it in.

 I'm an old school guy so I grew up changing and adjusting points and don't mind doing it, but I want my car to run right for a decent amount of time.

 

 In my research I saw some called "small cap HEI" which use an external coil, and would look a bit less in correct. Either way this car is a driver, and a distributor is a fairly easily changed part.

 

 

[sebastienbuick]

Very Beautiful Electra  

[dship]

Mr. "Nutty" (Keith), IMO since the car is going to be driven primarily by your wife, you certainly want it to be as stable as possible performance-wise.  Therefore, go with the HEI set up.  Just sayin'.... 

[EmTee]

9 hours ago, Buicknutty said:

Either way this car is a driver, and a distributor is a fairly easily changed part.

This ^^^  If the HEI works for you, then use it!  Keep your original with the car in case you ever decide to show it for judging.  I will say that I noticed an immediate difference the last time I changed the points in my GP; it definitely felt smoother.

[Smartin]

Points eliminator kits like the one Lectric Limited sells is what I have been using for years.  But I still don't mind the points either.  But if I'm doing a build, I usually will toss in an eliminator kit.  And they look stock, too.  I despise the look of those HEI's.

[lancemb]

2 hours ago, Smartin said:

Points eliminator kits like the one Lectric Limited sells is what I have been using for years.  But I still don't mind the points either.  But if I'm doing a build, I usually will toss in an eliminator kit.  And they look stock, too.  I despise the look of those HEI's.

Are those kits similar to the Pertronix?  That's what I've been using for years. 

[Buicknutty]

3 hours ago, Smartin said:

Points eliminator kits like the one Lectric Limited sells is what I have been using for years.  But I still don't mind the points either.  But if I'm doing a build, I usually will toss in an eliminator kit.  And they look stock, too.  I despise the look of those HEI's.

 I'm not a fan of the look either, which is why I didn't do this sooner, but I have not had success with Pertronix units either. Are these from Lectric different?

[Buicknutty]

9 hours ago, EmTee said:

This ^^^  If the HEI works for you, then use it!  Keep your original with the car in case you ever decide to show it for judging.  I will say that I noticed an immediate difference the last time I changed the points in my GP; it definitely felt smoother.

 Yes, this is what I am tempted to do, thank you and everyone else for their replies.

[EmTee]

Assuming that you're feeding the HEI a full 12V, it will provide higher secondary reserve voltage capability than the original points or Pertronix.  With HEI you could open the spark plug gap to 0.045" to take advantage of that.

[Smartin]

Years ago Pertronix was getting terrible reviews...not sure about how they hold up at this point.  My points eliminator kit of choice was a Crane XR-i, but Crane went tits up.  I think whoever bought them has their own version, but I have been using the Lectric limited version for a few years now.  It is a one-wire kit that looks completely stock.

[lancemb]

I have put Pertronix lobe-sensing version in every old Buick I've owned and have not had any issues.