OCA Members in San Diego Area? (+Olds pic!)

[Guest]

Please, can anyone recommend a knowledgeable mechanic/shop to work on my '69 Olds (455)? I do most work myself but a head gasket is not something I want to tackle in the street, next to the ocean, with the sand and salt blowing around. Preferably someone who was at least born before the car was built.

High-school kids whose idea of the ultimate car is a riced-up Honda do not inspire much confidence. Either do filthy, unorganized shops or the blank stares I've gotten when I ask "If I need more work than just the gasket replacement, how will you establsh the correct valve train geometry as is doesn't have adjustable rockers?"

Can someone please steer me in the right direction? Even though most say "No problem! Jose can fix anything!", I'm getting the feeling that there WILL be a problem; I'll get screwed financially AND won't get the job done correctly if I don't choose the right guy/shop....

Thanks,Richard

rocket_88@webtv.net

phone#619-575-1786

OCA Member#33154

OCSoCal#1301

[rocketraider]

Have you talked to a local Olds dealer about doing this job? Odds are they have someone who was there when the car was built or can recommend a retiree who might consider taking on the job. Even 30 years later, they still have a vested interest in keeping yer old Olds on the road.

Sure to God somebody in the SoCal Chapter knows a good mechanic <img src="/ubbthreads/images/icons/shocked.gif" alt="" /> !

And hey- don't underestimate the riceboys. One of the most intelligent young mechanics I know right now is hardcore into those things. He set one up to drag race and road race and is competitive with it- but then he's one of the most driven kids I've ever known.

[Guest]

Thanks rocketraider, You're right... It never even occurred to me that an Olds dealer might be the place. Why I'll bet there are plenty of mechanics who started their careers in the 70's and 80's and hence would've worked on cars from the 60's and even 50's. Just as today I'm sure dealers do tons of work on 80's and of course the nineties... Re the SoCal Chapter. Believe it or not I've emailed and even handwritten a letter but never received a reply. Come to think of it, I should just run an ad in the monthly newsletter. On a side note, as Mondello is listed as a technical advisor in JWO I emailed him through the companies website and they recommended a shop close by but unfortunately, they've since closed.Re: the riceboys: Originally from Detroit, I was probably born with some type of genetic propensity towards American Steel.... I never even owned a foreign car till I moved to San Diego. A Subaru, a Datsun truck, a Samurai, a Maserati Biturbo and now I even own a Hyundai, that by the way, I bought new in '99 for $7000 and not even one little thing has ever went wrong in 40,000 miles.. somehow... I have a healthy respect for them as every day I see very, very fast asian products. There are easily 11 and 12 second cars out there that are used as daily drivers. They go to the strip on the weekends and drive them to work. I've been 145mph in a friends' Twin Turbo 300ZX; as fast as I've ever traveled outside of a jet! So I guess I just feel like I'm taking my ol' Massey-Ferguson up to the Rolls-Royce dealer. They could probably do it but I bet we would both be happier if I went to someone else. No doubt I may have the opposite problem w/the hyundai in the (hopefully very distant) future as I will be moving to West Virginia in a few months. I think there are 3 Hyundai dealers in the whole state, of course I'll be at least 50 miles from them. The hyundai's been great here with no rain, snow or potholes; in fact it's never even been on a dirt road! But it ain't no Rocket 88 and the hills and twisty roads and weather back there are probably going to take their toll on this lightweight car. Guess I'll get to see if that warranty is all it's worked up to be.  20 years ago, a '70 "98" LS with the 390hp was a pleasure to drive in WVa. Of course it wasn't designed for the twistys, but it did just fine and would absolutley fly up steep grades! The only modern features I wish I had on this current Olds are anti-lock brakes and traction control.. Thanks for the info! Richard