I have an Olds coming soon!
April 27th, 2015, 07:13 AM
#43
Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Ranch Ca.
Posts: 7,723
Maybe for you 
and that's the one that counts but to me on that large of a luxury car that wasn't met to look like a racer reminds me of a ballerina with five inch spike heals if so dressed 
. JMHO and I'm old so take that into consideration... Tedd
and that's the one that counts but to me on that large of a luxury car that wasn't met to look like a racer reminds me of a ballerina with five inch spike heals if so dressed . JMHO and I'm old so take that into consideration... Tedd
April 27th, 2015, 10:18 AM
#45
If the car has sat idle for that many years, then you'd be well advised to replace the brake hydraulics -- master, wheel cylinders *and* rusty lines. Inspect the friction components.
I would avoid the Bozo wheels.
I would avoid the Bozo wheels.
April 27th, 2015, 10:22 AM
#46
April 27th, 2015, 11:03 AM
#48
Are you planning to keep the car indefinitely, or do you just want to tool around in it for one summer and then flip it? How much brake-related risk are you willing to take?
My point about brakes was that inspecting them isn't going to be good enough. You may or may not have seized pistons, and if the pistons aren't seized (or if you are able to break them free) then you may think that because the brakes appear operable then you're good to go...
But after 10 years even if the hydraulics appear to function, you will have corrosion in those lines, which will include all sorts of nasty particulate matter. Flushing it out is only a temporizing measure. Old corroded lines will still shed junk after you flush them -- it's what they do. That particulate matter will destroy the rubber seals in your hydraulic components, so even if they appear "good" when you inspect them, they won't stay that way and they will fail.
Given the low cost of the parts and the high price of brake failure, it makes sense (to me at least) to gut the brake system hydraulics and rebuild from scratch, including replacing the solid lines, flex lines, and all the hydraulic components.
10 years is a very long time.
Just my $0.02.
My point about brakes was that inspecting them isn't going to be good enough. You may or may not have seized pistons, and if the pistons aren't seized (or if you are able to break them free) then you may think that because the brakes appear operable then you're good to go...
But after 10 years even if the hydraulics appear to function, you will have corrosion in those lines, which will include all sorts of nasty particulate matter. Flushing it out is only a temporizing measure. Old corroded lines will still shed junk after you flush them -- it's what they do. That particulate matter will destroy the rubber seals in your hydraulic components, so even if they appear "good" when you inspect them, they won't stay that way and they will fail.
Given the low cost of the parts and the high price of brake failure, it makes sense (to me at least) to gut the brake system hydraulics and rebuild from scratch, including replacing the solid lines, flex lines, and all the hydraulic components.
10 years is a very long time.
Just my $0.02.
April 28th, 2015, 05:17 AM
#50
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 1,393
Welcome,SMS Auto Upholstery shows the vinyls for your car available by body style and trim Code.By your back seat being good,any good trim shop should be able to do the front seat to match exactly. Make sure you get all that 15 year old gas cleaned out properly before trying to start her up! Good luck. Oh by the way,I thought it was kinda neat how you had that wrecker "Balanced on one end in one picture, and on the other end in the next picture". Just kidding, Larry
April 28th, 2015, 09:51 AM
#51
^^^ Oh yes, 15 year old gas is going to be a huge problem. Although it'd be temping to just fire it up and see how it runs, you definitely don't want to run the engine without first cleaning the fuel delivery system.
I just brought a Rocket back to life that had been sitting for over a decade, and the fuel system corrosion was horrible. The car sat with 2 gallons of gas/water mix in the tank. The sending unit was rust covered and inoperable, and the gas was so badly contaminated with fine particulate rust that I couldn't see through it. The bottom of the tank contained a cup or two of fine particulate rust powder and a generous dose of sludge. There's no way that I was going to turn over the engine until I had a clean fuel delivery system.
I decided to gut the fuel system. This included dropping the tank, emptying it, power washing it out, and then examining it further to determine if it was worth keeping, whether it needed repairs, whether it needed a solvent + acid wash and a coating treatment, whether it needed to be replaced, etc.
While the tank was out I pulled the carb, changed out all of the rubber lines in the fuel system (they were disintegrating from the inside) as well as the fuel filters, and flushed out the solid lines with clean fuel, then the fuel pump. Then, once I knew that I had a clean fuel delivery system, I attached a freshly rebuilt carb.
I'm still in the middle of the fuel tank repair, so while I was working on getting the engine running, I ran the engine out of a gas can, keeping a fire extinguisher nearby in case something bad happened.
Bringing an old car back to life after 15 years can involve a lot of work that you may not have thought about. In my case it's been a lesson in learning to be patient, because there was always something that came up and screwed up my plans.
My advice would be to think things through, be thorough, and to try to enjoy it when you get sidetracked by something you didn't plan on. Have fun.
I just brought a Rocket back to life that had been sitting for over a decade, and the fuel system corrosion was horrible. The car sat with 2 gallons of gas/water mix in the tank. The sending unit was rust covered and inoperable, and the gas was so badly contaminated with fine particulate rust that I couldn't see through it. The bottom of the tank contained a cup or two of fine particulate rust powder and a generous dose of sludge. There's no way that I was going to turn over the engine until I had a clean fuel delivery system.
I decided to gut the fuel system. This included dropping the tank, emptying it, power washing it out, and then examining it further to determine if it was worth keeping, whether it needed repairs, whether it needed a solvent + acid wash and a coating treatment, whether it needed to be replaced, etc.
While the tank was out I pulled the carb, changed out all of the rubber lines in the fuel system (they were disintegrating from the inside) as well as the fuel filters, and flushed out the solid lines with clean fuel, then the fuel pump. Then, once I knew that I had a clean fuel delivery system, I attached a freshly rebuilt carb.
I'm still in the middle of the fuel tank repair, so while I was working on getting the engine running, I ran the engine out of a gas can, keeping a fire extinguisher nearby in case something bad happened.
Bringing an old car back to life after 15 years can involve a lot of work that you may not have thought about. In my case it's been a lesson in learning to be patient, because there was always something that came up and screwed up my plans.
My advice would be to think things through, be thorough, and to try to enjoy it when you get sidetracked by something you didn't plan on. Have fun.
April 28th, 2015, 08:21 PM
#52
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Union Grove, WI
Posts: 36
Welcome,SMS Auto Upholstery shows the vinyls for your car available by body style and trim Code.By your back seat being good,any good trim shop should be able to do the front seat to match exactly. Make sure you get all that 15 year old gas cleaned out properly before trying to start her up! Good luck. Oh by the way,I thought it was kinda neat how you had that wrecker "Balanced on one end in one picture, and on the other end in the next picture". Just kidding, Larry
Good to know on the upholstery! Fresh gas for sure!
October 26th, 2015, 08:02 PM
#55
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Union Grove, WI
Posts: 36
Ya, it took a while. It was a decent size siding job that I bartered for the car. Could only work on it in my spare time.
The car is pretty straight and solid. They have some cool body lines, should be a nice cruiser next summer!
Pix soon!
The car is pretty straight and solid. They have some cool body lines, should be a nice cruiser next summer!
Pix soon!
October 26th, 2015, 08:09 PM
#56
Connoisseur d'Junque
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: The Hudson Valley
Posts: 21,183
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