77GCSX

The 1973 Delta = http://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/2574564220.html

In this thread I had a tough choice:

https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...-decision.html

Well, I've decided on the 73. I drove it today and there appears to be no major drive line problems, except it's missing 2 barrels on the carb. Tranny shifted fine. Could use a slight idle adjustment but hey, it's 38 years old. I'll probably swap out the 2bbl for a 4.
Tires are GREAT (Please the wife... ) It handles nice except for a vibe in the steering wheel at about 45 (goes away the faster I went).

I LIKE IT. Last time I was in one of this vintage was about 35 years ago.

If anyone has any input on some trouble spots that would be great to hear.

Thanks, Paul

jaunty75

So what are your plans for the car?

I have a '73 Custom Cruiser which is the same as your car from the firewall forward. Mine has the 455, though.

There aren't any particular trouble spots that I know of. It sounds like yours is already in very good shape.

You say the tires are great. The ad, if I'm interpreting it correctly, says that the car has been sitting since 2001. That means the tires are at least 10 years old, maybe older. Regardless of how good they look treadwise, you would do well to inspect the sidewalls carefully, and even then, to be safe, you might want to put a new set on.

When I got my wagon in early 2010, it had on it a set of Goodyear tires purchased back in 1994, 16 years earlier. Even though they had been driven only about 7,000 miles in that time and thus "looked great" from the perspective of remaining tread, the sidewalls were dried out. I played it safe and put on a new set.

77GCSX

Good point Jaunty. I'll take a closer look.

Couple things with it: The radio doesn't work. That's not a problem.

The fan switch though, lo is lo and medium is medium but hi is lo again. Any ideas about this one? I can ask in the forums if need be.

Thanks again!
Paul

jaunty75

If you don't have one yet, your next acquisition after the car itself should be a factory service manual for 1973. There are extensive troubleshooting sections for both the heater and A/C systems, including blower problems.

The craigslist ad says that the car has no A/C. Is that because it never had A/C or because it doesn't work or was removed? The reason I ask is that the blower switches, circuitry, and troubleshooting steps are different depending on whether it's an A/C car or not an A/C car. Cars with A/C had a separate circuit just for the highest fan speed which was controlled by a relay.

If the car has or had A/C, then if the blower doesn't operate on the highest speed, the troubleshooting guide says "check 30-amp in-line fuse, junction block to HI blower relay." If it's blown, replace it, and, if necessary correct the short that caused it to blow. If the fuse is OK, the troubleshooting guide goes off in other directions that are more than I can type here. But the end result of them is one of three solutions: replace the HI blower relay, replace the fan switch, or repair the open in the orange wire from the fan switch to the relay.

If the car never had A/C, there is a different set of troubleshooting steps that end in replacing the blower motor resistor, replacing the blower speed switch, or repairing an open in one of the wires connecting to the blower resistor connector.