Fired her up for the first time after her winter nap. She cranked up without a hitch. Took her for a short spin and filled the tank with 16.880 gals. of Shell gas. Great to drive it again!

 

Wow, already done with Breakup?

 

Well I washed the 55 in and out and reconditioned the wide whites no big deal except two weeks ago I had knee replacement.... Try that on one leg!... Pushed myself around in a old computer chair when I could.....Tedd

 

When you have no winter there isn't much of a break up. Has not been any snow on the ground for about a month.

Mid 40s all week

 

Working on core support yesterday morning it was 12 above and still got a foot of snow in the back yard . Today we're picking up a truckload of parts for the old girl at fusick olds .

 

Fired mine up after a long winters sleep. No drives yet though. Still salt dust on the roads as it hasn't rained to wash it off.

 

Well the budget rebuild worked she's running again not purring like a kitten but enough to do a few test

Did a vac test and either my timing or low compression as I was reading a solid 13hg
At idle if I snap the throttle it jumps up to the 16-20 hg range still learning this old school engine detail
Guess I will do my compression test next
Not that I want to spend a ton of time in this tired old 330 but I just feel bad for pulling it out as it ran smooth before the tear down.
Not sure if, using the old gaskets on the carb is affecting the running condition maybe, alittle lean ?

 

Yesterday was a good Oldsmobile day.
In the morning, my 15 year old son and I replaced the valve cover gaskets on his '77 Toronado XS. Yes, he got his hands dirty. Then, we drove the '37 Olds on the parts run for vacuum lines and wire separators. My son got his first lesson in driving a stick on the way home.
Then came some spring yard work.
In the afternoon, I did some troubleshooting on the eight way power seat on the '64 Olds 98. I found some shrunken cables, got some of it working, but did not get it all sorted before it got too cold to work outside in the evening. Plus, the call of the Great Blue Herons was deafeningly loud!
Then we all went out for dinner as a family in the '68 Toronado.
All in all it was a good Oldsmobile day!

 

Took my 65 cutlass to a Dust -Off car show and on the way there a truck threw up a rock and took out my windshield. Not one,but 2 big cracks. Looks like a new windshield is in my future. Car show was good though.

 

I drove the dog sh*t out of mine. Popped a heater hose off two blocks from home! I had just grabbed 3rd and the car slid sideways. Steam coming out the back, crazy! Everything checked out ok. Just needed to tighten the hose clamp and add some antifreeze.

 

put in a pair of ProCar seats in my Cutlass... Just for now - while I start to rebuild the original and worn out factory buckets. Bright side was the custom mounting brackets from JEGS fit EXACTLY on all 4 corners - even slightly different from drivers to passenger sides

probably be up for sale this summer

DSC_4581_zpsoef3kvjw.jpg

 

Ordered a complete set of rubber bumpers from ebay (parts place brand )

Installed all but hood bumpers
Trunk not sure if I like the fit we will see the deck lid was even after install it doesn't sit flush I will see if I can adjust the latch to suck it down if not I might need to shave alittle off

Installed two on each door bumper stops fit great

Installed three each fender
Pita to get install but seem to be okay against the hood

Have not installed the hood bumper on the rad support but they are adjustable so shouldn't be a problem

 

Put my new tank with an in-tank fuel pump from Aeromotive. Ran new high pressure lines to the firewall and a new vent line to the roll over vent valve. Next week I'll start steel braid hose from firewall connections to the EFI module. Install new distributor and electronic ignition then start hooking everything up.

 

I feel really inferior in this forum...but I asked to join. Everybody has this wish list of cars and here I'm just waiting to bring the '66 Starfire home. Anyway, it's been a couple days, but I got her off the rims and tired retreads with her homemade whitewalls (That's what the guy at the tire shop said.) and got her back on all fours. She doesn't look quite as sad now. I like how she's not as tall as I thought she was going to be.

 

I got home from work and decided to start the old girl up for first time this season. March 31st 2015

 

Well it was actually Sunday. I finished installing all the components for my under dash AC. I have been working on this part time on weekends for about 6 weeks. Of course I had to pull the heater core out and have a small leak in it fixed before I put the AC in. I replaced the Ranco valve and replaced the flex hose for the defrosters. If anybody needs any 2" hose, I have plenty. I also have an extra piece of 2 1/2" hose for the left defroster. She goes to the AC shop on Thursday morning for them to add the hoses and charge the system. Just in time for hot Texas weather. The next thing will be pulling the radiator and adding the fan shroud I have. If that is not enough, I will have to address the two core radiator. I have done lots of searching and have not found an aftermarket radiator that will fit and have the inlet and outlet in the right places.

 

Seasolds, sounds like a gear drive?

 

@TripDeuces..Negative with the gear drive...Funny you noticed the sound I'm used to hearing, it's just the fan makes a lot of noise at certain rpm..no clutch, just the fan.
I had a Pete jackson gear drive on a small chevy years ago, tho it sounded cool I could never hear any other sounds even a header leak and swore I would never use one again.
Now since you noticed that, your right it does sound like Gear Drive. Thanks for watching.
Sean

 

I had a Pete Jackson gear drive on my first Olds. Sounds just like it and it was damned loud. Never again for me either. In fact I still have that gear drive in the garage!

 

@TripDeuces..I was working for carquest auto parts years ago down the street from midway airport this guy walks in says he wants to sell this Pete jackson gear drive. I was the only inspired gear head working who knew what it was. Back then it was a newer design and I was pretty well versed around a small chevy, so I bought it from him for 50 bucks. I know he paid way more or maybe it fell off the train. Lots of folks used to walk in selling new items that fell from the train. Lol..Super Shops was the only place to purchase it from locally other than PAW high performance catalogue which I never ordered from. I had a good time with it explaining to all what the noise was all about. Then Like a fad it lost luster and after I removed the engine I sold it. They do last for a long time and work great. The olds drive had to be a pretty penny for it. I'll have to look it up at summitracing. Cool stuff!
Sean

 

Seanolds I got mine while working at a local speed shop. I want to say it was right around $180 retail, maybe more, in the mid to late 70's.
I have a story also about the gear drive. An old timer walks up to my car while it was running once and tells me my front pump on the transmission is going bad. When I explained to him it was the whine from the gear drive he got all bent out of shape and explained he'd been around cars for decades and he knew a front pump when he heard one and that my car never came with a gear drive. LOL I just nodded and thanked him for his advice

 

@TripDeuces..Sounds like you would of had an encounter with my grandfather..lol ..That is a great story thanks for sharing.

 

Rear Brake Shoes and 8 Hours of cleaning and detail work.

 

Well didn't get a chance today to work on the olds, but did have fun playing musical engines today lol

My 9and 8 year olds were having fun watching

 

New trunk seal put the lid back on and reinstalled rear bumper . She's got a sweet looking ***-end , but don't tell mama!

 

Replaced the brake booster, master cylinder, proportioning valve and all the brake lines. Got the Stainless steel kit from Inline tube.
About to bleed the brakes and finish the fuel line today. Cutlass will be off the jack stands for the first time since last August. Hoping to fire up new engine next week.

 

Lol, that's so cool! I had to see the rest so I checked out your album. Very nice ride, my friend.

 

Thanks a lot she's coming along

 

@SeanOlds - what size wheels & tires are on the back of your car?

 

Mine has p245/60/r14 on western mags I picked them up as rollers For forty bucks may stick with that size when it comes time

 

Building new powder coated frame for a 70 cutlass supreme.

 

Not sure why the pictures are upside down, I have posted in many other sites without this problem.

 

I installed new Holley Gerotor electric fuel pump and an inline filter this afternoon. I had had the pump and filter on my work bench for several months but have been busy working on the AC installation. The last two times the car has been out it wound up coming home on a flatbed. The first time was last November and I had my two grandsons with me. After it got home and sat for a while, it started. I have moved it in and out of the garage at least a dozen times since then. Thursday morning I am on the way to the AC shop to leave the car with them so they can make the hoses up and charge the system and it quits about a mile from my house. I mounted the pump and inline filter on a 2X4 and then bolted it inside the frame. It make a nice installation and I have attached a picture before I mounted it. I don't know why the camera turned it 90 degrees. Tomorrow she gets a bath and full detail.

 

@Macadoo..Thank you very much for noticing and the compliment! I have some old photos of what it used to look like I will post some time soon..

@RandyS...I like it old school. 15 inch drag lites with L 60's onthe rears. Would look better with a 50's but I may have to address inside measurement. 50's may just fit real close to the frame with these rims.
Sorry for delay guys.

 

Installed new power top pump/motor & new lines; Flushed cylinders and changed from brake fluid to AFT; Power top is operational now and working great!!

 

Can you tell me the rim width and backspace? (looking to put some deep wheels on the back of mine)

 

@RandyS..Just noticed your post now, I will get back out in the garage this week to get the size for you. Also, she took me out for a drive today..had a little issue! My foot slipped off the clutch which resulted in my right foot pushing on the gas pedal and next thing I noticed the car started to smell like rubber..Funny how that sometimes happens.. Lol

 

Today I'm having a celebration because I brought my 1962 “Sky Rocket” Super 88 back to life. It had been dead since the late 1990s.

In the past couple of weeks I've:

* Dropped the fuel tank for cleaning. (It will need a new sender and an anti-rust coating before it goes back on)
* Replaced the rubber fuel lines & purged the fuel system
* Rebuilt the Rochester 4GC carb
* Soaked/flushed/drained the engine with acetone & ATF
* Checked the valves
* Flushed/changed the coolant
* Changed oil/filter
* Had the starter rebuilt
* Rebuilt the distributor & installed a Pertronix “electronic points & condenser”
* Fired it up on the first crank!
* Adjusted timing & carb

Now I need to fix that pesky stuck heat riser... it's stuck in the closed position & it doesn't want to come off.

 

I bought a new front license plate today, 3-D symbol and letters

 

Removed the stuck-closed heat riser on my Super 88. Had to fight with 6 rusted manifold studs to remove the crossover pipe. 5 came out with a torch. Murphy's Law prevailed and the last stud broke off in the manifold. Aargh.