I have had my car on the road now for only two weeks. Every time I take it out I discover something else that needs fixing, repair or replacement.

Yesterday, I decide I was going to replace my throttle cable. Had a hard time removing the retaining clip on the gas pedal then ended up breaking it. Parts on order.

Today, I decide I want to take on getting my rear windows back on their tracks. 1st one a nightmare. Finally figured it out and got it back together. Go to the other side. This time I think I know what I am doing...NOPE...broke the lower roller. Parts on order.

WILL THIS MADNESS EVER END??

 

No, unfortunately it won't. Sometimes I get frustrated, sometimes I take it as part of the hobby and try to enjoy the work. Heck, my 8-track player has been out of the car for almost 20 years, so long that I put a one-piece AC valance in there - I'll get to it one of these days.

The worst part is when the car leaves me stranded. I don't mind when I'm on my own but when I'm with my wife or kids - UGH!

 

Knock on wood...my car has never left me stranded. Mechanically she is GREAT. Just minor headache stuff that never seems to end. Bulbs, switches, latches, cables, cosmetics.

Two days ago my driver's door decided it no longer wanted to unlock. Tore the damn thing apart found nothing. Tore the passenger's side apart to see if I could see a difference...no luck. Squirted the crap out of it with WD40 and like magic...works like new.

 

Some of the challenges of owning an old car. A small project suddenly becomes an all day affair and leads to other projects. But hey, what else do you have to do?

 

If you want a car that doesn't need something .. the dealership is more than happy to accept your payments. You drive an old car ... this comes with the territory. Plastic and nylon particularly don't age well.

 

It seems like they never come one at a time. I made a post a couple weeks ago about going to a show and placing in the to 10 and then winding up on the side of the interstate on the way home. Made it home on the back of a flatbed. I replaced the Pertronix and went back to points. Get her cranked and she sounded perfect. First time I went to drive her I didn't make it out of the neighborhood. I still have a pretty good oil leak and there rear extension housing seal on the transmission is leaking like crazy. I actually had thoughts of selling the car and buying a C-5 or C-6 Corvette. But then there are tons of them at car shows and only one 54 Super 88 convertible. Sometimes you just have to walk away for a while. I tell people my car may look brand new but she is still 63 years old under the pretty paint.

 

For the first two years that I have had my car, I chased nagging electrical problems. I was convinced that the car just hated me. As redoldsman said ^^ sometimes you just have to walk away for a while.



As Red Green says "Hang in there, we're all in this together!"

 

BUT, I'll have to say, my 69 442 drop top is the best car I've ever owned. "It has taken a licking [6 high school boys have driven it] and keeps on ticking"

 

Some of these cars are like abused puppies, it takes time to undo all the abuse inflicted by previous owners. Then slowly they start to return the love.

 

Wait till you've had it long enough that you have to start replacing/repairing all the stuff you already replaced/repaired.

 

Might be the best description ever!!

 

Short answer... NO... Once you think you are none, it will be time to start over...

 

Today I was working on my 65 Cutlass trying to change the heater core sounds easy right. I tried to remove the wheel well no luck trying to get to the two screws in there. I un-bolted the fender near firewall then opened the door and lifted the fender up enough to get the well out. Now I got to the bolts fine but the bottom of the fender the 9/16" bolt snapped in two not sure what I'm going to do to fix it. Maybe drill a new hole I guess in it.

 

An awesome old car driving down the street is there because the owner cares enough to put in the labor to keep it driving down the street. Sort of a reap what you sow thing. Owning a piece of history is a pleasure and a burden. Like a marrage except the car lets you know right away it there's a problem and you'll only find your friend driving her if you gave him the keys.

 

I often say the restoration of my car is finished. I am in the perpetual maintenance phase now.

 

__________________________________________________ ____

x2.

Friends ask if my convertible is finished. I never ever say "Yes." I just tell them its a driver with a few things left to sort out.

People who aren't at least 65 don't remember cars from the 40s and 50s were generally good for only 80 to 100 thousand miles before wearing out.
Jerry

 

I can totally agree with this, and other comments. Cars..like these are never done. The maintenance to keep them continue to go on...and on. You simply need to persevere. These cars were daily drivers then...and can continue, just understand them.

 

Ain't that a fact.

If it wasn't for my addiction to make stuff work/run I'd own a new Hellcat. Oh the money I've spent!

 

I challenge one person on this site to truthfully say they have never experienced this same type of situation in one form or another with their cars. I'd be shocked if someone could answer "Why no, I never had to do unforseen repairs or maintenance on my car" Show me that person and I'll ask them for the winning powerball #'s

Owning one of these machines is boaderline sadism. It's like raising a teenager, frustrating as hell but somehow you still love them.

 

The term your looking for is not sadism, inflicting pain on another. Its masochism is when you derive pleasure from pain that is inflicted on you. MG and other British car owners know this all too well.

 

I have found that a few things help with old cars:

1. Drive them often. I should drive mine at least every couple weeks. I don't.
2. Garage keep them in a nice garage. Temp doesn't matter as much as humidity.
3. Keep them clean. A clean car is nicer to drive, work on, show, and just looks in better shape.
4. Do periodic maintenance periodically. Planning stuff, having parts ready, and a dedicated space to work on, and leave it in when you are tired and need a break, helps.
5. Do car shows, or go places with it. Being appreciated will help you appreciate it more.
6. Remember to clean out the secondaries with a wide open throttle run once a drive.

 

Eric thanks for the correction.

Koda, #6, am I only supposed to do that once???
Is this why the F/E gauge is always closer to the E?
#2 just not an option. Too many bikes and junk take up that space.

 

I love all off your posts and comments. Really makes me

I respect the dedication to preserving these pieces of history that we are the proud owners of. I look forward to MANY years with her and will drive her PROUDLY...despite all of the headaches she causes.

 

I was driving through our downtown last Sunday morning and as I came to an intersection, I anticipated that a car taking a left was going to cut the corner short so I stopped well short of the intersection.

The woman in the Subaru did indeed cut the corner short and yelled at me "I love your car!" as she took off up the street.

I thought to myself "that was kinda cool, actually". Stuff like that makes it all worth while.

 

We choose to run 50 year old cars, dig too deep and you will awake the Belrog, just ask the Dwarves. Seriously stuff breaks, it sucks, been there too. I carry a bunch of spare mechanical parts for both my old cars. They are no longer stocked at every garage along the side of road like just a few years ago.

 

Now that I went back to points, I carry an extra coil, set of points, rotor, cap and even the resistor. I figure as long as I have them, I will never need them. If I leave them at home I will need them on that trip. I have an electric fuel pump so I am going to get a spare. This is stuff I can replace on the side of the road.

 

Having daily driven my Cutlass for four years, I can say that you learn to do, and fix, things properly - if you don't, they boomerang after weeks.

 

When I finished the "museum quality restoration" using mostly NOS parts I have not had to fix anything, except changing oil, replacing a bulb, and a battery.

Now this restoration was a 15 year deal, was completely disassembled, and was then assembled according to my assembly manual that I took when I quit Olds in 1973. Every nut, bolt, washer, clip, spring, sub-assemblies, you name it, it was restored to as new condition.

At it's first OCA Nats. event in 2010 when it was finished, it was road tested for about 30 feet from my shop and in to the trailer. When we got there I drove it from the RV campground to the show field which was about 9 miles. After I stopped shaking because I was afraid someone would hit my car, I noticed how tight the suspension felt, how quite it was, with no rattles or squeaks. I said that to my buddy and his response was "it should be. it is a new car that was hand assembled". So if you want reliability do nor fix it on the cheap, use the best parts, and make the repairs correctly!

 

Zeeke, I put an end to that. I used to be in the same boat. I see people post their huge spaces here & get jealous as compared to our crappy LI single car garages. When I bought my house it had an attached shed behind the garage. I added another free standing one in the corner of the yard. My house has no real basement. I told my wife if the two sheds aren't enough you have too much shyt.

 

That's the boat I'm in now. I think a large part of that is the crappy quality of replacement parts these days. I changed my alternator maybe a year ago or 18 months. Now I'm getting an intermittent dim glow of the gen light. Thinking its the voltage regulator. So now time to take it apart again.

Weird problem. Only occurs when throttle is off idle and when the engine is hot. I can have a dim glow but when I pull up to a light and the engine is idling it goes out. Even with the AC and lights on.

If anyone has any ideas besides the regulator I'd be more than welcome to have them.