When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I wanted to put this in the General Discussion area for better visibility. I know I told everyone about this car a long while ago, but I just finally got it down to NC today.
Met up with Joe Padavano and he seemed surprised by the condition of the car. It has been repainted...but all the lights work, and it runs...haven't road tested it yet...but it loaded up onto the trailer no problem and starts on the first turn of the key. It has the original GM keys and some extra keys, so that's a plus because they are small keys, not something I'm used to seeing. Joe pointed out that is also has the original spare and the wheels are the 15 inch which are rare. I will get some better pics of the interior soon.
Brand new battery died on the way down here, so let the troubleshooting begin....if anyone has any obvious places to start with that, tell me please!
Here are some pics, but it is still dusty from the garage so don't judge too much:
Nice looking car.
The "Likely suspects" any time I have battery drain are the alternator and regulator. These, along with the battery, are the normal "Wear" items, items which normally wear out or just fail from old age. One, or more, of the 3 items are the culprit 99% of the time when a battery goes dead.
66luvr, I will need to check what you mentioned, but the thing is the battery died after just starting it once to let Joe hear it run. It was a brand new battery put in on Saturday afternoon and only started to load up on the trailer that day. Is it possible that the ignition switch is still stuck in the on position even after removing the key? I did notice that the radio still worked after turning the car off on Saturday.
Got some additional pics of it this morning. It is surprising to me how good of shape it is in...there is a little rust here and there on the outside...but the inside is near spotless. With only about 35,000 miles on it I guess it should look this way.
Wow that is a great car! Can't wait to see it on the backroads around Charlotte. What's your plan for it and where did you find it?
This was my father-in-law's aunt's car. She left it to him when she passed away because he always did the work on it for her. I'd like to keep it, but unfortunately the bills keep piling up on the W-30, so I'm not sure that's going to be possible.
The more I see the better it looks.
On the battery drain, sure it is very possible there is a faulty ignition switch. I mentioned the most likely problem areas, but anything which draws juice can kill a battery. I see the word "Short" mentioned sometimes and sort of cringe. To me "Short" denotes 12V going to ground, we all know what that would do, burn something up immediately or possibly blow a fuse. and when the fuse blows the drain stops, no dead battery.
To drain a battery without making a big burnt mess will require a drain on the system through a properly wired circuit, such as the ignition failing to kill the juice. Other things would be a light left on, dome, trunk, glove box, interior courtesy lamps, or any circuit that takes juice in the course of it's intended purpose. Sometimes the horn relay sticks and someone unplugs the horn to keep the noise down and fails to unplug the horn relay. Several things come to mind and I imagine you will find it. I just always use the KISS idea, Keep It Simple Stupid. So I check the usual offenders first. I think you already have a idea going with the radio playing when it shouldn't. Possibly someone wired it like that for some odd reason.
Good Luck,
Thanks 83hurstguy, it isn't perfect...has the normal rust spots in the usual places I suspect.
Any ideas on what this car has for options? I know that Joe mentioned the 15 inch wheels being an option...what else might have been an option on the car? I can't seem to find a list.
Is it possible that the ignition switch is still stuck in the on position even after removing the key? I did notice that the radio still worked after turning the car off on Saturday.
Um, yeah. If the factory installed radio still worked when the car was "off," then the car was on.
You didn't turn the switch off and it drained the battery.
It looks even better in person. The door panels look brand new. The front seat has a minor amount of wear, but that's to be expected. The car looks really good. Other than a little bit of rust, it's fantastic. Good luck with the car and it was great to tag up. Thanks for taking the detour.
It looks even better in person. The door panels look brand new. The front seat has a minor amount of wear, but that's to be expected. The car looks really good. Other than a little bit of rust, it's fantastic. Good luck with the car and it was great to tag up. Thanks for taking the detour.
It was great to meet you. I'm sure we'll meet up somewhere again. Thanks for the kind words on the car.
I went out and tested the ignition and it turns out that you can pull the key out before it is in the off position. The switch was definitely the whole way to the left because I tried to turn it more left when I first put the key in and it didn't move any at all. So I had the ignition off for sure, at least according to how far it could be turned. I suppose there is still a chance that it just isn't shutting "off" inside the ignition itself. When I get a battery charged up, I will test it out by not putting the key in at all and turning the blower fan on or something.
The switch was definitely the whole way to the left because I tried to turn it more left when I first put the key in and it didn't move any at all. So I had the ignition off for sure, at least according to how far it could be turned.
Actually, all the way to the left is the ACC position, not OFF. On these cars, you can pull the key out in positions other than OFF.
BOOM!!! NOW I KNOW!!!!!!! Man, that's embarrassing.
Kind of like reverse is the last thing when you pull the shifter instead of where it normally is today. Strange, but normal then I suppose.
Well, that would explain why the radio worked...
The ACC-OFF-RUN-START order on the ignition switch is common GM through the 1990s. Even the column-mounted switches have this pattern (plus the added LOCK position between ACC and OFF).
The ACC-OFF-RUN-START order on the ignition switch is common GM through the 1990s. Even the column-mounted switches have this pattern (plus the added LOCK position between ACC and OFF).
But is it normal that you can pull the key out in this position?
But is it normal that you can pull the key out in this position?
I've had ones where you could, it never seemed abnormal.
I honestly don't know which pre-69 models were designed that way, and which just got that way through wear.
As far as I know, after '69 the key was only supposed to come out in LOCK.
In my own car (and several other later cars I've had), I can pull it out in any position because of wear, so I seldom use the key at all.
I've had ones where you could, it never seemed abnormal.
I honestly don't know which pre-69 models were designed that way, and which just got that way through wear.
As far as I know, after '69 the key was only supposed to come out in LOCK.
In my own car (and several other later cars I've had), I can pull it out in any position because of wear, so I seldom use the key at all.
- Eric
HAHA! I like the "easy to steal everything under the hood" latch system also. Very convenient.
Always liked the instrument cluster in those cars and thought overall they look great but have shied away in the past because of the 215. Just don't know much about them.
And those are some really compact heater controls over on the left, at least, that's what I think they are. Keeps the passenger from taking control, too.
SOMEONE BUY IT BEFORE IT GETS HEADERS!!! AWWW MAH GAWD!!! DUH HUMANITIES!!!
hahah.
Marketing is one of my specialties. Thank you. Thank you. Bill takes a bow.
But really, I haven't started a for sale thread yet...but yes, I agree this car is very very nice. The interior is pretty much perfection and the outside could use a little attention. I haven't had it on the road yet, but it idles fine and it lot drives fine. And with only 35,xxx original miles, this car has averaged less than 700 miles/year. Been sitting for a few decades so that average when it was running goes up some, but still...hard to find with these miles I bet.
So if anyone has any interest, let me know because I'd like to offer it to CO members here first.
Well, I turned the key back to the off position and also shut the radio off after learning that it still worked, so I'm unsure what you are saying.
Is it possible that you can remove the key before it hits the off position? If so then maybe I did do that.
If its like the solid axle Corvettes, you can start the car without the key. Go ahead and try it. Remove the key at the lock position. Thats why its the LOCK position.
And those are some really compact heater controls over on the left, at least, that's what I think they are. Keeps the passenger from taking control, too.
Yes, those are the heater, fan speed and defrost I think. Just going from memory.
If its like the solid axle Corvettes, you can start the car without the key. Go ahead and try it. Remove the key at the lock position. Thats why its the LOCK position.
Chevy was the only one with a lock position. A 63 F-85 only had off
