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I added some 16" polished Torquethrust wheels. 205/60 front, 215/60 rear. And, for good measure, I bought a 5" Sunpro tach, just because I could, not because it serves any real purpose in my 330/automatic. I just wanted it.
I could hardly tell when they were on, so the old school sealed beams came out and the newer style bright ones went in. Not a big job, but I'm pleased with the outcome...Don't mind the tarps on the deck behind it. I'm in the middle of moving all of my garage stuff two towns away. And, shockingly, in Washington...it rains!
I took my 72 Cutlass Supreme to storage in preparation for the hurricane
I took my '95 Cutlass Supreme convertible out for a brief drive while the cover dried out from last night's rain. It'll be getting wet all over again shortly
Began cutting out the rust for replacement in the 65 442. Looks worse than it is, a lot of surface rust. Will definitely need to replace the body mount areas, but not sure how far I will go. I have all new metal for the entire trunk, would like to keep some of it original. Also got my new fender protector from my kids as a B-Day surprise. Only a month late, but still nice!~
Haven't done anything to it today but yesterday I got the car buttoned up for Florence to blow through. Fortunately, the storm is moving well to the south of us so I only expect to see between four and six inches of rain here and winds maybe in the 20-30mph range. That's nothing to sneeze at for sure, but it beats the heck out of what they're getting at the coast and in most South Carolina. I'm looking forward to sunny days next week so I can take the 'vert out for some exercise. Come to think of it, I did do something for the car today. I ordered a new cover for it because the one I have is leaking at the seams, even with light to moderate rain. I'm sure it'll be a sodden mess by the time Florence is done with it. I'll be returning it as soon as the replacement arrives.
Last edited by Human; September 14th, 2018 at 01:06 PM.
Over the weekend I took Saved 62 to a show (OCA-Wisconsin Chapter Quad States Meet). While I was busy judging other cars at the show she picked up a trophy!
It wasn't today but on Saturday I took the old gal to a local show and bless her heart she took Best of Show. I was surprised. I hate it when the picture comes out sideways.
Last edited by redoldsman; September 17th, 2018 at 02:20 PM.
Well thankfully, Florence passed us by with only a string of wet, drizzly days. Yesterday evening was the only real heavy rain we got and no high winds to speak of. Compared to most of the Carolinas, we were pretty lucky here in the Triad. By the time I got home from classes today, the sun was out brightly with a gentle breeze blowing, so I took the cover off the 'vert, wiped the car down with a microfiber cloth and took it out for a drive. Unfortunately that cheap cover lived up (or down, depending on your point of view) to my expectations and left way too much moisture underneath, causing a small paint de-lamination issue on the driver's side front fender to become much larger. I've also got a prefab metal carport on order and I'll be happy when it's finally in place and the 'vert is better protected than it is with a cover alone.
Took my '71 for a drive to the die-hard cruise in last night and to test the new stereo. After 4 years of having nothing but the staticy stock AM radio I bit the bullet and installed a modern system with bluetooth, 6x9's in the parcel shelf, an amp and 10" subwoofer in the trunk. The shakedown cruise told me I need to add another amp and door speakers :-D
The interior is still torn apart while I build a new parcel shelf to replace the warped and decaying original and swap interior panels for some better ones from another car. New carpet will go in while I'm at it.
All from a "let's put in some tunes, it will be easy". Yeah...we know better than that, right? And now I'm starting to look at a budget for more work over the next year. And I still have that '70 waiting for the new heart...
I replaced my grease caps on the front hubs. Or, rather, I replaced one. The other side has too small of a hole for the cap. I suspect someone put on a replacement hub. So, I gotta figure out what fits and buy a second set. I also put in new visors and sail lenses. After that, I sat in the back seat with the window down. Made me feel like 17 again...
Okay, it's a pretty small thing but I think it helps the appearance a bit. I replaced the convertible's OEM lug nuts with their sad looking plastic covers (rather amazing that after almost 24 years, none of the covers were missing) with a set of chrome lug nuts. I think it helps dress up the wheels somewhat and it's really what the car should have had from the factory.
Before...
The plastic lug nut covers were looking a little tired, so now they're retired.
After...
The new chrome lug nots brighten things up a little, even if they don't fill the holes up as much. They're sized identical to the OEM lug nuts, minus the plastic covers.
Last edited by Human; September 20th, 2018 at 07:46 PM.
I ordered the intake and exhaust valves, new springs and keepers, guides, and seats, cam Bearings, and the distributor hold down. I have a week off coming in October and the engine will be the #1 priority. Will I run out of money before time or vice-versa? The heads come off this weekend, some wear assessments, and then off to the Machinist once the parts arrive!
Last edited by Chuck Cole; September 21st, 2018 at 12:52 PM.
Looks great...it is the little things that make us happy sometimes...I used to take out the old car and wash/wax it so it didn't seem so forlorned....even though shine was not what actually happened. Those silly plastic things are on my wife's Saturn Astra...the tire guys tried twice to toss them and I made them go get them out of the trash...Discount Tire!!! She needs some chrome because her rims are 18". I put black ones on my El Camino
Looks great...it is the little things that make us happy sometimes...I used to take out the old car and wash/wax it so it didn't seem so forlorned....even though shine was not what actually happened. Those silly plastic things are on my wife's Saturn Astra...the tire guys tried twice to toss them and I made them go get them out of the trash...Discount Tire!!! She needs some chrome because her rims are 18". I put black ones on my El Camino
I briefly considered black chrome lug nuts for the convertible but ultimately went with bright chrome instead. I have my dad's Silhouette minivan in the driveway right now and my initial thought was to swap the chrome lug nuts off of it since they had originally been on my '94 LSS but they're in pretty rough shape so I went with brand new ones instead. The van had come with a cheaper version of the plastic caps, which were friction fit where the ones that came on the convertible are threaded and actually screw onto the lug nuts. He was frustrated because he kept losing the caps, so I gave him the chrome ones before I sold the LSS.
I could hardly tell when they were on, so the old school sealed beams came out and the newer style bright ones went in. Not a big job, but I'm pleased with the outcome...Don't mind the tarps on the deck behind it. I'm in the middle of moving all of my garage stuff two towns away. And, shockingly, in Washington...it rains!
Which headlight beam did you use to replace your sealed beams? They look great, by the way. Also were there any modifications needed?
Last edited by pappy; September 23rd, 2018 at 04:57 PM.
My tuning skills are rudimentary at best. I had a friend of mine who is more learned in these things take a look at things for me. He set the timing and adjusted the carb using a wide band O2 sensor. My God what an effing difference. Felt like a different car. Wish I did it ages ago.
My tuning skills are rudimentary at best. I had a friend of mine who is more learned in these things take a look at things for me. He set the timing and adjusted the carb using a wide band O2 sensor. My God what an effing difference. Felt like a different car. Wish I did it ages ago.
I admit I'm from the Jurassic age when it comes to tuning. I can't visualize either the wide band sensor or how it is hooked up to carb or maybe exhaust? to obtain readings and how a Quadrajet would be set to change less than ideal fuel ratios above an idle speed. Like you I'm OK with the 455 but feel it could be better with some expert tuning including the carb. I could use some education in this if anyone is so inclined. Thanks.
I can't visualize either the wide band sensor or how it is hooked up to carb or maybe exhaust? to obtain readings and how a Quadrajet would be set to change less than ideal fuel ratios above an idle speed..
For my car he had a sensor that went up the tail pipe. For his own car (a badass Buick GS) they welded in a bung for a screw in sensor.
Yeah, tuning is a dying art.
Thanks for the explanation. Now I recall the old Sun Tuning machines in some auto repair shops. I think they used the probe up the tail pipe to get O2 readings. Guys who could tune with those were like the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain.
This afternoon, I fixed one of the annoying little issues with my '95 Cutlass convertible. The plastic hinge for the armrest cover on the center console was broken when I got it (something the seller forgot to mention, not that it would have been a deal killer) and I found a replacement online that wasn't outrageously priced but wasn't exactly cheap, either. it was tan and my interior is graphite so before I could install it, I had to swap the upper cushion portion from my broken armrest onto the lower shell that incorporates the hinge. That just required unscrewing a handful of screws on both armrests. Installing the completed armrest was even easier, just remove the ashtray from the rear of the console to gain access to two screws that hold everything together, then spread the two halves of the console to slip the lid assembly into place. The hardest part was figuring how out re-intsall the metal plate that holds the ashtray in place but once that hurdle was over, I was ready for a little drive in the country. All told, I think the entire operation might have taken 20 minutes. Next up is replacing the coolant level sensor. I'll be coming into some eBay Bucks next week and will be able to get that part for free.
This is not what I have done TO, but rather what I have done FOR my Oldsmobile today. I converted a non working 1959 transportable radio to a Bluetooth speaker!
I installed a set of seat belts for the middle rear. I didn't realize it until a few months after I bought it, but it was missing the middle seat belts from & rear. IDK what happened to them. Did the front a while ago but just got around to doing the rear. weird thing is when I pulled the seat cushion up it was only missing half a set. The other side (the tongue side) was tucked in under the seat. With an old car, who knows how this stuff happens over time.
I replaced the coolant level sensor on my '95 convertible. It took a little less than a half hour, which isn't too bad, considering I'd never done one before. One helpful tool the service manual and YouTube videos fail to mention is a claw hammer. No, I didn't pound it into place; I used it as a lever to press it into place with the flat side of the head.
I also fixed a problem with the driver's door panel, which was loose on the outer edge. After re-positioning the nylon trim pins so they went back into their holes, I found the real source of the problem. The plastic around the screw down in the door pocket had broken away, leaving the screw in place but not contacting the door panel. My initial idea was to find a wide washer with a small hole that I could bend a little to make fit snugly. For such things, I generally go to this giant plastic mixed nut container in which my dad had collected the oddest assortment of screws, nuts, nails angle braces, hinges and stuff I don't even recognize. Fishing through the contents, I found the oddest thing that ended up working perfectly--a penny that had a small hole, drilled slightly off center. Even better, the penny was slightly bent. It may no longer work in a gum ball machine, but with the addition of a slightly longer screw, it's works perfectly for the door panel, which l no longer rattles when I close the door.
Last edited by Human; October 3rd, 2018 at 07:01 PM.
September 8th, 2018, 07:40 PM
