Vintage Chief

Be aware that is not the OEM original carburetor - you have a HOLLEY (aftermarket) carburetor - I'm not certain which model (I haven't seen one of those in years). Additionally, the intake manifold is not OEM original. I would not let these things worry you. If your car is running fine, just move on and address things which NEED to be addressed.

Vintage Chief

HEI IGN systems often need the timing advanced a little more. But, we don't know what your timing is set to right now - you'll need a timing light. Also, a little rough idle could be as simple as adjusting your A/F mixture screws/needles. Personally, I wouldn't touch the HEI IGN system, yet. And, you can't just change the cap and rotor on an HEI like you would suspect on an OEM system. Just leave it as-is for now. I might suggest you spend an evening learning the delta between an OEM original distributor IGN system and an HEI IGN system. There are TONS of YouTube videos on both systems. I highly suggest you view more than several or at least view a rock-solid good one and then do a comparison between OEM points and rotor distributor and an HEI IGN system.

MJ79

Wanna say thank you to all of you awesome and knowledgeable people willing to chat and teach a green newbie like myself, I really appreciate all of the info you guys shared!

Burd

Welcome! Wait, this is an Olds site?

droldsmorland

Ready....go:
Safety first, fire and roadworthiness.
Always carry a fire extinguisher with enough volume to put out a small car fire. Get one or two which are safe to use on a car. Install a battery disconnect switch on the battery and use it anytime the car is parked.

If you are going through the trouble of installing a new(or used) HVAC system consider new wire harnesses. Both under the hood and under the dash. The OEM is likely hacked. New harnesses will increase reliability reduce fire hazards and make installation of new components much easier.

Tires: There is a date code on the sidewall. Anything more than 10-12 should not be used including the spare. They can visually look new and be coming apart in the inside. Tire Rack dot com can show you how to read the date codes.
Brake system: Replace the 3 rubber brake lines and flush the system using an inexpensive pressure bleeder. Inspect wheel cylinders and calipers.
Charging system: Check its health. Clean all battery cables both ends.
Cooling system: Do a complete flush. Replace coolant with premixed 50/50 (never use tap water). Replace belts and hoses and thermostat.
Change ALL fluids. Brake, coolant, oil, trans & filter, rear differential. Inspect U-Joints.
Inspect chassis: Steering and suspension components. Inspect and repack front wheel bearings.
Fuel system: Look at the rubber lines that are back at the tank and upfront by the pump. Replace the filter. Carry a spare pump.
Replace wipers and make sure they work.
Look at all light bulbs, interior & exterior.
Clean all engine compartment and all other ground connections that you can get your hands on. Every wire harness on the car has grounds. At 50 years old they need cleaning.
Carry an extra HEI distributor module & heat paste. Hopefully, the HEI is hooked to a direct keyed 12volt source and not using the original points dist feed wire.
Pull the plugs and read them. Black, white or tan?
Tune the car with a vacuum gauge. Search here of how to properly tune...ig, set the timing and adjust the air-fuel mix.

Use high-quality replacement parts not chineasium junk.
Insurance: Use classic car agreed value insurance with flatbed towing and glass riders and an unlimited mileage clause. Some have limits and will not insure you if youre on a road trip without just cause(car shows HotRod power tour etc...sacantioned events.

Of course, all of this is moot until you decide on what to do about the HVAC system. You need defrosters...safety.

Overwhelmed yet? If so Id suggest purchasing a car that doesn't need as much. You'd be farther ahead financially and mentally. Its easy to drop 5-10K on something like this. That's provided nothing big breaks and you do most of the work.

jaunty75

Reading the date code is easy. It's a four-digit number, where the first two digits are the week of the year of manufacture and the second two are the year of manufacture. So if the date code is, say, 4415, that's the 44th week of 2015. In the example below, the tire was made in the 21st week of 2018.

One thing I've discovered in checking tire date codes is that they are not always embossed on both sides of the tire, and, in the case of tires with white sidewalls, the date code is sometimes printed only on the non-whitewall side. If such a tire is mounted on the car with the whitewalls facing out, you'll have to either put the car up on a rack so you can look at the back side of it while spinning it to bring the date code into view, or take the tire off the car.




The advice to get rid of any tire 10 years old or more is sound. The guy at my local Big-O-Tire store told me that they are not allowed to touch, except to throw away (assuming the owner agrees), any tire they're asked to work with that is 10 years old or more.

You see this advice all the time on this site, and, as sound as it is, I laugh out loud every time I see it. It's advice you can actually follow if it were 1965, 1975, or maybe even 1985, but try to follow it in the 21st century, and you'll never drive your old car.

I always cite the experience I went through when I replaced nearly every brake component on my '78 Toronado two years ago. Every part I replaced, and that included calipers, rotors, and pads up front, drums, shoes, wheel cylinders, and hold-down hardware in the rear, all rubber brake hoses front and rear, master cylinder, vacuum booster, and even the proportioning valve, was made in China. It didn't matter the brand name on the box, and I used some of the most storied names in auto parts history, including AC Delco, Raybestos, Wagner, and others. Every box said "made in China." You simply cannot purchase a new brake part in 2019, at least for a late '70s Toronado (and I suspect lots of other modes and years, too) and have it not be made in China. If we want to drive our cars in 2019, we have no choice but to put at least some Chinese-made parts on them.

All we can do is assume that the companies that own those brands take pride in their history of and reputation for quality and make sure that parts sold under their brand name, no matter where they're made in the world, are made to their traditional high standards. As far as my Toro, it's now been more than two years since I replaced all those parts, and I've had no problems.

69CSHC

Welcome aboard, beautiful looking ride !

Plenty of great information has already been provided. But i would also like to add my 2 cents as well. Fortunately or unfortunately your ride has been heavily modified, this can be a headache, especially for a novice.

Your brake system may have zero to do with factory set up, as mine does. My ride is also 4 wheel disc conversion, luckily the previous owner provided me with plenty of paperwork, receipts, notes, instructions sheets, etc. Off the top of my head my the conversion kit is CPP, front brake pads are late 70s Camaro, rear brake pads are mid 80s Cadillac. If you need more detailed info I can look into notes.

Your gonna have to do your homework before every move on your car because of modifications. I have 30 years of Oldsmobile ownership under my belt, my current ride is the most modified. The further away from stock a car is the more vigilante you will need to be with notes, info, etc. Keeping a diary would be a good idea as i do.

Previous owner also provided me with several books and pamphlets, including the CSM, its the bible for our cars. However modifications can lessen its effectiveness. I am no mechanic, i can and have changed some basics over the years but that's about it (oil, radiator, brake pads, hoses stuff like that.) What i do have is a network of reliable and reasonable mechanics from shade tree to full on shops. Which i have acquired over decades, (been driving since mid 1980s.)

PS as a few members have already stated you may want to rethink if this is the ride you want to go ahead with. For example even with the correct recommended brake pads the rear ones still needed further custom alteration in order to work properly on my ride. A minor blip if you are used to cars like ours and the issues that may arise. But add them up and issues, reverse retro fitting to original components, etc, can morph into a costly endeavor...