Vintage Car Thread - Discussion and Parts Requests

[AtomicEraTom]

It's a thrush sticker.

That was for Thrush wasn't it?

Any running/driving car is worth 500, which is what I'd try to score it for.

They are worth even that much? lol lol

 

[jamespowers]

It's a thrush sticker.



Any running/driving car is worth 500, which is what I'd try to score it for.

Any running car? So you would pay $500 for a Gremlin or a Pacer? You would have to give me $500 to take one of those.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I wouldn't, but I know people who would. If you need a running used car bad enough and you're financially strapped enough, that Gremlin'll look like a Rolls Royce.

Any running car? So you would pay $500 for a Gremlin or a Pacer? You would have to give me $500 to take one of those.

 

[jamespowers]

I wouldn't, but I know people who would. If you need a running used car bad enough and you're financially strapped enough, that Gremlin'll look like a Rolls Royce.

Man, you are a good car salesman. However, I don't care how poor I am, the Gremlin will still look like a Gremlin. I pass by a Rolls Royce on my way to lunch and let me tell you, it doesn't look like a Gremlin.

 

[Stanley Doble]

Had the Plodge out for a good long drive today -- sixty miles worth -- and as I was rolling back into town the speedometer started to make a squealing whine and the needle began jumping around. This isn't something I've noticed before -- and it's a balloon-squeaking annoying squeal, so I would have noticed it if it was happening earlier. Am I hearing a problem in the speedometer mechanism? Or is the cable about to go? I can get a cable easy, a speedometer less so...

James is correct, the speedo cable is dry. A tube of speedo cable grease from the auto parts store is $1.79, a lifetime supply.

Disconnect the cable from the transmission (from under the car) and pull out the inner cable. Wipe clean, and apply fresh grease. DO NOT grease the top 6" to 12". You do not want the grease to work its way into the speedo. Slide the cable back into the housing and reconnect.

If the cable is kinked or damaged it may have to be replaced. The cable should hang in straight lines and gentle curves, it should not be bent into a tight curve. It may help to relocate the cable while it is disconnected.

I don't expect you to do this, I thought you might like to know how it is done.

How is the new motor running? Do you notice a difference in power, silence, etc?

 

[LizzieMaine]

James is correct, the speedo cable is dry. A tube of speedo cable grease from the auto parts store is $1.79, a lifetime supply.

Disconnect the cable from the transmission (from under the car) and pull out the inner cable. Wipe clean, and apply fresh grease. DO NOT grease the top 6" to 12". You do not want the grease to work its way into the speedo. Slide the cable back into the housing and reconnect.

If the cable is kinked or damaged it may have to be replaced. The cable should hang in straight lines and gentle curves, it should not be bent into a tight curve. It may help to relocate the cable while it is disconnected.

I don't expect you to do this, I thought you might like to know how it is done.

How is the new motor running? Do you notice a difference in power, silence, etc?

I'm supposed to take it back in for adjustments after 500 miles, so I imagine I'll have them do the speedo cable then as well. The noise makes it sound like the whole front end is about to fall off, but it seemed to stop this morning, and has been silent ever since. Hopefully it's just the grease.

The motor itself is practically silent when idling, no more of the tik-tik-tik from the timing chain. I'm keeping the speed down during the break-on period, but I did open it up to 50 or so on my drive yesterday just to see what it would do -- it didn't protest, and actually seemed happier at 50 than it did at 35.

I ended up stuck at a construction flag for almost forty minutes and came close to overheating -- I know you're not supposed to over-rev a newly-rebuilt engine but I had no choice but to pull out the throttle knob a few times just to keep it from boiling over in the sun.

It still starts hard sometimes -- I didnt have the carb fully rebuilt, just cleaned, but it gets fussy about choking when it's semi-warm. First start of the day is usually easy, and it's usually fine if it's been sitting for fifteen minutes or so, but more than that and it gets stubborn until it's cooled completely down.

There's a lot of little fiddly stuff that needs to be dealt with the next time I go in, but in general things are pretty solid. The kids at work want to camp out in it, but I think I have to draw the line at that.

 

[jamespowers]

I'm supposed to take it back in for adjustments after 500 miles, so I imagine I'll have them do the speedo cable then as well. The noise makes it sound like the whole front end is about to fall off, but it seemed to stop this morning, and has been silent ever since. Hopefully it's just the grease.

The motor itself is practically silent when idling, no more of the tik-tik-tik from the timing chain. I'm keeping the speed down during the break-on period, but I did open it up to 50 or so on my drive yesterday just to see what it would do -- it didn't protest, and actually seemed happier at 50 than it did at 35.

I ended up stuck at a construction flag for almost forty minutes and came close to overheating -- I know you're not supposed to over-rev a newly-rebuilt engine but I had no choice but to pull out the throttle knob a few times just to keep it from boiling over in the sun.

It still starts hard sometimes -- I didnt have the carb fully rebuilt, just cleaned, but it gets fussy about choking when it's semi-warm. First start of the day is usually easy, and it's usually fine if it's been sitting for fifteen minutes or so, but more than that and it gets stubborn until it's cooled completely down.

There's a lot of little fiddly stuff that needs to be dealt with the next time I go in, but in general things are pretty solid. The kids at work want to camp out in it, but I think I have to draw the line at that.

Camp out! lol lol lol If the speedometer noise goes away after a while then it does just need grease.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Well, you have multiple Cadillacs, so I know you have more money than God lol Of course a Gremlin looks like a Gremlin to you.

Man, you are a good car salesman. However, I don't care how poor I am, the Gremlin will still look like a Gremlin. I pass by a Rolls Royce on my way to lunch and let me tell you, it doesn't look like a Gremlin.

 

[jamespowers]

Well, you have multiple Cadillacs, so I know you have more money than God lol Of course a Gremlin looks like a Gremlin to you.

I dunno, I am not the guy with that cushy union job with lots of overtime along with a car lot and dozens of cars in inventory. You wouldn't even buy one for $5.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Dozens of cars? I have two lol

I dunno, I am not the guy with that cushy union job with lots of overtime along with a car lot and dozens of cars in inventory. You wouldn't even buy one for $5.

 

[jamespowers]

Dozens of cars? I have two lol

Sure, but you have sold plenty and how about the green one and the yellow one? You sell those too?

 

[Stearmen]

Any running car? So you would pay $500 for a Gremlin or a Pacer? You would have to give me $500 to take one of those.

At least AMC had enough sense to stuff a 304 V8 into the Gremlin! Theres no hope for the Pacer. [video=youtube;sRqS4Bj1Y2c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRqS4Bj1Y2c[/video] [video=youtube;ZlPE4NiPCn8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlPE4NiPCn8[/video]

 

[jamespowers]

At least AMC had enough sense to stuff a 304 V8 into the Gremlin! Theres no hope for the Pacer. [video=youtube;sRqS4Bj1Y2c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRqS4Bj1Y2c[/video] [video=youtube;ZlPE4NiPCn8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlPE4NiPCn8[/video]

The last one is the most poignant.

 

[Stearmen]

The last one is the most poignant.

Pretty much says it all!

 

[jamespowers]

Pretty much says it all!

Yes, yes it does.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

What yellow one?

Sure, but you have sold plenty and how about the green one and the yellow one? You sell those too?

 

[jamespowers]

What yellow one?

Or was it another green one?

 

[Stanley Doble]

I'm supposed to take it back in for adjustments after 500 miles, so I imagine I'll have them do the speedo cable then as well. The noise makes it sound like the whole front end is about to fall off, but it seemed to stop this morning, and has been silent ever since. Hopefully it's just the grease.

The motor itself is practically silent when idling, no more of the tik-tik-tik from the timing chain. I'm keeping the speed down during the break-on period, but I did open it up to 50 or so on my drive yesterday just to see what it would do -- it didn't protest, and actually seemed happier at 50 than it did at 35.

I ended up stuck at a construction flag for almost forty minutes and came close to overheating -- I know you're not supposed to over-rev a newly-rebuilt engine but I had no choice but to pull out the throttle knob a few times just to keep it from boiling over in the sun.

It still starts hard sometimes -- I didnt have the carb fully rebuilt, just cleaned, but it gets fussy about choking when it's semi-warm. First start of the day is usually easy, and it's usually fine if it's been sitting for fifteen minutes or so, but more than that and it gets stubborn until it's cooled completely down.

There's a lot of little fiddly stuff that needs to be dealt with the next time I go in, but in general things are pretty solid. The kids at work want to camp out in it, but I think I have to draw the line at that.

There has been a lot of discussion on an old car board I frequent, about the problem of hard starting of vintage cars when hot. It stems from the poor quality of today's gas which percolates and vapor locks easier than the fuel of old. The oil companies don't care because every car since the eighties has fuel injection and they don't vapor lock because the fuel is under pressure.

There are several cures. One is to mix some kerosene, stove oil or diesel in the gas. About 10%. This lowers the octane and raises the boiling point of the fuel. Good for your car because it has a low compression engine and was built to run on 70 octane or lower. Users report that their cars start easier when hot, and run better. The exhaust does not smoke but if you use diesel, can have a slight diesel smell when idling. Vintage car owners in very hot climates like Texas and Australia have had success with this method.

Another cure is to put an insulating spacer between the carburetor and manifold.

Finally, you can add a return line to the fuel line which will bleed off the vaporized gas. Some Japanese cars in the seventies had a fuel filter with a small return line attached, if you use one and run a small line back to the gas tank it will cure the problem. If you put a restrictor in the line with a .025 hole you lose little or no pressure when running.

Or, maybe some fine tuning of the carb will cure the problem. I am just putting out some ideas here. If the hard starting is annoying, there are ways of fixing it.

 

[jamespowers]

There has been a lot of discussion on an old car board I frequent, about the problem of hard starting of vintage cars when hot. It stems from the poor quality of today's gas which percolates and vapor locks easier than the fuel of old. The oil companies don't care because every car since the eighties has fuel injection and they don't vapor lock because the fuel is under pressure.

There are several cures. One is to mix some kerosene, stove oil or diesel in the gas. About 10%. This lowers the octane and raises the boiling point of the fuel. Good for your car because it has a low compression engine and was built to run on 70 octane or lower. Users report that their cars start easier when hot, and run better. The exhaust does not smoke but if you use diesel, can have a slight diesel smell when idling. Vintage car owners in very hot climates like Texas and Australia have had success with this method.

Another cure is to put an insulating spacer between the carburetor and manifold.

Finally, you can add a return line to the fuel line which will bleed off the vaporized gas. Some Japanese cars in the seventies had a fuel filter with a small return line attached, if you use one and run a small line back to the gas tank it will cure the problem. If you put a restrictor in the line with a .025 hole you lose little or no pressure when running.

Or, maybe some fine tuning of the carb will cure the problem. I am just putting out some ideas here. If the hard starting is annoying, there are ways of fixing it.

Agreed. Vapor lock is a problem in 40s and early 50s vehicles. You can usually get the carb adjusted but in hot weather it is tough....

 

[AtomicEraTom]

You have to use a make/model lol

Or was it another green one?

Very helpful info! I just had an issue with vapor lock in the Dart the other day.

There has been a lot of discussion on an old car board I frequent, about the problem of hard starting of vintage cars when hot. It stems from the poor quality of today's gas which percolates and vapor locks easier than the fuel of old. The oil companies don't care because every car since the eighties has fuel injection and they don't vapor lock because the fuel is under pressure.

There are several cures. One is to mix some kerosene, stove oil or diesel in the gas. About 10%. This lowers the octane and raises the boiling point of the fuel. Good for your car because it has a low compression engine and was built to run on 70 octane or lower. Users report that their cars start easier when hot, and run better. The exhaust does not smoke but if you use diesel, can have a slight diesel smell when idling. Vintage car owners in very hot climates like Texas and Australia have had success with this method.

Another cure is to put an insulating spacer between the carburetor and manifold.

Finally, you can add a return line to the fuel line which will bleed off the vaporized gas. Some Japanese cars in the seventies had a fuel filter with a small return line attached, if you use one and run a small line back to the gas tank it will cure the problem. If you put a restrictor in the line with a .025 hole you lose little or no pressure when running.

Or, maybe some fine tuning of the carb will cure the problem. I am just putting out some ideas here. If the hard starting is annoying, there are ways of fixing it.