|
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
Hey Steve...during the winter...it gets down to the teens sometimes around here [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/hmmm.gif[/img] [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]
|
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
Well, It took a few days or wrenching but I managed to replace the heater core. I had to remove all the lower A/C ductwork, the radio, the console, both front seats, the lower section of the passenger fender and inner fender, the rocker panel trim and bracket and several other things I am probably forgetting. None of the stuff showed any evidence of ever having been removed before. I was rather neat to see what the actual hardware was supposed to be rather than someone's version of what screw fits what hole.
I found some interesting things along the way...like this: https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...4-p1010692.jpg Notice anything odd about the Turbo 400 kickdown switch on the throttle cable bracket? Yeah, the portion of the harness was never connected to it. It is still dangling behind the steering column. (The orange and pink wires) There are no marks or scratches on either of the two terminals on the switch. So I hooked it up for future use. |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
After hooking up the kickdown switch I took some before shots so I knew where things were and what hardware held it in. Note the giant gap between the heater box and the defroster duct.
https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...5-p1010696.jpg https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...6-p1010697.jpg And the heater core housing pulled free of the dash. There are two bolts from the inside going through firewall and three studs coming from the housing and into in the engine compartment. Two of the studs are behind the passenger side cylinder head and the third is under the heater blower motor which requires the lower mounting points of the fender to be unbolted, in addition to the entire inner fender. You then put a small block of wood to hold the fender far enough out so that you can properly slit your wrists on the sharp metal while quarter turning the ratchet to remove the single nut from the stud...and the remove the lower heater core hose from the core outlet. It then promptly wedges itself into the kick panel tranny hump and lower portion of the dash. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...7-p1010698.jpg This is something like solving one of those twisted nail puzzles where there is only one way to get the two metal pieces to unhook from each other. I found the secret: You have to first push the housing toward the driver's side (the radio removal was critical to this move), then rotate the housing so the heater core outlets face the floor while pulling the housing diagonally toward the passenger door. It takes around 10 steps of pulling one inch, rotating one inch...lather, rinse, repeat, until the whole assembly can come out of the car. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...8-p1010701.jpg |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
Here's the offending heater core. Still had the original foam seals intact.
https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...9-p1010706.jpg https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...0-p1010708.jpg And the empty work area: https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...1-p1010709.jpg |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
Once the new core was installed I prestaged the heater housing in the diagonal position and did the reverse move of push one inch, rotate one inch until the whole contraption just locked right into place. You do of course, have to remember to hook up the vacuum lines to the opposite side of the housing when you are halfway through the push and rotate process otherwise you will never be able to attach them once it is installed back in it's final position.
https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...2-p1010711.jpg https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...3-p1010712.jpg |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
Blow my bitchen hair back.
Ryan |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
Since I had half the interior out already, I decided to pull the back seat and look for a broadcast sheet. No such luck in the search - not in the front or rear seats or behind the cardboard, or in the side panels (which I could look down into via the ashtray holes). The seats had never been out before. I did find the original cardboard trunk separator though. It is a two piece unit consisting of a large U-shaped piece and a smaller square that slots into it and covers the vapor separator unit. Very interesting.
https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...4-p1010719.jpg |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
And another present from Rick arrived today: An original hat from "INSTA-TUNE", his dyno-tuning business and the original vanity plate he had on the car when he moved to Arizona with it in 1975.
[img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif[/img] https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...5-p1010717.jpg |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
Nice work NJ!
|
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
No stone left unturned.
Ryan |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
I did a bit of cleaning today. I covered the front end and the engine compartment with a giant plastic sheet and then cleaned the underside of the hood where 40 years of the A/C compressor had been spraying oil. I guess after all those years of emulsifying, the A/C oil residue actually dissolved some of the original overspray from the underside of the hood. I also pulled out the washer fluid and antifreeze overflow reservoirs and soaked them in hot water and detergent. They cleaned up nicely. Both of them had gunky residue layered at the bottom.
I then went for a ride to my buddy's garage and checked and see if the A/C worked. I wanted him to be looking at the sight glass when I turned the A/C on to make sure there was actually R12 in there. (I didn't want to just turn it on, just in case it was empty, and possibly burn up the overheat switch). Miraculously he said that it was only slightly low on the fill. Looks like it has been holding pressure for all these years! https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...6-p1010721.jpg https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...7-p1010725.jpg https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...8-p1010726.jpg |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
I also adjusted the rear brakes. I had noticed that the pedal, while firm wouldn't do anything until halfway down and then the front discs would grab very hard. I carefully removed the original Tinnerman star clips that hold the rear drums in place and pulled the drums. It was all untouched and original in there. The brakes really needed to be adjusted. It took two full turns of the adjusters to get the shoes out to where they would actually contact the drums. I then reinstalled the drums and the Tinnerman clips and went for a test run. It worked like a charm. Now it stops like a normal car.
When I got back from the test drive I pulled the Radial T/As and installed the set of 40-year-old, Firestone Steel Radial 500s (three NOS tires and one of the original tires from the car). She looks a lot different with the GR70x15 Firestones versus the 255/60x15 T/As. https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...1-p1010736.jpg https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...2-p1010731.jpg https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...0-p1010740.jpg https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...3-p1010739.jpg |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
Man that car is so pretty with the proper valance and the vintage tires; like stepping back in time.
|
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
I give it 999 out of 1000. If the backdrop was my driveway I would give an even 1000 points.
Ryan |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
I'm liking it!
|
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
That car looks sweet in White. Back when the Firestone 500 recall came down I had a good friend that worked at Firestone, and being from the Akron area, the standing joke was that anytime we ran into him the guys would always ask him if he still had those "KILLER TIRES" on his car... [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/naughty.gif[/img]
Mike |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: njsteve</div><div class="ubbcode-body">OK, here is today's conundrum: I was looking at the hood latch assembly and it appears that the grommet that the hood cable goes through is partially broken (lower locating tab is broken off) and has been for a long while. The cable is actually sawing its way through the bracket. It also appears that the grommet that the pull handle passes through has a broken piece as well. Does anyone have the grommets? It appears that they may be the same grommet for both the upper cable guide and the lower handle guide.
http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t.../P1010666a.jpg </div></div> And a big THANK YOU to PerformanceYears.com website member FormulaBruce, who found two of the unique, hood cable grommets for me! I installed them and it's amazing how much easier the hood opens when the cable isn't sawing through the radiator support bracket. |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
Looking great as usual [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/smile.gif[/img] Luckily the tires did not explode in your driveway [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/laugh.gif[/img]
|
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
I keep going back to the garage to check every few hours. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/eek.gif[/img]
|
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
I'd go back every few hours to just to look at the car . That is beautiful
|
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
I spoke with Rick today and he is finalizing the novel-length biography of the car. He doesn't do computers so he is typing it up and will then notarize it and send it to me. What a guy!
He had no idea that the kick down switch was disconnected all these years. He never disconnected it and no one before me had ever pulled any of the lower ductwork out to access that area. So the only logical explanation given the lack of any installation marks on the brass terminals, is that it was never hooked up on the assembly line. I asked Rick if he ever ran his car on his own chassis dyno. Rick said he did run it once but the car had so much power that it tried to climb off the dyno! Their chassis dynos back then had two rollers - a driven roller in front of the rear wheels and a free wheeling roller behind the rear wheels to hold the car in place. They ran a special tuning program on their dynos: the car would maintain a steady 2,500 RPM run and more resistance would be added to the dyno wheel as test went on. The driver then had to gradually add power to maintain the 2,500 RPM with the engine. The more powerful the car, the higher the propensity for it to climb the front roller. It was a very dangerous situation as the cars could then jump the wheel chocks and launch out of the building. Unfortunately, Rick didn't recall what the results were, probably because he was too worried about the car launching into orbit, off the dyno roller at the time. [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img] |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
Hi Steve
Is Rick coming to MCACN? Ryan |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
I gave him the info about the show but I don't think he is planning on attending. It would be cool, though to reunite him with his car.
|
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
I wouldn't let him get too comfortable, like an old shoe. He might have a separation anxiety attack.
Sure would be nice to have him attend, maybe another call would help, without being pushy......My Beautiful, Chevelle Loving Wife says patience is not my strong suit. Ryan |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
My wife says that my favorite saying is: <span style="font-style: italic">"I want patience and I want it now!"</span> [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif[/img]
|
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: njsteve</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My wife says that my favorite saying is: <span style="font-style: italic">"I want patience and I want it now!"</span> [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif[/img] </div></div>
Great catch phrase. Ryan |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
I found a vintage set of AC R44TS triple green striped insulator, spark plugs on ebay. I got them for $14 from someone selling estate stuff from an old garage. I installed them today, replacing the recent AC R44TS set that was put in there a couple years ago. The car runs noticeably smoother. (Probably because one or two of the plug wires were not fully seated on the plugs to begin with).
The plugs I pulled out all had nice tan insulators and appeared to be burning nicely. The one thing I noticed was that the vintage green stripe plugs have a 3/8" shorter insulator than the modern versions. Anyone have any idea why they made the modern ones longer? https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...-sparkplug.jpg |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
Rick Fedexed me his typewritten 16 page biography of the car today so I would have it for the show next week. He even signed, notarized and had it bound into a booklet for me.
What a guy! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img] |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: njsteve</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Rick Fedexed me his typewritten 16 page biography of the car today so I would have it for the show next week. He even signed, notarized and had it bound into a booklet for me.
What a guy! [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img] </div></div> Wow, that is awesome. Did he include any vintage pictures of the car? Ryan |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
Rick is still looking. His wife is in charge of the photo archives.
Rick took some photos of the car in 1973 when he brought it to a BMW club event and irritated the heck out of his former BMW buddies. (He sold his BMW and bought the SD because the new fuel injected BMW he wanted was way too expensive and the dealer wouldn't budge on the price). |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
I was scanning some of the original documents from the car to get ready for the MCACN show next week. I found this interesting item. It's the original order blank. In reading it I see that Rick originally ordered both the black vinyl/stainless steel body side moldings and the vinyl multicolor tape stripe, but neither were installed on the car on the assembly line.
https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...rder_sheet.jpg |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
Rick was very meticulous about documenting everything and he was not happy that the car came with a shaker instead of the two scoop hood. Here is his original scribble sheet notes on what he wanted:
https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...er_notes_1.jpg https://www.yenko.net/ubbthreads/pics...er_notes_2.jpg |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
I talked to Rick again today and he said he was initially going to get the side moldings until the dealer said they only came with a black insert. So he declined. The dealer then said they could install a white set...by drilling holes and screwing them onto the car. Rick then said no way.
As for the stripes, Rick doesn't know why they didn't show up on the car or why he didn't raise a stink about it when it arrived without them. BTW, here's an article from the 1988 HPP with a white-on-white SD Formula with the stripes...and white dealer installed side moldings! http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t.../SDarticle.jpg http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...iclecenter.jpg And what's really funny is that I have a photo of this exact car that I took at the Musclecar Nationals in 1986! http://i599.photobucket.com/albums/t...hiteSD1986.jpg |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
One of the more knowledgeable guys at PY had a possible reason for the stripes not showing up: if your salesman didn't know to check the box that over-rode trim conflicts, then the stripe wouldn't get installed. It seems that white cars normally got blue "SD455" shaker decals and since the stripe was black and orange, you had to over ride the trim conflict so the selected shaker decal would be black to match the stripes.
Rick's salesman was an unemployed dress salesman who had just started at Suburban Pontiac a week or two prior to his ordering the car, so he knew next to nothing about the cars |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
Thank goodness he didn't end up with those stripes.
Ryan |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
I see NO SD Formula.....I only see a 1971-72 Pontiac GTO, T37, Tempest Post Sedan [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img]
Dan |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
If I recall correctly that was Dan Jensen's 455HO T-37???
|
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: njsteve</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If I recall correctly that was Dan Jensen's 455HO T-37??? </div></div>
Even better [img]<<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/biggthumpup.gif[/img] Dan |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: njsteve</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If I recall correctly that was Dan Jensen's 455HO T-37??? </div></div>
I was just looking at Dan's car on Tuesday. Its coming to MCACN and will be displayed with Mike Sparks GT37 455HO http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n...psf525eebd.jpg |
Re: The New, Newer Project Part Tres...
Doesn't Dan's brother have one too? The car in your photo is a coupe and the one in mine is a post sedan. (or is that Mike's car?)
|
| All times are GMT. The time now is 06:08 AM. |
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.