Gramma's Car: the new project!

[njsteve]

I brought the car in for an alignment today and was pleasantly surprised. As assembled, the caster and camber were perfectly in spec and only the toe was out of spec. It was toed in, probably due to the wacky driver's side lower ball joint/spindle wallowing situation. I brought my bag-O-shims with me but the car didn't need a single shim, whatsoever.

She tracks straight and true and the steering wheel is straight. YAY!

Now, on to the rear suspension. The front end is completely silent. But I can hear squeeks from the worn front leaf spring bushings and the squishy Midas shock absorbers and worn sway bar bushings. I had already replaced the rear shackle bushings last year when I replaced the gas tank. The new KYB gas shocks arrived yesterday and now I am waiting for the new sway bar bushings that Summit is drop shipping from Prothane. This car has the small 9/16" sway bar which was a little tricky to find bushings for.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/PTP-7-1116-BL

[njsteve]

We took Gramma's car out today. It was around 20 degrees and sunny out. The boy needed some driving time for his learners permit so we drove the car around the neighborhood roads. He was plodding along at around 20 mph and eventually felt confortable enough to hit a rollicking 30 mph by the end of the half hour of driving. It was a most entertaining time. His sister's first driving time was in this car, too. Nothing like creating new automotive memories in his Great Grandmother's ancient chariot that was built a quarter century before he was born.

When we got home I decided to swap out the too hot of a heat range plugs for a set of ACDelco R44TSX's. I had NGK UR45s in there but the flame pattern seems a bit close to the base ring.

[njsteve]

I pulled the spare out of the trunk today and noticed that it is the original spare tire from 1975. Its a B.F. Goodrich Lifesaver Whitewall F78x15 manufactured the 23rd week of 1975. Cool!