It’s great to see that your son is helping with the project. I fondly remember dad and his good friend who was an excellent mechanic showing me how to tune up my Honda CT-70 and SL125, change oil and other tasks. They both impressed upon the the importance of regular and thorough maintenance which I am now trying to also impress on my 17 yo daughter. She looks at me like, really?
The disc brake conversion looks like it could be original to the van. Are you installing a brake proportioning valve to balance the front to rear bias? Great job!
I had a lot of wrench time with my dad, but probably far more just me and a repair manual. By the time I graduated from high school I had replaced the engine in his 1979 Ford pickup (inline six), the transmission on our 1985 Toyota Camry, and fully rebuilt everything mechanical on that van, including swapping all of the running gear (post-rebuilding) from the 1971 body to the current 1969 body. All good memories... even the bad/painful ones!
I am not sure whether I will need a proportioning valve yet. Apparently, it depends on the design of the master cylinder. I *think* I have the one that does not require it, but I will find out once I have a chance to test them. Unfortunately, I was not able to bleed the rear brake lines due to the bleeder screws being stuck (with a capital 'S'!), so I may also need to replace the wheel cylinders in the rear before I call this project done.
For now, just going to address the transmission leaks and put it back on the ground. My son is *itching* to get to drive it, so I want to at least give him a taste before jumping into another weekend project.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
I remember back around 2002-03, a friend bought a low mikes (~50K IIRC) 91 Legend in dark blue with tan leather. The front seats seats were splitting in it too, which drove them nuts - they tried some hokey leather repair kit, to no avail. The car was later rear-ended in the snow and replaced by a Ram truck, of all things.
i had a '93 Accord DX. Mine was burgundy and a 5-speed, however. Spent as much time in the airport parking lot as I did driving it. Only had 55,000 miles after 5.5 years.
Took the old car out for maybe 50+ miles today, out to the rink very early (only car on the road, my favorite time) then cruised around for a bit. Turn signals worked all the time, fired right up and had no warm starting hesitation, no noticeable blowby - car is in a good mood. I got a number of compliments and several turned heads too, having an attention-getting old car doesn't have to be a bank breaker. Pic from today:
In a few weeks the old dear goes in for its yearly service and checkup.
After reviewing my brake setup on the 69 Econoline again, I decided it is likely that I should add a proportioning valve to it, despite what the instructions stated. So, I ordered one, but could not find something locally. In the meantime, I went ahead and pulled the oil pan off the transmission, which, it turns out, is a C4 (not a C6), just like my original unit. I'm still not sure why the two behave so differently, but that's a mystery for another time.
Every single one of the bolts on the oil pan was so loose that I could remove them without the aid of a wrench! That was a bit of a shocker! I mean, I have had that transmission since 1994, driven it to/from Alaska three times, and not once had I ever paid any mind to the bolts on the transmission oil pan. Yikes! Hopefully that is the source of the excessive leaking. I pulled the pan, drained the fluid, replaced the filter screen, put a new gasket on it, and put it all back together.
After that, added a little fuel to the carburetor, put a battery in it, and off it ran. Took about two seconds to start initially, died, then immediately fired up again and purred.
Braking is wonderful! WONDERFUL! It is still non-power-assist, so with the added requirement of more pressure for disc brakes, it isn't like stopping my Forester, but it slows better than it did before, and I can let go of the wheel, mash the brake pedal for all I'm worth, and it comes to a smooth halt in a perfectly straight line. Wow. I told my son, "This is so incredible how much better this stops! I almost feel guilty for not letting you experience the old drums before making this conversion."
I think the proportioning valve is a good thing to have, so I will still install it, but I had no issues with rear drum lockup on this test. I suspect that if I was driving it on mud or ice, though, it wouldn't be the same story.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
Took the old car out for maybe 50+ miles today, out to the rink very early (only car on the road, my favorite time) then cruised around for a bit. Turn signals worked all the time, fired right up and had no warm starting hesitation, no noticeable blowby - car is in a good mood. I got a number of compliments and several turned heads too, having an attention-getting old car doesn't have to be a bank breaker. Pic from today:
In a few weeks the old dear goes in for its yearly service and checkup.
Took the old car out for maybe 50+ miles today, out to the rink very early (only car on the road, my favorite time) then cruised around for a bit. Turn signals worked all the time, fired right up and had no warm starting hesitation, no noticeable blowby - car is in a good mood. I got a number of compliments and several turned heads too, having an attention-getting old car doesn't have to be a bank breaker. Pic from today:
In a few weeks the old dear goes in for its yearly service and checkup.
Took the old car out for maybe 50+ miles today, out to the rink very early (only car on the road, my favorite time) then cruised around for a bit. Turn signals worked all the time, fired right up and had no warm starting hesitation, no noticeable blowby - car is in a good mood. I got a number of compliments and several turned heads too, having an attention-getting old car doesn't have to be a bank breaker. Pic from today:
In a few weeks the old dear goes in for its yearly service and checkup.
Hopefully no probe in the tail, maybe under the manifold?
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
After reviewing my brake setup on the 69 Econoline again, I decided it is likely that I should add a proportioning valve to it, despite what the instructions stated. So, I ordered one, but could not find something locally. In the meantime, I went ahead and pulled the oil pan off the transmission, which, it turns out, is a C4 (not a C6), just like my original unit. I'm still not sure why the two behave so differently, but that's a mystery for another time.
Every single one of the bolts on the oil pan was so loose that I could remove them without the aid of a wrench! That was a bit of a shocker! I mean, I have had that transmission since 1994, driven it to/from Alaska three times, and not once had I ever paid any mind to the bolts on the transmission oil pan. Yikes! Hopefully that is the source of the excessive leaking. I pulled the pan, drained the fluid, replaced the filter screen, put a new gasket on it, and put it all back together.
After that, added a little fuel to the carburetor, put a battery in it, and off it ran. Took about two seconds to start initially, died, then immediately fired up again and purred.
Braking is wonderful! WONDERFUL! It is still non-power-assist, so with the added requirement of more pressure for disc brakes, it isn't like stopping my Forester, but it slows better than it did before, and I can let go of the wheel, mash the brake pedal for all I'm worth, and it comes to a smooth halt in a perfectly straight line. Wow. I told my son, "This is so incredible how much better this stops! I almost feel guilty for not letting you experience the old drums before making this conversion."
I think the proportioning valve is a good thing to have, so I will still install it, but I had no issues with rear drum lockup on this test. I suspect that if I was driving it on mud or ice, though, it wouldn't be the same story.
The improvement in braking is great and a huge plus to safety. I remember reading many years ago, CU said the brakes of the Econoline were unsatisfactory, even dangerous.
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
It'd be funny to see what that car could do to emissions test equipment - overload it and make it stop working, perhaps. When backing in to its spot, I was downwind of the exhaust again, and I could see it. It just makes me laugh, canceling out a few smug cars
The improvement in braking is great and a huge plus to safety. I remember reading many years ago, CU said the brakes of the Econoline were unsatisfactory, even dangerous.
After 20-30,000 miles of driving one, including once to Alaska with a failed master cylinder, I will confirm that such a sentiment from CU is unequivocally correct!
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
The '78 K1500 must have some serious needs at that price. Either that, or they just want it gone today! The Nissan pickup looks like a great buy, equipped perfectly for a little starter car or weekend runabout.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
I like that year Z28, but needs a stick. Probably a smart guy. got into it, realized how much it needed and how upside down he would be, so bailing before the real money went down the drain. At least if you want it, some work already done for you, and more importantly, you can see exactly what you are dealing with.
Looking at the 92 Caprice... I don't know how you could have bought one of those over a 92 Crown Vic or Grand Marquis. The dash in those is terrible among other things.
I love how people try and sound like they know what they are talking about. The 91 Box Vic seller says it has an E4OD transmission. Um no, Panthers never got those. E4OD is a C6 with overdrive used in big block applications. Your Vic has the good 'ol AOD.
I saw a 924 like that one, except red, and definitely showing its age, at the local NAPA store on Friday morning. Looked like a labor of love for the owner (not that I would know anything about such things! ).
On Saturday, talked with the owner of a 1994 Caprice Classic stationwagon. Nice mechanical condition, though the exterior was showing perhaps "typical" advanced senior driving damage. The owner was very enthusiastic about it (probably mid-80s), and talked about how a friend of his bought it new here in Fairbanks, etc., etc.
2018 Subaru Crosstrek, 2014 Audi Q7 TDI, 2013 Subaru Forester, 2013 Ford F250 Lariat D, 1976 Ford F250, 1969 Chevrolet C20, 1969 Ford Econoline 100
I get the feeling you've left out a few more etceteras. "I had a friend one time a long time ago and my friend bought a new car in Fairbanks but he didn't live there at the time and when he traded it in on another new car in 1994 it was a Chevy Caprice wagon - the new one not the trade in."
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.
There's an Impala SS in the garage where the fintail slumbers that was there when I moved in nearly 7 years ago, and I don't think has moved more than once or twice. The market hasn't fallen in love with those yet, it seems.
I like the Seville , but not the price nor the 4.1L engine. I also like the Bentley but I see a lot of these for around $10K . I am not brave enough or crazy enough to take the plunge.
Comments
I am not sure whether I will need a proportioning valve yet. Apparently, it depends on the design of the master cylinder. I *think* I have the one that does not require it, but I will find out once I have a chance to test them. Unfortunately, I was not able to bleed the rear brake lines due to the bleeder screws being stuck (with a capital 'S'!), so I may also need to replace the wheel cylinders in the rear before I call this project done.
For now, just going to address the transmission leaks and put it back on the ground. My son is *itching* to get to drive it, so I want to at least give him a taste before jumping into another weekend project.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
In fairness, that's a 0 out front, as in 09x,xxx miles.
But it wouldn't matter anyway, because rebuild!
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
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The invasion continues
I like the look of this, first pic looks like a vintage photo
The seats in these seemed to age like that
I think one of these brought sixty-leven million dollars on BaT
Back in the day when a base model stuck out
Original plates, got in before the bumpers grew
Some cars will rust here, these would rust in a vacuum
Probably a handful to drive
Presents well even with issues
Color name = "90s"
Unobtanium parts bonanza, pretty cars
The price is right
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
The Jaguar coupes and W126 those are my kind of cars! Cheap!
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
In a few weeks the old dear goes in for its yearly service and checkup.
Every single one of the bolts on the oil pan was so loose that I could remove them without the aid of a wrench! That was a bit of a shocker! I mean, I have had that transmission since 1994, driven it to/from Alaska three times, and not once had I ever paid any mind to the bolts on the transmission oil pan. Yikes! Hopefully that is the source of the excessive leaking. I pulled the pan, drained the fluid, replaced the filter screen, put a new gasket on it, and put it all back together.
After that, added a little fuel to the carburetor, put a battery in it, and off it ran. Took about two seconds to start initially, died, then immediately fired up again and purred.
Braking is wonderful! WONDERFUL! It is still non-power-assist, so with the added requirement of more pressure for disc brakes, it isn't like stopping my Forester, but it slows better than it did before, and I can let go of the wheel, mash the brake pedal for all I'm worth, and it comes to a smooth halt in a perfectly straight line. Wow. I told my son, "This is so incredible how much better this stops! I almost feel guilty for not letting you experience the old drums before making this conversion."
I think the proportioning valve is a good thing to have, so I will still install it, but I had no issues with rear drum lockup on this test. I suspect that if I was driving it on mud or ice, though, it wouldn't be the same story.
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
Probably not a good first car for a kid, but maybe not a bad deal
They don't make em like this anymore
LOL at price, not sure what the badge is from
Go broke in style
Might not be bad
By the plates this has been off the road for over 50 years
Not many of these around
Unusual conversion
2021 VW Arteon SEL 4-motion, 2018 VW Passat SE w/tech, 2016 Audi Q5 Premium Plus w/tech
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
https://longisland.craigslist.org/ctd/d/tempe-1967-alfa-romeo-duetto/6924508950.html Alfa Duetto. Resotration loos terrfic but is that money sane??
https://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/d/middle-island-1987-toyota-land-cruiser/6924428038.html I know that people love Land Cruisers but this sounds way shady
https://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/d/mount-sinai-1963-chevy-ii-nova/6924413282.html Chevy II ragtop. This year always looks more nerd car than hot rod to me, but this looks like a decent example
https://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/d/port-washington-sl/6924248643.html Well used 380 SL
https://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/d/east-hampton-1983-mercedes-380sl/6924199239.html This one shows much better
https://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/d/selden-1966-chevelle/6924030036.html 66 Chevelle Convertible. Given what your chevelle dollar gets you around here, this looks really decent
https://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/d/tyro-1970-ford-fairlane-500/6923867854.html Fairlane 500. What's with the stripes? Given that it's a really base sedan with a 6, price seems quite dear
https://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/d/sound-beach-1978-mercury-grand-marquis/6923028913.html 13k mile grand marquis. What a barge. Wonder if it will polish up, or if that is as good as it gets
https://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/d/wantagh-1980-camaro-z28/6923139376.html 80 Z28. He gave up on that project really fast
https://longisland.craigslist.org/cto/d/bay-shore-1984-buick-riviera/6920299053.html 84 Riviera. I always liked the clean style of these. Looks like a very presentable driver for the money
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Peak Accord keeps going
The light goldbeige color on 90s Toyotas ages in an interesting way, I wager the bumpers are original
Needs far better and more numerous pics to match the price
Survived better than most
A day late for Canada Day
I like the decal
Bubble
Foxbox
Correct looking tires would do a lot for this
Neat survivor, good colors
Rare and excellent color for an early W126, I approve
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
I love how people try and sound like they know what they are talking about. The 91 Box Vic seller says it has an E4OD transmission. Um no, Panthers never got those. E4OD is a C6 with overdrive used in big block applications. Your Vic has the good 'ol AOD.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
On Saturday, talked with the owner of a 1994 Caprice Classic stationwagon. Nice mechanical condition, though the exterior was showing perhaps "typical" advanced senior driving damage. The owner was very enthusiastic about it (probably mid-80s), and talked about how a friend of his bought it new here in Fairbanks, etc., etc.
"I had a friend one time a long time ago and my friend bought a new car in Fairbanks but he didn't live there at the time and when he traded it in on another new car in 1994 it was a Chevy Caprice wagon - the new one not the trade in."
It has a look
Seems reasonable compared to many ads
Pretty cool but what?
Good luck buddy (I like "the day has come', this has been legal here for a mere year)
You paid what for an oil change? I also notice fresh plates.
Lead photo again resembles a vintage shot
I liked this kind of thing when I was a kid, batty price
Survivor, proud
Controversial, looks remarkable
Odd spec bubble
Maybe a good deal on a driver/beater baby
Is it this or the 260 that everyone hates? Also that price.
Stylish financial destruction
Turbo
I like the 280z, but the interior is sad. Again, price seems nuts.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
$80k for a REPLICA? HUH?!
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
Can be fixed with the ultimate set of tools
Gold just under the surface
Not many first gen survivors like this
Fun conversion from a local company, my aunt had a Trail Wagons Econoline when I was a kid, it had a similar treatment, I thought it was pretty cool
Practical pickup
Has the look, but you'll need to have the money