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In all honesty, if I didn't have to drive on salted roads I'd sell the Mazda and find a nice 1973-1974 2002 tii(like this one) and use it for a daily driver. They really are that good...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
To grease those rear leaf springs, they had a clamp you would put on them and tighten up. Then you took a needle nose attachment on your grease gun and you would **try** to get them to accept some grease.
Every one of those 216's and even the 235's would leak out out the rear main. I once replaced that "dog turd" rope seal on one of mine but within a month, it was dripping again.
The babbitt bearing systems weren't as bad as some would make them out to be. Those engines did NOT like high RPMS anbd you didn't want to let them get low on oil. 55 MPH is probably a good cruising speed. I had the sweetest 1950 Deluxe and it, for some reason would cruise effortlessly at 75 MPH and I once took it up to 90 without it complaining.
Those closed driveshafts were another story. They had seals inside of them and whent he seals would go bad if you parked them on a hill the trans fluid would drain into the differential and blow out a rear axle seal!
They had a kit that had a politically incorrect name that you could beat into the end of the driveshaft that really would help stop this.
I love those old Chevies and hope to own another someday.
Also I remember some driveshaft issues (stripping splines in transmission shaft??) and of course they liked to rust.
If you compare a 1948 Chevy Fleetline to a 1958 Impala they are light years apart in so many ways.
Now, compare a 2002 Impala to a 2012 Impala and the differences are few.
1955 was a piviotal point for many makes and models but I honestly think Chevrolet made a quantum leap.
Fresh new styling!
A new V-8 that would become legendary.
Open driveshafts.
12 volt systems.
Ball joint suspension.
Tubeless tires.
What a difference a year made!
Still, at the time there were probably people saying..." Why did Chevy mess up a good thing?"
I hope you find one to enjoy and show. I agree the 55's were far more advanced. I was surprised to find that my 48 Chevy, in many ways, is more archaic than the 37 Dodge I once owned.
My neighbor recently brought home a rough early 50's Chevy, and, is starting work on it.
Regards:
Oldbearcat
Maybe it's because I'm getting older and the old cars are disappearing?
Interior when purchased:
Interior today:
The heater box R&R takes @4-5 hours if the car doesn't have A/C. Now that my car has a rebuilt box and a good blower motor the heater cranks out heat like a blast furnace. Still left to do is some bodywork and new carpet(I have a set, I'm just waiting until summer to tackle the job).
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
WHERE did those seats come from?
Thanks! The color is Atlantik Blue, and it has a sunroof.
WHERE did those seats come from?
The seats are 320iS items that have been rebuilt/reupholstered by Aardvarc Racing. I found this set on eBay -along with rear seat cushions upholstered to match- at a bargain price.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
A few years ago the car that parked next to me in the garage here was a 93 XJ6, it always left nice puddles of both oil and coolant.
Regards:
Oldbearcat
I found my 2002 on eBay; I made what I thought was a low bid and, lo and behold, I won the auction. Then it was time for me to tell my wife, "Honey, I bought a car..." :surprise:
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport; 2020 C43; 2021 Sahara 4xe 1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica Wife's: 2015 X1 xDrive28i Son's: 2009 328i; 2018 330i xDrive
Thanx,
Jim
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Yeah, I know. That's how it always happens.
When I was in high school, a buddy was given a 1948 2 door Fleetline that came from an elderly family member. It was dead stock and low mileage.
One Saturday morning he brought it over to my house and we removed the fender skirts that we both felt (and I still feel) ruined the looks of the car. We also removed and scrapped a windshield visor that did no good except impede vision. Those skirts had the stainless srtips on them and are probably worth a fortune today. the Fulton visors I know are sought after by some people.
That sweet little Chevy then went to the local Muffler Shop where it received a split manifold and a nice set of "pipes".
He also had them lower it to the ground employing the "cheap" method where the springs were heated with a torch until they melted together.
He drove it until it threw a rod through the side of the block and sold it for 100.00.
What a waste.....
Thanx,
Jim
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Second car is a Packard, I am pretty sure 1929.
I learned my lesson many years ago when I bought a '73 Saab 99 (?) on impulse, which didn't run, for something like $150. It cost me another $100 to have it towed to a Saab specialist, who charged me $50 to tell me it wasn't worth fixing. I never got to drive it. Had it towed to a junk yard. I think that tow cost something more than the scrap price I got, but I was glad, no thrilled, to cut my losses.
Even years ago, a lot of shops simply refused to work on them and for good reason!
Touh car to work on. You have to drop the rear axle assembly to replace the rear brake rotors for instance.
On the positive side, they are attractive cars, nice highway cruisers, and you can buy them dirt cheap.
I'll bet shops were afraid of them!
" You just worked on my Jaguar last week and it just burned up. It MUST have been caused by something you guys did"!
And I agree. They had great looks and when in top condition were nice cars to drive.
Anyway, I got the report and he said "well, we can patch it up for you best we can and get you safe and roadworthy for about $7500".
So yeah, needed 2 gas tanks, all new fuel lines, fuel pump, front end work, brake rotors, radiator, water pump, AC compressor, dryer and expansion valve, speedo cable, two tires, battery, windshield wiper motor.
This didn't list the things it needed but could be left alone for the time being--which was power steering leak, shocks and power window motor. (I may have forgotten a few things).
well somebody bought it---some lady who worked at the supermarket---yeah, that's going to turn out great for her I'm sure.
The minimum repairs needed exceeded the value of the car.
That was an inspection well worth paying for!
Regards:
Oldebearcat
Regards:
Oldbearcat
Now, that doesn't mean you can't drive them as they are--an old car can run along the road just fine even though it needs $7500 in repairs. I mean, you might not be going cross country, and you may have your scary moments every day, but you could drive them and your passengers might be none the wiser. They aren't going to inspect the car underneath for leaks, the day is too cool for AC and they can't feel your steering wheel shaking.
It starts, it stops and it gets to your mother in law's house 9 miles away. So there you go.
Still, a gas leak or a worn out front end isn't anything to ignore.
A lot of cars on the road today are one major event away from being totalled.
Everything is so expensive to fix these days. With labor rates over 100.00/hr, it doesn't take much to push a car over the line.
I will install modern seatbelts and I will make damm sure that the ball joints aren't ready to come apart. I will drive it as it was intended.
If it uses a quart of oil every 700 miles, I will live with that too. Now, if it starts leaking all over my garage floor, that's a different story!
Trying to make an old car "near perfect" will be a very frustrating and expensive proposition and when you are done it'll still fall short of most people's expectations!
Just enjoy!
I think the estimate wold be staggering to say the least!
Aren't they at 165.00/hr labor rate now?
I'm sure they'd want to rebuild the engine - there's probably 10-15K. Suspension work would be 5K no doubt. Then I could blow 5K each on interior and paint. Maybe a couple more grand on bodywork. Tires and brakes maybe 2K. It would keep going on and on.
Then again, I'd still be in for the same as a base C-class.
Well, for 7.00, I bought a rebuilt fuel pump that my dad helped me install.
The car ran just fine. Yes, it would go through a quart of oil every 500 miles or so but it didn't smoke, didn't foul the plugs and it generally ran quite well.
Did it "need" an engine overhaul? Well, probably so and I told the guy I sold it to a year later that. I ran into him a couple of years later and he was actually commuting 40 miles a day...no overhaul and according to him, it's thirst for oil hadn't increased much.
Now it burns a quart every 800 miles or so, heavy for a modern car but within specs according to the manual. It smokes the most when sitting in traffic and even then it's just a puff. My mechanic says don't worry - it will eventually need a valve job (I never had proper adjustments done when I was in school or just after, too busy and cheap) but it's not worth fixing yet. The car doesn't owe me anything after so many years.
And why would I spend a fortune to restore this? It's not exactly junkyard looking yet:
When I was a kid I had an uncle who was an engineer with Bell Labs and had a bunch of patents. He drove a 50 Chevy stove bolt 6 he bought new back then until he finally decided to upgrade in 63 to a new LeSabre (which he custom ordered based on engine, tranny, etc.). That Chevy never got on the used car lot because when he went to pick up the Buick, a mechanic bought it outright from him in lieu of a trade. My uncle kept that Buick until he passed away in the 1990's. He willed it to a nephew who lived out in NJ and was an old car fanatic. My uncle was very up on maintenance, but both of those cars were very long lived vehicles with little in the way of mechanical issues.
Just don't ever lose one of those special hubcaps!
I believe the restyled '55 Ford was based on the '52 platform, although it had an all-new look. However, the '55 Plymouth had a new platform, and, for the first time offered a modern, new OHV V8. I think the difference between the '54 and '55 Plymouths was as dramatic as the difference between the '54 and '55 Chevys. The same was true for the other Chrysler Corp. brands.
I like the 54's too especially since they have the upgraded engines with full pressure lubrication.