Vintage Car Thread - Discussion and Parts Requests

[jamespowers]

If I was buying a vehicle for that purpose, I'd go this route:

Hmmm there is a seriously good use for a Taurus there.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I dunno, that's an SHO, I'm sure there's some unibody Ford boys cringing somewhere.

Hmmm there is a seriously good use for a Taurus there.

 

[jamespowers]

I dunno, that's an SHO, I'm sure there's some unibody Ford boys cringing somewhere.

While I watch it getting crushed and laugh.

Oh and who put big tires on the Beverly Hillbillies car.

 

[David Conwill]

That poor XJ-6. I've always liked those.

 

[Dan Allen]

Now THAT is a good tag/signature line to use.
It is indeed amazing how much they can charge you for stuff that will be gauche and make you look ridiculous.

Of course herculean effort can overcome the expense of true bad taste

 

[jamespowers]

Of course herculean effort can overcome the expense of true bad taste

Holy Crimony! I thought that was ugly when it was original. They managed to make it even worse!:rofl:

 

[jamespowers]

That poor XJ-6. I've always liked those.

Well, at least the defective wiring doesn't matter anymore.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Report from the garage on the State Of The Plodge -- the guy calls me this morning and the first thing he asks is "how long has this engine been running like this?" Turns out that along with the broken piston, every piston ring on the other five pistons was broken -- he was astounded there was any compression at all. I told him I was easily able to get the car up to 40 mph, and he says "were you attached to a tow truck?"

Be that as it may, though, he has the engine all apart and the rebuild should proceed with no complications. If there's any doubt that Mopar flatheads are the most indestructible engines ever built, this ought to put that to rest.

 

[jamespowers]

Report from the garage on the State Of The Plodge -- the guy calls me this morning and the first thing he asks is "how long has this engine been running like this?" Turns out that along with the broken piston, every piston ring on the other five pistons was broken -- he was astounded there was any compression at all. I told him I was easily able to get the car up to 40 mph, and he says "were you attached to a tow truck?"

Be that as it may, though, he has the engine all apart and the rebuild should proceed with no complications. If there's any doubt that Mopar flatheads are the most indestructible engines ever built, this ought to put that to rest.

:eeek: I am glad that nothing happened to the engine while you were getting it up to 40mph.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Clearly, carbon encrustation can be your friend.

 

[1930artdeco]

If there's any doubt that Mopar flatheads are the most indestructible engines ever built, this ought to put that to rest.[/QUOTE]

Sorry Lizzie...I will have to differ with you here just a bit. I blew the head gasket on my FORD Model A and got her home on the freeway on 2 cylinders. I admit it did slow me done a bit though. I got off the freeway when I had the chance for safety reasons though, thankfully, I beat the rush hour traffic through the tunnel. When I read your post and the 'How long has the engine...." I shuddered as I knew something bad was coming. But at least they caught it and you will have a brand new engine ready for thousands of trouble free miles in about a month.

Mike

 

[jamespowers]

Clearly, carbon encrustation can be your friend.

And leaded gas.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Jethro did!

Oh and who put big tires on the Beverly Hillbillies car.

 

[jamespowers]

Jethro did!

That figures. Granny is going to beat him down when she sees this.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I believe she's riding in it during this part of the movie lol

That figures. Granny is going to beat him down when she sees this.

 

[jamespowers]

I believe she's riding in it during this part of the movie lol

So that is where you got that photo. lol lol

 

[vitanola]

If there's any doubt that Mopar flatheads are the most indestructible engines ever built, this ought to put that to rest.

Sorry Lizzie...I will have to differ with you here just a bit. I blew the head gasket on my FORD Model A and got her home on the freeway on 2 cylinders. I admit it did slow me done a bit though. I got off the freeway when I had the chance for safety reasons though, thankfully, I beat the rush hour traffic through the tunnel. When I read your post and the 'How long has the engine...." I shuddered as I knew something bad was coming. But at least they caught it and you will have a brand new engine ready for thousands of trouble free miles in about a month.

Mike[/QUOTE]
I was returning home from a trip to Winnipesaulkee back in '81 when I let the oil in the flivver run low and I burnd out the No. 1 Main and the first connecting rod bearings. Cushioned both with pieces cut from my belt. this was in Mystic, Connecticut. Got home in fine style. when I rebuilt the engine I put on an outside oil line, though.

 

[Stanley Doble]

Report from the garage on the State Of The Plodge -- the guy calls me this morning and the first thing he asks is "how long has this engine been running like this?" Turns out that along with the broken piston, every piston ring on the other five pistons was broken -- he was astounded there was any compression at all. I told him I was easily able to get the car up to 40 mph, and he says "were you attached to a tow truck?"

Be that as it may, though, he has the engine all apart and the rebuild should proceed with no complications. If there's any doubt that Mopar flatheads are the most indestructible engines ever built, this ought to put that to rest.

Old flathead Chrysler products will continue to run without complaint in an advanced state of disrepair. Apparently your car ran fairly well with no bad clanks or bangs. Any modern engine with half that many things wrong, would have been a rattling smoking ruin.

This fools people into thinking the flatheads are weak or lacking in power. They are not, when they are in good condition.

Now that you know what the engine was like inside it doesn't surprise you that it only went 40, it surprises you it ran at all ha ha. When you get it back with everything working the way it should, you will be impressed with the power and performance. Maybe not race track stuff but plenty of power to keep ahead of traffic. When new your car had a comfortable cruising speed of 50 to 60 MPH and a top speed of 85 to 90.

Another way the old flatheads fool people. The long stroke engine has lots of power in the low to middle speed range. Not so much at high RPMS. New engines are weak at lower speeds, and have all their power at high RPMS where you seldom need it.

In other words the old flatheads "punch above their weight". Your friends will be impressed with what they can do with "only" 90HP especially when you drop it into high gear at 5 mph and pull away smooth as cream, then climb the steepest hill in town where they have to shift their Hondas down a couple of gears.

PS would be interested to know what all they do and the cost of the rebuild if that is not too nosey.

 

[LizzieMaine]

Amazing thing is I could take most of the hills around here in 3rd gear on five leaky cylinders and a bum clutch. Granted, this isn't San Francisco, but it's still pretty impressive.

I've put down a $2000 deposit on the rebuild, so we'll see where it goes from there. I had budgeted for about that when I bought the car, so I'm not too worried about it. Aside from the pistons, valves, gaskets, etc. it looks like I'll also need a new exhaust manifold since my old one is basically manifold-shaped rust.

 

[jamespowers]

Amazing thing is I could take most of the hills around here in 3rd gear on five leaky cylinders and a bum clutch. Granted, this isn't San Francisco, but it's still pretty impressive.

I've put down a $2000 deposit on the rebuild, so we'll see where it goes from there. I had budgeted for about that when I bought the car, so I'm not too worried about it. Aside from the pistons, valves, gaskets, etc. it looks like I'll also need a new exhaust manifold since my old one is basically manifold-shaped rust.

Manifold shaped rust! lol lol lol There is a visual.