What did you do to your non-G body project today? [2023]

[g0thiac]

Update on the 1979 Olds Holiday coupe.

Took it out to the grocery store, for the first time.

I will be taking it now to the shop, and have them complete the inspection papers.

I have done quite a lot to this ride, and thankfully most of it has been actually quite cheap.

1. I did my first transmission related challenge.

Simple, but I was finding the transmission was not shifting into gear quick enough, sometimes
not at all,

I discovered, the transmission vacuum modulator was not working correct. Really not feeling the kindest, knowing the RPM's were high, on an already damaged engine
😑🤣🤣🤣

2. The alternator, was not charging the battery so I used the one, from the 1984 Pontiac since I knew it worked.

Problem is, it's barely enough to keep the vehicle charged, so I will need to upgrade it, I am sure mounting only the bottom bracket, either is smart as well ctfu 🤔😭😭😭

3. The starter, I decided to rewire- and I can say I will stab anyone who says that goodyear blimp looking ãss thing is 20 pounds 🙃🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Definitely replacing it, because it takes really insulting, and unacceptable amounts of electricity to crank over the engine.

Who's selling a cheap mini torque one for Olds motors 😎😜😜😜

4. The big upgrade. Weeks ago I had to wire the whole engine bay outside, in the lovely and so encouraging Canadian winter- because some *ssh*les think that it's okay to duct tape wiring- which left me stranded, thankfully though near the storage yard, so I moved the car in giving a few pushes with the truck which was the least of my issues.

At this time, the starter and alternator are on 4 gauge cables and the fusible links, that had been previously cut, I have added back.

All the wires, I have made sure now all start from the battery terminal and not the starter, why GM decided to do that on these cars but didn't on the 60's ones is... overall such a time wasting way lmao 😑🤣🤣🤣

5. New horn installed, old one didn't work. And yes I didn't have to pull the steering wheel for a connection problem, so to you guys who get all these rust free cars usually, ha ha 🤷‍♀️😂😂😂

Bonus? The stereo.

I was searching on Kijiji, and found a Pioneer radio for $50, little did I know it was a $2000 touch screen model when I first read, the ad last week.

Not surprising, they also managed to fail to do the speaker wiring too, so I did that and I still managed to not take the dash apart.

Which is great, because the other car needs speakers along with a new 350 lmao.

 

[Wageslave]

Willing to bet the Gas Cap was not any cause of the issue at all.. 99% of the time its the EVAP Solenoid under the vehicle.

I still have a couple of EVAP solenoids for my last Jeep on the shelf. It seemed like it would eat one every year or so.

 

[Flyers9928]

I got the %$#@&*&%$ 2012 GYP Liberty to pass inspection. It had both a small and gross EVAP leak with 2 permanent codes, and the GAS CAP warning light was on. This with the third gas cap in a year. So I replaced the ESIM valve on the EVAP canister, and the purge solenoid, and ANOTHER new gas cap [NOPAR], and all the problems went away. Now that the pressure is off, I can replace the old parts one at a time and find out exactly what part was causing all the headaches. JEEP- Just Endless Expensive Problems.

Jeep- Just Empty Every Pocket

 

[ck80]

I got the %$#@&*&%$ 2012 GYP Liberty to pass inspection. It had both a small and gross EVAP leak with 2 permanent codes, and the GAS CAP warning light was on. This with the third gas cap in a year. So I replaced the ESIM valve on the EVAP canister, and the purge solenoid, and ANOTHER new gas cap [NOPAR], and all the problems went away. Now that the pressure is off, I can replace the old parts one at a time and find out exactly what part was causing all the headaches. JEEP- Just Endless Expensive Problems.

I just appreciate the irony. Some states care about that level of possible teeny tiny pressure leak letting a minute amount of hydrocarbon escape.

Meanwhile, those same states are the reason behind the redesigned gas pump handles that don't seal and shut off properly on my old trucks. Doesn't matter if it's the 51, the 77, the 78, or a couple others. EVERY time, literally EVERY time you fill it up, it doesn't shut off until at the end when it splashes out backwards and leaves a good square foot stain of gas on the ground. Properly maintained truck, good vent lines, proper new rubber filler neck. Design flaw on their pumps, all of them, doesn't matter where you fill.

I'd bet you could have 5 cars running around without vacuum sealed gas caps and release less hydrocarbon.

Oh well. Their idea of progress I guess. Then again, these things are 40-50, even 72 years old. Most people junked, bought another, junked it, 4, 5, 8 times over in the same lifespan as any one of these trucks. So, I could roll coal and belch oil and still have less of their 'carbon footprint' a trend that will only accelerate when you factor in the damage an ev does.

 

[liquidh8]

That's where I'd sell something like that. Hell no. 🤣

The wife is hell bent on the older mini-vans, we've rented newer junk that was AWD, and she hated it. So I bought this older AWD Chevy, she LOVES it. If she is happy, I can buy car parts and make bad decisions!

 

[CopperNick]

Supercharged 111, I'll see your week of being sick-a** as a dog and raise you a week in the hospital for what got diagnosed as being a blocked lower bowel.
Spent 3 hours in emerg getting sicker and sicker before they finally got me triaged and into the CT SCan. By that time I was not only sick but dehydrated so out came the Ringers and in went the needle. Had three room mates come and go during the stay and the third one evidently had some little bit that was seriously hot for his bones because she snuck back in after curfew and didn't leave until around 0400.

Me? I came in prepared with gun grade ear plugs and a mask for my eyes. I've danced this rumba a time or two already and now have a go bag pre-packed to take with. Only reason I was cog on what was shaking is that they were none too shy about it and with all the fluids being pumped into me well..... makes for frequent trips to the head.
Got turfed out on Sunday Noon and the dude was still in bed and about one stroke away from comatose. The one doctor comes in and she is trying to wake him and getting Nothing. Dude is alive; they ran his stats at shift change and got a feedback off the scanner but absolutely oblivious to anything short of a bomb going off. Me?? I'm just short of chuckling and getting out of the way before Le FreaQue unloads.

Anyway..............................

So quite a few pages back the discussion included buffing and polishing. At the time I had a vintage, 76 year old m/c front brake backing plate on the bench and i was in the process of trying to see what I could accomplish.


These two shots are of the final product. The metal first was hand sanded down to 2000 using 3M Wet/Dry and a serious amount of dish soap and water for lube. Very frequent changes of the paper to avoid clogging the grit and creating scratches instead of erasing them.


The actual buffing run was done using a fresh 8" cotton wheel with Red Cake. Once that was done, i did a check and then a second buffing run. Cleaned the surface and then gave it a generous coat of HOGWAX to see what I had achieved. For what it is and where it will reside, EH, so micro-toweled the wax to clean and bright and then shot about 4 coats of clear enamel on it. Done.

Finally, the working side of things. Nothing like what appears when you pull a modern brake drum, THIS is Genuine Old School. Two shoes, the actuator, a pivot pin and a pair of springs to hold it all together; instant B of M. From the other side all you see is a serrated shaft that holds the actuator lever. Oh? the Lever?? Another wheel change and it will get buffed down to bare shiny steel and maybe get cleared as well.

Pending are a pair of sliders from a 60 year old FLH and the dash cover from the 47.

At this point I need a day or 5 to give my body some recupe time.



Nick

 

[MrSony]

Got dad to help me bleed the brakes on the k1500. Fluid to all 4 corners, but master is bubbling. Its the original one so I'll probably just replace it rather than trying and probably failing to bleed it.

 

[ck80]

Got dad to help me bleed the brakes on the k1500. Fluid to all 4 corners, but master is bubbling. Its the original one so I'll probably just replace it rather than trying and probably failing to bleed it.

The new one will need a bench bleed as well. Might as well try the original to see if it saves you money.

 

[MrSony]

The new one will need a bench bleed as well. Might as well try the original to see if it saves you money.

gonna have to bleed regardless, rather not do it twice. plus with how crusty and swollen the brake hoses were, i have no doubt the mc is the same. also the wheel cylinder pistons were seized, never seen that before.

 

[CopperNick]

Finally made it out to the shop to just check on things. Did discover that those lower fork sliders were waiting for me on the floor beside the wash tank so scooped them up for something to fiddle with.

Took Sunday's alleged hospital meal out of the cup it had been stashed in and fed it to the crows!! Was supposed to have been roast beef; Yeah, Right............... I have packages of roast beef in the keeper and they look and taste like it. This looked like the scalp off something long dead and smelt about as ripe. Used a pair of cobalt blues to dig it out and shred it up a little. Sort of like tearing up soggy cardboard.
The crows are a mated pair that live in the hood. They get a snack periodically; no set schedule as I do not want them to become accustomed to showing up and getting fed. They are not pets. They do seem appreciative all the same.

Think tonight I might remind my taste buds of what food should be like by building a roast beef sandwich on whole wheat with lettuce; hold the mayo and the tomatoes. And a pickle.

Back to the sliders, in good light they seem a lot cleaner than I had thought. Couple of places that will have to be dressed down; mostly casting seams. The forecast is for three days of snow so something to fend off the boredom. I am so not about to exert myself for that crap; at this point that is what the sun and spring are for.




Nick