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Project Franken-Riviera -1964 Buick Riviera-

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  • The Beemer seats really aren't bad - they more or less look like they belong there and get you a decent set of seal belts to boot. Not sure what you could do to the head restraints w/o losing the belts so that might be a necessary tradeoff. Here's a thought: My Dodge pickup (2002 vintage) has integral seatbelts and more normal head restraints. They're pretty wide but might fit given that the truck has a HUGE center console (probably 14" or so). Most will be broken down on the outside of the driver's seat but given that you'll reupholster anyhow it's no big deal to get that fixed. I had my driver's seat done last winter and it came out well. Not sure if the support is what you're looking for but it's a thought.

    Dan

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    • I ended up passing on the BMW seats, mainly because the wife really doesn't like the idea of any headrests and those are just plain strange. The man who integrated them into his car did a phenomenal job at it with the stock upholstery pattern and all. I'm sticking with my Eldorado seats because I have them and the headrests don't look too hard to remove.

      In other news, I've been messing around with gearing calculations and have decided that a 3.73 gear is going to be the best for the car comparing the TH200-4R ratios with a 3.42 and 4L80E ratios. The TH200-4R combo does have a lower first gear and a taller OD but overall tire size and weight considered. I'll take the durability of the 4L80E and the 400rpm higher 75mph cruise to better match the lower gears for off the line peformance of the shorter rear axle. Jeep WK(1) Chrysler 8.25 or Dana 44 is the axle of choice. They are available stock in 3.73 and the 8.25 has an E-locker but they aren't rated for much torque I don't think. I'd rather not go with the C8.25 but the Detroit Truetrac for it is roughly 75% the cost of a Dana 44 variant; $575 vs. $715 and they are similarly cheaper since every non SRT8 or diesel WK had one pretty much.
      Central TEXAS Sleeper
      USAF Physicist

      ROA# 9790

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      • Here and in the garage!
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        Central TEXAS Sleeper
        USAF Physicist

        ROA# 9790

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        • Nice!
          Escaped on a technicality.

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          • Looks comfy in there. Now get it on the road!!

            Dan

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            • Originally posted by DanStokes View Post
              Looks comfy in there. Now get it on the road!!

              Dan
              Working on it Dan. Parts for the transmission side of things and the heater/defroster system are sitting on the hood right now waiting to be installed. I also have front and rear springs to help even up the ride height and new rear shocks.

              The problem I don't have a solution do is the brakes, well not completely at least. The pedal sticks down and they are very grabby but won't lock up. I'm guessing it has to do with the fact I've put a deep hole master cylinder on a short nub booster with a piece of 3/8in rod in there as a spacer and the pedal geometry is pretty bad. I have parts to fix the pedal geometry but I think it's going to require a new hydrobooster. We'll see if it still gives me crap after fixing the rest. Have to machine up the caliper brackets as well. Target time to get it on the road is the first Sunday in January for the local Cars and Coffee event up the road.
              Central TEXAS Sleeper
              USAF Physicist

              ROA# 9790

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              • Hydroboost are known for slow pedal return. Mine does that. So did the Eldorado I used to work on.
                BS'er formally known as Rebeldryver

                Resident Instigator

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                • Originally posted by Scott Liggett View Post
                  Hydroboost are known for slow pedal return. Mine does that. So did the Eldorado I used to work on.
                  We aren't talking slow return, there is no return. I have to pull the pedal up with my hands or foot to get the brakes to let go. It's not drivable as is and I don't want to put anymore money into the drums. If anything I want to sell them to a streetrodder and recoope some of my investment. Good to know that they won't be lightning fast returning up though.
                  Central TEXAS Sleeper
                  USAF Physicist

                  ROA# 9790

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                  • Car is up on jack stands and the rear suspension is 3/4 disassembled in prep for new (stock used) springs and shocks. Just need to paint the springs, get some new nuts and bolts (everything came apart just fine, just want to get some fresh stuff in certain spots), and put it back together. Since I'm pulling the brake system apart anyway I'll replace the rear axle to hardline hose once I find it before I put things back on the ground. If my the new springs don't get the back end up I'm going straight to fabbing rear control arms and converting to some form of coilover. Think I'm going with a Ridetech HQ double spherical steel coil over mainly because the Shockwave is slightly taller for the given stroke length and harder to package.
                    Central TEXAS Sleeper
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                    ROA# 9790

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                    • New springs painted and in.
                      New shocks mounted and bolted down.
                      Quasi permenant exhaust hanger fabbed and in.
                      Bonus: disassembled the rear exhaust system, rerounded the tailpipe openings, and purchased the pieces for a new hanger system.

                      Tomorrow's tasks; pictures of what I've done just because y'all like pictures, find the rear brake hose and replace it, mount the muffler and tail pipes on the new hangers, put the rear wheels back on. With that I should be largely done with the back of the car save fabbing up something to hold the filler neck in place. Hopefully these springs get the back in up 1-1.5in.
                      Central TEXAS Sleeper
                      USAF Physicist

                      ROA# 9790

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                      • Well today saw no work done other than finding that brake hose and pulling fasteners out of baggies... Pictures when I have daylight and a chance to take them.
                        Central TEXAS Sleeper
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                        ROA# 9790

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                        • Some pictures from mid week
                          In the garage and up in the air


                          It's tight but it's workable as long as the jack handle and something else don't fight for space.

                          Close up of the oval tubing going over the rear axle


                          And the rest of the exhaust (minus the 3rd Gen F-body Magnaflow muffler that connects it all up that's laying on the floor in the 2nd shot)




                          Since these were taken I've put the exhaust back together (got tired of fighting with it and just decided to call it good enough till I redo it anyway), replaced that brake hose, and put the wheels back on. The fitting on the brake line was so crudded up that it wouldn't rotate and I ended up cutting the hose in half, after checking that I had the right replacement, then twisting the hose to get it unthreaded. To get the fitting moving I ended up taking a propane torch to it and a whole bunch of flaming liquid grease/road grime came dripping out of the end of tube nut and it caught fire briefly before I blew it out. Got it cleaned up and back together without trouble after that.

                          I've also drained all that comes out the transmission pan drain plug (which leaks) and drained the engine oil. The trans is getting a nice Hughes pan which won't leak and the oil pan is getting a skim coat of epoxy since it doesn't want to seal around the drain plug after it chattered while I was machining it flat.

                          This weekend's goals are to get the trans pan off, the filter and gasket changed, the new dipstick installed and if I'm lucky pull the shifter cable out. Longer range to do's include pulling the brake hydraulic system apart and replacing just about everything but frame side hardlines and the hydrobooster, installing two new HVAC diaphragms, installing two door seals, swapping out the front springs, and the big one of fabbing up caliper brackets for front discs. Depending on the timeline I'm also going to modify the radiator so I can mount an intercooler for the ACTUAL turbo instead of the mockup exhaust housing I have on there now.
                          Attached Files
                          Central TEXAS Sleeper
                          USAF Physicist

                          ROA# 9790

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                          • Coming along nicely! It's good to see you back on it.

                            Dan

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                            • It's a first, well first time in a while I've put pictures up the same day I've done the work and taken pictures on the way!

                              Anyway, got the pan dropped yesterday and while it was draining out I pulled out the old dipstick tube that was pretty much just filling the hole in the case. After fighting with the new stick and where it interfered with the lines coming off of the cooler ports I got it slipped in. And I didn't take a picture of it, that'll come later I'm sure but it's just a dipstick and tube... boring.

                              Then came my big mistake. The 4L80E has a metal backed lip seal that seals the filter to the case and since the new filter in the Hughes pan kit came with a new one I decided to replace it... Boneheaded move. I mangled the old one getting it out and mangled the new one trying to get it in. Today I called up a local trans shop and they just gave me one to replace it (I'll be back to slip them $5 or something for it, still cheaper than the cheapest filter with the seal on Amazon which was $15). The guys at the shop showed me the tool they use to install them, a TH350 output shaft that they'd cut the right size step into with a lathe. I could have given them $40 to borrow it and get the money back when I returned the tool but I was bingo on cash so I decided I'd make my own of sorts, so I did.


                              It's the handle from my bearing and seal driver set with a fender washer to drive the lip of the seal and a nylon spacer bush with a cut down steel spacer bush inside of that to locate it on the bolt in the handle. Worked butter smooth, lined it up carefully and pushed with my hand and got it to actually stick in the bore while I grabbed the hammer then gently tapped it in!

                              After that was just putting in the 50 capscrews that came with the pan and I've got the trans sealed up again!
                              Central TEXAS Sleeper
                              USAF Physicist

                              ROA# 9790

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                              • For all you keen eyed folks out there... yes the crossover pipe is the lowest thing on the car. That's also on the list to refab to it tucks up into the flat spot in the back of the oil pan I fabricated up 1.5yrs ago and have yet to take a real picture of... I'll get that next time I'm under there.
                                Central TEXAS Sleeper
                                USAF Physicist

                                ROA# 9790

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