Rebeldryver's '70 Caprice Granny's Luxo-Muscle-Barge

[Scott Liggett]

First time for me breaking in cam inside of a garage. The wall it faces has the door and a small window. Not a lot of wind last night to move air around in garage. Smoke hung in the rafters a while even with windows, door, and garage door open.

[DanStokes]

Good going, Scott! It sure feels great when the fire up, doesn't it!

Dan

[Scott Liggett]

Took it for it's first test drive today. Converter slips more than expected. Temps started about 210* but as I drove her, the temps dropped to about 190*. Some of the valves need adjusting. I adjusted them after letting engine cool down a little bit. Then took it for another drive.

A video just before the first drive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQtvjzwsx_E

[Scott Liggett]

A couple more videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r7fHZ2RNNE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8X_1MPswNk

[Scott Liggett]

I apologize for the lack of updates. I have about 120 miles on the car now. Everything has been good, except a starting issue. Even though my voltage gauge said 12+ volts, it wouldn't start. The battery was borderline bad, according to people who want to sell me a battery. So, I got another one of those Napa 850 cca Series 24 batteries that I have in my truck. I also replaced my old battery cables. Made my own -1 gauge monster cables out of what was left over from moving the battery to the trunk in the Impala. No problem spinning my starter now.

Starters do grind a bit. I have misplaced the rear support bracket some time ago, but the old starter never had an issue before the rebuild. But, the new one does. Shimming the starter just makes things worse. Any one have this problem?

[Deaf Bob]

Yes.. Have shimmed and still seems to disengage slow..
Did you try to stretch the spring before putting the selinoid in? Not much, just pull on it a little.. Makes it disengage a little better

[Scott Liggett]

I didn't install the solenoid. It is installed when you purchase the starter.

[Runner1972]

you need that rear support bracket.

[Scott Liggett]

The car is now sitting on four jack stands. I pulled the wheels/tires off of it to get wheels powder coated. The chrome on the wider hoops I had put on started rusting almost immediately. I am having them done like my '67 GMC truck, except a little lighter in color to be more silver with a clearcoat. Hopefully will have them back in time for Tour Nebraska next Friday.

[Scott Liggett]

I was pushing things to get the car on the road for Tour Nebraska. Thursday evening, I picked up my now powder coated wheels and tires to mount them. I also got chrome lug nuts as I don't have caps and rings yet. ( May not bother either) What should have taken twenty minutes turned into a 4.5 hr ordeal on one wheel as two of the wheel studs were stripped right at the top of the threads. So, I immediately jumped in the car and ran to the parts store to get new studs. And, of course, when you are in a hurry and stressed you get the monkey. "Does have air conditioning?" was asked. What they didn't ask was whether it had drum or disc brakes. Their computer system didn't even have the option. Swell. Of course, those studs are too short with shoulders that weren't big enough to keep from going right through the rotor and hub assembly. They are a two piece design.

So, I picked up my cell phone and did a search myself for other stores. All have the incorrect listing Dorman 610-186 for the disc brake and drum brakes. It is obvious they get all of their applications from a source that is wrong.

My next step is get a die to fix the two studs. I buy an entire tap and die set to get the one I wanted. And, that one die was milled wrong. It would not thread onto a brand new 7/16-20 bolt much less my stripped studs.

At this point, it is 9:00 pm, I am leaving the next day, my car is on jack stands, my rotor is off the spindle on the work bench. Using a bit of oil on the studs, I was able to get three of the chrome ones on the studs that weren't messed up, one rusty original on one of the messed up studs, and nothing on the fifth. Four is good enough. It is now 10 pm, I haven't eaten or packed yet and I have to be up at 4:30 for work. I drove it to the drive thru and to work and called it good. Then took it on the tour driving 130 miles to Lincoln Friday afternoon.

[Scott Liggett]

[Deaf Bob]

Maybe you would have been better off with a "thread chaser" rather than a "die"? Looks like a big nut, but not made to tap or cut threads..

[Scott Liggett]

Couldn't find one of those either.

[milner351]

Scott, if this stuff was easy, anyone could do it...\
once again you prove to be the man.
Improvise
Adapt
Overcome

[Scott Liggett]

I decided to take the risk and drive it on Tour Nebraska. With only 120 miles on the engine/trans, I drove it 130 miles to Lincoln at 3000 rpm at 75 mph. That got her broke in. Tour Nebraska was 600 miles of mostly driving around 60 mph. The engine ran pretty darn good. There were a couple of issues. It ran 190 all day long on the road, but temps climbed every time I got into traffic. I am running the original Harrison four core radiator that hasn't been flushed since I owned the car. The radiator may be done in. I tried colder than R45TS plugs again. Cold plugs always ran like crap in my cars. Maybe it would cool the engine a bit. It didn't. I am going to flush the radiator out. If that doesn't work, then I may buy a new one. A few of the valves make noise after I get it warmed up. I will run them again.

There has been a two inch rip in the headliner's seam for a while now. Well, with one good wind gust, the entire seam ripped away. I temp-fixed it by using more than a dozen safety pins.

All in all, the car did well over nearly 1000 miles in three days. It is such a great road trip car. It is so quiet inside at 75 mph with the windows down. It rides spectacular as well. These old boats were made for road trips.