Vintage Car Thread - Discussion and Parts Requests

[jamespowers]

Of course, what’s less original? A 283 wearing a four-barrel, headers, and running a Duntov cam? Or a 383 wearing the 283's intake manifold, carburetor, ram’s horns, and running a mild camshaft idling much like the original 283? The latter is probably more in keeping with the original character of the car, while still providing sufficient power to deal with any traffic situation (although disc brakes are probably also advisable no matter what engine is used).



I always enjoy spirited acceleration up to the legal limit.

Clevelands are medium blocks, aren’t they? Not quite the 429-460 Limas, but greater than the 221-351W Windsors.

My dad had a ‘70 Mach 1 with a 351C-4V but unfortunately equipped with a 2.79 rear axle - thus it did nothing particularly well. Great looking car, though!

-Dave

The 283 that you desribe was actually available from teh factory for that car. You desribed what had previously been referred to in 1957 as the Power Pak.

Legal limit? What is that term? Never heard of it.

You might be right. I'll have to do more research.

The 73 was the last of the Mustangs before their decline in the 70s. The Mach 1 is fine if you get it equipped right. The FMX transmission with slightly taller gears was what you wanted in the automatic version. The shift was also available but few ordered it that way. Zero to 60 in 8.5 was decent back then. The engine was horribly detuned by this time due to the smog junk though.

 

[undertaker]

My 1928 Ford Model A Tudor (that's the way Henry spelled it) Sedan. Simpliest car I have ever owned. No heat, no air, no power anything..........no problems.

Regards,
J.S.

 

[jamespowers]

My 1928 Ford Model A Tudor (that's the way Henry spelled it) Sedan. Simpliest car I have ever owned. No heat, no air, no power anything..........no problems.

Regards,
J.S.

Works for me.

 

[vitanola]

My 1928 Ford Model A Tudor (that's the way Henry spelled it) Sedan. Simpliest car I have ever owned. No heat, no air, no power anything..........no problems.

Lovely car. A trifle complex, though, as it has all sorts of unnecessary luxury accessories, fuel gauge, water pump, generator, starter, gear shift lever...[J.S./QUOTE]

I LIKE A's, but LOVE T's.

I've been thinking about getting an A for years, and must say that your car is just what I picture as the perfect A Model Ford.

 

[vitanola]

Clevelands are medium blocks, aren’t they?
-Dave

I've been watching the demolition of the Ford Cleveland Casting Plant for the past few weeks. Ford Cleveland Engine Plant No. 1 will be demolished shortly, Cleveland Engine No. 2 will soldier on for a few more years, at least.

 

[jamespowers]

I've been watching the demolition of the Ford Cleveland Casting Plant for the past few weeks. Ford Cleveland Engine Plant No. 1 will be demolished shortly, Cleveland Engine No. 2 will soldier on for a few more years, at least.

Well at least one will be around. They won't make one of the best engines they ever produced but the building will still be there.

 

[undertaker]

My 1928 Ford Model A Tudor (that's the way Henry spelled it) Sedan. Simpliest car I have ever owned. No heat, no air, no power anything..........no problems.

Lovely car. A trifle complex, though, as it has all sorts of unnecessary luxury accessories, fuel gauge, water pump, generator, starter, gear shift lever...[J.S./QUOTE]

I LIKE A's, but LOVE T's.

I've been thinking about getting an A for years, and must say that your car is just what I picture as the perfect A Model Ford.

Thanks. I had a 1922 Touring Car and all in all the A seems a little less trifling than the T, however I did love the Tourer. The A and the T have sure been less complicated than the vintage Cadillacs and Lincolns I used to drive, they were a mass of electrical components surrounded by vacum hoses, but I sure enjoyed driving them too. I guess a man really needs one of each to achive perfect balance.....my wife would not agree. I drug this model A out of the garage where it had been sitting for several years. The wiring had caught fire from a short in the ignition, so my first experience with this car was rewiring, rebuilding the dist. and carb., replacing the generator with an alternator, and rebuilding the steering box. It runs well and the paint is not too bad. The paint job is from 1968 and so were the tires (now replaced). I am the third owner.

Regards,
J.S.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I'm a big fan of the 283. I'm not about going fast, and that peppy little motor does all I need and then some. My dad's 57 Chevy had a fully-rebuilt 283, with a Quadrajet and that thing never missed a beat and did plenty good, even with that old 2 speed Powerglide. My 63 Impala had one, as well. I feel like I'm forgetting one or two others in the stable that had engine, but who can keep track??

A 283? I know a little about that engine---since I have been tinkering with it for over twenty years now. If it has the four barrel carb then you certainly have enough power there. Even the two barrel is decent. It will certainly move that four door. Sit down, push the pedal and hang on.

 

[jamespowers]

I'm a big fan of the 283. I'm not about going fast, and that peppy little motor does all I need and then some. My dad's 57 Chevy had a fully-rebuilt 283, with a Quadrajet and that thing never missed a beat and did plenty good, even with that old 2 speed Powerglide. My 63 Impala had one, as well. I feel like I'm forgetting one or two others in the stable that had engine, but who can keep track??

I think the quadrajet came later in the 1963. The 1957 originally came with either a WCFB or a Rochester. The WCFB was better. Carter made a better carburetor.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I'm pretty sure you're right. I've had nothing but great luck with the Q-Jets. My Caprice won me a bet once upon a time. My teacher hated my car with a passion and always asked me why I didn't 'scrap it out' We were expecting a record cold of around -35. He told me he'd bet me five bucks that my 'old heap' would never start in weather that cold. It took a little extra effort and plenty of pumping of the gas pedal, but I got her fired up, warmed up, and ready for the road. I didn't even care about the money, I just wanted to show that smug SOB.

I think the quadrajet came later in the 1963. The 1957 originally came with either a WCFB or a Rochester. The WCFB was better. Carter made a better carburetor.

 

[jamespowers]

I'm pretty sure you're right. I've had nothing but great luck with the Q-Jets. My Caprice won me a bet once upon a time. My teacher hated my car with a passion and always asked me why I didn't 'scrap it out' We were expecting a record cold of around -35. He told me he'd bet me five bucks that my 'old heap' would never start in weather that cold. It took a little extra effort and plenty of pumping of the gas pedal, but I got her fired up, warmed up, and ready for the road. I didn't even care about the money, I just wanted to show that smug SOB.

Sounds like a BMW driver. In cold weather like that, I put my pedal to the floor and crank it over. It tends to work faster and you prevent the carb from flooding.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Pedal to the floor is typically how I do it, too. I don't think you've ever seen -35 though lol have you? You gotta get that fuel in there.

He didn't have a car. He drove his wife's fancy Suburban or his son's Taurus. He just told me that my car was outdated and needed to go to cash for clunkers. He said the same thing to my brother about his '86 Ram. My brother isn't as calm as me. That was two years after I graduated and my brother said "didn't you have my brother in a class? He drove an old Chevy Caprice?" The teacher replied "Yeah, is he still driving that old piece of scrap." My brother replied "Done!" and went down to the counselor, filed a complaint and got signed up for a different class lol That teacher had his mind set about me, because I had flooded it once. Stopped at the gas station by the school to grab a bite and made the mistake of pumping the gas while it was warm. Big mistake. He walked by while I had the hood up and that was it.

Sounds like a BMW driver. In cold weather like that, I put my pedal to the floor and crank it over. It tends to work faster and you prevent the carb from flooding.

 

[jamespowers]

Pedal to the floor is typically how I do it, too. I don't think you've ever seen -35 though lol have you? You gotta get that fuel in there.

He didn't have a car. He drove his wife's fancy Suburban or his son's Taurus. He just told me that my car was outdated and needed to go to cash for clunkers. He said the same thing to my brother about his '86 Ram. My brother isn't as calm as me. That was two years after I graduated and my brother said "didn't you have my brother in a class? He drove an old Chevy Caprice?" The teacher replied "Yeah, is he still driving that old piece of scrap." My brother replied "Done!" and went down to the counselor, filed a complaint and got signed up for a different class lol That teacher had his mind set about me, because I had flooded it once. Stopped at the gas station by the school to grab a bite and made the mistake of pumping the gas while it was warm. Big mistake. He walked by while I had the hood up and that was it.

Oh, I have seen it but I didn't go out in it. That is what they make that starting fluid for. spray that down the carb and it will start anything.

I would have told him---Like a Taurus is better. The Caprice has more metal in the front end than the whole Taurus does.

You forgot to hold the pedal down when you flooded it eh?

 

[Big Man]

Found inside the glove box of my (I still like the sound of "my") '61 Chevy was the owner's guide, and inside the booklet my aunt had neatly folded and saved the sales receipt and her canceled check. This was a double find for me, as the sales receipt listed the car she traded when she bought the new '61. I had always wondered what her previous car was, as I had only a faint memory of riding in her "little Chevy" as it was always called.

By the way, I had the '61 towed to the garage this morning and hopefully in a few days or so I'll be able to tell what all will be involved in getting it back running again. The adventure begins ...

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I tried that, it usually didn't work with my old Caprice, I'd spray some Gumout down the carb and hold the gas down, after that, then it would pop over.

You forgot to hold the pedal down when you flooded it eh?

All of this is absolutely awesome. This would be a great find for anybody, but even moreso in your case, since it's kin.

Found inside the glove box of my (I still like the sound of "my") '61 Chevy was the owner's guide, and inside the booklet my aunt had neatly folded and saved the sales receipt and her canceled check. This was a double find for me, as the sales receipt listed the car she traded when she bought the new '61. I had always wondered what her previous car was, as I had only a faint memory of riding in her "little Chevy" as it was always called.

By the way, I had the '61 towed to the garage this morning and hopefully in a few days or so I'll be able to tell what all will be involved in getting it back running again. The adventure begins ...

 

[Carl Miller]

That original paperwork is VERY cool. It would appear that the car is in the right hands and I hope you post pics of it going down the road under its own power.

On a side note, I picked up a side job rebuilding the engine in a neighbors '66 VW (1641cc w/ engle 100 cam and dual webers). This will give me enough cash to sort out the paperwork on the '59 Catalina and have a cool cruiser in time for summer.

 

[Big Man]

That original paperwork is VERY cool. It would appear that the car is in the right hands and I hope you post pics of it going down the road under its own power...

It's my hope to get the car back to the way I remembered it as a child. I just hope the "problems" run out before the money runs out.

 

[Carl Miller]

It's my hope to get the car back to the way I remembered it as a child. I just hope the "problems" run out before the money runs out.

It helps to have a little inspiration....

 

[jamespowers]

Found inside the glove box of my (I still like the sound of "my") '61 Chevy was the owner's guide, and inside the booklet my aunt had neatly folded and saved the sales receipt and her canceled check. This was a double find for me, as the sales receipt listed the car she traded when she bought the new '61. I had always wondered what her previous car was, as I had only a faint memory of riding in her "little Chevy" as it was always called.

By the way, I had the '61 towed to the garage this morning and hopefully in a few days or so I'll be able to tell what all will be involved in getting it back running again. The adventure begins ...

Those are some nice finds. I am surprised they were still there after all this time. They are very nice to have. You can get an idea of hwo everything works via the owner's manual.
I am curious as to what your mechanic says about it.

 

[jamespowers]

It helps to have a little inspiration....

Wow! That is quite an inspiration.