A Little Maintenance and beautification on my 63 4dr

boxerdog

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 5
I asked because the first few years I was in my house, my motorcycles seemed to "suck up" moisture in the garage, which was a fresh concrete floor at the time, and this isn't anywhere near cold/damp climate.

I was always wiping stuff down, particularly anything aluminum. It gradually got better, I added more gable vents, more junk accumulated in the garage, and I'd swear that the slab finally dried out after 3-4 years. A long drought didn't hurt either.

Even here, leaving anything outside in the winter is risky.
 

Tom Kochtanek

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 12
After I stripped and sealed the body on my '61 Bonneville and then did the same for the floor pans, I set her outside for just a bit while I saved up to build the manshed. Tarped her up on top but not on the bottom, then parked her on a vacant lot covered in gravel.

Suddenly ten years went by, the weeds took over, and I finally was able rescue her and put her back under roof and on concrete. Now I have to do her all over again :(.

Not sure how that time went by so fast. I hope to never have to do that again!!!

TomK
 

Jim Sullivan

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 10
Well, started to swap out the rusted headers for coated headers and install the modified upper control arms. Took an hour and a half to remove the left header and replace the left control arm. Then the problem. The new Dougs coated headers are slightly different. The new header would not slide up in as the old set did. I f'd around for an hour and a half jacking the engine and transmission into different positions and finally the header went in. Stares a few bolts and dropped the engine and trans back down. The header wedged against the frame and would move at all. I pulled it back out and set the old and new side by side. They visibly changed cylinder 3 tube. WTF. I always posted how well thw fiest set fit. Now I don't what the hell they made this change for. Sure don't fit now
20190601_110154.jpg20190601_110200.jpg20190601_110118.jpg
 

Jim Sullivan

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 10
What are you going to do now? :scratch
Called my buddy at the part store. He's going to call the manufacturer. See what they have to say. I was planning on sending the rusty set out to be coated. May just have to return the new set and wait for the old set to get coated. And like Don said, I was cussing more than a lot. Also think the label on the box said made in Mexico. :furious
 

Jim Sullivan

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 10
Just talked to my parts "guy", he talked to a rep at Doug's/ Pertronix Performance Products yesterday and herd back today. The rep checked the other nine sets of headers they had in inventory and they are all the same as the ones that didn't fit. He said they are going to be checking with the assemblers to try and find out why the new ones are different but he was up front and said it would be a least "weeks" before anything could be done/ corrected in the manufacturing process. So, my old rusty headers get shipped out tomorrow to Jet-Hot in Oklahoma to be coated. And I return the shinny new set(that doesn't fit) for a refund. Now the car will be up on stands for several weeks waiting for the headers to come back. I'll at least be able to align the car with the new control arms this Saturday and then wait. I think I will start a thread about Doug's Headers for anyone thinking about using them. It may be just me and my car, but the old set fit awesome.
 

Jim Sullivan

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 10
Had a couple minutes before work so I set up my Hunter Econoline alignment heads. I'll set the rear flags up when its time to center the steering wheel. I made a set of "turn plates" years ago. I still haven't got a set of hardened ball bearings, so I use several BB's and grease between the top and bottom plates. Not in a big hurry, because of the headers.20190605_065124.jpg20190605_064439.jpg
 
Last edited:

Tooth

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
After I put my control arms on they put on a new set of hubcaps they were a little bit different than yours though...
 

Attachments

  • 20190412_164424.jpg
    20190412_164424.jpg
    65.4 KB · Views: 25

Jim Sullivan

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 10
I couldn't wait til Saturday, so I had a half hour to set the caster and camber. I got out my shim cheat sheets from 35 years ago and went to adjusting. A quick calculation on what shims to add, subtract and move back and forth and got it within 1/2 degree with both caster and camber/ side to side. A couple 1/32" shims moved around on the passenger side and 1/16" added to the rear of the driver side and done. 20190606_064244.jpg20190606_064305.jpg20190606_202547.jpg20190606_201951.jpg20190606_202038.jpg20190606_203253.jpg
Driver side is at +5/8* camber +4* caster, passenger side is at +1/2* camber +4* caster. I was hoping for around 3* caster but I'll sure take the 4*. Never thought I'd get that much. Now I can't wait to see how in runs down the highway!:pepper
 
Top