60 Bel Air Flattop

ragtp66

ragtp66

Well Known Member
ozzie7 said:
So after a day of discovery... She's got many issues right out of the gate.

1. Has power brakes but when you push the pedal it goes about an inch and then is extremely hard to push and no braking power.
Probably a vacuum or brake booster issue but I'm not sure how to check... guess I'll have to start reading the service manual:dunno. Unless somebody says it's probably so & so and do this.

2.Horn works sometimes...when it doesn't beep I can hear the relay click. I'll take it for a drive and suddenly it works fine... and then suddenly not.
Note...the steering wheel moves forward and backward (in & out) about a quarter inch.

3.Same issue with the heater/air fan.... sometimes it works...and when it doesn't I can hear a relay click.
Since this car has factory A/C, the fan is on the firewall in the engine compartment as you may know.... wonder if it has any peculiarities.

The A/C compressor was not included with the car so if anyone knows of one that can be had, please let me know.

There's plenty more problems but 3 is a good start... and I would be very grateful for any input.
Click to expand...


Unfortunately I sold a 59 compressor with 348 brackets on FEEBAY about a month ago pretty much gave it away it was a good core to have rebuilt and the brackets alone are worth $200:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/252247096183?ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1559.l2649


BUUUUTTTT here you go:http://www.ebay.com/itm/1959-1960-5...ash=item2ef3808971:g:Y3kAAOSw0UdXvwbm&vxp=mtr

I would call Danny Howell 407-493-1963 He owns SouthEastChevy Parts and see if he might work with you as the fees alone would amount to about $150 I do not know 59 ac as well as I know 58 so you may want to check on the part number on the tag. I know on 58's the 348&283 use a different part number then the tripower cars and the cool packs use their own as well. Bill Oldenburg email : classy58@jcwifi.com or 815-541-3259 would be the person I would check with to be 100% sure before buying.

If you need the booster rebuilt I would use Ed Strain http://www.brakeboosterrebuild.com

Horn you will probably have to pull the wheel to check things out.

chris
 
ozzie7

ozzie7

Well Known Member
Last 60 said:
Ozzie, not to be too nosey, but how and where did you come across this well preserved specimen???????

Lonnie
Click to expand...

Lonnie it was completely by chance.
I was at a Napa store trying to find an AFB carb part and since they couldn't help, they said take Howard street (in Mt. Vernon Ohio) till it ends, then make a right and you'll see this old carb guys workshop.
Well I did and the road ended and there was no right. So as I was backtracking I caught a glimpse of the fins of Olive Oyl sticking out beside a garage.
Eventually I found the carb guys shop and on the way back I stopped at the house with the Flattop. While I was checking her out, a neighbor appeared and I asked about it and he said he thinks the guy might be wanting to sell it.
So he called the owner (who was out of town at the moment) and that's how we started communicating. He is in to old school 2 stroke dirt bikes like me and I had one too many and needed to part with one... so we ended up doing a trade.
The process of negotiating took almost a month but it was worth it I think.... at least that's how I feel at this point in time. As I mentioned at the beginning... it's going to take a lot of TLC .... but it's a good core car to start with.


ragtp66 said:
I would call Danny Howell 407-493-1963 He owns SouthEastChevy Parts and see if he might work with you as the fees alone would amount to about $150 I do not know 59 ac as well as I know 58 so you may want to check on the part number on the tag. I know on 58's the 348&283 use a different part number then the tripower cars and the cool packs use their own as well. Bill Oldenburg email : classy58@jcwifi.com or 815-541-3259 would be the person I would check with to be 100% sure before buying.

If you need the booster rebuilt I would use Ed Strain http://www.brakeboosterrebuild.com

Horn you will probably have to pull the wheel to check things out.

chris
Click to expand...

Thanks for all those contacts.... I'll call them and pick their brains a little.
Those compressors on ebay are a bit over my paygrade though.
I like the al-you-min-ee-umm one that Don S. posted and see if I can somehow integrate the factory controls to it. Maybe call them and see what they say about that.
 
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D

Don Jacks

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 3
Why worry about expensive,hard to find,ineffeient,heavy parts to go into a car that's not going to be original any way??????Get with a good A/C mechanic that's local to you and have him help you set up the compressor and under hood part of the system more like a modern car would be,while retaining the "in car" parts.Eliminating unneeded parts like suction throttling ,and poa valves will make the system simpler and cheaper .
 
ozzie7

ozzie7

Well Known Member
Yep Don.... that's what I'm thinkin too.... this will never be a show car.... just a cruiser.
Anybody know a good A/C mechanic in central Ohio that might have the know how to do what Don suggests?
 
blkblk63ss

blkblk63ss

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 5
ragtp66 said:
Unfortunately I sold a 59 compressor with 348 brackets on FEEBAY about a month ago pretty much gave it away it was a good core to have rebuilt and the brackets alone are worth $200:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/252247096183?ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1559.l2649


BUUUUTTTT here you go:http://www.ebay.com/itm/1959-1960-5...ash=item2ef3808971:g:Y3kAAOSw0UdXvwbm&vxp=mtr

I would call Danny Howell 407-493-1963 He owns SouthEastChevy Parts and see if he might work with you as the fees alone would amount to about $150 I do not know 59 ac as well as I know 58 so you may want to check on the part number on the tag. I know on 58's the 348&283 use a different part number then the tripower cars and the cool packs use their own as well. Bill Oldenburg email : classy58@jcwifi.com or 815-541-3259 would be the person I would check with to be 100% sure before buying.

If you need the booster rebuilt I would use Ed Strain http://www.brakeboosterrebuild.com

Horn you will probably have to pull the wheel to check things out.

chris
Click to expand...
Wow what a price. Wonder if you get a jar of vasoline with that!!! :yikes
 
ozzie7

ozzie7

Well Known Member
I was pretty excited about this Bel-Air..... with the condition and plus being able to include a trade for a motorcycle.
But last night I found an even better deal, and now I'm thinking... maybe I need 2 60's?
This latest one appears to be a Texas car, white Impala 4 door Flattop w/blue interior.
Factory a/c, ps, pb, pw, pseat, padded dash, clock, push button radio, tinted glass all the way around, 283 4 bbl. powerglide.
Needs paint and brake work.... but runs and drives
Damn!
 
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