Getting the new battery took some time to drive around town to get a new Optima. By the time I got the new battery and installed into Lucy, it was about time for my boss to come home from her weekend long scrapbooking session.

After coming home and unloading her Hummer, the boss decided to see her parents. I grabbed the opportunity and went back to the garage. I decided to remove the stock ‘72 recessed grilles and put in the ‘71 Judge style grilles. Once I got them in, I added some of Last Indian’s jewelry to set it off!

 

Next Saturday is the first A&W cruise in. I hope to take Lucy out as a shakedown run for my upcoming trip to WV in two weeks!

Looks awesome! 🤯

 Very cool 😎 

I got wrench time on Lucy today but not as much as i had hoped. I was hoping to get started on installing the Barton shifter in Violet too. That didn’t happen.
 

1. I finished installing the dynomat on the passenger side door. 
2. I installed an external microphone onto the sunvisor and ran it to a microphone pickup on the back of my Retro Sound Daytona radio. I can use it with the USB port to plug in my cell phone and go hands free.

3. I ran the USB port to the front of the dash but I still need to mount it under the dash somewhere.

4. Reinstalled the AC ducting but needed the kid’s help to put the screws back in.

5. I readjusted the driver seat which are mounted to two inch set back plates. It was cockeyed and I straightened it. 

My son called me. He had gotten home from work today only to discover he had a big leak from his Hummer. He said it was red, which made me think it was tranny fluid. Its not, it was coolant. He brought the Hummer over to the garage. We crawled under to find the lower radiator hose clamp had broken and the pressure in the coolant system was pushing the radiator hose off the radiator. We ran to the parts store, bought a couple of new hose clamps and a gallon of GM orange coolant.  I have to admit the antifreeze was more red than orange. I now understand why he thought the coolant was ted.

Now back to Lucy….

I started Lucy up now that I have a new battery. She started cold fine. I took her to our first local cruise of the season to a former drive-in diner. It was NOT crowded either. It was cold and overcast. It was about 53F.
 

I tested my hot start issue at the cruise. Its slow at first but she does turn over and it starts. I may still tweak the timing before I had to WV next weekend.
 

I did grab some photos of the handful of cars that were still at the cruise. Enjoy!

Edited April 20, 20251 yr by Frosty

well done mate ! great pics 

the 56 delivery is a bit of me 

Great pics bro

On 4/13/2025 at 10:11 PM, Frosty said:

Getting the new battery took some time to drive around town to get a new Optima. By the time I got the new battery and installed into Lucy, it was about time for my boss to come home from her weekend long scrapbooking session.

After coming home and unloading her Hummer, the boss decided to see her parents. I grabbed the opportunity and went back to the garage. I decided to remove the stock ‘72 recessed grilles and put in the ‘71 Judge style grilles. Once I got them in, I added some of Last Indian’s jewelry to set it off!

 

Next Saturday is the first A&W cruise in. I hope to take Lucy out as a shakedown run for my upcoming trip to WV in two weeks!

Did he make the hat? 

Last night was a gorgeous night weather wise. It will be the last dry day here until the weekend. So I took the opportunity to go to the garage mahal. I dusted off Lucy and applied speed detailer to Lucy's sheet metal and wheels. I cleaned the convertible top with tonneau/convertible top cleaner. I used glass cleaner on all the exterior glass. Tonight I plan to clean the tires, vaccum the interior, clean interior, and perhaps start cleaning the engine bay.

I also took time to adjust the initial timing to see if that fixes my hot start issue. Once I got the vaccuum advanced unplugged and plug the port on the carb, instead of running way advanced (14 degrees BTDC last fall), it was running more like 4 degrees BTDC. So I advanced it back out to around 11-12 degrees. The engine sounds way better. Because it was getting late, I didn't get a chance for a test drive. I will test it this weekend since I have shows on Saturday and Sunday to go to with her.

I'm still reeling at the fact that your wife spent a whole weekend 'scrapbooking.' Are you sure she's actually doing that, or are her and a few girlfriends hopping into the white wine with a male stripogram and some porn?

I also have to wonder how your timing was so far out. As we all know, timing makes a huge difference to how your engine performs. Always ensure that after it's done that you hook up the vac advance and test it whilst revving the engine and watching the marks move. No vac advance means it'll drink like a sailor on leave.

3 hours ago, Fitzy said:

I'm still reeling at the fact that your wife spent a whole weekend 'scrapbooking.' Are you sure she's actually doing that, or are her and a few girlfriends hopping into the white wine with a male stripogram and some porn?

Dunno, don’t care. 

If I have two or three solid days left to my own devices and no responsibilities, pfft….car porn, car shows, or car projects here I come! Oh yes, let’s have one priority….beer! 

I suspect the timing problem  was unintentional. If you recall a few years ago I stupidly put a jack through my oil pan and not on the K-member. That oil pan is now on my wall of shame. 

I sent the car to a muscle car restoration shop to pull the engine, replace the oil pan and make sure I didn’t screw up the oil pickup in the process. That’s when he found out my torque converter bolts were screwed and replaced them. The guy who did the work is an Oldsmobile fan but he knows GM A-bodies based on what’s in his shop. I think he changed the timing once he put the motor back in but didn’t set it correctly. I am guessing he didn’t remember that a Pontiac dizzy spins anti-clockwise vs. Olds/Chevy that spin clockwise.

Going further, last year I was plagued with a huge no start problem that left me stranded at a car show.  I found the Apollo 13 inspired hole is the side of the starter solenoid but after I replaced the solenoid, I still had a no start issue. That turned out to be a burnt wire under the dash, in the ignition circuit between the neutral safety switch and the fuse block. Then I noticed the hot start issue at the end of the season.

This spring I had another no start issue. Turns out a 15 year old battery can give up the ghost at any time. That bastard, after all I did for it. So now, I hope….HOPE….I’m back to fixing the hot start issue and cleaning up the timing. I will know this weekend since I have the PTM gala on Saturday and my first spring car show on Sunday.

Riiight..I read an article saying that there's a good reason why Ford relays are mounted up high in the engine bay - it's to prevent hot start issues. The article goes on to tell you how to convert any car to a similar setup. My own starter motor now sits snugly under my headers so plenty of ambient heat there for it to soak up. After a run (say, for a fuel stop) when it's time to restart, the engine will do a revolution on the starter, almost come to a stop and then merrily burst into life. I'm surmising hot start issue but starter, battery & engine are all new so she fires up every time but is a little disconcerting for that half a second or so.

I didn't realise Pontiacs were alone in distributor anti clockwise rotation. Having never owned any other US car I assumed that GM would have mandated some consistency across all brands in that regard - obviously not.

Pontiacs are not alone, I believe there are other brands that spin anti-clockwise, justa not in the GM family. It justA depends on which side of the camshaft center line you mount the distributor determines its rotation.

Hot soak/start issues are not new.I have a heat shield and a brand new OEM starter if I need to swap out the old starter to solve the problem. I am considering getting a mini-torque starter too but I haven’t dropped the cash for that yet. I want to use what I already have first.

Edited May 14, 20251 yr by Frosty

Last year, I had the hot start issue with the Sunbird.   Frosty to the rescue.  Wasn't til this winter I remembered I did not install the heat shield for the starter. Quick check confirmed.  Have no idea what happened to the original, but had a spare.  Need to get er up in the air and install and re position my exhaust.  Still think the backfire issue is a leak in the exhaust at the exhaust manifolds.  Thinkin about the GTO all winter.  Need to fire it up and check the TV antenna position.  Also need to check fluid levels to figure out why it is not shifting.  Last trip home from the dustoff last year, wouldn't shift.  Limped er home and focused all attention and $$$ into getting the Sunbird back on the road. 

I gave up on stock gm starters years ago 

I now have 4 of the road runner brand mini starters and my oldest one is on the Camaro and it’s been there for near 23 years untouched and never missed a beat ..

one thing that does get over looked is having good quality positive lead and clamp on the battery along with a good heavy earth back from the motor to the battery with crimped or soldered ends ! 

I hear you Kiwi. While my starter is a heavy OEM starter, I have had it since 2003 with no issue until the Apollo 13 solenoid occurred. I put it back once I replaced the damaged solenoid. It cranks like always cold..

The mini-starter in Indyman’s dirty girl I gave him years ago since it was collecting dust on my shelf. He loves it especially since he is running headers! 

Edited May 15, 20251 yr by Frosty

2 hours ago, Frosty said:

I hear you Kiwi. While my starter is a heavy OEM starter, I have had it since 2003 with no issue until the Apollo 13 solenoid occurred. I put it back once I replaced the damaged solenoid. It cranks like always cold..

The mini-starter in Indyman’s dirty girl I gave him years ago since it was collecting dust on my shelf. He loves it especially since he is running headers! 

the cool thing now frosty is you can buy a higher powered mini starter 

this is my 1.4 kilowatt one for the 68 build …

Edited May 15, 20251 yr by 64 kiwi boni

When these starter flick , people turn and look as they have a very distintive zip to there tune 

The 72 camaro one still sounds like its starting Apollo 13 !!!, 🚀

Edited May 15, 20251 yr by 64 kiwi boni

The only caveat I can think of when using a hi torque starter is that they can strip teeth off a flywheel or ring gear. Now, having said that, Kiwi's Camaro still has all it's teeth so unless you are trying to turn a high compression monster over you should be fine. I vividly remember Kiwi spruiking these things and have never forgotten the recommendation. When mine bites the dust, holiday in NZ and returning with a Roadrunner is defo on the cards.

1 hour ago, Fitzy said:

The only caveat I can think of when using a hi torque starter is that they can strip teeth off a flywheel or ring gear. Now, having said that, Kiwi's Camaro still has all it's teeth so unless you are trying to turn a high compression monster over you should be fine. I vividly remember Kiwi spruiking these things and have never forgotten the recommendation. When mine bites the dust, holiday in NZ and returning with a Roadrunner is defo on the cards.

The guys at Road runner starters are bloody good guys 

they build there starters with good gear !

I did check my ring gear on the Camaro a few months back and I see no real wear on it . 
I do love how when I flick the key it does the zip sound not some grinding nasty crap sound 

 

Thanks for the recommendation Kiwi. $375 is a bit pricey at the moment, but I am sure it's worth it if you 20+ years of useful life out of it. Like I said, I still have a brand new re-manufactured OEM starter sitting on the shelf plus my 20 plus year old starter in the car. If both of those fail to solve the hot start issue, then I will turn to the mini torque starter.

Lucy got some much needed road time this weekend. FIrst up was driving her to the PTM's Phase II grand opening gala in Pontiac. She ran down I-75, thru the construction zone, with no issue. I had to be there early to get a parking spot in the PTM's small parking lot. The Michigan Widetrackers and Motor City POCI chapters were partial sponsors of this event. 

The weather was terrible. It was cold for this late in spring, it was about 58F, there was a breeze (e..g. a wind chill) and we got intermittent rain showers/sprinkles. Ugh. I didn't bother wiping off the car after the first one. No point. Hey at least we got free coffee and donuts for breakfast!!!!! Still it was definitely hat and jacket weather. 

Since I was at the PTM for nearly six hours, I had no chance to test the hot start issue until I headed home. Near the garage mahal, I stopped at an ATM to get some quick cash for Sunday. I turned the car off while I was getting my money. Once I was done, I tried to start her. I got a low, slow turning at first but it gradually picked up speed and started. So I am not totally out of the woods yet but I think I am on my way to solving it.

I had another chance on Sunday to test the hot start. After the Dust Em Off show, I pulled into a nearby Bob Evans to order take out for my wife and I. It took over 30 minutes to get my food but when I jumped back in the car, she was a bit quicker starting. I figure that is because she had a little time to cool down but not hours to get cold.

She ran well but now I think I need to do some fluid checking, which I failed to do so far this spring. Shame on me!

Edited May 19, 20251 yr by Frosty

Mmmmm Bob Evans biscuits and sausage gravy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, I got distracted. I'll go back to my hole now. 

Grilled wildfire chicken salad for the wife. I had steak tips, eggs, and hashbrowns. I had to get some chocolate chunk cookies and banana bread too. In case you were wondering Wrongway.

You may continue to salivate! 

14 hours ago, Wrongway said:

Mmmmm Bob Evans biscuits and sausage gravy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry, I got distracted. I'll go back to my hole now. 

wheres the pictures ??? what are these Biscuits ???

Yumminess ol'buddy.