That’s justA what I wanted to hear 👍👍

thank you mate 👍👍

he has a 1964 Pontiac bonneville original ignition  switch !!! 

The price ! .... through the roof ...

guess what ! I am going to pay the money 

my girl is worth it !!! 

Today was significant because I managed to put the distributor and carby back together with no bits left over!

The carby looks new (now) and to be honest, apart from the encrusted crap in the float bowls, seemed to be just fine. I wirebrushed and lubed the distributor internals and I guarantee those weights have never been so eager to move. New points & condenser, everything sparkling clean, good to go.

Tomorrow's task is to clean up the inlet manifold prior to fresh paint. Remember that pic when I post another post clean up.

I ordered some 'exhaust crossover port block' gaskets along with all sorts of goodies from Ames yesterday. I decided to go with a Pontiac 068 cam and fresh lifters, along with a billet double roller timing chain with multiple keyways so I can degree that cam just right and a FlowKooler and all sorts of extra stuff. Fun times ahead.

11 minutes ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

That’s justA what I wanted to hear 👍👍

thank you mate 👍👍

he has a 1964 Pontiac bonneville original ignition  switch !!! 

The price ! .... through the roof ...

guess what ! I am going to pay the money 

my girl is worth it !!! 

Kiwi - I bought my replacement lighting switch through eBay - the mob was called Inline Tube. The switch is indistinguishable from original and good quality - bolted straight in and the price was good.

Try them first.

hmm the light switch is not as rare as the ignition switch, even Del has struggled to find one for his convertible 64.

dave has one and its new old stock. at $245 bucks au... and its not the same as any other model

schwing !!!!

Does it have to be a dead set original? There are plenty of aftermarket ones available. Remember my trunk lock 'journey?' 1965 GP trunk lock is unique to that year and I saw ONE secondhander on eBay for US$300! I got a locksmith to insert a new generic GM lock barrel into the GP housing - for $30. 

Yeah the trick with my ignition is the length of the thread through the dash and it has a light in there too 

I justA bought it !! They are soooo rare I justA could not think about it too long 

!!

i know both Del and wrong way would certInly do with this switch too ! 

Water Pump 101: I read that clearance between the standard water pump impeller and the dividing plate needs to be minimal (like, a few mm) in order for the pump to do it's thing with any sort of efficiency. As you may remember, when I tore down the engine it's thermostat was missing and the water pump was crudded up with what I can only assume was a stop leak product. Combined with blocked coolant passages in the engine block, I'd say it all got too much for it's final US owner and was given up on until fate delivered it into my hands. See pics for huge clearance between impeller blades and divider! The FlowKooler I ordered may need the same minimal clearance but I'm not sure yet.

The solution is to gently hammer the divider closer to the impeller. I said GENTLY!

 

Edited September 13, 20214 yr by Fitzy

yip i agree mate, it will flow way more water if that clearance is minimal , but that one you have is toast!!!

whats your radiator like ???

 it may do with a top and bottom tank removal and clean the cores out, at a minimum .

 i had Morris the Taupo radiator man build me a new radiator using justA my old tank top and bottom.

that was 1300 bucks, but at least i KNOW its good

24 minutes ago, Fitzy said:

The FlowKooler I ordered may need the same minimal clearance but I'm not sure yet.

post us a pic of what your getting mate 

Holy shit - $1300 for a radiator! I'm going to take mine to a couple of specialists and see what they say AND I'm going to call Aussie Desert Coolers. It might actually be cheaper to buy an aftermarket one, built to my required dimensions. Mine looks intact and doesn't appear to have ever leaked, but if it's internals are anything like my poor water pump, I'm getting it looked at.

Here's the FlowKooler...

2 hours ago, Fitzy said:

Holy shit - $1300 for a radiator! I'm going to take mine to a couple of specialists and see what they say AND I'm going to call Aussie Desert Coolers. It might actually be cheaper to buy an aftermarket one, built to my required dimensions. Mine looks intact and doesn't appear to have ever leaked, but if it's internals are anything like my poor water pump, I'm getting it looked at.

Here's the FlowKooler...

nice but where is the cover on the back of the impeller ? do you have to use your old one ???

surely not ?

2 hours ago, Fitzy said:

Holy shit - $1300 for a radiator! I'm going to take mine to a couple of specialists and see what they say AND I'm going to call Aussie Desert Coolers. It might actually be cheaper to buy an aftermarket one, built to my required dimensions. Mine looks intact and doesn't appear to have ever leaked, but if it's internals are anything like my poor water pump, I'm getting it looked at.

yeah mate, i wanted to stay stock as i could. most of the cost was the core...

 i have seen a desert cooler before,,, they are pretty dam good... 

I have ordered new stainless steel divider plates from Ames to go with the new pump. Believe me, I have done my research. Frosty's supplied link to a YouTube clip re cam degreeing was really good. Do you think I can find a 'reasonably priced' kit (under US$300) that is in stock anywhere? Ba-bow! There is something called the "Isky split overlap" technique that allows you to play with cam timing without an actual degreeing kit. I figure my donk will never even reach 4 grand, even in anger, so we'll see BUT I really wanna give it a crack and do the best job I can. It'll be worth it when that baby fires up for the first time.

I shall call the guys at Aussie pretty soon re new radiator.

Fitzy - Inline Tube is a Michigan-based company. I have a custom length emergency/parking brake cable for Lucy from them. I also have a box load of new hard fuel and brake lines from them waiting to go into Lucy as well. They sell or manufacture top shelf stuff.

Yes Frosty, as I told Kiwi, I was most impressed with my Inline Tube lighting switch which was identical to the original in every respect and was reasonably priced. 

So, I have another question. It's radiator time and I'm researching some options. Does anyone have any experience with Cold Case Radiators and is there any possible reason why an owner would not use aluminium (we say it different here!)

As far as I know, aluminium conducts heat extremely well and obviously will never rust. Any feedback is appreciated, as always.

Trivia Time: on Butler's site, they resell Cold Case radiators and there's some interesting facts re dealer fitment options back in the 60s. A body cars got regular downward flowing rads whilst B bodies got crossflows. AC equipped cars got a 7 blade fan and a metal shroud, non AC got a 5 blade fan and no shroud. Dealers started fitting metal shrouds to non AC cars after many owners complained of hot running engines. So, we all know how my car has behaved in it's distant past what with evidence of cooling system abuse, but my non AC car has a crossflow as it should, but has the metal shroud and a 7 blade fan. I'm starting to wonder if those apparent factory blocked coolant passages in my block ever did my poor engine any good! Perhaps the previous owner(s) were beseiged with cooling issues for years, now culminating in me throwing buckets of money at it in order to fix the poor old thing.

Oh, and evidence of the effects of covid in the US has been made apparent to me once more as I placed a sizeable order with Ames, but heaps was out of stock. So, after some frantic scrounging and scraping, I have managed to source all I need, but from 4 different suppliers! I picked up one of the 2 remaining 068 cams from Butler, so am very happy about that.

3 hours ago, Fitzy said:

As far as I know, aluminium conducts heat extremely well and obviously will never rust. Any feedback is appreciated, as always.

i am copper boy.. yip your ali is good but will it last ????

I dunno. Will it? Surely if it's made properly and filled with correct fresh coolant, it will last.

This is also all new territory for me. I have never had to replace a radiator.

A lot of resto mod guys I know swear by al-u-minnie-um radiators. I have been lucky with Lucy, she has a factory 4-core radiator. Still if it ever did fail, I would consider an aluminum radiator.

I would try a Be Cool radiator simply because they are made about an hour from my house, in Essexville Michigan (Bay City). I have nothing against Cold Case radiators. 

Interesting thing to note, my '73 Lemans Sport Coupe with a 350 V8 and air conditioning had a bigger capacity radiator than a 73 GTO with 400 or 455.

1 hour ago, Fitzy said:

I dunno. Will it? Surely if it's made properly and filled with correct fresh coolant, it will last.

This is also all new territory for me. I have never had to replace a radiator.

They have been around for many years. Price ended up close to the copper, when I had the 4 core made for the GTO,  it was $600.  Copper, factory appearance. Went with the local guy that has taken care of all my Radiator needs since I started driving.  Replaced all hoses, 160 thermostate,  found one of those 7 blade fans (dumping the flex fan) water pump,  Plastic (OPGI) shroud.  Finally got the temp problem under control.  

Radiator update: after much research (I looked at Be Cool, US Radiator, etc) I ordered a Cold Case aluminium jobbie through Butler: total cost about AU$900 which I think compares favourably with what it would have cost to get my oldie cleaned out & repaired.

Lots of goodies on the way, off to see the machinist tomorrow to see what fhe f@#k is going on with my engine inspection. I said to take their time, but didn't mean it!

56 minutes ago, Fitzy said:

Radiator update: after much research (I looked at Be Cool, US Radiator, etc) I ordered a Cold Case aluminium jobbie through Butler: total cost about AU$900 which I think compares favourably with what it would have cost to get my oldie cleaned out & repaired.

Lots of goodies on the way, off to see the machinist tomorrow to see what fhe f@#k is going on with my engine inspection. I said to take their time, but didn't mean it!

mate ! that's the last thing you say to a tradie these days!!! work is soooo full on you wont see your job done this side of xmas!!! hahaha 

Just now, 64 kiwi boni said:

mate ! that's the last thing you say to a tradie these days!!! work is soooo full on you wont see your job done this side of xmas!!! hahaha 

dangle cash!!!! it works for me!! 

So, I called the machinist today and apparently the block needs to be bored, but the crank and heads have been crack tested and crank only needs linishing. Unfortunately a 030 rebore means new pistons, so went all out and ordered a rebuild kit through Butler which is pistons, rings, bearings, gaskets & seals, plus I chucked in some cam bearings. What the hell - just money, right?

Butler bottom end with an 068 cam spec cam....she's going to be runner for sure when you're done mate!!! 

Yes Frosty. I'll be so broke at the end of my 'journey' that I might start a crowdfunding effort so's I can chuck some petrol in it to actually start it!

I keep thinking of that mushroom cloud image that was sent to me - a fitting parody of when she initially fires up and my Butler pistons escape to the heavens as my garage burns to the ground. It's important to always look on the bright side.😊

 

 

Edited September 23, 20214 yr by 64 kiwi boni

 

fitzy, you may find this interesting 

 

Thanks mate, yes it's always good to watch someone who actually knows what they're doing. His bright shiny engine is being assembled in a clean, well lit, virtually sterile environment whilst mine will be suspended on my Supercheap stand with me dressed in shorts & singlet bumbling through the assembly, with dust, insects & leaves blowing through the carport, pistons going in backwards, valves upside down, but it will LOOK  shit hot.

I ordered 2 more cans of Pontiac Blue engine enamel yesterday and am currently cleaning up all ancillary components in preparation for painting. I also jumped into the engine bay and degreased it once more in readiness for some paint and a clean up of wires and stuff. I'll post pics when I have something worthy enough to display.