What did you do to your Car today?

[Stewy]

Hrmm... today I put Ren on the Battery Tender (I finished her spring detail a couple days ago). Last night I was up until almost 1am working on TC ('09 Malibu - my daily driver) - oil change, full body & power train inspection, reprogramming summer wheels, cleaning and packing up winter wheels, etc..

So TC has the 2.4L Ecotec. Big fan of the Ecotec line but I found out last night the rubber gasket that seals the engine cover (with integrated PCV manifold) to the throttle body is tearing apart. I start digging around trying to find a replacement and short of buying a used engine cover on eBay (which includes the rubber gasket), I can't find where I could get just the gasket (even reached out to the local Chevy garage and worked with my contact there). 😒.

A (annoyingly) funny things is, Dorman sells a replacement cover-to-TB gasket and they throw in the ducting that connects the air filter box to the engine cover but to buy just those two pieces are nearly $100 - for what appears to be $10 worth of rubber!! 🤦‍♂️

Edited May 5, 2020 by Stewy

[64 kiwi boni]

9 hours ago, JUSTA6 said:

Most of the time, I'm runnin off the middle carb.  She runs great.  I rebuilt all 3 carbs a couple years after gettin the car on the road.  Rebuilt again, replacing throttle shaft bushings.  Helped the leak, but not the mid range bog. Accelerator pump is usually an off idle bog and dead give away.  Thought I figured it out with the distributor,  points or condenser and replaced with the Pertronix.  Have tried adjusting the dwell all over the map and back to where it runs best.  Condenser is workin or it's not. Never part time. Yea Gary... Re-adjusted the timing after installing.    OMG.  Young neighbor came over and asked what the chrome gun was for!!!!   That's a timing light son...

sounds like its still over fueling jUSTA

have you run it with just the middle carb hooked ?, then hook second and try it again?

20 hours ago, Frosty said:

Okay so the next two projects were on my 2018 Chevy Colorado. The first involved installing a Gator soft tonneau cover on the back. I got it for Christmas and finally the weather here in Michigan was decent enough in late April to install it. The kid helped me install it - in fact he kind took charge. It was a real easy installation. The most time consuming thing was setting up the tension blocks. They can be set up 4 different ways so you have a little trial and error to get it right to close the cover tight enough.

Here is the 8' long box everything came in. All you need is 1/2" socket, 9/16" socket and a flat blade screwdriver.

The kid doing the hard work - installing the C-clamps that holds the mounting rails to the side of the bed.

The finished product

 

The second project was replacing the Chevy gold Bowtie emblems with retro style Chevy emblems that Chevy used on their Heritage edition 100th anniversary pickups. You can get these emblems over the counter at your Chevy dealership. The front emblem is held in by clips that you release from behind the front grille. Just release the six bolts at the top, scrape up your hand and wrist quite a bit while pushing the pins out and viola, out comes the front emblem and you can push in the new one and bind a band-aid or two and some Bactine.

The tailgate was a lot more fun. By fun, I mean hassle, tedious, time consuming, etc., etc., etc. The back emblem is adhesively mounted. I had heard that dental floss and fishing line would work to cut the adhesive while not scratching the paint. I had lots of free unused dental floss samples but no fishing line, so I used that. It works - barely. It gets behind the emblem and you can start sawing away for a few seconds and then breaks. Get another piece, saw, break, repeat. Fortunately last summer I also invested in a set of plastic interior/emblem removal tools from Summit Racing for $27. Money well spent for this job. Once the floss got an edge started I could use the tools to get in behind the emblem and eventually pry it off without damaging it, the paint or the truck.

With the emblem off, now comes more elbow grease, getting rid of the old stick 'em. Goo Gone, paper towel and you !!! Yeah baby! 

The tape marks all the points of the Bowtie so you can align the new one properly.

Success!

Nice badges Frosty

look wayyyyy nicer

[Frosty]

14 hours ago, Ringo64 said:

Really like those emblems. Might have to get some for my Camaro if they offer it! 

Not sure...I know GM has them for their entire Chevy truck line up since these were first issued for the 100th anniversary of the Chevy pickup.

13 hours ago, JUSTA6 said:

OMG.  Young neighbor came over and asked what the chrome gun was for!!!!   That's a timing light son...

Is that your timing gun or are you just happy to see me !!!! 

12 hours ago, Stewy said:

A (annoyingly) funny things is, Dorman sells a replacement cover-to-TB gasket and they throw in the ducting that connects the air filter box to the engine cover but to buy just those two pieces are nearly $100 - for what appears to be $10 worth of rubber!! 🤦‍♂️

Welcome to another fine lesson in free enterprise and capitalism.

 

4 hours ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

Nice badges Frosty

look wayyyyy nicer

Thanks bud. I am a sucker for a lot of retro looks. The emblems reminds me of the old Chevrolet sign that use to be over the "Chevy in the Hole" factory (they built the 50 Millionth GM vehicle - gold '55 Chevy) we had here in Flint when I was a kid. That factory sign was donated to a local Chevy dealer (Vic Canever Chevrolet in nearby Fenton Michigan) when GM reorganized into CPC and BOC in the 80s. The factory is completely closed and torn down now. Here is a photo of the sign at the dealership from Google Maps. Those  signs sat on top of the factory.

Edited May 5, 2020 by Frosty

[JUSTA6]

6 hours ago, 64 kiwi boni said:

sounds like its still over fueling jUSTA

have you run it with just the middle carb hooked ?, then hook second and try it again?

Nice badges Frosty

look wayyyyy nicer

Baffling  as to why it isn't smoking.  If it's getting so much fuel it makes the engine stumble.   She ran well this AM even idling for over 15 min before the event started.  In the 30's here this AM and I actually used the heater for the 1st time.  Gotta B something simple N stupid.  Will start at the top N work my way down the list when my cap/rotor get here. 

[Last Indian]

19 hours ago, JUSTA6 said:

Most of the time, I'm runnin off the middle carb.  She runs great.  I rebuilt all 3 carbs a couple years after gettin the car on the road.  Rebuilt again, replacing throttle shaft bushings.  Helped the leak, but not the mid range bog. Accelerator pump is usually an off idle bog and dead give away.  Thought I figured it out with the distributor,  points or condenser and replaced with the Pertronix.  Have tried adjusting the dwell all over the map and back to where it runs best.  Condenser is workin or it's not. Never part time. Yea Gary... Re-adjusted the timing after installing.    OMG.  Young neighbor came over and asked what the chrome gun was for!!!!   That's a timing light son...

Well first off that’s really sad! Funny, but sad! In another 15 maybe 20 years this country is so screwed! I’ve said it before I’ll say it again! When a country looses it ability to make machines of war their demise is eminent! We are just about there & this pandemic has only shown this to be truer than ever before!

Now to the important stuff! Two quick what if’s and thoughts! I would agree with you Steve, I don’t think it over fueled! By your description it sound like, 1. Lack of fuel, like the power circuit isn’t reacting quick enough! Maybe the spring valve is sticking?  Or, 2. possibly a vacuum leak that needs a temperature rise to a certain point to cause enough of a gap to create that leak? I had that on my daughters “91” 3.4 Grand Prix! Intake manifold would create a vacuum leak after running long enough to create a gap at the gasket. What a pain to find! It happened in the winter. She was just out of college about a year and still at home here. So the car sat outside. So depending on the temperature of the day it would happen in varying lengths of time. While you don’t see an idle issue, that would mean it’s not an external leak, it could be an internal vacuum leak in the carb, maybe?

Edited May 5, 2020 by Last Indian

[JUSTA6]

42 minutes ago, Last Indian said:

Well first off that’s really sad! Funny, but sad! In another 15 maybe 20 years this country is so screwed! I’ve said it before I’ll say it again! When a country looses it ability to make machines of war their demise is eminent! We are just about there & this pandemic has only shown this to be truer than ever before!

Now to the important stuff! Two quick what if’s and thoughts! I would agree with you Steve, I don’t think it over fueled! By your description it sound like, 1. Lack of fuel, like the power circuit isn’t reacting quick enough! Maybe the spring valve is sticking?  Or, 2. possibly a vacuum leak that needs a temperature rise to a certain point to cause enough of a gap to create that leak? I had that on my daughters “91” 3.4 Grand Prix! Intake manifold would create a vacuum leak after running long enough to create a gap at the gasket. What a pain to find! It happened in the winter. She was just out of college about a year and still at home here. So the car sat outside. So depending on the temperature of the day it would happen in varying lengths of time. While you don’t see an idle issue, that would mean it’s not an external leak, it could be an internal vacuum leak in the carb, maybe?

The plan is to toss the new cap/rotor on.  I left a lil too much timing in it.  Turning over hard.  Start over and tune the middle carb with the vac gauge again...it's been years.  Want to check the fuel pressure.   I'm sure I have an old gauge around here to hook up,  but again not really the signs of the mechanical pump going bad. Would show as a prob at idle as well.  Check outside carbs and get a visual on gas flowing, or NOT.  I have set the linkage to kick in the outside carbs early (in case it's leanin out) and set it all the way back (in case it's dumpin too much)  nothing solves the prob.  That's what led me to the distributor.   Pertronix is foolproof, screw it in and go.  So back to fuel system.

[Stewy]

23 hours ago, Frosty said:

That factory sign was donated to a local Chevy dealer (Vic Canever Chevrolet in nearby Fenton Michigan)

That's cool! I go by and used to go Canevar a lot and I am in Fenton a lot and I love that sign - never knew the history of it. I think the sign just got even more valuable to me!

[Frosty]

24 minutes ago, Stewy said:

That's cool! I go by and used to go Canevar a lot and I am in Fenton a lot and I love that sign - never knew the history of it. I think the sign just got even more valuable to me!

Here you go Stewy....JUSTA for you. Here is an old photo of one of the signs as it was mounted over the overpass that crossed Chevrolet Avenue between old Plant 2 and 2A. The dark black building to the left is the GMI (General Motors Institute now Kettering) Campus Center. 

There were actually two sets of signs. One was on the overpass and one on the factory itself. The other set was sent out west somewhere. I have no idea where the second set ended up.

Edited May 6, 2020 by Frosty

[Stewy]

 

*new desktop wallpaper*

😁

[Stripes]

Installed front global west s-41 500lb rated coil springs on the 69 fb. WOW, what a improvement!

Edited May 14, 2020 by Stripes

[Stewy]

Yesterday I started the spring detail process on my daily ('09 Malibu). I'm doing a full exterior strip down to the clear coat and starting with a virgin surface. It'll take several days to rebuild everything but it's overdue...

[Frosty]

On 5/4/2020 at 10:10 AM, Frosty said:

Okay, the final project is nine years in the making. I was at my buddy's house yesterday helping him take down some 351 Windsor engines that he is selling. My buddy stores my Trans Am for me.

Hard to believe that my Trans Am has been in storage for nearly a decade - ever since we bought our current house and I don't have a place to put it. My buddy generously stores it for me and I do favors and errands from time to time in exchange. 

Yesterday we had to drag out the Trans Am to get at the two 351 Windsor motors - which are on the shelf just above the nose of the Trans Am.

We took the cover off, swiped the battery from his '97 Blazer (since the original battery in the Trans Am sulfated several years ago) and hooked it up, and cautiously cranked the engine. We cranked it for close to a minute, letting it build up oil pressure and purposely not starting it. Finally we let it start and it did!!!! Sure it was rough at first - with nine year old stale gas in it. After awhile though it smooth out. Since she is on rollers, we didn't put it in drive. However we did put it in neutral to alllow the transmission to build up some pressure. We reved the engine to around 3000 RPM and we let it run for close to 20 minutes. She ran wonderfully after she cleared out some of the carbon.

I have some videos of the engine actually running but I am getting -200 errors this morning. I will chat with Ringo on that later and see about posting them. 

Bottom line is I am ecstatic to see that the Trans Am still runs after all these years of setting dormant. I also now know I need to buy new hood struts to hold the hood open.

After having some technical difficulties uploading these video files, here they are. After nearly nine years in storage, my Trans Am was running for nearly 20 minutes. I must say, I was amazed and happy.

 

IMG_4882.MOV

IMG_4881.MOV

 

[Last Indian]

Well got went to my local metal supplier today! Got this for a new project I’ll start who knows when?! Any guesses as to what it will become?

 

[Frosty]

A new toboggan? Snow shoes? Water skis? A teeter tooter for the grand kids? 

[Last Indian]

2 hours ago, Frosty said:

A new toboggan? Snow shoes? Water skis? A teeter tooter for the grand kids? 

Ok wise acre! It a smurf bench top! 

[JUSTA6]

A BAR?????

[64 kiwi boni]

3 hours ago, JUSTA6 said:

A BAR?????

Justa, how the hell did you get a picture of my shower !!,, and what happen to my jim beam???

9 hours ago, Last Indian said:

Well got went to my local metal supplier today! Got this for a new project I’ll start who knows when?! Any guesses as to what it will become?

 

the mind boggles with what you will create with this simple slab of metal Last Indian 👍 

[Stewy]

16 hours ago, Last Indian said:

Well got went to my local metal supplier today! Got this for a new project I’ll start who knows when?! Any guesses as to what it will become?

 

 

A pirate ship plank!

 

 

Last night I clay bared T.C.. It always amazes me just how much junk contact-washing leaves behind - even for a car that is clay bared twice a year (granted, she's a DD but I routinely keep my vehicles clean). On the docket for this evening: CarPro Iron-X the painted surfaces... I'm curious to see how much she "bleeds" purple.

Edited May 15, 2020 by Stewy

[Frosty]

14 hours ago, Last Indian said:

Ok wise acre! It a smurf bench top! 

I see the resemblance.

My goal for this weekend is to finish ripping the interior out of Lucy and see if the heater core is actually leaking. Carpet is ruined for sure - hence the need to yank everything out in the first place.

I'm thinking of swapping out radios. I have a rebuilt Delco AM/FM unit n Lucy now - tied to a CD changer. I am thinking of going to either a Custom Autosound or a Retrosound unit. I want to be able to play tunes from my cell and go hands free with the phone. Just wondering if anyone has had good or bad experience with either. I definitely am not looking to cut up the dash and I want as near-stock appearing as I can. Thoughts anyone?

Edited May 15, 2020 by Frosty

[Last Indian]

20 minutes ago, Frosty said:

I see the resemblance.

My goal for this weekend is to finish ripping the interior out of Lucy and see if the heater core is actually leaking. Carpet is ruined for sure - hence the need to yank everything out in the first place.

I'm thinking of swapping out radios. I have a rebuilt Delco AM/FM unit n Lucy now - tied to a CD changer. I am thinking of going to either a Custom Autosound or a Retrosound unit. I want to be able to play tunes from my cell and go hands free with the phone. Just wondering if anyone has had good or bad experience with either. I definitely am not looking to cut up the dash and I want as near-stock appearing as I can. Thoughts anyone?

I’m sorry, but coloring is more on the Corvette blue side! I also don’t wear that style of a hat! 

On the important side of things! You may have dealt with them before, but if not you might try them! Crutchfield, I have done business with them since the late “70s”! They have always been very good, helpful & knowledgeable. Easy to do business with easy return policy if needed, etc.. 

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-IDWuOkbb60b/

[Frosty]

3 hours ago, Last Indian said:

I’m sorry, but coloring is more on the Corvette blue side! I also don’t wear that style of a hat! 

On the important side of things! You may have dealt with them before, but if not you might try them! Crutchfield, I have done business with them since the late “70s”! They have always been very good, helpful & knowledgeable. Easy to do business with easy return policy if needed, etc.. 

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-IDWuOkbb60b/

Is there something wrong with Corvette blue? Isn't that the proper Smurf color?

Sorry - I guess that hat was too limp. Here it is erect.

I looked up Crutchfield. All the custom fit radios for Lucy are all Retrosound units. Curious.

Edited May 15, 2020 by Frosty

[Last Indian]

1 hour ago, Frosty said:

Is there something wrong with Corvette blue? Isn't that the proper Smurf color?

Sorry - I guess that hat was too limp. Here it is erect.

I looked up Crutchfield. All the custom fit radios for Lucy are all Retrosound units. Curious.

Ok! That’s better! Now that’s my hat!

I see that, but custom autosound shows no radio for the Lemans! I assume that the GTO dash for the radio is enough different?!

[JWMGTO]

On 5/23/2013 at 4:53 AM, killerspeed101 said:

Seen this on a grand prix forum, thought it would be cool to start one here
Anything you did to you're car. even just washing it.

 

Changed the oil

[Frosty]

1 hour ago, Last Indian said:

Ok! That’s better! Now that’s my hat!

I see that, but custom autosound shows no radio for the Lemans! I assume that the GTO dash for the radio is enough different?!

GTO/GT-37/Lemans are all the same dash for 1972. So I can use the GTO option.

[Last Indian]

4 minutes ago, Frosty said:

GTO/GT-37/Lemans are all the same dash for 1972. So I can use the GTO option.

Ok! On the custom autosound site they show three choices for GTO, but none for Lemans!

Edited May 15, 2020 by Last Indian