Bonne61

Actually I'm happy enough with the braking performance, given that it is used as a street cruiser. It's just the concern that if that single circuit has a problem, I'm in the hands of the Gods😆

Well, all the parts for the Bonneville have arrived from Butler. I must say their delivery has been fast - both shipments (ordered separately) came in 9 days! I've had Australian deliveries take a lot longer... The heads are with the machinists, so I guess I'm just waiting on them now🤞 At least I got to see the car today, when I dropped the new rocker gear to the mechanic. I've also ordered a 71 º (160 º) Mr Gasket High Flow thermostat, which should assist in keeping its cool. The new headliner from SMS hasn't left the States yet - apparently they're hoping to have it ready by end of this week. I did have someone arranged to install it, but I may just have a read of @64 kiwi boni thread & see if I can manage it myself. I have a dual circuit master cylinder waiting with my brake guy, who will fit it up with the necessary proportioning valve and piping. That way we'll have a bit of redundancy in the system in case something goes wrong. Don't like my chances of pulling the Beast up with the park brake, to be fair 😬

So you did - as usual, I never listen to reason. Although as I've said to my wife...had I have known the time, trouble and expense I was getting into I wouldn't have bought the car and that would have been a damn shame. Despite all of the above, when I get in and drive it I JustA can't wipe the smile off my face 😃

Photos, as required... IMG_9467.HEIC IMG_9468.HEIC Try again 🙄

Good news - less than 8 days after order placed event, my first lot of Butler gear has arrived (screw in studs, gaskets, etc). The mechanic already has it (plus a copy of all the information on the new parts and original rebuild that he may need), so the only thing to slow the process now will be the machining (both the wait and the time to do the work). All going well my rockers will arrive next week - so everything needed to get it back together again will be sorted. Who-hoo - fingers crossed Cooly may yet still be on the cards 🤞

Yes it does-although I’d wish it would give me a bit more time to enjoy it in between the dumps 💩 I’m beginning to understand why so many classic car owners have multiple vehicles. It isn’t out of greed, but necessity 😂

I love that car 🚗 😍

A bit of an update on my progress... I've changed mechanic (long story), and have a Pontiac Screw in Stud Conversion Kit, gaskets and a Melling 1.5 Rocker Arm kit heading my way from Butler. Obviously (and expensively🙄) the heads will need to come off to facilitate some machining. Hopefully with the current wait on machinists time atm, I'll be driving again within the foreseeable future. Not sure if the car will make Cooly this year though, which will be frustrating. At least when it comes back to me, all should be well🙏

Not sure about the valve spring loading in position, can only presume he did? And yes, all new. Good advice, thanks. And yes @TWO LANE BLACK TOP, balancer is all good.

Hey @TWO LANE BLACK TOP, thanks for your response. I should have said that the engine was rebuilt by a professional who, while not having heaps of experience with Pontiac engines specifically, does have a lot of experience with stock, street and race engines. And I've known him for a good few years so have had a lot of conversations with him prior to engaging him. And he spent a lot of time researching and speaking to Butler to arrive at the combination we have. The machinist also is a very "old school" (also older😀) guy with years of experience, who specialises in "old" engines. So at least (I hope) I had the best chance at getting a decent outcome. It was too big a job (and with too much money involved!) for me to want to try and attempt it on my own. And can I say, I've been very happy with the build (barring the electrical issues we've had to sort) up until this failure. The lash was done at rebuild, again at 1000km, and twice since while chasing the original "miss", that turned out to be electrical. Also prior to the failure, the engine had 150psi compression on all cylinders dry, and 165psi wet. I like what you say about not using the roller set up - it seems to depend upon who you speak to about that. As usual, there are those that say it's the "only" or "best" way - I just don't think those people are listening when I say the car was intended (and is used) primarily as a street cruiser. Sure I get up it from time to time, but it never gets over revved or "dragged". If what I end up going provides me with a few extra horses great, but I'm not chasing more power necessarily. Reliability, longevity and simplicity are key for me. And the entire focus for me has been trying to maintain the originality of the car, at least in appearance. So if I can maintain the original valve covers, so much the better. Thanks again 🙏

Back again - here goes... When the engine was rebuilt, in the end we serviced the heads rather than replace them due to cost constraints. Added to this we couldn't find valves to suit it anywhere. So the heads were cleaned, skimmed, new valve guides were fitted and the seats hardened but...we reused the original valves 😬 Now I've had this issue I'm a little more cautious and think it's time to do a bit more to ensure the top end doesn't end up destroying the bottom end that we painstakingly rebuilt. My ideal solution (if feasible?) would be to use the heads I've got (as most of the work has already been done), which will allow me to keep my current original manifolds, etc. I've heard I can have the press in studs changed for screw in, which are much better? f so, do I need to change my valve train assembly? And if so, am I able to (or better off?) swapping to roller rockers? And if so, am I able to retain the current cam (which was installed during the rebuild and which I'm happy with? The engine is a 389 (now 400ci) that I believe is a ‘59 model block (casting # 532000, block # K268), the original ‘60 (?) heads (casting # 536109). The motor is running good Butler Performance internals (see list below if it helps to make any recommendations?). Butler Performance Components: Comp standard double roller timing set, gears and chain Rod bearings Main bearings Melling high volume oil pump kit Butler mechanical fuel pump plate kit ARP main stud kit ARP rod bolt kit ARP head bolt kit DSS Forged 14cc Dish Pistons 4.122" bore Butler hydraulic lifter set Melling "068" 285/298 212/225 115 Hyd W/.408 lift Camshaft The car is used as a street cruiser, current spec @ 350HP/440 lb/ft, transmission is original Hydramatic, so won’t handle a heap of HP 😊 Don’t want to spend what’s left of my kid’s inheritance on whatever I choose, as most of that already went on the engine rebuild 😂 Many thanks, in advance 🙏

Ummm, thanks very much @Fitzy, you jinxed me! After many happy days of cruising around smoothly in the car, carefree, BAM! My wife and I were cruising home after an early Cars and Coffee when suddenly the car begins missing again, just like before. Showing her lack of trust with my judgement on the fuel gauge (fair I suppose, we did run out of fuel once early on😆 ), we pulled into the closest servo to top up. Nope, didn't solve it (I knew it wouldn't🙄). Naturally I suspected the distributor again, as it was exactly the same as the last one that had proven to be at issue (plus NOTHING else had changed). We drove home, and after checking to see all was well with everything else (leads, plugs, timing, carb settings, battery, etc), I decided to fit the distributor I had rebuilt (will describe what was done to this later on, once car is running well again and I can verify how much better it actually is), plus the plugs the guy recommended and reset the timing as advised. Quite confident that all would be well upon start up I happily cranked away to find that NO, it was still the same. That is to say, missing like a bastard, presumably on one cylinder. To shorten the story it turns out that it had snapped a rocker post on #4 cylinder, thus the miss🤷‍♂️ I will start another string to continue this saga, as now I need to ask everyone for some advice - please follow along...

Well for us, it kinda happened by default. Can I say up front that initially, the whole idea came from my Gorgeous wife. I'll bet not many can say that? We started out looking for a "classic car" - didn't have anything particular in mind except we knew that my wife absolutely loved the Elvis-style Cadillac with the big wings, and I really liked the later '66-'67 Impalas. So it needed to be a big US cruiser style (wife didn't want a muscle car that she knew I would try and race around everywhere, destroying parts, licence and bank balance in equal measure😅. Smart girl 🤷‍♂️). I called for some practicality (if we were going to get one, it had to be something that SHE would be happy to drive as well, as I wasn't just going to play chauffeur (already have a motorbike that only I can ride, didn't want another solo toy!), whilst she admitted that the Impala's I liked just looked like a big Statesman to her, so wasn't that keen. So...after a lot of searching and miles of driving around to look at a heap of cars, what we eventually found seemed to sit right in the middle of both our wish lists, plus we both loved the car at first sight 🥰 Being a '61 it still had wings (of sorts), plus a whole heap of chrome inside and out, and looked very stylish. For me, it had 6 seats, an auto trans, an adjustable bench seat so all of her 5' could reach the go pedal, and in my opinion had a heap of swagger. Plus it was quite different from everything else we'd seen.

Thanks for that - I'm still chasing up my options 😊

@Frostyand @Fitzy, I thank you both for your emotional support, in consideration of my personal finances 😅 It gets worse (or better), depending upon your perspective... Ames don't seem to have exactly what I need, unfortunately, because at $USD303 that is a whole lot cheaper than the alternative! SMS Fabrics have exactly what I need, but it's USD$449 😳 Anyhoo, who'd have thought that a simple failed stitch line in my hood lining was going to set me back around $1000 when all said and done? I guess I should have learnt by now, shouldn't I?

Round 2... As some of you may remember I had some Bangin' Headlights on pre-order? I think I mentioned earlier, they're led but at 4300k emit a warm white light that emulates the original sealed beams. They arrived, so what else to do but install them? First up, they are a quality product. Australian made (company based in WA), glass lenses, Aus-complied, an EXACT replacement fit for the OEM halogens. Took all of an hour to fit, including improvements to one of the earths, and terminating the high beam plug and leads that are now redundant. I fitted them with the supplied H4 Splitters, which allow you to run all 4 lights on both low and high beam. As you'll see from the photos that's not needed for lighting power itself, but sure looks cool 😎 Did a short night run to test them - clearly I need to adjust them somewhat, as the CAA have already been in touch stating that I'm making it difficult for pilots on their landing approach 🤷‍♂️ National Parks also reckon I'm mucking up the bats sleeping patterns too The difference is absolutely outstanding, I'm sure you'll agree. And at around AUD$150 per light ($560 the set, splitters being optional), IMO they are excellent value. Rated for 8,000 hours, the globes are also replaceable. IMG_9291.mov IMG_9290.mov IMG_9289.mov

Well, well - all done! The rears were a lot easier, although I had some issues with the length (happens sometimes, I'm told🤷‍♂️). I'd been advised I would need 60" for the front and 74" for the rear, but this turned out to be incorrect. After checking around Australia to find someone who could shorten the 74"'s up for me, my wife had an epiphany...why not mix the sets around, see how they work? So, a bit of time and sweat later I had the fronts with 60" buckles and 74" tails, and the rears with 74" buckles and 60" tails. And, that works! Perfectly. All belt buckles sit between the body centreline and the right hip, depending upon occupant size (we're both pretty compact so for us they sit to the right hip. More "normal people (fat bastards, I say😆) they sit more centred. Photos attached. She's not only good looking, but clever too 🥰 Oh, I found these OEM tags under the seat too, while I was working away. Cool, hey?

Hey there, I have a ‘61 Bonneville (Vista) and am trying to confirm what replacement hood lining to buy through RockAuto. I can buy Red in Basketweave, or Red, Dark Red or Maroon in the Tier Grain. None are a perfect pattern match for mine (which has small stars), however it seems all are compatible with my model (2839, 5 bows). At this stage I’m leaning towards the Red in the Tier Grain purely on visuals (which I’m aware isn’t an a deal way to choose). The ID plate suggests it's maroon, but that appears to be much darker than mine? Can anyone tell me which would be the exact match? Photos included to assist. Regards, Paul

Now for something completely different... A while back I was chasing recommendations for seatbelt suppliers. I was tossing up whether I should buy Australian Complied belts, but in the end I didn't bother as I didn't want belts mucking up my beautiful pillar-free Ponti. And if I was only going to fit 2 point belts, it was a wasted argument because even though the belts themselves would be compliant, fitting them into the outboard seats of my car was NOT🤷‍♂️ Ergo, I went 2 point belts with Aircraft style stainless buckles, that actually look like they came with the car. (Mind you, I'd have rather not had any in it at all, but my gorgeous passenger insisted 😆) Ended up finding what I needed at Morris Classic Concepts in the US. Sarah (Morris) was very helpful, pricing was really good, and manufacturing and delivery happened in a very reasonable time frame. She assured me that whilst the belts obviously wouldn't comply with our ADR's (we have to have black plastic buckles with red release buttons), they did meet all necessary US Compliance Regulations, and that they had sold thousands of sets with no issues. The finish and quality is excellent, and she spent a bit time with me going back and forth getting the colour match right. I've spent the last 2 days (had to carry the job over into Day 2, as the swear jar filled up pretty quickly 🤬) installing the front belts. Just about broke all of my fingers at the knuckles trying to "guide" the things through the seat frame, but in the end it all looks good. Installation was completed to Australian Standard as far as prescribed angles, distances and anchor points. Once I get over the trauma I'll complete the job and install the rears, at which time I'll post those results also😊

No worries 🤙

Some of them probably are as we speak 😆

Yes mate, I tend to agree. Since replacing the distributor with one that works as it should, and checking all that could/should be adjusted, the car is running better than it ever has. It starts first time every time cold, I can drive off smoothly whilst it's still "warming up", it idles and cruises perfectly, accelerates strongly from 40mph to 100mph, at which time the car has more appetite than me for continuing (at least until I get the suspension a bit firmer, anyway😳). And btw I've just refilled for the second time since it's been sorted, and the fuel consumption is around 17//100km, which I feel is fantastic for what it is! I'm not really chasing anything in particular and no, the car doesn't get driven hard, but thought since I have that distributor sitting around that is useless in it's current state, I may as well give someone a chance to improve it? I have looked into your PIS in Melbourne (thanks for the referral), but as this guy is just down the road I thought I'd give him a go. He has all the tools, equipment and experience (apparently), plus a lot of good reviews from local people. The car is a cruiser, but the motor has been built with a nod to the performance side...dished pistons, mild cam, shaved heads and block, etc. No drag car, but makes @ 360HP/440 ft/lb so no slouch either😃

Thanks for that. It sounds like to will definitely be worth getting the distributor done. Better than sitting in a box doing nothing. I hear what you say about the plugs, your explanation makes sense. I guess they aren't a big issue, because at @$50 I can just try and see what happens. The engine has been built to run on straight unleaded, no additive required. And thankfully it doest burn (or leak, for that matter👏) any oil atm.

NGK are opposite apparently - as per this 👇 "The heat rating of each NGK spark plug is indicated by a number; lower numbers indicate a hotter type, higher numbers indicate a colder type."

Well thank you for that, You have covered all bases here. Yes, I like the look of the car lowered (so I can look cool😆), but I would also like to reduce body roll somewhat for cornering too. In saying that, it's a 2 tonne cruiser, so when I say cornering I really just mean "going around corners", not chasing Firebirds up mountain roads. So that too will limit what I need to do. So from all of the input I've received (plus I used some ratchet straps to pull the car down a bit yesterday, as I have no bags of cement and all of my fat neighbours were too busy eating to help me🤷‍♂️), I'm planning (in the first instance, anyway) to fit a new 27mm sway bar to the front (with decent bushes), and 2" lower coils to the front; 1 ½" lower to the rear (all heavy duty). The appears to be enough bump stop clearance at the front to allow that, ground clearance at the front isn't really an issue, and I can leave it a touch higher in the rear because that should make it just a little better for regular driving. The car sits all but completely level atm, so a ½" higher at the rear shouldn't spoil that effect (I really don't like the obligatory 80's muscle car high arse end look). Hopefully these changes should give me the results I'm chasing.