Barnquest - One Guys Search For The Elusive Barnifus Findicus

I am going on a vision quest, an adventure, a walkabout, a mission from God, all in an attempt to find the Barnifus Findicus; otherwise known as the "Barn Find". More elusive then a Chupacabra, an authentic Barnifus Findicus is a rare find as they are generally hidden from view their entire life. Many folks are fooled by imitations falsely disguised to look like it, and the latest trend of locating barn finds, crudely resurrecting, and then driving them in all their patinaed glory isn't helping much either. Armed with fresh cash from a recent vehicle sale, I set out to find this elusive beast.

Technically, there are not many barns in Southern California, so locating an actual "barn find" here would be akin to finding the Holy Grail. I am hoping to find a car that has been languishing in a garage for a couple of decades or more, but I would probably settle for a vehicle that has been somebodies yard art and is ensconced with weeds. At first I will concentrate on a sub-species of Barnifus Findicus known as Bigius Ponticus (full size Pontiac), but I will also keep my eye out for a Largus Oldsmobilus. If I'm really lucky I might even spot a Giganticus Moparus!

Short of canvassing the entire countryside block by block to locate my prize, I had to utilize a more systematic approach to my search. My plan was simple, I would just ASK - as in Ask Someone you Know! Ok, technically thats "asyk", but that word doesn't exist. Actually, looking at it spelled out, "asyk" almost works... maybe. Anyways, no sooner then I had put the word out that I was looking for bottomless money pit, err, I mean project car, the leads started flowing in. Of particular interest was a 60's something Plymouth that I got a lead on from work. The story went that the owner had bought his house 15 plus years ago and the Mopar was in the garage. Apparently it came with the sale of the house and supposedly had been in there since the late 70's. I got the contact information and started calling... and calling.... and calling, all to no avail. It's not that the owner didn't want to sell, it's that he didn't care weather he sold it or not. Timing was everything here and I had to catch him at just the right moment. Well, I kept calling but other leads were coming in and I was getting impatient. That money was burning a hole in my pocket! My interest was really piqued after a brief conversation with the owner. Although he didn't know the exact year of the car, he told me it was a 2 door with a 440 and a stick shift. When I asked him how he knew it was a 440, he said it was on the hood. That's all I needed to hear! Holy big block Batman! After numerous attempts to get the owner to call me back and even one unannounced visit to his house, I finally gave up. I even "googled" his address and used their mapping program to "see" the house and yard, hoping for a view of an open garage... Hey you never know, it might be possible, but I think I will have better odds with the lottery.

This quest has truly been an eye opener for me. The market is really changing and due to the current economic status of our country, there are some incredible deals to be found. "Strike while the iron is hot" as some might say, but that is easier said then done if you do not have the monetary means to do so. Now, here are a few pictures for your viewing pleasure from my Barnquest...

Found: 1966 Pontiac Starchief Executive. This was found sitting on jack stands behind and old airport hanger. I don't think it had been washed since the Carter administration. It was missing the engine but other then that was 100 percent complete, including a nearly mint interior.

Found: 1967 Oldsmobile 442. This was actually a barn find once removed. The seller reportedly found this in a barn and bought it from the original owner. It was 100 percent original but it was also almost 100 percent junk. The car was sporting more rust then the Titanic and the interior looked like it was home to various rodents over the years. To say this car needed a complete restoration is a total understatement. Hey, I know, let's get it to run and drive it cross country! You could use old street signs to patch the huge holes in the floorboards. That might keep the rodents out...

Found: 1961 Oldsmobile Dynamic 88. This car was a 4 door hardtop that was also bought from it's original owner and was being offered for sale. In my opinion this was the bargain of the bunch, even though it was leaking more oil then the Exxon Valdez. This baby was rock stock, right down to it's original A/C compressor. Although primered, the body was super straight and rust free. The car oozed cool all the way around. Have you seen the dash on one of these?

Check out this dash! Talk about retro, this thing reeks of sixties styling. The cat eye gauges are bitchen. Even the steering wheel is cool looking. The vinyl trash bag needs to go along with the lone fuzzy dice, or would that be die?

I'll leave you with the tail shot of the Dynamic 88. Olds was heavy into the "rocket" theme during this era. The backend almost looks like a spaceship or something and the tail lights look like afterburners.

Selling the Kitchen Sink

This recession that the U.S. is currently in is kicking my ass. To make matters worse all signs are pointing towards a "double dip". That's right folks, prepare for round two. Due to an on-going pay cut at work and continuing increases in insurance, food, gas, etc, I'm selling everything that's not bolted down, cars included. Sadly my '52 Olds, "The Super", went on the chopping block. My newest ride, a '62 Mercury Monterey, is being spared that same fate for the time being. This is mostly because of my continued selling success on eBay, but also due to the fact that I purposely disabled it to keep myself from selling it easily. Before The Super drove off into the sunset, I did manage to polish it up pretty good. But don't just take my word for it, check out the following pictures for yourself.

Your looking at about 2 days of wet sanding and compound buffing.

After the buffing I washed The Super again and then let it dry overnight. The final day was spent machine waxing the entire car and then detailing it out.

On the day I took these photos I drove The Super around town and boy did it ever attract attention! People really seemed to notice this beautiful old car, that or they thought I just stole it! Now that the exterior was all detailed out and the interior refreshed, I felt the time was right to sell it and decided to list it on craigslist. Although this is a great advertising venue, you sure do get some interesting characters calling you, along with the usual B.S. As it turned out, the first person who actually managed to show up to look at The Super bought it on the spot. Apparently nobody told the buyer that we are in a recession... Hey, it looks like I can keep the kitchen sink for awhile longer!

Giving Up The Ghost

I have come to the sad conclusion that my '72 Cutlass, Number 1, will not run forever. So what if the engine has over 360 thousand original miles? I have heard stories of Olds-mo-bubble engines living to half a million miles or more. I guess it's more the body and interior that is giving out then the actual engine, as it does still run pretty good. Although I have noticed a deep knock down in her bowels when she first fires up in the morning, but it only lasts a second. Still not a trace of smoke and she only uses about a half quart of oil every 4 thousand miles or so, but all the tell-tail signs are there. More oil leaks - check. More squeaks and rattles - check. More random problems - check. Getting uglier by the day - check. Basically Number 1 is giving up the ghost, throwing in the towel, cashing in her chips, heading out to pasture... I think you get what I'm trying to say.


Of course all of this just did not happen at once, it has been building up over the last couple of decades or so, and has been steadily getting worse. I guess my plan of using an original 37 year old car as a daily driver is coming to an end. I have been down this path before, as I tried to retire Number 1 about 3 years ago. Back then I had plenty of cars to drive so I stopped using the Cutlass as my daily driver and just let it sit. Big mistake. It rotted outside for about two years when all of a sudden I found myself out of cars, cash, and a daily driver. You can find the story of Number 1's resurrection here. There is even a video I made of me firing it up after sitting all that time.

This go around I have a plan. First, I had to find a new daily driver. This was no easy task as my budget to buy another car was almost non-existent. I also wanted to find something that got half way decent gas mileage because we all know that the slightest hiccup in our world (like a hurricane, stock market slump or swine flu) will cause the price of gas to go through the roof again. I can't afford a new vehicle and really don't care for any of the cookie cutter cars (Honda, Toyota, etc), I just can't see myself in them. So I found myself gravitating toward older makes, only the prices of any decent older ride was still out of my league. Although I am a big fan of the carburetor era, I love the reliability of fuel injected vehicles. I really like the late '80s to early '90s GM trucks because they are easy to work on, fuel injected, and last for hundreds of thousands of miles. I also discovered that they are dirt cheap, which is the category where my budget is located.

So what did this finite category lead me to? I found a super clean, single family owned '87 GMC S-15. It is equipped with the "4Tech" fuel injected four cylinder engine and a 4-speed trans. Great gas mileage? Yes. Stump-pulling torque? No. Nice, clean daily driver? Yes. Turns heads wherever it goes? No, unless I filled the bed with bikini clad women in an effort to re-create that famous 80's poster "Haulin' Ass"! As for the rest of the plan that includes my Cutlass, as usual, I don't have a plan. I really like the look of the pro-touring cars, but I also like street/strip cars. Do I build a track car or a drag car? Drifting or drag racing? Ovals or quarter miles? Maybe I should just do a concours level restoration, complete with assembly line chalk marks. Yea right, how much fun would that be to drive? I know, how about a retro NASCAR look, complete with 10 inch wide steelies on all four corners and flared fenders? A low rider with tru spokes and hydraulics? A sled with satin paint, white walls, and an air ride system that can lay the car on it's frame? Decisions, decisions, decisions! I did manage to actually put Number 1 in my garage, and I even disconnected the battery! Damn, I must be getting serious...

Hell Freezes Over!

No, this is not a blog about the Eagles album from 1994. Nor is it about Van Halen reuniting with front man Sammy Hagar or GM changing it's mind about axing Pontiac. It is about the fact that my '72 Cutlass, Number 1, actually made it into a magazine! No, it was not Classic Car Trader either!

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Here is the photo the magazine used, complete with their official moniker.
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Grab the August issue of Popular Hot Rodding and check it out. I bought like a hundred copies. Just kidding, I only bought fifty. You know, that reminds me of the movie Splash when Freddie Bauer (John Candy) buys a zillion copies of Penthouse because his letter got printed in it. Real movie buffs will connect the hammer in the above photo with Splash also. Remember when Allen Bauer (Tom Hanks) is in the motor boat with Fat Jack (Al Chesney)? The engine dies suddenly and Hank's character starts to panic. Fat Jack tells him "Don't worry, I'm a mechanic, I can fix anything" and picks up this hammer and starts beating the crap out of the engine. I laughed so hard the first time I saw that I think I missed the next five minutes of the movie!

So what's next with Number 1? Progress is slow not only because of the lack of funds, but also because it is my daily driver. Any work has to be completed over the weekend. Add in a "honey do" list, other vehicle maintenance, home repairs, yard work, eating and sleeping, and... I think you get the idea. Shoot, I'm still trying to put on the ram air hood I bought for it over 2 years ago! I did manage to put the old grills back in. It had been so long I was trying to remember why I removed them in the first place. Then I remembered that I took them out to install a custom transmission oil cooler. (look closely, it's a refrigerator condenser coil) Talk about lazy, I never put them back in. I guess it took seeing the car in a magazine without the grills to get me to reinstall them. Considering most of the plastic mounting tabs were broke off, this was no easy task. I had to get really high tech and use zip ties. I owe Number 1 some body work, so I think that has to be next on the agenda. Now if only hell will freeze over again...

Day of the Dead - Deadly Resurrection

Sounds like a low budget horror flick, doesn't it? In reality, it is a real B-movie that was made in the 90's. Do you know what is really scary? I was actually in the movie! My first and only acting gig. My old Chevelle was also in the movie. I think it actually did a better job of acting then me! While that movie was total fiction, I recently discovered that getting a derelict old car road worthy is a lot like resurrecting the dead, it's impossible.

I decided to take on the impossible and put my '72 Cutlass, Number 1, back on the road. Now keep in mind that Number 1 has been out of commission for at least three years. I use to start it up every other week, but that lasted as long as a bucket of KFC chicken. So I decided to do a visual inspection to assess the mess that Number 1 had become. Both front tires were now flat and most of the trans fluid had leaked out. The engine hadn't been started in at least a year, and it seemed to be leaking from anything that contained fluid. The front rotors were rusted badly and were wafer thin, it needed new front tires, the trans needed to be serviced, engine oil had to be changed, front end lubed, gas tank hoses replaced, carburetor rebuilt, possible tune up, wiper blades, and let's not forget washing years of dirt and grime away. I was afraid to even look in the interior, suffice to say it needed help before I parked the car...

First things first, I had to see if the engine would still run, as this would give me some kind of indication of how bad things were. I decided to charge the battery and then see if old Number 1 would start up. Of course I did the basic fluids check to make sure I didn't damage the engine. To my utter amazement the engine fired right up. All I did was prime the carb with some gas! A true testament to the durability of Oldsmobile engines and synthetic oil. Hard to believe? I caught the whole thing on video. Check it out:

Pardon the camera shake, I'm kind of new at this. Come to think of it, it kind of reminds me of the horror flick I was in! Now that I know that Number 1 still runs pretty good, it's time to dig in. Gee, I can't wait...

Here it is all raised up and ready for me to start working. Hey, I don't have a lift yet so I use what works. Besides, I have to be able to get all of my girth under this beast.

I figured I would start from the bottom up, so I started with the front brakes, then did the trans. After that I replaced the fuel tank hoses, changed the oil and lubed the front end. To wrap up the underside, I did a complete visual inspection just in case I missed something. All I needed now was a couple of front tires so I could lower Number 1 back down

Ok, the new tires are mounted and Number 1 is back down to earth. Now it's time to dive in under the hood. The carb needs to be rebuilt, spark plugs changed, and I need to inspect the cap, rotor and wires.

When I was removing the carb I remembered that the passenger side valve cover had been leaking before I parked the car, and that leak had gotten considerably worse. I had done the drivers side a few years before so it was nice and dry. Oh well, I'll just add it to the list of repairs!

After removing brackets heavy enough to be on a Sherman Tank, I was able to get to the valve cover to remove it. Your looking at a valve train with over 300 thousand miles on it! The benefits of running synthetic oil are clearly visible.

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When I was done rebuilding the carb (the subject of a future blog) and replacing the valve cover gasket, it was time to replace the spark plugs and then fire her up. Now we know that it ran before I started all this work, so it should run great now, right?

Wrong! I couldn't get the engine to idle. It kept hunting for an idle and running rough. This picture is after I had remounted the carb after removing it to double check the float level and check for vacuum leaks. My experience told me it was a vacuum leak because the trans was not shifting correctly. Plus, I replaced the vacuum modulator when I serviced the trans so that ruled it out. After checking a few things with my vacuum pump, I discovered the leak in the distributor vacuum advance. One more thing that now needs to be replaced!

I am beginning to sense a pattern here, a parts replacing pattern! As I write this Number 1 is running good and is streetable. It may not look the best right now but I will be addressing that very soon. Next up is installing some bucket seats and cleaning up the interior. Stay tuned as Number 1 begins it's slow transformation from side yard fodder to a clean looking street machine.

Corn Binder or Corn Bread?

Well, I sold good ol' Number 2, my latest Cutlass project. It was a great car and an excellent project, but I could see myself spending way too much money on it. In case you haven't realized it yet, I get bored with vehicles real quick. I feel good about the sale, not because I made a nice chunk of change, but because it went to a true Oldsmobile enthusiast. Maybe I'll see it someday at a car show...

Being flush with cash I was now on the hunt for another vehicle. (my favorite thing to do!) I decided that I needed a truck, pre-smog, and in the "dare-to-be-different" catagory. After a lot of surfing (the Net, not the ocean), I found my next ride.

Behold my Grandpa Green International 1100c pickup truck, fresh from the farm!

Most folks perceive Internationals as farm vehicles. Heck, there as comfortable as a hay wagon and as good as Grandma's corn bread. This truck was so stock I'm suprised the salesman wasn't in a casket in the bed! It even had the line card. For those who don't know, a line card to an International is like a build sheet to a Chevy. Back in the day you could literally build these when you ordered them, option by option. This corn binder was ordered with the 304 V-8, 3 spd heavy-duty trans, custom appearance group (side moulding), deluxe hub caps (I'd hate to see the non-deluxe), A/C (big spender here), push button AM radio, heavy-duty heater (the heater core was the size of a small child), and full length vinyl flooring... It also listed things like the rearend gear ratio, paint, seat material, gas tank size, etc, etc.

Here is the stump pulling 304 V-8. Yes, International engines really are that big.

So now I have myself a pickup truck. This will be my daily driver for awhile. Let's see how long it is before I get sick and tired of the three-in-the-tree shifter. You can't argue with the fact that it is unique looking, definitely a classic. You see, I just got held-up at gun point... oops, I mean, I went to the gas station to fill up and on the way home I got two "thumbs up". Ok, maybe one was a middle finger, but who's counting anyways? Well, off on another adventure...

Just Don't Feed Them After Midnight

Yes, I'm talking about Gremlins, but not the type from Steven Spielburg. The type I'm referring to are electrical gremlins. In some ways these are worse then the fictional ones. Given a choice, most folks would rather deal with the little furry creatures then an electrical problem on their car. My brown Cutlass, Number 2, suffered from it's share of electrical gremlins when I bought it. As regular readers of this blog know, Number 2 was a victim of it's previous owner, Jerry Rig. Ol' Jerry had his cousin, Mickey Mouse, help him on quite a few "repairs" on poor Number 2, and it was painfully obvious.

The electrical gremlin that Number 2 suffered from was no rear taillights. Nothing major, right? At least the brake lights worked on one side! This senario actually got me pointed in the right direction. I knew I had some power back there, so the first item on the agenda was a visual inspection of the wiring harness. I was looking for breaks in the wires, loose connections, cut wires, etc. This is what I found when I opened the trunk...

Loose wires are always a bad sign, and this scene was no exception.

Upon closer inspection of the wires in the trunk, I discovered this connection. A pretty heavy duty connector, but why was it wrapped in electrical tape??

I decided to do some testing to see if the taped connector was preventing power from getting to the tail lights. Although the test light lit up on quite a few terminals, on some it would go on and off just by me moving the connector.

Further down the line I was not able to detect any power, so I knew I had narrowed it down to the taped connector. Time to open Pandora's box.

This is what I found when I unwrapped the tape. The connector was not plugged all the way together. Hmmm, I wonder if that would cause any problems?

It turns out that it did cause some problems, a no taillights problem to be exact. What I couldn't understand was why it was apart in the first place, as the clip was still good on it. Oh wait, I forgot who use to own the car...

Of course I just couldn't plug it back together. It needed to be cleaned. Notice the dark color to the terminals, as well as some corrosion on them. This acts like an insulator and impedes the electrical connection.

After a good cleaning with a small round file, I was ready to plug it back together, only this time correctly!

With the connector securely snapped together, it was time to check all the lights again. Volia! We now have tail lights, and brake lights, and turn signals, and most important - safety! Of course I also replaced all the bulbs and cleaned the lenses, so I won't bore you with details of that, but I will tell you about another gremlin of a smaller variety.

While I was inspecting the connector, I noticed a pair of wires going into it seemed loose. It needed to come out to be checked. While this may seem like an impossible task to some, the right tools made this job rather easy. After removing the terminal, I did discover a loose crimp, so I soldered the wires to the terminal instead of trying to re-crimp it.

This is the wonder tool that was worth every penny I paid for it.

The connector pops right out. Hey, it looks like I actually know what I'm doing! Notice how the factory put two wires in the one terminal. These terminals can barely handle one wire, let alone two.

In case your wondering, I did get rid of the snap tight trailer plug connectors. I just thought they added that extra special touch of Mickey Mouse to the pictures. I can't wait to see what other "special" suprises I can find on Number 2. Until then, at least I have chased off the gremlins for now.

How to Mickey Mouse Something

No, I'm not going to tell you how to jerry-rig something, or Mickey it, or many other expressions that folks use to exemplify the meaning of cutting corners. One of my old bosses always use to say the name Rube Goldberg, as in "boy, you Rube Goldberged that!".

Soon after I bought my '71 Cutlass, which I refer to as "Number 2", I realized that it was a shade tree mechanic's car - meaning that there was a whole lot of Mickey Mouse going on. Number 2 suffered from many small problems, which on the surface made it look like it was falling apart. When I started digging in, it became apparent that most of the problems were self-inflicted. Number 2 had become a victim of it's previous owner, whose name must have been Jerry Rig!


Here is an example of just one of the "high tech" fixes that I found on Number 2. Yes, that's a broom stick handle shoved in the end of the hose!



The rear view mirror was also broke, or so I thought. The mirror was pointing towards the floor and had a wad of duct tape wrapped around it, along with a length of copper electrical wire to "hold it up". I really wish I would have taken a picture of it, it was classic! It was so convincing that I really thought it was broke so I started to look for a replacement.


I managed to find a mirror on eBay and put in a bid, hoping for the best. Well, fate has a way of dropping hints, and after I lost the auction due to a last second bid sniper, I decided to remove the mirror to inspect it. After I peeled back the layers of sticky duct tape, I discovered something very interesting. The special screw that tightens the mirror to the arm was missing, and had been replaced with a wood screw. Unable to tighten the wood screw completely, the previous owner fashioned a hook out of some copper wire and then applied a generous layer of grey duct tape. Needless to say, the "fix" didn't work, so the mirror just hung there looking like some kind of Frankenstein dangling from the roof.


After a thorough cleaning I realized that all the mirror needed was the correct screw to properly tighten it up. I dug for hours through all my trim screws and my perseverance paid off. I actually found the proper screw for the mirror! Once I put it in, the mirror worked flawlessly. A definite eye opener for me, as I should not have judged a book by it's cover, so to speak. It could have been worse. I could have got in a bidding war and paid too much for a mirror that I really didn't need, so I consider myself lucky.


While were on the subject of being Mickey Mouse, there is one place that it's actually normal and accepted every day. Where you ask? Disneyland of course! While I have been to Disneyland quite a few times, I have never actually been to Disney World, which I hear is even better. I am planning on going soon, so of course I did some research. Just like my cars, I want to save as much money as possible. Most folks around here would probably go to the Auto Club to book their vacation or call a travel agent. Now I don't know about you, but I want to get the most for my money, especially while I'm on vacation. During my research, I ran across this publication:
Click Here!
Do yourself a favor and check it out. It could save you a bundle. See you in Fantasy Land!

You Can Tune A Carb But You Can't Tune A Fish

Ok, so the album was "tune a piano" but the comparision is still the same. If REO Speedwagon were not muscians but rather mechanics, my title would have probably prevailed. One of the many problems that Number 2 had was it's ability to start easily. Most folks would probably assume it needed plugs or wires, or possibly a timing adjustment. In listening to the prior owners description of the problem - very hard to start, rough idle until it warms up, black smoke (sometimes) - I quickly deduced the culprit was the carburetor. More specifically, the choke. Before I started to make any choke adjustments, I made sure the engine was cold, just like it would be when you would start it in the morning. It also helped that it was a cold day when I started my adjustments.


This is what I saw when I pulled off the air cleaner. The choke was completely closed. It was a wonder the car could start at all! Let's check the choke thermostat to see what kind of shape it is in.






Oldsmobile used an exhaust heated thermostat and this one looked like it had seen better days. Don't always judge a book by it's cover...







Removing the thermostat revealed that it was still in pretty good shape. Adjusting it properly would prove weather the bi-metal spring was still working.






With the t-stat back in place, adjust it lightly until the choke plate just closes on a standard pencil.

Here is a close-up of my "pencil guage". Notice how high tech it is.




Now that the choke was adjusted propery and the t-stat cover retaining screws tight, it was time to start the engine. There are two idle adjustments to worry about. One is the fast idle adjustment. This is the the idle speed that the engine runs at when the choke is set.




Here is the fast idle screw. With the choke set and the engine running, I adjusted it to the manufacture's specification.

Once the engine was warmed up and the choke was completely open, I adjusted the main idle screw to the manufacture's specification. The choke opening all the way was a good sign as it told me that the bi-metal spring was working properly.

Now that all the idles are good I wanted to take it one step further and adjust the air/fuel screws. There are a few different ways to adjust these. Most manuals will tell you to hook up a vacuum guage and adjust the screw until you achieve the highest and steadiest vacuum.

Even though I have a vacuum guage, I have been doing this long enough that I do it my own way. While adjusting each screw, I will listen to the engine idle and watch the engine. Watching the engine is crucial, because I can see when it starts to run rough, and I know to reverse the direction of the screw a little.

Another item worth noting is that before I dug in with the adjustments, I made sure there were no vacuum leaks, cracked vacuum hoses, etc. I also checked the carburetor mounting bolts to make sure they were tight. You will notice in one picture my professional vacuum line plug - the air cleaner stud! Hey, I use what works. For those who are wondering why I am bothering with a two barrel, I have two words for you: Gas Mileage. Nuff said!

The Gas Leak From Hell

One of the most dangerous and smelly things to have wrong with your car is a gas leak. When I picked up Number 2, I knew it had a gas leak. What I didn't know was just how serious the leak was. I was pretty sure the rubber hoses going to the tank had never been changed, so right after I got the car home, I put it up on jack stands and dug in.


I swear that these Oldsmobiles were designed for fuel injection. There are no less then 4 hoses going to the tank, one of which is 3/8 inch, and there are 3 more above the rearend going to the vent system. I have often thought of getting an intake manifold off of a '78 - '79 Cadillac Seville, which was factory fuel injected, to use on a 350 Olds. The Sevilles used Oldsmobile 350s that were port injected, not throttle body! I use to see crap loads of them out at Pick-a-Part, just waiting to be cannibalized. Now I believe most of them are owned by an individual who lives out by Little Rock, CA. Yes, California, not Arkansas. There must be 200 Sevilles in this person's yard. I will try and get a picture of this bizarre collection soon.



Here is what the hoses looked like after I got them off. Notice what fine shape they are in(!), and to think the previous owner drove the car like this.... scary! If you have ever seen where these hoses are located, you know it is kind of tight up there. One trick to get the hoses off is to slice each end (the direction of the hose, not across) so that the hose pulls off easily. Use the old hose as a template to cut the new one, this way you won't end up with a hose that is too long or too short.



After all the hoses were replaced I test drove the car and everything seem fine. I could still smell a little gas but it had been pouring down the tank since Nixon was President so I figured it needed to dry out. One of the problems that the previous owner had was fuel starvation at higher speeds. They thought it was a fuel pump or clogged filter, but I just knew it was the cracked fuel lines, right? The outlet hose was cracked so bad it had to be sucking tons of air. The next day when I drove it to work I noticed it was still starving for fuel, and the gas smell was just as strong. To make matters worse, after I parked the car I looked under it and saw part of the tank was still wet! Not as bad, but still there. What the heck?? A loose clamp maybe? No, I double checked them. Hole in the tank? No, it only leaks when it's running. Broken/cracked tube coming from the sender? I hope not! Shoot, am I going to have to pull the tank? Time to put it back on jack stands and do another visual inspection. After a lot of looking and a few choice words, I finally found the source, thanks in part to the gas stain that I spotted above the gas tank.



Here is what I found. This hole was on the back side of the fuel line facing inwards. The metal fuel line had been rubbing probably since Jesus was a child and was about half way through the line. I actually felt it with my fingers before I could see it. I ended up cutting out the bad section and putting in a small piece of rubber fuel line. Guess what? Problem solved! No more gas leaks, no more smell, and no more fuel starvation problem.










Here is what it looked like after all was said and done. You can see the section I had to splice on the left. I also left as much of the metal line as possible because of the exhaust pipe being close by. The dark area on the exhaust pipe is were the fuel had been leaking on it. I think I'll go buy a lottery ticket because I must be lucky!



So now all is safe (relatively speaking) and I don't have to worry about the car suddenly bursting into flames. As was the case here, you never know what you will find when it comes to gas leaks. When checking or repairing your classic car for fuel leaks, always be careful, double check your work, and remember to keep a fire extinguisher close by just in case. I guess I better start gearing up for the next project. Stay tuned for more fun stuff.

Trend of the moment

Trends in cars are just like trends in fashion - they change constantly but some how remain the same. How, you ask? Remember those large Elton Johnish sunglasses that the girls use to wear in High School? They came back around again. I have even seen a sudden outcropping of Izod shirts. You just were not cool in school unless you had that little alligator on your shirt. Anyone remember the flipped up collar shirt? Don't look now but I have seen evidence of it coming back. Yikes!


The latest trend in classic cars seems to be Patina. What is Patina you ask? In this case it refers to the condition of the outside of the car, mainly the paint.






Here is my example of patina.







This has even affected some of the major car auctions that happen across the United States. Last October, at the RM Vintage Motor Cars Auction in Hershey PA, a 1911 Oldsmobile Limited 7-passenger Touring Car sold for $1,650,000. That's right, 1.65 MILLION! Now sure, this is kind of a rare car, but paying out that kind of dough you would expect a museum piece. This car was the exact opposite. It looked like it was dragged out of a swamp! It looked worse then the car on the Beverly Hill Billies. Original, rotted tires, waisted paint, rust, etc. This thing was a total P.O.S. Ironically, a big part of the incredible value of this car was the fact that it had never been restored. The trend seems to be moving toward buyers paying more for untouched examples, sort of like buyers of fine art do.



If patina is in, then I'm about to save a crap load of money on painting my original project car, my 1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. It still wears it's original coat of factory paint. I think it's Marygold Yellow or something like that, but I call it piss yellow. My latest project is a brown 1971 Olds (see my "Tale of a modern car deal" post), so I refer to the cars as Number 1 and Number 2.

Patina comes in two different flavors, original and fake. The current rat rod trend has spawned a lot of "patina wanna-bees" - cars that didn't have patina to begin with so it was added by the owner. This is done via clever air brushing, purposing letting metal rust, and using old, weathered parts. The real McCoys are the ones that have original patina. I can see the ads now... "NOS Patina" or "OEM Patina".

True barn finds or time capsule cars are very hard to find now-a-days, even though you see a ton of ads on eBay and the like purporting to be a "true barn find". Like patina, these "finds" are also faked, right down to photographing the car in a so-called barn along with blown on dust, props, and letting the air out of the tires. Searching for barn finds to a collector is akin to panning for gold to a prospector. We both hope to find that rare "nugget".

Number 2 car was not a barn find, but rather a desert find. Desert cars are in a whole different category by them selves. Think of them as barn finds out in the open. From what I could gather, Number 2 was a high desert car all of it's life. That means not a lot of rain, lots of sun to dry things out, and wind to blow things out. The main difference that I have found between high desert cars and "low" desert cars is how bad their dried out. The lower desert gets a lot more heat and higher temperatures that tend to rot rubber and crystalize plastic parts. The high desert gets colder, stays cooler longer year round, and usually does not get quite as hot as the lower desert areas. Plus there is the wind factor. Windy conditions are good for drying out cars so moisture can't build up. Most desert cars are known for being rust free, and except for a few small exceptions, this one is too. I can hear the East coast people crying already. I'm curious if you could even find an original '71 intact on the East coast. I'm talking a daily driver, like mine, that has been driven on almost a daily basis it's entire life. No, I'm not a right-coast hater either. In fact, I have many cousins that live back East, Pennsylvania to be exact. Some day I'll make it back to St. Marys, Johnsonburg, or Wilcox... driving my rust-free Oldsmobile!