1951 Pontiac Chieftain

[mercrocker]

The advantage of the big chrome dome solution is that it gives the inattentive something to fixate on as they sit behind you. Sudden appearance of an LED from apparently nowhere might just involve a bit more reaction time.

[PhilA]

The advantage of the big chrome dome solution is that it gives the inattentive something to fixate on as they sit behind you. Sudden appearance of an LED from apparently nowhere might just involve a bit more reaction time.

They're just looking for the immediate red laser dazzle coming from the back of the car these days.

Anything to jar the mind into the present, away from shopping lists or Twitter.

[paulplom]

Or browsing here....

[PhilA]

I went out to get a milkshake last night because the car had sat up for nearly a week due to the weather being horrible.

20210522_204351.jpg (291.89 KiB) Viewed 2257 times

On the way home I pushed on the brakes to turn into the street here and the pedal went to the floor.
This morning I jacked the car up and took a look why.

20210523_115734.jpg (209.2 KiB) Viewed 2257 times

Oh. The brake pipe had been interfering with the fuel pipe on full suspension bounce. Very difficult to judge on the floor.

20210523_114124.jpg (284.89 KiB) Viewed 2257 times

Also discovered the new exhaust pipe was beating on it.

20210523_140910.jpg (385.27 KiB) Viewed 2257 times

Made up a new line that avoids the areas the old one went.

20210523_153614.jpg (661.01 KiB) Viewed 2257 times

Bled up and tested. That's better.

Phil

[DodgeRover]

Lucky it didn't go when you did the high speed test runs the other week!

[PhilA]

Hell, where's the time gone?
Well, I've been driving the car, which has been mostly good.

20210605_190936.jpg (326.27 KiB) Viewed 2133 times

Out on the highway before the weather got too warm.

20210603_192039.jpg (404.72 KiB) Viewed 2133 times

A few trips to the milkshake stand.

More recently the gearbox had been getting worse at not changing correctly, so today I drained the old ATF down and pulled the valve block out AGAIN.

20210703_114753.jpg (360.77 KiB) Viewed 2133 times

All apart and nothing looks hugely amiss.

20210703_122557.jpg (297.07 KiB) Viewed 2133 times

Checked the main valves move smoothly (a couple were a bit notchy) and cleaned it all up in the ultrasonic bath.

20210703_155332.jpg (635.7 KiB) Viewed 2133 times

Put it all together again and it's still being a complete arse. Slightly better but still bad. There's not many other pieces but I need to look at the block diagram again to see what's possibly going on- feels almost like the 2-3 piston is getting stuck in limbo.

Phil

[PhilA]

After sitting for a few days the magical juice I added to the gearbox always to have had a result because the thing now changes gear better.

20210708_175950.jpg (422.53 KiB) Viewed 2093 times

Went get dinner. I title this picture "K-mart sucks"*

Phil


*Not the one on Oak Street. But it's been boarded up for years

[MRustbucket]

This car is very, very nice. I must get to grips with the TDW motoring section.

My grandfather had a factory RHD Buick Roadmaster which he bought new in 1948. That had a similar profile to this Pontiac. The US produced some of the best looking car in the world at that time - and did so right up to the late 1960s, in my view.

[PhilA]

20210715_102102.jpg (334.04 KiB) Viewed 2007 times

Mystery gift box arrived today. It contained reversing lights!

20210715_102632.jpg (388.02 KiB) Viewed 2007 times

Apart from being a little grubby, they had two burned old style bulbs in.

20210715_121501.jpg (190.38 KiB) Viewed 2007 times

So they got cleaned up a bit.

20210715_124702.jpg (390.04 KiB) Viewed 2007 times

As a comparison, the right one and the wrong one.

20210715_130626.jpg (411.84 KiB) Viewed 2007 times

And both the right ones.

20210715_130650.jpg (423 KiB) Viewed 2007 times

They even work.

They sit at a slightly goofy angle because the rubber plinths they sit on are for Chevrolet bodywork. I'll make a couple new ones.

Phil

[LynehamHerc]

They're pretty ornate lenses, especially compared to the costed to the fraction of a penny stuff produced nowadays.