Did a little car work today, replaced the front brakes

[J.R.E.]

Ever since the 3300 mile trip we were on, I have had this very annoying shake/vibration, when applying the brakes. It happens at about 30 miles an hour, and only last for a second or two.

So yesterday I went to the auto parts store, and bought two new rotors for the front of the car. Not as costly as I thought... $19.95 a piece.  The front disc pads were $32.44

So,I replaced the old with the new...It was relatively cool this morning,( even though the humidity was up there) The job took me about an hour and a half. I had to get Ed to push the brake peddle as I bled the brakes.

The old brakes were pretty worn out and the old rotor was beyond resurfacing.

Everything came out excellent. Nice high, hard peddle. Although I felt totally beat up after the job, soaked all the way down into the crotch ! Looks like I pissed myself 

 I like doing this stuff, but it's starting to knock the hell out of me anymore.

I saved a little money..Just brakes"wanted $99.00 for the job, But it always go above and beyond that, with these places. Feel like I accomplished something today.



Ray

[CaptCarl]

Jerry,
   I too like to work on my own car when I can. In fact, I will be changing  the oil on Betty Jane, our '63 Cadillac tomorrow, and also will be tinkering with my '57 DeSoto to see if I can't get the old guy to start and run. It has been parked for many years now, but everything seems in order. I've already hooked up an electric fuel pump to the gas line, and will run it to a gas can. I found a production date of Jan 9 1964 on the spark plug wires! I'll let you know how it goes. Herewith is a picture of said automobile (assuming I can post the pictures)

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[J.R.E.]

Hello Carl,

Just need correct ya, it's Ray not Jerry !    How many quarts of oil does a cadillac take? About a gallon and a half. Just kidding !!  

The Desoto looks like fun project ! 1964 plug wires... And they haven't crumbled yet? Think the juice will flow through them ...     Might want to squirt a little oil in each cylinder, before cranking that bad boy !


Good luck------Ray

[Oceanbeach]

I did a brake job on a 68 Olds 442 once.  I gave it a test drive w/ panic stops.  All was well... then on the way home, the brakes went out.  I was at the top of a hill, on the bottom on the left was a golf course on the right a small lake.  This car had a 3 speed automatic transmission which always seemed strange because 442 was supposed to mean 4 speed, 4 barrel, dual exhuast.  Oh yes, did I mention there was a small lake at the bottom of the hill?  That is where the car ended up.  Have the best day
Michael
(who got used to the tow truck driver saying, What did you do this time?"

[Oceanbeach]

I went to my favorite scrap yard Pick n Pull, yesterday for a few recycled parts.  I had been a frequent buyer while I owned the Whale Gusher as they always had rows and rows of Chrysler Lebaron convertibles without dents.

Yesterday, I was looking for something Saab, they only had three and none were the correct years.  My neighbor is looking for a Subaru front bumper, they had 2 but the wrong year.  I guess the reality is... If you own a Lemon, there will always be parts but something which runs forever, will always be on the highways.  Have the best day
Michael

[J.R.E.]

I went to my favorite scrap yard Pick n Pull, yesterday for a few recycled parts.  I had been a frequent buyer while I owned the Whale Gusher as they always had rows and rows of Chrysler Lebaron convertibles without dents.

  Used to spend quite a lot of time in the auto junkyards years ago !! Hell, I think I even bought a car from a salvage yard to put on the road !

When my older brother was in the Air Force, he left me in charge of his car, while he was away. I guess I was 17 or 18 at the time. Bad mistake !! I wasn't supposed to take his 1959 Pontiac Bonneville convertible out on the road. Talk about power.

Anyway, I pulled into the driveway, too fast one night, and put a 6 inch gouge in the bottom of the gas tank. All the gas came out. The next night, at 2:00 in the morning, I am in the junkyard, thieving a gas tank from a car. No problem getting it out of the car. Also glad there were no cops around. Here I am running across the road, and back home carrying an empty gas tank, above my head, trying not to look too suspicious !! 


You have a great day too------Ray

[Oceanbeach]

I am in the junkyard, thieving a gas tank from a car. No problem getting it out of the car. Also glad there were no cops around. Here I am running across the road, and back home carrying an empty gas tank, above my head, trying not to look too suspicious !! 

My friend and I bagged a transmission for our 69 Triumph Spitfire in Spain.  It was 4:00 AM and freezing, no one was even watching.  Did I feel bad about it?  No, there was a 66 MGB with a fried wiring harness and a 68 MGB wo/ wheels, both belonging to us that had been impounded and in that scrap yard.  Have the best day
Michael

[CaptCarl]

I remember one night helping myself to the top and doors off of an old Jeep CJ-5. It was an older model that had been parked behind an empty building for about two years, and as far as I could see, no point in letting good stuff rot. Right? Thing was, it wound up not fitting my jeep, so I took it back, and left it in the back seat  of the jeep I had stolen it from. Another time, I pilfered a part off an old VW Beetle to get my Fiat running again. It was about 2 in the morning and raining hard in early November.

Ray, sorry 'bout the name mix-up. I guess that in my fevered little brain, your initials spell Jerry... I "borrowed" my brothers car once too, though I was fortunate enough not to wreck it. It was wicked though, a '71 Plymouth Road Runner, with the 440 wedge motor, and the triple carb set up from the factory, called Six-Barrel Induction. It was rated at 390hp from the factory, and would give Hemi a run for its money. Anyway, at that time the car was sporting a lot of modifications, including a tunnel-ram intake. It was quite a handful to drive. It was louder than a 747 at takeoff, and went like a bat outta Hell. Stopping, however, was an entirely different matter. As I was to discover after racing some dude in a disco sled Trans-Am. It wasn't even close

Michael, you are correct about the original meaning of the 442 nomenclature. What happened though, is that in order to make the 442 more marketable, it had to be offered with an automatic tranny. So the 4 for four speed, was changed to reflect the engine size, which was 400 cubic inches. They just left it that way when the engine size was increased to 455 cubes a few years later.

Have a good one guys, thanks for the trip down memory lane

[J.R.E.]

I "borrowed" my brothers car once too, though I was fortunate enough not to wreck it. It was wicked though, a '71 Plymouth Road Runner, with the 440 wedge motor, and the triple carb set up from the factory, called Six-Barrel Induction.

I had the 69 Plymouth Roadrunner, It was the first car I bought brand new. It had the 383, 4 barrel, and 4 speed standard transmission. When I got drafted in 1971, I sold it to a friend of mine. I told him to be careful, welll, he didn't have it a month, until he totaled that car out. He was OK.

Another friend of mine had the Dodge Super Bee. I am thinking it was a 1970. Not sure though.. He had the 440 in that along with the 6 pack carb on it. That car also moved right along !! 


Ray

[CaptCarl]

Ray,
   Have you seen the auction results for Chrysler musclecars recently? Normal people like you and I will never be able to own one anymore. Over the last year or so, prices have skyrocketed. How does three million dollars sound? That's what the hot ticket '71 Cuda convertibles are going for if they are genuine Hemi cars. Even clones are going for well over $300,000. What this means is that even a six cylinder convertible that doesn't run and needs everything replaced will sell for well over thirty thousand dollars. As the Hemi prices continue to climb, so too do all the other Mopar musclecars. When my brother sold his Road Runner, it hadn't been on the road in over ten years. It was complete, and ran, but still needed everything re-done. He got over $18,000 for it. Not too shaby for a car he paid $2,800 for in high school.

Capt.Carl (whose mind still boggles at the thought of a $3,000,000 Plymouth)

[BT65]

I am so not mechanically inclined.  I wish you guys lived closer!

[J.R.E.]

Ray,
   Have you seen the auction results for Chrysler musclecars recently? Normal people like you and I will never be able to own one anymore.

Carl,

Yes I have, and your right it's out of my price range. I think my 69 roadrunner was less than $3500.00. I saw one priced at $104,000.00 Dollars. Yikes !! If only I had known !! 


Ray

[Oceanbeach]

Carl,

Yes I have, and your right it's out of my price range. I think my 69 roadrunner was less than $3500.00. I saw one priced at $104,000.00 Dollars. Yikes !! If only I had known !! 


Ray

Don't look at me... I'm the one who sold a 58 Corvette to get enough money for some tuition, books, and a college apartment.  Have the best day
Michael