Since this mega thread has gone quiet, I'll try to wake it with this.
The 69 Rag,
After the addition of a much better CS130D alternator, and now in the pursuit of brighter lights, I added an amazon central power point as I now had a good spot for it now with the regulator gone. Modified it a bit to be able to secure the cover. Added ATC fused relays, low beam-10amp, High-20. And a all new headlamp harness along with way better grounding. The alternator sensing wire now is fed off the power point buss, a more efficient way for it to sense the system load. The 12ga body feed with it's original 5" 16ga fusible link is now on that buss, along with the big aux firewall (conv top) breaker feed wire.
For added safety, I added a 5" 16ga fusible link on the positive charging/feed wire off the battery terminal. Added a 7.5 amp ATC in line fuse from the horn relay across to the buss and the big feed to it was now disconnected and I wanted the horns and relay to be fused.
I really intended to keep the old harness intact for preservation, but the wires were in tough shape, and one plug had been melting for 55 years. Cut open at any spot, most of that old copper was black and the green and tan insulation was rock hard. Amazon Ceramic plugs added at the lamps just because, but If I did it again I'd build new plugs using the original style connector bodies. The amazon plugs are all 3 point HB/LB. The blue wire on the HB bulb below is not hooked up to anything. (Where can I find the female spade connectors for this?)
No more big current to and from the headlight switch. They look brighter even with the engine not running (need to do the carb, tomorrow).
The aim on them isn't all that bad. I gave them a tweak when I bought it, and it's all pretty good. The bulbs are still decently bright. I should really replace that missing HB spring, but doesn't look too easy to do without your fancy grill coming out.
I'd like to do all H4 Hella glass housings with performance LED's at some point. Bucks for the genuine glass housings, cheap for the china LED's. I've bought this brand 3 times and I can 100% recommend. They are pretty much the same price a incandescent halogen but far better!
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
I did just the high/beam with Hella glass H4, halogen bulbs still, only the 2 bulbs. The night driving with them is as good or better than my modern vehicles, the light cutoff and light spread is perfect
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63 Parisienne sport coupe (The Big GTO), black, maroon interior, 409 4 speed; former owner of a 59 El Camino, 63 Corvette SWC, 62 Chev Bel Air SC. 1963- Pontiac top selling car in Canada
Mahone Bay, NS Still not old enough to need an automatic
I did just the high/beam with Hella glass H4, halogen bulbs still, only the 2 bulbs. The night driving with them is as good or better than my modern vehicles, the light cutoff and light spread is perfect
I always find it neat to bring an oldie up to a good lighting standard. I've taken as of late of getting into the habit of running with lights on in the day. The thought being that the fact you have no lights actually makes you blend in more to inattentive drivers. Can't hurt.
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
Got the Carb kit from the Carb doctor. Opened the 2GV carb up and was met with a perfectly clean bowl and all passages. Zero drama here.
The base and base to body gaskets were tired. Upper was still good. Found the accelerator pump cup was torn, as expected. Blew out all the passages with carb cleaner. All good. A little confused not to find a check ball at the bottom of the pump cavity, but this model does not have one, just one behind a little spring and T in the discharge port.
And the one thing that I found that explains the flooding...the needle seat was sitting in place loose. Like no contact with the carb body and the seat seal. Removed it with my fingers and the little red gasket was torn. Fuel was obviously getting around the seat. Simple!
Back together, new parts, float level measured good. Needles back to where they were. Back on the engine, fired up right away.
And guess what...NO MORE MISS AT IDLE!!! Gone! And along with it the fear of it being a wiped lobe. Runs absolutely perfect and quiet. Smooth, better power even. Maybe having the better running voltage along with the carb kit did the trick.
I'm very happy now.
Next job, drop the tank and install a new sender. Fun, wow!
Spent the whole day in my favourite wrecking yard in Minnesota. Sorry, no pictures but wow, I'm amazed every time I go there. I don't know of a yard with more 50's and 60's cars. 40 acre yard that is coming up on 70 years old in about one more year.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
Spent the whole day in my favourite wrecking yard in Minnesota. Sorry, no pictures but wow, I'm amazed every time I go there. I don't know of a yard with more 50's and 60's cars. 40 acre yard that is coming up on 70 years old in about one more year.
same stuff in the yard or is he always adding to the inventory?
Mostly stable, selling off the odd car but today when I walked in the first thing I saw was a 1961 Merc that he just got in. Every so often he comes up with a surprise.
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
After procrastinating for too long, I finally changed the fuel sender in the 69 today. Just to make it interesting, I did it with 1/2 a tank of fuel. Made a little platform that drops into the floor jack and fits between the straps. Worked great.
Always be sure to cap the vent and sender outlets before moving a tank 1/2 full. I leaned this on the 67 tank. Removing the old sender and looking inside, the tank appears in good condition. Most would replace it at this point, but it's fine.
Last fall I tried improving the ground in the hope that was it, but no change. Trouble shooting back then, I jumpered the new sender to the 20 Tan wire connection at the trunk latch, added a ground and sure enough the gauge worked and moved with the float.
Looks like the old one is original to the car. Can it be repaired? Maybe, but the inlet tube is pretty crusty. Maybe I'll give it a shot. I now in no way expect the new one to last very long, it really looks like a piece of crap I'm sorry to say. Quality is non existant today in the replacement senders, but for now we at least have a measure.
