Canadian Poncho wrote:

---

Nice work George! How many miles would you say you have put on the car since you did this?

---

 Todd, it now has just slightly over 55,000 miles on it. In 1994 the car had around 37,000 miles on it. My math says around 18,000 miles since all the work. Cheers. 

jmont64 wrote:

---

My time marches on doesn't it. It looked like better than new again. Great way to keep your family heritage alive. Do you have any kids that would want to carry on your car legacy?

---

 No kids, just cars. I have a younger brother Mike who is also a major car guy. He has a 62 Falcon but in the past had 68, 69 and 71 Chevelles. The car will be his if he out lives me, if not i would donate the car to an Ontario car museum. I have five sisters and they could care less for cars. Cheers.

cdnpont wrote:

---

You did an impeccable job on it back then George! Must have been so satisfying!

How has it held up over the years?

 

---

 Mark, it has held up very well over the last 26 years because i clean and buff the whole area every other year to stay on top of the mess that is caused by operation. Of course it does not look like the day i finished the project but she still looks sweet. I appreciate the kind words. Cheers.

George, hardened valve seats have been a standard feature of Chevy passenger car engines since the 1973 models. GM ushered in the low-lead & no-lead era starting with the 1971 models but it wasn't until the 73's that the hardened seats came into use. That was 2 years before catalytic converters.

I'll say it again, your Caprice Estate is the nicest '74 Big Chevy I have seen in decades, with exception of a single Spirit Of America Impala. I do appreciate the many details in it. We had a '74 but it was a lemon, yet I didn't totally sour on the '74s. I'd still love a Laguna Type S-3 454 4-speed. It was a time for the changing of the guards, so to speak. The traditional way of marketing cars was changing as emissions standards, bumper standards & insurance rates knocked the bloom off of musclecars, but the blocks still had high nickel content, brakes & handling were greatly improved and it was kind of a sweet spot (except for gas mileage). Advancing the timing would help greatly, but as was written back in the day about the 74's: if they didn't run on, stumble or surge then they weren't tuned to spec. That is how  they met the emission standards, they de-tuned them to an absurd level. The cats starting in '75 allowed them to at least advance the timing for better mileage & performance while still meeting the sniff test.

For Chevy the 400 4-barrel (LT4) in '74 normally was California-only, except for the full-sized Chevy wagons. Because of your car I learned that the 49-state & Canada versions of the wagon LT4 came without a smog pump (same held true for L48s).

Hypothetically if your brother ever passed on the car I would give it an appreciative home.

ABC123 wrote:

---

I had my air breather blasted and painted.

I was going to leave it original but got talked into it.

---

 Good thing you did, because it is often the cherry on top the engine.

George it looks like you did  a great job on it back in 94 that's paid off ever since in power and performance. 

I love your car, as I do pretty much all the FS Chevs from 55-89.  Yours is particularly striking with its color scheme and options, plus the fact it's been in your family since new. Congratulations on preserving it and using it. 

cdnpont wrote:

---

You did an impeccable job on it back then George! Must have been so satisfying!

How has it held up over the years?

 

---

 B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L

cdnpont wrote:

---

Since you have our attention now, could you give us a little slideshow on the car George? I know pictures exist on here of it, but you might be able to make it easier to see them again.

---

 Mark, i lost all my images of the wagon a few months ago when my computer had a melt down. I have to take new photos of the wagon, now that the weather is getting better. Mark, there is a thread (i think that is the term) here on C.P. called  "Where are the station wagon lovers out there" There are some pictures there of my 74. These photos here i transferred to j peg form from 35 mm photos but the quality is not 100%. I appreciate the interest. Cheers. 

Canadian Poncho wrote:

---

If you didn't throw out your computer George sometimes lost images can be recovered.

---

 I had all my 1957 Chev and 1957 Pontiac restoration photos on disc and thank goodness for that because there are literally hundreds of images. A computer genius buddy of mine that taught it as a high school teacher told me everything was gone. I personally do not understand most of this stuff. I do what i can and try to learn as much as i can but sometimes my brain hurts with so much information over load.