Well, I have had this car for almost two years now (Bought in September 2007). I started it for the first time on Friday!!
I bought this car off a craigslist ad, from a guy in Idaho. It had not been run for about ten years. It had about half a tank of gas. So my first order of business was to remove the tank, clean the gas line (with new line to the carburator from the fuel pump), and rebuild the carburetor. It has taken me this long to get that done (actually bought a new tank, sender, and fuel pump). This may sound like a long time, but this has been low on the priority list.
Anyway, I borrowed a mechanical oil pressure guage from a friend and manually primed the oil, then installed the distributor and cranked it over with the starter (with plugs out), oil pressure looked good.
Well, I was ready to attempt to start it on Friday. So, I put 5 gallons of gas in the tank and turned it over with the starter again (without plugs) until gas was seen in the gas filter and I worked the carburetor to see gas squirt into the intake (I was surprised how fast the gas pumped up from the tank with dry lines and fuel pump). All loked good so I installed the plugs.
OK, here we go, I turned it over for a while, not starting. Try again, it fired, but didn't start (but things looked promising). Try again and it started!! Oil pressure looked good too. So I ran it a while and adjusted the idle. Sounded great (the exhause is dual with glass packs - done a while back it looks like).
Let's take it for a drive... Put it in gear, get it moving and try the brakes... Hmmm need a little pumping, but the petal doesn't go to the floor and the car stops. Drove it a mile or so on back roads (not licensed yet). Was a lot of fun!!
The brakes need work (next priority), I think only one wheel is breaking (left front).
Anyway, sorry for the long story, but I am pumped (I think the priority is higher now on other things on the car.
By the way, the tachometer is not working, any ideas? I have not traced the wiring yet, so it may just be disconnected.
Also, thanks for your help along the way on my dumb questions.
David
Some Pictures...
I bought this car off a craigslist ad, from a guy in Idaho. It had not been run for about ten years. It had about half a tank of gas. So my first order of business was to remove the tank, clean the gas line (with new line to the carburator from the fuel pump), and rebuild the carburetor. It has taken me this long to get that done (actually bought a new tank, sender, and fuel pump). This may sound like a long time, but this has been low on the priority list.
Anyway, I borrowed a mechanical oil pressure guage from a friend and manually primed the oil, then installed the distributor and cranked it over with the starter (with plugs out), oil pressure looked good.
Well, I was ready to attempt to start it on Friday. So, I put 5 gallons of gas in the tank and turned it over with the starter again (without plugs) until gas was seen in the gas filter and I worked the carburetor to see gas squirt into the intake (I was surprised how fast the gas pumped up from the tank with dry lines and fuel pump). All loked good so I installed the plugs.
OK, here we go, I turned it over for a while, not starting. Try again, it fired, but didn't start (but things looked promising). Try again and it started!! Oil pressure looked good too. So I ran it a while and adjusted the idle. Sounded great (the exhause is dual with glass packs - done a while back it looks like).
Let's take it for a drive... Put it in gear, get it moving and try the brakes... Hmmm need a little pumping, but the petal doesn't go to the floor and the car stops. Drove it a mile or so on back roads (not licensed yet). Was a lot of fun!!
The brakes need work (next priority), I think only one wheel is breaking (left front).
Anyway, sorry for the long story, but I am pumped (I think the priority is higher now on other things on the car.
By the way, the tachometer is not working, any ideas? I have not traced the wiring yet, so it may just be disconnected.
Also, thanks for your help along the way on my dumb questions.
David
Some Pictures...
