New, with a '77 Newport

[Georges77]

I carry the same kit on my electronic ignition cars. Have yet to use them except for testing.

in over thirty years of driving these cars, I had only one ballast ever go bad. Still carry em in the trunk…… just in case.

I agree. The day I dont have it is when it'll fail. As long as I keep it in the trunk it'll probably never break lol.



Got my conversion housings in for the H4 bulbs, glass, seem really nice, and look original. I bought a relay harness, and beefed it up a bit, some of the ground wires were a little chinsy looking. Also have LED brake and marker lights. Should take some of the electrical load off. If I don't burn the car down I'll take some pictures of the new set up this week.

George

 

[73 T&C]

Would love to to see it.

 

[Georges77]

Well, what an exciting week.

Last Saturday morning, around 1 or so AM, on the way home from work, I was planning on taking a nap then heading to the C body show in Union. Well life had different plans.

Dead stop on the Eisenhower Expy, due to construction and I got blasted from behind at an estimated 40 mph. In my Volkswagen thank goodness. Driver had no insurance, license, or license plate and took off after a minute. I was able to snap a picture of the VIN and got an address, but it turns out the car was stolen lol. Just my luck! It's at a shop now and State Farm is waffling on totaling it or not. It's in good shape but has 140k on it and is 6 years old, so we'll see what happens. It was kind of drivable, but something got bent underneath and it pulls hard to the right, and I was quite sore for most of the week, feel okay now though.

Anyways, C body stuff. Got my headlights installed and I'm quite pleased. The relay seems to help with power draw, along with the LED lighting elsewhere. Only thing I haven't done is the front turn signals.

My "new" city sticker came in too!

Did my rear shocks today, and they fought me all the way. Ended up cutting the bolts and using some new hardware, well one bolt just snapped when I looked at it.

They were absolutely shot. Just collapsed and dead. I'll do the fronts next week.

Found my fuel gauge sender ground strap thing is broke, so I'm looking for a new one, or will make one if I have to.

Some parting shots

 

[Georges77]

Oh, and all of my cluster and interior lights are now working. Lots and lots of burnt out bulbs.

Sometimes it's the little things

 

[77newyorker440]

Nice! That is looking awesome. My dad and I just recently did the rear shocks on my NYB, shocks in the same condition. Nice Chicago decal, did that come on the car? Also, the LEDs look pretty good, I like how they kept a halogen-like color instead of the bright white.

 

[Georges77]

Thanks!

The sticker is a reproduction done by a guy in the Chicago area. Bob Hoyts Classic Inspection Stickers, Add a Final Touch to your Restoration! this would have been valid until December 31st, 1977.

Here in the city and most suburbs, you have to buy a sticker every year, for uhhh, well its a money grab lol. Not sure if you have the same where you live. I don't park this on the street, therefore I don't buy a sticker, usually don't get caught unless you street park.

The headlights are actually Hella H4 Halogen bulbs. I tried LEDs and even with a "warm" 4000k bulb, they looked off. These work great with the relay harness, are easy to change, and project great down the road. Very happy. Everything else is LED.

George

 

[77newyorker440]

Thanks!

The sticker is a reproduction done by a guy in the Chicago area. Bob Hoyts Classic Inspection Stickers, Add a Final Touch to your Restoration! this would have been valid until December 31st, 1977.

Here in the city and most suburbs, you have to buy a sticker every year, for uhhh, well its a money grab lol. Not sure if you have the same where you live. I don't park this on the street, therefore I don't buy a sticker, usually don't get caught unless you street park.

The headlights are actually Hella H4 Halogen bulbs. I tried LEDs and even with a "warm" 4000k bulb, they looked off. These work great with the relay harness, are easy to change, and project great down the road. Very happy. Everything else is LED.

George

Wow, I may have to look into that sticker guy, he did a great job. In my city, we used to have that but it was ended around 2010 (I believe, but I was 5 at the time). However, mine still has a sticker from 2005 before it was taken of the road. Nice, the lights all look great, awesome work!

 

[Georges77]

Wow, I may have to look into that sticker guy, he did a great job. In my city, we used to have that but it was ended around 2010 (I believe, but I was 5 at the time). However, mine still has a sticker from 2005 before it was taken of the road. Nice, the lights all look great, awesome work!

Thanks! I appreciate it.

Definitely worth a look, very affordable for how high quality his stuff is, and a quick turnaround too!

 

[ayilar]

@Georges77 — the car looks great. I was looking forward to seeing it at the Midwest, very sorry to hear that you were rear-ended. Hope all works out for you in the end — insurance and soreness.

 

[Georges77]

@Georges77 — the car looks great. I was looking forward to seeing it at the Midwest, very sorry to hear that you were rear-ended. Hope all works out for you in the end — insurance and soreness.

Thanks!

I was more bummed about missing the show than my car to be completely honest and transparent!

Back was wrecked the next morning, but went to the doc the next day then again last week, everything looks fine, just a really good muscle pull. Feel fine now, back to flinging myself on and off of rail cars with only the ignorance for your body that youth brings. We're at 8200 in damages and counting so as more gets uncovered we'll see how state farm wants to proceed. Looks like the rear beam axle was bent, that's what has gotten so pricey so quick, they caught it in just the right spot when they hit me.

Thanks again,

George

 

[73 T&C]

Sorry to hear. Glad you’re alright!

 

[Georges77]

'73- Thanks!

Well AC started blowing warm again the other day, seems like there was.a blockage at the Expansion Block. Pulled everything apart, flushed the Condenser, Lines, and Evap, replaced O rings, and service ports, and installed a new drier. Decided to try some PAG oil and 134a, more as an experiment.

Gave it a good vacuum, held with no loss for at least 4 or 5 hours, then refilled. Got 34 at the center vent idling in the sun (81 ambient) and 31.5 at the vent when driving (78-82 ambient). Cruised around with the AC on for quite some time, until it dipped into the upper 60s and it got uncomfortable even on low lol. Happy with the quick "conversion", we'll see how it holds up. No icing or anything that I noticed, I filled by pressures, and weight. Used about 90 percent or so of the R12 charge, in 134a, to get the coolest temps. At 80 degrees low side was around 43 ish psi.

Heres a few pics

Yuck

I've done at least 20 AC jobs with this Harbor Frieght pump and gauge set, worth every penny!

New ports (Ha New-Port(s). Okay I'm done) and drier

Freezing!

George

 

[Georges77]

Did a little more work the last few days,

Had a good amount of play, sloppy almost at center on the wheel, gave the box screw a 1/8th turn clockwise, and boom, no more slop. Tracks straight, had it on a lift, everything else seems in good shape, no play when I had a helper turning th wheel, and it really drives straight.

Changed the fuel filter, whew that was nasty! Smelled like death x 1000. Had a massive rainstorm yesterday when I was working on the car, good news, it's very watertight, bad news, I flipped on the wipers and ka-chow they stopped working. Eased it into the garage, and found my box of bushings from my W150. Popped new ones in (two disintegrated, but did them all) boiled them first and they popped right in. I have wipers again. A wash and a wax, and a little drive today, 90 something degrees and I was cool and comfortable.

A good day.


George

 

[65sporty]

You are really making progress with the car, it looks great

 

[77newyorker440]

Out of curiosity, did you replace the bushings with the entire wiper transmission and pivots in the car. I always thought it would be super difficult to do that. Any tips?
Thanks,
77newyorker440

 

[Georges77]

Thanks guys!!

77NY- kinda. Leave the main motor to drivers connection until last, then you can swing the wipers back and forth, giving you enough room to scrape just a reasonable amount of skin off of your hands while getting the other bushings.

I pulled the side to side and the motor to drivers links one at a time, pressed the bushings in, then popped them back into place. A) so I didn't totally bone the placement of them, B) because I'm lazy. Probably a better way to do it, but honestly took longer to find and boil up the bushings than actually replacing them took. Trying to leave the transmission linkage totally in tact and doing it, would be an absolute nightmare unless you have weird baby hands, and if you do, no offense.


I also possess a reasonable amount of dexterity at 28, and positioning yourself, kinda IN, the engine bay allows for enough torque to "pop" them onto the nubs. That's the biggest pain I've found. They're tight. Sorry this explanation kinda sucks, but it's just hard to explain it via text. Once you pull that cowl screen off and take a look, it really makes sense. My W150 was way more of an absolute pain in comparison for some reason, and I was able to remove the entire metal cowl for that one. Odd, but hey.

George

 

[Georges77]

Took the Chrysler and some buddies down to the last day of this year's Hot Rod Power Tour in Champaign Illinois today, had a great time.

It was HOT today, 90s, humid, sunny, got a nice tan/burn lol. Lots of cars, massive parking lots full, every kind of everything. Was an awesome show.

Got to meet Derek from Vice Grip Garage, if anyone is familiar. Awesome guy, great show, and a great family. Heres just a few pictures, I have a lot.

First stop for some drinks and a bathroom about 60 or so miles south of Chicago

Derek and I and his '70 Cadillac, he signed my Keychain as well,

What are the chances there's an open parking spot next to this beauty? Never caught up with the owner, but if anyone knows him, tell him he's got a beautiful ride.

Couple random pics

Did about 300 or so miles of driving, mostly highway, some stop and go city mixed in there and the AC cranked, which did an absolutely excellent job of freezing us all out today, and average 15 miles per gallon. No complaints!

George