Don't people build reliability anymore

[gassersgarage]

It seems every time I get a new car, it needs work. Maybe I'm a stickler, but I want everything to work and be reliable, especially for the new owner. Here are some examples.

'31 Ford - she overheated in traffic when I got her. The engine surged at cruising speed, the shifter was too sloppy and the clutch chattered. Fix all the aforementioned and she became one of the most reliable cars I ever had.

'51 Ford - The first thing I asked was, "Does it overheat?". Trailered her home and took her for a 5 mile drive. It ran at 215 degrees. The clutch was so hard, you didn't want to be in rush hour traffic. Fixed everything and became a reliable driver.

'49 Ford - I knew before hand, this would be a project. Oil leak, no side glass, air bags didn't work, no brake lights, stereo didn't work and overheated on the freeway. Fixed everything again.

'63 Pontiac - Sold the '49 and bought a collectors Grand Prix. Drove her home about 35 miles and she ran great. Took her to coffee, about a 6 mile round trip and the trans went.

'52 Chevy - Traded my '51 for it. She was built last year for the Long Beach Motorama. All good, right? I was told by the original builder and the seller, that the oil pressure gauge didn't work. No biggie, I'll fix it. No mirrors what so ever, I'll fix it. Overheats on the freeway, I'll fix it. Well I fixed everything but the oil pressure gauge reads 5 lbs. YIKES! Stuck a mechanical gauge on it and it read 10 lbs, using 20-50 oil. CHanged to 30 wt. oil and get 20 lbs at 2000 rpms. I see a crate engine in my future...........I was going to use the money to add A/C. (sigh)

 

[sgtpontiac]

Sounds like the story of my life....

Can't buy anything that works "as described".... not that I hate working on the stuff, but at least you'd want something that didn't need something immediately.....case in point...when I bought my 63 bonne, I drove it 25 or 30 miles to test it... everything worked fine...got it home, closed the door and the window came off the track and fell into the door and broke....WTHeck!!! The saga continues....

 

[Sam_Fear]

"CHanged to 30 wt. oil and get 20 lbs at 2000 rpms. I see a crate engine in my future." Sheeesh! Ya stickler. Oil pressure, who needs it!

 

[gassersgarage]

Can't buy anything that works "as described".... not that I hate working on the stuff, but at least you'd want something that didn't need something immediately.....case in point...when I bought my 63 bonne, I drove it 25 or 30 miles to test it... everything worked fine...got it home, closed the door and the window came off the track and fell into the door and broke....WTHeck!!! The saga continues....

At least I fixed the factory A/C on the Grand Prix, then the trans went.

 

[GJunktionMike]

You mean to tell me there is a chance of buying old stuff that works. I can't buy new stuff that works

 

[Dr Crankenstein]

It would seem that honesty and integrity are a thing of the past.

Where I come from, a man's word and a handshake is good.

Call me a dinosaur, but isn't that the way it's supposed to be?

 

[gassersgarage]

It would seem that honesty and integrity are a thing of the past.

Where I come from, a man's word and a handshake is good.

Call me a dinosaur, but isn't that the way it's supposed to be?

I thought about selling the car but I'll put a new engine in it before I do. Who knows, I may like the car again............

 

[skull]

oil pressure

if it a small block chevy in the 51, ya got plenty of oil pressure.

in my 65 chevy wagon l had a 350 that idled at 5psi and went to 25psi at 60 mph. it didn't matter what weight oil l used. l drove it that way for 7 years, put 75,OOO mile on it and the motor still ran strong when l pulled it out and sold the wagon body.


working for the railroad really puts the mile on vehicle.

Later

 

[440shorty]

reliable

I usually have the opposite happen. Mechanically sound, but body & interior fall apart...

skull - which railroad do you work for, and which department? I work for Light Rail Baltimore - systems. The 30 mile one way commute racks up the mileage, too.

440shorty

 

[HOT40ROD]

Ran into that many of times. The best one was the 1958 rambler I bought. The guy claims he was a certified Restoration mechanic ( Maybe in his dreams). Everything that he toughed I had to go over or replace. Instead of tools on his work bench he should should have meat cleavers and knifes because he is nothing but a butcher.

Engine- He said he rebuilt the engine the lifters were hydraulic and they were loud. The engine is a 1958 flathead but being its a rambler anything is possible. Well it ended up they were solid and some of them were out 4 full turns. Funny how the engine got quite when I adjusted them. throttle linage was hitting on the top of the ho;le through the firewall and would stick if you stepped on it. I ended up moving the gas petal to the original holes problem solved.

Wiring- He claimed he rewired it. Sure did, he crimped about 6 to 12 inches of wire on the end of most wires with new crimped ends. most of the stuff in the dash did not work.

Transmission- He rebuilt it. well you had to step on it and wait for the trans to go into low or reverse. It would slip in low and second and after driving it for about 4 months it would not shift into high until it got hot. Well I ended up adjusting the bands and now it go into low and revere as soon as you put it in gear. does not slip in low or second anymore. Also the modulate was screwing itself out and that is why it stop shifting into high. Here he never set the lock nut.

Brakes- He also rebuilt them. (Right) Yes everything was new but.

(right front) he had the show on right but he must have lost the push pins that go between the wheel cylinder and the show and ended up cutting down longer ones. He did this for all four wheels. But they were all different length. also both front wheels bears look like he only wipe grease on the outside of them and installed them. (Left Front) the brake shoes were one backwards. (Right Rear) both primary shoes ( Front shoes) were on this side. (Left Rear) both secondary shoes (Rear shoes)were on this side.

Yes the list does go on but think that will explain what this brain fart really was and how people claim to be something they are not. Oh and this guy is working on other people's cars.

 

[Willowbilly3]

if it a small block chevy in the 51, ya got plenty of oil pressure.

in my 65 chevy wagon l had a 350 that idled at 5psi and went to 25psi at 60 mph. it didn't matter what weight oil l used. l drove it that way for 7 years, put 75,OOO mile on it and the motor still ran strong when l pulled it out and sold the wagon body.


working for the railroad really puts the mile on vehicle.

Later

Haha, you should drive FE Fords. I bought a 69 crewcab with a 390. Long story but drove it 23oo miles home with my F-150 on the trailer behind it. Rear main seal leaked and it had 5 psi at warm idle and never over 25 pounds. I drove it 40,000 miles that way and it never got worse. I even did a few WOT blasts at night and buried the peg for a couple miles just to see if it could. Sold it 3 years ago and that guy is still driving it with the same tired engine.
I have owned a few other old Fords that the oil light flickered and had the death rattle at idle and still got lots of miles on them.
I don't think you can buy some one else's project without doing quite a bit to get it to your liking, it's always been that way, not just a new thing that people aren't honest now.

 

[HOT40ROD]

Haha, you should drive FE Fords. I bought a 69 crewcab with a 390. Long story but drove it 23oo miles home with my F-150 on the trailer behind it. Rear main seal leaked and it had 5 psi at warm idle and never over 25 pounds. I drove it 40,000 miles that way and it never got worse. I even did a few WOT blasts at night and buried the peg for a couple miles just to see if it could. Sold it 3 years ago and that guy is still driving it with the same tired engine.
I have owned a few other old Fords that the oil light flickered and had the death rattle at idle and still got lots of miles on them.
I don't think you can buy some one else's project without doing quite a bit to get it to your liking, it's always been that way, not just a new thing that people aren't honest now.

That common for a FE engine.

 

[Sam_Fear]

Like a lot of things in life, there isn't enough time in life to fix everything that needs it, so you fix what has to be done or bothers you most and leave the rest for later. It's amazing what people can get used to (ever watch Hoarders?)

Sometimes later never comes and you sell it to someone else because you moved on to another project. If someone or a business is selling something as finished product, that's a whole nother story....

No way I could sell it without listing everything that needs to be done on it, and that would take a lot of ink.

 

[gassersgarage]

Like a lot of things in life, there isn't enough time in life to fix everything that needs it, so you fix what has to be done or bothers you most and leave the rest for later. It's amazing what people can get used to (ever watch Hoarders?)

No way I could sell it without listing everything that needs to be done on it, and that would take a lot of ink.

With the '51, I called my buddy and asked him why he said it didn't overheat. He said, "It didn't puke, did it?". Not with a 20 lb. cap.

As for the clutch, I saw him at a car show and he asked if he could sit in it, since I fixed the master cylinder for the slave cylinder. Now, instead of standing on the clutch pedal, it depresses like a normal clutch. I asked him how he drove in traffic, he said he waited till traffic cleared.

 

[Sam_Fear]

Yeah, that attitude is BS! Although my winter beater f150 gets that attitude, I wouldn't think of trying to sell it.

No way I could sell it without listing everything that needs to be done on it, and that would take a lot of ink.

[S I was speaking of my Olds and the fact a guy was pushing to buy it from me. Musta deleted somethin before I posted.

 

[Snake Farm]

Where I come from, a man's word and a handshake is good.

Call me a dinosaur, but isn't that the way it's supposed to be?

Yes 'Dino' ........yes it is.

 

[Willowbilly3]

On a scale of 1 to 5, sellers always scale up one and discriminating hagglers scale down one. I used to point out all the little issues any car I was selling might have and it drove my wife nuts. She thought I didn't need to point out every little thing, but when you are a mechanic selling cars people seem to think they have a lifetime warranty at your shop on a $500 car.

 

[Sam_Fear]

...but when you are a mechanic selling cars people seem to think they have a lifetime warranty at your shop on a $500 car.

The shop guys at work told me never buy a car from a mechanic - they work on vehicles all day so they don't wanna do it at home too, so they use em and then get rid of em when they think they're gonna need work soon.

 

[Willowbilly3]

The shop guys at work told me never buy a car from a mechanic - they work on vehicles all day so they don't wanna do it at home too, so they use em and then get rid of em when they think they're gonna need work soon.

Partly true, I always get rid of something before it dies or needs major work. But also I always kept a couple project cars to fix up and sell so I had work when the shop was slow. I finally had a guy sell them for me from his house so the buyers didn't bug me for free repairs when the blower motor goes out in 6 months or some other little thing.

 

[Sam_Fear]

I guess I should have specified daily drivers, project cars and race cars are a different matter. And I know a couple guys that sell cars for other people because of that same problem - the imaginary implied warranty!