It barely ran. The original owner passed away. His daughter wanted to sell it. It had hubcaps, rust, dents, holes, bent chrome mudflaps, leaking drivetrain, sagging springs. But it only had 100,000 miles. The numbers matched and the owner’s manual was still in the glove box. I fell in love. We were meant to be together. My wife didn’t really understand. Sounds like the perfect start!
I had to buy new tires because 14” bias tires were brittle, cracking and almost bald. I manged to find a set of 15”X7” Rally wheels off of Craigslist for $100. I painted them and added a set of BFG/TA Radials. This was a step in the right direction. The car ran, but not good. It had a lag in the throttle that routinely killed the engine or squealed the tires depending on how the Elc felt… I guess.
I installed new cap, rotor and points. It helped but didn’t take care of the problem. The fuel pump broke. I had to be towed home. That was strike 1 with the wife! It cost $75 to tow it home, which I thought was a good deal. It was embarrassing to have it towed into the driveway. My neighbor was watching. But the fuel pump was only $15. That was cool!
Every time it rained water ran down the inside of the otherwise perfect original style windshield. So I had to remove it, fix the window sill areas. I drove to a wrecking yard and bought a new windshield, with the antenna in the glass, for $105; which was also a great deal. I had it installed and the leak stopped… in the front. The rear glass leaks now, but not as bad.
While warming the car up in front of the house, the muffler had rusted through. So I had to get a new system. I drove across the state to my cousin’s house. His friend, an ex-muffler guy, built and installed a 2” glass-pack dual-exhaust system for $200. Again, this was a pretty good deal. But because it was necessary, it was strike 2!
Now the can of worms: Every once few starts would grind against the old flywheel. It would make a terrible noise. After a few tries, it would always start right up. I had to park in the gravel part of our driveway because the transmission, oil pan and rear main-seal leaked badly. The motor would rock under quick starts because a motor mount was broken.
So I saved and planned. I ordered a front end rebuild kit, new fly wheel, and gasket kit. I planned on removing the engine, cleaning it, replacing all the seals without taking the bottom end apart. Since I had the oil pan off, I installed a new high-volume oil pump. Since I had the timing chain cover with the JB Weld sealed hole, I replaced the time chain set. And a buddy sold me an Edlebrock Performer aluminum intake manifold for $50. Why not? Oh… that meant I needed to buy a 4 barrel carburetor because the stock 2-barrel would no longer fit. It was the last thing I hadn’t replaced in my vain attempt to solve the throttle lag problem.
Since I had the transmission out, I decided to install a 700R4 (4L60) transmission. My goal with this car is to have an efficient practical and unique everyday driver. Whether it is driving across town or across the country, this car will be reliable. It will be a reflection of my personality. I love new technology, classic looks with a little machismo style. So I started looking for the NEEDED overdrive transmission. In the magazines this transmission, with a shift kit, higher stalled converter runs for around $1600 or so. I bought one for $400. What a deal. Strike 3 with my wife!
Here’s where the real big mistake bit me. Even though I had built a motor or two from the ground up, I didn’t know that new double-roller timing chain sets had 3 different keyways to advance or retard the timing. So I just put it on without even noticing the crank-sprocket looked any different. Oops.
I didn’t realize there was a problem until after hours of trying, rewiring and two friends trying what they could; I noticed a bent push rod. This is bad. After pulling them all out, half of them were bent. Then it dawned on me what had happened. The fuel shooting up through the carburetor didn’t clue me in, but it didn’t seem right. The total lack of backfiring with great spark wasn’t any clearer to me. I felt like an idiot.
I pulled the front back off and sure enough, it was wrong. So now I get to learn how to grind new valves into my heads because I can’t afford to buy heads. This is more money than I had to spend. My monthly gas allowance didn’t accommodate restoring an old car. So it took a month or two to save the money for the parts I needed. Finally I got it back together all the time fighting against cold weather coming. The car is sitting on jack stands in the driveway because we can’t afford to build a shop. The wife is pissed now. My estimate of two weeks and $200 turned into 2 months and a $1000. Then, because I couldn’t get it started, turned into all winter. Is that strike 4? I don’t care anymore!
Now, it is still winter. The snow is almost gone, but threatening to return. My wife’s friends are laughing at her because she married a guy who keeps an ugly old car on jack stand in front of the house. But I will “keep on keep’n” on as infamously coined by the wise Joe Dirt.
I told my wife “I love that car. I will shove it in the back and hide it from you before I ever sell it!” In the past I have always bitten off more than I can chew. There have been so many cars I have bought without understanding what was involved. Even though I know how to do all the mechanical stuff, the money or fear or insecurities always got in the way. In the end, I get it half way to then sell it after feeling guilty for allowing it to rot away. I will not do that this time.
So thus begins my journey with the Elc. It is an aging part of me that I can control.
