[elky] Re: Sprint in the shop
- From: STILLFRANKSFAULT@xxxxxxx
- To: elky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 22 Sep 2011 18:39:02 -0400 (EDT)
I need a new BBQ grill. Chris?
Smokey Mt Frank
In a message dated 9/22/2011 2:31:26 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
printces@xxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
does Chris sell fussy smokey taillights for Blazer or I am I shopping with
someone else on eBay?
Mary
Chris sells carburetors too? I was under the impression that he sells
chemical compounds like POR -15.
____________________________________
From: John Christensen _<johncgg@xxxxxxxxx>_ (mailto:johncgg@xxxxxxxxx)
To: _elky@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (mailto:elky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx)
Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2011 8:43 PM
Subject: [elky] Re: Sprint in the shop
One of the last times I took the El Camino to a repair shop for anything,
I decided my time was worth more than $45 for a tune up. That was
pre-header days.... now it's about an hour and a half, or $75 of my time.
Anyway, I
paid the $45, and got the plugs changed. That was it. It was a Computer
controlled carb, and they didn't do anything to that. When I opened the
distibutor cap, because it looked like the same one, the center carbon
electrode
had broken in half, and fell out. Obviously, the tune up didn't include a
cap and rotor.
I was so pissed, I don't take anything to a mechanic any more, unless,
after reading about the procedure, I don't have the tools, or I have potential
to do serious damage if I screw it up (Like timing belts on the
Pathfinder.... I paid for that).
I may farm out the A/C, but only after I can find the right parts to put
hoses back on. There are missing parts after the conversion to serpentine. I
found one on eBay for about $80, after I spent 20 for one at a junk yard
that ended up having holes in it.
I have been putting off the body mount project I am in the middle of for
literally YEARS. Now I have to weld on it to get it back in shape, but the
welder arrived today. It came with everything to use the CO2/Argon, except
the tank. Before I spend the money right now.... on the setting inside the
welder, it says to use heavier flux core for the 1/4" steel. That would mean
no gas. Should I spring for the wire and hold off on the gas for the
moment? Anyone with welding experience out there???
Get a Edelbrock carb from Chris and bolt it on yourself Saul. It was a
piece of cake when I did it, changing from the computer to non. I had to
change the distributor too, and you won't have to do that. 4 bolts and
linkages,
and you will be home free for 2 or 300 I think.
Check it out!
JC
On Tue, Sep 20, 2011 at 8:12 PM, Saul Marsh <_saulmarsh72@xxxxxxxxxx
(mailto:saulmarsh72@xxxxxxxxx) > wrote:
Hello all,
Been two weeks since I sold Clustertruck, and I don't miss it as much as I
thought I would. We've had some nice days that would have been great for
working on cars, so if I feel like picking up a wrench I'm just gonna have
to do maintenance on my new Sprint or work on the lawn mower or something.
Anyway, the new Sprint (the '76 I bought in May) is in the shop, and I now
remember why I don't like bringing cars to a mechanic. Just expensive.
My intent was for the guy to rebuild the VIR in the A/C system, just like he
had recently done to his own '76 El Camino. However, he found a few more
problems and it looks like I'll be getting those fixed instead. The
carburetor has a fitting that leaks and won't tighten, and might need to be
replaced with a rebuilt carb. I thought the car smelled awfully bad of fuel,
but Clustertruck smelled even worse so I just assumed that smelly cars is
something you lived with when you drive a '70's carbureted car. Apparently
not the case. I hope this helps. I also will be getting an A/C hose
replaced, the system evacuated, and refilled with R-12. But I'm not quite
clear
on whether this means I'll be getting nice cold A/C again (of
course....right as the temps have dropped where I don't need it anyway). The
mechanic
said the windshield defrosting in the winter could be affected if the A/C
system gets too dry. I don't know. If I had more time I'd read up on it in
my repair manual. For now I'm taking the guy for his word, and realizing
it will be a little bit of time for me to save up money before my next
repair (whatever that may be). Right now, the only thing wrong with the car
is
that the "ice cold" A/C is at best mediocre. When I drove it in our
triple digit heat this summer, I ended up smelling bad due to sweat, on top of
smelling bad due to a leaky carb.
And I took the bus home today, while I leave the Sprint at the repair
shop. It took an hour and a half for my normal 25-minute commute. Would love
to take the bus more often, but that's just too much time.
Anyway, that's all for now.
Saul
'76 GMC Sprint
Other related posts:
