Don Jordan Posted October 14, 2009 Report Share Posted October 14, 2009 Just thought I'd jump in here with my 2 cents. (even 2 cents doesn't buy much anymore) When I was 18 I bought a 1950 Buick Special for $25. Straight 8. I did not think twice about driving from Utah to California across Nevada. I just knew it would make it. No doubt. (and it did) Think about the really stupid things done as a kid that would seem crazy as an old coot. (what is a coot?) When I got back from Viet Nam in 69 I bought a 36 Chevy pick up for $200. It was my daily driver and I drove it from San Francisco to Orange County at 50 mph without a thought of it ever not making it. Now I'm worried about taking my Plymouth (with a rebuilt engine and trans) over 50 miles. Of course I don't parachute or bungee jump any more either. I guess it has to do with priorities. Now you got me thinking about all the really stupid things I did in my younger days. I still regret getting rid of both the Buick and the Chevy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted October 14, 2009 Report Share Posted October 14, 2009 Don Jordan (what is a coot?) where I grew up as a teenager...these were known locally as a marsh hens not to be confoused with martian(s)...if you came running in from the wetland all excited about seeing a goodly number of these sitting on the water and start waving your hands jumping up and down saying marsh-hens real fast..could panic the whole dang town.. edible for sure..but it is no duck for certain... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1940plymouth Posted October 14, 2009 Report Share Posted October 14, 2009 I know I kinda shouldn't post this photo, but my son is 28 years old, he has had the '51 for just over ten years, he paid 75 dollars for it, and he was given the '68 over a year ago, the '68 had no bed or floors, in the past year he has done alot of work on the truck. He does all the body work himself, not to mention the mechanical work also. He worked for a local repair shop while in high school, then went to SUNY Morrisville for two years and now is still working for the same shop he did while in high school. There is hope for the younger generation still:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Flanagan Posted October 14, 2009 Report Share Posted October 14, 2009 Yeah, that's what I don't see a whole lot of anymore. Guys that age doing that kind of work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T120 Posted October 14, 2009 Report Share Posted October 14, 2009 ..That's great, your son has the interest and skills and is involved in the hobby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-12 Tommy Posted October 14, 2009 Report Share Posted October 14, 2009 The $100 cars arn't all gone... I bought a '97 concorde for $100 last winter (Craig's list) as a parts car just to have on hand. It ran, but not too well (140,000 miles on it). Had to trailer it home it home because a mechanic had diagnosed it with a cracked head (it had been overheating). 2 months later the tranny went out on my daily driver. I really wasn't too eager to do a tranny swap in Michigan in February, so I put some marker dye in the radiator, put some new spark plugs in it and started driving it. Kinda scary the first couple of trips... waiting for it to die on me, but I have 12,000+ miles on it now and no signs of dye ever showed up in the oil! I think there was air in the cooling system that was causing the overheating problem. It wouldn't happen to have the 2.7 liter engine in it?Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyDevil Posted October 15, 2009 Report Share Posted October 15, 2009 Well, there are quite a few younger people working on cars, it just looks different. Instead of replacing the carbs, they are remapping the fuel curve in the computer. It's just newer stuff. Instead of replacing the cam, they are adjusting the timing advance in the computer. so on and so on. If you take the big piece of plastic off of your motor you will see that under it....... THERE IS A MOTOR. You remember the first time your dad opened the hood? Kinda confusing wasn't it? Just get a manual and learn. That's how you guys of the older generations did it, that's how people of my generation are doing it. It's actually a lot easier. Hell, you can plug in a scanner and the car will tell you what's wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
power_hungry Posted October 15, 2009 Report Share Posted October 15, 2009 It wouldn't happen to have the 2.7 liter engine in it?Tom Nope, the 3.5. Wouldn't touch a 2.7 car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIPJOBXX Posted October 15, 2009 Report Share Posted October 15, 2009 Lucky I guess that why if you want to work for a dealership you practically haft to have a degree in computer technology. And that's why a good mechanic with the skills can make a very good paycheck. But also today new cars are suppose to run up to 100,000 miles and never ever haft to change a plug. I even have problems programming my radio in my 2003 Honda if I happen to let the battery run down. Oh well I have a new HHR and it should last me to I go to wherever? My kids well they both have great jobs and so they have no need to look under the hood and in fact they never have. Oh well thats ok with me as they have there life and I have mine. Old cars rule!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Ollian Posted October 15, 2009 Report Share Posted October 15, 2009 One other thing not mentioned is in a lot of families now days there is no father present and so no male roll models to learn from and be encouraged by. All the young kids I know still love cars and machines, but as they grow they end up with video games and computers instead of an old beater car to learn on like most of us did. Never got to help for the first time with an oil change or tune up. Frank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P-12 Tommy Posted October 15, 2009 Report Share Posted October 15, 2009 Nope, the 3.5. Wouldn't touch a 2.7 car!Yeah, and I'm well aware of that "sludge motor". I think there's still a class action lawsuit on that engine.Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodney Bullock Posted October 15, 2009 Report Share Posted October 15, 2009 Yeah, that's what I don't see a whole lot of anymore. Guys that age doing that kind of work. Joe there are guy's around here doing that(working on old cars) I meet them at the friday night spot at cap center at the BLVD. They are into these 22 inch wheeled cars that look like a police car. I once tried to have a conversation with one. He told me that a sedan (4dr) was sexy and that they were classics. I tried to tell him about two door hard tops however he did not know the differnce. he was talking about a crown vic, I tried to tell him these cars were not true crown vics' I had to get a book and show him what a true crown vic looked like, it's just to hard to teach these guy's the right stuff or mybe I am just to old:rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Elder Posted October 15, 2009 Report Share Posted October 15, 2009 Don't despair Rodney, they will be saying the same thing we are 20 or so years from now, just a different platform. Like the old men said about us..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertKB Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 I think some of the younger guys will just like old cars and will figure things out. My dad had nothing but new cars and never did any work on any cars that I can remember. He did teach me to drive well though. As even a young kid, I always liked old things and that was true of cars. Tried buying a Model T when I was 14 but the guy wanted $200 bucks so he might as well have asked for the moon. Later it was the same for a '24 Dodge. $250 so outta reach. When I was in my mid twenties, I came across a '53 Plymouth which is a car my dad did own new, just not this one. I still have that green '53 but when I got it, I knew nothing about old cars, how to service them, or work on them. I still say I only know enough mechanics to get myself in trouble but I have picked up quite a bit along the way. For me it was joining the local antique car club and there were lots of people in it, two especially, who taught me a lot about old car, Mopars in particular. I think down the road there will be interest in our ytpe of cars but not to the scale there is now. I think a lot of them will get rodded to suit modern tastes but some will survive as they were built. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Flanagan Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 It's an interesting point about fathers not being around so much anymore. Some of my fondest memories of my father are of the times we worked on cars together. Seems like he was always yelling at us or referring to us as "you damn fool," but we gave it back pretty well. What I found out though, was that there is no teacher better than the Royal Screw Up. I never got more extensive training than that given by the Royal Screw Up. You tend to remember that stuff really well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Elder Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 Actually the first training I got was grandpa and his half a glass of water training exersise, urban myth or not it seemed to make him happy. Lay a half a glass of whatever on the manifold or intake, etc. And when it is the smoothest, the engine is happy. Gotta get you close if you don't have any other tools to tell you no. I have no idea on how that works for advance:confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Flanagan Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 And the really tough grandpas used a nickle set on its edge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Elder Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 Roger that, It works if you want it too.....blue or green, FLANAGREEN is best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niel Hoback Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 Joe, this is a picture of a washer standing on edge while the motor is running. The biggest problem I had doing it was the fan would blow it over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LuckyDevil Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 OK! I don't want to sound like the guy looking for a left handed metric cresent wrench, but..... can you really balance a nickle on the head or are you pulling my leg? I am a pretty decent mechanic, but this old six kinda confuses me. I cut my teeth on SBC's. Stuff with carbs bigger than a coke can. It's different, and I love the new challenge but can you really get it to run that smooth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobertKB Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 Yes, you absolutely can, and I have done it on all three of my old flatheads. It is amazing how smooth any straight six can run, especially, of course, a Chrysler flathead. On a different note, has anyone ever noticed I love the use of commas. They provide that little short pause you naturally have when speaking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Flanagan Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 And I can understand what you're saying, too. What a concept. Well, I have to admit that I thought the nickle on edge was an old mechanic's tale. So I'm with Lucky Devil on that one. Lucky, there's a forum member in Tasmania who has a left handed metric crescent wrench. PM him. But if you need a smoke bender you'll have to wait. I'm using mine at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Ed Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 Joe if you need to work on a more modern car I'll send you my metric one. Its a toyota brand but will work on others Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martybose Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 Yes, you absolutely can, and I have done it on all three of my old flatheads. It is amazing how smooth any straight six can run, especially, of course, a Chrysler flathead. I can do that on mine as long as the chokes are set; if I wait until it warms up and idles down, it lopes a bit at idle, and that would knock it off! Marty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norm's Coupe Posted October 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 Lucky Devil, As the others mentioned, you can stand that nickle up. Actually, that's how my grandfather would tune his engine all the time back in the 50's. Did that without a computer too. The only testing equipment he used was a timing light. Was done by ear and touch. He was far from being more than a true backyard mechanic. Didn't even have a garage to work in. Did all his work in the driveway in front of the shed. His profession was an electrician, not a mechanic. Didn't have any books to study about working on cars either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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