1971 LeSabre Custom R&R

Discussion in 'Projects' started by Smartin, Apr 16, 2006.

  1. Floydsbuick

    Floydsbuick Well-Known Member

     
  2. Floydsbuick

    Floydsbuick Well-Known Member

    BTW....That engine compartment looks great!!!
     
  3. Smartin

    Smartin antiqueautomotiveservice.com Staff Member

    Thanks Dan...

    Yes, I'm nuts, but I have been assured they should be fine. If they leak, I an easily unbolt them and throw a set of gaskets in. I had them milled, so hopefully it will be ok. I also spread a thin bead of high temp RTV on the surfaces per instructions from a good source. Crossing my fingers! I am waiting for the oil to drain from the first oil change right now. Getting realy to turn the key!!!!
     
  4. Floydsbuick

    Floydsbuick Well-Known Member


    O. LMK how it works. These are a PIA on my 80. Ticka, Ticka,Ticka, arghhhhh.

    Actually, I think my legendary carbon pin backfire mighta cracked one of mine on the back.
     
  5. Smartin

    Smartin antiqueautomotiveservice.com Staff Member

    No exhaust leaks!!!......except for at the choke.:Dou:


    The car started right up after about 10 seconds of fuel pumping. Purrs like a kitten...kinda. I think I have the timing too far advanced. I just dropped the dist back in and guessed where it is supposed to be.:Do No: Time for some tuning..
     
  6. Smartin

    Smartin antiqueautomotiveservice.com Staff Member

    Timing was advanced a few degrees too far, and the miss is working itself out. It seems to take a bit of run time to burn out all the oil, etc that gets into the combustion chambers when I dig into an engine that deep.

    I goofed and opened the rad. cap when it was under a little bit of pressure, and hosed some of the engine compartment off...so I spent some time RE-detailing:Dou:




    The nasty carb I ripped apart last night and threw in a quick rebuild kit:

    [​IMG]


    The nasty floor I scraped this evening after I got the car out:

    [​IMG]


    Ready for ignition!!!!

    [​IMG]


    Running! You can't really tell, though :p

    [​IMG]
     
  7. jamyers

    jamyers 2 gallons of fun

    Dude - that's fricken' awesome! You do good work, and now I've got a high standard to beat once my new engine is ready. :beer

    (but I just know those aren't rusty hood hinges / springs in that pic... :Brow: )
     
  8. GoldBoattail455

    GoldBoattail455 462 -> TH400 -> Posi

    Wow, way too nice Adam. :TU: Looks great, something for me to try for on my next engine detailing. :bglasses:

    But I think I got you beat in the pile of debris on the garage floor, more rags and kitty litter here. :laugh:
     
  9. BTail

    BTail Well-Known Member

    Wow!! Very nice. Was that overflow tank removed and stored in the trunk for all of those years? My Riv has that integrated overflow tank, fan shroud, windshield washer fluid combo that is cracked and yellowed with age. It's also real difficult to get the long bottom alternator bolt out, as it hits the overflow tank. :rant: Must have had the intern engineer that one.

    As I said before, inspirational. I bet those hood hinges are really getting under your skin, though. That Centurion is probably getting a bit jealous of all the attention you're giving to "just another LeSabre", huh? Personally, I think its great to do such nice work to a car like that.

    Nick
     
  10. Smartin

    Smartin antiqueautomotiveservice.com Staff Member

    Nick, the tank was never stored in the trunk, although it appears as if it was :shock:

    The Centurion is spoiled!!! It needs a money sucking break. It's the new guy's turn for some $$$ deposits. I should just feed $100 bills into the carb next time...it's much easier.


    I got the front bumper hung tonight...it's quite a task if you're by yourself. :spank:


    [​IMG]
     
  11. Floydsbuick

    Floydsbuick Well-Known Member

    Is that one of those four barrel intakes that is hollow under the thermostatic choke spring? I have one on my 70 350 in my 80 LeSabre. Didn't know what year it was from. Every other 350 intake I've had or have has material cast at the bottom.
     
  12. jamyers

    jamyers 2 gallons of fun

    Yup, my '72 350 manifold has that open hole as well. Quite a PITA to keep sealed, and the only way to get a gasket is in an engine rebuild kit or make one yourself. I blocked it off with a piece of 1/4 plate steel and mounted a generic coil on that (I've also got a 1" carb spacer plate.)
     
  13. Smartin

    Smartin antiqueautomotiveservice.com Staff Member

    Alright, James....I was going nuts over the hood hinge problem, and the underside of the hood being a mess.....so I did something about it. Good thing I had a full sheet of hood insulation sitting in the basement :Brow: I did a quick spray of cast iron color on the hinges, but did the black underhood much more carefully. It turned out nice.

    [​IMG]


    I also did the hood jambs...they were pretty ugly compared to the rest of it. My Centurion is getting REALLY jealous.

    [​IMG]



    Oh, and for those of us who don't know what a straight front bumper is supposed to look like, here is a nice example. Fresh off the press!....34 years ago.

    [​IMG]
     
  14. GoldBoattail455

    GoldBoattail455 462 -> TH400 -> Posi

    Dam, I can't tell you how I love the look of the fresh black in the engine bay, so thats what they are supposed to look like. :) Guess I have a new project for this winter. :Brow: Can't wait to see it in person and drool over it! :bglasses:
     
  15. Smartin

    Smartin antiqueautomotiveservice.com Staff Member

    It's amazing how a $2k car can quickly turn into a $5k car with some elbow grease.
     
  16. Well I'm definitely subscribing to this thread. The motor is out of my '69 (finally) and I'd like to give the bay the same treatment. Couple of questions:

    1) When you painted the various parts in the compartment black, what did you first use for a degreaser? And did you use a primer before painting?

    2) Could you please state all the colors and their manufacturers that you used on the various parts and underhood areas?

    Nice car, by the way... :bglasses:
     
  17. Smartin

    Smartin antiqueautomotiveservice.com Staff Member

    Erik:

    Degreasers used were Acetone and a chemical used in silk screen cleaning, commonly called "Four" screen cleaner. It's pretty much acetone on steriods, if there could be such a thing. Along with a boatload of paper towels, scratch pads, and steel wool, I cleaned everything I could reach.

    I did not use primer for any of it. Just make sure your surfaces are CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN. You'll know if they're not when they start to fisheye when you lay down the first coat of paint. If you see it, immediately stop painting, and clean some more. Everything went down to bare metal before I painted it. This was the best way to ensure I did not have any problems with fisheye or lifting paint, due to incompatibility.

    Colors used:

    Duplicolor DH 1608 high temp Red (the 1200* stuff)
    Duplicolor DH 16?? Clear (same 1200* stuff) used for bolts and bare metal parts
    Duplicolor DE 1635 Ford Semigloss Black (500* engine paint) for all the black parts

    I found a cast iron color spray (Duplicolor DE 1651) and used it on my hood hinges, but for the master cyilinder, I bought the cast iron color in a pint can that was the brush-on stuff. I used it on the exhaust manifolds, as well...and the steering box.

    Brake Booster - if your booster is not perfectly smooth or has rust pits, then spray a basecoat of silver first. Then, with Duplicolor Metalcast Gold Anodizing paint, LIGHTLY swipe over it. It takes some practice to get it right. You don't want to paint it like you sprayed the rest of the parts...all you want to do is get that gold sheen. I also used a touch of the red engine paint as a dusting on those gold parts as well. You could go as far as using some blue and green with the same technique, but you don't want to go too far, or else you'll be starting over again.

    Duplicolor makes excellent spraying paints, and I'd use their stuff over anyone else at this point...as far as spray bombs are concerned.


    On another note, the 350-4 emissions decal I got from Jim Osborn Reproductions is the same WRONG decal I got from Classic Buicks. I guess I'll have to figure out what to do with it, or to make another one. What a PITA!!
     
  18. EEE

    EEE Straight out of lo-cash!

     
  19. Thanks for the info Adam.

    Acetone? and Acetone on Steroids? Guessing you were in a WELL ventilated space, or perhaps you "toured the cosmos" through the entire cleaning evolution... :grin:

    As for no primer, after taking it down to bare metal, is that because the high-temp eng paint doesn't need primer? I always thought primer was required, pretty much no matter what kind of painting you're doing but apparently that isn't always the case? :Do No:
     
  20. Smartin

    Smartin antiqueautomotiveservice.com Staff Member

    Those cleaners are pretty strong, but I'm accustomed to it. I've grown up breathing toxic vapors being around cars and the screen printing business.

    On the primer situation, I haven't had any issues yet with doing this. If I was to prime the engine, I'd be completely negating the effect of a high temp topcoat, since the primer would bake right off. As for the black parts, I've tried it both ways...and they both scratch just as easily:Dou::grin: I also find that using no primer on these parts allows you to see the detail of the metal itself. The way it was stamped, the ripples created during the process....as goofy as that sounds, it really adds to the original "look" of the part.
     

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