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Leak down testing results - all cyls.

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SixunoSix View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SixunoSix Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb/11/2023 at 3:47pm
Fully agree with farna!Clap
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 1958 rambler super Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb/11/2023 at 4:57pm
I also would like to say I have a good feeling about what farna says 616.
And I think I'm going to try and work towards driving and seeing what develops from that activity for the engine, but am appreciative of others point of view and always value forum members knowledge!

But I'm still hoping to have a response from wittsend about my response to his curiosity about how come the car hasnt gotten off the couch and gotten a life, I think my response/reason is a darn good one, and I hope he offers his reflections on it.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote wittsend Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb/12/2023 at 11:18am
My my hope is that your car gets to the point where it is bringing you great driving happiness. I take no joy in watching others struggle. Because your car issues have been spread across multiple posts over many years I was unaware (or not remembering) that the brakes were an additional issue. My comment about the car needing to "get off the couch and get a life" was only intended as a "nudge" of motivation if you were apprehensive to attempt to put miles on the car in the hope the rings would break in. It was my way of saying 'this is something you should do' (as others have stated as well). My apology if my statement seemed offensive. It was not intended to be so.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 1958 rambler super Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb/12/2023 at 3:45pm
I'm not sure if it was offensive, I didn't really feel like it, but I've been frusterated and have had a lot of grief and crazy hard work to crawl through and effort and lots of money being spent, more then $17,000 I suppose by now.
The response I gave to your post was not just for you, but in some way for everyone else in my life who's said this or that, stuff my dad's said, my neighbors and freinds have said, who have an impatient opinion about the cars work progress with out knowing the facts and realities of the efforts I've made and troubles I've eventually been able to overcome.

I wasn't mad at you, but eager for you to hear what I had to say and am always open to the advice or opinions or knowledge you share that does help me wittsend. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote farna Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb/13/2023 at 7:14am
Some things you're doing the hard way -- some due to bad advice. The problem with advice is you don't know how good or bad it is until you try it! Helping over the Internet is tough as we don't know your skill or knowledge levels... at least at first. There is a learning curve with old cars as you've found out! Learning the hard way does have a enduring feature though! You'll either chalk mistakes up as a learning experience and move on (like you've been doing, yay for you!!) or decide it's not for you... and move on in a different way. There's actually a lot to be said for both directions. If it's "not for you" stepping away and letting someone else have a car is usually the best, instead of butchering it up or ruining it to the point it's only good for parts. Or letting it sit and rot away... I've seen way too many "I'm gonna fix it one day" projects rot to the point there aren't even many usable parts.

Or like one guy did when I was 19-20 and stopped to ask about a car. Did that a couple times over a 2-3 month period -- not enough to be a pest, just enough to let them know I was really interested. He thought the car was too far gone for anyone to resurrect, even though I drove up and asked about it in my 63 Rambler (was a 61-63 American two door wagon). It needed floors and the front end was bad, but I told him I had a couple parts cars. I stopped by a third time (4-6 months later) and car had been moved! I still knocked and asked. He said he had someone come and haul it off for junk since he didn't want to be responsible for someone having a wreck with it when trying to fix it. I'd told him if it turned out to be unfixable I'd use it for parts! REALLY hated losing that one!! I'd have cannibalized the two door sedan I was driving to get the two door wagon. Floors were bad, but main supports were good (as far as I could tell) in the old wagon. What could I say? I just said I wish he'd have called so I could at least use it for parts, told him to have a nice day and left. He could tell I was disappointed and he felt bad for me, I think, but I'm sure he felt justified as he thought it might be unsafe and with my excitement on finding the two door wagon he wasn't convinced I wouldn't try to put it on the road even though he thought it wasn't safe.  I sure he was convinced he did the right thing, so couldn't fault him too much.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote wittsend Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb/13/2023 at 11:27am
Originally posted by farna farna wrote:

Some things you're doing the hard way -- some due to bad advice.... .

I agree. It isn't so much the duration of the project (more on that later), but the frustration of seeing the owner struggle. I truly have empathy for someone who has invested so much time and money and at least at this point has gotten so little out of it. I think that was the point of the "Tough Love" post a while back.  Maybe..., hopefully there is a big moment where everything comes together. You can't fault the owner for their diligence to persist.

Regarding duration: I have seven "collector cars." Some it might be said "collect" dust. For perspective here is a rundown (by years of ownership):

1961 Corvair station wagon (free), 28 year owner. Sat from 1995 until 2019. With warm, dry California winters I decided to either get it going working only in the winter - or get rid of it. The engine got new bearing, rings (honed cylinders), cam/lifters, lapped valves and new seals/gaskets. It has about $300 in the motor and about $100 in combining the best of 2 transmissions with new seals. There are new rubber cups in the brakes ($20) and I'm currently welding in new floors from galvanized roofing. I'm looking at having well under $1,000 when I'm done. Still a work in progress.

1963 Rambler American HT ($300), 28 year owner. This car came without an assembled engine. I bought one at Pick Your Part for $115. It ran sufficiently to move the car but truly needs a rebuild. I drove it for a few years but mainly it has been parked. The past few years I've been acquiring parts (about $80 spent) to do a 'ring and bearing' job. I have a spare head and have been prepping it for the time I get to the motor. Unfortunately this will likely be the last car I get too.

1973 Datsun 510 (free), 25 years ownership. This was given to me by a friend, the original owner. It was more of a autocross car on the street. I got it running but loud, rough riding and smelling of gas it was not the daily driver I was hoping I had civilized it to be. I drove it a few few years and now it sits. The value of 510's has skyrocketed. But for me it is more of a "museum" car to say I own than want to drive.

1965 Sunbeam Tiger ($5,100), 23 years ownership. The crown jewel of my collection. This was a near basket case I worked on the first four years repairing the floors and sills. Other things got in the way. It will be the next car I get going on.

1973 Plymouth Valiant, ($1026) 19 years ownership. Probably the cleanest car I have. The 318 got ported swirl port heads ($16 each at Pick Your Part - home ported),  Edlebrock clone cam ($10), and Edelbrock intake ($25) and Carb. ($25). The trans has a Transgo shift kit ($40). Still ready to go when I choose.

1973 Pinto station wagon ($1275), 16 years ownership.  I swapped in a 2.3 Turbo  / 5 speed from the retired daily driver T-Bird Turbo Coupe. Probably spent about $200 doing that. My most "got to" collector car. The EFI makes starts after sitting easy.

1964 Studebaker Daytona (Lark), ($1275) 13 years ownership. Not sure why I bought this car. These later Studebakers used Chevy engines and I swapped in a 66,000 mile Corvette 350 ($171 off Ebay), and again Edelbrock intake and carb at $25 each. It also got a Pick Your Part 700R4 trans for $70 at their sale events.

I don't think I have more than $10,000 invested in all seven cars. Most either run, or with a few days work and maybe $100 can be made to run. It is just that California charges a minimum of $130 to register a car and then the insurance. Thus some of my (lack of) motivation to be in no rush.

The labor I have invested returns pennies on the hours. I do this as a HOBBY. I'm 65 years old but the enjoyment of the process (modifying, fabricating etc.) still over-rides the ache in my bones. None of my cars are "pretty." I'm not out to make money (though collectively they might bring $50,000 today). In fact it can be said I'm down right cheap. But doing as much as I can, for as little as I can is part of my motivation.

Anyway, I hope this puts into perspective where I'm coming from for our intrepid but struggling car owner. It's not always easy, it's not always rewarding but it gives my remaining life purpose. And without that I'm is just left waiting to my end of days.





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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote purple72Gremlin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Feb/13/2023 at 3:04pm
Originally posted by wittsend wittsend wrote:

Originally posted by farna farna wrote:

Some things you're doing the hard way -- some due to bad advice.... .

I agree. It isn't so much the duration of the project (more on that later), but the frustration of seeing the owner struggle. I truly have empathy for someone who has invested so much time and money and at least at this point has gotten so little out of it. I think that was the point of the "Tough Love" post a while back.  Maybe..., hopefully there is a big moment where everything comes together. You can't fault the owner for their diligence to persist.

Regarding duration: I have seven "collector cars." Some it might be said "collect" dust. For perspective here is a rundown (by years of ownership):

1961 Corvair station wagon (free), 28 year owner. Sat from 1995 until 2019. With warm, dry California winters I decided to either get it going working only in the winter - or get rid of it. The engine got new bearing, rings (honed cylinders), cam/lifters, lapped valves and new seals/gaskets. It has about $300 in the motor and about $100 in combining the best of 2 transmissions with new seals. There are new rubber cups in the brakes ($20) and I'm currently welding in new floors from galvanized roofing. I'm looking at having well under $1,000 when I'm done. Still a work in progress.

1963 Rambler American HT ($300), 28 year owner. This car came without an assembled engine. I bought one at Pick Your Part for $115. It ran sufficiently to move the car but truly needs a rebuild. I drove it for a few years but mainly it has been parked. The past few years I've been acquiring parts (about $80 spent) to do a 'ring and bearing' job. I have a spare head and have been prepping it for the time I get to the motor. Unfortunately this will likely be the last car I get too.

1973 Datsun 510 (free), 25 years ownership. This was given to me by a friend, the original owner. It was more of a autocross car on the street. I got it running but loud, rough riding and smelling of gas it was not the daily driver I was hoping I had civilized it to be. I drove it a few few years and now it sits. The value of 510's has skyrocketed. But for me it is more of a "museum" car to say I own than want to drive.

1965 Sunbeam Tiger ($5,100), 23 years ownership. The crown jewel of my collection. This was a near basket case I worked on the first four years repairing the floors and sills. Other things got in the way. It will be the next car I get going on.

1973 Plymouth Valiant, ($1026) 19 years ownership. Probably the cleanest car I have. The 318 got ported swirl port heads ($16 each at Pick Your Part - home ported),  Edlebrock clone cam ($10), and Edelbrock intake ($25) and Carb. ($25). The trans has a Transgo shift kit ($40). Still ready to go when I choose.

1973 Pinto station wagon ($1275), 16 years ownership.  I swapped in a 2.3 Turbo  / 5 speed from the retired daily driver T-Bird Turbo Coupe. Probably spent about $200 doing that. My most "got to" collector car. The EFI makes starts after sitting easy.

1964 Studebaker Daytona (Lark), ($1275) 13 years ownership. Not sure why I bought this car. These later Studebakers used Chevy engines and I swapped in a 66,000 mile Corvette 350 ($171 off Ebay), and again Edelbrock intake and carb at $25 each. It also got a Pick Your Part 700R4 trans for $70 at their sale events.

I don't think I have more than $10,000 invested in all seven cars. Most either run, or with a few days work and maybe $100 can be made to run. It is just that California charges a minimum of $130 to register a car and then the insurance. Thus some of my (lack of) motivation to be in no rush.

The labor I have invested returns pennies on the hours. I do this as a HOBBY. I'm 65 years old but the enjoyment of the process (modifying, fabricating etc.) still over-rides the ache in my bones. None of my cars are "pretty." I'm not out to make money (though collectively they might bring $50,000 today). In fact it can be said I'm down right cheap. But doing as much as I can, for as little as I can is part of my motivation.

Anyway, I hope this puts into perspective where I'm coming from for our intrepid but struggling car owner. It's not always easy, it's not always rewarding but it gives my remaining life purpose. And without that I'm is just left waiting to my end of days.





  my first car was a 70 Datsun 510. This was bought new by my parents. It was the 2dr, and automatic. I would have much preferred the 4spd.
Good 510s 2dr and 4drs only<  wagons had a solid axle in the back..bring good money now
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