What have you done to your wagon lately? (Let's keep the thread going!)

Found a battery hold down kit from a different make that would work on mine since they are not reproduced by any Pontiac suppliers. Looks perfect.

 

Built a make-shift test engine stand to pre-run engine before install.
Still a bit to do and crud picture .. taken on phone.

 

Thats pritty cool......don't know why ya went to all the hastle though. ya have chair rite behind it!

 

One of the bumper license plate lights on my wagon was broken and wouldn't stay in place, the other wouldn't light up. I tried to find OEM replacements but couldn't find them anywhere. I found two LED trailer lights at a trailer/hitch store and adapted them to fit. They have half covers that are chrome and I think it looks pretty cool - unless you knew what you were looking for you couldn't tell it wasn't factory.

 

I have to say, super...that stand makes me a little nervous.

 

They look great, scout!

 

And ya wonder why I'd choose the chair!?

 

Arthur blew a frost plug yesterday, on the highway. Luckily I was able to get to the shoulder, and get him shut down before any damage. Picked him back up this morning. I'm driving him while Bertha awaits a new engine, and Ma is sick. What started as some sort of cold has become pneumonia, and at 83, this is not such a good development. I only hope she recovers as fast as Arthur did.

 

Gosh MikeT - sure hope your mom gets through this quickly. Quite a few folks in the Lower Mainland of BC (Vancouver and surrounding suburbs) are quite ill with the Noro Virus and also another really ugly strain of the flu.

Keep us posted on how she's doing. And bummer on the wagon issues.

 

Got silly with the wagon.

Changing flex plates with the engine / trans in the car is just brutal. And the engine needs to be cleaned up, new gaskets and rear seal, engine bay looks pretty tired after 12 years of abuse, and and and.........might as well do bearings, and maybe an injection system, and maybe an LS swap since it is all out anyway, and.....................

Note the cracks on the old flex plate. This is the first one to break, the second one is still on the engine and torque converter. You can see the cracks though looking up from below and they are worse than this one. The new flex plate is more like a flywheel, at least twice as heavy as the original and much more robust.

I got it mostly done on the hoist but to use the engine puller I had to build a couple of quick ramps to push the car out onto that would allow me to just push the car back onto the hoist when done without killing myself. Even without an engine and trans that puppy is heavy and this way the engine puller fit nicely and no hang ups. The factory cast headers are quite a bit larger than the stock exhaust but even they cleared with a bit of nudging from side to side to clear the engine mount stands.

A buddy came over tonight and I had it basically hanging in the air and partially out, but had run out of steam, and he came in, spent 30 or so minutes, and voila, it is on the cart. That's my buddy in the pic, he and I bought our '57 Pontiac's a couple of months apart back in 1980. His is a Canadian Laurentian (deluxe model) 2dr sedan, he's done a tremendous job of rodding. He is in the throws of restoring a 1953 Airstream to tow behind it.

Alas, something else has come up so this project won't go any further for a while but I'll tinker and hope to have it done and back come late spring.

 

Nervous? Why you'd chose the chair? Ha! Oh kids. It's very solid I assure you. Others have used a whole lot less.. but I much appreciate your concern.

 

Bummer.. hope it's resolved quickly.. freeze plugs can be a pain. :banghead3:

 

All the best for your Mom, Mike.




Well, depending on the weather I may remove and re-seal the air intake for the heater on the blue crewzer. I have it all taped off rite now because of a leak. Was pritty when I noticed one day all the windows were fooged up to find a pudle of water on the passenger floor. So in the pouring rain out came the shop vac, heater and fan. All dry and clean now, but it's all taped up so no heat......... just like driving my honeys van, no heat.....but the van ain't gona get fixed!

 

That looks great Scout!!! We have those here at Napa the LEDs are sharp and bright. Nice touch.

 

Thanks Fox and Dewey!