'73 Custom Cruiser

WOW! You got yourself one gorgeous, glorious clam shell there!

 

That is looking really nice! I'd say the sellers kept their barn pretty dry......and Oregon climate helped also I suppose? Give us a full report on how everything is working on the old girl. I know Brandon(vetteman61) will be very interested in details on the clamshell so I'll ask for him now. How well it works and some pictures showing all the weather stripping would be good. Does the AC comp turn? I noticed the belt is missing? :confused:

for "new wagon" category.

 

My guess is that that means that it has seized up or otherwise doesn't work. When I purchased my '73 back in 2010, the A/C compressor not only did not work, it had been removed from the car.

I just this past September decided to have a local shop restore the A/C to working condition. They tested the old compressor, which I still had, and it was no good. They got another, rebuilt one, put that in, upgraded to the modern refrigerant, got everything all hooked back together, and I have wonderful air-conditioning again. All together, the cost was about $1,100.

 

The ol'gal cleans up real nice! You got a winner there.

 

Looks good Jaunty, not quite all factory original, how well does it work in the NM heat?

 

Guys, I saw the belt missing from the A/C compressor too but she seems to spin freely. I'm thinking that once the clutch engages than I'd find it seized. Jaunty, I intent to get the A/C working again so I'm curious too about how well your compressor works, what model/type it is, how much volume you get from the air vents, if the third row gets cool…. For MotoMike, the weatherstripping is in pretty nice condition and was a pleasant surprise. They are all soft and supple with only a few cracks. Considering how filthy the exterior was and how relatively clean and dust-free the interior was, I am tending to believe they all seal pretty well. It's been raining lightly all day today so I'll find out tomorrow if the interior is dry and if there are any leaks.

 

No, it's not. I'm not sure how easy it easy it would have been to get an original, working compressor. As far as how well it works, beautifully. Nice and ice cold.

 

The A/C works great. Blows out plenty of cold air. I haven't actually had anyone in the third seat (there's just my wife and me at home), but I think it would be quite comfortable back there as well.

The compressor is this one:

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/parts/Everco-A-C-Compressor/_/N-5yc1s?itemIdentifier=964818




But I didn't buy it there. As I said earlier, I had a shop do the whole job, and this is the compressor they put in. I don't know if they got it from Autozone.

Interestingly, the Autozone site says that this comes with a three-month warranty. The shop that did the job for me gave me a 1-year warranty on all A/C parts.

Also, I was wrong in my earlier post when I said the unit was rebuilt. This is a new unit.

 

Very nice! A nice bath and a good waxing/shining of the wood-grain will do wonders to that beauty!

 

lol, well I see the update of the car after the bath, but I cannot get the attached images to load. lol.

Edit - finally loaded... that is a nice wagon! Enjoy!

 

Got a little snow today in Delaware. Just a few inches though. Hopefully I can find a garage to rent so this doesn't happen again.

 

That's about what our cars looked like today. Bloody cold here this week! I was leaving the '83 Cutlass out at times last Winter, but only the DD's are out this year.

I don't think it harms them too much if sitting undriven, but there are always those concerns about damage from the plow, snowblower, shovel, trees, ice, etc.

Both wagons allow water to leak in, so they stay inside.

 

So with the outrageous weather we've been having this winter I was finally able to do a few things to the wagon this week. With Jaunty's guidance I got the hoses and belts replaced, than flushed the cooling system and heater core, oil and filter change, lubed the chassis, changed the trans fluid and filter. Got the new tires mounted too. With most of the snow melted and even though she's not registered yet I just had to take her for my very first drive. It was only for a mile or so and I got her up to about 50 MPH. I have a slight pull to the right which I suspect an alignment will cure. Otherwise, I've never driven or been in a car that was so buttery smooth and practically silent! Bumps and pot holes that were noticeable in my 4Runner were nonexistent in the Custom Cruiser. Engine, exhaust and road noise was nearly imperceptible. The whole sensation was like driving a fluffy white cloud down the street. The suspension is so plush and relaxing and with so much road-hugging weight that I think it would be possible to run over a Smart car and not even know it. This car exudes comfort and I can see eating up tons of highway miles without even flinching. Gotta wait for the DMV trip first so hopefully that will be occur the next few weeks.

Chris

 

Glad to hear everything is working out. Yes, riding in these big old Oldsmobiles is like riding on your living room couch. It's a style of ride that we haven't seen in many years and may never really see again unless one rides around in limousines.

 

What a truly beautiful wagon! I know where Ontario OR is , luckily your Olds spent 35 years there instead of western Oregon....far drier. And Delaware, wow, my late husband was born there. Such a nice post, and good luck with your gorgeous station wagon.