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

I will be posting in this thread 5 years from now and showing this... lol.

Summer 2013...



Spring 2018 condition projection... and on its way to the crusher (at the current rate). Everytime I get ahead a little, something happens. Now my Lincoln needs rear brake pads, rotors and now I need a new pitman arm bushing/alignment... that will set me back again and my Mercedes needs about $1200 in repairs. I am going to have to sell something (trying to sell Lincoln because everyone says I would be crazy to sell new car I won) or trade this car off it looks like.

 

I just picked up a set of new front coil springs for my safari. I'll be trying to install those here in a couple weekends. Hoping for the best as I've never done this before.

Since I'll have that whole area taken apart anyway, I'm thinking of just going ahead and redoing all the ball joints too.

 

Well, I went out and took some pictures today! How many can I attach to a single post anyway?
I guess I'll do three for now. The first is of my newly-wrapped steering wheel. The second is what I use to cover the seat when driving, and the third is my new defogger

 

I also had never done it before, but I did the springs, ball joints and spindles on my '58 this year. One thing I didn't do was replace the bushings with new ones, and now I wish I had. Lots of good information on how to do it on the internet. My hardest part was getting myself up off the garage floor after I was done.

 

You should get one of these lace-on steering wheel covers...... These were very popular way back in the late 60's / early 70's. Had one on every car I owned back then. After it wears out, get another. Less than $10......

 

Krash, why the carpet on the dash? Is that what people talk about when they mean a dash pad? If that is one, WHY?

Thanks!

 

Looks cool, and anything would be an improvement at this point... Any suggestions where to look for one? The only reason I wrapped it with tape is I'm on a budget, and that budget is $0 at the moment... I'm using what's on hand until I can afford better.

 

The easiest way to install them is to use a floor jack under the arm to compress the spring, while putting the bolts in the arm. Just control the spring so it does not get away from you. Sometimes you can bolt the old shock to the arm, place the spring over the shock, and insert it in the top mounting hole as a safety device.

Since you are going to replace the ball joints, you might be able to find them at Rock Auto. There is a 5% discount code on impalassforum.com.

 

Just to add on to that, make sure you have the spring seated in the frame pocket before you raise the control arm and start buttoning things back together. This is the most common mistake first timers make when changing the springs on these cars. Also, borrowing a decent spring compressor (you can use the free tool "rental" at Auto Zone, Advance Auto, Pep Boys, etc) can make this job a whole lot easier, especially if the new springs are a lot tighter than the old ones. I have seen instances where the new spring wasn't able to be compressed enough to re connect the suspension without a little "help" from a few hefty individuals sitting on the corner of the car to weigh it down. Sometimes it is a non issue, but it is nice to have them on hand in case you need them.

 

I think the dash pad is just the upper portion of the dashboard, and is called that because it's somewhat padded...? However, from personal experience, those things are HARD! As far as the carpet thing goes, I'm stumped. :confused: Maybe they add more padding and protection???

 

The Zephyr

I cleaned my ratty old wood grain with that Vinylex stuff that's been mentioned here and it really does look a whole lot better. I can just imagine what it does for nice wood grain!...I added a cheap tach to my steering column, not that I'm gonna be Joe racer dude, I just like the old school tach on the column look and it matches my cheap gauges...

 

Those "padded" pads are call dash protectors, and are generally used to protect a nice dash pad, or hide an ugly, cracked one.

I got a pair of my 1980 Chrysler 10-spoke aluminum Road Wheels out today to see what they'll look like on the Ford Country Squire - I like them on it!!! I plan to clean them up this weekend and get new chrome lug nuts for them, then have my son take it to the vo-tech auto shop to get the whitewalls on these wheels! Sayonara, factory wire wheel covers!

See the pic:

 

I'm thinkin' those wheels ought to be the bee's knees on that one.

mike

 

I had to replace my starter. It was only about a month old, so under warranty, but still!!!

It went out on me in the Target parking lot, and I couldn't get the replacement until 2000. So, come about 2130, I'm in my coveralls, gloves, coat, hat, and snowboots, crawling under my car with a flashlight and a wrench, taking off the broken one and putting on a new one, hoping nothing rolls off my cardboard into the snow.

Needless to say, it was not the best time or place to have it fail, but at least I knew what I was doing this time that I could get it done in less than an hour.

 

4-Ways

Working on this tomorrow ,adding 4 ways to the 64 . Got it from some old guy that lurks around here.