Despite what its moniker implies, Henry Ford’s “Tin Lizzie” wasn’t entirely made of tin. Rather than listing the ingredients, let’s just talk about engine block castings for now.

Among current-era Model T engine rebuilders, the 1926-’27 blocks are pretty much preferred, but those two-year-only castings are becoming rather scarce. The one we’ll be working with here was supplied by Dieter Lange, the southern California Model T engine guru. 

With a counterweighted Model A crankshaft and some other internal modifications, this Lange-built engine was built to run with the big dogs of timed rally competition. 

The engine’s initial shakedown took place in the deep south of southern California. That was for the Model T Ford Club of San Diego’s 31st Annual Speedster Run. Since the car was a fresh build, we’d expected that it might have some minor bugs. Sure enough, it did, but the engine performed flawlessly. 

At some point during the event, while parked out-front the headquarters motel, a small puddle of coolant appeared as a rusty pinhole made its presence known. At times like these, it’s good to have chemistry on our side. 

From the nearest open parts store, a popular leak-stopping product that you’ll quite likely recognize was introduced through the radiator. From there, as the car was driven, the problem simply went away. 

When a certain job demands it, I’m not opposed to cheating. I’ve used the aforementioned product to stop leaks in radiators, heater cores and so on. I’ve even stood and watched as it filled in for a failing freeze plug. As that engine idled, the coolant stream slowed to a trickle, then stopped, and that was that for years. 

In the case of our Model T speedster, however, it’s not exactly driven daily. From my own previous experience, regular driving is the key to such quick-fix chemical success. 

The speedster is now in Montana. During its first year here, it was stored all winter long. By spring, it sprung the same old leak in the same rusty section of water jacket. 

For the repair job at hand, we’ll still rely upon chemistry. This time, however, we’ll take an additional step. We’ll drain, strain and retain our chemical-fortified coolant. Then we’ll employ another popular parts store product — a two-part epoxy that you’ll also likely recognize.

Will this be just a bandage? Well, we’re in a pinch. A rust-free 1926-’27 Model T engine block would be pretty tough to come by, and anyway, we’re not about to start again from scratch. Together, our two chemical companions should form a closer-to-permanent leak-stopping team. At this stage in the game, we’ve got little to lose by trying.

Now before we begin the step-by-step technical portion of our story, we’d like to skip farther ahead and expound the good news. This worked! At the time of this typewriting, the little speedster has been driven enough that we’ve relaxed a bit, or two. We’re no longer just watching it leak — at least not
in the same old place. 

Looking for more resto tips? Here are a few more articles for your reading enjoyment.

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/old-cars-restoration-in-with-the-good-air

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/old-cars-restoration-bedding-your-brakes-rehab

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/features/old-cars-restoration-basics-replacing-weatherstrip-rehab

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Want a taste of Old Cars magazine first? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and get a FREE complimentary digital issue download of our print magazine.

We know you love old cars, but do you collect anything else? Ever wonder about the baseball cards in a box in the basement or Grandma’s old coins in a jar?  Do you love history or spin vinyl? Head on over to Collect.com and see what you are missing. Collect.com is the who, what, when and where of the collecting world! https://www.collect.com/

The post Cast iron meets chemistry: Salvaging a rusty engine block appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Just what is it about the sound of breaking glass that compels young hoodlums to smash things? If an old car sits out long enough somewhere, such vandalism tends to occur. 

Out here in Montana, we have the problem, too. A stroll through any of our favorite old wrecking yards yields examples. The trouble with that type of demonstration is we’d likely end up hauling something home — again. 

Last time, it was the hollowed hulk of a ’54 Chevy station wagon for a friend in California. He already has a ’54 Chevy four-door sedan, a two-door hardtop and a convertible, so a wagon project should help to round out his collection. 

Having sat in one spot for a very long time, the parted-out and picked-over wagon is fairly well weathered. Its rusty floor panels are pretty much gone, but that’s to be expected. The part that gripes yours truly is the savagely smashed glass. 

Of course, we can fix things. The curved windshield is conveniently available new. The rest is all flat, so new pieces can be cut by a glazier. In this instance, both front door glasses are smashed to the point where they’re no longer useful for duplication. Surveyed glaziers unanimously agree that, for accuracy, an intact-enough original glass makes the best pattern. 

For situations when there’s not original glass available, there are a few pattern alternatives. This may be an understatement, but the pattern we’ll attempt to illustrate is nothing new. 

Finding old friends

Back in Riverside, Calif., in the earlier days of Bauman’s Auto Wrecking, my grandfather purchased a Simpl-Filer pattern machine, perhaps to fill in on occasions when he might not have had a particular used glass in stock. The Simpl-Filer was essentially a big wooden box with a cloudy upper lens and automotive window cranks protruding out-frontward — heavy-duty stuff. 

By the time when I first toddled to it, the Simpl-Filer was retired to a small slab beneath a leaky lean-to. I had no idea what the big wooden box really was, but I sure had a ball spinning the cranks as a myriad of shapes and sizes sped by. By long-term memory, that would’ve been around 1962. Now I’m not sure how long after, but the leaky lean-to was, at some point, demolished. As the years rolled by, I never forgot the big wooden box.

A little more recently, it was time to open up an old shed in a corner of the yard where I wouldn’t ordinarily go. The creaky, old door hinges weren’t quite cooperative, but entry was eventually gained. As sunlight streamed in for the first time in eons, perhaps you heard me holler, “Eureka!”

The unexpected Simpl-Filer find triggered a chain of positive events. First, I contacted my big buddy Martin “Marty” McGurk, who’d been the glazier in my grandfather’s day at Bauman’s Auto Wrecking. Sure enough, he knew the Simpl-Filer well, and he recalled quite a lot about using it. Best of all, our telephone reunion was priceless, and we’ve agreed to stay in touch.

Putting the ol’ Simpl-Filer to work

We transported the Simpl-Filer to our new Montana-based shop to see if we can put it back to work to some degree. We’re not planning to compete in the flat auto glass business, but if we can help now and then with obscure patters, we’ll make actual-size copies as necessary. 

Our existing library covers 1933-1955, with trucks and foreign jobs included in the mix. The only trouble is down in the cabinet’s center drawer. The Simpl-Filer index book is a crucial tool, and we have only one page of it. 

At times like these, it’s good to know old glaziers. In San Bernardino, Calif., we have a friend in Mark Chavez. As proprietor of American Glass Co., Chavez has a Simpl-Filer, too. Come to find out, it isn’t used often these days, and it just might be available.  

For me, personally, there’s only one Simpl-Filer. To give the old family heirloom a proper second chance, all I’d need is the book. Chavez entrusted me with his, on loan. To reproduce a copy of my own, I’ve photocopied every invaluable page. The book is chock full of useful information, and it’ll likely just answer our questions as we go.

Now that the big wooden box has finally arrived at the new Montana shop, let’s set it up on its stand, blow it all off and see what makes it tick. Then, better yet, let’s see if we can help a friend with a needed glass pattern for his ’54 Chevy.   

SOURCES

American Glass Co. 
909-889-3574

Bauman’s Riverside Rodshoppe
406-437-1944

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Want a taste of Old Cars magazine first? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and get a FREE complimentary digital issue download of our print magazine.

The post Glass Patterns Galore appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Up above with the plugged-in power tool, is my wife, Mrs. Rotten. Yep, she’s a keeper. I could go on about that, too, but to get started, let’s talk about the weather. 

Out here, in Montana, there’s a couple things folks say: “Six months of cold—six months of company.” And then there’s this one: “If you don’t like the weather, just wait a few minutes.” For the rather short duration of our driving season, both of those hold true. 

For about a week back in June, we Rottens entertained house guests here at the shop. Among them was Wisconsin native Harry “The Crow” Graun. Since our move from California to Montana, The Crow has been out to visit a number of times. At his home-based shop, he’s working on a ’55 F-100 pickup project, but for this trip, his used-parts shopping was to help a friend.

The friend in need is in California, and he’s building a ’41 GMC pickup. For the needed section of grille and its surrounding sheet metal pieces, there’s not so much aftermarket help available. Those vulnerable front-end parts are just plain difficult to come by.

On the final day of our house guests’ stay, four of us took a rainy road trip to a favored Montana resource on the outskirts of the quaint community of Cut Bank. Here, we’re referring to the 40-acre spread known as “Rustless in Montana.” As the name implies, it’s not a yard full of rust buckets—and sure enough, the early GMC parts were there.

Optimistically armed with basic hand tools, our parts-pulling team felt prepared. As it worked out, the first-timers were anything but prepared for a typical Cut Bank kind of rainy day. Its gooey, squishy soil was not easily traversed. Standing still upon it was a joke beyond walking on banana peels, or even eggs for that matter. 

Since The Crow’s stuck-in-the-muck truck remained cozy and warm inside, two ordinarily helpful teammates declined to even step out. The other two (The Crow and yours truly) were willing. A lot like mud wrestling for gray-bearded men, the spectacle wasn’t so pretty.

As the rain poured down, we commenced to pulling parts. Accessible fasteners were “rustless” enough. For the most part, those threaded out easily, but wrenching the remaining small handful would require one of us to go down below—and the old 2-ton GMC grille donor was still on its big, ugly wheels. The impending unpleasantness would be the most-unpleasant part of our already-unpleasant mission. 

Now, about The Crow. Before we go farther, let me tell you that he’s no sissy. But following his wallowing in Cut Bank quagmire, he was heard to say something somewhat out of character. “I’m just about done,” he said. Still, the struggle went on ’til he finally snatched his wet tools from the truck’s left fender-top and officially proclaimed, “I’m done!” Soaked to the bone, we loaded back up and sloppily sloshed our way out of town—stopping just briefly to purchase new boots and socks.

Running short of vacation days, our house guests headed home —to three different states, in fact. Not to be thwarted, I’ll choose a better day and make another run at those GMC parts. This time I’ll bring along two equalizers: my right-hand, Mrs. Rotten, and a brand-new electric body saw from our local tool source. 

For the job at hand, the body saw we’ll purchase should help us access stubborn bolts in tight spots. Afterward, it’ll make a good little same-brand buddy for Mrs. Rotten’s full-size reciprocating saw. As an option, cordless rechargeable versions of both saws are available. Since our junkyard doggin’ wagon (a retired ambulance) makes its own AC power, we’ll just roll out an extension cord. 

At the time of this typewriting, two weeks have passed since our rainy day fiasco. In addition to heavy rain, Cut Bank is known for strong wind. If it’s been blowing, it’s likely dried the mire. Better-armed this time with power tools, let’s bring in our ringer and see if we can win this round.

Parts Donor Pickups

Welcome to “Rustless in Montana!” To make a long story short, this endeavor came to be when three friends partnered to purchase a private collection of “outdoorsy” iron that hadn’t been accessible before. Their initial idea was to hold a series of live auctions, which they have indeed been doing. As we’ve been told, the auctions will continue, but in between, their inventory remains available for sale. 

To call this place a “junkyard” would be grossly erroneous. There’s little-if-any junk here, as the Cut Bank climate is actually quite kind to precious sheet metal. We’ve illustrated that within the pages of Old Cars before. This time, since we’re working on old trucks, let’s just focus on old trucks. Consider this a sampling. 

Rustless in Montana
406-391-2355
www.rustlessinmontana.com

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Want a taste of Old Cars magazine first? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and get a FREE complimentary digital issue download of our print magazine.

The post Junkyard Doggin’ appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Some of us in the old car hobby remember the days when cars had steel dashboards, no air bags or safety belts, and a collision avoidance system was paying attention to driving instead of texting or yapping on a phone. Most vehicles had neither power steering nor power brakes. Many, in my part of the country, didn’t even have heaters. An AM radio was a luxury item, and windows were rolled up or down by hand cranks.

As kids, we seldom rode in child safety seats, but often in the beds of trucks. We ate Twinkies, Sugar Pops, Sugar Smacks and real butter (if our parents could afford it). We drank sodas, Kool-Aid and milk that didn’t taste like milk-flavored water. We built a lot of our own toys and invented things in garages or barns filled with chemicals and old motor oil. We used our dads’ electric drills, saber saws and bench grinders, most of which had enough power to pull a Sherman tank out of quicksand.

We didn’t tell our parents when we had life-threatening accidents, because they would douse our wounds with iodine… or, worse, might take us to a doctor. About the only good thing about going to a doctor was he didn’t tell us to lose weight.

Just about every boy—and more than a few girls—were mechanics, because we had to fix our old things instead of buying new ones. If we weren’t already mechanics, we quickly learned how to be when we bought our first cars.

Of course, this is just another version of, “When I was your age,” and succeeding generations will have their own. But how does this relate to carburetors and buying old cars and trucks?

Several years ago I bought a very nice 1964 CJ-6. I had my eye on this Jeep for over a decade, because it seemed to spend most of its time sitting at a gas station. I had asked the gas station owner several times if it might be for sale, but he always just smiled and said no. Then, one day, a friend called to say he’d seen this Jeep sitting by the road up the coast with a “For Sale” sign on the windshield.

Having a bit of extra green at the time, I loaded my tow bar into my Nissan Patrol and drove up to investigate. The gas station owner had retired about a month before and had sold the Jeep to a twenty-something guy. The Jeep’s new owner—who was obviously not a horse-trader—told me it was a “worn-out piece of junk.” In fact, his asking price was $500 less than he’d paid.

I was amazed because, except for normal aging and wear, the Jeep was in almost perfect condition with just over 50,000 miles on the odometer. The steering and front end were tight, the brakes were excellent and it didn’t even jump out of second gear on compression. The engine, an F-head Hurricane, instantly started cold on half-choke. Being a reasonably honest person, I asked the guy why he thought the Jeep was worn out.

The first clue should have come when I started the engine. The guy looked surprised and said it had never started that easily before. Apparently he didn’t know what the choke was for! After his title and my cash changed hands, I asked him more about why he thought this Jeep was worn out.

He said, “It was hard to steer, and the transmission was certainly worn out, because it made a whiny sound.” He also said the gears always ground when trying to shift and it leaked oil. Besides being hard to start cold, the engine was also sometimes hard to start warm. And, to him, it had no power. The Jeep wouldn’t do much over 60 mph, and it held up traffic whenever he was climbing hills so people honked and flipped him off. He said the windshield wipers didn’t even work for him half the time.”

No doubt many readers of my own and older generations are chuckling. Here was someone who’d bought a vintage Jeep and expected it to perform like a modern SUV. The same sort of scenario is increasingly played out by younger newcomers to the old car and truck hobby: They buy a Model A Ford or a 1957 Chevy and are unhappy when they find it to be slow, noisy, temperamental and leaky.

REMEMBER: IT’S A VINTAGE VEHICLE

Some might say it’s their own fault because they didn’t do their homework and learn about older vehicles before buying one. Some might also say they had uneducated expectations about how the vehicles would perform, what they could be used for and how they had to be treated and maintained. This is understandable in the case of that CJ-6, because the guy wasn’t looking for a classic vehicle. He had only wanted a Jeep to go four-wheeling, and to use as a second car. It’s hard to blame him for that, because a 1964 CJ-6 doesn’t look much different from a 1980s, 1990s or even a current model. However, such lack of self-education is harder to forgive when it comes to someone who wants a vintage vehicle.

One could say that everything that was “wrong” with that CJ-6 would also be wrong with the majority of other vehicles in the old-car hobby, i.e., it “was hard to steer” because it didn’t have power steering, and it was hard to start when cold because its owner didn’t know what a choke was for…Or understand what a carburetor was all about. And sometimes it was hard to start when warm because he flooded the engine.

Compared to most of today’s vehicles, it “had no power” because its four-cylinder engine had only been born with 72 horses. It wouldn’t go much faster than 60 mph because that was as fast as it was designed to go. The transfer cases of older-model Jeeps and prewar vehicles always whine to some extent. The transmission ground when shifting, because even though it was technically a syncromesh, I have seldom seen an older Jeep that didn’t shift more smoothly by being double-clutched. The transfer case dripped a bit of oil from the rear output shaft because—though it technically wasn’t supposed to—most such units do. And, of course, the windshield wipers were operated by engine vacuum, so they slowed down or stalled when climbing a hill.

Had this guy kept the Jeep, he would have probably found many other things to be unhappy about. If he took it to a quick-lube joint, he might have been billed for extra grease and gear oil, because it had so many lube fittings and gearboxes. This is assuming that the quick-lube people were knowledgeable enough to check not only the transmission, transfer case and front and rear differentials, but also the front axle ball joints. There may have also been a problem when it came to finding a replacement for the bypass oil filter element, not to mention servicing the oil bath air cleaner.

There probably would have been more unhappiness if the Jeep had needed a new or rebuilt generator (not an alternator), a voltage regulator, a starter, a water or a fuel pump, because most of these items wouldn’t be found on the shelves of typical auto-mart stores. But, again, this guy hadn’t been looking for a classic vehicle, so one probably shouldn’t blame him for unrealistic expectations.

On the other hand, if one is looking for an historic vehicle, then it is certainly up to him or her to educate themselves well in advance of making a purchase.

If you’d to get into the hobby, the following information might drop a little knowledge about what to expect when buying a carbureted vehicle.

‘CHOKING’ ISN’T JUST A WRESTLING FOUL

First, what is a carburetor and why does it need to be “choked?” A carburetor’s basic purpose is to atomize liquid gasoline into a vapor that can be burned in the engine to produce power.

“Atomize” might sound like something from “Honey I Shrank the Kids,” but it simply means transforming a liquid, such as gasoline, into tiny particles. In a fuel-injected engine—as most modern vehicles have—this happens as the gasoline is injected, or sprayed, into the cylinders by the injectors. In a carbureted engine, atomization is accomplished by what is called “venturi-effect.”

A venturi is a restriction, or narrowing, of a passage. Air that is pulled into the top of a carburetor—the throat—by the vacuum created when the engine’s pistons go down on their intake strokes must pass through this venturi. The air speeds up at this point, because the same amount of air has to get through a smaller space. This creates a suction. A nozzle is fitted into this area and connected to a fuel reservoir within the carburetor, commonly called the bowl. The suction in the venturi draws liquid gasoline out of the nozzle where it’s atomized in the air rushing down the carburetor throat.

The atomized gasoline mixes with the air, which creates a flammable vapor. This vapor is pulled into the engine’s intake manifold where it is distributed by the opening and closing of valves to each of the engine’s cylinders. Once in the cylinders, the intake valves close, the piston comes up on the compression stoke, a spark plug sparks, and the vapor ignites and burns. This burning creates pressure which forces the pistons down on their power strokes. This turns the engine’s crankshaft, and you drive off down the road.

That was the “Kid’s Club” version, but even though the relatively simple carburetors of most common vehicles are much more complicated and have many more parts than the accompanying illustration, it is still the basic principle on which all carburetor-equipped engines operate.

In most of today’s electronically controlled fuel-injected engines, an on-board computer determines how much fuel is needed at any given time, from when an engine is idling at a stoplight to driving down the freeway at 80 mph. On the other hand, in a carburetor-equipped engine, fuel delivery is accomplished by mechanical means, such as butterfly valves and accelerator pumps, and the only brain in a carburetor-equipped vehicle is the driver.

Primitive as they may seem, carburetor-equipped vehicles managed to perform quite well—and still do—for over a century. Not to mention soldiering through many wars. However, this isn’t an article about repairing or rebuilding carburetors, because that would take a book, and the proper book—or manual—for your own particular vehicle is something you should have. Instead, it’s a basic primer on how to understand your vehicle’s carburetor.

EACH IS UNIQUE

Like the vintage vehicles they power, carburetors are a lot like people: each is an individual with its own personality. Just as when living or working with someone, having a happy relationship with a vintage vehicle means learning about what makes it happy… as well as what doesn’t. For the twenty-something guy with the CJ-6, it was an unhappy experience when he got in his Jeep the morning after he’d bought it, turned the key and it wouldn’t start.

We already know that he didn’t understand the function of the mechanical choke, but being from a generation that grew up with fuel-injected cars, he also didn’t pump the accelerator once or twice before using the starter. Doing so would have squirted a bit of liquid gasoline into the carburetor throat by a mechanism called the accelerator pump. This might have made the engine start whether or not he had used the choke. Why?

Because a cold engine needs a richer mix of gasoline and air to start and run until it warms up. In other words, there has to be a bit more gasoline in the mix. Again, in a fuel-injected engine, the proper mix for cold-starting is determined by a computer, but in this case, the driver was the only brain on board. By pulling the choke knob on the dashboard, he would have closed a butterfly valve in the top of the carburetor throat. This would have restricted the amount of air that could enter, so the fuel/air mix would have been richer in fuel. How far the choke knob was pulled out would determine how much the valve in the carburetor closed, and this is something that could only be learned from experience, and with that particular Jeep.

Some vehicles have vacuum-operated accelerator pumps. This means that the pumps won’t squirt fuel into the carburetor throat unless the engine is running, so proper use of the choke is vital to successful cold starting.

Probably the most important thing to understand about vintage vehicles—even if you have an operator’s manual (and you certainly should!)—is there is only so much you can learn from a book. The rest has to come from experience with each individual vehicle.

For example, even if two 1942 Willys MB Jeeps were brand-new on the factory lot, each would have slightly different operating characteristics that would affect many aspects of how they started and operated. Parked side-by-side on a cool morning, one Jeep might start more easily with the choke knob pulled halfway out and after pumping the accelerator pedal once. The other Jeep might start more easily with the choke pulled out all the way and after pumping the accelerator pedal twice. If the morning was warmer or colder, or if it was raining, each Jeep would require a different choke setting, or no choke at all, and likewise more, less or no pumps of the accelerator pedal.

Each Jeep would also probably have slightly different characteristics when it came to starting them after their engines were warm. While neither Jeep would probably need any choke, one might start easier with a slight pump of the accelerator pedal, while doing so to the other Jeep might flood the engine and make it hard to start.

A FLOOD OF ADVICE

What is flooding an engine? Flooding is the opposite of what happens when you don’t use the choke and the fuel/air mix doesn’t contain enough fuel for the engine to start cold. Flooding means there is too much fuel and not enough air for the fuel to ignite and burn.

You can flood a cold engine by using too much choke and/or pumping the accelerator pedal too many times. It’s usually easier to flood a hot engine, because the engine doesn’t need as much fuel to start.

APPLYING THE CHOKE

This brings us to the proper use of the choke for those who have never owned or driven a vehicle equipped with a manual choke. First off, don’t feel bad about it, because automatic chokes came in to wide use on cars during the mid 1950s. By the 1960s, they were also being fitted to most light trucks.

Most operated by manifold heat, having a chamber with a spiral spring, and the spring would expand as the engine warmed up. With the engine cold and the spring tightly coiled, the choke butterfly valve was closed. After the engine started and began to warm up, the expanding spring would gradually open the butterfly.

If properly set, these chokes usually worked fairly well. As vehicles aged, however, the chokes often got out of adjustment and became one of the most effective items ever invented to shorten the life of engines and waste gasoline.

Why? Because many didn’t open the butterfly fast enough as the engine warmed up, resulting in too rich a fuel/air mix, so the excess fuel didn’t get burned. The the unburned fuel ran down the cylinder walls, washing off the lubricating oil and causing rapid wear of the piston rings and cylinders, as well as diluting the oil in the crankcase, causing excessive wear of many other engine parts.

Many aging automatic chokes also didn’t open the butterfly all the way, resulting in too rich of a mix at all times and wasting gasoline. On the other hand, some automatic chokes failed entirely, making engines difficult to start when cold. Not surprisingly, there were many aftermarket kits available during those times to convert automatic chokes to manual operation.

So, do you properly use a manual choke? First, you must get to know your own vehicle. You must realize you have the only brain on board. You must pay attention to how your vehicle behaves in different cold-starting situations ranging from a warm summer morning to a zero-degree winter night. Again, while you will have to find the most effective choking procedure yourself, here is a basic guide until you gain that experience:

Assuming a fairly cold day, pull the choke knob all the way out before cranking the starter. As soon as the engine starts, begin easing the choke knob in by gentle degrees until you find a position where the engine idles smoothly. Leave the choke in this position for about 30 seconds, then ease it in a bit more until the engine’s idle just begins to falter. Leave it in this position until the idle smooths out again—as the engine warms up—and repeat this procedure until the engine is idling smoothly with no choke at all.

In most cases, this warm-up will take about 5 to 10 minutes. Giving your engine time to properly warm up at idle will greatly prolong its life. And remember to never rev a cold engine.

As already mentioned, the exact procedure for your own vehicle will vary. For example, you may find that your vehicle starts best in most cold-start situations with the choke knob pulled only halfway out. Some vehicles will cold-start with one or two pumps of the accelerator pedal and no choke at all, but then will require choke to keep running. In any case, always use the minimum of choke, never rev the engine and push the knob all the way in as soon as possible.

Related to not revving a cold engine, some later-model manual chokes also opened the throttle to some extent to make the engine idle faster…in many cases it was too fast. However, most of these chokes can be adjusted to slow down the idle without affecting choke operation, and the slower a cold engine idles, the better.

How do you know if you’re using too much choke? The most obvious indication will be a “loping” or “galloping” rhythm of the engine at idle. While hard to describe in words, you will know it as soon as you hear it; and it will be a much different sound than the engine makes when not getting enough choke. Another indication of too much choke is black smoke from the exhaust pipe.

You may find after driving away that it’s helpful to momentarily pull the choke a bit when starting from a stop sign or light to keep the engine from stalling or hesitating on acceleration until it’s at normal operating temperature. If you do this, always push the knob all the way back in again as soon as you’re rolling.

If you find your engine will only run well or idle smoothly when fully warmed up with partial use of the choke, there is something wrong or out of adjustment. An engine at normal operating temperature should never need choke.

A few basic things to check in cases such as this are, first, is your engine actually at normal operating temperature? For most common collectable vehicles, normal operating temperatures range from about 160 to 200 F. These temperatures will vary depending upon environmental temperatures, driving conditions and engine load, but anything consistently below 160 degrees is not normal.

If you have just acquired the vehicle, the first thing to suspect is a former owner removed the thermostat. Keep in mind that temperature gauges may not be accurate, especially early electric gauges, so you may want to check the temperature of the radiator coolant with a thermometer.

OTHER THINGS TO CHECK

*Carburetor idle settings—are they out of adjustment?
*Vacuum leaks at the carburetor base gasket and/or the intake manifold gaskets.
*Is the carburetor tightly mounted to the intake manifold?
*Are there loose or missing plugs or fittings, and loose screws on various carburetor components?

Other possible causes are leaks in a vacuum windshield wiper system or wiper motors, a cracked intake manifold or a plug missing from the manifold. A very dirty air cleaner is another possibility, as are badly burned or out-of-adjustment ignition points or a failing ignition condenser. Water in the fuel, a failing fuel pump or a partially clogged fuel filter are other possible causes.

Last is the possibility that your carburetor needs to be cleaned or rebuilt. Many vintage carburetors have badly worn throttle butterfly bushings, which create vacuum leaks, and most repair or rebuilding kits do not include parts to fix this.

As far as rebuilding carburetors, there are far too many different types, models and variants to attempt even a basic description so buy a shop manual for your specific vehicle.

Again, the only way to have a happy relationship with your new vintage vehicle is to get to know it very well.

A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH AN OLD FRIEND

We have come to expect our new cars and trucks to behave like modern washing machines. We push a button and they do what they’re supposed to do without any thought or help from us. In the case of vehicles, they start instantly no matter if it’s cold or hot, raining or snowing. They shift smoothly through all their gears and steer with a fingertip on the wheel. They run quietly, and their electric windshield wipers always work. If they make any howling or whining sounds, or leak the slightest drop of fluid, there is usually something wrong.

Not so with old vehicles.

Learning how to operate your vintage car or truck may sound a bit daunting if you’ve never owned or driven a carburetor-equipped vehicle. But remember this: generations of kids grew up with such vehicles, just as they grew up without child-proof caps, safety covers on electrical outlets, bicycle helmets or car seats. You’re supposed to be smarter than us, so surely an antique vehicle can’t intimidate you!

Like old school maintenance articles? Here are a few more articles to check out.

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Want a taste of Old Cars magazine first? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and get a FREE complimentary digital issue download of our print magazine.

The post Don’t fear the carburetor appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Dirt, salt, moisture and simply time will lead to rust—there doesn’t seem to be any way to get around it. That’s certainly true of a nearly 70-year-old Cadillac from the “rust belt.”

The 1955 Cadillac Coupe deVille featured here was located in an auction advertised last fall in Old Cars’ e-mailed “enewsletter.” A pre-sale inspection of the Wisconsin-based car by 1955 Cadillac authority Rick Payton revealed the Cadillac was complete—including complete with rust—but remained surprisingly solid and buildable considering its age and geographic location. Essentially, it was in what we on the Old Cars staff call “Wisconsin solid” condition (rusty, but not too far gone to restore). After we won the bid for the Cadillac, Payton retrieved it and parked it in his shop, The Classic Garage, in Chippewa Falls, Wis., where body guru Jan Behlke went to work cutting out the rusty metal and welding in new panels that he fabricated. When Behlke is done, the Cadillac will be about as rust-free as when it rolled off the assembly line at the Clark Street Cadillac plant in Detroit.

Like other vehicles, the areas where mid-1950s Cadillacs rust are pretty predictable, and often in the same places as other GM products of the era. Most 1955 Cadillacs have wide lower body trim that traps dirt, salt and moisture against the body’s metal rocker panels and lower rear quarter panels, causing rust to form there. In addition, water running down the rear side windows of coupes seems to drip onto the back of the rear quarter panels, slowly torturing the panel until it rusts through in front of the rear wheel opening. This 1955 Cadillac body had this typical rust-through in both of these areas.

The Classic Garage has cut and welded many 1955 Cadillac bodies into eventual Cadillac & LaSalle Club winners, and with his proximity to us, he was the man for the job. Work started with the passenger rear quarter panel as it was not only rusted but also dented, making it the worst area of the car and most challenging to repair. The following are some of the steps taken to repair the passenger rear quarter panel.

The Classic Garage
720 E Spring St.
Chippewa Falls, WI 54729
715-861-3558 (Shop)
512-484-4501 (Rick Payton, owner)

Interested in old car restoration? Here are a few more “resto” articles for your reading enjoyment. 

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Want a taste of Old Cars magazine first? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and get a FREE complimentary digital issue download of our print magazine.

The post Metal Rx: Addressing dreaded rust cancer on a 1955 Cadillac appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Some make little “boo-boos.” Some pull big ol’ “boners.” Call ’em what you like, we all make mistakes. Whenever we do, cheating might come to mind. Speakin’ of cheating, just the other day, while thumbing through some older photographs, a good example came to light.

Whether they’re original equipment or reproductions, early Ford outside door handles, such as these on our Deuce five-window project, come with some mighty sharp edges. If they’re over-tightened, they’ll cut right through their dainty rubber pads. In this particular instance, one had cut deeply into the car’s new finish, creating a bubbled-up effect that showed in the paint. Although it was too late, the new door handles’ sharp edges did get filed down smoother.

As painters go, I believe I’m extra-conscientious. Yet somehow, while turning a screwdriver during final assembly, my eyeballs let me down.

No painter enjoys painting things twice. The idea of repairing this damage was somewhat less than exciting. Sure, we could feather, prime, prep, spot-repair and again clear the already cut ‘n’ buffed door, but wouldn’t cheating be worth a try?

Our handles and their rubber pads are Vintique reproduction items. Just like Henry’s own, the pads are pretty thin and they don’t extend far beyond the bezel portion of the handles. If there’d been another pad available, and just overall slightly larger, our little oops might’ve passed and gone unnoticed.

After searchin’ long enough, it became clear that the needed pads didn’t exist. With zero experience casting rubber parts, it was up to me to make my own. Research ‘n’ development commenced on the bench, with familiar materials such as polyester body filler, a can of that rubbery tool handle goo and the leading-brand aerosol cooking spray, which I was thinking might suffice as mold release.

Before we go any further, let’s rewind to the part about aerosol cooking spray. That’s not a good thing to be using in a building that houses a spray booth. Under that same roof, we also had mechanical work going on, so I always tried to keep my coworkers aware of paint shop impurities. When I picked up the can of cooking spray, one of those guys noticed.

Meanwhile, back at the bench, mold-making continued. A small amount of polyester body filler was scooped into the trimmed-out bottom of a quart-size plastic mixing cup. Along with catalyst, a splash of resin was added for leveling.

For a usable plug of sorts, I shot some cooking spray onto a new Vintique door handle pad. Moving quickly, I made my negative impression by pushing the plug pad into the soft, curing filler. The third or fourth time was the charm, as the pushed-in plug pad came out fairly clean.

With the plug pad removed, the cooking spray residue was chemically cleansed from the still-porous mold. Following that step, the outer edge of the impression required relief. A small piece of folded 80-grit sandpaper worked well to start. The relieved area was final-shaped with 120-grit before urethane primer-surfacer was sprayed on the face of the mold. From there, wet prep began with 500-grit, and for slippery smoothness, I went ahead and shot it with a single-stage urethane topcoat.

The mold’s slick urethane finish would certainly ease the extraction of our new rubbery pads. Mold release would still be necessary, but since the face of the mold was no longer porous, cleanup would be pretty easy — in theory.

As you might imagine, the earliest prototypes didn’t turn out so well. As mold release, the cooking spray was working, but it had a texture that wouldn’t flow. Still observing my struggle, my coworker ’fessed up about some secret mold release — real stuff that he’d been hiding all along. That helped a lot, but other materials still required rethinking.

The rubbery tool handle goo was slow to stiffen and still too wimpy after finally drying. Plan B involved Duramix 4229, a quick-curing two-part urethane seam sealer. With that substitution, the bench became a pad factory.

Once cured and pulled from the mold, the larger pads required a little smoothing around the edges. They were also way too shiny. After a bit of sanding, they took a short ride in the ol’ bead-blasting cabinet and came out lookin’ good. Most importantly, we’d successfully cheated our way out of trouble — again. 

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Want a taste of Old Cars magazine first? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and get a FREE complimentary digital issue download of our print magazine.

*As an Amazon Associate, Old Cars earns from qualifying purchases.

The post Tackling a door handle dilema appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Media blasting cabinets can be purchased from any number of brick-and-mortar retailers, swap meet vendors or catalog houses. They are impressive-looking devices with holes in the front for attaching rubber gloves, doors on the side (and sometimes lift-up fronts), large glass windows to see inside, air pressure gauges, hoses to get compressed air to the proper places, foot pedals that are stomped on for air pressure, and large dust collectors with filter bags inside to catch debris.

The media blasting concept is simple. Fill the cabinet with blast media ranging from gentle glass beads to more aggressive aluminum oxide, and the compressed air forced through the hoses and blasting gun directs the media against the parts in the cabinet, stripping them of rust, dirt, paint, primer and body filler to get a clean part. Depending upon the roughness of the media, the part may end up with a smooth, shiny surface (with glass beads), or a gray color and slightly rough texture (with other media).

Chances are good that the first time you blasted with a brand-new cabinet, you were amazed by how fast the metal became clean. You watched the media virtually erase unsightly debris from old parts. The view through the inspection window was clear, and you could see where the most blasting was needed. It was a positive experience.

Later, you noticed that it was getting harder to see through the inspection window. Then, you realized that your “eraser” wasn’t doing the job it once did. Some parts wound up with hard black grease residues that the blast media didn’t seem to remove. You could no longer see a steady stream of media flying out of the gun. Later, you could sense that some really rusty spots on the parts weren’t cleaning up as well as they once did.

A drop in blasting efficiency can get noticeable after a while, and several hobbyists have reacted with some creative solutions. One man, who had worked all his life as an engineer, cut a hole in the back of his media blasting cabinet and mounted a sandblasting tank in the opening. It works great. Another British car hobbyist devised an elaborate “self-cleaning” dust-collection system to automatically deposit debris into a plastic bucket.

Tips for tip-top operation

Blasting efficiency decreases, because media blasting cabinets need regular service to maintain top performance. After many sessions of bombarding steel and cast-iron parts, all media starts to break down. It becomes more of a powder than an abrasive, and it needs to be replaced. A trap door at the bottom of the cabinet can be opened to release the old media. Be certain to close the door before adding new media. And don’t add too much media. You need just enough to cover the pickup tube or hose, but not so much that the media load gets so heavy that the media doesn’t blow around inside the cabinet.

A clear view

You want the media blowing around a bit, but when it does, it will scratch the glass inspection window if the glass is unprotected. This is done with protective plastic sheets that are heavy enough to tolerate the media (for a while). Of course, these sheets will also eventually get scratched, so plan on replacing them on a regular basis.

Replacement plastic sheets should be the same dimensions as the glass inspection window. The glass is usually held to the opening by a metal frame that fits around it. The frame has a couple of holes drilled in it, and these are lowered over threaded studs that stick up from the cabinet and hold the glass in the proper position. Drop the frame over the studs and reinstall the wing nuts that are used to secure the frame.

Dust the dust collector

Some media blaster makers recommend taking the two-piece dust collector (actually a large plastic or metal canister) apart and cleaning it every time the media blaster is used. Most shops probably don’t clean the dust collector that frequently, but the job should still be done about once a month if you blast fairly often. The filter bag inside should be cleaned on a regular schedule, too, and probably replaced yearly or sooner. (Follow the guidelines provided by the cabinet manufacturer.)

Keep a clean gun

Blasting guns also require regular attention. Abrasive media being forced through the gun’s “barrel” under pressure can eventually turn the round opening in the barrel into an irregular shape, affecting the flow of media. Usually, the barrel is held in place by little screws that can be loosened or tightened with an Allen wrench. Every few weeks, loosen the screws and slightly rotate the barrel so it lasts longer.

Clogs in the pickup tube, hoses and gun are another problem that can arise. Maybe you blasted a part that had fabric or rubber remnants attached to it. These can clog passages and can also contaminate the media. Avoid blasting such items; find a way to remove the fabric or rubber remnants before blasting the metal part. Any foreign matter attached to a part — including dirt and grease — can contaminate the media. Use a wire brush attachment on a die grinder, cut-off tool or rotary tool to remove those “petrified” black grease spots before placing the part in the media blaster.

Dave Wallendal of Metal Finishing Supply Co., Inc. in Waukesha, Wis., (www.metalfinishingsupply.biz) is a vendor at the Jefferson Swap Meet and Car Show in Jefferson, Wis. He makes sales and service calls at shops around the Badger state.

Wallendal was asked to check out an older, very large cabinet blaster that had been purchased from Eastwood (www.Eastwood.com) about 12 years ago. A large cabinet is nice to have, because large parts fit in it. But the blasting efficiency of this cabinet had dramatically dropped. Wallendal determined that the pickup tube and hoses were flopping around in the cabinet and not properly sucking up media. He fabricated a bracket to hold the pickup tube in a better position in the media.

The Eastwood cabinet was loaded with glass bead media. Wallendal said this was a great media to use when working on car restorations, because threaded parts can be blasted without ruining the threads. Glass beads will also leave a smooth, shiny finish. However, they won’t remove material that is harder than the beads themselves. Glass bead media will also break down to powder faster than aluminum oxide or other media .

In addition to sales and service work, Wallendal sells blast cabinets and parts and supplies for them. But, even if you have a cabinet in your shop that’s of a brand Wallendal does not sell, he can supply various media, filter bags, guns and barrels, hoses, air pressure gauges and inspection window protectors. He’ll make your “eraser” erase again. 

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Want a taste of Old Cars magazine first? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and get a FREE complimentary digital issue download of our print magazine.

*As an Amazon Associate, Old Cars earns from qualifying purchases.

The post Before you start blasting away appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Tires on collector vehicles often deteriorate while sitting idle for extended periods (rather than wear out), due to natural aging and oxidation, as well as ultraviolet and ozone damage. Here are some tips to protect your rubber.

Tires on Vehicles

• Place something substantial, like a wooden plank, under each tire so it is not in direct contact with bare ground. Better yet, use jack stands under the axles so that the tires don’t bear the vehicle’s load.
• Do not park on black asphalt or other heat-absorbent surfaces, snow-covered ground or in sand.
• For vehicles stored outside, cover tires with an opaque, waterproof covering so they are shielded from direct sunlight.
• One of the best ways to preserve tires is to drive the vehicle frequently so that the oils in the tires can come to the surface during flexing to protect the rubber.

Unmounted Tires and Wheels

• Don’t leave tires in contact with solvents, such as oil or grease, as on oil-soaked floors. These materials will weaken rubber.
• Store unmounted wheels and tires in a clean, cool, dry, dark and well-ventilated area. A dry basement is better than outdoors or in a hot garage or attic. Basements tend to remain cooler while the outdoors, garages and attics can experience large temperatures fluctuations.
• Store tires vertically rather than stacking horizontally. Vertical storage reduces stress and possible distortion. If stacked horizontally, place on a clean wood foundation to protect them from dirt, oil and grease. Horizontally stacked tires should be piled symmetrically and not so high as to cause severe distortion in the bottom tires.
• Stack whitewall or white-letter tires “white-to-white” and “black-to-black.” Black and white rubber are compounded differently, so stacking all tires white side up can let the oils from the black sidewall migrate into the white rubber.
• Cover stored tires with a sheet of opaque polyethylene material to limit exposure to oxygen and ozone. Better yet, store each tire in its own opaque, airtight plastic bag. You can get them at tire stores, or use lawn and garden bags. Tape the bag shut to prevent moisture from entering.
• Tires should be stored so water cannot collect inside. Besides causing damage, moisture can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects. Water left inside a tire can turn into steam as casing heat builds up at highway speeds.
• Mounted tires in storage should be maintained at 10 psi.

Other Tips

• Check the age when buying new tires. It is possible that a tire has been on a dealer’s shelf for many years, especially if it is an uncommon size (as might be used on a collector vehicle).
• While tire dressings make tires look great, they can accelerate deterioration with foreign materials that can decrease the effectiveness of tire compounds that resist ozone cracking or weather checking.
• Any tire that is more than 5 years old should be carefully inspected for cracking and probably be replaced, even if it has acceptable thread left.

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Want a taste of Old Cars magazine first? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and get a FREE complimentary digital issue download of our print magazine.

The post Tire storage tips for success appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

Oils are always changing to meet current needs and the recent concern of collector car owners regarding changes in oil formulations is a bit overblown. Misinformation abounds, causing confusion and needless worry for most collector car owners.

So, I will attempt to provide some clarification that can guide car owners in the choice of oil for their collector cars. The prime controlling factors are how the collector car is used and its age. First, answer these questions:

• Do you race your collector car?
• Do you drive it extensively at high speed, under desert or similar conditions that stress engine components?
• Was your car manufactured before the mid-1950s?
• Have you had your camshaft reground or flat surface lifters replaced?

If you answered “no” to the foregoing questions, then you can safely use any current high-quality oil that meets API and ILSAC criteria (look for the “donut” and “starburst” on the oil can). Do not buy cheap, bargain oil!

Oil meeting API and ILSAC specifications have been tested in engines employing flat-tappet cams and overhead cams with slider-finger followers. Contrary to some, the latest-specification oil, SN, still contains zinc and phosphorous, albeit at smaller concentrations than 10 or more years ago.

Caution: tests long ago proved that more than 0.20 percent phosphorous resulted in camshaft spalling; The old adage is “some is good, more is better” does not apply.

In the mid-1950s (the exact time each manufacturer changed is a little different), engines began to experience galling of the camshaft and lifter surfaces. Although oil formulations were altered, the principal fix to this problem was surface hardening of the camshaft and lifter surfaces. Surface hardening affects only the top 0.005 to 0.01 inches. Engines with properly surface-hardened camshafts and lifters resist galling as long as lubrication exists.
Replacement lifters and reground camshafts may or may not be surface hardened.

It doesn’t take much refinishing to remove the hardened surface. New camshafts and lifters supplied by such well-known names as Crane, Comp Cams, Lunati, etc., are surface hardened. For others, it pays to check if the wear surfaces have been surface-hardened.

If you have a car from the mid-1950s or earlier and do not drive it extensively, the latest oils will work just fine, provided they are changed at least once each year (the best time is in the fall before the winter lay-up).

However, if it is driven more extensively than is typical for many collector cars (500 to 1,000 miles in mostly short trips), then you should:

• Use some of the boutique oils that have come to the market in the last couple of years — such as, Brad-Penn, Quaker State’s Defy, Classic Car Club Oil, Royal Purple, Joe Gibbs Racing, etc. — that have higher (higher than ‘SN” oils) zinc and phosphorous concentrations;
• Add a zinc/phosphorous supplement, such as General Motors’ EOS, to the current “SN” oils (1 oz. of EOS per quart); or
• Use diesel engine oil classified CI-4 HD

Summary

Given the limited use that most collector cars experience, high-quality modern oil will adequately protect the car’s engine. For those that extensively use cars pre-dating the mid-1950s, there are now many oils available that offer increased levels of zinc and phosphorous.

William C. “Bill” Anderson, P.E., has been involved with the automotive hobby for more than 40 years and is an author, magazine editor, car show judge, and engineer. Through Anderson Automotive Enterprises — www.andersonautomotiveenterprises.com — he restores and appraises cars.

The post New oil and old cars: What’s the smart thing to do? appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.

The 1956 Mercury XM-Turnpike Cruiser concept car is getting more colorful as the restoration progresses. Here’s what I’ve been up to the past few months:

After getting the car back on its wheels, the next thing I did was hang the doors and install the hinge opening covers. There are small, round, tubular parts that serve as wire conduits to protect the power window wiring as it goes into the doors, and I had to be mindful of these during the installation process.

Then, I put the car back on jack stands and removed the wheels so I could assemble the front end and finish the brake and fuel line connections underneath.

With the wheels back on, the next order of business was to install the engine and transmission. I also placed the choke housing that I made (featured in the last update) on the carburetor to show how nice it looks now that it’s chrome-plated. Everyone thinks it’s an air cleaner, but it’s actually a choke. There is a flap in the choke’s snout that’s operated by a cable to the instrument panel that opens and closes it. There will be a 3-inch plastic tube from the choke snout to the bottom of the air cleaner, which sits in the right front of the engine bay, alongside the radiator. You’ll see that in the future.

Playing dress up

The brake and taillamp lenses above the rear window were in very good, original condition without cracks or crazing, so they were relatively easy to restore and look great back in place.

The exhaust outlet on the left lower quarter panel isn’t connected to anything yet, but it will be a functional outlet when the pipes below are complete. There is a matching outlet on the right quarter panel.

For some unknown reason, the rear quarter panel inserts were full of small dents and dings. They, of course, had to be filled and smoothed before they could be painted pearl white, as original. The edges of these long inserts are chrome plated. They, along with all the other chromed pieces on this car, were re-chromed by AIH Chrome Plating in Dubuque, Iowa.

Drama with the new windshield

When an article on the restoration appeared on Hemmings’ blog, it caught the eye of a custom glass fabricator in British Columbia, Canada. The owner contacted me and said he could make a windshield for the XM-Turnpike Cruiser. After a few emails and a quote, I agreed to have him fabricate the windshield. It turned out to be one of the biggest mistakes of my life! Let’s just say the windshield didn’t fit, and I found his business practices to be sketchy, at best. You can read all about it at on the “2-10-22 Update.”

After that fiasco, I found another fabricator in the good, ol’ U.S.A. and had them make the glass. This windshield turned out nice and is pictured in place within this article. The windshield will remain on the car until the car is nearly complete.

Interior motives, and more dress up

I started making the new leather dash covering, but didn’t get too far before getting sidetracked with refinishing the steering wheel and installing the inserts on the rear quarter panels. However, I did get all four seats reupholstered.

The steering wheel had quite a few cracks in it, which I filled with the epoxy material from Eastwood’s steering wheel repair kit. I’ve successfully used this product on a number of steering wheels in the past.

The quarter inserts really make the car look spectacular, and after I had them in place, I was able to install the taillamps. One of the previous owners had the new lenses made for the taillamps and back-up lamps, which saved me some work.

Tangle of wires

While I wasn’t working on the previously mentioned parts of the car, I would pick away at the wiring on an on-and-off basis. It’s coming along pretty well, but the next task to complete will be the dash pad so I can install the instrument panel in the car, as there is a lot of wiring to do under it. We’ll save that for next time.

Thanks for your interest in this restoration!

Learn more at www.tommaruskacars.us.

Click Here for Part 8 of the XM-Turnpike Cruiser project

If you like stories like these and other classic car features, check out Old Cars magazine. CLICK HERE to subscribe.

Want a taste of Old Cars magazine first? Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter and get a FREE complimentary digital issue download of our print magazine.

*As an Amazon Associate, Old Cars earns from qualifying purchases.

The post XM-Turnpike Cruiser: Assembly begins appeared first on Old Cars Weekly.