Look at the bright side...you can fix it with tools. On the new crap ya need a computer to do just about anything other than change the oil. Go for it...enjoy the experience. That's what it's all about. If we aren't having fun, what the hell are we doing this for?
I keep telling myself, "I can do this...thousands of other guys have...I can figure this out." So far, so good. What an adventure in engineering these old vehicles are.
Ryan Stick your head under the hood of any new car and see if you can even figure out which way the engine is pointing. An intake gasket, some fender covers, wrenches - and away we go.
The really cool thing is that you have someone to take their time (and patience) to teach you how to fix it. Sometimes that is hard to find.....
there will be a day...I will drive a full fendered 32 Pickup hot rod daily....its just a matter of time.
I have confidence that you will handle this and then sit back and wonder what all the worry was about. I have adjusted the valves on my flatty in an evening. I wanted to drive my coupe to work the next day. good luck.
It's really not so bad on these old cars. Once you get your system down, you can have the oil changed in just a couple of minutes. It takes longer to pour the new oil in than it does to do everything else.
Very hard. None of my local friends are into cars this old. Sometimes it is nice just to have company while taking on the unknown.
I'm relieved. I thought you were going to say an old lady in a Citation ran a red on you and did something like this.
If you can successfully work on a flathead Ford automobile,, you shouldnt have any trouble working on any car. Davy's old tyme flathead philosophy.
Barring a 'project" on the Coupe, it gets driven daily. Course i dont work anymore so its that much more enjoyable ,just fartin around town in the Coupe.
Once you find one of those doohickeys that bolts to where the distributor was to tell you what valve is off the cam lobe, then you're home free. Not sure if someone makes those still? I think Dick Spadaro was thinking of doing it, but don't this he has yet.
Wrenching on them is part of the experience. I,d rather that than a computer telling me whats wrong with my car. RIP ED
At least they told you what was wrong, the computer(s) only told me what sensors to replace, starting with the most expensive and then it still ran like crap.
I missed driving old stuff daily so I sold my modern truck and bought this last June. Drove it 1000 miles home, replaced transmission, rebuilt carb twice, done typical tune-up stuff, 2 sets of plugs, re-wired electric system 60%, rebuilt brakes, new full exhaust laying on my back on the floor, new gauges inside & under the hood for tuning, 4 oil changes since June . Oh yeah, all that done while daily driving it a 60 mile commute to work & back. I don't have anything else to drive except an '83 F-250 that needs a motor & transmission rebuild. I drive my F-100 everywhere...I love it.
Ryan, I have felt the same way working on my cars. I have jumped into many projects that I didn't know much about. Examples are: chopping and chanelling my model A Tudor, rewiring and then converting my '51 Mercury to 12 volt. And now lowering the Merc. It's definitely a little scary jumping into some of these projects. Conquering the task is one hell of a reward though! This website and the people on it have taught me infinite ammounts of knowledge. I couldn't have done many of the things on my cars without it. Hopefully, you get motivated to jump right into that flathead and get your Deluxe back on the road. At least you have the worlds best loner car in your Coupe. My next project on the Merc. is to hop up the engine. I'm not very knowledgable on major engine work, but maybe I'll jump right in like you did....maybe I'll f- it up and learn something...
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