Art & Inspiration When to take the first Long trip?

Right on!!!!! Glad it worked out!

 

NEVER give up at the first inkling of trouble-diagnose the problem first, step away from the car, gather your thoughts, shake your head, have a smoke, if you do, get your wife/kids or GF out of the car and THEN throw a wrench at it. THAT will definitely help get the car back on the road...!!!

R-

 

Sorry to hear of your problem, but you'll always remember this Thanksgiving! Glad it was nothing more than a broken u-joint. Also glad you took the car off C/L - "Act in haste, repent in leisure".

As far as the RPMs being too high, check out what ratio rear end gears you have. You might want to change them or replace the transmission with an O.D. unit. Also might want to put a tach. in the car so you can tell exactly what RPMs you're turning.

 

Love those old Caddies!
An easy fix.
"All's well that ends well..."

 

Well, alright ! Get her fixed & back on the road !

 

Where will you be goin for Christmas?

 

If you where to update drive train stay with a caddy mill 472/500 with th400


Look at that Cadillac

 

While ya got it out, replace all and plan a Christmas trip

 

...To answer the original question, when the tire hit the floor after the last jackstand has been removed...

 

Glad it will be an easy fix, felt bad telling you to go for it and then reading what happened. Keep the Caddy its a great ride.

 

(And after the u-joints have been checked)

 

Ordered some new moog u-joints from rock auto. Should be here in a week.

 

Glad to hear it'll be an easy fix . Just imagine if you would've pissed it away over a damn u-joint !!

 

Fix that ujoint and put on the miles you'll have a great time.this little disruption will make you feel confident in your car as you figured out the problem and fixed it.

 

There ya go man,keep at it!!!!!

 

Ha ha ha tol ja ha ha. I bet that is a load off your mind.

I don't get why you want a Chev engine in there. You already have a 331 OHV V8. A 350 OHV V8 isn't that much different except of course cheaper (in every way). In spite of the low HP rating I don't think there would be much difference in normal driving, with a basic 2 barrel 350.

The Chev would totally destroy the value and coolness of the car (this is not a good thing). I could see doing something like that if the rod is sticking through the block and you were desperate.

Plus, such a swap cost more money and labor than you think. It would be easier and cheaper to fix the old engine or trans unless they were totally shot.

I say if you want a Camaro buy a Camaro if you want a Cadillac buy a Cadillac.

 

By the way you probably could have got the U joints at your local NAPA store either off the shelf or over night.

 

Yeah I searched NAPA's website but the only U joints for the rear end side were labeled for a 3 joint driveshaft (2 piece). Where as mine is a single with 2 joints.

 

Have you got the drive shaft out of the car to be sure of that? U joint was my first thought when I first started reading the thread as I've had more than one do the same thing. Good to see that it is an easy fix though.

 

The cap let go on the highway

 

Start with some out n back trips of increasing lengths, along with a buddy or two in their cars if you can. By the time you hit 300 miles out for a car show / motel / and back, you'll be ready for some long trips. Pike's Peak or Bust! Gary

 

You'll never never know if you never never go. Sometimes you have no control over things outside your control no matter how much you double check everything, it's Murphy's Law. If it's going to happen, it will!

 

I usually take my first road trip as soon as I have someplace to go.

 

I don't mean NAPA web site I mean actually go into the store and talk to the carbon based life form behind the counter.

NAPA is usually pretty good on old car parts. But, if there is an old dingy dusty parts store with the paint worn off the sign, with a couple of old bald headed or gray haired parts men behind the counter, they will usually be able to get anything. All kinds of parts are available that are NOT on the internet or computer, a real parts man can go back to the old paper books, find a part number, and track it thru the system until he gets the latest equivalent. Once he has a good part number he can get anything.

Universal joints should be on the shelf, there are only a few sizes and they used the same ones for years on all different makes and models.

 

So Fender, Here is my philosophy on old cars (I've got a few (like 10 too many, if you ask my wife). I drive them whenever I can. I've got Ford's, Chevy's, Mopars, and this applies equally to all of them. "Their all pieces of Sh*t, and if it's a Hot Rod, it'll break and you'll walk sooner or later. There's no sense getting mad about it, it's just a fact of life." Now before you go thinking I don't like old cars, let me clarify. I could drive a late model, dependable, used car for what I've got in my Plymouth, or my '72 El Camino SS (10 year daily driver, down for a MUCH needed freshening up right now) but the fact of the matter is, it's just more fun to hop in the El Camino to drive to work! It's gonna be more fun to hop in the Plymouth and boogie 16hrs to Texas next month for Christmas. I've gone grocery shopping in my 8 mpg T-Bucket before (and that's SO not the best car I own for that little errand), because once again, it's more fun! I just spent $1000.00 getting my wife's stupid Toyota through smog this year, and I felt like I was throwing every nickel away as I did it. I don't feel that way when I work on my old car, so to me their worth it! When I first got the El Camino, it had spent a considerable time as a garage queen, waiting for it's turn at a full on, frame off restoration. There was roughly a one year period of working through all the little nagging problems, and I bet I got towed home AT LEAST once a month for the first six months, but it ended up being a VERY dependable driver, that made multiple trips to Bakersfield, Vegas, 85mi. trips to El Centro for lunch (just because), etc. The point being, if you don't try, you'll never know. And every time it breaks and you fix it, it'll be that much cloeser to being that car you can jump in and drive anywhere. Also, the more you driveit, the more it'll trll you what it needs addressed to reach that end goal. Cars don't like to sit, they like to be driven!

 

In summery and, as the old adage states: "If it's got tits or tires, it'll give you problems sooner or later!"

 

I went all over town trying to get somebody to press in the new U joints. One franchise said no because I had my own parts, another wanted 100 bucks and I found a hole in the wall with a nice guy who said only 40 bucks.

Well two hours later he comes out and says its bent and he cant do it. This was on the rear yolk that wasnt broken to begin with. The fuckin guy was beating it with a hammer. Now I'm shit out of luck. Theres a driveshaft repair guy he told me to go to and itll be in the neighborhood of 150-250 IF the guy can find a rear yolk to weld on. Of course these driveshafts are made out of unobtanium. Im so pissed

 

Oh my god it takes 2 minutes to press in a universal joint with a vise. Why would anyone beat on one with a hammer.

Take it to the driveshaft guy and see what he says. You know what happens when you jump to conclusions.

 

All will be ok.... There are hundreds of options to fix your driveshaft. Sure, it may take a little time to find another one but it is out there. Start googling my friend and see what you find.

 

Universal Svc in Charlotte
1817 Cannon Avenue
(704) 598-7282

He has done several for me. He did me an aluminum driveshaft with new joints and a new yoke for $150. He may be able to put another yoke on the driveshaft and use one of those crossover type UJoints.

I also know an elderly gentleman in Mint Hill with an early 50's Caddy he would sell for close to scrap value. It really was running when he parked it. Worst case you could buy the driveshaft. If interested PM me.