Projects 1934 LaSalle old school convertible coupe build thread

As I have said somewhere online and here in person to my son and other visitors, I do certainly find answers to my issues by reading or actually, writing my posts. I am GLAD I did "the two post tirade" today, for getting the answer of which bay the 83 k10 was "supposed" to be parked for the winter. It is now crystal clear that me trying to get the 303 Olds engine out of the LaSalle room late yesterday for Kyle to use in the 30 Chevy RPU, then get out the self-propelled commercial leaf blower behind THAT, and a push mower that NEED to go in the garden shed... the 35 chassis would then be out of that end bay for the 83 truck. NO! the 34 chassis/body needs to go in there! The 1983 is turnkey, starts-runs mint, it will stay in the main work bay in case the Cord needs to be driven into that bay, if serious motor work is needed.

The 34 being in that "dormant" out-of-site/out-of-mind Bay, will keep any pressure off of my thoughts that likely might have me make more mistakes when hurrying to make that 34 chassis yard drivable...just to make the work bay easy to access! I have, and HAD no plans to touch the 83 till next years good weather seasons, and that will not change, I have my own truck, as does my son have one too!

ok, when Leopold dropped the sandrail off, and as he was pulling in the lot, I motioned with outstretched hands, to signal him to drop it anywhere he wanted. He chose the BEST possible spot as it turned out. I do not need to move it, nor even touch it for resale! As he got out to run the rollback controls to dump it, he said "you have a nice place here" as he was looking down past the side of my long shop where all the junkpiles are. He was meaning that I do have a big building, a place to do this crap, no problems with any neighbors abutting there, and lots of room way the heck past the building. Heck, I don't even own "out back"! My property line is 13 feet off the back corner of the rear bay, I simply am using someone else's property as they couldn't care less!

 

When I saw this all I could think of was," That is one Sexy Bitch!"

that is what I think, every time I see Lauren Hutton- the Cord does the same for me. Looks better and better with age!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Frank, a bad wrist pin was mentioned early on by one of the forum here, and that might be it. Kenny sounds like that is his opinion as well.
Yes, that "knapsack" Cord is a Beverly and there were alot more of those around then the Westie, when I got this one. The Beverly was a more expensive car, but I just dont like that protrusion off the ass end.
I agree that the Westchester had the best look bar none. My only disagreement is, I do love those supercharged entrails coming out of the hood. Unfortunately, only 87 were built on the Westie body.
Regarding fit and finish as was asked-this car was a last attempt/effort at saving Auburn Cord Duesenberg-the company. They had terrible fit and finish! the first 50 built didnt even have engines, they were sent around the country for display and taking orders. This was the first production car with front wheel drive built in America. Around 1922 there was a French car with front wheel drive and Cord basically stole the idea. Also the front and back doors are identical, except for the fender cutout in the rear.
And I also agree, a woman with less makeup outshines lipstick on a pig every time!
SO now that I see this crazy shifter setup........... I guess this Cord could be considered a "mild custom".
Well, right at home here on the HAMB afterall!
If you shoot me a photo of the 29 starter, I might have a spare off of my 31 that I can send you.
The car is packed up in a storage shed. Since 29 and 31 had identical 6 engines, starters should be the same.

 

Kenny and daisy are fine, Kenny did go to get some eye test done today, but did not say why he did not return MY calls, but returned one to my ex-best friend Jim.

well that Jim guy... I already said he was a pest, so yes, he came back here despite my constant abuse. I will do a pic laden post in the AM, mostly all LaS pics & LaS text, and no pics of my former friend. He claims since the last pics of him, he now has a large following of Hamb female admirers ... LMAO

 

Geez Maxwell, I missed your post entirely last night! It was a balls-out day! Hang loose a while on that 31 Chevy starter...LOL...as Ron the Cord owner sent a quick email last night, saying he too, has a spare 31 starter sitting right there, ready to ship out to us that day! I asked him to hold off as well, because Kenny has one (or more) there at his place!

Geez, starters, starters and more starters: Bob Jr was chatting with Jim last time, when Bobs 51 Chevy truck was driven over for a visit. I never knew, but Bob told Jim that he had overheated his 51 starter years ago as it was a barn find start up, and it kinda acts up when very hot driving temps... Well, Jim brought one over for him yesterday, pest that he is... He put it just inside my front shop door...geez, add another freaking starter in that area! So I said I'd better mark it and he said he was going to suggest that (but why didn't he?) Like I am a mind reader, or what?

Train is going by just now, 2 engines, heading North, you guys missed it! Anyways, I yelled out to where Jim was machining my 34 LaSalle head outside on an old 55 gallon drum: :"how do you spell Chevy?"...he starts to spell it out for me.... " EF....OH....ARE... (I am serious), so then I finish by adding BOB to make sure everyone here knows which chevy it is for!...but I told Jim "Hey WAIT a minute..! that is NOT his name! "...his name is not Chevy Bob, it is Bob Jr! Guys, we laugh a lot around here, that's all...it makes the world seem out of control, which is a nice way to live!

this post is starting off backwards, as that happened in the afternoon, a LOT of stuff happened in the morning and afternoon before Jim called to say he was coming. Well, I missed his call, he left a message "call me back"...?? I find his business card thing, called the home landline first by mistake...well, no, it was one of only two out of town prefixes I can call toll free... But I hung up at two rings to try the cell number listed...Tried it without the "1" and sure enough, at least ONE person around here local uses a toll free cell number.. SEE? people just don't realize that a few people like me do not have a cell, so it cost us money and apparently you are so braindead that my costs of living should not be of your concern?

Well, enough of that, he did pick up to say hello... I said "make this quick, because this is not a toll call". Ha, see? nuts! I said what is this about? he says he has an idea on how to get head studs out, will you be around all afternoon? I said yes, but never said what I was doing here and would stay doing, and had NO interest in working on head studs that I simply refuse to take out!

he gets here armed with stuff, weird stuff, to maybe freeze studs? I say "I am not taking unbroken studs out".. He said "you mentioned you were going to deck the block?"_ I said no, I did not, I said on my thread that would be the "correct" way, and you should have noticed the word correct had " " quote marks! Well, see, words can be just words, but misunderstood! Back on MY page, he then machined the 34 head that was chiseled off, using some huge heavy, long steel block and 9x11 wet sandpaper!


It came out really nice, a few dings here and there, but the 2 NOS different brands of headgaskets he found on the 1969 Dart's hood "pile of parts", will seal just ducky!


I will post the morning and up to 2PM?, later on today, a LOT happened as far as moving LaSalle stuff, cars, and things coming out of the back bay, ....and crushing a dream...a really bad dream! LMOA..right Jimmy? Poor Joe G is gonna be devastated! (no, guys...his mint rust free 4 door is still tucked away nice & comfy, and his chassis still sits just fine waiting for the sandblaster to get to it! That sedan just might,... just maybe, ...get put back on the road now, ...as his other dream project here...well..er...um..."had a little run in" with Olivia, the new name that Jim said was pretty cool for the Oliver crawler!!

I am bustin a gut! Jim will be too!

 

Keep at it Frank...remember, there's some of us that think of you as our morning paper

 

busy lately, catching up here. The 34 went into the back bay two days ago, after the 35 custom went "out" to yard art status, the remains of the 35 sedan rear body that Joe G wanted me to save for "a cool shorty coupe" got...umm, ...er..."stepped on" by Olivia the crawler.. Joe G needs to get going on his rust free 34 Sedan WITH a reman 34 BUICK motor! but he don't know it yet LOL...



That Olds Rocket is being picked up by Kyle in a day or so, for his 30 Chevy rod! Hope it don't rain! It has a 40 Ford trans on it now, but that won't hold up to HIS abuse! Maybe go with a 37 Buick Roadmaster with Olds V8 gears like the 32 has??? he wants a stick, not the hydro..




yesterday...lots of stuff earlier that morning...like running into the guy who chatted up that gal in the jean short-shorts again...he said a week ago that she was so very proud of her Grandparents who raised her since she was little! I never chatted her up that day way back for some reason... I only gave her a REALLY big $ Tip!

squished that sedan but GOOD! Actually I was done, but was staring at it...jumped back on Olivia...she might be down on water due to the badly leaking water pump??/...but I know "my girls"; "Olivia" and "Alice-N-Chains", the 1962 Allis Chalmers B1 garden tractor... I know what they can, and will do for me, if I treat 'em right... LMAO...


Ok, off to the trash recycle place, taking the slow way... I have not had a get-away vacation in years, guys/gals... do I really need one?

^^^just a tiny bit of Tim's family lands...hay wagons lined up I tell ya...final cutting!.. Corn is still "up" on the hill to the right..

^^^ this is where I took that pic from...a dirt road!...park right the "ell where you want...no rushing around in these parts!!

^^^ the main milking barns of Tim's family...from a different road than what I posted a long time ago.. I had just stopped in the road before this one, to chat with a classy looking retirement aged woman walking... I said "This road... I must be in paradise"..she asked if I was lost, with a big smile back... "I said If I am lost, I am happy to be here". Then I asked if all this beauty is "--------" family land? She said everything around here that is beautiful is likely theirs.. and said she certainly did know "little Timmy"

^^^Tims 34 big truck came from some barns on the right... I went on this road to see if the hay was cut on the left side...as Tim was waiting for that cut, before getting his new 29 Model A pickup out of one of those family barns...yes, it WAS cut!.. Park where you choose on these roads...no bother..

^^^adjacent farm, fairly big for these parts, but nowhere as huge as Tims..they were baling too!

^^^ more of that neighbors farm above ^^^


^^^^ I am returning home...this is back near Coventry road again, the same field from down the road a bit...the crew is back and they are picking up the bales again...might be Tim on that tractor, but can't tell from here.."Sucks to be them", Eh??? paradise, I tell ya!

Last pic below ... they own woods too...this area was logged off for extra working capital $$ to keep things going last year...Hey the train just went by! you missed it again!!

 

Joe G was here this AM, we discussed his stalled 34 LaS project...oh, like it was a surprise? no, it is lack of $ like most of us hit at times.... Ha, I am good at running a crew...you know "delegate" a certain task to a team member that is good at that task.. he, he Poor Jimmy!!! LMAO!! I did talk to him as Joe handed the phone to me, but I never let him say a word...just the task issues, and a quick, fast, surprise, caught off guard>>...HERES JOE. Bye!

ok, I am not posting anymore non LaSalle stuff here, we have TWO 34s that is enough cars right? Right. I will post todays adventure...a clutch issue on FB at some point...well maybe, as I cannot predict the future < no smiley face there!. One pic though, for youse peeps:

 

finished that Whippet clutch job by 3:30 runs and drives sweet! Glad I did it today, as it proves that some serious planning can get a seemingly longer job go fast, so I will apply that to getting the 34 LaSalle engine back together...when? IDK.

 

Beautiful country you live in Frank, I could look at those pics quite often.

 

Yes, it sure is, even so very close to my actual home! I never knew it until recently, I had been too "busy" to just go explore and not give a chit about time "lost" or which road goes where. I "hated" this town 3 decades ago, mostly for two reasons; first was that this town's tax assessors bought a newsstand copy of "Old Cars magazine Price Guide" back then, and taxed the snots out of vintage cars with inflated BS values. Then my then current adjoining town picked up on that from this town, and I ended up in a BIG fight with my town...oh, I sure as shit did win, but it was stressful and it took research and ensuing drama when I proved that the former Selectman's wealthy son's cars were um, er.. conveniently overlooked as collector cars! (that tax situation was overruled by later statewide Statutes, so it is no longer a problem)The other bad thing about the town that still exists, is UConn. It is a fraud, but I need not go into that, nor the "people" that it draws to this area. "Good" will always triumph in the end.

Let's get back to LaSalles... Joe G was here for a short while yesterday, and we are trying to come up with a plan to fit Joe's budget. His sedan body shell is by far, the best body shell here! Oh, and every person who has known Joe for years, "knows" he will never finish an old car. I am the ONLY one of those people who has seen what Joe CAN accomplish, just from our growing amount of time together. I know what he can do, and I was quite shocked! We still have a steep tough hill to climb with his LaSalle, but I simply will not throw in the towel yet. Jim is quite the guy! He steps up when someone asks...and Joe DID ask for help yesterday! We will get back on that project again.

Today, the Cord gets what should be, I hope, the final engine diagnosis.

.

 

Well Frank...we know what's going to happen, whether it's wrist pin, rod bearing or off the mains or piston slap...engine will be coming out to get a fix...

So when ya pulling that beast?

 

Are you Kreskin? ...ha,ha...who says the engine "IS" coming out? I sure don't know that yet. I will keep you all updated in due time..."I been busy"

 

Lots of stuff going on lately, but Kyle was here to pick up the 303 Olds Rocket for the 30 hotrod that is still here. I had taken the 303 out of the LaSalle room a few days ago, while there was a clear shot when the 35 went out, and before the 34 went into the rear bay.


Then he helped with the Cord which was already outside when he got here. Man, this car is SO hammered...I have NEVER had a barn find that was so abused as this poor Cord! We messed with the engine RPMs, both of us trying to zone in on what the heck noises are going on... The pan is coming off soon! But, when they backed into something to mash in the Left side tailpipe, it caused a Z shape bend in the left exhaust pipe, which is now blocking the oil pan from dropping down. Here he is striking a pose that I asked for, for my FB peeps.

He left to go pick up hay that was just cut/baled for the cows he raises, before I tried to drive the Cord back in for the night. Well, F-me...The clutch pedal felt like soft mush from the first day it arrived, but Jim somehow drove it?...but when I tried to put it in first or reverse, it just grinds forever, even when I force it a bit! Now that I am writing this, I know "how" he got it to drive in....Easy...I had him shift into first gear BEFORE I fired the engine from under the hood! Ok, I did look under to see where in the hell is the clutch adjuster rod on this backwards transaxle...it looked like way up front, car sits too low, so I ran the bitch in, on the oversized starter! I had tried pushing it with the small Allis, but not enough traction. So Maybe Tuesday, pull the exhaust pipe then the pan...but tomorrow I am going to Kenny's to help fix the clutch master-linkage rod on Perry's Ranger so they can keep the barn cleanout going...then Kenny will load up the disassembled Star Doodlebug that I am getting from him. I ran out of hobby money I said, so he said "we will work something out"...he he...That would be a bad trade!! ... I know he is saving up $$ for his Hershey trip and hotel costs, so I will just take some out of my savings acct, but I never seem to be able to put it back Screw it...I don't give a chit bout nothin LMAO.. Rockin the F on...

 

You slowing down old man?

 

Apparently I AM !!... I have NOT chatted up any cuties in a freakin LONG time!!! My son says be careful saying stuff like that, what does he know? He is in Pulaski NY with two other young bucks at the Salmon fish run.. I talked with Tim late yesterday here when he picked up my kid... I said "Joe will be upset if you guys get too drunk tonight to get up early to fish the next day, as he likes to get the early "catch"....Tim said "I am hoping to 'catch' a good buzz'' .. and they wonder about me?? lol

 

Dang Frank, you move over to FB or something?

Been wondering about that noise in the engine and how it's going.

 

This thread is like a junkie in search of his next fix.... I keep checking for the drug lord (that's you Frank, in a good way) to dangle the goods and make us crave it more.
More info on that Cord please.
I don't do Facebook, so keep it here for us will ya?

 

geez...it's not easy doing two sites.. I will be on the Cord tomorrow if all goes Ok. My jackstands were tied up till today, and that Cord needs those to get it high enough to drop the pan. Oh, I did get my "Cutie fix" at the scrapyard Saturday...first of 4 of them was a freakin goddess I tell you whut... Long sandy blonde hair tied back out of the way, so she could find good stuff... she was buying a sweet 30 foot tow chain,, I said "nice hooks" LOL. I was serious though. She must have been checkin me out earlier as she knew I bought to 4x4 foot square sheet of rack stuff made from 1/4" rod...she said she bought one here before and used her roof rack.

^^(as I said on the other site; I always park at the "no parking" spot, I never have to look for a spot that way)..I then tied mine to my roof with a one dollar ratchet strap I found there, and two rubber bungees and a floor mat from Bob P, whom I saw there, he's an old friend that was in the aircraft salvage & scrap business. I asked him about the US Army UH-1 Hueys he had sold, when I did not know they were to be sold. I wanted one for yard art! He said the last two also were also put back to airworthy, the last one is in South America doing remote logging. All 4 were ex-Viet Nam combat units, two were "slicks" and two were short fuselage gunships.. I don't go for war glorification stuff, but those choppers sound so nice at low level flight. Hey, he just sold his big farm for downsizing issues, but did have a Harrier Jump jet (VTOL) as his yard art! I will get back to the scrap place on Saturdays to keep tabs on that princess Hey I almost forgot...my kid and his 32 got in a local calendar! pics below. Check out his look...he is a total badass in the pic

 

Good stuff!

Uh...need two separate post next time, one on the Cord, other on the Cutie

 

Things are looking bleak....a LOT of water in the oil. I always let just a bit of oil come out of the drainplug threads to see if there are any water drops, and if so, is it pure clean water or antifreeze. This was pure clean water at the first half ounce, but then it was all light gray "soup", not black oil! I am letting the crank & whatnot, finish dripping before I pull the pan tomorrow. I have not condemned it yet, but I have no idea how this will turn out.

 

Maybe rig up a pressure tester with an old radiator cap, the cheap HF leakdown gauge set comes to mind as a good unit for this.

 

...

 

Uh oh!
The dollar bills are going to be really flying out the window now...

 

I see the crack at 12 o'clock in the picture and a missing piece at 8 o'clock on that piston. Did you find any pieces in the pan? Can you get a replacement piston or a substitute set of pistons?

 

Yes, I did see one small piece of piston way up front in the pan. Has sludge in pan bottom which seems odd, because the motor looks like it is too clean if you know what I mean...like the engine was out, not too many miles before parked 31 years ago. Now, was the piston broken then? or did it break here? I need to go deeper at some point. The break looks very clean! At this point, I do know the piston is broken into "two pieces", I just don't know where the break runs to... but I walked away rather that do something dumb like pull the head to remove that piston. It cannot come out the bottom, as most of us suspected. I need, and must, find out about the water first. I cannot just assume the block is cracked or whatever.

I need to isolate that badly leaking water pump, then find a way to keep the block and heads full of water, then keep watching from the insides of the engine. We never ran the engine with the radiator cap on, it was always open, not under pressure. In hindsight, I wish I had drained the oil before I first tried to start it, or at least checked the drain plug "water test" like I said above. I will measure how much is in the drain pan, then I will know that if it is like 2.5 gallons, then yes, water did get in after or during the many test runs.

Ron said one head was rotted with a hole showing, so as the intake is also aluminum, I suppose it too could be rotted where I can't see? No sense rushing into a tear down just yet. Kenny did say right from day one that Lycoming straight 6's had problems with cracked pistons(I think he said skirts), but I will ask if those 6's had water/oil issues later this week.

This shit don't scare me... beats doing rot repair on a daily driver...LMAO

 

By the way, an old friend "Tim" hit me up on my FB page about this Cord...he said "I worked on Cords back in the day". After a half hour in my quiet space..the porch... .. it hit me...Those Cords MUST have been the ones owned by the now deceased owner of the estate that my 34 LaSalle came from!! That was true, as he did confirm it later on FB...AND, he wants to come see it...so I have ANOTHER top-gun on the issue ha.ha This guy is a freakin genius, no fooling.

 

I took a couple of weeks off for a home vacation, built a little modified hotrod of sorts... I needed a fab job to clear my head, and now I have something to drive around to visit local neighbors..

Today I struggled to get the Cord water pump out, it barely had room, and the fan cannot be removed first, as there is zero room to do that.
^^the two hubs are loose on the shafts, may need a lot of machining to repair, the seals are leaking badly, and the shaft bushings are loose, as well as the fan belt adjustable pulley needs repairs!

The yellow X is where the pump sits. The circle shows the once white towel which filtered the radiator lower hose is full of rust.

^^^ that large drive pulley is NOT on the crankshaft, it is the camshaft snout. That is facing forward, but it is the true backside of the engine.

Then I had to block off all the water hoses for a pressure test. I used freeze/core plugs and one has the inner part of a tire valve stem to add air.


It FAILED the pressure test. I just went back to the shop at 11PM, and the pressure had dropped, I went under with a light, and water is dripping from the rear left piston, way up at the ring lands! So, it is water on top of that piston, maybe be gasket leak, or crack in the side of bore? Both heads need to come back off, which sucks. Then I can also pull out the right rear piston to see where it is broken in 2 pieces.



my quickie hotrod,

^^as found^^^


^^^at one neighbors home..a couple of weeks later..NOW with a 1920's Star motor, with 20s Moon front axle, 20s Packard rear end. It has 2 transmissions, one is stock star, other is 37 willys. I run it with the 2nd one in second gear.

^^^at Chelsea's home, she owns a Model T open cab truck...with stock motor

my two bugs below, other is a 1930 Whippet w/International 2 speed rear


I also drove the Model A to the neighbors, and out on the road. LOL


I lack any sort of focus lately...................... I am quite happy with that.


.

 

Welcome back, Frank...was missing ya some.

 

Vacations, however managed, are good for the soul Frank! Looks like you had a bunch of fun.

 

Hi Frank
Is that a 30 Buick tail light on the Star ?
George


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