Projects Since its not broke why fix it

See, I'm fine with disconnecting from my past. I'll take self adjusting brakes, etc...and just change the oil. Now if they'd come up with a sealed front wheel bearing I could use, I'd be golden.

Been digging around too much in the grease and dirt in my life. If I can make it easier on me, I'll do so.

 

I kept my Lincoln brakes but did go with a dual master with power booster. I also added power steering because it's a big heavy car and the box was worn out. It was fine on the road but hard to turn in town. AC is in the long term plans, too
. Got a cheap radio to hide in a console one of these days. May never even turn it on, I'm usually happy to just listen to the exhaust rumble...

 

So far the only vehicle I had that I was glad to get rid of the original brakes is my 37 Chevy p/u,a pain to adjust and did not have the tools to adjust correctly so it did not stop too good. I was also glad to get rid of the original drivetrain in the 37 too as now I can go 75 on the highway but most of the other older cars I had were good they way they came.

 

Was rethinking my idea on keeping the points today when I found out I had a worn out distributor,found a good one in stock so staying points for now.

 

hey wait ..... that's my motto.

 

If drums are working fine at the 'strip, the only thing I would do is a dual brake master cylinder so if there's a leak in one circuit at least you've peeled off some speed before the catch net.

 

I've upgraded the brakes twice on the 38 Chev, went to disc brakes, then bigger disc brakes and granted it had been 30 years between driving the car with 54 Chevy drum brakes to the disc set ups but I don't think my stopping power got better. When I built the Stude I upgraded it from a six cylinder light frame to a Hawk frame, bigger finned drum brakes, I did add a dual master cylinder but other than that, the suspension, steering and brakes are 1958 Studebaker Hawk. It stops better than the Chevy. Using the org tapered axles too, I am a glutton for punishment

 

When winter is over and it gets new tires I will put some miles on and see how it does and decide if it needs any upgrading then,everything seems to work fine for around town driving but the tires are so rotten I am afraid to take it out of the city so it has not been on the highway.

 

Since I talked about it and didn’t go to Florida to visit our daughter and her family over the holidays. I had the AC put in. To most it would have been a goat f**k but it ended up turning out great. I finished the glove box today and since it was 47• when I went off at 5:30 am the new heater was way better than the original. This summer I’ll find out about the AC.
The best thing I found out, I borrowed my sons DC amp meter and started turning on each load. The highest was headlights, AC on high fan, radio, and stepping on the brakes for the higher wattage lamps and the load was 34 amps on the line heading to the ignition switch which is a # 10awg. Ever other test was lower and I’m pretty sure I won’t be driving at night with the AC on much. At the end I also checked the amperage coming to the battery at idle with the 34 amps and it was 1.8 amps and the voltage was 13.8 vdc.

 

You do remember why you are here right? Lippy

 

Most of the time... but on this thread I’m a guy who seems to “fix” things that are working just fine..even if they OT...

 

Many times upgrades like welded in Mustang II frontends ruin the car and don't really work or ride any better, watch out what you do to these old cars and refer to the little books from the 50's for how it's done. Hopup, Honk, Custom Car, Carcraft, then you won't go wrong. Also some things are a "dead giveaway" , tilt steering columns and modern seats are for "Old Fat Guys" so don't build a car that will bust you as one. HAHAHAHahahahah!!!!

 

the problem with the "just fine" brakes we have on these heavy old cars is that the late model in front of you has super-duper extra fine brakes.

 

here in the real world they work much better than what they replace. show me one example of a properly installed MII that was worse than the original equipment. they have been around for 30 years now. sure, they are ugly on an early car but you didn't say they were ugly.

 

Thanks, you said it for me, properly installed? and for sure uglyJW

 

I went disc because people on the road can be distracted and inconsiderate. I live in a heavily populated area. If that were not the case I probably wouldn’t need them.

 

Same here.

They are not only distracted and inconsiderate, but often drive cars that exceed both the maximum coverage of my insurance, and the value of the average HAMBer's house.

 

If I find a deal on 77-9 T bird disc brakes and a FE Duraspark distributor I am going to grab them in case I do some upgrading in the future but other then a modern stereo its going to stay the way it left the factory for now,the first idiot who pulls in front of me and slams on the brakes might change my mind.

 

Pretty much nothing on the '38 Ford pickup is stock other than the body and front suspension (beam axle with a disc brake kit). My '55 Ford, on the other hand, is staying closer to stock. Some things will be changed: I don't get pangs of nostalgia for 6 volt electrical systems or vacuum wipers. I am old enough to have driven in a torrential rain with vacuum wipers. It wasn't fun then, and the passage of time has not made me want to do it again. I have rigged up electric wipers with junkyard parts (I forget what the wiper motor came out of, but it's written down in a notebook I keep in the car). I fabricated what I needed to mount a GM internal reg alternator on the Y-block. Found a radio delete cover from a '55 that didn't have a radio--I would have kept the stock radio in the dash for looks, but that thing takes up a lot of space under the dash and was in the way of the electric wiper motor. Will be building a small under-dash console with a stereo AM/FM/CD and gauges to replace idiot lights. Have a '57 distributor with fresh points and condensor. The 272 and 3 on the tree stays. LED bulbs in the taillights and a third brake light in the back window. The third brake light is in a black plastic housing that matches the black vinyl on the seats and package tray, unobtrusive but does what it's supposed to do--everything newer than '86 has a third brake light, today's drivers (including me) have gotten used to them and they reduce your chances of being rear-ended. Seat belts because I cracked my sternum in a wreck in that car back in '68 and don't want to do that again. Aerostar coils on front and 1 1/2" lowering blocks on rear. Otherwise pretty much stock mild custom.

 

I have 3 cars that I drive; one with stock steering and brakes, one with stock power brakes but steering converted to a 72 Nova power box, and one with Scarebird power discs and a new Borgeson steering box. I can tell you the better equipment makes the car drive and stop better. Period. In terms of significance of improvement, I don't see anything wrong with factory steering and suspension, especially provided that it's functioning properly. I can't say the same for brakes. Even rebuilt and properly functioning drum brakes on a full size car do not work as well as a disc set up, which has little to no fade or pull, even after multiple stops from highway speed.

Engine wise, I've found there to be a significant improvement in performance, cold starting, etc. with electronic ignition over points. I don't think it's change for the sake of change.