Calling all 55-56 Pontiac owners, and anyone else helpful!

Just some pics showing things I've done to the car. New gloves box is installed, I duid my best to deal with rust on the bumpers, and hit those about 7 or 8 times with metallic spray paint. Looks good in person, I'm surprised. I painted the radio knobs and push buttons, and am about to recap that. I had put on the throws earlier in July just to get a look at how they are. When they go on they'll be very very neat. Had to get another shot of my painted steering wheel and repainted dash as well. I also got my windows to go down all the way, and lubricated the gears a bit. Plus, checked the new wiring I did in the tail lights, blinkers work fine. Brake lights come on also. So, all my lights around work, except the reverse lights. Haven't been able to check them yet.Does anybody have another V8 symbol for the front fender? I'm missing the one on the driver side.

 

I KNOW YOUR GONNA GET IT FIXED THIS WEEK BUT KEEP AT IT...

is there oil in the air cleaner .. it is a oil" bath" so it would have a resivior of oil in... it is not needed to be this way and others will work its just "stock"

so if you were skeered a bit when it fired ?
do you have the exhaust on it that would be loud WITHOUT
find a good 13/16th "plug socket "...avoid flex joints when installing plugs
buy a set of plugs -
-plastic gap tool(one that fits on a key chain)
a second set of plugs is a good thing to carry as spares
fuel or oil fouled plugs can be cleaned and reset do not throw old ones out unless you are sure they are used up
remember that used plugs do not need to have a 1/4 turn to seat the gasket when snug ,,,,look in the back of all plug books-online (or you will break them off)
hand thread them to start all plugs so you do not cross thread them

Go apply for a parttime job at the nearest garage or auto parts store
offer to clean up the shop/garage or restock the stores shelves sorting cores or?

DO NOT TAKE NO AS FINAL ANSWER OFFER TO CLEAN SHOPS FOR FREE TO SHOW HOW WELL YOU CAN DO IT ....

HAVING ZERO EXPERIENCE AT THESE JOBS IS THE BEST THING
AS YOU CAN ONLY LEARN AND EARN CAR $$$$ OR SHOP TIME
ASK ANY HAMBER?
ALOT OF EM STILL WORK PARTIME JUST FOR THE DISCOUNT ON PARTS OR SHOP USE
THEY STILL MAINTAIN A FULL TIME JOB SOMEWHERE ELSE....

BELIEVE IT OR NOT VERY FEW HAMBERS HAD A 50 YEAR OLD CAR AS THE FIRST CAR AT SIXTEEN .. THEY WORKED THEIR WAY INTO IT

AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT ? OKAY ...BASIC AUTO KNOWLEDGE IS GOOD EVEN WHEN APPLIED TO OTHER WORK IN OTHER FIELDS

THE FIRST CAR I DROVE WAS A 55 PONCHO WHEN I WAS 8 --
IT WAS"OLD CAR" GIFTED FOR MY BROTHERS AND I TO BEAT AROUND OUR 5 ACRE WOODED LOT...
I HAVE OWNED A 55 TWO DOOR WAGON FROM CANADA -RARER THAN A SAFARI ...

 

Very difficult to find a job these days for a young person such as I, but I've been trying. I actually am going to ask the auto store i go to if they are hiring. Going to tell the mechanic tomorrow that if he needs help, even if it's just cleaning up or anything, just shoot me a call. I have the knowledge I learned on here, and i can learn from him as well.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-CDne4XMCk&feature=c4-overview&list=UUQMELFlXQL38KPm8kM-4Adg

 

That was helpful, thanks!

 

Lol you beat me to it

 

Calling in to get a truck over here to transport her to her temporary home for the next day or two, she'll be in good hands. In the mean time, I'm going to work on the radio. Going to clean up the outside case of it, finish recapping today, and then just polish up the front plate. It's in better condition than the one originally in there, but there are some dents and scuffs I gotta take care of. It'll look a lot better when I'm finished. Just gotta order a vibrator and one tube, get a new speaker to mount up and then I can test it once recapping is done

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=9138526#post9138526 Link to my new build thread, will be doing posting there from now on. Anyone that wants to see the updates, go there. Thanks all again

 

I know I`m old, but what does recapping mean as it relates to a radio???

We used to get tires recapped, but I never got my radio recapped.

 

Recapping is replacing all the electrical components inside a radio, or anything for that matter (telelvisions, record players, fans, etc). Example, replacing old paper and electrolytic capacitors(also called condensors, condesers, caps, etc) as well as replacing the resistors that are necessary. It also involves checking all the insulation on the old wires. I did on recap job, on my big 1929 Atwater Kent radio. Also refinished it as well, possibly the best wood refinish I've ever done, I think it was only the second or third thing I've refinished.
Recapping is essential on anything pre 1980 I would say. Maybe pre 1970s, depending upon the condition. If it still works, okay it works. But if something fails, you're prone to damaging something important, such as a transformer. That's why they say ALWAYS recap any old electronics before using it. You risk damage, fire, explosions, etc.

 

Thank you...learn something new every day!!!

 

???? you can rebuild tube type radios but can"t find ign spark

get back under the hood dammit

 

You def shouldn't give up, that car will start. Crank the bitch


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Hey, I found spark. Remember I said I got shocked at 1 in the morning? Like I said before, I'm not cranking it anymore because I don't want to f*ck up anything else. Someone who is a professional at this is willing to do it in person with me. Key word IN PERSON. Something already burst and started smoking, I don't know if something happened or if it was backfire. Either way, I don't want to do anything wrong, I'd rather be careful than screw something up and have to drop more money because of my own amateur wrong doing. Learning with a professional is much more better...

 

Your not going to phuck anything else up by just cranking on it with the pedel all the way to the floor on a flooded car to get it to start. Just crank for 20 seconds at a time and give it a few minutes in between for the starter to cool down. Removing the plugs and clean them would help. I only mentioned this over 100 post ago about it being flooded, and that the oil is going to need changed.

 

This is how we learn bro!!!

I did an oil pan three times, before it didn't leak and was right, snapped a bolt into the block one of the times, practiced drilling and chasing to recover the threads




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He'd rather pay a "professional" to turn the key, than gain some experience. I don't get it???


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This guy is doing my welding and such for me. Either way I gotta tow it over there as I've said before. He said he'd help me find out why it won't start, since I already did a bunch of tests and then starting like you guys told me for 20 seconds, pressing the pedal, holding it down, something burst and i saw smoke from my engine. Therefore, I don't want to try anything else until I'm sure it's okay. I don't want to start a fire nor break something.
Nothing wrong with that. If I have the opportunity to get something done correct and learn what was wrong in person with someone who knows the trade, I'd rather do that instead of shock myself badly again or start a fire and then set the yard on fire from there and have to call the fire brigade (engine of car is over grass right now.)

 

Ehhh, the spark only hurts for a little bit, just ask the guy in the electric chair. I can understand your caution on much of the other, I used to be the same way. Now that I'm older (and have life insurance), I'm willing to take more risks.

 

I hope you get a good job kid, because sooner or later, you wont be able to afford having a "professional" work on your car. All the mechanics at every shop began somewhere and started knowing as much or less than you do. The only difference is that they learned for them selves and kept with it. If you think one trip to the mechanics will solve your old car problems keep dreaming, because most old cars break down more than once over and over.

 

Once again, I'm going to learn in person
LEARN. IN. PERSON.
LEARN

 

Get bit from a high voltage lighting circuit... That hurts. I'm an electrician's apprentice and been shocked more than I can count. Still breathing. Get under the hood! There is nothing to mess up , only experience to gain!




Draining the brains of good
mechanics since '92

 

the backfire and smoke was a good sign, thats the point when most of us get a big grin and say " hell yeah she's going to run" pull the air cleaner off and sit it on the ground, use a something to hold the choke open, pour a shot of gas down the carb and start cranking with the pedal to the floor, if it sputters just keep cranking, if you see a large fireball shoot out the carb then maybe the timing chain has jumped a tooth.

 

Don`t quit now....everyone has to start somewhere...ask your welder...He didn`t just pick up a stinger and start welding professionally, he learned gradually...so will you!!! don't give up!!!

 

Thing is I'm not giving up...I'm simply being smart and I'm going to learn from someone in person whats up with it. Not giving up, just learning. There's only so much you can teach yourself. I'm sure all of you have had at least one older person show you the ropes to something.

 

When it was running did you start the car all by yourself?
Should be nothing new.
If you did the spark test as I said you will know if you do.
If it did it would have started by now.
Change the condenser
How many miles on car dirty motor sound like many.
If you had to change the timing chain what would you do?
When you see lots of new parts there has been a problem.
What happen to mine it jumped time and run for a while then one day it stalled and couldn't get it running. It jumped another tooth and never started again till I replaced the chain. That's why make sure you have spark first.
.

 

Any update from the mechanic?

 

I still see my car in the alley way so I guess he didn't get to it yet... he said he's backed up from vacation last week. Everyone, see my other thread and post there from now on please. I'll only update from there.