Convertible

[TC Chris]

It is summer so it’s convertible season in MI. Sat. morning I drove the truck to where the Chevy lives in the summer and switched vehicles. I have been leaving the top up but not latched during the week so it doesn’t get creased in the down position. Down came the top. Getting that new top lets me run it up and down whenever I want.

I drove through at a local burger joint last night to get an olive burger. Do not tell my cardiologist. The young lady who took the payment and handed over the good was intrigued by this car without a top. “What is it?” she said. “A 1961,” I replied. Still puzzled. “A Chevy,” I added. Still confused. She made a hand motion, pointing to the top on its down position. “Does it, like, go over?”

I remain amazed by that GM feature of the mid-20th century, the footwell vents. Pull the controls and you get this wonderful blast of fresh air over the legs. I wish they still used those. Better than AC....

So, questions. First, I ran my portable boat GPS while observing the speedo. I had to convert from knots to MPH at home, but the car’s speedo reads consistently 5 MPH over actual speed. Better over than under, as I earned the hard way in a 4-4-2 once. Any suggestions for easy fixes? Maybe it’s the OD of the new tires (now radials)?

Second, the rear end droops. Long ago I got lifts to raise the ground clearance in the Starfire. They used discs under the bottom of the rear coil springs. On the front, they installed screw devices between coils. The discs seem better. Still the way to go?

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

New coil springs and gas shocks are the way to go. Those springs have had two tons of Chevy sitting on them for 63 years.

[TC Chris]

Yeah, but the front coils have had a cast-iron 283 and cast-iron Powerglide sitting on them. Why haven't they sagged too?

Chris Campbell

[walyfd]

You can remagnetize/demonetize the speedometer. Cluster has to come out and apart. You do not want to magnetize the hair spring! If the jewel hasn't been cleaned and oiled, it's time. Also helps if you have a bulk demag like for tape decks.

You need a Compas and strong magnet to do it. There's tutorials on YouTube. I had to do it on the 62 and it's maybe 1mph off but that can be the needle out of adjustment.

[chazglenn3]

While the air vents for the legs are nice, the main thing that was most excellent was the A/C vent for the jewels! Why did those go away?

[electra225]

Chris, the idea would be to replace coil springs and shocks all the way around. The front springs have sagged, you just notice it more in the rear.

The mainest reason the "AC vent for the jewels" went away is that the air conditioning systems are so cheesy for the last 25 years, there is no extra air to vent to the jewels.....

The GM air conditioning systems from the middle 1970's to the middle 1980's, with the Frigidaire/Harrison A6 compressor and a flooded evaporator were rated at a tad over 3 tons. There isn't room enough, nor engine enough, to accomodate air conditioning that large in modern vehicles, not even a Suburban.

[William]

Loved those A-6 compressors, it would freeze your "jewels", or you can hang a side of beef in there.

Bill

[electra225]

It was not uncommon for cars to come into the shop with those systems a pound and a half to two pounds low on R-12 with foam in the sight glass. The car owner would typically not be complaining about poor "refrigeration". Touch up the charge in those systems and people would come back to the shop and hand me a $20 bill........

[walyfd]

I have the first year A6 in the 62 and it's incredible. Runs constantly but cools like a Frigidaire. My buddy's runs around 33 degrees on r12 and the vents frost.

As for crotch vents, our 77 chrysler had one on driver and passenger side. The 62 has one in the center. It was meant to throw air over the seat to the rear or direct it under the seat. Air was available as a dealer add on. That vent fed from the passenger side to the driver and it was in the middle.

[electra225]

I have never put refrigerant in the air conditioning system of my Buick since I restored it. Art felt that the added heat from the AC would discolor the engine paint. It was more important to him that the engine looked good. He could roll the windows down instead of using the AC. I set the AC system on the Buick so the compressor would cycle, rather than controlling the refrigerant and letting the compressor run all the time. Classic Air has a kit to replace the POA valve with just a pipe, then you put a Ford-style cycling switch on the evaporator. The outward appearance is identical to factory. Mine is set up for R-134. This setup eliminates evaporator icing these systems were plagued with, but it doesn't decrease their cooling ability.

[walyfd]

Be a cold day in hades before I'd sacrifice working air for engine paint...

[electra225]

If you are having your car seriously judged, you would be more worried about engine paint. If it was a driver, then AC would be more important. I drive a black Buick in Arizona with inop AC. My serious car showing days are behind me. I am seriously considering having the windows tinted darker, which was vorbotten by BCA judging standards. I also have halogen headlights and radial tires, both of which would be deductions. My 398-point Buick would maybe get a Silver now if I had an amicable judge. The most amazing part about my old Buick is the exhaust system. Back in the day, I would have to replace the resonators every spring, the trash can muffler and tail pipes every two years if I was lucky. The aluminized system on this car now, from Kepich Exhaust, has been there since 1997 and it looks as good as it did the day I put it on.

[walyfd]

I used to judge clc events. Non working air took a bigger hit than crackling compressor paint.

[electra225]

Buick judging prohibited judges from operating, or even touching, the cars. If am item was there, it was presumed to work. It was judged to a standard of factory correctness, with leniency given for the natural over-restoration. When a car is hand-built, like when one is restored, workmanship is often better than given at the factory on a moving assembly line. I would take a chisel and small hammer and remove all the welding slag from the frame before it was painted or powder coated. I did this so when you ran a rag over the frame to clean, it wouldn't catch pieces of the cloth and leave "bunnies" on the frame. Art painted a lot of the engine trim parts, air cleaner, AC compressor, power steering pump, fan and pulleys, that kind of thing, with shiny paint. Factory was semi-gloss. This was considered over-restoration, but as long as the color was right, no deductions. The idea of this was the "wow" factor. We put clear over the engine paint for the same reason. It was the clear coat that tended to yellow when engine compartment temperatures rose for an appreciable amount of time. Art would have me remove the engine from cars he was taking to the BCA judging and would repaint them before each show. We winched them onto the trailer, then coasted them off to their parking spot on the show field. He wouldn't start the engine. When you raised the hood, you could smell the fresh paint. The engine in my Buick isn't clear coated. It could really stand to be removed and repainted. That won't happen in my lifetime......