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Classic/Antique Car Repair/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| replacing original vacuum and fuel lines | 3/1/2009 | Paul Wilczynski |
| Q: Replacing the original vacuum and fuel lines in my 1956 Ford Customline seems simple enough. When I ... A: Will: My solution for this has been the same for the last few decades: Purchase a brake line ... | ||
| 1956 Cadillac Brakes | 3/1/2009 | Vern Bullock |
| Q: When I press the pedal down it does not release to the top all the way, Does that sound like the ... A: On a 56 Caddy, the master cylinder and brake release works from a vacuum from the engine. If the ... | ||
| Gas leak -- older Cadillac | 2/28/2009 | Vern Bullock |
| Q: My Dad (90's) lives mostly on social security. Some family who they thought he would "enjoy" gave ... A: Find you another mechanic. Gas lines are never routing under the seat of a car (unless someone else ... | ||
| Plug Wire Diagram | 2/28/2009 | Brad Sears |
| Q: I am currently restoring a 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am (6.6L 400 V8 4spd-man). I Just bough new ... A: Check the following article. It has a good step by step description for making sure that the plug ... | ||
| ELETRICAL WIRING HARNESS | 2/27/2009 | Brad Sears |
| Q: I OWN A 1969 MACH 1, AND SINCE THE CAR IS SO LOD I WAS THINKING ABOUT REWIRING THE WHOLE CAR FROM ... A: Get a copy of Hemmings Motor News the old car hobby bible for classified ads for old car parts. ... | ||
| 1962 impala restor. | 2/27/2009 | Paul Wilczynski |
| Q: would a 350 motor fit with a 700r4 tranny? into the 62.And if so . what would i have to change out? A: Hey, Tony: Such simple questions often lead to book-length answers! But I'll keep this one short ... | ||
| vw superbeetle | 2/27/2009 | Paul Wilczynski |
| Q: I have a 1979 superbeetle convertible. It was parked outside for 4 years..not driven. The bottom is ... A: Deborah: I think the question here is not "is is worth it?", but rather, "can you get it done ... | ||
| 1978 lincoln mark v | 2/26/2009 | Vern Bullock |
| Q: can you tell me if it's possible for the lifters to become loose over time? I'am experiencing a ... A: A ticking sound from under the hood could be several things. 1. The lifters will tick if not enough ... | ||
| white smoke | 2/25/2009 | Brad Sears |
| Q: bought a 1954 caddy was stored for 16yrs and never run. Got it running, after about 20 minutes ... A: Are you loosing coolant? White smoke is usually an indication that coolant is getting into the ... | ||
| Carpet DIY | 2/24/2009 | Paul Wilczynski |
| Q: I'm working on the interior of a Triumph TR6. In Canada, there seem to be very few autoparts stores ... A: Don't use indoor/outdoor carpeting. It's stiff, tough to install, and looks hokey and non-original. ... | ||
| V.I.N. # location on the frame | 2/23/2009 | jack bahm |
| Q: I have a 1934 Ford pickup and the DMV in California won't issue me a license until I take the pickup ... A: Jim, the motor number should work. That would be a lot easier, even if you have a different motor ... | ||
| 69 ford failane 302 | 2/23/2009 | Brad Sears |
| Q: rebuilt engine 302 30 thousand bore stock new rad pump therm gets hot idling it keep going up and up ... A: Two things come to mind. First, the thermostat could be installed upside down. Second, make sure ... | ||
| 1929 Packard 645 backfire | 2/22/2009 | Brad Sears |
| Q: I have a 645 D/C Phaeton. Engine rebuilt prox 3000 miles ago. It's been running great since fuel ... A: One beautiful car! the carburetor needs to be removed and opened up. If you have only two thumbs (my ... | ||
| 1954 Chevy | 2/22/2009 | jack bahm |
| Q: I have a 1954 chevy with a 235CI engine and a powerglidetransmssion. I recently installed a ... A: I don't know much about your car, but it could be the float sticking open, the float valve leaking, ... | ||
| thing no go | 2/20/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: I talked to you a couple of months ago trying to start my vw thing after it had been sitting for a ... A: I would not assume anything. I think you should do a general tune-up, top to bottom. See here: ... | ||
| 1929 model a | 2/20/2009 | jack bahm |
| Q: engine starts an runs ok when the plug wires are off, runs rough when the wires are on an will not ... A: If you position the wires 1/4 in. from the plugs, it runs OK. Doing that forces a stronger spark at ... | ||
| 1929 model a | 2/20/2009 | jack bahm |
| Q: engine starts an runs ok when the plug wires are off, runs rough when the wires are on an will not ... A: It can't run without having the plugs connected. The A had little flat copper plug connectors to ... | ||
| business question | 2/19/2009 | Vern Bullock |
| Q: If a man u did not know brought u a car to restore and the restoration cost more than the car is ... A: Absolutely! His reason for restoration maybe sentimental and not appreciation value. In either case, ... | ||
| Switching to Air Suspension for Smoother Ride | 2/18/2009 | Brad Sears |
| Q: I have a 1972 Buick Centurion (455 stage 1 engine. Vehicle weight approx 4500 pounds), which has ... A: Changing the ride characteristics of a car is more tan just bolting on some extra parts. Your ... | ||
| Voltage regulator wiring | 2/17/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: I have a 1978 Super Beetle Volkswagen Convertible in restored condition. I am replacing the voltage ... A: Dennis, There are 3 possible configurations: - Generator with external regulator, mounted under ... | ||
| 1963 mercury meteor neutral safety switch | 2/17/2009 | jack bahm |
| Q: 260 automatic... i believe they called it a merc o matic...it will start when you bypass the ... A: The safety switch is usually mounted right on the trans. It screws in. When you say "by pass the ... | ||
| NO DASH LIGHTS | 2/15/2009 | Tazz Dickey Sr |
| Q: MY 82 CHEVY SILVERADO C10, DO NOT HAVE ANY PANEL LIGHTS.I HAVE.HEAD LIGHTS,TAIL LIGHTS,TURN SIGNAL ... A: It is possible that the new switch is not working on the rhestat for the dash lights to dim or ... | ||
| 1965 Mustang C4 transmission decoding | 2/14/2009 | Brad Sears |
| Q: I have just purchased a 1965 Mustang 2+2 Fastback and I am trying to decode some of the numbers I am ... A: From my days as an old Ford service manager the C stands for the 1960's. The 6 stands for the model ... | ||
| 1963 Impala SS Convertible | 2/13/2009 | Paul Wilczynski |
| Q: I am restoring a 1963 Impala SS Convertible. Car originally had a 283 195 HP engine and I am ... A: To my knowledge, Ron, there is no heavy-duty passenger car upgrade available for an aluminum-case ... | ||
| Classic/Vintage car repair | 2/13/2009 | Tazz Dickey Sr |
| Q: I am in the process of restoring a 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. Has new spark plugs, new plug ... A: First check and see if it will rotate manually using a socket on the balancer. If it rotates ok ... | ||
| coil input voltage | 2/12/2009 | Brad Sears |
| Q: I have a 1967 Ford F-250 4X4 truck. I recently converted it to a 300-6 motor from the horrible 352 ... A: Do you have electronic ignition or points? If points,and you ran the engine without a resistor, I ... | ||
| Battery 33 pontiac | 2/11/2009 | Brad Sears |
| Q: Is my 33 pontiac with straight a positive or negative ground. I have heard both. Having problems ... A: As far as I know it is neg ground. The best way to tell is to hook up the battery with neg ground ... | ||
| 1968 VW Beetle LH vent window | 2/10/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: The knob is gone and the knob bracket is still spot welded to the vent window frame. How do I ... A: Robb, Sorry for the delay. I haven't done one, but I believe the latch bracket is riveted. If ... | ||
| 97 GTP DASH LIGHTS | 2/9/2009 | Tazz Dickey Sr |
| Q: MY DASH LIGHTS GO OFF AND ON SOMETIME MY MESSAGE PANEL GETS BRIGHT THEN DIM IF YOU PLAY WITH THE ... A: This is nearly always one of two problems. Either the switch itself is going out (obviously) or you ... | ||
| 1955 Buick Inside Door Handle Removal | 2/9/2009 | Paul Wilczynski |
| Q: Paul: Attempting to remove door handle/widow handles for a 1955 Buick Super coupe. Door window ... A: Greg! These handles are held on by a "C" type wire clip. This clip is flush with the door panel, ... | ||
| Voltage regulator wiring | 2/9/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: I have a 1978 Super Beetle Volkswagen Convertible in restored condition. I am replacing the voltage ... A: Dennis, Sorry for the delay. I was down sick for a few days. I am curious as to why you have an ... | ||
| '64 bonneville auto transmission | 2/9/2009 | Brad Sears |
| Q: I just bought a '64 bonneville with the dual coupling trans(or whatever gm called it) the problem ... A: A transmission oil change and a filter would be my first move and then put shoe miles on the car to ... | ||
| 1935 chevrolet truck body | 2/8/2009 | Paul Wilczynski |
| Q: I have a 1935 pickup and am having a hard time finding a supplier for the wood doorposts and other ... A: Randy, I was up against this when I was restoring a '28 Chevy in 1970, so I bought some tools and ... | ||
| '74 F100 Steering Wheel Removal | 2/8/2009 | Tazz Dickey Sr |
| Q: Tazz, I have been trying to remove the steering wheel of a '74 Ford F100 Styleside 2WD. I have tried ... A: A puller is the only way and unfortunately you can't use heat. Next time, put it in a 'bind' with ... | ||
| timing chain | 2/7/2009 | Tazz Dickey Sr |
| Q: Can you tell me how to change a timing chain on a 232 motor that I am putting into a 1984 CJ7? Thank ... A: Very briefly. Set your timing mark to zero (tdc) with the distributer pointing to number one plug ... | ||
| Spark Plug Gap Model A Ford | 2/6/2009 | jack bahm |
| Q: What is the correct gap for the spark plug on a 1931 Model A Ford - 4 cylender, two seater with ... A: The book says 0.035 in., but a lot of run around 0.040. Some think this makes it idle better. You ... | ||
| Polarity | 2/6/2009 | Paul Wilczynski |
| Q: What was the advantage of positive ground vs negative ground? A: Great question with a simple answer, partly historic. Oftentimes, stationary electrical equipment ... | ||
| 1971 ford f-100 w/302 idling bad | 2/5/2009 | Rick O. |
| Q: when i start the truck, i have to keep pressing the gas to keep it running, cant just press the gas ... A: Tim, Sorry, I have no easy answer because there are many things which can cause idle problems: - ... | ||
| Studebaker 1950 Carburetor | 2/5/2009 | Tazz Dickey Sr |
| Q: I have a 1950 Champion Studebaker, straight 6 cylinder engine with a WE-715S Carter Carburetor. The ... A: I had a similar problem on a 3-2 barrel setup and the only way I ever resolved it was to install an ... | ||
| 1978 Silver Anniv. Chev Corvette | 2/5/2009 | Dick Benjamin |
| Q: I have stored my car in the garage with a shut off switch for the battery since I only drive it a ... A: Since I have no idea where you live, I cannot help you with a recommendation. I suggest you go to ... | ||
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Classic/Antique Car Repair
Answers by Expert:
Brad Sears
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
All automotive including antique and collectible. However if the car has been modified I can only answer in general terms and maybe get you pointed in the right direction.
Experience
Automotive tech instructor.
Syndicated auto columnist 1970's though the early 1990's.
Syndicated auto radio talk show, Ask Brad About cars, CBS Radio 70's through 90's
TV Show "Last Chance Garage" 1980's PBS-TV syndicated.
Auto instructor for the following companies:
Fram
Autolyte
Holly
Carter
AMF
Ford Motor
University Of Conn
Blue Hills Technical School
Sugar River Technical Center
Grew up in a family garage in Needham Mass and turned wrenches from the age of 14.
Publications
Manchester Union Leader, Nashua Telegraph, Motor Service Magazine, Yankee Magazine, Popular Mechanics (Saturday Mechanic early 80's), Los Angeles Times, New York Times, and lots more.
Education/Credentials
More than I care to remember.
Basically Franklin Technical Institute in Boston, Northeastern University, Fitchburg State Teachers College, Tufts University, and a lot of factory schools along the way.
Awards and Honors
Moto Award winner. And much more.
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