mnwildpunk Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 The other day this 64 galaxie came into the shop well two other guys tried to fix it. after both had failed I told them I needed a carb rebuild kit and my old motors manual which was burried away in my library of books (you see it sitting on the rad support). Both guys before me attempted to rebuild the old holley 1904 and failed badly. After fixing their screw-ups I got it to purr like my kitty Mojo. It made me realize that if half these guys didn't have their obdII scanners they would be lost. Granted I need it to more often then not but I do miss the old days. I feel I was born a generation or two to late. I feel bad that the art of carb, gen/ alt, starter rebuilds is going or gone (tying to explain the difference between a gen and an alt was lost on these guys. But on the other hand I felt great that I learned these skills and still retain them!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scuderia Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 That's a beautiful car, lucky you got to be hands on with it. And it's true about a lot of things now, many have become reliant on different assists, and tools. Hell even handwriting on folks under 25 is atrocious in most cases lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 You have a real good point Dave. l use to know guys that still liked to rebuild wheel cylinders,and starters at one time but are soon to be long gone. My brother is like you loves to work on the older stuff.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PappyD340 Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Most all of that type of service has fallen by the wayside, heck NAPA had a full service machine shop here in High Point for years did everything you can imagine from brake rotors and drums to engine blocks, cranks, heads, and starters, alternators, generators, and ervrything in between, but that has been gone about 10 years now. I know of at least a half dozen full service machine shops that used to be in and around this town they are all gone, unfortunately we live in a day of throw it away and buy a new one!! My hats off to ya Dave, I admire guys like you that still have and use the knowledge and skills of a by gone era, keep using them skills Dave!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ju Ju Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 The other day this 64 galaxie came into the shop You may be a dying breed-BUT that is a 1962 Ford Galaxie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevyfever2009 Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 I'm on the younger side of the members here and I was raised and taught how to work on the older cars. And I personally would rather work and own older cars. I was told once my a certified technician that cars after like 06-07 are suppose be fitted with a little box that can tell authoritys what was going on 30 seconds before a crash. Nowdays we have cars that can park themselves and that don't take a key so its possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Yup, the man is right. That my friend is a 62 for sure. My first car was a 62 light blue 4 door 62 that I bought from my dad for 50 bucks. This photo takes me back as it is very close to what mine looked like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eshaver Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Dave , that's the difference between todays mechanics and we older individuals . It's not a bad thing that they aren't adept at repairing a conventional ignition or rebuilding a carburetor . I'm willing to say a lot of fellows who taught me sheet metal could do a far better job at "Hammer Welding" than I too. Hey, I work in a lot of Ford Model A gearboxes . There's no full time demand for what I do now . Everyone I know wants Overdrive automatics .................... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nitro Neil Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Just try finding a machine shop that can rebuild a set of heads for a small block Chevy. Go ahead, I dare ya... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
george 53 Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Those of us who were fortunate enough to have had REAL autoshops in High School with GREAT teachers who cared about us, were at the advantage. IF you had a Dad who was ALSO into cars, you were REALLY set! I did my first valve job on a 52 Chevy six. at 11. Dad watched me and approved of every step. When i got into high school, i rebuilt both a Studebaker Turbo 327 and a Porche 917 rear suspension in the 12th grade. Today, Nope, the hardest things I do are just bolt on stuff, reprogrammers, headers,cold air kit, coil, plugs ,wires,etc.. I DO NOT mess with the computer or electricals, other than the simple stuff, installing a coil, like on my 95 Impala SS, or spliceing in the Jet Power reprogramer. NONE of the newer stuff apeals to me. I can STILL rebuild a Holley, or Carter, OR Rochester, and I'll do a ford alumipot carb if I can't replace it. Can still rebuild and set up a distributor too. Yeah, I'm old. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Smith Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Very cool car. Yes, working on cars with outdated technology is a dying breed. Mainly because there is no demand (as Ed stated). We are so spoiled with today's cars that we forget what a pain in the neck those old cars were! I started driving in the 80s, so we still had a lot of carbureted, non-computer cars - we also had to spend time keeping them running (which we enjoyed to certain extents). There is no need now - cars my 16 year old will be driving have few if any servicable aspects (although I did save myself a couple hundred bucks and replace the knock sensor on our 2000 Subaru). If they do break, it's something most of us can't do - or would not want to do - with the extremely tight and complicated engine compartments. Even most of the gearheads from my youth have given up on doing it for enjoyment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danno Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 (edited) I bought a '78 Malibu a few (6) years ago. Incredibly low mileage (29,000), 305ci 4bbl, TurboHydramatic. It had been stored in a collection display for many years. Took it to MVD emissions testing and of course, it failed ~ needed tune-up. I took it to a Chevy dealer, since I didn't know any decent old school technicians, and after all, this car was barely out of warranty (not counting its age). The dealer's service manager asked me to bring it back the following week ~ the only technician they had left on staff "who knows carburetors" was on vacation. Nobody else knew how to tune it without fuel injection or a scope and a code-reader. Took it back the next week, the old-timer was back, he worked his magic, and the car cleared emissions . . . in fact, it hardly registered on any of the scales! All these years later, the emissions guys always remark on how clean it runs. Drove it to Denver from Phoenix for a roadtrip in a hot July . . . high altitude, mountain passes, air conditioning on full blast the entire way . . . and averaged 23.8 mpg. At the time, I had a "fuel-efficient" Taurus 6 cyl company car that had trouble making 22 mpg on the low plains. Edited October 18, 2013 by Danno Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 That's a nice looking car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScaleDale Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 There are still places where they work on carbureted American engines, They call them drag strips. I have a '68 Mustang that I'm building up for the strip and the only piece of "old tech" that I will happily flush down the crapper is the point based distributor. Other than that, I like getting my hands dirty with all this old stuff. Dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danno Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 That's a nice looking car. Thanks. She's our baby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agent G Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Yessir that Malibu is super sweet. G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Modelbuilder Mark Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 I bought a '78 Malibu a few (6) years ago. Incredibly low mileage (29,000), 305ci 4bbl, TurboHydramatic. It had been stored in a collection display for many years. Took it to MVD emissions testing and of course, it failed ~ needed tune-up. I took it to a Chevy dealer, since I didn't know any decent old school technicians, and after all, this car was barely out of warranty (not counting its age). The dealer's service manager asked me to bring it back the following week ~ the only technician they had left on staff "who knows carburetors" was on vacation. Nobody else knew how to tune it without fuel injection or a scope and a code-reader. Took it back the next week, the old-timer was back, he worked his magic, and the car cleared emissions . . . in fact, it hardly registered on any of the scales! All these years later, the emissions guys always remark on how clean it runs. Drove it to Denver from Phoenix for a roadtrip in a hot July . . . high altitude, mountain passes, air conditioning on full blast the entire way . . . and averaged 23.8 mpg. At the time, I had a "fuel-efficient" Taurus 6 cyl company car that had trouble making 22 mpg on the low plains. Hey Danno, At what point in AZ here do you get to skip the emissions because it is a classic or antique? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnwildpunk Posted October 18, 2013 Author Share Posted October 18, 2013 Sorry guys i'm not a ford guy so I took a stab at the year. My boss who took the car in and ordered the parts I asked for knew the exact year. It just kills me that parts that could be servicable are now disposible. Calipers,wheel clynders, alt, starters and many more things are all core charged parts which mean you give them to someone else to rebuild. Why can't they sell parts so I can rebuild it myself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hvymtl Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Danno , that is one gorgeous looking 'Bu . 78 was a good year and that is SWEET don't let that one get away!!! Had one back in 90-97 ended up with a 400 small block in it then the salt worm got her . Same thing happened to the 85 El Camino and my current '88 Monte LS. hopefully that one can be saved Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 Yes Dave, you're a dying breed...as am I. There aren't a whole lot of real mechanics around these days. If most of them can't hook a scanner to it, they don't have a clue. Even cars with OBD II, supposedly all computer-talky to the emissions computers are beyond their grasp once the cars get a little old. A good friend of mine has a 2001 PT Cruiser that's showing a "check engine" light intermittently and won't pass OBD II emissions, EVEN THOUGH THE TAILPIPE EMISSIONS ARE IN SPEC. The poor excuses for mechanics have thrown every sensor and electronic component at it, based on the scanner readouts...and it's still the same. They're now telling her it's needing an ECM. Uh huh. And what if it's still malfunctioning after that, eh bozos? Junk the car ?? ... We are so spoiled with today's cars that we forget what a pain in the neck those old cars were! See paragraph 2 above. If the thing had a carb, even multiple Webers, I could easily get it clean. But now I'm going to have to diagnose and repair the electronic malfunctions myself, because she needs her car, no one else seems able to fix it, it's all magic-computer-controlled BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH, and this state won't renew a tag without a valid emission certificate. Oh joy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azers Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 The same goes for the auto parts business. All of us older parts guys that started in the mechanical field and moved to the parts field are slowly leaving. I watch all the younger folks hired in fold when confronted with a old car question. Most places don't even use catalogs anymore, they rely on the computer cataloging which isn't accurate all the time. Freaks them out when I grab a catalog and find the part. I try and then teach as much as I can but I often think of what's going to happen when all the people with this knowledge retire. And the new younger generation relies on their computors for everything when the guy with the early car needs info. That is why I am teaching my boys and daughter everything I can while I can still remember it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace-Garageguy Posted October 18, 2013 Share Posted October 18, 2013 ...and we're already encountering the "not economically feasible to repair" syndrome when all of the fancy computer management BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH gets old and quits. There are already MANY electronic components no longer serviced by the vehicle manufacturers, and the aftermarket doesn't have them either. Cars like the old Ford that responded happily to a competent tech with a simple carb-rebuild kit have been replaced by a fleet of vehicles THAT WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP OPERATING without significant re-engineering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbill Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 well, count me for the dying breed too I suppose. I work for a chevy dealer, and the owner has a nice collection of old fords [ from 1930 thru 1950's], and we have a few customers that bring in old cars. I do most of them, we have one other guy that's capable, but he usually isn't interested in working on 'old junk' as he calls them. just walk in and ask a few of my co-workers what a dwell meter is and compare the look you get to that of a startled deer, lol. or ask for a carb overhaul. it's amazing they don't know the difference between a flat head and a Y block, and present them with a front brake drum.........look out..... I've been lucky enough to work on and drive some really cool cars over the years, I think my favorite was a 1959 caddy convertible, that was like driving my living room Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnwildpunk Posted October 19, 2013 Author Share Posted October 19, 2013 Don't get me started on parts counter clerks who need to ask what size motor you have for a wheel cylinder or something completely unrelated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScaleDale Posted October 19, 2013 Share Posted October 19, 2013 (edited) Don't get me started on parts counter clerks who need to ask what size motor you have for a wheel cylinder or something completely unrelated. ^^^ When I told the guy at the parts store I was working on a 302 he asked if that was the 5 liter... Don't get me started on metric parts mixed in with the SAE stuff in my rebuild. Dale Edited October 19, 2013 by ScaleDale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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