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I've still got some things to work on. The car is vibrating (particulary in the steering wheel) when it reaches high speeds, I don't understand why. Shock absorbers are brand new, transmission and engine mounts too. The engine is well-equilibrated, it didn't vibrate.
Does it vibrate all the time at high speed or only when applying the brakes? If it's only when the brakes are applied you might have warped rotors. If it vibrates all the time you might want to look at other suspension components like the ball joints and control arm bushings.
How old are the tires?, far from unknown for old tires to go out of shape. Jack the car up and spin the wheels, they should be properly round with no flat spots on the treads. If they are bad, make sure the replacements aren't old stock. There will be a date code on the sidewalls, tires deteriorate simply from age even if they have never been on the road.
I'm sorry, I am first going to talk about two cars which are not Oldsmobile, but hope you're going to be interested by
If not, just go to the end of this post to see the different steps about the transmission restoration concerning my oldsmobile!
My grandfather just give me his old car: an Alfa Romeo GTV 2.0 liters, from 1982. He used to drive it 30 years ago. He bought it brand new in 1982, and after his retirement, just leave it in his garage in 1986. The car never moved since this year. But my grandfather loves that car, and continue to maintain it running. However, in 1993, he stopped caring about it, because of his health.
He now got 89. So, in order to please him, and because I would like him to be in his favourite car one more time, I restore it.
Start in may, 2017, we get the car from Paris, where it was stored:
Unless it doesn't see a tool in 30 years, the car was in great condition, except two spot where the rust attacked the very tiny steel sheet...
This is what its looks like in:
The car just passed the 22.000 kilometers (13670 miles), so we can say this car is quite new.
During 7 months (more or less), a complete restoration bring this car its old fashion.
The engine have been dropped, opened and lightly rebuilded (due to its excellent condition), as same as radiator, brakes, and clutch. You must not that the transmission is situated under the trunk, and the engine at the front, so the load is perfectly balanced and give the car a excellent stability.
Here during its first cleanup. You also can see that the oldsmobile is a little bit jealous...
After the engine was rebuild, I took it to the repair station. They fixed the rust and polished it:
Finally, this is what she looks like!
It drives and run great, the money and the time spent in this project worth the result.
I don't know how many Alfa there is on United State soil, but if you have an opportunity to test one of these old-years GTV, just take it: there are real racing car, with 150 horsepower for only 880 kg...
Now, the second project.
5 years ago, my girlfriend has been contaminated by the old-car virus. She wants an old american car, but she was sudent before, and doesn't have money to buy one.
She's been working for 2 years now, so she searched for a car to buy. And she fall in love for this Cadillac Eldorado 1979.
It's powered by the classical V8 5.7, but the fuel injection was replaced by a traditionnal carburator. It's a real woman car: front-wheel drive, automatic transmission, two doors, large leather-covered seats, automatic cooling and heating, automatic closing trunk...
She starts to work on it very soon! It seems to be a good car, I'm not driving it usually, but it runs great.
Its an original GM France, sold new in Paris in 1979.
And finally, this is the time to speak about my oldsmobile...
Okay, so if you remind correctly this topic, you know that my oldsmobile has its original painting. But after 38 years, the plain metal starts to appears. It was time for me to repaint it.
First issue: removing all the chromed-parts, bumper, bumper filler, etc...
Here my rear bumper. As you can see, it was definitely corroded.
After few hours working on it:
Now, the real work begin; we had to sand down and repair the trim. I'm not very sure about english terms, so I think pictures are going to talk by themselves:
The front bumper. It has been completely sand down and protected inside. The chrome was in a good condition, so we just polished it.
Me at work!
It tooks us 70 hours to completely prepare the car for its painting session.
After 40 hours to reinstalled every parts, we car was quite ready to go:
But a problem was still there: how can we fix the rear bumper? As I said previously, it was impossible for me to find in France a replacement bumper. So, we bought a rear bumper from an 1981 cutlass, and adapt it:
In september, after 3 weeks, it was back on the road again!
The painting is not a real success, because as you noticed, our work conditions depends only of the weather! We did not have a real painting room, so the final result varies a little. However, the car really needs it, and it costs me 550€ ($670) for the painting and the others things we needed.
Some weeks after, my radiator starts to leak. I replaced it (hopefully, I had the part in my storage!)
Just after, my girlfriend bought its Cadillac. I'm feeling very small suddainly...
But I was still thinking about my rear bumper. So I took a decision. I completely sable down it:
Then, I soldered pieces of metal behind the rust holes. Finally, I applied some glass fibers on the front to remodel the primary curves of the bumper:
Now I have to paint it, but later
At this point of the story, I still have my transmission problems. So I took another decision: drop the transmission, and rebuild it.
Then, we start to rebuild it! I won't describe the different steps, because its a real "mindsport" to me when I translate in english. But the initiated persons will recognize the steps!
The Alfa Romeo was the chosen one to move the TH350!
My friend with the 86 cutlass lend me a hand for this work:
And another friend comes with its 72' Nova:
Let's work...!
After 10 hours work, the gearbox was completely rebuild!
And... this is the end of the story! Actually, I'm waiting for parts from Rockauto.
Hope you enjoy the stories, have a good night everyone!
Oh, and BTW: don't be afraid to ask questions if you have one, concerning the car(s), or me or France generally speaking if you have. I'll answer you the best i can
That's amazing! You sir, are definitely a car guru.
I look forward to seeing the rear bumper once you paint it. FWIW, the paint on your Olds looks pretty good for being shot outside. Did you color sand and buff the paint? If not, consider doing this. It will really improve the paint.
That's amazing! You sir, are definitely a car guru.
I look forward to seeing the rear bumper once you paint it. FWIW, the paint on your Olds looks pretty good for being shot outside. Did you color sand and buff the paint? If not, consider doing this. It will really improve the paint.
Hi! Thanks I'm not a car guru, I just do what I can to keep my cars running. Everything I learnt, I'd learnt it from my friends or my dad.
About the bumper, I'll post some pictures once it will be painted.
I didn't buff the paint, because I don't have the tools for it. Moreover, I need to paint the small white line which was painted on both sides and trunk. Then, I'll try to buff it. Thanks for the youtube link!
If you're interested by old stones, here some pics when I built my own garage...
Great framing job, built to last a life time. Will never see mason work like that again. My father-in-law from Poland did that type of masonry and wood work up until recently while still in his 80's. My grandfather from Italy also did masonry work on the New York skyscrapers from the 30's to 50's. Definitely a talent and art like the other learned trades.
Very nice work. Guessing the Alfa Romeo is a keeper since in the family from new. Is the 5.7 liter in the Cadillac an Oldsmobile engine?
Yes. We're never going to sell it, my mother and her brothers used this car also, so its a kind of family memory artefact.
To be honest I don't know for the engine. I used to think the oldsmobile 5.7 got the igniter at the front, and the chevy one at the back. If it's still true in 1979, this is a chevy engine.
Here's a picture:
Originally Posted by anthonyP
Great framing job, built to last a life time. Will never see mason work like that again. My father-in-law from Poland did that type of masonry and wood work up until recently while still in his 80's. My grandfather from Italy also did masonry work on the New York skyscrapers from the 30's to 50's. Definitely a talent and art like the other learned trades.
I can't imagine that workers are not using same methods where you are? It's amateur work that we done here, we doesn't call an enterprise to built this, and the wood comes from a local seller. We build this "au fil de l'eau", because we are not pros...
Looks like an Olds engine. Buick engines had the distributors in the front (like your 3.8l which is a Buick engine).
You are a true old school car enthusiast, learning to do by doing and fixing what you have.
Looks like an Olds engine. Buick engines had the distributors in the front (like your 3.8l which is a Buick engine).
You are a true old school car enthusiast, learning to do by doing and fixing what you have.
Thanks for the information!
And thanks again! The truth is that I'm not rich, I can't afford expensive repairs for my cars, but I want them running and I love when I'm driving theses wayback machines. It's like a drug, I NEED them
So, when you don't have enough money, you learn and fix by yourself, sometimes helped by friends, but mostly by the repair manual... and internet.
After 7 years I acquire some reflexs and methods which works in many situation: an engine is an engine...
But I have to admit that few young people are interested in this kind of thing today. I see less and less people making things by themselves. Money is the only thing they need to.
For me the money is not a purpose, but a way to reach personnal projects that satisfied myself.
And thanks again! The truth is that I'm not rich, I can't afford expensive repairs for my cars, but I want them running and I love when I'm driving theses wayback machines. It's like a drug, I NEED them
So, when you don't have enough money, you learn and fix by yourself, sometimes helped by friends, but mostly by the repair manual... and internet.
After 7 years I acquire some reflexs and methods which works in many situation: an engine is an engine...
But I have to admit that few young people are interested in this kind of thing today. I see less and less people making things by themselves. Money is the only thing they need to.
For me the money is not a purpose, but a way to reach personnal projects that satisfied myself.
Well said. Also doing things yourself is much more satisfying than paying someone else to do it.
This weekend, I am going to set back my transmission. Hope it will work.
By the way, every year in june, with a group of french us cars-lovers, we organize a camping session with our cars. Here's some pics from oldsmobiles we had, and of the event globally speaking:
Last edited by The Lion King; March 30th, 2018 at 03:29 AM.
Very nice to meet you through the forum. You are a busy couple, hanging around with a bunch of fun people! All the Best!
Hi! And thanks
We need to be busy as much as possible, or we get bored very faster.
This is why we have so many cars
I just set back my TH350 in the Oldsmobile during the last weekend.
My car is back on the road, but my transmission problem is still here. I misadjust the valve body, and i'v got an overlap issue between the 2nd and the 3rd gear. So, I need to tear down this gearbox again... and start over.
I really enjoyed looking at your thread. You have a great attitude and aren't afraid to take on a project. I hope you can get your transmission figured out. Did you know that many of the problems that concern the valve body can be addressed in the car thru the pan? If you have questions about the transmission you can also start a new thread in the transmission section. (You may get more technical help there.) Thanks for your thread and keep up the good work! Greg.
More than 1 year since my last post. I'm coming to give you some news from my oldsmobile!
So, I manage to send my gearbox to a specialist. He looks inside and the only thing he find was the used valve body. It tooks 3 months to find another one. But even after the valve body replacement, the problem was still there.
Considering that the specialist guarantees that the gearbox can't be the source of the problem, I took the car back to my home.
Then, I tried to locate the problem precisely. And I finally found...
The fuel flexible line was complete rubbish. But I cannot see it unless looking very closely. No leaks, no visible cracks on the top. But my fuel pump was pumping air, not fuel, and prevents the car from gaining throttle and speed.
This simple piece of hose turns me crazy during one year.
Now, the car is running well!
I did a complete rebuild of the carburetor, and changed power steering.
I have now some problems of cooling, due to a possible blocked thermostat, or ignition timing.
Here's the values I noticed:
I'm gonna investigate this thursday.
However, I have another baby to take care of... after the Alfa Romeo and the cadillac, I need to go see what's new in Ford... and I bought it:
This will allow you to look for cooling system leaks when the engine is cold. In the U.S. you can rent them from auto parts stores, hopefully you can find a buddy in France that lets you borrow one.
Note his ford was a 1980 base, not a 1978 like mine. This car looks pretty awful and fun in the same time, never knwo what to think about it
Love the moment when he tried to get into his good old station wagon, crushed 2 minuts ago by the mechanic... and the red-corvette girl is still in my dreams...
Thanks for the tips I'll try firstly to remove my thermostat, and se what happen!
Edit: just for fun looks what I find 20 minuts away from my home:
There's oldsmobiles back there, will try to get some pictures of them next time!
Last edited by The Lion King; July 30th, 2019 at 06:09 AM.
Reason: pics of ford
May 3rd, 2017, 05:34 AM
