OCI and oil for new (to me) driving style

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: SS1970chrysler
Granada 56.2k- oil level staying pretty constant for now. Rear leaf springs definitely would need rebuilding. Car height in rear has dropped nearly 2 inches above tire when tank is near full.
Here's the funny part: It's noisy and shaky on city streets, but once on the highway, the handling is actually good now. Even better in the wind than it was.

Just throw a pair of air shocks on it. Or coil springs on the rear shocks.

 

[SS1970chrysler]

Granada @56.7k, added 1/2 qt. Average combined MPG has increased to 22 and much less oil smell from this XD-30w. Last summer MPG was 20-22 with 40w oils and went down to 18 with 10w-30's. Some of this is likely due to temps and less oil getting into the chambers, lowering my octane.

Riviera: oil leaks have slowed down greatly, due to rear seal getting used to driving again. Seal had dried and shrunk from lack of use. It has also started reliably now since the starter and battery have been re-replaced. I've used it for small errands around town for a week.

 

[SS1970chrysler]

@57.2k, added other 1/2 qt to Granada.
Am definitely planning on running it at least through summer as my 3 miles to get to highway are now a minefield of construction/destruction.

 

[addyguy]

Go Granada tank go!!!

 

[SS1970chrysler]

@57.5k- was getting excessive "pinging" and slight miss at idle after long drives. Also really rough idle if car is restarted after recent long use like doing shopping after the drive home from work. The engine would really stumble after sitting the 5-15 minutes.
I've adjusted the mixture screw 1/8 turn to rich. This seems to have reduced the problem.

Also got 3 more gallons of free XD-30W.

 

[fdcg27]

The only thing better than free oil would be free gas, or some other things free that I'd get banned for writing of.
This old beast has really done you proud.

 

[SS1970chrysler]

mechanically, I trusted it to go anywhere anytime and still do. The only reasons for it's imminent scrapping will be the suspension and dryrot. I have been keeping an eye open for something my "little engine that could" will fit in...
Rt 11 to 315 is just a construction disaster with huge dips, barriers, new traffic lights being installed, pot holes, and dynamiting of a mountainside. They even have you driving half on the road and half through a car lot lately. So my best and most logical option is to keep slugging this one on daily basis.
(knocks furiously on woodgrain)

 

[SS1970chrysler]

@57.8k- Granada's exhaust system broke in center and fell off of car. Still has a catalytic convertor, just now it's relocated to the trunk.

Welded in a section of post from a chain-link fence. That should hold awhile.

Can't wait for the "minefield" that causes all this to be cleared.

 

[addyguy]

Man, that car is earning it's keep!

 

[SS1970chrysler]

@58k, added 2nd qt, topped up radiator, and added a splash to PS pump.
My 8-track player died.

AM radio is still operational in daylight at least.
Been keeping an eye on the local used cars. Not much available other than '84 Lincoln Towncar and '88 Fleetwood.

 

[lexus114]

Just make the Riviera the Granada replacement? Sure looks to be in good enough shape.

 

[SS1970chrysler]

Originally Posted By: lexus114
Just make the Riviera the Granada replacement? Sure looks to be in good enough shape.

No way. Spare car duty only for that one unless I find a job closer to home again. It drives great around town, but terrible on highway. Front end doesn't "hold the road" faster than 60mph on dry windless day. I actually hate using this one to drive to work. Currently debating on whether new tires will "fix it".
I can run the grenade till April at most. That should give me time to find something agreeable to me and work out the bugs in both.
While fuel is cheaper for now, it won't stay that way. The time and $ is better spent on something with overdrive or smaller engine at the least.

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: SS1970chrysler
Originally Posted By: lexus114
Just make the Riviera the Granada replacement? Sure looks to be in good enough shape.

No way. Spare car duty only for that one unless I find a job closer to home again. It drives great around town, but terrible on highway. Front end doesn't "hold the road" faster than 60mph on dry windless day. I actually hate using this one to drive to work. Currently debating on whether new tires will "fix it".
I can run the grenade till April at most. That should give me time to find something agreeable to me and work out the bugs in both.
While fuel is cheaper for now, it won't stay that way. The time and $ is better spent on something with overdrive or smaller engine at the least.



Well if everything else looks good under there, maybe it is the tires/alignment?

 

[SS1970chrysler]

Originally Posted By: lexus114
Originally Posted By: SS1970chrysler
Originally Posted By: lexus114
Just make the Riviera the Granada replacement? Sure looks to be in good enough shape.

No way. Spare car duty only for that one unless I find a job closer to home again. It drives great around town, but terrible on highway. Front end doesn't "hold the road" faster than 60mph on dry windless day. I actually hate using this one to drive to work. Currently debating on whether new tires will "fix it".
I can run the grenade till April at most. That should give me time to find something agreeable to me and work out the bugs in both.
While fuel is cheaper for now, it won't stay that way. The time and $ is better spent on something with overdrive or smaller engine at the least.



Well if everything else looks good under there, maybe it is the tires/alignment?

Changing the fronts are next on my "to do" list for that one. The tread looks good on these, but you can even hear the bouncing at 60, and really feel it at 62. I just haven't had the time or found any good deals. I believe that I've got either bad belts or a flat spot. Knock on woodgrain.

 

[lexus114]

If you can figure out whats causing this, that will be a nice ride.

 

[SS1970chrysler]

Originally Posted By: lexus114
If you can figure out whats causing this, that will be a nice ride.

I hope that's all it is. I haven't even tried it since they ripped up the road since this platform has a tendency to snap the shock mounts off the control arms. It's really bad on that last 2 miles before the highway.

 

[addyguy]

Riviera's were always known as great driving cars - you must be able to get your back to doing what it does best!

 

[dorcheat]

This sure is a great thread! Keep working on that 1977 Riv' and baby it. The good folks from the Buick Riviera Owners Association would like a word with you I wager. I for one am a member as well with my 1969 Buick Riviera.

www.rivowners.org

Concerning your 350 Buick small block V8, this engine is very reliable as it was from the same engine family used from 1964 to 1980. Also if you have any questions concerning old Buick's and their engines, the folks on the forums at v8buick.com are very helpful as well.

 

[SS1970chrysler]

At some point, this one will get back to daily or semi-daily use, but not right now. Theoretically, it has 30-40k of life left on engine or one year of my daily driving.
Mechanically, I'm very familiar with this one as my '72 Lesabre, '73 Lesabre, and '73 Centurion had the same engine + transmission.
Usually, the transmissions are gone by 80k so either I got a good one, or it was rebuilt already.
Looking at this one closely, it looks like it's just a combination of 77 Lesabre with 76-77 Regal lights and grille.

 

[Trvlr500]

Originally Posted By: addyguy
This is really awesome to hear progress on.

I've always dreamed about using really old, 1970's cars as daily drivers, and just keeping on top of stuff with them.

When I was younger, everyone I talked to told me what a dumb idea this was, and now I don't have the money or time to get into collector cars. One of the big regrets in my life!


I've been driving a '73 Coupe DeVille as my only car for over 16 years. I've driven it all over the country during the last 16 years. It works for me. Gas could be looked at as a problem but without the $1500 a year for registration of a comparable car, the high insurance rates of a comparable car and the high repair costs of a comparable car it works for me.

The key to owning an old car is staying on top of the maintenance. That's easy though because once you have owned a car this long you know what is going to break before it does.

The other big problem is some states want them off the road and they work at it pretty hard. I can't see the point. Whatever they did to the environment was already done when they were manufactured.

They are easy to work on as well without having to pay the big money for a technician with a $50,000 computer to tell you what is wrong.

I've thought about buying another '73 when this one reaches the end of it's service life in another 10 years. They sell for about $20,000 or less with around 25,000 original miles on them.

Parts are cheap as well. I don't pay $500 for a fuel pump and I don't have to remove the fuel tank to put one in. An air filter is $10 bucks and a water pump is about $50. I had a friend with a Ford Explorer that spent $1000 for a new fuel pump installation. It cost's me about $30 and an hour of my time.

I will ad that since I travel a lot the car has only gotten about 97,000 miles on it over the last 15 years. Therefore, if someone wanted to drive an old car like this it's best to own two which you could buy for less than a comparable new car. It has been driven almost daily for the last three years though and it's as reliable as an anvil.

I love the sound of the big V-8.