7/5/05

I have indulged myself for a few days looking to get my one last heart throb car: a 58 Impala. The prices are HUGE, and a convertible is sitting on reserve at $60K (or more) on ebay. I have found a nicely restored car with updated 350 Ram Air injected engine and 700R4 trans (great combo) for a $27K buy it now price in Carlsbad. I will take a ride down and look at the car, as this seems minimum for something of this level of quality. Original 348 tripower air ride cars are very costly.

I really just like the body style, and wouldn't mind going modern or huge power plant and updated interior. But for now, I'm viewing everything from rusted parts cars to zillion dollar collector's pieces.

I'm inclined to just go with a no project car.

I need to get rid of 4 cars to get this one, including offing my 87 Regal. While tough, if I can get the money I ask, it will pay for the car outright along with the sale of the other three cars. Total income if all sells for asking price is about $34,700. If I get only $30K out of all of them, I'll still be sweet.

7/19/05

When I was 14, in 1958, my mom's car was nearly identical to this car. That car was the same color, same interior, but it had a 283 with 2-barrel, while this one has an 84 Corvette tuned-port 350 and 700-R4 trans. I used to sneak that car out at 3 AM in Hollywood, right below the HOLLYWOOD sign, and drive to Toluca Lake to visit a friend right down the street from Bob's Big Boy. It was harmless (although obviously illegal) fun, and thank God we did not damage the car. My parents got wise and started putting sand on the driveway, hiding the keys, etc. Finally my mom confronted me one afternoon and just said, “tell me about the car and your night rides…”.

No yelling, no punishment, no screaming, nothing…… just acceptance and support and some curiosity. I have ALWAYS had a very soft spot in my heart for this car. These cars are bring HUGE sums right now as they slip away from availability and are sought by foreign buyers.

I went and saw and purchased the kitten near San Diego. I feel fortunate to have found this good a car this close to home.

On a Friday night soon I will have the first opportunity to LEGALLY drive my heart-throb 58 Impala to Bob's Big Boy!

This one has a slightly different power train, one I would have killed for in 1958. It is not blinding fast, but is VERY torquey, and just cruises beautifully. The interior and exterior are stock, restored, and correct. The entire car and undercarriage have been cleaned, painted, and the 2 front floor pans replaced. The trunk under the mat is rust-free and black. The chrome and all trim are nearly perfect, save one small a rusted area on the front bumper, which I will cure. This car as received was not mechanically perfect. The brakes had been twice worked on by different people in the recent past, and were not right. John and I both noticed a VERY tough pedal. But not having driven many stock 58's, we had no recent comparisons. I bought the car, and sure enough, the front brakes hung up about 30 miles from El Cajon. I pulled off the freeway and while a couple looked lovingly at the car, they were concerned about the smoke. I could only muster laughingly, “Hey, it's an antique…..” as I drove off in a cloud of smoke. I was worried there might be some electrical problem, as the smell was odd. It turns out the two front wheel cylinders were leaking fluid, and were so hot they were smoking. John and I could not move the car, so I called AAA for my once-a-year 200-mile tow. By the time the AAA flatbed arrived, the car would push. But I was not about to take ANY chances with the new darling, and it finished the trip in elegance atop the flatbed. It was amusing to view it that way, and only fortified my pleasure at having gotten it.

I immediately called the seller, who graciously said just send her the bill on the brake repair. I could have taken it back to El Cajon, as the second shop which worked on the brakes was next door to where I bought it, but I felt it would cost more time and trouble than just getting it home. In a wry twist, I had put it up on that shop's rack to inspect it only an hour before!

There are some engine and trans fluid leaks, and a small drip at the rear end.

The car has quite a bit of documentation, a nearly complete uninstalled AC system, a COUPLE of spare tires and rims, and a couple of nice trophies.

So the first tasks will be curing all fluid leaks, addressing the power steering (a little noisy at start-up), and replacing the tires with fresher-looking rubber. But make no mistake, the car is in overall beautiful condition, and a THOROUGH delight to see.

7/20/05

Sal at ACT drove it twice around the block last night when it was unloaded, and the brakes appeared to function, but he noticed the second time that the car seemed to be dragging. He got it back, jacked it up and down several times, and finally realized ALL four brakes were locking up!

At this point he will put it on the rack tomorrow and see just what is going on. My intent now is to develop a proper and ethical estimate to repair, have Susan reimburse me for whatever amount that is, and just go ahead and put disc brakes on it. I want to take my mom for a ride in it ASAP, and give her a major hit of nostalgia.

7/27/05

Sal has noted that he does not like leaving the car outside at his shop. He brings it in during the night, but still feel uneasy. He is going to pull the engine and trans Monday, and then I'll tow it here, pull the front spindles off, and send them away to Aerospace for 4-piston brakes to be fitted. They appear to not only be the best package, but the least expensive. Master Power Brake offers only 2-piston units, and they are more money.

I GOTTA get the dually running to make room for the other cars!!

Perhaps I'll get the parts back about the same time Sal finishes sealing up the engine and trans.

7/30/05

Well, in discussions at length with Mr. Laur, I have decided to retro this car. So no disc brakes. The Corvette motor is coming out for leak repairs, and may go back in for a while, with the 700R4 trans. Meanwhile, I have purchased two 348 engines and a Powerglide trans. The first 348 is a tripower setup (no carburetors) with exhaust manifolds, and while it appears fresh on the outside, will undoubtedly need to be disassembled and rebuilt, or if pristine, carefully reassembled. The engine is # correct for the 58 car, a real sweetheart deal. The second motor is attached to the trans and I'll presumably use that motor for parts as needed. I appear also to be about to score an original generator, completely fresh and # correct, to complete the underhood package. I will ultimately just use the 348 tripower motor with the 700 trans. Should I ever sell it I could make it all correct. As I am depleting funds at an aerobic rate, and have 5 more cars than I can keep, I will not be doing any AC installation work on the car for now. I do have what appears to be an original pack, and over time I will have it examined and hopefully reconditioned. But that portion of work is way down the road. I will also put on an electric fan on the radiator for some cooling cushion.

But clearly for now and a VERY LONG time to come, this car will be staying here. When the 348 is perfect, I'll substitute that back in the car.

So you can count on one thing: CHANGES!

8/4/05

Well, another 400-mile day, this time up and back to Porterville north of Bakersfield. A mere 104 degrees there!! John and Randy rode with me, and I procured the 348 tripower motor, spare motor, and iron Powerglide trans. Steve up there has a LOT of 348 and 409 stuff. We looked at a 62 Biscayne, straight, empty (originally a 6-cylinder car), and discussed a correct year 409, bell housing, clutch, and trans with the car as a package. Randy feels it would be a good value, but neither of us has the room or time to start such a project. The upside would be very good. Steve did not have any correct carburetors for the tripower, and I have found none so far on ebay. I suppose I could run it with mixed carbs until I find some, as I am not selling this car in the near or even distant future. I'll do some more searching.

I also have pix of the 348 tripower engine for the Impala, a spare trans, and another spare engine and will post them in a few days.

I am going to rebuild the 348, find 3 carbs and some little items, and some months down the road put it in the Impala. Meanwhile, the 350 Corvette motor will get its leaks fixed and be the motor for use now.

Sal is having problems finding new front wheel cylinders. Distressing, but not a shock, although he claimed (and he believed) the claims by the parts guys of having new replacements was true. Not.

I have a guy coming from San Bernardino to look at the Mustang tomorrow. Turns out I got cloned and someone is trying to do fraudulent second chance offers. I routinely include my address and phone so anyone trying to contact me about ebay can call me directly, which the potential buyer did. Ah, ever vigilant.....This will come into play undoubtedly in my Impala parts searching. The guy never showed. Yet more vigilance is needed…….

8/8/05

Spoke with Sal @ ACT today. The engine and trans are on the way out of the car as we speak. The rear brake parts are there. The front wheel cylinders were sent out to be bored and sleeved. Sal is shooting for the car to be cruise-ready this Friday. In my heart, I'd like that, but I don't see it happening.

8/11/05

Sal found some NEW wheel cylinders for the front!! How about that? The 700-R4 is a little more tired and underbuilt than we thought. I am biting the hydramatic bullet and having Sal “Art Carr” the trans, so I will have no worries in the future. Sal bought Art Carr several years ago. He claims he will have it for tomorrow night's cruise. I still think not.

8/14/05

Sal did not make it for Friday. However, he DID take my advice on getting tougher with his employees (including firing one and hiring one), and his wife rewarded his tough stance with a trip to Vegas. He thinks it will now be Wednesday 8/17/05. Hey, if it's good for next week at Bob's that's cool. I'm just anxious to give mom a ride in her “old” car.

8/17/05

It is Wednesday, and they car is NOT ready. It would not have been ready in any event, notwithstanding what I am about to say here. The motor turns out be a 305 Camaro motor, not the 350 Corvette motor as portrayed. The gutlessness now makes sense. No matter, that motor is not about performance anyway. I went to ACT, the motor was upside down on the stand, the engine compartment obviously empty. I could now see more damage to the firewall and core support. Not major, but rust, welds, dings, etc. Sal brought the body man from across the street who quoted $1600 to repair the compartment and paint it flat black. I don't have that money. I also need to pay Sal another $400 to rewire the area. Of course the conflict is that THIS IS THE TIME while the engine is out to do the beautification of that area. I am about to talk to Randy about it. I also will bring Brij of Sharp Auto Body from our Letip group to view it tomorrow morning.

I am now SERIOUSLY considering putting Randy's 768 HP monster in there. The trans will handle it, if I don't go crazy. The rear end may be another matter entirely. Obviously some exhaust mods will be required. One drawback is pump gas. Randy says the 13:1 compression can actually work on 91 octane, due to the enormous overlap on the cam.

I am also going to an electric fan for right now. I have two extra Tbird 17” electrics which pull a LOT of air, and one would certainly do nicely.

The battery is misplaced VERY near the fan, and there is no shroud. Sal suggested relocating it to the trunk, and I think I'll do that for now.

Randy strongly recommends AGAINST the monster, as he thinks it will tear the car apart. He's is thinking I should just jump on the 348. That is asking to accomplish a lot quickly, depending on what condition the motor is in right now. Randy thought finding someone with a dyno might help. Realistically, we'll probably just get it on a stand, pull the heads, pull the pan, and check some things.

As we'll change the timing chain, we can check the cam # and see if it is indeed a correct tripower motor. Randy also cautioned against over-sweetening the engine compartment, as that will ultimately reduce the value if the car is promoted as original when sold or judged.

I'll let him look it over and guide me. More delays, more time until I drive mom around.

I have heard nothing from the twin Mercruiser guy on the motors for the Stude. I could easily put one of those in for now.

8/20/05

Brij will give me a price on Monday 8/22/05 after he takes HIS body man to look at it. I think I'll just do it myself and leave it for now. The car is not an engine display thing anyway, and I'm just getting myself into more delays and undone projects. So I'll go to Sal's place, take some tools, use his welder if possible, grind on it, and make it as good as I can. If I have to I'll tow it back here and do it here, then tow it back to him. I am getting mega-frustrated with all this junk here. I'll just have to postpone some detail work on the car until I have room, money, and time.

8/27/05

Nick failed to show twice. Sal called Friday morning and asked that I come over around noon on Friday (yesterday) to discuss something on the car. I got there at the time asked, and he was gone. I reached him on his cell, and he thought he had told me to come at 11:30 AM, not noon. I told him I was way frustrated, NOT with him, but that money had been tight (although better now), and that I REALLY just wanted the car running to give my mom a ride. She appears seriously near death, and I'm getting nuts here. Sal said that was why he wanted to talk to me. He said the car was so beautiful and rare, that everyone just melted when they saw it, and he felt it deserved to be done properly. He thanked me profusely for my efforts to hook him up and help his business, stated he considered me not just a customer but a very good friend, and wanted to know if he could just handle it for me as a favor. I was blown away! He even offered to give me his shop keys if I wanted to get to the car on the weekend. I feel similarly about him, and it is most unexpected and gratifying to receive that kind of trust and consideration. I will NOT allow him to donate any work, but I am VERY touched at his outpouring. My mom may not make it through the week, and I REALLY want to give her a ride in her old car.

I spoke with Nick last night who apologized for not making it twice in a row and failing to call me back, and said he thought I was just bringing the car over today. He promised he would do it, and promptly. As I do not have Sal's home phone, I'll just wait until Monday morning to do whatever we'll do on it.

9/5/05

All this has been for naught, My mom died Sunday morning, after I visited her Saturday night promising her the Impala would be ready for her ride on Thursday. The depth of the project has only increased, now appearing to require removing the ENTIRE front clip off the car, plating certain components in nickel, etc. to make it superb. This is far beyond my interest now. I'm sick over the loss of my mom. I so wanted her to ride, and all that is not happening. So I have commenced the body and bondo work in my garage after having AAA tow it home. I washed the car, then put it inside. I have two partial days of effort on it. I went to Home Depot and got tools not well-suited to the work, then to Nick's for the proper spatulas and sandpapers. I made another pass over the right fender well and it is improved. It will take at least another pass to bring it right. See picture #

I've sanded some areas on the firewall, and they will be requiring more attention. I intend to steel wool the hard lines, clear coat those with lacquer, and prime and paint the engine compartment, frame rails up front, and the suspension components. We'll see how far into the perfection (or the most definite declared lack of it) I will go. I'm on the 4 th stage of working this little area. I'm getting better at it. It is improving. Such is the process. This will definitely be a milestone for me to do something less than totally fanatical. This might be VERY good practice!

I am deeply saddened by the loss of my mom, wishing only we had another ten years of her angelic presence. The end was as good as possibly could be, for her and for us. So really we now need to adjust to having value in our lives not from doing for and with her, but as her. Continuing her sterling example of permissive, unjudgmental love, with utterly no component of self-serving in the process. A lofty example to follow.

So the car acts like a metaphor, except it is reality in the most grounded way. This one's for you mom, plain and simple. All it becomes will be a testament to your sweetness and caring. I will discipline myself and keep you evermost in my thoughts.

I have gone onine with DMV, and secured a customized license plate for the car: MY MOMEES. See picture #.

9/7/05

John spent the day in the engine compartment, and made progress. Note picture #. Ray Sacapano, sent by Salim, showed up last night, and I have agreed to pay him $800 to do a tits job on the engine bay, including smoothing, welding, etc. He calculates about 4 to 5 days (late afternoons and evenings) to finish. Therefore, we should have this ready for Salim by Monday. I like the sound of that.

9/9/05

Ray has done as he said each day. He is a very nice young man (well 31 is young to me), and is working quite patiently in a really tough, confined area. He intends to get primer on it tonight while I am at Bob's. We'll see. He has worked the firewall extensively, and that grotie area now looks sweet. Again, we're not going fanatical on the WHOLE thing, just bringing up the rough stuff and getting a consistent look throughout the bay. It will obviously look WAY better than it did. The wiring (see picture #) will obviously need some help, and that change will provide a needed boost to the cleanliness.

I am shooting for next Friday, Sept 16 th , to have it running. If all goes as planned, I will be able to take it to mom's funeral next Saturday, the 17th, and that would be REALLY sweet. We have her ashes now, so she's just waiting on me for her ride.

9/12/05

Ray did get it primered, but not finish painted by Sunday. It is Monday, and we're looking like it will be done tomorrow, Tuesday. Salim is primed to install, so we might just make it for the weekend. As it turns out, I will be taken to the funeral by limo, so the Impala will not be required. I CAN take it to the reception. I seriously doubt I'll have the new plates by then. I DO need to get to DMV and complete the registration (and late fees) tomorrow. Ray is doing a nice, patient job. He is proving the very thing I knew to be true: I do not have the time to spend on it to do what he did. He is earning his $800 for his work.

Salim and I bantered around the notion of engines and overall concept, and he was in favor of disc brakes and a mild big block. I am going to hold to my plan and get the 348 tripower happening. I will have Salim dyno it at a friend's facility before putting it in the car.

Ray got it painted today, but the paint is too shiny. We are looking for a much flatter sheen (or lack thereof). And, of course, once you see one part nice all the other defects jump out. I'll try to hold it down and just get this done tomorrow so Sal can get the engine back in. But it is a very good start, and much garbage on the firewall has been corrected. I intend to move quickly on the 348, either here with Randy, or by giving it to Sal and letting him get on it. I will also take the radiator to Sam tomorrow and let him flow it and see how it is. Once in, I need to fit the electric fan. I'll check the Tbird unit tonight or tomorrow to see how that looks. Otherwise, I'll inquire at flex-O-Lite and see what unit fits most closely.

9/13/05

Ray sanded the whole thing down and shot it again using trim Paint, the satin finish which I originally specified. It looks great. I'm completely satisfied with his efforts, and have suggested I have at least a month of steady work for him on the Duramax truck, the dually, and some Stude prep. Meanwhile, Sal is attempting to complete the Condor list before taking the Impala back in there. We are shooting for tomorrow (Wed) afternoon to tow the Impala back, and have the engine and trans back in and running by Friday afternoon for a trip to Bob's Big Boy.

I have entered the car in two car shows on Sept 30 th and Oct 2 nd .

The Friday (30 th ) is Sal Moncibais' show at Flames, in which I have three cars entered: Impala, Stude, and FC. I have paid him the entry fees already. The Sunday show is an all Chevy show at Rydell Chevrolet. Those two might be good for Randy as well with his altered wagon.

I'm not sure if I'm going to take the Impala to the reception on Saturday after mom's funeral. I think I just might, even though a limo is already provided, as it would be so sweet to see it sitting out front. I might just make up the license plate on the computer for the occasion.

As Sal is now intending to close his mechanic business and concentrate solely on transmissions and converters, I guess I better get him to do what I can in the next month. I am trying to expedite him buying a house literally down the street from me as the hub of his new operation. It has LOADS of room for him to do exactly what he wants. Getting his wife excited about it is another story. If this does not go through, he will likely move to Acton, and that will cut down dramatically on his being convenient. I really like him as a friend, so I'm hoping for him to stay local.

Sal Moncibais came and saw the car and was floored. He had no idea it was so good, as I apparently understated it to him. He is VERY excited about having it out at the shows.

Sal/ACT is also excited about it, and is trying to get me a spot at the Cruisin' for a Cure (HUGE) show. He suggests taking the Stude for exposure for sale. Like I said, he is a good friend, and is constantly looking out for ways for me to accomplish my car goals, which in this case is selling the 47 Stude to free funds for the Impala (and room).

9/16/05

Sal has turned his WHOLE shop over to getting the Impala done today. A mini-Overhaulin'. I had Sam at Allstate check the radiator, and it holds pressure. He was in the hospital, unbeknownst to me, with heart problems. All is back at Sal's shop, including polished trans cooler lines. Have to run the heater hoses over there, else he will just buy some down the street at AutoZone.

9/17/05

Got the car back last night, after several once-more-around-the-block brake test. We had to back the rear shoes all the way out, and adjust the pedal at the master similarly all the way out. It does not appear they are 100%, as I'm getting some scraping noises from the front shoes. The major problem right now is keeping the right front hubcap on. The crew and I spent some time hammering and altering the slip shapes attempting to keep it on. It was about half off when I got from the shop to my house. Oddly, the left front cap has a slightly different configuration, so it's a little hard to know quite how to do this. Whatever, the car will be going to my mom's funeral reception today, with the paper versions of the MY MOMEZ plates on it.

So I now need to get out there, clean the car and the rim, and figure some way to solve the hubcap thing. I'm sure Brett, once he shows, will have something to say about it.

His solution got us only about 75 feet. I'll look for spring clips and try screwing some of them to the rim. I just put the hubcap in the back seat and put it back on when I got out to Stevenson Ranch. Ditto for the return ride home.

Brett and I washed the Impala, went to the funeral, and mom got her ride back to my sister's house. It was a sweet, sweet thing. Of course I had her safety belt on.

The car rides well, but the steering needs a little alignment, as it tends to wander, so might be a little light on the toe-in. I can do that here in a few minutes. The brakes are still not quite right, as we are getting some noise out of the left front. The engine has also developed a habit of dying at no particular time. So a little diagnostics are in order here. Everyone raved about the car, including people driving past me. The car is a MAJOR hit with everyone who sees it. So perhaps next week we'll debut it at Bob's. It IS committed to Sal's show on Sept 30 and the Rydell Show on Oct 2.

I see the 305 engine needs some work now getting it appropriately pretty. The injection system can be removed and polished, the exhaust painted, and the alternator cleaned up and painted or exchanged for a chrome unit. I will also address the electric fan idea.

Tomorrow I'm having Angel detail it, meaning almost nothing on the interior, and a wax job and chrome polish. I'll also have him clean all the rims as they still have brake goo on them.

9/25/05

Angel could not get in, so did not do the detail. The right front hubcap still goes about 70' before falling off, despite several attempts to make it tighter. I will next try it on some different wheels, as I have two spare rims and tires. I am also going to the Hubcap Shop on Van Nuys to search for some originals, and get some ideas from them.

The engine has a habit of dying for no apparent reason. And the brakes are still making some noise in the left front. I am not thrilled at how the pedal feels either. Perhaps the master cylinder is in need. I'll probably just have it done regardless to rule it out.

There is also a minor rattle from what sounds like the radio speaker well. I have been reconsidering the rideability and trim on the car, and MIGHT opt for some aftermarket wheels and tires, and perhaps some suspension work. I definitely want to get the Tbird electric fan on it. And, the power steering or the throttle body makes a lot of noise when cold.

I also have a spare throttle body and tubes, and will have them buffed up.

Marlon found the right upper ball joint was bad, and is replacing that as well as aligning the car.

So as pretty as all seemed, I've dumped about $4K into the car since getting it, just to get it drivable.

I also have to find a key that opens the glove box.

9/30/05

The surprises keep coming. Went to get the car from alignment (it needed two ball joints) and it toasted the front brakes in about 5 miles! Same old stuff. Got it back to ACT smoking and dragging, and had to replace the front shoes and wheel cylinders AGAIN. Thankfully the front drums survived. We also found the 2” wide shoes dragged on the inside of the left drum, causing some noise. We're going to a slightly narrower shoe up front this time.

We then changed the master cylinder.

No difference.

It turns out that whoever did the brake conversion (this is apparently not an original 58 master cylinder and power booster), put too long a rod from the pedal to the booster. This caused a pre-load on the brake system leaving NO room for heat-up and expansion. Hence the brakes always dragged, regardless of adjustment.

The original drums, shoes, and wheel cylinders were absolutely toasted, as were the brand new ones I just had put on (thankfully only the fronts this time). The power booster has now failed (leaking), so I'll have to get a whole new assembly, booster and master. In retrospect I should have just gutted it all and gone to discs. Oh well.

Ms. Tanges never drove the car far enough to heat the brakes up enough, so the problem never surfaced sufficiently for her two guys to figure it out. Thank goodness I brought it up here.

This experience has thrown some new light on just HOW stock I need to keep this. It will be a driver, and I think I may bow to some modernization after all. I still intend on the 348 tripower setup, notwithstanding I already have the THUMPER motor from Randy.

Sal's show tonight was cancelled due to the local fires, but a LOT of people came anyway. I am dropping out of the Rydell Show, as I have no brakes. Jorge and Chris did a great job today clearing out the garage (and loading the back of the dually with parts), so I CAN put the Impala in there once it returns. Make no mistake, the Impala is FIRST in line for garage space.

I made a great connection for trim and general parts with a guy there who has someone in Torrance LOADED with parts. This fellow, Dennis, apparently bought out a dealership parts stock when it was sold.

I'll take the car there and visit, and let him tell me what I might want to stockpile for the car.

10/2/05

Tried to get info on a 3x2 carb setup on ebay, and the owner was not available. Unfortunately, his friend contacted me too late to retract my bid. We'll see how he deals with my request for him to give the setup to the second highest bidder. I meanwhile have searched on Google and found several carb rebuilders who show the correct part #. I have contacted one and asked if they have the proper carbs for sale. I also found a rebuilder at Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield yesterday at the Hot Rod Reunion who rebuilds them to new status for $125 each.

So my methods are getting better.

The brakes remain a mystery, and I'm going to go with an aftermarket dual cylinder master and power booster, and search for the #-correct unit later. I need brakes NOW!

10/3/05

Sal called and said he went out to Hawaii Racing and found a supposedly correct unit, but it didn't line up. He was on his way downtown to take the original unit for rebuilding when I called him back and said no. I had found Phil Reed In KC, MO who has a dual-diaphragm (in case I have a large cam in the 348) dual-reservoir unit. The original single reservoir is not available nor preferable. He is sending that 2-day air and we should be good for Sal's show this weekend. I can always use this unit if I go to disc brakes.

Meanwhile, John Hardgrove of The Carb Shop had stunned me with a $9000 price for a manifold to air cleaner setup (not available) for the 348. This would be show quality, everything there, totally correct. He claims the air cleaner (which he does have) is $2000. I will buy that.

He turned me on to Phil Reed, who is WAY cheaper for the carbs. He claims about $1500 for three proper carbs, though not gone through. He also has none at present, nor any air cleaners.

But he DOES have a hard line on a red/red 58 Impala convertible in a barn needing full restoration. This is a MAJOR find, and at his price would be VERY doable. I told him I'm good for it. I also bought from him some hard to find parts for the tripower carbs: 2 little vacuum items that are unobtainable and VERY expensive, reproduction gas lines, throttle shaft, choke rods, etc. They won't get cheaper, so I'm getting these pieces. Getting the tripower setup correct is HUGELY expensive, as is now obvious. I'll take my time, get all I can, get it as close as possible, and have an investment in the parts for the future.

10/7/05

The master from All City Chevy arrived a days late as Scott sent it Tuesday, not Monday. In addition, the unit does not bolt up to our firewall studs, but rather contains its own studs. We must make an adapter plate for it. More hoohah. As Sal has started working on it this morning 10/7/05 trying to make the show tonight, we DEFINITELY have a challenge on our hands. I can't even get worked up about it now. And we'll need to make another actuator rod as this is father out now. Aren't classics just the greatest?

We made it, and took the car RIGHT back to the shop after the show.

10/16/05

Nothing has been done on the car this week. I did buy steel and rods to make 4 display stands, and have cut and welded them. I got some plexiglass from Home Depot, and have managed to crack and split some of the holes in the first piece. I have enough to make duplicates, so I need to hone my technology for drilling this stuff. I will call ABC Plastics tomorrow and inquire as to their “trick.”

I will paint them flat black for now, and perhaps invest in powder coating later on.

10/19/05

The trick is a 70-degree cut on the drill bits, looking like an arrow point and not the normal 30-degree cut on a normal drill. Geno at ABC was VERY kind, cut up one more piece for me, and gang-drilled the whole set of pieces in about 5 minutes for FREE. There's a guy who knows how to get my business. The placards will probably go together tomorrow after I buy about 60 #8/32 by 3/4” panhead bolts and nylock nuts.

The Impala came home with no juice for the wiper motor (in the rain, of course) or power windows, and I did not find a blown fuse right off. I need to look more closely, test each one, and see what gives. I got the glove box open, although the lock remains in its locked position, and there is NO glove box! The surprises keep coming. I learned a HUGE lesson on this car. While still a VERY nice car, it was WAY lacking mechanically. Had I known about all the defects, I would have dealt harder, and justifiably so. I am not disappointed with the purchase, but am miffed at how much work it is taking to just get this thing up to what I expected and what was portrayed. I doubt Susan was fully aware of many of the deficiencies. The motor continues to die with utterly no provocation or warning, usually at speed. It runs a little roughly. But boy, the shifter works REALLY nicely now! Good work, Sal! He welded a new arm at the top of the linkage on the column inside the engine compartment to miss the brake booster, altered the connection on the trans, and made new copper bushings inside the steering column.

I also discovered the correct trans for this car is NOT the Powerglide, but a Turboglide. The indicators on the column are correct: P, R, N, D, and Gr. So I'll need to have Sal @ ACT do some searching for me to get a correct trans, if only for archive purposes. Marty, head RodDad of the Rodfathers, was very strong in his recommendation to NOT be a slave to originality, but to do whatever it takes to make it fun to DRIVE. He said it's all about driving it, not putting it on a trailer. I am going to seek a ride in Dan Klint's 58 Impala and see what differences there are and get a little more informed.

  10/27/05

Got the Impala back from Economy Glass. The windows haul ass!!! Roy, in yet another amazing hat trick, just happened to have a 20-amp circuit breaker fuse replacement in his tool box. That little stash of tools contains more amazing parts!

The windows work great, now to put the wiper motor back in and check the switch for proper feed.

I believe I have found a correct tripower from a fellow named Charles Jorgensen. He also has a Turboglide and a set of hubcaps. I need to research with ACT about that trans. I have a Powerglide and engine here to sell. I wil probably have ACT rebuld it now.