2024 - What did you do to your wagon this week?

Need this changed to 2024.

After some serious thinking this week and talking to my wife about how my interest in car is gone and it shouldn’t be left to waste away. I have decided to sell it. Wanted to do a complete package deal but a coworker just wants the wagon itself with the stereo system. If I go through with it I will have a large amount of spare parts to unload. Engine, rear end, glass, OCC bumpers, sun coast hood plus much more.

Hope you change your mind and stick around.

Buickman1 wrote:

Hope you change your mind and stick around.

I have "sold" this thing several times in the last couple of years, lol.

Made that post at work. Got home, installed new EWP and the car fired right up. Instantly thought, do I really want to? So I put the rear springs back in, tires on and put it back on the ground. Will drive it around tomorrow and take it to work Monday morning to make up my mind. Wagon has a couple recurring issues that I just don't want to deal with and I found a 72 Custom Cruiser in really good shape for a really good price.

Of course selling just the wagon means I have to deal with the general public (aka FB marketplace and Craigslist) and their guaranteed insanity and frustration to unload the mountain of parts I have not yet installed. Other folks at work told me not to be stupid and finish the car before selling. I would make more selling it separate though. Sorry, I'm rambling, the meds only get me through the day so my mind is back to it's jumbled mess of thoughts at night.

Yep. What you’re going thru is more common than you think. Whatever you decide, is the right answer

Swaggerwagon wrote:

Yep. What you’re going thru is more common than you think. Whatever you decide, is the right answer

Got it gassed up and washed last night and drove it to work this morning. Decided for the 5th time that it isn't going anywhere. Driving it motivated me though and I will get back on the air suspension this weekend. Goal is to have it presentable enough to make the trip to Daytona at the end of March. Seems simple enough but I did pull the interior to weld up the holes in the roof back in the summer of 2022. I bought the welder to do that job in late summer 2021.

94Woody wrote:

Swaggerwagon wrote:

Yep. What you’re going thru is more common than you think. Whatever you decide, is the right answer

Got it gassed up and washed last night and drove it to work this morning. Decided for the 5th time that it isn't going anywhere. Driving it motivated me though and I will get back on the air suspension this weekend. Goal is to have it presentable enough to make the trip to Daytona at the end of March. Seems simple enough but I did pull the interior to weld up the holes in the roof back in the summer of 2022. I bought the welder to do that job in late summer 2021.

It only needs one seat to get to Daytona

Sprocket wrote:

94Woody wrote:

Swaggerwagon wrote:

Yep. What you’re going thru is more common than you think. Whatever you decide, is the right answer

Got it gassed up and washed last night and drove it to work this morning. Decided for the 5th time that it isn't going anywhere. Driving it motivated me though and I will get back on the air suspension this weekend. Goal is to have it presentable enough to make the trip to Daytona at the end of March. Seems simple enough but I did pull the interior to weld up the holes in the roof back in the summer of 2022. I bought the welder to do that job in late summer 2021.

It only needs one seat to get to Daytona

That is correct. Windows are tinted enough that if I put the shade in the windshield no one will even see inside

This week I took the RMW for a ride and to do some errands. That NEVER has happened in Minneapolis at the end of January before, unless you are willing to drive it in salt, which I am not.

I did nothing, so far. Was busy putting stuff on my Silverado, it would be mad if it knew I installed the parts the day they arrived.

Anyways, to make up for thinking about selling her, I hopped on eBay this morning and bought a complete 96SS console setup to put in it. It's always been the one modification that I wished I had removed from the 94woody before I sold it. Also found a ruby red glove box to complete my collection of near perfect dash parts. Don't want to paint anything tan because I don't really like it so now I just have to hunt down a bunch more parts.

Nothing again except for order a bunch of stuff. Most of it has already arrived and I'm very impressed with eBay sellers right now. I've never seen a 96SS console in this good of shape, intact mount holes, no tears or cracks. Previous owner was pothead though so it needs some airing out, lol.

Same goes for the glove box that appears to be an NOS part. Perfect lower dash knee panel. Since I now have a complete and near perfect Ruby Red dash the interior is being changed to Red and Black.

you mentioned somewhere you found the Ruby red SEM for $15 a can. care to share the link? I need some parts resprayed.

www.kolorhouse.com

Also got free shipping and no tax. The paint is 25 bucks at Advance Auto and only the ones that have an automotive paint supply area keep it in stock.

booster wrote:

This week I took the RMW for a ride and to do some errands.  That NEVER has happened in Minneapolis at the end of January before, unless you are willing to drive it in salt, which I am not.

The weather there has been crazy warm. My hometown is Bemidji, so I'm well versed with the cold weather.

94Woody wrote:

Buickman1 wrote:

Hope you change your mind and stick around.

I have "sold" this thing several times in the last couple of years, lol.

Made that post at work. Got home, installed new EWP and the car fired right up. Instantly thought, do I really want to? So I put the rear springs back in, tires on and put it back on the ground. Will drive it around tomorrow and take it to work Monday morning to make up my mind. Wagon has a couple recurring issues that I just don't want to deal with and I found a 72 Custom Cruiser in really good shape for a really good price.

Of course selling just the wagon means I have to deal with the general public (aka FB marketplace and Craigslist) and their guaranteed insanity and frustration to unload the mountain of parts I have not yet installed. Other folks at work told me not to be stupid and finish the car before selling. I would make more selling it separate though. Sorry, I'm rambling, the meds only get me through the day so my mind is back to it's jumbled mess of thoughts at night.

Completely understand your thoughts. I agree, dealing with the flakes/dumb asses on those sites is frustrating.

Got lucky when the Olds was down because of the rear axle, and found a cherry battery tray to swap out what was left of the old one.

Not much left of the original.

Yes, I will fix the inner fender at some point

I don't know how, but it is almost like brand new. Cleaned the minor rust and coated it with spray on bed liner.

Buickman1 wrote:

Got lucky when the Olds was down because of the rear axle, and found a cherry battery tray to swap out what was left of the old one.

Not much left of the original.

Yes, I will fix the inner fender at some point

I don't know how, but it is almost like brand new. Cleaned the minor rust and coated it with spray on bed liner.

Whenever I find a good battery tray, I grab it. I like to grab good wheelhouses too. Most look like yours, or should I say, what is left of yours.

I got the rear bumper brace from Whitebird, installed late yesterday. I thought I would have to modify it to make it work, but apparently the left and right side braces are slightly different. It didn't really dawn on me until I started to reinstall the braces that the tailgate is different side to side because of the hinges.

left side is a little shorter than the right

the brace fit perfect, only mod was drilling new holes to match the bumper cover

New carpets arrived so I put her in the garage since my wife is out of town this week. I managed to get the new 250Amp Alternator on but that’s it. Had to do a home/yard project involving shovels and concrete blocks and I’m way past 20 so my body is protesting.

Started installing the radiator support and radiator in the car.

You've been busy! Nice work.

Tom

Drove it from Louisiana to Iowa and back - still a great cruiser.

Ordered more parts that were delivered throughout the week and I just ordered a set of 17” US Mags wheels. Hopefully they arrive before the show. Should be working on the car but a couple of weeks ago my rapidly aging body decided that I needed to learn all about Sciatica. Still ongoing problems but I can move around without crying so I have to get busy  this weekend and get some stuff done before Daytona next weekend.

Got the rest of my interior removed. Going to better route my wiring and hoses that run under carpet. Also get my console mount installed before installing new carpet.

Saw that my driver side floor is still perfectly clean and rust free. Pass side is a different story thanks to an HVAC box leak that went unnoticed for decades. Can see the ground in a small area now. Time to get that apart so I can clean the area and weld in some new metal. Glad I kept some large pieces of the roof from that wagon I hacked up.

Picked this up in Tucson.  Been in the previous owner's family for years.  Taken good care of too.  I understand that the previous owner's father is a contributor to this forum.  I plan to keep this one in the best shape I can going forward.

Removed the trashed tint off the rear windows, and painted the lower window trim while I was there.



Also added tailgate light, because the OG taillights are marginal at best, and I got it for free.



Not where I wanted to put it, but it was the only spot where it would fit without interfering with the tailgate.

One more thing, I introduce you to the mullet.

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business in the front, party in the back.

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I don't think it turned out to bad for not having done this in a loooooooog time. Once I get the rust issue under control at the
rear window, I will finish it up.

Not much to see cause my mechanic had to do it- but I got the differential rebuilt! Biggest issue I've encountered on the machine so far. Next big thing- repair the rear wheel wells.

The Starship shut off 4 time last week...no power. I swapped the battery and that fixed it. 6 month old battery and probably an intermittent open inside the battery.

The car has developed a thirst for power steering fluid,. 16 oz. in the last week, and no puddles anywhere. The steering gear box is always wet, but only a drop or two on the ground. It could also be the Hydroboost unit, but I can not find any pools there either. I started resealing a spare box, and hope that fixes it. More to come.

I finished the steering box...what a PITA. I pulled the input shaft out to replace the Teflon seals, but to install them, they must be stretched, and they do not return to the original size, so they no longer fit. I had to pull another box apart to get a usable part. I saved all the parts to use as a core if I need to get a rebuilt box in the future.

Still making baby steps. Recently installed my new 3 spoke dark mahogany steering wheel. Pulled a brace from the floor and got a better look at the floor rot and it’s pretty ugly and was only going to get worse. Son helped me remove the steel hood so I can get the suncoast installed at some point. Also pulled my two piece head lights and going one piece.

This morning I had an Epidural Steroid injection to help my herniated and bulging discs. Once that kicks in I can hopefully work harder.

Son had an accident that destroyed his Nissan and got a 2006 Mustang from a co worker of mine so I have been helping him repair/upgrade it.

Swapping intake manifolds on the White Elephant. Got the old one off and cleaned the heads. One more time cleaning and then install the new one. I am replacing the distributor because the internal wires insulation is severely cracked. Also changing the thermostat housing and electric fan sensor switch. I wired the fans to turn on when the AC is selected, or when the engine reaches 185 deg.

got my new radiator installed, I don't know how the original lasted so long without leaking.
Literally 1/2 the fins are missing.

I got the intake manifold installed yesterday. I tied threads around the gaskets to keep them from falling out of place, and pulled them out before tightening it. I used some small neodymium magnets on the valve covers to hold them in place. The technique seems to have worked fairly well.

The starter on the Starship was making an awful noise, so I went under the car to check it. I found one of the bolts loose. I finally got it done at 8:30 last night. What a PITA.

The White Elephant got a long deserved oil change, and the timing mark highlighted so I can set the timing. The oil pan bolts were all loose, and are now tight. One of them was about a turn and a half loose. Maybe that was one of the oil leaks.

a month ago, I got rid of the ride level shocks in the back that have been non functional since I bought the car 5 years ago. and put Monroe SS and Bill Harper U-bolts in (salvaged from my T56 wreck as they had about 1000 miles on them) Also put new sway bar links up front.

Rides like a completely different car now (much better).

I was timing the White Elephant, and heard a strange noise. I looked for it, and just as I looked at the location where the sound was coming from, the lower coolant hose popped showering me with coolant. The hose came off of the radiator, and has a crack in it as well. I did not realize that it was one of the deferred maintenance items that I accumulated in the last 4 years.

Fred Kiehl wrote:

I was timing the White Elephant, and heard a strange noise. I looked for it, and just as I looked at the location where the sound was coming from, the lower coolant hose popped showering me with coolant. The hose came off of the radiator, and has a crack in it as well. I did not realize that it was one of the deferred maintenance items that I accumulated in the last 4 years.

hopefully it wasn't that hot, but I laughed at the mental image

The reality was exactly your mental image. It was not hot fortunately, because it was about a gallon of liquid in the air. I went to the condo and took a shower. The hose pointed straight up sending almost all of the coolant directly at me.

Smelled some coolant while driving the Starship, and noticed the reservoir was almost empty. I could not see any obvious leaks, so I tightened all of the new clamps, except the lower radiator one. With my luck that is the one leaking. I did drive it since, and the fluid level has remained good.

Wife had a new windshield installed in the wagon. We think it was the original windshield. Lots of sandblasting and some wiper scratches, about typical for a 25+ year old window... She is getting all the windows tinted this week.

Not much at all since May, still dealing with a bad spine and the wonderful Florida heat. Did get a portable A/C unit to help with that last part.

Pulled the OCC bumper cover and sold it because I got a different one to put on it. Pulled the two piece headlights because I bought a set of those fancy one piece lights. Also gathered the parts to build a wiring harness for them. Also needed everything out of the way to come up with a plan for mounting my  train horn. 160Db of fun. Also yanked off the stock hood and put the Sun Coast Ram Air hood from a well known (in the wagon world) Hurst Olds inspired wagon. Previous owners did most of the hard work and made modifications were needed to get it to fit OK. I have to make a few tweaks to make it fit better and do some fiberglass work to get rid of the holes that remain from the giant hood locks it had in the past.

tinted windows all around... A little darker than expected, but it looks good. 50% on the windshield and 35% on the rest of the glass.

hard to see the windshield with the glare:

I had a little scare today. Stopped at a fastener store, and when I came out there was coolant on the ground. I checked my car, and found nothing leaking. It must have been the vehicle before mine. I feel like I dodged a bullet.

Fred, is there going to be a follow up redo thread on your "White Elephant"?

Tom

silverfox103 wrote:

Fred, is there going to be a follow up redo thread on your "White Elephant"?  

Tom

Not sure what the followup would include

Fred Kiehl wrote:

silverfox103 wrote:

Fred, is there going to be a follow up redo thread on your "White Elephant"?  

Tom

Not sure what the followup would include

Maybe you have done so already, but I thought you were going to install and Olds 350 or 403 in the elephant?

I have a rebuilt Vortec 355, but I decided to keep the 350 that I have in it. I did put radiator mounted fans on it, and wired them. I swapped intake manifolds, because the old one had issues. No other changes for the foreseeable future.

Hi all, I don't get on here very often. Plans to get my white wagon ready for the ISSCA Nats in NE Ohio / Detroit August 13-17 fell through, so I'm going through my trusty '95 gold wagon to get it ready for the 650 miles up and back, plus the racing and shenanigans.

The original transmission has 162k on it; never been out of the car since the factory. I just rebuilt the valvebody with more knowledge I've obtained since last summer, and it rewarded me with 225psi rock steady at WOT. For a factory original transmission, this is basically the fountain of youth. If you are interested in extending the life of your 4L60E for a fraction of the cost of a rebuild, PM me and we can talk about rebuilding your valvebody.

Wife had the headliner redone


While that is out we installed Rattle Trap Extreme on the roof, had a bunch left over from another project


Still waiting on well nuts to finish the roof rack, then she/we can reinstall the interior trim and headliner