After I got it running again I made it slightly roadworthy. I drove it to the restoration shop I work at six miles away with a temporary right fender as shown. :eek2: Like the neighbor kid really needed to yell out, "Hey Mr., YOUR CAR'S A PIECE OF CRAP". I was already aware of it's appearance but I figure at least he was respectful enough to say Mister.
Here is a close up of the left side. The doors wouldn't line up right. They were pinched at the top of the door on the aft side. That is when we decided it needed new body cushions and their installation will be the next step. Tim, I wish my frame looked as good as yours. We may still take the car that far apart, I just have to wait and see if I can hang onto an airline job a while longer. o No:
While we are still on the body mounts, I checked with my local Buick dealership, they do not have any (suprise!!!). My question is, there are five different mount/isolators that I need, per the manual, most are black and yellow; however, the four at the firewall are to be violet. If I order from Steele or YO, do they come in the correct colors? Do you paint them? Len By the way, what ever happened to spell check?
Hi Len, there were different mounts listed originally to get the ride or handling or whatever they wanted. These ones interchange in every spot, and I can be 100% sure the repro kits don't even try to match. I didn't paint mine, left them the same color as they showed up, personal preference As for spelling, well I'm not gonna worry about it and I'm not going to use spell check every time I post a thought!! Brian, the car looks good...the engine looks sweet!!! Talk about sleeper....LOL later Tim
Tim; Thanks for the info. I wonder why they had different part numbers. As for spell check, it doesn't show up on my computer; I must have screwed something up. Len
Len, I just thought you were taking a dig at my (sometimes bad) spelling! :laugh: I get on here and type things out and often don't go over the message so lots of typos get through, didn't realize the spellcheck was gone because I never use it!! If guys can't handle that oh well... Just to update as well since I read your question again, all the insulators were yellow, the mounts under the firewall were violet and the rest were black. You can paint them or leave them alone. I left mine blue (it looks nice). I also decided to use the 457915 insulators on my car...will save the steele rubber ones for the 71 when I do that machine....haven't decided whether to paint them yellow or not... later Tim
Tim; I am confused, why would Buick/GM have all these different part numbers if they are the same one used at all locations? I don't really care about coloring them, I may or may not; I just want to make sure they are the proper ones for the car. What are you going to use for your '71? From front to back, if you wouldn't mind. Your resto. looks so nice, I wouldn't mind just copying what your doing. I am hoping to have the frame and rear back from the powder-coaters on Friday. Let the fun begin. Len :beer
Well, when GM built these cars, they used munts of various hardness to get the ride quality they wanted. They also varied the bolt in and solid biscuit locations between the car lines, even though the bodies have the threaded inserts in almost all positions except two. The 1242761 are the GM replacements for all these mounts and will work in all the positions but may or may not be the correct durometer as original (see my webpage for more info, it is broken down by year and application but in the end these mounts fit every bolt in position). I can be 100% sure the repro stuff is not even close (they were for generic a-bodies, not our cars), and the repros I saw were junk so the choice was pretty easy, despite the increased cost. When we set the body down on these mounts, I went around and made sure the body sat evenly on these, one position was a touch loose, the others were all tight. Thats good enough for me. So what I am doing for the ragtop is 12 of the bolt in mounts (#1, #2, #3, #4, #6 and #7 each side) plus one of the solid mounts in the #5 position for the main body. Rad support will also get the 1242761 mounts. Lower insulators will be the GM 457915 in all postions except rad support which will get the steel rubber repros (they fit better as smaller diameter). I am doing this because I already have these GM lower insulators and want to use them up, I am saving the steele rubber ones for the stage 1 which will be a more correct resto. Stage 1 will get 1242761 in every bolt in position, steel rubber lower insulators in every bolt in position, and two of the 488610 solid biscuits in the only position with no bolt in provision in the body (right over axle area). I am painting the lowers yellow but not worrying about the blue replacemetn color. Looks fine to me, the yellow is what everyone will see if they look under car, the blue you will have to look very, very hard to see.... I can't be 100% sure they are exactly what your car needs, but I am using them so that is the best endorsement I can give. Later Tim
Tim; I almost got it. How about this, I give you the money and you send me what I need. Only kidding, sorta. I think GM has the lowers still available, at least I know they had one of the five I asked him for. The others I will have to find out where to get them. I have a Steele catalog, so I can figure that out. What paint did you use (or going to use) to make them yellow? Sorry for asking the same questions, over and over and over again. I just want to try to get it right the first time. Len P.S. Did you buy new brake lines and fuel lines? Where did you get them? I want to replace mine.
Len, easy as I can make it: 1) GM 1242761 upper mounts (discontinued now) (need 12) 2) Steele Rubber 70-2165-48 lower insulators (need 12) or GM 457915 3) GM 488610 solid mounts (need 4) 4) Bolts. I don't have any spares.... I bought my lines from inline tube. They were nice pieces...they also make reproduction brake cables, clips and other things like that when a serious resto is ongoing.... later Tim
Tim; Perfect. Even a dumb a$$ like me can figure it out now. Thanks. If you don't mind me asking, what did the lines run you? How is the ship time? Depending on how soon the body shop want me to take the shell back, I was hoping to take my time putting things back together. I am going to try to get most of the hard to reach parts done prior to setting the body back on the frame. Len
I really don't remember Len on the price. It was several years ago, I could look it up but all the bills depress me! :ball: Seriously, they weren't that bad. I had them shipped to my sister and then imported them to Canada myself at the border when I came back from Christmas. Saves a lot fo time and hassle. I think they were shipped UPS oversize and arrived in nice shape. They took a little tweaking but nothing serious, all the ends were capped with rubber cups, and the bends were nice. Take a look at my wesbite to see them installed. Do yourself a favour and do as much as you can wth the body off. I left the exhaust (money and time) and am regretting that one now since I might have to get some welding done with the car completed (ouch). At the very least make sure to replace the main front to back brake line. Fuel lines will give your problems but a messed up brake line can kill you. I had one line that i cut open at a low spot and it was correoded half way through from the inside....wish I had taken a picture... later Tim
Tim; Good advice. I was planning on replacing all the lines (fuel and gas). If I take the body back, I may just build a platform to hold it above the frame so I can work on the balance. I agree with you, I want to get all the work done before I put the body back on. I should have the tranny back in three weeks. I have to rebuild the rear and clean up the driveshaft. I haven't even touched the engine yet. Talk to you later. Len
The thread that just won't die. Went through my mounts this morning. I was suprised to find that the four (4) solid mounts are in really good shape; I may even use them. I am puzzled about the yellow/blue mounts. They have the word "Yellow" on the side and "blue" on the top, part # 12322550 on the top and 1377367 on the side. Are they interchangeable with the GS mounts (violet) # 1385569? Len
Now I am confused. 1377367 are the lower insulators.they were yellow. That is what the steele rubber parts replace. 1242761 upper mounts (blue) replaces EVERY bolt in position in the car. They are not an assembly, each part is separate. Have you been to my website?? It has pics and will hopefully clear things up. Remember the molds for several different hardness of mounts is the same, GM does that to save money, so depending on the hardness of the rubber they get a different color ID mark. That way they can make different durometers mount with the same mold, that is why some mounts have thre or even four part numbers molded in. I think you are reading way too much into all this. You're gonna drive yourself nuts. later Tim
Tim; That answers my numerous part number questions. Thanks. I went to your website. Nice job. Another question, what color would the transmission mount brackets be? They hold the transmission cross member in place with the rubber isolators. Mine are nice and rusty. I assume black. Also, the manual indicates "orange" for the color of the bracket/mount to the transmission. Is that the same "color" scenario as with the body mounts? Len
