I forgot about the points, Edwin. Yep, I was good at that one. I could
change them and adjust the dwell in just a few minutes. I guess 'practice'
makes perfect. That's a lost art in today's environment.
Ok on your reply, Mike. )

Tom


"Edwin Pawlowski" <esp@snet.net> wrote in message
news:5V6Xg.7015$YD.1296@trndny09...
>
> "Tom" <tjwitman@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
> news:lp4Xg.22677$vi3.138@bignews3.bellsouth.net...
>> Amen, Old Timer!!
>> I think a lot of these young 'whipper snappers' have no idea what 50,000
>> miles on a 1950's era car really meant. Hell, even the tires were good
>> for only 10,000 miles or so. I had to have my 54 chevy rebuilt after
>> 40,000 miles when I bought it for $395. Had to finance it for a year.
>> )
>>
>
> And a 150 mile trip was and adventure on the two lane roads compared to
> the turnpikes and interstates we use today. Not to mention the headlights
> at night and lack of street lighting, poor road signs.
>
> My first car was a '53 Mercury Monterey. If it held fluid, it leaked. I
> carried oil, water/antifreeze mix, and trans fluid. Getting 3 years from
> a battery was excellent. Plugs were cleaned every 5k and replaced at 10k.
> Points lasted maybe 10k but often needed a tweak between. It did have an
> automatic choke that had to be cleaned a couple of times a year to
> function. IIRC the radio had tubes and being a technological oriented kind
> of guy, I added a rear seat speaker.
>
> Just got rid of my '91 Regal with the original exhaust system still in
> place. Second set of plugs, only serious repair was a water pump at 80k so
> at that time the radiator hoses and serpentine belt were replaced. It was
> on battery number 3 after 15 years.
>

 

I guess those expensive repairs for minor items is what makes us older folks
cry out for the simplicity of a carburated 283 Chevy with a stick shift. We
would all love to be able to troubleshoot and fix our own cars again. AND
my 54 Chevy with its straight six got 20 miles per gallon! Boy, haven't we
come a long way?

I hate paying a garage $80 an hour to have the least senior guy in the shop
stumble about trying to fix my car. My last visit to Kia to have the plugs
changed and antifreeze flushed resulted in two more visits for them to fix
things they screwed up getting the first job done. (unplugged sensors and
cut wire)
"Mike Marlow" <mmarlow@alltel.net> wrote in message
news:6d944$452cdd30$471fbb6d$31150@ALLTEL.NET...
>
> "Tom" <tjwitman@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
> news:maOWg.22950$zF5.2104@bignews1.bellsouth.net.. .
>
>> I was too hasty in saying they were worn out. I guess I was caught up in
>> the 'moment'. Senioritis syndrome.......
>
> It's all right. We all do that. Ask me how I know...
>
>> I just seemed that, at 50,000
>> miles, you started hearing all kinds of expensive sounds that talked you
>> into trading before the perceived sounds became a reality. Now, some of
> the
>> older 1960's and 1970's cars WERE worn out by then! Reference any early
>> model Chrysler product pre-Ioccoa.
>>
>
> Agreed that back in the "good old days" we often faced some major repairs
> at
> mileage levels that today go unnoticed. The average car today will go
> well
> over 100,000 with no major problems (although they may indeed present some
> mind-boggling nusances), and today's engines can well be expected to run
> 200,000 with only the most fundamental level of care. Keep the oil
> changed,
> don't overheat it, etc. If you have to pay to get things repaired
> though,
> even those mind-boggling nusances can get expensive.
>
> --
>
> -Mike-
> mmarlowREMOVE@alltel.net
>
>

 

On Sun, 08 Oct 2006 04:45:45 GMT, "Edwin Pawlowski" <esp@snet.net>
wrote:


> But it will be a couple of years
>to know for sure if it was a good decision. I'll probably hit 2000 miles
>tomorrow.

You're right, but I feel smarter and smarter with every day and mile
that rolls by.
-

Bob

 

On Wed, 11 Oct 2006 19:58:05 -0400, "Tom" <tjwitman@bellsouth.net>
wrote:

>I forgot about the points, Edwin. Yep, I was good at that one. I could
>change them and adjust the dwell in just a few minutes. I guess 'practice'
>makes perfect. That's a lost art in today's environment.
>Ok on your reply, Mike. )
>
>Tom
>
But how many reading here do you thnik know how the points were set on
a Model A Ford?

Old_Timer



>
>"Edwin Pawlowski" <esp@snet.net> wrote in message
>news:5V6Xg.7015$YD.1296@trndny09...
>>
>> "Tom" <tjwitman@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
>> news:lp4Xg.22677$vi3.138@bignews3.bellsouth.net...
>>> Amen, Old Timer!!
>>> I think a lot of these young 'whipper snappers' have no idea what 50,000
>>> miles on a 1950's era car really meant. Hell, even the tires were good
>>> for only 10,000 miles or so. I had to have my 54 chevy rebuilt after
>>> 40,000 miles when I bought it for $395. Had to finance it for a year.
>>> )
>>>
>>
>> And a 150 mile trip was and adventure on the two lane roads compared to
>> the turnpikes and interstates we use today. Not to mention the headlights
>> at night and lack of street lighting, poor road signs.
>>
>> My first car was a '53 Mercury Monterey. If it held fluid, it leaked. I
>> carried oil, water/antifreeze mix, and trans fluid. Getting 3 years from
>> a battery was excellent. Plugs were cleaned every 5k and replaced at 10k.
>> Points lasted maybe 10k but often needed a tweak between. It did have an
>> automatic choke that had to be cleaned a couple of times a year to
>> function. IIRC the radio had tubes and being a technological oriented kind
>> of guy, I added a rear seat speaker.
>>
>> Just got rid of my '91 Regal with the original exhaust system still in
>> place. Second set of plugs, only serious repair was a water pump at 80k so
>> at that time the radiator hoses and serpentine belt were replaced. It was
>> on battery number 3 after 15 years.
>>
>