So I left in my 63 riviera with my girlfriend on thursday from Riverside to Santa Barabara to stay at my buddies house. All good there, and the next day I left for Santa Maria. I would normally meet my folks at the freeway and ride out with them, but a bad rearend bearing left the 51 nash home. Upon arriving to Santa Maria, my exhaust mounts on my p***enger-side exhaust pipe broke. So there I was, wiring up my exhaust with bailing wire in the parking lot of the Santa Maria Inn and the parking lot across the street. Anyways, from there on all was good. We cruised to Los Alamos, and then cruised the boulevard all night Friday, layin out some sparks and being a hoodelum. Saturday also went great, parked next to my buddy Honest Bob and his 46 Flexible bus. Great day, great show! But on the way home, damn it ****ed. Stopped at the vista point on the 101 south where the railroad and old highway bridge are, hung out, and took some pictures, and all was well, until I started the car and a terrible top-end knock sang loud as hell! well, after triple a couldnt locate the vista point I was at, I decided to bum some of the tools i needed off of some people who stopped. I had to ask about 30 people until one actually had tools at all!! well, i pulled a valve cover and found a broken rocker arm stud on the exhaust valve...after 2000 miles on the motor!!!! pissed off, i collected all the pieces, removed the rocker on the intake valve and found that the push rod for the intake valve was bent like a spaghetti noodle. I pulled the spark plug, put it all back together and made the long, and loud journey home today on seven cylinders after spending the night at my friends house in santa barbara last night. crazy huh? no heroic story of some hot rodders comin by and helping, but a nice story of my own conquering of the situation. oh, btw, if anyone can figure out why my motor did such a thing, can you chime in? I'll post some pictures soon. Ian
I'm glad you made it home ok. My wife had bad luck this weekend too. Went to leave on Saturday afternoon and no reverse. Drivetrain has less that 8,000 miles on it. I was lucky that we were very close to home. Guess it really isn't her bad luck, more like mine. I have to fix it...... Good luck with your Riv. I feel your pain...
Well I dont think I lost any broken pieces into the oil when I took it all apart. I am just glad I made it home, a bit out of Auto Club tow range, you know?
I met you on the cruise night in Los Alamos. That is a total bummer. Glad you made it home at least. Good luck with the Riv!
Thanks for the kind words man, my girlfriend is gaga for 59 wagons, she'd dump me for yours in a flash! she loved your wagon, it was fun cruisin with you!
That does ****, but also maybe just kind of bad luck that some times goes with driving old cars on trips - stuff happens. Glad you at least had a good time at the show and actually made it home under your own power. A tow bill for that distance would have ****ed far worse.
Sorry to hear that but at least you got to take your car,, mine broke down the day before the show Did you happen to have an "under construction" sticker on the back window?
Valves and valve related compoments getting damaged due to a major exhaust leak are common, especially on a fresh motor. I like to believe in karma, I have always stopped on the way to/from shows to help people. I ALWAYS carry tools ( a**** many other things ) with me, it's worth its extra weight in gold when you break down! I havent had too many major problems yet going to/from shows but if I do hopefully I'll get the good karma in return. It seems getting help from a fellow motorist ( or even car guy ) when your broke down on the side of the road is a thing of the past. Anyway good luck with it!
I was there at the Vista point when you pulled off the valve cover. Im the guy that told ya you shoulda left in the Nailhead. I've been stuck on the side of the road too many times, it ****s. Glad to see you made it home.
Damm bro that ****s....I was parked next to you on Fri night across from the Inn (55 Buick) you was telling me about the bailing wire fix....sorry to hear about your spring thing.....hope you get it together....BTW that work you did on your hood looks killer
Yeah, that was my car, "under construction," ahahaha, actually wanted to pull that sticker before the show, getting really discouraged by the mishaps i have had, just want it done! Ahahaha, as far as karma goes, I loaned all my tools and stuff to the guy with the green 49 buick fastback that im sure everyone knows after he lost a front bag. I am always quick to help because i have been there time and time again for stupid engine stuff, so i know how nice a helping hand feels. Its all good, I did leave the show kinda late compared to most, so not as much car-guy traffic as there would have been as earlier. Thanks for the kind words. That hood was a pain in the ***, i have so much pick hammer work and heat shrinking work to get that hood the way it needed to be after removing that peak. It is one of those modifications thats seldom noticed, and I am happy to have your compliments
Ian Did you figure it out yet? At least you made it to the show and came up with a way to get it home. Glad to meet you. Call me bout the parts Frank
Sorry to hear aboout that. I once broke a stud when the new cam we put in had too much lift. The slot on the rocker wasn't big enough and pressure won the fight!
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