Big Olds Has NEVER Ran Better Then Right Now!

Big Olds is finally home in my garage where he belongs, all tucked in for the nite. It's been a long couple of weeks around here not knowing exactly what was wrong with him, how much it was going to cost to get fix....kinda not even knowing if he'd been repaired in time for Ego-Rama. Well he's never ran better! Starts right up, no rough idle, no shimming and shaking and he's not running hot He's purring like a kitten......an awful BIG kitten I might add.

My buddy Jim didn't let me down. Besides needing new head gaskets, Big Olds "C" heads were warped. One head needed to be shaved .018 (I think thats the right way to say "thousandths" ), the other head .020. He also had to redo #8 exhaust valve seat and he said my timing was way off. He had to retard the timing from 16* to 9.5* which lowered my exhaust temp from over 500 degrees to 405. Still alittle high he said but that was all he could do.

He said the inside of the engine looked great, no sludge or buildup. He changed the oil, oil filter and coolant for me. He changed the intake gaskets as well too, I guess that would be kinda a given huh. He went over every nut and bolt and tightened up quite a bit he said. All this, parts and labor for $598. I thought that was a GREAT deal. I was kinda thinking in the back of my head the last few weeks that if I needed new heads, etc, I'd be looking at a $1,500 repair bill at least. $600 dollars is alot of money BUT it could have been MUCH more. I feel ALOT more confident now in not only the journey out to California and back but the hard paces I'll be putting Big Olds thru while out there.

Anyway, I just thought I'd share my overwhelming JOY with you guys. Quite a few have emailed and PM asking so I thought I would just post the reply for eveyone. I've kinda been outta sorts the last few weeks worrying about this, but my heads back on straight now, I've nothing more to worry about except for the temps in Yellowstone and the Black Hills.....and for that I can just dress warmer!

EGO-RAMA or BUST!

 

WOW!

Glad that things didnt go as "far south" as you were dreading at the Drags Denise. im VERY stoked it worked out so well and that he got Him tuned up and running smoother as well.

Congrats and give em HAMB hell doll!

 

Good luck on the trip out and in the Egorama.
The car looks GREAT in that picture.

 

You made a funny

congrats, and give 'em hell. Time for bigger and better burnouts

 

YAY! i can't wait to hear some E.T.'s from that big 'ol car! let us know if it's got the muscle to back up the good looks.

 

Could it be too many burnouts?

Naw!!

 

Glad to hear all is well now...that's way too cool a car to be havin' in the shop fer long.

And by the way...are those '56 Olds caps I spy on there?

Olson
----------
"Forgive me, I am mad. My hotel is also my hospital. I am my own warden."

 

Such a beautiful car.

I bet the little bump in compression from shaving the heads made Big Olds a little peppier.

 

that's good news... more or less..... Do you have a heater in the boy?

 

We should all go out and get our heads fixed.

 

they aint got enough lithium to cure us all bro

 

I'm Happy for you!

 

I don't need no stinkin heater.... I've got Carharts overalls, down parka, wool gloves, snowmobile boots, and a helmet. and of course my shorts and Birkenstocks once I get to CA

 

and hopefully alittle more competetive in a couple of the Ego-Rama catagories. I got a question for you. Were you living in Prescott in 2000 by any chance? Did you get a phone call on that Memorial Day in May from someone broken down in Flagstaff by chance?

 

Didnt Jim teach you, all that "hot-rodding" is gonna catch up with you sooner or later.

I was wondering where you were last weekend, now I know.

 

Some say it was all the burnouts, some say they didn't have anything to do with it. I don't know. Doesn't really matter. Big Olds has new tires on him now. I believe my massive, chained down rear, burnout days are over.....can't afford any more new tires

 

Some of us need more than lithium to fix our heads. Some of us would need a complete brain transplant. You're givin up secrets Fiddy.

 

Only people from the Great Frozen Place Between the Lakes need all that clothing to drive a convertible. I was born there, but my folks were smart enough to permanently leave to someplace warmer, the land of two temperatures, AZ. The two temperatures: Hot and Oh My Gosh!

 

Denise- Leave a trail of cookie crumbs. If you get lost we'll be able to find you. Does your computer leave choclate chip "cookies"?

Spike
PS- good luck!

 

Good luck!! Big Olds looks great in that picture!

 

HHHMMMMMMMmmmmmm..., Lessee..., it needs two more..,, No..., No..., "Three more things"......., Weld the rear gears (Poor boy posie), Chop the windshield (less wind resistance), add a top (for "cosey" overnighters!)!!!

Or just leave it the way it is..., for Tire frying, Wind bucking, Roadster fun...!!! (Get a hotel room if it gets too cold!!!)

 

No more burnouts? BOOO!! I want to see pic of you and Biggie smokin the hides in the RnC coverage!

 

or hell,,, gitcha one of JYD's teardrop trailers... them things are fuggin fun lookin... little cramped for a dimensionaly challenged gent such as myself, but what the hell

 

yea... it'd be worth the price of admission to BUY ya a set of rear skins to boil just to watch em ball up and coat the fenders tight

 

WOW, speaking of coating the inside of the fenders, been there, done that......rubber AND salt!

 

Tell ya what imma gonna dew. . . im gonna put my money where my mouth is here

imma start a collection here on da HAMB for a fresh set of rears of YOUR CHOICE... to be smoked off the wheels next year at the Drags. or to replace the ones you have on the car at that time... your choice

im startin the "kitty" with a fresh $20 Bill... who else wants to see Denise roast the rears off BigOlds next year at the Drags?

 

chained down rear, burnout days are over.....can't afford any more new tires [/QUOTE]


Car looks real good, I heard that Rudy loans tires out for special occasions.

 

NO, NO ,NO, please no. HUGE difference doing a smallish burnout at the Drags and the chained down ones I've done a BilletProof. I do still have a couple of rear bias plys that are still decent for burnouts.....well actually Rudy has them. Anyway, I'll figure out something for next years Drags for myself. NO collection for tires please

Yep, he takes cookies in trade for thread

 

I'm stinkin' jealous. I just took a trip up through black hills and yellowstone and on out west--I haven't done anything but daydream since I got back (two weeks ago). Best wishes on your trip.

 

Denise, glad to hear the Olds is alive & well. Sounds like you got a pretty good mechanic & friend in Jim. Some think that just because you got a hotrod, you got money, nothing could be farther from the truth for some of use! You sound like a really cool lady and someday I gotta meet you! P.S. I LOVE the avatar. Keep it Real.