My '95 Caprice Classic STW, "Sally"

[DerekTheGreat]

The dash is really nice. Yes, at least with most of the old four doors you got that wide open effect with all the windows down, helps. One carb is all I'd want. Each additional one creates headaches of exponential magnitude. Kind of seems like sacrilege without a fluffy bench seat. Four speed auto? 700R4 that was swapped in, perhaps?

Hmm. All of my dailies have halogen glass sealed beam headlights, I think they work well enough. The Townie's might even be Silver Stars, can't remember. Biggest thing I did to help them was aim 'em. That and replace them, the old ones were pretty dim for some reason.

[Arquemann]

The dash is really nice. Yes, at least with most of the old four doors you got that wide open effect with all the windows down, helps. One carb is all I'd want. Each additional one creates headaches of exponential magnitude. Kind of seems like sacrilege without a fluffy bench seat. Four speed auto? 700R4 that was swapped in, perhaps?

Hmm. All of my dailies have halogen glass sealed beam headlights, I think they work well enough. The Townie's might even be Silver Stars, can't remember. Biggest thing I did to help them was aim 'em. That and replace them, the old ones were pretty dim for some reason.

I'm a bench seat guy too, I was pretty bummed out when dad decided for the buckets.But like I said, the original bench seats would need a total overhaul, starting from new springs. Cha-ching...

The trans is the factory Hydra-Matic, it's a four speed auto, non-lockup & non-overdrive. Same that Cadillacs got.

Sealed beams are okay, since they can be replaced whole and actually have pretty powerful choices. There's also H1/H4 conversions which are very nice. But the Caprice has stupid composite headlights with shitty reflector technology and plastic lenses that fade. I've got some fancypants Nightguide Platinum bulbs in there and they still suck balls.
Just old enough to have shitty old reflectors instead of HIDs and new enough to be plastic and not a replaceable sealed beam type design.
Also I'd have relayed the headlights in a heartbeat, but apparently that makes the Canada-spec factory DRL system go haywire. It has something to do with resistances and power draws.

You're from Michigan, I thought you'd appreciate good headlights.

[Tiggie]

I think those wheels might just be my all year round wheels. Looking sharp on the Caprice.

[Arquemann]

Seems like the bearings on the pass. side e-fan are toast, sounds like a dying dolphin / screeching activist turned up to 11. Turned by hand it growls a bit too.
RA sells a VDO/Conti fan motor for a whopping 18€. Threw in a Bosch MAP sensor and a PCV valve while at it, shipping's barely any more.

Yesterday I removed the huge intake resonator and blocked it off with hockey puck, mainly to have better access with a can of start spray. Didn't find any obvious vacuum leaks, but I replaced a piece of hose anyways, another one could do with replacing too, but didn't have correct size hose on hand. MAP sensor looks really old and crusty, for 23€ I'll slap in a new one for peace of mind. Same with the PCV valve.

Impala guys really get their dicks hard about removing the huge intake resonators, but I can't hear literally any difference in the intake noise. But I don't have a shitty cone filter either, so that's probably why.

If I can't get the mpg to return closer to normal with new O2's, MAP and the exhaust leak patched, I dunno what to do.

[DerekTheGreat]

I'm a bench seat guy too, I was pretty bummed out when dad decided for the buckets. But like I said, the original bench seats would need a total overhaul, starting from new springs. Cha-ching...

The trans is the factory Hydra-Matic, it's a four speed auto, non-lockup & non-overdrive. Same that Cadillacs got.

Sealed beams are okay, since they can be replaced whole and actually have pretty powerful choices. There's also H1/H4 conversions which are very nice. But the Caprice has stupid composite headlights with shitty reflector technology and plastic lenses that fade. I've got some fancypants Nightguide Platinum bulbs in there and they still suck balls.
Just old enough to have shitty old reflectors instead of HIDs and new enough to be plastic and not a replaceable sealed beam type design.
Also I'd have relayed the headlights in a heartbeat, but apparently that makes the Canada-spec factory DRL system go haywire. It has something to do with resistances and power draws.

You're from Michigan, I thought you'd appreciate good headlights.

I'd just save up (like I'm doing for my vinyl top overhaul) and do it then. But yeah, having a seat so you can drive in the meantime is a must.

A four speed auto without OD? Intriguing. I always thought they started with a two speed, then three and finally four with OD in the 80's once they figured out how to do it. What's the shift pattern? Do you have control over all four forward gears?

Oh I love me some good sealed beams. The Tahoe in our fleet is the worst, has faded composites that produce light in the shade of dehydrated piss. I think that's mostly the bulbs, but it's time to try and restore or replace the housings. The headlights on my Townie and K1500 are really nice, feel they provide plenty of light. Lincoln's lights are noticeably brighter.

[Arquemann]

I'd just save up (like I'm doing for my vinyl top overhaul) and do it then. But yeah, having a seat so you can drive in the meantime is a must.

A four speed auto without OD? Intriguing. I always thought they started with a two speed, then three and finally four with OD in the 80's once they figured out how to do it. What's the shift pattern? Do you have control over all four forward gears?

Oh I love me some good sealed beams. The Tahoe in our fleet is the worst, has faded composites that produce light in the shade of dehydrated piss. I think that's mostly the bulbs, but it's time to try and restore or replace the housings. The headlights on my Townie and K1500 are really nice, feel they provide plenty of light. Lincoln's lights are noticeably brighter.

He wants buckets so he got buckets, much to my disagreement. It's not really about the cost either, he just had another excuse to go with bucket seat. Though he got six of those Dodge bucket seats for free. Mixed and matched the best backs, bottoms, seat rails and rear covers. Now he's butchering the seat backs to make them shorter, full height they stick above the belt line and look dumb.

I find it a bit odd you haven't heard of the GM Hydra-Matic, basically the first proper automatic trans. It was in a ton of cars, even Lincolns and Rolls-Royces.
In dad's Olds the gear selector goes P-N-D-S-L-R, I have no clue which does what.
A quick read: https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/gm-hydra-matic

The Caprice's headlight housings are in okay shape, which is kinda astonishing considering the light output is abysmal, even with good new bulbs. A pair of new housings is about a hundo off RA, but most likely the improvement is minor, not worth the money.

[DerekTheGreat]

Oh, hmm. I.. no, must have bench seat.

The earliest transmission I heard of was the Chrysler deal, with some fluid clutch type thing. Thank you for the link, good read. I just assumed the old GM's with a "Hydromatic" had a two speed. Funny that they could build a four speed back then but later went to a 2 speed and three speed. Overdrive would've been welcome in the 60's and 70's too. The article does not explain the ranges, unfortunately. Very curious about the "S" deal. Has your dad's transmission ever been rebuilt? How does it shift and how is the feel compared to other transmissions?

I wonder, are your housings OEM or replacements? If they are cheapies, it could be why the light output is dismal.

[Arquemann]

Oh, hmm. I.. no, must have bench seat.

The earliest transmission I heard of was the Chrysler deal, with some fluid clutch type thing. Thank you for the link, good read. I just assumed the old GM's with a "Hydromatic" had a two speed. Funny that they could build a four speed back then but later went to a 2 speed and three speed. Overdrive would've been welcome in the 60's and 70's too. The article does not explain the ranges, unfortunately. Very curious about the "S" deal. Has your dad's transmission ever been rebuilt? How does it shift and how is the feel compared to other transmissions?

I wonder, are your housings OEM or replacements? If they are cheapies, it could be why the light output is dismal.

No idea if the trans has been rebuilt, would assume so, considering it's over 60 years old and the odo has rolled over atleast once, maybe twice. As far as performance, it's kinda slow, sometimes clunky and most other times quite smooth.
Pretty sure the 4-speed Hydramatic went out of use as it is pretty large and heavy and it was way more expensive to manufacture than the later 2- and 3-speed units. And without the benefit of an overdrive gear, it's kind of a moot point to have 4 gears. Also being introduced in 1939 meant engines had way less power, so having more gears had a bigger advantage vs the more powerful stuff of the late 50's and onwards.


The Caprice has "Guide" headlights, which seems to be an OE manufacturer for GM. OEM replacements aren't available and RA sells Depo and TYC, both chinese crap. Aftermarket design headlights are also not an option, 99% are complete garbage performance-wise and 99% of them look like garbage too. Only proper option would be to retrofit good projectors into the factory headlights.
Until LED replacement bulbs become legal here(some currently legal in Germany), and after someone makes a legal LED for 9004 / HB1, there's not much I can do to improve my low beams legally. Or I could retrofit e-certified headlight housings to the car. How about installing a pair of Valtra tractor LED headlights?
Hella makes an increased wattage 9004 bulb, which would only be a bit illegal and barely noticeable. Cops have a real hard-on for illegal LED headlights, a friend has gotten a ticket and a fix-it order in record time, 55 minutes on the road after installation.

[friskyfrankie]

Was not the "S" a 3rd gear allowing for a 1-2-3 shift? Not sure I remember that far back.....

[DerekTheGreat]

No idea if the trans has been rebuilt, would assume so, considering it's over 60 years old and the odo has rolled over atleast once, maybe twice. As far as performance, it's kinda slow, sometimes clunky and most other times quite smooth.
Pretty sure the 4-speed Hydramatic went out of use as it is pretty large and heavy and it was way more expensive to manufacture than the later 2- and 3-speed units. And without the benefit of an overdrive gear, it's kind of a moot point to have 4 gears. Also being introduced in 1939 meant engines had way less power, so having more gears had a bigger advantage vs the more powerful stuff of the late 50's and onwards...

Perhaps, but it's possible it hasn't been. It was only 40 something years old at the time, but the 727 in my '69 Plymouth shifted just fine and it was original. Interesting how that thing shifts. How long do gear changes normally take? Does it hold gears in relation to throttle position?

...The Caprice has "Guide" headlights, which seems to be an OE manufacturer for GM. OEM replacements aren't available and RA sells Depo and TYC, both chinese crap. Aftermarket design headlights are also not an option, 99% are complete garbage performance-wise and 99% of them look like garbage too. Only proper option would be to retrofit good projectors into the factory headlights.
Until LED replacement bulbs become legal here(some currently legal in Germany), and after someone makes a legal LED for 9004 / HB1, there's not much I can do to improve my low beams legally. Or I could retrofit e-certified headlight housings to the car. How about installing a pair of Valtra tractor LED headlights?
Hella makes an increased wattage 9004 bulb, which would only be a bit illegal and barely noticeable. Cops have a real hard-on for illegal LED headlights, a friend has gotten a ticket and a fix-it order in record time, 55 minutes on the road after installation.

Guide is OE. Aftermarket stuff has me apprehensive too. The lenses on the Tahoe are all faded courtesy of Arizona sunshine, but the restoration kits don't seem to last long and the quality of aftermarket stuff probably isn't going to match OEM so they've stayed piss yellow.

If only cops here had that hard on. I understand wanting better visibility, but people around here do it at the expense of blinding oncoming traffic or the person in front of them through their mirrors. There's better visibility, then there's just flat out obnoxious. Factory HIDs are right on the verge of that these days.

[Arquemann]

Perhaps, but it's possible it hasn't been. It was only 40 something years old at the time, but the 727 in my '69 Plymouth shifted just fine and it was original. Interesting how that thing shifts. How long do gear changes normally take? Does it hold gears in relation to throttle position?

You're asking too hard questions now, I've driven the car just once, most observations are from just riding along. Slower than the AOD in my MGM, but it's hard to say. Dad's cars barely go over half throttle anyways.

If only cops here had that hard on. I understand wanting better visibility, but people around here do it at the expense of blinding oncoming traffic or the person in front of them through their mirrors. There's better visibility, then there's just flat out obnoxious. Factory HIDs are right on the verge of that these days.

Yeah, our cops and inspection system keeps most of the turbo-garbage amazon LEDs and other janky shit off the roads. The stupid SUV trend doesn't help as vehicles get taller and headlights are higher, blinds you way easier. Can't imagine the insanely tall trucks you have are any better. Sitting in a car I wouldn't want the headlights behind me to be at head height...

I'm trying to see better responsibly, but even so it's illegal... I'm just trying to figure out if it's worth the risk and money to see a bit better.

[DerekTheGreat]

Sounds like my dad these days. A far cry from how he was some thirty years ago.

The bro-dozer thing is horrible around here. In Florida, it's even worse. They've taken to mounting stripper poles & platforms on the back of their trucks. "No Fat Chicks" sticker optional, as if any self respecting chick would get within ten feet of said truck.

Speaking of better visibility, I replaced the headlights in the Tahoe with Xtra Visions, made in USA to boot. I'm rather surprised at that. Anyway, big improvement, but I think the headlights need to be aimed. We'll see what Angie says. Side note, changing bulbs in one of those early GMT800 trucks is a breeze. I really like those things. They say the GMT400 is the best truck GM ever made, but I'd give the nod to the 800.

[Arquemann]

As I've mentioned, I've got a bit of an issue with moisture. Recently I found a small wet patch in the right rear footwell. Then is squished it a bit with my hand.
And boy, things escalated quickly...



As the felt padding (mostly aftermarket) started to drip, I had about 2cm of standing water in rear footwell. Front passenger footwell is wet also, it's running front to back.
At best there's 3 layers of that padding plus some original fiberglass-ish heat insulation, and on the passenger side it's all more or less soaked. The actual carpeting has a thick rubber backing, so the water is permeating through it some spots where the rubber backing is cracked.

So, things escalate "a bit" more:



So yeah, the carpet is drying in the garage, it's not too wet. Then two of the 1x2m padding sheets are drying in the sauna, rest is going in the trash.
Someone before me has painted and (generously) seamsealed the floor, can't find any welded patches surprisingly. Can't find much rust either. Same ugly blue that's on the valve cover and intake.



I need to blow dry the nooks and other inaccessible spots and wipe and vacuum the rest.

Obviously it has to be leaking in from somewhere. There's a randomly drilled hole through the firewall that nicked the heater plenum, also whatever else there could be. Had a helper pour loads of water on the windshield to see any leaks under the dash. Seeminly none.

Reading up online, these B-bodies have a thing with the AC condensation drain hose breaking, falling off, and ahem. not being there in the first place. It allows the drain water to weep around the drain nipple on the firewall and run back inside, where it can pretty easily seep through the old foam insulation that's between the plenum and firewall.
Mine doesn't have one of those drain tubes.

I did not have much of a problem with moisture last winter. Since then I have fixed the AC. So I have a feeling that most of the AC condensation since JULY has been slowly weeping underneath the rubber-backed carpeting and eventually to the rear footwell. I've had floor mats on and it's been warm until recently so I haven't seen the damp spots nor had I any problems with fogging up.

Gonna fix the drain tube (or atleast install one), after a thorough drying I'll drive around some without the carpeting to make sure there's no more leaks. Gotta buy some new sound deadening too. Probably more of that thick felt stuff and some bitumin mat for the trans tunnel.

I bet this issue would've been a whole lot more obvious if the carpet wasn't rubber-backed.



I was gonna clean the MGM's pistons today, but NOPE.

[sly]

It is amazing how many issues that the B-bodies and Panthers share in spirit if not actual technical similarity. For the panthers, the drain gets clogged and water comes in through the fresh air hole or you get in heavy rains and the drain can't keep up with the flood coming in.

[Arquemann]

Plugged the random hole in the firewall with silicone. I'd guess someone tried to drill a hole for the interior heater passthrough, nicked the heater plenum and drilled another hole a bit lower.
Also dried all the nooks in the floorboards with compresser air, vacuumed the floor and spritzed some rust converter in a few spots.
Delivery chick dropped off the fan motor and pcv valve while I was fucking around in the driveway. Fan motor fought alot, but it's in. Poorly fitting garbage even though it's a Continental/VDO part.

Carpet is dry, but the insulation padding is still damp. I'll pick up some more insulation stuffs tomorrow but no time for reassembly. Might bolt down the seat and take her for a spin tomorrow evening to get some warmth and air flow in the cabin to remove more moisture.