1966 Polara 500 The Black Car

[LocuMob]

This is another reason it's a "city" car.

The radiator holds pressure, but has so many leaks that come and go. Too big for the opening, not right, gotta go.

 

[Fury440]

So on the way home from the amusement park, after my post I made halfway home, the car died again, but at least I was only ten miles from home, and had the spare battery I had just bought. Swapped them and got home. The car is a local car for the time being, I have a new alternator to install, and another harness if I need to replace wires. It might be time to make a wire loom board, having three '66's that have original, and hacked harnesses, using another 50some year old wires might not be the best. Time over the winter, or money to someone else. We'll see. If I ever get a day off from work I might get some more wires inside the car hooked up correctly, and get some more interior lighting, like the speedometer, and gauges.

Years ago I had the same type of problems with my Fury. I replaced the battery, alternator, voltage regulator and fiddled with the wires, all without any luck. The car got parked and sat for twenty years. When i stated to take it all apart, I discovered the problem. One of the pins on the bulkhead connector was very corroded and had actually burned the connector so that the wire was toast. It was the wire running from the battery to the ammeter and without it the car ran on the alternator but never charged the battery. I was more than a little PO'd.

 

[LocuMob]

Years ago I had the same type of problems with my Fury. I replaced the battery, alternator, voltage regulator and fiddled with the wires, all without any luck. The car got parked and sat for twenty years. When i stated to take it all apart, I discovered the problem. One of the pins on the bulkhead connector was very corroded and had actually burned the connector so that the wire was toast. It was the wire running from the battery to the ammeter and without it the car ran on the alternator but never charged the battery. I was more than a little PO'd.

Yeah, only so much to look at for diagnosing the problem. Don't want to be carrying around an extra battery forever. Next day off is next Saturday, so only little stuff til then, this is my driver til brake parts get ordered and shipped.

 

[LocuMob]

Got the shifter light plugged in, so there is a little but more light inside the car at night.

 

[LocuMob]

A day or two later, I was leaving work, and the car died while going down the road. I put it into second and it came back to life. I haven't fixed the wiring for the charging system, thought that might be it, but it's not. It did it again a couple of days later, but wouldn't restart for about 30 seconds or so, once I stopped. Fired back up and ran fine, only to die again five to ten miles later. Started up and I went to the store I was headed to. Wouldn't start until I wiggled the wiring connector at the ignition box. The metal nut that is pressed on is loose, and it doesn't have the correct screw either. When I had to wiggle it previously, is when it just wouldn't start, usually after work in the morning. But it wouldn't start until I wiggled it, and pushed on it. Pisses me off, and it's probably simple.

I need to tune the car, seems like the timing is off, just doesn't feel right. Fix the idle issue, something is sticking somewhere. Should be a lot more responsive than it is. And double check the kickdown linkage. And hope my transmission holds up til I can build one for it, still slips going into third if I'm on the throttle. Can't win any races that way.

 

[Rainy Day Auto]

Got the shifter light plugged in, so there is a little but more light inside the car at night.

View attachment 209544

Amazing how exciting such small details like that are.

 

[Ripinator]

A day or two later, I was leaving work, and the car died while going down the road. I put it into second and it came back to life. I haven't fixed the wiring for the charging system, thought that might be it, but it's not. It did it again a couple of days later, but wouldn't restart for about 30 seconds or so, once I stopped. Fired back up and ran fine, only to die again five to ten miles later. Started up and I went to the store I was headed to. Wouldn't start until I wiggled the wiring connector at the ignition box. The metal nut that is pressed on is loose, and it doesn't have the correct screw either. When I had to wiggle it previously, is when it just wouldn't start, usually after work in the morning. But it wouldn't start until I wiggled it, and pushed on it. Pisses me off, and it's probably simple.

I need to tune the car, seems like the timing is off, just doesn't feel right. Fix the idle issue, something is sticking somewhere. Should be a lot more responsive than it is. And double check the kickdown linkage. And hope my transmission holds up til I can build one for it, still slips going into third if I'm on the throttle. Can't win any races that way.

I betcha if you adjust the bands in that trans, it will be fine.

 

[LocuMob]

I betcha if you adjust the bands in that trans, it will be fine.

I'll check into that.

 

[65sporty]

I don't think band adjustment will do anything, one band is low/reverse and the other is the kickdown band

 

[LocuMob]

I don't think band adjustment will do anything, one band is low/reverse and the other is the kickdown band

It would be new territory for me, I've just changed valve bodies, I know it's not rocket science, just never messed with it, yet. I want to build a bullet proof transmission so I don't have to worry about it. Rather spend the money upfront and get all drivetrain and suspension sorted out, then plug away on the interior and, paint!

 

[LocuMob]

Found! My ignition wire bracket that goes on the driver's front of the valley pan, and one on the exhaust manifold bolt. I'll paint t them up and install them soon.

 

[LocuMob]

Into hibernation she goes.

Got the new storage space, enough room for 2 cars for sure, maybe three or four, if I need it.

Car did alright this year, chased down some issues, still have plenty left to sort out. Getting to be an expected thing for me now, it's not a surprise that things don't all work.like they are supposed to. More learning so I can do it quicker the next time around, cause there's gonna be a next time.

New seat covers, leaf springs, front end rebuild, align the front fenders/hood/valance/grill/bumper so it all lines up right and the hood closes correctly, install the 22" radiator, go through the carb, and get the heater and interior lights working. One of those is probably the source of my power drain I discovered after letting the car sit a month or so.

 

[HWYCRZR]

Recommend winter reading..... to get ready for spring.....
1966 Polara 500 Factory Service Manual
Every thing you ever wanted to know and more.
I heard its a best seller.

 

[Fratzog]

Thanks for the update. All that extra room is just begging for an addition...

 

[LocuMob]

Recommend winter reading..... to get ready for spring.....
1966 Polara 500 Factory Service Manual
Every thing you ever wanted to know and more.
I heard its a best seller.

I have two copies!

 

[bigmoparjeff]

The new storage space looks great, but dirt and gravel floors inside a building always worry me. I think it would be a good idea to put down a 10'x20' poly tarp, and park the car on top of it. Although it looks dry, you can get quite a lot of moisture coming up through the floor, The tarp isn't much money, especially if you are near a Harbor Freight store.

Jeff

 

[LocuMob]

The new storage space looks great, but dirt and gravel floors inside a building always worry me. I think it would be a good idea to put down a 10'x20' poly tarp, and park the car on top of it. Although it looks dry, you can get quite a lot of moisture coming up through the floor, The tarp isn't much money, especially if you are near a Harbor Freight store.

Jeff

That's my thoughts too. I'm just trying to clean up the yard and get a few things out of the way. Some barrier needs to be put down, I'm not too keen on long term parking on gravel, although my Dart fared pretty well after a decade parked on a gravel driveway, but I'm going to put something down. Anything going in will be a driver, so it won't stay there after the snow melts.

The added expense has me thinking what my options are for ling term storage. The guy I rent from has a building he wants to sell me, something like 40 x 70', an old school I could store five cars, and all my parts. Already built is a plus, I'll have to check it out sometime in the near future.

 

[BLIMP]

I like to put blocks under the wheels and get them up off the floor as much as possible. Safety jacks would work too, let the air circulate.

 

[LocuMob]

I like to put blocks under the wheels and get them up off the floor as much as possible. Safety jacks would work too, let the air circulate.

I don't think that will fly, with the gravel being not the most packed I've ever seen. I'm going to go for barrier coverage, I'm not too keen on jacking cars up and down every six months, I'd probably keep them jacked up and never set them down again.

Plus the gravel motivates me to get my own long term plan underway. I know what I'm doing, gotta follow certain steps to justify the big investment.

 

[LocuMob]

Total milage for the first year of ownership, 925. Not a bad number, especially with two cars on the road. Going to approach next year as if it's still new to me, meaning I don't like my tuning that I did. I need to go through the carb and clean it, just to be sure. Tighten a couple exhaust bolts, I never retightened them after the system install. What can I say, I wanted to drive it! I hope the car has a lot snappier response with another round of tuning. Need to recheck the transmission fluid level, if that's good, the pan comes off again and I'll go through the motions down there. Address the ignition issue, car loses power and dies, wiggle the plug at ignition box, and it starts, sometimes. I have an MSD ready to go if I decide that's the route to take. I'm going to try epoxy first to secure the loose anchor nut on ignition box. Or find the correct screw. *Light bulb turned on in head* I do have a spare box in the garage I'll have to look at. And finally, tackle the interior lights that don't operate, and all wiring in general, and maybe get a working heater in one of my old cars. Along with the aforementioned suspension work.