c/classic-car-maintenance

Two years of mystery misfire traced back to a fuel filter swap at a gas station

I was chatting with a guy at the Hershey swap meet in October who mentioned his 1972 Triumph had been stalling for months, and he blamed the carb like everyone else. He finally paid a shop $180 to check, and they found a tiny piece of rubber from a cheap aftermarket fuel line blocking the needle valve, not the filter itself. Has anyone else found that low-cost replacement parts cause more damage than the old crusty ones they were meant to fix?

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stellat87•4d ago

Spent $340 on a ceramic coat for my 67 Mustang, now I'm not sure it was worth it

Back in March I paid a local detailer $340 to put a ceramic coating on my 67 Mustang. He swore it would keep the paint looking wet for 3 years and make washing way easier. Fast forward to last week, I got a big water spot etched into the hood from a sprinkler and the coating didn't do anything to stop it. Now I'm wondering if I should have just stuck with my old $40 wax routine every 2 months. Some folks say ceramic is a scam unless you have a garage and never drive in rain. Others say I got a cheap install and the good stuff runs closer to $800. Has anyone else dropped serious cash on paint protection and felt burned, or did it actually save your paint in the long run?

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joel_singh84•6d ago

That time my neighbor swore by ATF in the brake system, what a mess

My neighbor Jerry, who's been wrenching since the 70s, told me to add a little automatic transmission fluid to my 74 Chevelle's brake fluid to soften up a stiff pedal. Said it was an old trick. I tried it last Saturday, and now my master cylinder is leaking like crazy and my seals are toast. Cost me $140 for a new one plus rebuild kit for the wheel cylinders. Should've just bled the system like I planned. Has anyone else heard this hack and actually had it work, or did I just get Jerry's worst advice yet?

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brian303•6d ago

Switched to synthetic gear oil in my 69 Mustang, now I get it

Ran 30 weight in the rear diff for 15 years because that's what my dad swore by, but after a 90 degree day in Phoenix the whine got so loud I tried Valvoline synthetic 75W-140, and the trans shifted smoother than a new car, so what do you guys run in your older differentials?

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richardharris•7d ago

I had my brake fluid topped off for years and it was hiding a real problem

For the longest time I just had my mechanic top off the brake fluid whenever it looked low. Thought that was normal maintenance, you know? Turns out on my '72 El Camino the fluid was leaking past the master cylinder seal and into the booster, which is why the level kept dropping. What finally tipped me off was a wet spot behind the pedal bracket and a weird soft pedal feel after a long drive from Austin to San Antonio. I replaced the master cylinder and booster myself last weekend, took about 4 hours total. The old fluid was dark brown and smelled burnt, which I never would have noticed if I hadn't actually pulled it apart. Anyone else ever run a system this long without checking for leaks instead of just adding fluid?

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the_tara•9d ago

Gas stations quit blending ethanol-free around here, 10 years later my carb hates it

Back in 2013 every station in Tulsa had a pump for the good stuff, now I drive 40 minutes to one that still carries it. My 1972 Datsun's float bowls look like someone left a beer can in vinegar. Anyone else notice their local fuel options going to crap?

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jessicaramirez•11d ago

My FIL's old timing light beats my fancy digital one every time

I used to swear by my digital timing light with the built in tach, but after it gave me wrong readings on my 69 Chevelle three weekends in a row, I dug out the old Sears one my father in law left me. That old unit with the analog needle just works, no menus or batteries dying mid adjust. Am I the only one who thinks newer tools for old cars are more trouble than they're worth?

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anthony883•11d ago

finally picked a starter over a points conversion for my 65 Mustang

been fighting a hot start issue for like 2 weeks. my 65's original starter would click once then nothing after the engine got warm. local parts guy kept pushing a $240 mini high torque starter, but my uncle swore i should just rewire a stock one with a relay for like $60. i went with the cheap relay route after he showed me the wiring diagram on a napkin. took me a whole saturday but it cranks every time now even after sitting in 90 degree traffic. anyone else stick with stock parts way longer than they should just because they hate spending money?

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ben_lopez25•12d ago

Just realized my alternator was grounding out through the brake line

Last Tuesday I was chasing a dead battery on my '68 Cutlass in my shop outside Tulsa. I checked all the usual stuff, cables, connections, even pulled the alternator to bench test it and it passed fine. After 2 days of frustration I finally looked under the dash and found where the alternator bracket had worn through the insulation on a wire that was rubbing against the brake line. Replaced the wire with a proper grommet and relocated the bracket, battery charges fine now. Anyone else had a weird electrical gremlin turn out to be a simple physical rub?

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anderson.spencer•13d ago

Appreciation post: that old timing light I almost threw away

I was skeptical about using my dad's 1972 timing light, figured modern gear was better. But after 3 tries getting my V8 to idle right, that old light nailed the 12 degrees where my fancy digital one kept bouncing around. Anyone else trust the clunky vintage tools over the new stuff sometimes?

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anderson.spencer•13d ago

Six weeks on a simple brake line swap, what's your record for a 'quick fix'?

I got a '68 Mustang in my garage in Nashville, and the rear brake line rusted out. I figured one afternoon, maybe 4 hours max, right? Wrong. First the fittings were seized, then I snapped a bleed screw, then the replacement line from the parts store had the wrong flare angle. I ended up re-doing the whole rear axle hard line twice before I got it to stop leaking. Total time was six weeks of evenings and weekends, mostly because I kept ordering the wrong pre-bent lines. Has anyone else sunk way more time into what should be a half-day job, or am I just the unlucky one?

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skylergrant•14d ago

The freeway breakdown that made me ditch the points and condenser

I was driving my 1967 Mustang to a show in Tacoma back in May when she started sputtering at 65 mph. Pulled over on the shoulder, popped the hood, and the points had welded shut after only 800 miles. That was the second set in three months, both from the same parts store in Puyallup. I finally bought a Pertronix ignition kit for $110 and wired it in my driveway with the car up on ramps. Has anyone else made that switch and had trouble with the coil or wiring harness afterward?

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leor37•17d ago

Replaced my points with electronic ignition, still kinda miss the ritual

I ran points and a condenser in my 1967 Mustang for 15 years because I liked the weekly adjustment with the feeler gauge and the way it forced me to check the whole system. Finally switched to a Pertronix kit back in March after getting stranded twice on I-40 in Oklahoma City, and honestly it starts better but it feels too easy now. Does anyone else feel like modern upgrades take some of the 'caretaking' out of owning an old car, or am I just being nostalgic about something that never really worked that good anyway?

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matthewg63•21d ago

Heard a kid call my fuel injection pump a carburetor

Saturday at the Cars and Coffee in Dayton, this teenager pointed at my 1985 diesel Mercedes and asked how I kept the carb clean. I laughed but then realized he never saw a mechanical injection pump, let alone one with a primer lever. Anyone else had to explain old tech to a younger crowd, or am I just the old timer now?

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anthony_lane55•21d ago

Found out my 1968 F100's original points gap spec was for leaded gas, not unleaded

I was reading an old shop manual from 1967 at a swap meet in Ohio and it said the factory .016 gap assumed leaded fuel, which surprised me since I've been setting mine at .019 for years and wondering why it pings, anyone else run into old specs that don't translate to modern pump gas?

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umab86•23d ago

Brake fluid DOT 3 vs DOT 5 in my '69 Mustang, what a mess

Swapped to silicone DOT 5 last summer because a buddy swore it wouldn't eat paint, and now my master cylinder is weeping at the bench bleed port after 200 miles. I thought the stuff was supposed to be gentler on old seals, but I'm going back to DOT 3 and flushing everything twice. Anyone else battled silicone fluid creeping through fittings that were fine before?

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eric_price•24d ago

That advice about 50-weight oil in a 283 was dead wrong

My uncle swore by it for his '62 Impala, said the thicker oil fixed his lifter noise, but after 3 months the mains started knocking and I pulled a wiped bearing last weekend. Anyone else been handed old-school tips that wrecked their engine instead of saving it?

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rosek73•25d ago

Hit 100,000 miles in my 1972 Datsun 240Z, now I'm second guessing the original motor

Last Sunday I rolled past 100k on the odometer during a drive around Tacoma, and the car ran smooth the whole way. Some people say keeping the numbers matching L24 is everything for value, but I've been looking at a crate engine that would double the power for about $4,500. Is the bragging rights of that 100k milestone worth more than actual drivability, or am I crazy for even considering a swap?

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the_robin•25d ago

My $80 timing light sat in the garage for 3 years, now I use it every tuneup

I bought a decent timing light back in 2018 because a buddy swore by it, but I always trusted my ear to set the distributor. Last spring my '67 Mustang was pinging bad on 93 octane, so I finally hooked it up. Turns out I had the advance off by nearly 8 degrees, which explained the rough idle I'd been chasing for two seasons. Now I check the timing every oil change and I'm kicking myself for not using it sooner. Has anyone else been burned by trusting the old feel method over a basic tool like this?

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susan_nguyen•27d ago

Stop polishing chrome with the same rag you use for paint

Caught a guy at a car show last Saturday buffing his bumper with a rag that had compound residue all over it, that grit scratches the clear coat in seconds. I learned that after ruining a 1967 Mustang fender back in 2018, so how do you all keep your polishing cloths separated?

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nora_wells58•28d ago

Spent 3 years ignoring the fuel stabilizer crowd, then a clogged carb in Tucson changed my mind

I always thought fuel stabilizer was a gimmick. My 69 Mustang sat for about 6 months last winter and when I fired it up in March, it ran rough for 20 minutes then stalled. Pulled the carb and found green sludge in the float bowl. Had to soak everything and rebuild the needle valve. Cost me a Saturday and $40 in parts. Now I dump stabilizer in every time I park it for more than 2 weeks. Has anyone else had a bad storage experience that made you start using something you used to mock?

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the_mia•1mo ago

Spent $400 on a fuel pressure gauge kit and it paid for itself in one weekend

My 1972 C10 was coughing on hills and I kept swapping filters for weeks. Borrowed a buddy's gauge setup, found the pump was only pushing 3 psi instead of 6. Bought the kit from Summit, fixed the line, and now the truck pulls like new. Anyone else found a cheap tool that solved a mystery real fast?

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nathan_torres34•1mo ago

Paint shop in Reno left my fender with fish eyes, watch out

Dropped my 67 Mustang off at a shop off Kietzke Lane last month for a repaint. They did the job in 5 days, but when I picked it up, the clear coat had little craters all over the door. Turns out they skipped the wax and grease wipe down. Got a refund of $400 but now I gotta find someone else to strip and redo it. Has anyone else dealt with fish eyes from a rushed paint job, and did you fix it with a re-spray or wet sand first?

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pat719•1mo ago

Overheard a guy at the parts counter about valve lash and it hit me

I was picking up brake pads at Napa on Tuesday and this older guy was telling the clerk about his 1968 Mustang running rough at idle. Clerk said check the valve lash cold, not hot. I never even thought about that. I've been adjusting mine after a 20 minute warmup for years. Went home, measured at cold, all four exhaust valves were way too tight. Fired it up after and the ticking dropped right off. Anyone else been doing it hot this whole time and getting away with it?

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stella_lee•1mo ago

Bought a $300 radiator for my '68 Mustang, still overheating two months later

I swapped in a cheap aluminum radiator thinking it would fix the cooling issues, but it only dropped the temp by 5 degrees at idle. The core is too thin for the stock 289, and now I keep seeing hot spots after 20 minutes of driving. Anyone else wasted cash on a budget radiator and ended up going back to a copper one?

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