Chomping at the bit!

[NoCar340]

I got my Imperial back! :eusa_dance:

OK, not physically, as it's currently trapped in the back of a pole building behind about 9,000 other cars and a 7'-high snowbank, but it's paid and I have the title in-hand. The guy who had it sold it back to me for what he paid, so it essentially turned out to be a two-year interest-free loan, during which the car sat the entire time essentially as collateral. The guy also tipped me off to a few more parts cars of the J-body persuasion; when the weather improves I'll go on tour and get some pictures for you interested types (windshields, anyone?). Pricing will likely be pretty reasonable, since around these parts you can't hardly give these cars away.

I can't wait to get the old girl home. There's much to be done, but having it here will definitely be a swift kick in the motivational pants. I have almost everything I need for the 360 swap and a few bits left to collect for the EFI setup. I've got to hit the yards and find an 8.75" axle housing and shafts and I've got a ton of interior work to do (Texas car--almost everything's shot). Gawd, this is just making the cabin fever that much worse! The garage beckons! Single digits be gone!
:BangHead:

 

[Jack Meoff]

Large congrats!!
I impatiently await updates......

 

[NoCar340]

I don't think I'll get it here for at least another month, really. It's not even supposed to hit double digits for the next 10 days or so, which means the snow's going nowhere. Now I can at least really concentrate on what needs to be gathered and accomplished for the swap.

Anyone got a four-speed floor tunnel taking up space? :icon_biggrin:

 

[slant6billy]

Funny how that goes. I've bought 3 cars back from people I sold them to. One, I paid more, but work had been done. The second, I bought back at a slight discount. The last, I broke even. I thought about a web site for car guys going through bad times and needing to part ways with their cars, but it occurred to me how that could get exploited quickly by flippers and greed.

 

[72Dodge]

Congrats! Is there a user name change in the works? lol You seem to live in the land of windshields, let's hope some of those pan out too, you seem to be starting a good luck streak!

 

[NoCar340]

I think I'll stick with the same handle so as to avoid any unnecessary confusion.

I don't know for sure that I live in the land of windshield, but for those guys needing quarter end caps, they simply don't seem to degrade here for some reason. There could be some pairs of those available, and I do know at least one car is an LS, still carrying the front fascia. I'm really anxious for spring to get here now, as I'm sure you can imagine.

 

[Jack Meoff]

I'm anxious as well.....
I went to visit my cars on Sunday just to say hi.....
Can't take them out in this city wide salt lick so I just go visit.
I want this blasted winter to end.....
I miss car season.

 

[72Dodge]

Oh, I was just kidding about the potential username change. Looking forward to seeing this Imperial.

I'm more than anxious to get back to the cars. Not sure which to work on first, the Dart or the Mirada... probably the Mirada, then when I hit a stopping point due to needing more parts, the Dart. Definitely will be a busy summer with the cars.

 

[Jack Meoff]

Oh, I was just kidding about the potential username change. Looking forward to seeing this Imperial.

I'm more than anxious to get back to the cars. Not sure which to work on first, the Dart or the Mirada... probably the Mirada, then when I hit a stopping point due to needing more parts, the Dart. Definitely will be a busy summer with the cars.

I hear that.....three cars all staring at me saying "me first"
Will be a busy car season indeed.....AND I CAN'T FREAKIN' WAIT!!!! :toothy12:

 

[NoCar340]

A couple of sneak-preview shots... interior stuff, so I can remember what it once looked like. Seats? Buh-bye! Cluster? See ya! Column and wheel? Fare thee well! Texas had her way with much of the interior, so a lot if it will be repaired/replaced, but the items mentioned would be gone if they were perfect (although the cluster has no asterisk). Speaking of the cluster, has anyone ever dealt with a cluster hiss? It's the darnest thing. The car can sit for a year without being started, and when you open the door it sounds like there's a huge vacuum leak! I never concerned myself with it because the intention was always to ax the cluster, but the guy who's storing it mentioned it, and he was just as puzzled as I.

Anyhow...

 

[jasperjacko]

Hiss? Texas? Snake? AHHHHHHH!

 

[Jack Meoff]

It makes a vacuum noise when the key's not on?

 

[NoCar340]

Jasper... good thinking, except the car's been in the frozen north for about 15 years now. I think the snake died. :icon_biggrin:

Yep, Capt. It's loud, too. Like I said, the car can sit for a month or more without the engine being run, and not possibly have vacuum still in the system of which I can think. Open the door, and "Sssssssssssssss..." Close the door, it stops. Open the door again, "Ssssssssssssss..." The cluster works perfectly, there's no smell of hot electronics, nothing wrong, just the hissing. Perhaps I'll determine the cause when the cluster comes out. It's really strange.

 

[My imp]

Possible headlight relay. Close the door switch, grab the relay, then open the door switch.

 

[My imp]

If needed, I have spare clusters

 

[NoCar340]

This isn't an electrical sound, it's a definitely vacuum. Absolutely a hiss, not a sizzle. Being that there's no headlamp activity involved, and it's a purely electrical setup that doesn't use vacuum, I can't imagine why it would cause any noise. It's a perplexing problem to both the other guy and myself.

I'm not really concerned about the cluster since I'm not going to be using the digital setup anyhow, I'm just curious. I'll figure it out when I rip the dash apart. It doesn't seem to be affecting anything, since the car runs great and the plugs are exactly what you'd want to see. Like I said, it's just odd.

 

[My imp]

No, I know the sound. It's not quite like a door buzzer going bad, but almost a similar bzzzzzz. If it only does it when you open the door, the headlight switch powers the dash cluster when the door is open. The only thing that changes when you open, or close the door, is that the cluster is powered up with the courtesy lamps.

 

[NoCar340]

I'll have to record it when I get the car home. It doesn't sound like any buzz or electrical noise I've ever heard, but it's definitely a plausible explanation.

 

[My imp]

Baby farts through a tin horn?

 

[tim berry]

good luck with the imp project . as far as the beautiful plastic a thought came to mind as I was fueling interior parts for my 91 dodge p.u. that maybe after the epoxy is cured, sand out the repair with coarse paper maybe( 100 grit ) then prime and use the wrinkle paint and then paint the parts what ever color you need I bet( haven't tried it yet ) it would be a pretty invisible repair just a thought