[Gator67]

Today I switched from ported to manifold for vacuum advance (bypassing the TVS switch/port altogether) to see if it would further reduce operating temperature in stop and go traffic. It did. I drove the car around the area for 45 minutes in the middle of the day (108 degrees) with the AC on full blast (temp inside the middle vent read 48 degrees). Lots of lights, stop signs, and some slow climbs. When I got home I pointed the IR temp gun at the thermostat housing while the car idled...it read 199 and stayed there for the next five minutes or so, creeping up to just 202. This is about 8-10 degrees cooler than before I made the change. Of course, with all the driving it could be that the engine is now more broken in. Regardless, the cooling and A/C systems are functioning well now.

[Gator67]

The car has been driven daily for the past couple weeks and no problems to speak of.

So I guess it's about time to start thinking about selling some of the parts I accumulated over the last year and a half. It's a good feeling to have spare parts available, but I have two other projects I need to fund and I'd love to consolidate my storage units. A few of you have pm'd me about stuff I have (extra 8264 carb, cruise control parts, gauges, deluxe wheel, etc.) but unfortunately, I went overboard and deleted most of my sent and received messages. If you sent me a pm or email asking about a part, let me know. I'll wait for a few days before I start a thread in the for sale section.

[Gator67]

Hagerty Insurance photographed my wife and her car for some print ads/promotional materials. We started out early before the sun came up, but it was an absolutely beautiful morning and we ended up having a lot of fun! Here's a shot I snapped from iPhone.

[Captainofiron]

Originally Posted by Gator67

Hagerty Insurance photographed my wife and her car for some print ads/promotional materials. We started out early before the sun came up, but it was an absolutely beautiful morning and we ended up having a lot of fun! Here's a shot I snapped from iPhone.

that is really cool!

[Greg Reid]

Yeah, I'll be looking for those pics. I have Hagerty insurance and I get those magazines every couple of months or so.

[Gator67]

Thanks Captain!

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

Yeah, I'll be looking for those pics. I have Hagerty insurance and I get those magazines every couple of months or so.

I don't believe the car will be featured in the magazine. Just ads in magazines and pamphlets like the ones they hand out at the big auctions.

They contacted me a couple weeks ago asking for photos of my GTO because they were considering it for some TV and print ads. I asked if they wanted some of the Firebird as well and they said no. I went ahead and sent one anyways. I'm glad I did because my wife had a really good time with it. Tomorrow is the GTO shoot, from dawn to dusk.

[Gator67]

Here's a link to one of the ads…

http://www.hagerty.com/yourstories

[Greg Reid]

The FB looks great in that ad. You and the missus or models?

[Gator67]

That's us

[grandam1979]

Thats a great pic car looks very nice. That would make a great Fathead for the shop.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by Gator67

That's us

That's a great photo and a great keepsake!

[Gator67]

Haven't updated this thread in a while. Just wanted to let you all know that the car is running great, and my wife really enjoys driving it. Here in Arizona now is the best time of year to be out in a convertible.

[428RA4]

Beautiful job~!

Reminds me exactly what my card used to look like before the accident and 2nd restoration.

[Greg Reid]

Great Photo!

[Gator67]

I can't believe it's been about 5.5 years since my last update. Over that time span, I've really had no issues with the car. It's been super reliable and has become the go to vehicle for weekend errands. My daughter, a junior, was going to drive it to prom, but of course, that got canceled due to the stay at home order.

Other than normal oil changes, I had to replaced a front brake cylinder, the transmission pan gasket, and the cruise control stalk switch. So no ongoing projects. Lately, however, I've been considering whether to address a few minor issues, each of which, unfortunately, will require quite a bit of effort.

First, I get a drip of engine oil after every couple drives. It accumulates and drips from where it would if the rear main were leaking, but it may not be coming from rear main or oil pan gasket. There's a little oil on the rear most manifold lug above the starter, near where the starter wire tube is attached, but I can't find the source of the oil--that valve cover gasket is dry. This one has me stumped. Also, it looks like there may be a little oil seeping from the rear of the RH valve cover gasket, but that valve cover bolt is impossible to get at because the AC suitcase and all those hoses are in the way.

Second, I'd like to be able to remove the two small puller fans we attached to the radiator to draw in more air across the radiator and condenser when the A/C is on. The set up works fine--car doesn't overheat, and the A/C functions well--however, I've always felt that this was kind of a band aid fix to keep the temperature from creeping up on really hot days in traffic with AC on. Not sure what the issue is. Wondering if advancing the cam slightly would help (or perhaps going with a slightly bigger cam)?

Third, I'm wondering whether a different torque converter would give the car a bit more pep. Given what the engine dyno indicated, the car has always felt more sluggish than it should, even with 3.08s.

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

First time i have viewed this thread.
That's a Very Great Car you have

Love the 68 400 cars , especially with deluxe interior and loaded with options.
Cruise Control was such a rarity back in those days.

Since you are working against extreme Arizona climate i would -
Run 160* thermostat.
Bypass the heater core completely to keep heat out of the HVAC box, and potentially get even better AC performance.
Or an in-line shut-off valve.

Maybe have the car dyno-tuned also.

I don't know if you can incorporate much more stall in a driver vehicle with 3.08 gears.

You could make contact with Cliff and see if your final cam specs/build/gear selection need a further calibration to the carb from the way he set it up originally.

Really nice car and i bet she loves that thing

[necdb3]

That color combination really makes that car POP! Beautiful.

[Gator67]

Thank you guys. Most likely I'll just live with these minor issues until there's a real need to pull things apart. It's not like I don't have other projects to finish, and 2 kids to put through college. Plus, these are non-issues to my wife--it's just me and my OCD! If we got another 5 years or so out of the car as is, I'd be pleased. At that point, given how we use the car, I'm sure it will need to be freshened up anyways. Who knows, when the time comes we may decide to go in a different direction with it. I doubt we'll ever make it a show piece, but I do think about how she looked originally with the teal top, no HO stripe, and white walls.

[Gator67]

Had the hood hinges rebuilt, and tried a bunch of different springs, but never quite got rid of the 6” droop. So after whacking my head this morning, I decided to switch out the springs with a set I had on hand from a 2nd gen f body—the 24 coil version. Bingo! I then took her out for a long drive with the top down. Weather is still great here. She’s such a nice cruiser!

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

Just in case anyone ever see's -or has seen in the past- a heavy option loaded 68 400 Automatic Convertible in Triple Turquoise , please let me know where it resides these days.

I passed on the car (too much $$$) in the late 80's when Big John Akes owned it briefly in High Point, NC.
It was all original down to the paint and the top. 60,000'ish miles.
It had about every option available, power everything, deluxe interior, even Bird Glass.
Looking back with better vision now - it was probably a PMD Brass Exec car.
Bound to still be alive somewhere

I couldn't afford it now either, just always wondered about it.