project 1951 Pontiac Chieftain

[320touring]

What sort of heat were you using temp wise?

 

I'd likely have to pull the lenses off the Oxford to try

[PhilA]

Ideal technique for a car I can think of..

Phil, you need to get this out n about asap, get the miles on it:)

 

Gotta make it safe first. Right now the brakes work but really need adjustment and as you saw, the wiring is just plain fire hazard.

The steering has more slack in it than I can justifiably press into use, too.

 

Working on it though.

 

Phil

[PhilA]

What sort of heat were you using temp wise?

I'd likely have to pull the lenses off the Oxford to try

Wafting the very hot air about 3" off the top of my blowtorch set to be a fairly low flame. Watch the reflection of light on the surface of the plastic from an oblique angle, you'll see it suddenly go almost jelly-like semi matte. Don't get the heat too close, and remember that the plastic holds that heat in for a long time. Once you see the surface change, back off a little with the heat and just continue to waft a little longer. If you see the surface begin to go cratered around the cracks, remove heat immediately and do not put more on until it has cooled thoroughly.

 

I would suggest the use of a heat gun if you have one, it's less aggressive than the heat from a flame.

 

I finished up with 1000 grit and soapy water, then 2500, then wiped it down and used plastic polish from the auto parts store (3M plastic polish works really well if you can find it).

Anything marked "headlight restoration" works well also.

 

Take care not to sand the numbers off.

 

Phil

[cort1977]

Great stuff Phil, every day's a school day.

 

You're working too hard on the lenses though, correct drill is wait till the missus is out, pop the lenses in the dishwasher, run the cycle then remove the evidence...

[320touring]

Gotta make it safe first. Right now the brakes work but really need adjustment and as you saw, the wiring is just plain fire hazard.

The steering has more slack in it than I can justifiably press into use, too.

 

Working on it though.

 

Phil

Boring;)

[PhilA]

Didn't want to wait for the dishwasher!

 

Selecting the left turn signal sometimes makes the flasher relay click. It doesn't make any lights flash so evidently the electricity is escaping somewhere.

 

 

Removed the silly headlight covers. Discovered in the process that someone has clipped the headlight holders to make them fit, and as such the lights wobble about.

 

 

The driver's side bezel is missing the little spring clip so it was held in with Sikaflex and a screw. Yay bodges!

 

Parking lights go off when you put the headlights on. I'm not sure if that was by design.

 

Also, it would appear that the factory wiring diagram is wrong (no, who'd have thought such a thing?!) When it comes to the indicators, as the front right appears to be original, and there's factory wiring loomed in for a 21/5W bulb in each front light.

 

As suspected, the wiring is.. crap and needs to be replaced.

 

Phil

[320touring]

I am considering fully rewiring ( all 2 fuses worth!) The Oxford.

 

What gauge of wiring is considered appropriate for an old tub like these things?

[vulgalour]

Won't the Chief be lucite rather than whatever the light lenses are made of?  I gather it's much harder to do anything with it once it starts to go, sadly.

[PhilA]

Really depends on what it's powering.

 

https://m.autoserviceprofessional.com/article/95608/electrical-wiring-basics

 

About halfway down the page is a rule-of-thumb guide for various car circuits.

 

I need to try find the Pontiac wiring colors- if I can't find them or they're stupid, it'll probably get BMC wiring colors instead because they're sensible.

 

Phil

[PhilA]

Won't the Chief be lucite rather than whatever the light lenses are made of?  I gather it's much harder to do anything with it once it starts to go, sadly.

I was concerned at the term "Lucite", but as it turns out that was just a trade name, like Perspex. Just a company name for polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA, or the garden variety name, acrylic).

 

Phil

[320touring]

Really depends on what it's powering.

 

https://m.autoserviceprofessional.com/article/95608/electrical-wiring-basics

 

About halfway down the page is a rule-of-thumb guide for various car circuits.

 

I need to try find the Pontiac wiring colors- if I can't find them or they're stupid, it'll probably get BMC wiring colors instead because they're sensible.

 

Phil

Glad I remembered your messing with waves n screens n stuff for the Renault:)

 

#itsallenergypixiestome

[PhilA]

I had my first "oh my goodness me, what the hell have I bought" moment earlier.

 

I was leaning over the side of the engine bay, staring at the valve chest covers, trying to figure how to get at them and also how to adjust the valves with the engine hot and running as per the manual because the manifolds are definitely in the way.

 

I'm glad I did, because I started to stare at the pipework for the carburetor. The old fuel pump, as previously mentioned is disconnected and an electric pump in its place.

 

I took a look at the yellow(ish) canister. It's definitely a vacuum tank. It's not connected to anything though, with a bolt stuffed into the end of one pipe.

 

I started to read the service manual. Although not explicit, it does show that the pump is a dual-function unit. It pumps for and it also pumps vacuum. There's a connection to the manifold, so I'm guessing it draws through from there when the engine has a vacuum in the manifold, and when it doesn't, the pump takes up the slack for the wipers so they don't stop under acceleration.

 

The yellow canister seems to be aftermarket? It doesn't fit the holder. The label is painted over so it's hard to tell.

 

Phil

[PhilA]

Parking lights go off with headlights by design.

 

How bizarre.

 

 

Phil

[Clanger]

If it ever becomes an issue I have had some success making my own lenses using this company...

https://www.alumilite.com/applications/automotive-restoration#prettyPhoto

[PhilA]

If it ever becomes an issue I have had some success making my own lenses using this company...

https://www.alumilite.com/applications/automotive-restoration#prettyPhoto

I hate to think of their prices, but thank you very much for the link. Bookmarked!

 

Phil

[Clanger]

It's a kit you buy and make your own.  I can't quite remember but I think it cost me somewhere around $75 for the resin, the dye and the silicon rubber for making a mould.

The lens on the left is the side marker from my Rover P6, the one on the right was my first go at making one

[PhilA]

The glove box was difficult to open. Took the lock out, applied a little silicone grease to the plunger and a dab of lithium grease on the hinge. I might put some powdered graphite into the lock as per manual specification, but the lock works ok.

 

 

Pushing the button now makes it spring open a little bit, enough to pull the door open.

 

 

 

I then decided to be brave.

 

 

 

 

I stuck a fridge magnet to every part of the lower edge of the wings, the doors- even the bit that Ray Charles painted on the rear door.

 

There's a few places of *domp* but mostly a good solid click where the magnet attached itself firmly to everywhere I placed it.

 

So, either the doors have been repaired or they aren't rusty.

 

 

 

 

Hahaha

 

 

Looks like they at least put steel back in.

 

 

Phil

 

 

Edit: On another positive note I found the door handle and window winder in the glovebox, plus a bag of trim clips and a printed service manual for the gearbox.

[somewhatfoolish]

So the door bottoms at least have some steel mesh in the wob?

[tooSavvy]

Parking lights go off with headlights by design.

How bizarre.

Phil

My 'Europe only' Toyota has 1/2 power headlights with the sidelights.. Then they go on full (dipped) and the sidelights stay on.

 

Its a specific 'm/y' thing....

[Guest Hooli]

My 'Europe only' Toyota has 1/2 power headlights with the sidelights.. Then they go on full (dipped) and the sidelights stay on.

 

Its a specific 'm/y' thing....

 

Dim-dip, was required by law for a few years I think.

 

My 1990 Disco had it too, easily fixed* by removing the big orange relay above the driver's right knee.

[PhilA]

Dim dip was a UK thing for a while.

 

I need to check see if it's allowable for the front sidelights to go off when the headlights are switched on. If not, then it'll be very simple to rewire so they stay on.

 

Phil

[PhilA]

Ah. That was straightforward. In 1967 the regulations changed. Before then you're allowed to have the parking lights go off on the front when the headlights are switched on; however apparently it's a cop favorite to pull over on "not working front lights" and attempt to ticket for it, even on vehicles that are exempt.

 

I think I'll bring it forward with the times and wire the front parking lights up to the tail light circuit so they stay on all the time. It's what people expect these days and to be frank, it doesn't look wrong either.

 

Phil

[Guest Hooli]

I would too just as separate sidelights always looks classy.

[hairnet]

madness

[PhilA]

Been going through the wiring diagram to make better sense of it. Whoever drew it had good intentions in terms of describing what's connected to what, but clarity? No.

 

I better understand the circuitry now so that's good. Next up will be pulling the dash to see how serviceable the old gauges are.

 

I think also, for sanity, the battery will be relocated to the boot.

 

Phil

[PhilA]

 

One thing down, many to go.

 

 

Phil

[PhilA]

Decided to fanny about with the gear selector indicator upon triumph of turn signals.

 

 

All undid, what a palaver to get it off, too!

 

 

Some random bits all stuck down in the grime of the mechanism.

 

 

Tweezers to the rescue. The little green circles that go behind the drive position symbols. Only found three. Guessing it should have four. Oh well.

 

 

Stripped it all completely down and cleaned and polished it up.

 

 

With a light behind, N, Dr, Lo have green and R is white. Figured that makes the best sense- the light illuminates the particular position it's in. Well, it would if there was electricity at the connector, the connector was not broken and the bulb wasn't blown.

 

 

All back in, all shiny and the color showing again.

 

 

Buffed up the rest of the brightwork being as I had the polish. Looking a little better.

 

Phil

[PhilA]

Oh and I found out why the brake lights don't work.

 

 

They aren't connected

[chompy_snake]

I am loving this thread.

That is either the loudest turn signal relay in the world or I'm hearing things!

[PhilA]

The flasher is bolted to the steering column, so the noise translates down into the steering box and chassis.

 

I'm content with the noise it makes. Inside the car is barely any louder and you can't hear it when the engine is running.

 

Phil