Partdoctor's Blog

I have 130,000 on my 2003 Monte Carlo SS so I decide it’s time to change plugs. The fuel economy dropped off by 2-3 miles per gallon.

First challenge:  find a  “reasonable” price for plugs. I found the best price on Amazon of all places. Rock Auto was also good.

The front three were fairly easy, once I got the boot off. The back three were a different story.

I disconnected the dog bone(s)  (struts) and pulled the car forward as much as I could and put a block of wood to hold it.

Now the bad news. I found something sharp pack there and had an “old faithful” of blood everywhere! The good news was that I didn’t require any stitches.

I did something I have never done–let someone else change plugs for me. I watched my friend at Warren Gear in Warren MI install the neatest tool and rock the motor further forward than I knew it would go. This gave a pretty good shot at the back three plugs.

As soon as I got home I found one on Amazon for $35.  It works like a scissor jack. It connects to both sides of where the strut would go. You turn the screw and the motor moves. You have to remember to put the car in neutral so you don’t damage the parking pall.

This is called a “GM Engine Moving Tool” . The supplier is “Thexton” and the part no. is 419X.  You can see the picture above.

I guess we’ll call it lessons learned. There is always something new to be learned!

I have a lumpy cam in my 74 Caprice Convertible wit the big block. The thing sounds cool but doesn’t make a lot of vacuum. (about 5″) I have installed a can to store vacuum but if I pump more than two or three times, I get the familiar  “hard brake pedal”.

From my days at GM, I remembered we had a factory vacuum pump to help with this issue.  Research told me that 84-86 Celebrity, 82 Cavalier and the Citation used this. The original part number is 22034995.

This pump is desirable because it has a pressure switch that allows it to turn on when you have less than 5″ of vacuum.

The bone yard route is an option. If you can’t find a working pump, you can at least get wires with the proper connector attached.

I wasn’t able to find one but I found a dealer that had one and I bit the bullet ($300) and bought it.

For reference, the connector is marked A,B,C,D.  A goes to12 volts positive, B goes to ignition 12 volts positive or a toggle switch if you choose, and D goes to ground.

I prefer hooking terminal B to ignition so I don’t have to remember to turn it on.

The original configuration has it tee’d into the vacuum line from the engine to the booster.

I still don’t have it mounted as I am in the process of fabricating brackets.

I have tried it in the garage and at idle it seems to work.

This is one solution to a common problem on performance cars.

I got involved in this project by default (cause I’m Dad)!

My oldest son asked me to take a ride to Huntsville, Alabama to retrieve this genuine 72 Maverick Grabber.  ( must have dropped him on his head–I’m a Chevy guy)

All kidding aside, the car was worth the trip. It was solid and needed a lot of work. The motor was tired with 90,000  miles on the clock but ran reasonably well.

The only rust we found was a small spot under the cowl. After drilling about 75 spotwelds and welding in a patch, coating the area with POR, the cowl was better than new!

Now the body. We trailered the car to Pennsylvania, a few miles from Pocono Raceway, to a friend and his wife who loved Mavericks and offered to do the finishing touches on the body and paint.

A month later we brought it home. This is where I got out of the project for awhile.

The next thing to go was the motor. We installed a fuel injected 302 from a previous project.

By now my son”s creative juices were working overtime! He modifies the heck out of the suspension, the brakes, and the interior. The final product is a unique, well done, functional work of automotive art.

I wish I could say he takes after the old man but he did most of the car on his own! 

If you are interested in seeing more photos,

look on http://www.maverickcomet.com

Back in 1990 I decided it was tine to go back to the drag strip after a hiatus due to raising my family. The only hot rod I had was my 4700  pound 74 Caprice Convertible.  It a small block 400, mild cam, single 4bbl carb. First time out it ran 16.9 @ 89 mph. I guess that’s all you can expect out of a big, heavy boat. I was still employed at the time and had occasion to chat with my buds at Delco Remy. They offered to curve my distributor for me. A few weeks later it was back to the track  Best time was 16.75 @ 91 mph. My friend Jack arrived with his full advanced timing light. Boy was I off! 54 degrees at 4000 rpm! With the timing where it belonged, it ran 16.0 @ 97 mph. Only problem, it stalled at the tall end. When I restarted it, there was a sound the reminded me of someone beating on a tin can with a hammer! New motor time! I bought an original LS6 (454 cid 450 hp out of the box) that had a broken piston and a messed up cylinder wall.  I had it bored .060 over so we now have a 468 cid. I traded a tired 350 for a dual quad intake and a pair of new, still in the box, LS6 heads. After a coat of Chevy orange, Big Red was born. Finally, after a lot of scrounging for odds and ends, Big Red was installed and running. Back to the track. Best time was 15.7 @ 99 mph. Now my problem was hooking, I spun the tires most of the way down the track. That was the last time I ran the 74 on the drag strip. She now has an easier life as a cruiser.

I actually started my Malibu project back in 1994. This is when I started collecting parts.

I first bought the body, minus engine and transmission. Then came the engine. My friend in Iowa was involved in the old Corvette Challenge series and had just totaled the race car. He then decided to get out fo the race business so I bought one of their backup engines. It came with the 90 Corvette tuned port intake.

Next came the transmission. I decided to go for an electronic trans out of a truck. I found a source in the Detroit area that handles new car take out parts. In other words, this company buys salvage parts from the big three. It took awhile but they finally got a 4L80E that I purchased.

Now that I have all this stuff, how do I make it work! I was in Indiana visiting my friend John Lingenfelter and he convinced me to get rid of the stock TPI and install what he called a “SuperRam” induction system that he had designed. Ok. Long story short, I decided to make a 383 stroker out of this so I brought the whole thing to Lingenfelter Performance Engineering and had the machine work done, including the “killer port” job on the heads.

Now the challenge–make this thing run. Installation was really a piece of cake. I decided to use the stock computer to control the engine and a diesel transmission controller to control the trans. (diesel uses a stand alone controller)

Here’s where the real fun starts. I started out using a 90 Corvette chip and a stock chip for the transmission.

In 1997 I had to travel to the LA area on business so I stopped to visit my buddy Steve Cole who owns TTS Power Systems. I soon realized had had another piece of my puzzle. From him I purchased engine and transmission tuning software.
Fast forward. The first time down the drag strip the car ran 14.20 @ 99 mph. After many chips, I finally got it to run 13.50 @ 102 mph. Much better!
Now the frustrating part. It’s new millenium and the damn car is going slower! Im pulling my hair out burning chips trying to get my 13′s back!

Finally, one day at the track, the car would not start so we had to push it on the trailer! Diagnostics revealed a failed coil! New coil and we’re running good again.

The last modification I made was to change the torque converter to a 3000 stall. My 60′ times went from 2.3 to 1.79! Final result, in October of this year the car went 12.77 @ 108mph! Now that’s where it should be. I know there is more to be had but I have run out of good weather here in MI.

Have you ever wondered why the gas prices go up and down for no particular reason? This is one of the more logical reasons. (I thought they raised prices just because they could)
The greates factor that affects the market is supply and demand. Oil is bought and sold by investors, traders and companies who use or make oil. On days when the demand is higher than the producers can provide, the price goes up. On days when more people are selling than buying, the price goes down.
Since most of the oil production is controlled by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), production can be reduced to bring prices up. OPEC had been able to keep the price of oil around $30 a barrel for the last decade.
Major events such as wars, recessions, extreme weather such as Hurricane Katrina and Middle Eastern political instability affect the prices significantly.
Oil has become a worldwide commodity so competition for this limited natural resource has become fierce. In other words, if a country like China has an increased demand, the price America pays goes up because there is less oil on the world market.
As you can see, there are multiple factors that cause a price increase at the pump.

One of the things I would like to do with this blog share some “known good” sources I have used over the years. We all need to buy replacement parts for our daily drivers and the favorite hot rod.

One of the things I would like to do with this blog share some “known good” sources I have used over the years. We all need to buy replacement parts for our daily drivers and the favorite hot rod.

Late last summer I found myself in need of an alternator for my ’03 Monte Carlo. After doing an online search I came up with a company called “Auto Parts Warehouse”. My local parts stores all wanted $200 or more. Auto Parts Warehouse wanted $104 with FREE SHIPPING! The alternator arrived in less than a week and fit perfectly. When they said “OE” replacement they weren’t kidding! I was so pleased that I bought one for my ’02 Yukon with the same results.

Fast forward to August. A week before the annual Woodward Cruise (I live in the Detroit, MI area) my ’74 Caprice convertible decided to puke a radiator. I bought a 4 row, all aluminum radiator for $200. It too fit like a glove. Bottom line, I will continue buying parts from Auto Parts Warehouse.

What is a hot rod? Like they say in the 2006 SEMA Hot Rod Industry Report (It can be found on the SEMA website or if you can’t find it, let me know & I’ll be glad to get you one), if you ask 10 different people you’ll get 10 different answers.
I guess my cars don’t exactly fit any of the definitions. My “cruiser” is a 1974 Caprice convertible (too new) complete with bored out (.060) LS6 big block, dual quads, 3000 stall converter and a 3:73-1 rear gear. This makes for a fun, tire smokin’, HOT ROD. Of course I get comments like “why” and my and my standard answer is “cause I can”.
My other car is a 1980 Malibu (also too new) I built this car for the drag strip! It has a fuel injected 383 cid V8 that started life in a 1990 Corvette. It also has a 4L80E electronic transmission out of a truck and a Ford 9″ from a 77 Lincoln Versaille. I burn my own chips for both the engine and the transmission. After taking a lot of teasing about “putting a carb on that thing and make it run” I recently ran a 12.77 @ 108 mph and suddenly my buds quit all the noise! I finally got some respect!
I guess you could call the Malibu a “rat rod”, kinda, sorta, cause it’s black primer.

I guess the bottom line is if you enjoy your toys who cares if it fits any definition!

I actually started my Malibu project back in 1994. This is when I started collecting parts. I first bought the body, minus engine and transmission. Then came the engine. My friend in Iowa was involved in the old Corvette Challenge series and had just totaled the race car. He then decided to get out fo the race business so I bought one of their backup engines. It came with the 90 Corvette tuned port intake.
Next came the transmission. I decided to go for an electronic trans out of a truck. I found a source in the Detroit area that handles new car take out parts. In other words, this company buys salvage parts from the big three. It took awhile but they finally got a 4L80E that I purchased.
Now that I have all this stuff, how do I make it work! I was in Indiana visiting my friend John Lingenfelter and he convinced me to get rid of the stock TPI and install what he called a “SuperRam” induction system that he had designed. Ok. Long story short, I decided to make a 383 stroker out of this so I brought the whole thing to Lingenfelter Performance Engineering and had the machine work done, including the “killer port” job on the heads.
Now the challenge–make this thing run. Installation was really a piece of cake. I decided to use the stock computer to control the engine and a diesel transmission controller to control the trans. (diesel uses a stand alone controller)
Here’s where the real fun starts. I started out using a 90 Corvette chip and a stock chip for the transmission.
In 1997 I had to travel to the LA area on business so I stopped to visit my buddy Steve Cole who owns TTS Power Systems. I soon realized had had another piece of my puzzle. From him I purchased engine and transmission tuning software.
Fast forward. The first time down the drag strip the car ran 14.20 @ 99 mph. After many chips, I finally got it to run 13.50 @ 102 mph. Much better!
Now the frustrating part. It’s new millenium and the damn car is going slower! Im pulling my hair out burning chips trying to get my 13′s back!
Finally, one day at the track, the car would not start so we had to push it on the trailer! Diagnostics revealed a failed coil! New coil and we’re running good again.
The last modification I made was to change thr torque converter to a 3000 stall. My 60′ times went from 2.3 to 1.79! Final result, in October of this year the car went 12.77 @ 108 mph! Now that’s where it should be. I know there is more to be had but I have run out of good weather here in MI.

I have tried about every car polish, rubbing compound and detailer known to man. As you will see, if you surf the partdoctor website, my favorite is Wizards.

The product that got me started was the Mist-N-Shine. Every year I attend the Detroit Autorama, a very large show for rods, customs and about anything you can imagine. About 15 years ago I ran in to a guy that was selling this stuff. Of course I had to try it.

This particualr year we had a 72 Firebird displayed in our booth to attract potential customers. I went over the car with Mist-N-Shine and suddenly the car became a magnet!! People could have cared less about the ring & pinion parts we were selling. I ended up spending the whole day answering questions about the car! I also noticed that we didn’t have to dust the car each morning like our neighbors had to. I was HOOKED!!!!

Where can I buy this stuff? I had a local guy that was selling it for about 3 years and then he moved away. That’s when I decided I should sell this product. (so I would have a good supply)

I had this 89 Cadillac Deville that looked a bit dingy. I used the Shine Master to polish it. This car saw nothing but the car wash all that winter and low and behold, in the spring, the water still beaded up! Shine Master won’t wash off — it has to wear off.

Another great product is the Metal Polish. If you have ever used “Neverdull” you know it doesn’t last long and you get fine scratches. As a test (and a demo) I polished a Coke can until the paint came of and the aluminum underneath looked like chrome!

Wizards has a product called “Vinyl Shine” that works great on interiors and tires. This stuff dries “dry” on your tires so they stay looking good a lot longer.

Bottom line is that I’m pumped about Wizards. If you are looking for a product that is superior to anything else on the market, give it a try.