You better hope she dates a mechanic.
Lucus oil
- Thread starter Aspen7
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This is a list of the problems I'm currently aware of:
*It needs a new tail pipe. I have no idea why the previous owner had no problem driving it without one. I need to have that taken care of right away, before someone rides in the back seat & goes loopy on the fumes.
*There's a gas line in the rear end that drips a little gas for a short while after it's been driven. I got underneath & found where it's coming from. There's an old line about the size of an aquarium air tube which is attached to a metal elbow (remember, I know nothing about this, so my description probably sounds peculiar
) The gas is dripping from the end of the hose where it attaches to that elbow. I hope all that's needed is a new line.
*When it started raining this morning my daughter turned the windshield wipers on and we were unable to get them to turn off. Flipping the on & off switch back & forth a million times had no effect. I finally resorted to finding the connection under the hood, which I unplugged. I'll need to have that dealt with before my daughter finds herself pulling over in a down pour to pop the hood & plug it back in.
*The car will roll in park if the parking brake isn't set.
*The exterior looks fantastic but the interior needs a lot of fixing up. For now all my daughter can do is buy new seat covers and a dash cover.
*It needs a new tail pipe. I have no idea why the previous owner had no problem driving it without one. I need to have that taken care of right away, before someone rides in the back seat & goes loopy on the fumes.
*There's a gas line in the rear end that drips a little gas for a short while after it's been driven. I got underneath & found where it's coming from. There's an old line about the size of an aquarium air tube which is attached to a metal elbow (remember, I know nothing about this, so my description probably sounds peculiar
*When it started raining this morning my daughter turned the windshield wipers on and we were unable to get them to turn off. Flipping the on & off switch back & forth a million times had no effect. I finally resorted to finding the connection under the hood, which I unplugged. I'll need to have that dealt with before my daughter finds herself pulling over in a down pour to pop the hood & plug it back in.
*The car will roll in park if the parking brake isn't set.
*The exterior looks fantastic but the interior needs a lot of fixing up. For now all my daughter can do is buy new seat covers and a dash cover.
Originally Posted By: hounddog
You better hope she dates a mechanic.
That's exactly what I told her yesterday. As of yet neither of us have met anyone in our little town who is interesting enough to spend time with, but at least one of us needs to start looking for a guy who knows how to work on a '78 Camaro
You better hope she dates a mechanic.
That's exactly what I told her yesterday. As of yet neither of us have met anyone in our little town who is interesting enough to spend time with, but at least one of us needs to start looking for a guy who knows how to work on a '78 Camaro
Originally Posted By: ADFD1
Originally Posted By: buster
I would go to Walmart, and grab Rotella 5w40. I think it would be a good choice for a 78 Camaro.
That is exactly what my uncle ran in his 78 Camaro. Good choice of oil!
AD
That's what we're going to buy. You all have no idea how glad I am we got on this forum to inquire rather than blindly take the previous owners word.
Originally Posted By: buster
I would go to Walmart, and grab Rotella 5w40. I think it would be a good choice for a 78 Camaro.
That is exactly what my uncle ran in his 78 Camaro. Good choice of oil!
AD
That's what we're going to buy. You all have no idea how glad I am we got on this forum to inquire rather than blindly take the previous owners word.
I think it'll be a fun first car for her. It may seem like junk now, and maybe it always will be, but later on in life, she'll probably look back on that car quite fondley. My first car was a 71 Plymouth Scamp that my mom drove for 13years before I got it in '98. It was a rust bucket, but that old slant 6 just kept going, and it was so easy to work on. I always wanted something fancier when I had it, but I wish I had it now. They literally just don't build them like that anymore.
Originally Posted By: afoulk
I think it'll be a fun first car for her. It may seem like junk now, and maybe it always will be, but later on in life, she'll probably look back on that car quite fondley. My first car was a 71 Plymouth Scamp that my mom drove for 13years before I got it in '98. It was a rust bucket, but that old slant 6 just kept going, and it was so easy to work on. I always wanted something fancier when I had it, but I wish I had it now. They literally just don't build them like that anymore.
I think she'll look back on it as her first love!
I think it'll be a fun first car for her. It may seem like junk now, and maybe it always will be, but later on in life, she'll probably look back on that car quite fondley. My first car was a 71 Plymouth Scamp that my mom drove for 13years before I got it in '98. It was a rust bucket, but that old slant 6 just kept going, and it was so easy to work on. I always wanted something fancier when I had it, but I wish I had it now. They literally just don't build them like that anymore.
I think she'll look back on it as her first love!
Originally Posted By: Aspen7
This is a list of the problems I'm currently aware of:
*It needs a new tail pipe. I have no idea why the previous owner had no problem driving it without one. I need to have that taken care of right away, before someone rides in the back seat & goes loopy on the fumes.
*There's a gas line in the rear end that drips a little gas for a short while after it's been driven. I got underneath & found where it's coming from. There's an old line about the size of an aquarium air tube which is attached to a metal elbow (remember, I know nothing about this, so my description probably sounds peculiar
) The gas is dripping from the end of the hose where it attaches to that elbow. I hope all that's needed is a new line.
*When it started raining this morning my daughter turned the windshield wipers on and we were unable to get them to turn off. Flipping the on & off switch back & forth a million times had no effect. I finally resorted to finding the connection under the hood, which I unplugged. I'll need to have that dealt with before my daughter finds herself pulling over in a down pour to pop the hood & plug it back in.
*The car will roll in park if the parking brake isn't set.
*The exterior looks fantastic but the interior needs a lot of fixing up. For now all my daughter can do is buy new seat covers and a dash cover.
Wiper motor: probably just need a new wiper relay that doesn't stick internally. Shouldn't be very much cash.
Fuel drip: get fixed as soon as possible: fire hazard!!
Rolling in park: this sounds expensive.
Good luck, and welcome to BITOG.
This is a list of the problems I'm currently aware of:
*It needs a new tail pipe. I have no idea why the previous owner had no problem driving it without one. I need to have that taken care of right away, before someone rides in the back seat & goes loopy on the fumes.
*There's a gas line in the rear end that drips a little gas for a short while after it's been driven. I got underneath & found where it's coming from. There's an old line about the size of an aquarium air tube which is attached to a metal elbow (remember, I know nothing about this, so my description probably sounds peculiar
*When it started raining this morning my daughter turned the windshield wipers on and we were unable to get them to turn off. Flipping the on & off switch back & forth a million times had no effect. I finally resorted to finding the connection under the hood, which I unplugged. I'll need to have that dealt with before my daughter finds herself pulling over in a down pour to pop the hood & plug it back in.
*The car will roll in park if the parking brake isn't set.
*The exterior looks fantastic but the interior needs a lot of fixing up. For now all my daughter can do is buy new seat covers and a dash cover.
Wiper motor: probably just need a new wiper relay that doesn't stick internally. Shouldn't be very much cash.
Fuel drip: get fixed as soon as possible: fire hazard!!
Rolling in park: this sounds expensive.
Good luck, and welcome to BITOG.
Originally Posted By: Hethaerto
Rolling in park: this sounds expensive.
Could be just the floor shifter cable/linkage out of adjustment.
Rolling in park: this sounds expensive.
Could be just the floor shifter cable/linkage out of adjustment.
We appreciate all advise so thank you a whole bunch. My daughter pointed out one more thing I need to add to the list, which she just now discovered. She can turn on the car without using the key! All you have to do is turn the ignition and it starts right up, no key required. We live in a really small town but with the doors not having a key, we can't lock it and since a key isn't needed to turn over the engine....Well, I told my kids NOT to tell anyone they know about this. Any idea why it can turn over without a key?
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AWESOME car!!!!!! If it were mine,I`d use Valvoline or Pennzoil dino 10W40 and an AC/Delco oem oil filter. I`m also a member of the thick oil club here,and I`d probably run 20W50 if I had the car here in Texas. Not sure what your weather`s like there,though.
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Aspen7----welcome to the forum.
I can't advise WHY you can turn the ignition without the key but I can advise that this is common in Camaros---at least ones that I'm familiar with. My first car was a 87 Camaro with a 2.8 V6...not a "REAL" camaro in my opinion....but as others have said....your first car is something special. Congrats to your daughter---VenzaTRD
I can't advise WHY you can turn the ignition without the key but I can advise that this is common in Camaros---at least ones that I'm familiar with. My first car was a 87 Camaro with a 2.8 V6...not a "REAL" camaro in my opinion....but as others have said....your first car is something special. Congrats to your daughter---VenzaTRD
ignition switch lock is just wore out/broke,,simple remove and install a nother one from maybe a salvage car,get the key from the donor car and your golden
Originally Posted By: aquariuscsm
AWESOME car!!!!!! If it were mine,I`d use Valvoline or Pennzoil dino 10W40 and an AC/Delco oem oil filter. I`m also a member of the thick oil club here,and I`d probably run 20W50 if I had the car here in Texas. Not sure what your weather`s like there,though.
I'm in a lower elevation of the Colorado Rockies at 6,000 ft. Very cold & snow covered all winter, really hot & dry most of the summer.
AWESOME car!!!!!! If it were mine,I`d use Valvoline or Pennzoil dino 10W40 and an AC/Delco oem oil filter. I`m also a member of the thick oil club here,and I`d probably run 20W50 if I had the car here in Texas. Not sure what your weather`s like there,though.
I'm in a lower elevation of the Colorado Rockies at 6,000 ft. Very cold & snow covered all winter, really hot & dry most of the summer.
Originally Posted By: daman
ignition switch lock is just wore out/broke,,simple remove and install a nother one from maybe a salvage car,get the key from the donor car and your golden
The previous owner said he just installed a new steering column. It does look very new. I'm really puzzled.
ignition switch lock is just wore out/broke,,simple remove and install a nother one from maybe a salvage car,get the key from the donor car and your golden
The previous owner said he just installed a new steering column. It does look very new. I'm really puzzled.
Originally Posted By: Aspen7
The previous owner said he just installed a new steering column. It does look very new. I'm really puzzled.
I doubt if it's "New". Probly new to him from a junkyard.
Those colums have problems with the steering wheel getting sloppy. You can take the wheel off, turn signal stuff etc out and tighten the screws but taking those parts off is a pain.
Sounds like the tumblers where the key goes is worn out. The actual ignition switch is down the colum above the brake pedal.
Those cars had problems with the cable that goes from the shifter to the trans. Usually caused by missing ground straps.
When you shift the shifter you should see the ring behind the key move. If it does then it's still hooked up and can be shifted by turning the ring if the cable breaks so she won't be stranded somewhere.
Personally I'd run a 15w-40 oil in it in the summer and a 10w-30 in the winter..... Whatever color bottle you girls think is prettiest.
The previous owner said he just installed a new steering column. It does look very new. I'm really puzzled.
I doubt if it's "New". Probly new to him from a junkyard.
Those colums have problems with the steering wheel getting sloppy. You can take the wheel off, turn signal stuff etc out and tighten the screws but taking those parts off is a pain.
Sounds like the tumblers where the key goes is worn out. The actual ignition switch is down the colum above the brake pedal.
Those cars had problems with the cable that goes from the shifter to the trans. Usually caused by missing ground straps.
When you shift the shifter you should see the ring behind the key move. If it does then it's still hooked up and can be shifted by turning the ring if the cable breaks so she won't be stranded somewhere.
Personally I'd run a 15w-40 oil in it in the summer and a 10w-30 in the winter..... Whatever color bottle you girls think is prettiest.
Hahahaha!
As everyone said, you don't need Lucas. I suggest a 15w-40 diesel oil (Shell Rotella, Castrol Tection, or Mobil Delvac - I prefer Rotella). Diesel oil will work great in that year engine. 1975 to about 1982 was not very good for performance in the Chevy motors. There was a lot of smog junk (in California). The motors were not bad, they were just loaded down with hoses and wires to pass smog.
The ignition switch is easy to fix yourself. I think a switch is about $20 new from most auto-parts stores. I think you can use a paper clip to remove it, and then just slip in a replacement. (see book listed below)
The exhaust pipe should exit at the rear (bumper). If it stops anywhere before that, it will be very noisy with a dull drone inside the car that will anyone anyone with more than 3 brain cells.
Have the brakes checked by a professional. If the previous owner was a hack with the other mechanical items, your safety could be at risk.
I suggest you buy a Haynes manual and read it. Even if you don't repair the car, you will not be blind and at the mercy of a mechanic. This is the one for your car.
http://www.haynes.com/products/sfID1/3/sfID2/5/sfID3/17/productID/274
The ignition switch is easy to fix yourself. I think a switch is about $20 new from most auto-parts stores. I think you can use a paper clip to remove it, and then just slip in a replacement. (see book listed below)
The exhaust pipe should exit at the rear (bumper). If it stops anywhere before that, it will be very noisy with a dull drone inside the car that will anyone anyone with more than 3 brain cells.
Have the brakes checked by a professional. If the previous owner was a hack with the other mechanical items, your safety could be at risk.
I suggest you buy a Haynes manual and read it. Even if you don't repair the car, you will not be blind and at the mercy of a mechanic. This is the one for your car.
http://www.haynes.com/products/sfID1/3/sfID2/5/sfID3/17/productID/274
I forgot to mention, you can buy the Haynes book at most auto-parts stores.
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