OCI and oil for new (to me) driving style

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Originally Posted By: SS1970chrysler
I took the Riv to work last night. Didn't have any issues other than none of the little vacuum doors in the heater box work properly. I'll putz with that another time. Filled it up before leaving and filled upon return. Averaged a combined 16mpg tentatively, so it's right in the middle between Granada and the Chrysler as I figured. I'll dump the oil in about 1k to get any floating gasket pieces out that I may have missed/knocked loose. I'll be running it once a week or so.



So glad to hear that it ran good for you. Not bad for siting 15 years right? I cant believe that carb doesnt need a rebuild though.
 
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What oil will you use in the Riv?

The 30wt you use in the Granada will work here as well!

Any UOA's planned on the Riv? Maybe not the first one, but maybe one at the end of the summer?
 
Originally Posted By: lexus114

So glad to hear that it ran good for you. Not bad for siting 15 years right? I cant believe that carb doesnt need a rebuild though.

Registration and inspection expired in '97 and last receipts in the car from work date to '96, so it definitely slept a long while.
That's a chance I took as I have a good carb here for it if it was needed. This car was mothballed when MTBE was still being used. That was more metal friendly than ethanol or methanol. My last one of these, a '73 got 12 and 18 mpg before E10 was out. This one's a lighter car and geared more for efficiency, but loaded with smog junk, so it's about the same. My '73 was junked in '07.

Originally Posted By: addyguy
What oil will you use in the Riv?

The 30wt you use in the Granada will work here as well!

Any UOA's planned on the Riv? Maybe not the first one, but maybe one at the end of the summer?

Didn't plan on any as it's just an old car at 94k miles, so it may be nearly dead already. Best I ever got from one of these engines was 132k.
Most likely 15w-40, 30w, or even 10w-30 HDEO. The old "rope-seals" used on these are not very good with modern oils that shear a lot. It really depends on how much I'll use it and on leakage.
 
Riv: Repaired heater assembly and actually have good heat and working selector. Heater control valve works fine to close, but needs help to open. Otherwise, it only needs a toggle switch for the fan. Currently always on at one speed.
Ride quality is much better than the Granada, but level of control isn't as high. May need better front tires as they could be causing the "floaty" feel.
Granada @56k: so far only about 1/4 qt has vanished with the 50/50 mix of 30w and 10w-30 in it currently after 1k.
 
Just a though:

On the Granada, have you ever tried running it right to the 'add oil' line on the dipstick, and leaving it there to see if consumption stops?

Some engines consume less oil if there is a bit less in them - if you leave them 1 quart low, consumption goes down.
 
While I'd be curious to see, I'm far too conscientious to do that. I'd be checking it twice a day by that point even though the car will have outlived its' usefulness to me by August.
I did notice that it got it's best mileage when 1/2 to 3/4 qt low on the stick.
The hunt for better DD begins this month...
 
Originally Posted By: SS1970chrysler
While I'd be curious to see, I'm far too conscientious to do that. I'd be checking it twice a day by that point even though the car will have outlived its' usefulness to me by August.
I did notice that it got it's best mileage when 1/2 to 3/4 qt low on the stick.
The hunt for better DD begins this month...



You`v got one, The Buick. Be careful how many times you pop the hood on that ole Grenada. You`ll be buying a hood release cable for it soon.
grin.gif
 
Anything particularly wrong with the Granada?

I agree that if you really just don't want to drive it, just move to the Buick. Yeah, it doesn't get as good of mileage, but the ownership cost on it is sooo low, it more than makes up for it.
 
The Granada is just too rough on my back when it's cold. Not much heat and none of the weatherstripping is working anymore. The roads are so bad around here that I just can't run something like that for long drives much. it actually sounds like body parts are going to shake off of the car.
If no one at work buys it, I'll decide between renewing the registration for one last winter or junking it. At a cost of $100 per week, I can drive much better things. (though harder to work on)I'm also getting tired of being followed and pulled over on a weekly basis on my way home. I would think the police have bigger fish to catch than a car not capable of more than 80mph.
The Buick is going to stay as a spare, at least until I get some better tires. I just don't like driving it at higher speeds and don't trust it much currently. It's fine around town, but just not right on banked turns. If it sits a few days, it cranks slow enough that I'm not sure it'll start. I've just unplugged the clock today to see if that helps. Even my old '62 drives and handles better, also more reliable.
I want to believe the tires are the biggest issue along with the turbulence in the Hazelton area. Soon I'll be getting moved to 3rd shift as the shift leader from 3rd is now in jail for kidnapping related charges.
 
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If I could drive the Buick to the highway and somehow magically teleport into the Granada at speed and teleport back on the way home, I'd have the best of both. The Granada now gives the sounds of having broken off shocks, but doesn't have any broken or bad ones. It's gotten only worse since it was hit on Christmas. My inspection mechanic only stickered it because he couldn't find what was doing it and begged me to get rid of it by next year. Even at 5mph driving into the garage he thought a ball joint was about to let loose. All joints, bushings, and shocks were replaced early last year or were still good. All that leaves is the springs which I'd never get that additional value back from the car.
frown.gif

Maybe I'll get one of those future cars like a 90's Lincoln since they seem to be just about free these days. I can't rationalize paying more $ for less of a car. I can run something that uses technology now since I have something I understand as a backup.
Looking back, I've had 4 other cars on the same platform as the Riviera: 2 '85 [censored], '85 Delta 88, and '82 Coupe DeVille. Really thinking about it, all 4 drove badly but seemed really good to me because of the junk I was used to at the time back in the 90's. Problem is the last cars that looked like a car to me were made in '89 or so.
frown.gif
The newer the car, the worse I am at driving it so the slower I must go. I have trouble with cars that I can't see the ends of because they all slope down too much anymore.
 
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Originally Posted By: addyguy
A newer Crown Vic/Grand Marquis would be a great highway ride for you.

Some things I'm still comfortable fixing:
83-87 Fox-body LTD w/3.8 v6
83-87 T-bird/Cougar w/3.8 v6
82-89 5th Ave/Diplomat/Gran Fury
84-89 panther cars (though I don't like 302's, the 5.0 roller version was good) later bodies were just ugly, but useable.
86-91 Lesabre/Park Avenue/ D88/98R though I would go as high as 96, the squared ones were still easy to fix

Historically, I've avoided Mercury as there are laws about releasing it into the environment.
wink.gif
 
Originally Posted By: SS1970chrysler
83-87 Fox-body LTD w/3.8 v6


If you want seats that are easy on your body, that's your first and last answer right there. For all the grumbling I did about my 1983 mid-size LTD, the bucket seats were phenomenally comfortable. I could drive for hours and hours without the least bit of discomfort. Nothing I've driven since has come close.
 
Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: SS1970chrysler
83-87 Fox-body LTD w/3.8 v6


If you want seats that are easy on your body, that's your first and last answer right there. For all the grumbling I did about my 1983 mid-size LTD, the bucket seats were phenomenally comfortable. I could drive for hours and hours without the least bit of discomfort. Nothing I've driven since has come close.

I had an '84 LTD Brougham. great car until trans died. Never found another one still intact. I did have to change the "dog bone" every 2-3 years, but no other troubles. I remember it "hated" Exxon Superflo for some reason.
I've got time to look and see what I can find.
I was going to take the Riv today, but it won't start.
frown.gif
I'll get it going, but still far from trusting it yet. I believe I got a bad battery as a replacement.
 
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Originally Posted By: SS1970chrysler
I had an '84 LTD Brougham. great car until trans died. Never found another one still intact.


Heck, I bought an '84 Marquis just to transfer and retrofit the seats to my F-150. That didn't happen, since I ended up giving the car (which was still in serviceable condition) to a buddy who was down in his luck. He ended up blowing the head gasket and overheating it. He could overheat an air cooled snowblower in -40 weather, though.
 
Went out to jumpstart the Riv today, didn't work. Replaced battery and it worked once. Starter wouldn't stop cranking until I was able to unhook a battery cable. Replaced starter. That works.
This one stays on "spare duty" and hopefully, I won't need it much. If even the new parts I buy have to be redone, there's no hope. When I do use it, minimal idling and keep moving are essential as the back of the engine leaks so much oil it seems to be on fire.
 
Granada 56.2k- oil level staying pretty constant for now. Rear leaf springs definitely would need rebuilding. Car height in rear has dropped nearly 2 inches above tire when tank is near full.
Here's the funny part: It's noisy and shaky on city streets, but once on the highway, the handling is actually good now. Even better in the wind than it was.
confused.gif
 
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Have been denied by 4 "antique car insurance" companies in a row now because my daily drivers are too old.
frown.gif

They clearly ignore the fact that all cars that break are statistically much more likely to be newer than mine.
wink.gif

I could rationalize that if I had only one DD, but I did take the extra step in having backups.
 
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