About drjim

drjim

Nice to see the Celica's Final Act finally getting some love. These are great little cars, and I'd probably have one if my Supra hadn't fallen into my lap. - Jim

drjim

My Dad had a '69 Olds Delmont 88 that the dealer ordered with the wrong engine. Instead of the 455 2-bbl he wanted, he wound up with the 455 4-bbl/390HP, which required some optional equipment he wouldn't have ordered. He finally reach a deal over the price increase and bought the car. Yow, was it quick! I had a '69 Charger R/T at the time, and followed him up to the dealer once for a service appointment. I could barely keep up with Dad, and he kept pulling away from me. I had a ball borrowing "Dad's car", as it was quick enough to embarrass most pony cars, and quite a few muscle cars. By the time they realized you were "racing" them, they'd lost several car lengths, and the big Olds was really pouring it on by then. - Jim

drjim

I've always been "accepting" of all makes, even though I was your "Basic American Car Guy". I was much more of a Road Racer than Drag Racer back in the day, and was exposed to some very interesting cars due to that. Even though my current Project Car is a 1985 Toyota Celica Supra, I still revel in reading about all other cars, from Audi to ZiL. The one Hagerty article I read about the gentleman that now owns "Martha's" 1941 Chevy was excellent. The story of the remarkable young woman who picked it up at the factory in Michigan and drove it home to San Francisco was fascinating. As you allude to, people and cars are inextricably intertwined, and many times there's an extraordinary person behind a bland, average, "boring" car. I'm all for more of your continuing story, Larry. I like to see what problems you encounter, and how you solve them. Keep up the good work, and yowie, I wish I had a garage as nice as yours! - Jim

drjim

I love hearing stories like this. Well done, Rob! - Jim

drjim

I've always had a soft-spot for Corvairs, and almost got one for my "Retirement Project". The first two cars I ever drove were Corvairs, so the attachment to them is strong. Mom's first one was a '64 Monza, and after my sister was rear-ended in it, it was traded for a new '67 Monza. Both had the 110HP engine and a Powerglide, and weren't very fast, but they did teach me a lot about handling. A friend's older brother had a 140HP Monza with a 4-spd, and it would scoot around amazingly well. I think the replacement air cleaner and headers into true dual exhaust helped some, and I know he surprised quite a few musclecars. So get out that welder and get makin' some sparks! Get that baby back on the road and DRIVE it! - Jim

drjim

Damn, Jack, you keep getting better and better. Your story of your father's cars is very similar to mine, and for the same reasons....That's The Way It Was Done back then. My Dad wore out a car in the 60's about every 18 months. He was a Manufacturer's Representative (Bridgeport Milling Machines) who drove 35~45000 miles per year, and couldn't be caught dead driving a car that wasn't American Made. He moved from Chevy's to Oldsmobiles during his career, indicating what he felt was his place in the corporate structure. Pontiacs were too flashy, Buicks were for Doctors, and a Cadillac? Heavens, no, too ostentatious. And he had ONE Ford in his life, a 1960~61 Fairlane, and had nothing but trouble with it, so he went back to GM. Besides, everybody knew what's good for GM was good for the USA! Great article, thanks again! - Jim

drjim · ‎23-06-2021

That car had "Stance" before the term was invented. I remember it from old issues of HRM. It always struck me as the type of Hot Rod I'd build. - Jim

drjim · ‎17-06-2021

One of the Engineers I worked with at DirecTV in Long Beach had one. I never got a ride in it, but he said he really liked it. It had adequate range for him to use as a commuter car, and it fulfilled that role very well for him.

drjim · ‎16-06-2021

Yep. Some of my Supra buddies use them for their dailys.

drjim · ‎16-06-2021

You forgot "Rusted Away" for the MKII Supra. These cars can, and will, dissolve in front of you. - Jim

drjim · ‎07-06-2021

Aside from the "Inevitable Political Snarking By Commenters", this is quite a funny article. In fact, I think it's the best "What If?" you've done. I could nit-pick that RTG's don't produce steam to spin a turbine, but that would detract from the article. Ooops, guess I just did! Sorry, Jack, but the Engineer in me pops out at times..... - Jim

drjim · ‎31-05-2021

I haven't been to a boneyard in years, but took pretty much everything Sajeev mentioned. I used a kid's "stake bed" wagon that I put lawn tractor tires on; Harbor Freight didn't exist, so I made my own Boneyard Crawler. Whenever we had BIG stuff to do, another buddy came with his electric impact, and brought a small generator in another Radio Flyer. - Jim

drjim · ‎29-05-2021

I could swear I see *rust* on the rims of the 442 in your lead photograph. If it's not an artifact in the photo, it might explain the "low" selling price. - Jim

drjim · ‎29-05-2021

Well done, Sir! Been following this from the beginning, and happy to see it's come to fruition. - Jim

drjim · ‎29-04-2021

OK, didn't know about the nailheads getting swapped out for BBC's. All the start carts I ever saw had the nailheads.

drjim · ‎28-04-2021

L-88 engines used a flat-tappet cam, NOT a roller cam. The start carts for the SR-71 used Buick engines. - Jim

drjim · ‎28-04-2021

Good article, but one minor error. The RMS Queen Mary was no longer a "cruise ship" by 1980. She was permanently moored in Long Beach as a hotel in 1967.

drjim · ‎22-04-2021

"Twist The Driveshaft Like A Drill Bit".... I'm gonna remember that one! One of my neighbors has a MKIV. Pure stock, Super Deep Red, neat as a pin, and he babies it. My MKII will never have that kind of power, but I still love it.

drjim · ‎30-03-2021

Thanks for the link. I'll check it out.

drjim · ‎30-03-2021

Don't do that, Sajeev! We like reading about your automotive adventures. Nice looking MKIV. I don't recall you writing much about it. - Jim

drjim · ‎18-03-2021

"Nimitz Class"....HAH! Yeah, they sure were. I greatly prefer the 1968-69 Eldorados. The sharp-creased sheetmetal always looked both futuristic, and elegant. - Jim

drjim · ‎18-03-2021

Well done, Jack. This column and the comments/responses are among the best I've read here on Hagerty. I grew up in a semi-hicksvile, then spent 35 years in Lost Angeles. Now I'm living back in a semi-hicksville, and bought my first pick-up truck last summer. Ms. Schmitt and her ilk would not like me. And I don't care a hoot about it..... - Jim

drjim · ‎03-03-2021

Great story, Jack!

drjim · ‎03-03-2021

The "missing door trim" was a dealer-installed (or owner-installed) item. The car looks much better without it, but I'm sure it helped fend off a lot of door dings over the years. 8" snowflakes means it should be a WS-6, and I don't recall if you could get that package with the Olds engine or not. The "Z" in the VIN indicates a 400cid Pontiac. A "K" would have been the 403 Olds engine.

drjim · ‎24-02-2021

I never had to bore a hole in a silicone coupler before, but now I know how to! Thanks for the tips.....

drjim · ‎17-02-2021

Well done, Sajeev! The paint looks spectacular, and I can hardly wait to see Valentino when it's all back together! - Jim

drjim · ‎15-02-2021

The first car that took my breath away. I thought the XKE was pretty hot, and then the Miura came out..... - Jim

drjim · ‎10-02-2021

I'll bet the people on the Pontiac forums will go bonkers over this... - Jim

drjim · ‎01-02-2021

My Dad's last, new car was a '76 Bel Air, and man, was he kicking himself for not waiting another year!

drjim · ‎01-02-2021

If these are "flat tappet" lifters, then putting used lifters on a used cam lobe is asking for trouble..... - Jim

drjim · ‎26-01-2021

Whenever I take something apart to rebuild, I always get an "extra good feeling" when it comes apart easily. Good luck with your build! - Jim

drjim · ‎26-01-2021

Thank you for the analysis, Sajeev. I've always thought these were really classy cars, and my Dad, who was a huge fan of the Robert Conrad TV series "Cannon", loved them, too. - Jim

drjim · ‎21-01-2021

Anything on the radar for the Denver area? Please? - Jim

drjim · ‎21-01-2021

What year Q-Jets are these with leaking well plugs? Were they leaking "Back In The Day" when the carbs were new, or nowadays, after years of use and abuse? I've rebuilt probably a hundred Q-Jets from 1969 through 1980, and never once saw leaking plugs. I keep hearing "The Well Plugs Leak", but I've never seen it. When I was just getting started in this, I ruined a perfectly good Q-Jet body by trying to remove the factory plugs and install a kit "Just In Case". I'm not doubting you guys or anything, but I swear I've NEVER seen leaking well plugs. I know, this is an extremely popular "rant topic", but I'm not trying to start anything. I was either very lucky, or else the combination of gasoline and environment back in the 70's when I was doing this prevented it from happening.

drjim · ‎21-01-2021

Doggone it, the use of a decent WOOD block is clever. I've always gone bonkers trying to find the odd bit of scrap steel to use when I've done this, and ignored the right-sized pieces of hardwood I had left over from other projects. I'll never do that again! Thank you, sir! - Jim

drjim · ‎21-01-2021

I always loved the first generation Toronado, too. My Dad came *this close* to buying one after he retired, but he decided he didn't need a car that "flashy".

drjim · ‎21-01-2021

Back when I was doing this stuff (middle-to-late 1970's) we didn't call it the "rock of an eye". We called it the Killer Instinct. But that's not PC any longer. Great article, Jack. Keep 'em coming.

drjim · ‎20-01-2021

"But there is still something about an engine......" Wisdom for the ages, my friend. Great article, Sam. I always enjoy reading your articles, and this is one of your best. Almost as good as the one where your son has the flattened coins from one of your road trips. - Jim

drjim · ‎20-01-2021

R.I.P., Jerry. You fueled the dreams of an astounding number of people. I was living in San Pedro during Vector's time in Wilmington, and used to drive past the Vector building on a regular basis. Even got to see a car or two in front, but rarely. The closest I ever got to one was a few years later when I was living in Redondo Beach. The was a popular breakfast place along PCH, and I saw one parked there one Sunday morning as I was driving past. Did a U-turn, parked my car, and spent about 15 minutes walking around it. Really stunning to see one up close. I also saw an F-40 there during the same period, and did an extensive walk-around on that car too. I still think he was *this close* to hitting his goals. - Jim

drjim · ‎18-01-2021

"Throw away that QudraJet and put a Holley on it". The only thing "wrong" with a QuadaJet is that most people don't have a clue about how they work, or how to adjust them. And in 50+ years of working on them, I've NEVER seen the well plugs leak, so put away the JB Weld..... - Jim

drjim · ‎07-01-2021

The only one I'd be interested in is the Cougar, and even that's out of my "price range" by a factor of 5 or 6! - Jim

drjim · ‎06-01-2021

Oh, goodness....I sure would like that Nash! - Jim

drjim · ‎06-01-2021

I saw the Group 44 GT6+ race at Road America. Wonder if this is the same car I saw...? - Jim

drjim · ‎04-01-2021

I attended a Hagerty event at a "local" Ferrari restoration place, and was able to look at numerous engines being rebuilt. I learned a lot just looking at things like the porting in the cylinder heads and the bottom-end of the engines. Too bad all this COVID stuff pretty much shut down the Hagerty events, at least in this area. - Jim

drjim · ‎04-01-2021

Way to go, Rob!

drjim · ‎02-01-2021

My Dad's last new car was a 1976 version of this, the last of the "full size" cars before GM seriously redid them. Quite a boat, and he had it until he passed in 1991. It wound up going to my brother-in-law, who had always admired these big bruisers, and he passed it on to a son-in-law in about 2000 or so. - Jim

drjim · ‎01-01-2021

Well done! It's always a good feeling when I see a person actually finish a project of this magnitude.

drjim · ‎01-01-2021

I have to admit that I like the dashboard on it. I'd never buy one, but they're interesting to look at. - Jim

drjim · ‎28-12-2020

Hi, Rob I disagree about cut springs and coil bind. I've cut quite a few springs over the years, typically just a single coil, and I've always seen the as-installed distance between the coils increase. I've never seen, or felt, any signs of the coils binding. I've seen other people cut several turns off the springs, and that can definitely lead to some issues, usually with the spring coming out of it's pocket. - Jim

drjim · ‎27-12-2020

The first Citroen I ever saw was a DS in about 1961. I was 10 years old, a real Space Age Kid, and I thought it must have been powered by a turbine or something special. I as I got older and more into cars, I read about them, and was fascinated by how they did things. I'm still wowed by the styling and engineering, but sadly have never had a ride in one. - Jim