About hearsedriver

hearsedriver

A successful business does evolve with the times. However, a successful business also understands their market and customers, and will deliver to those needs. Harley has done that. When Harley strayed outside the "norm" , those strays had a following, but not the mainstream Harley customer. If all motorcycle brands built the same cookie cutter type of engine and motorcycle, it would be a boring world. Motorcyclists are individuals and we like our choices. when my 43 WLC is restored, it will have that same uneven pulse idle as my 94 Evo decker, and i am going to love it.

hearsedriver · ‎19-06-2021

i recall seeing a couple fellows de-carbonizing their car engine as follows: drove up to the lake shore, engine is well up to temperature, one inside the car, the other with a small scoop for lake water..... air filter off, buddy revs the snot out of the engine, lake water buddy slowly pours water down the intake. all i could think of is if they poured the water in too fast, they could wind up bending a rod when when piston at high velocity meets almost in-compressible water volume in the combustion chamber. they stalled it a few times, put the air cleaner back on, and drove away.... yes i speak to machines all the time as well, not always nicely

hearsedriver · ‎19-06-2021

anyone looking at a classic vehicle and can only comment about pollution, is begging for, and deserves, a vulgar 2 word response which relates to sex and travel. at my age, my tolerance for the self entitled and arrogant among us has diminished to a negative number. i had a 1981 dodge "miser" pickup, 318, 4 on the floor, tall geared rear end that was rated for 29 mpg, no stupid computer. what do trucks today get?

hearsedriver · ‎22-05-2021

could someone advise Mr. Leno that one cause of hum in his radio, would be failed capacitors. if he gets a professional to go through the radio and replace the old electrolytic capacitors with new ceramic or other type, he will enjoy that radio. Mopar used very good quality radios back then.

hearsedriver · ‎15-03-2021

crap! forgot the fulton sunvisor, the oem wheel trim rings, and the clip on wider mirror in the interior, the oem mopar backup light......

hearsedriver · ‎15-03-2021

blue plastic breezies, light hoodies and bug/snow deflector for my 47 plymouth. also added the vacuum operated dash fan, and combination spotlight mirrors that clamp onto the doors and need no drilling to mount. mopar locking gas cap. mopar marked foglights. all items oem, or original 40', 50's items, no repops.

hearsedriver · ‎15-03-2021

i have already learned how to use my American lathes (Atlas) and crappy chinese milling machine. now it is on to electroplating. thankfully nothing i work on has major amounts of plastic (dash knobs, that's all folks) no you do not become calmer and more patient as you age. you find that your patience for modern stupidity diminishes to zero as you have less life left to waste on it.......

hearsedriver · ‎01-03-2021

my best was while walking past a 46 to 48 plymouth sedan, i spotted the hood ornament plastic insert in pristine condition laying on the package shelf. after scoring the parts i came for, presented my stuff to the yard owner, who oohed and awed over the insert and then told me $10 for everything..... not a salvage yard score, but at my local landfill on day and spotted a shiny glint in the mud. kicked the piece out and found a locking gas cap. after washing it off and researching it, discovered it was the correct Mopar marked cap for my 47 Plymouth. local locksmith keyed it for me.....

hearsedriver · ‎27-02-2021

my experience with an aerostar was a good one. drove it in northern ontario winter salted roads until rockers needed attention. lots of room, not a lick of mechanical issues. replaced it with a POS fairly new safari. it ate its engine because the intake gaskets and that dexcool crap could not get along. the power windows failed, would go down but not back up. had to fight with them constantly. less room inside than the aerostar, less balls on a hill, as well. was happy to see it leave the driveway with someone else.

hearsedriver · ‎27-02-2021

another slimeball practice that goes along with hiding information for repairs, is the practice of early obsolescence. farmers, and others, need to keep certain equipment for a long time in order to amortize the investment and not be forced to always be in debt. why should consumers be losing money constantly so manufacturers can profit? in order to absorb the costs of equipment, the price of the produced goods must cover those costs. having a capable machine sit dead just because some overpriced delicate piece of electronic crap cannot be repaired is plain wrong. when a crop needs to come off a field it needs to come off NOW, and not a few weeks later after a repair by the dealer

hearsedriver · ‎27-02-2021

a gentle trim on the corners of the razor blade may help prevent gouging. when you sand, may i suggest using the same technique as when restoring stainless? sand in a given grit in one direction only. when you switch to a finer grit, sand perpendicular to the previous direction, until scratches from previous grit are gone, then switch to next finer grade, back to original direction etc. until reaching that 1000 grit. lots of water is your friend..that technique should result in the least amount of sanding, and provide some indication of your actual progress.

hearsedriver · ‎27-02-2021

sorry but the word "classic" does not come to mind when viewing the range of modern some tone of grey shapeless lumps that have passed for automobiles since the 90's. i agree with your 3 choices, however, you need to have a PAPER copy of what the ODBII codes mean with you as well. a cell can be used to call for a tow or a buddy, but if you really go off road in the boonies cell coverage for your overpriced smart phone (and the therefore the internet) may not exist. i suggest sturdy footwear for the walk out to civilization......

hearsedriver · ‎04-02-2021

amen to the Robertson! invented by a Canadian in 1908, and superior to the p o s Phillips. i hate those things. when i do need to remove one i always either lean full body weight against the screwdriver or use an impact driver. it is unfortunate our good neighbours to the south have only recently learned of them, but unfortunately refer to them as "square drive" instead of the proper name Robertson. it is only a Robertson or a torx screw that will stay on a driver held horizontally or even vertically.

hearsedriver · ‎16-01-2021

just LS swap it? i don't think so. for lazy or non-visionary or fast performance folks fine. only buy NOS or USA parts? there is something to be said for that. try fitting made in china parts (eg sheet metal) on your vehicle, and be prepared to use a torch, sledge, and many bad words. NOS or OEM quality are best because they do something too much modern aftermarket stuff will not. nos and oem actually fit. its amazing!

hearsedriver · ‎05-01-2021

sacrilage! april 1st must be your day, LOL

hearsedriver · ‎05-01-2021

i have a stock 47 plymouth with the clear insert in the hood ornament. i found an original light kit for it, and wired it in with the low beam. very cool, just do it. i almost bought a desoto when i was a young teen. guy wanted $75 for it, desoto's face lit up at night.........dummy i was did not buy it........

hearsedriver · ‎10-12-2020

there is much more to the Avro Arrow story. in 1959 it was the most advanced interceptor in the world, would smoke anything the Brits, Russians, or Americans had at the time. it went "over budget" only because potential buyers backed out. then some idiot ordered the project not only shut down, but all documents, aircraft, tooling etc destroyed. the brains from AVRO went to NASA. the rest is history. read "storms of controversy" to know more.

hearsedriver · ‎08-12-2020

amen brother!

hearsedriver · ‎08-12-2020

i live in northern Ontario, and make trips to Toronto and area a couple times a year. i loathe parking, er, i mean "driving" in T.O. if you are not doing 120 km/hr, you get run over, leave a space in front of you, and some idiot kamikaze cuts in front on their way to a spot 2 lanes over. the don valley "parking lot", don't get me started. idiots on their cell phones, and yes they are in shock and awe at these 2 wheeled vehicles that show up when the snow disappears. after the inevitable crash, you can add the corrupt, fraudulent and extortion tactics of the towing companies

hearsedriver · ‎27-11-2020

i don't see (other than the model T) any blacked out models in the photos you present. all have either chrome or polished wheels, or some bright trim. blacked out is all black.

hearsedriver · ‎25-11-2020

if you build a tribute to a special car and try to pass it off as the real deal, you should be hung, drawn, and quartered. if you take a run of the mill car made in the tens of thousands and build your dream car to flog the snot out of it and have fun, by all means go for it, enjoy! but i cringe when some person asks if i am going to "ghost buster" my hearse. i am not an idiot, so no. why would i butcher one of them into a cartoon car? my 74 superior end loader is one of ONLY 611 made that year, and my 77 superior 3 way is one of ONLY 58, that's fifty eight, made that year. commercial chassis cars are hard to find, and the attrition rate, is high. all commercial chassis production for any given year, all makes, in total measures in the hundreds of units, not tens of thousands. but i still drive em. more freak outs and thumbs up per mile than you can shake a stick at

hearsedriver · ‎21-11-2020

garage junk drawers are an absolute must. stripped a brass fitting? don't toss it, it will (and has) become a bushing or spacer or.... after being turned up in the lathe. i cannot count the number of times some odd bit of junk has been repurposed in my shop. trashed tools become special tools.. pullers, deformed wrenches for tight spots, picks, tiny pry tools....

hearsedriver · ‎21-11-2020

i am not a fan of convertibles. meh....you want the open air experience? GET A MOTORCYCLE. i prefer coupes over rag tops, and 4 door sedans over 2 doors, as i prefer big yank tanks, and they just make more sense with 4 doors. i am a little different than other people though.......

hearsedriver · ‎20-11-2020

an electric chair for people who actually hack up rare cars........just kidding......but it is a fun mental exercise....could start with the manual crank generator from the old hand crank wall phones, surprising amount of juice out of those....

hearsedriver · ‎19-11-2020

always dodge, always ram, always 4x4, unless i use the hearse. lots of covered room in the back.......

hearsedriver · ‎11-11-2020

always well written Sam! another fun event on motorcycles is not broadcast anywhere i believe. go to you tube and watch "sons of speed". old riders, really old bikes, usually without brakes. motogp and other modern motorcycle racing all had their roots in dirt tracks and board track racers from the teens and 20's. yup, a bunch of old codgers on old bikes, no brakes, pushing 100 mph, grinning and giggling......

hearsedriver · ‎09-11-2020

the Duesy exudes class, opulence, and pure "gonads". the Delahaye curvy, almost sexy. but..... it has to be the Duesenberg. the first car i can say i lusted after, followed by a hearse. as for the "modern" stuff, meh, any dot com clown could buy one and not appreciate them for what they are. my choice, is of course, dictated by a love of simpler times and technology. you cannot have what we have today without the iterative process of design and materials evolution. oh well, champagne love on a Plymouth budget.

hearsedriver · ‎28-10-2020

which one? the Dodge power wagon, hands down. crawl through the boonies and cruise main street, not out of place in either location

hearsedriver · ‎21-10-2020

if you are going to get brand specific, what about the designer of the hemi? you know, the engine that put the ford's and chevy's on the trailer when used at Nascar? original design in the early 50's, still around now. got one in my ram 4x4

hearsedriver · ‎21-10-2020

i too started my interest in cars via models. built a crap load. me and my buddies would get together and trade parts. built AMT, Revel, Monogram and Jo-Han. the Jo-Han hearse kit was a favourite. i found that the lady from the king kong kit with some arm adjustment, was the right scale and size to fit in the casket. i was a "different" child. still am. i still have most of my 60's kits

hearsedriver · ‎19-10-2020

sam, many great suggestions. i started by getting my hands on an almost free 49 plymouth. with the use of a motors manual i tore that car apart bit by bit and reassembled it. i learned, a lot. get good tools, not chinese made, the only time you will need metric is if it is a modern vehicle. i do not believe corvair used metric fasteners. you may not find the car of your dreams immediately, but getting a modern cheap wreck to learn on would be very valuable. you may be able to pick something up at a salvage yard for scrap value, who knows. yes read, everything, voraciously! people often abandon "free" lawnmowers or other small engines at curbside. grab a couple, learn on them. they take up much less space in the garage, and are still a valuable learning resource. service manuals are often posted online. do not be scared away by potential expense. people often nibble away at a project for many years, spending money carefully and in the right places. learn to refurbish, and not replace.

hearsedriver · ‎17-10-2020

Sajeev, just saw this. i ALWAYS start a standard tranny vehicle with the clutch pedal on the floor, it was the way i learned to drive, thanks for info

hearsedriver · ‎17-10-2020

best American car? yes, big yes, hell yes! never seen one in the flesh, but some day.... do the museums include free drooling rags for us peasants who can only dream??

hearsedriver · ‎17-10-2020

i too have a box of trashed tools. any time i need a special wrench or tool i go digging in it. you dont have any trashed tools. go to a garage sale or auction. lots of homeowners buy crap tools, and they can be a good source as well. i have a small collection of one-off special made weirdly shaped wrenches, repurposed screwdrivers, special driver for that special fastener that retains the headlight switch in the dashboard, etc. too bad there is no way to post the odd photo by commentators. could be interesting to see some of what has been made.

hearsedriver · ‎17-10-2020

i have tried using sandwich bags as has been suggested, and for certain items, the only way to go. for lots of small stuff, not. at my age i have lots of empty pill bottles, plastic lids that lock. peel off the lable, and use painters tape to id contents (eg horn mount bolts), easier to search through than baggies. the other good suggestion i saw was to re-install the fasteners into whatever threaded holes they came out of, especially when they all have different lengths, eg a water pump mounting. PS anybody need pill bottles? LOL

hearsedriver · ‎05-10-2020

that is so ironic. i love looking at vintage photos like this. that is a 46 to 48 plymouth behind the ford, followed by a 50 plymouth and finally maybe a 50 cadillac? cool street scene, not just for the Dean factor. i wonder what the ford was hauling on the trailer?

hearsedriver · ‎05-10-2020

i have had people suggest contaminated fuel before, but always assumed with todays ethanol "contaminated" fuel, water would not be an issue. any idea why possibly faulty injectors would work well for several weeks and then not function correctly. the old girl does have over 345,600 kms on it. (thats 214,700 miles). would a computor from a 97 ram318 automatic work? i do have a good one of them.

hearsedriver · ‎28-09-2020

i am a mopar man, but must admit the C6 tranny is a great, dependable tranny. the wife drove a 78 mercury marquis one time. i decided to change the tranny fluid due to discolouration. drop the pan and find a small mound of aluminum shrapnel. no sign of where it came from. oh well, eh? button it back up, new filter and fluid and drove it until she rusted out. tranny never gave a sign of issues.

hearsedriver · ‎26-09-2020

vintage flat tappet engines need zinc in the oil or you will wear out the camshaft. period. by vintage, i refer to virtually all standard production auto engines prior to the 1980's. These older engines need certain additives which are no longer found in modern oils due to concerns for catalytic converters. Todays engines use roller tappets for reduced internal engine friction and slight improvements in mileage. https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2012/10/18/tech-101-zinc-in-oil-and-its-effects-on-older-engines https://www.motorists.org/blog/warning-if-you-have-an-older-vehicle-choose-your-oil-carefully/ note that the last linked article indicates that there is ONE only synthetic which contains zinc. All the others do not. The oils they suggest can be hard to find. I found this stuff easily: https://lucasoil.com/products/hot-rods-classic-cars/hot-rod-classic-car-10w-30-motor-oil that is what I run in my 74 superior, 77 superior and my 47 plymouth coupe.

hearsedriver · ‎23-09-2020

i live in the boonies. had a dodge half ton since 1984. pickups only make a statement when you personalize them. they are too handy for hauling stuff, including my 24 foot 1969 travelux trailer, furniture, junk, cool car stuff, basket case motorcycles etc. pipe for the well i hauled in my hearse, but the guy at the pipe shop refused to load it for me.....strange duck that one

hearsedriver · ‎16-09-2020

i would take the Packard. todays cars are, by and large, boring, ugly, grey shapless lumps in appearance. the Packard exudes class, and distinction, and can never make you look hard for it in a parking lot

hearsedriver · ‎08-09-2020

when the authorities "clean up", all they do is destroy history and opportunities. most "derelict" vehicles are still able to provide parts for other restorations. some, like that mopar on the cover, are a candidate for a full restoration. i live in unorganized township. we have no rules, and the last attempt to "organize" a municipality was met, according the news accounts, "by 200 angry shouting residents" at a meeting arranged by the government. thank God for small mercies.

hearsedriver · ‎05-09-2020

my 47 plymouth died on the way to st ignace usa car show on the side of I-75 near a sign that said "prison area, do not pick up hitchhikers". i had a nos points and condenser in it and an old coil. must be coil, right, as i had no spark. fortunately a young lady saw me run across the interstate to the opposite lane to hitchhike back to Sault usa and get a coil, gave me a ride to get it. started right up with new, made it 200 yards. after friend towed me to ignace, i spent way too much money on a multimeter to discover the NOS condenser had died after 40 years on the shelf. now a multimeter stays in EVERY vehicle we drive

hearsedriver · ‎01-09-2020

i dont care how much bling or features you put in an econobox or downsized car. it aint luxury. a plush leather closet is still a closet. i am somewhat opinionated though. owned a 68 new yorker, 75 towncar, and 88 deville over the years. you would not look stupid being chauffeured in one of those. my current big cars are hearses and you dont want to be chauffeured in one of them, though ROFL

hearsedriver · ‎31-08-2020

the 40's mopars are beautiful cars. they do not have the same following as the fords or chevys, and that is unfortunate. anyone who has ever driven these solid pieces of automotive history will immediately appreciate them. but then, i am not impartial as i own a Canadian made 47 Plymouth special deluxe club coupe. yes, thumbs up all the time. they are dependable as well. in the late 90,s i went on a 750 mile round trip with daughter and her hubby. they were driving a minivan with a problematic transmission. wife and i followed them in the 47 so we could pick them up if they broke down. the north shore of lake superior was the route, lots of big hills on that route.

hearsedriver · ‎31-08-2020

beautiful car. my folks had a 36 studebaker coupe with a bad starter when i was little. they would park the car at the top of the hill on our street. when they wanted to go somewhere they would pile my brother and i into the space behind the front seat, and mom and dad would push the car to get her rolling, jump in and turn the key. wish i had that car now. maroon fenders and battleship grey body. i do love my 47 plymouth coupe though.

hearsedriver · ‎22-08-2020

it is always good to purchase "soon to be" collectibles at the low time in their life value. back in 1973 i loaded up a full half ton of flathead Harley 45 engines, frames, etc several basket cases for $150. still have a running rat from that pile. restoring a WLC now from it. if only i would have had an extra $50 i could of also taken the Indian Scout engine and tranny laying under the bench.......sigh. so folks, you see an opportunity, grab it. if you think wife will object, just remember it is easier to beg forgiveness than get permission.....

hearsedriver · ‎17-08-2020

my rusty 1974 superior cadillac endloading hearse, complete with casket.

hearsedriver · ‎05-08-2020

one other item, very simple and very useful is a square. the most versatile would be the "combination" square which consists of a 12" steel rule, with adjustable position attachments providing, 90 deg, 45 deg, and adjustable protractor

hearsedriver · ‎14-07-2020

i saw one of these 30 years ago or so abandoned in a farmers field near my home, and thought it was just the coolest thing. unfortunately it disappeared from there some years later. you realize that after publishing this story, now everyone is gonna want one.....