Thursday, August 30, 2007

American Graffiti (1973) - Trailer

One of my favorite movies of all time.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

1965 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport


1965 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport


1965 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport

I love cars like this. I bit beat up and worn. Even has plain jane steel rims. Not all done up in the latest paint job. Be a nice cruiser. Overall decent shape. If it were mine I'd keep it like this. I'd rather have one like this than one with 10k paint job that your afraid to drive anywhere for fear of getting scratched.

Bob Lutz on GM quality

Though I like many makes and model's of automobile's I'm a GM guy at heart. Here Bob Lutz has a few words about the recent J.D. Powers reliabilty survey.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

2000 Chevrolet Impala LS oil change

Well it was time again for my 3000 mile oil change on my own Chevy Impala LS. Mine has the 3.8 V6 and now has just over 103000 miles on it.This could be a quick guide for someone who has a similar vehicle.

1.Lift the Vehicle. Some people use jack stands and floor jack but I use a pair of steel ramps in this case.
2. After driving the vehicle on the ramps I set the vehicle in "Park" and depress the emergency brake. I also put a set of steel wheel chocks behind the rear wheels to prevent rolling(as seen below).



3.I then proceed to draining the oil. I locate the oil pan underneath the engine. I place a drain pan underneath the drain plug. Using an 15mm socket on a 1/2" ratchet I proceed to loosen the drain plug. After the oil is drain I replace the drain plug.

4.I locate the Oil filter which is on the passenger side just on the inside of the passenger tire. I've heard of others when using jack stands will just turn the wheel to the right and be able to reach it. Since I'm on ramps I'm unable to do that but that may be a handy tip for those that can.

5. Using a strap type of filter wrench I loosen and remove old filter.

6. The new filter is the same as the last one which is an ACDelco Duraguard PF47 oil filter. I fill it little more than half way with new oil to prime the filter and then proceed to screw it back in place. I screw it on as tight as I can by hand and then maybe little more than 1/2 or 3/4 turn with a filter wrench.

7.Now on to replacing the oil. The recommended oil for this engine is 10W-30(5W-30 in extreme cold). I found a handy 5 quart container from AutoZone. This presented a minor problem because the engine only needs 4.5 quarts( half quart in filter). I purchased a handy funnel which was able to measure the oil before putting it in. It's a FloTool Measu-Funnel part # 10704. I'm sure ther are others available which do the same thing. It does require a steady hand when filling though as not to spill oil on the engine.

8. I Then replace the cap and were ready to roll. After backing off the ramps I give a quick check for leaks and recheck oil level.


Thanks for reading this much and hopefully you've found something useful.

Oil Filters for 2000 Chevrolet Impala LS, 3.8 liter V6

Brand

Part No.

ACDelco Duraguard

PF47

Bosch

3331

Bosch

72132

Fram

PH3387A

Fram Double Guard

DG3387A

Fram Tough Guard

TG3387A

Fram X2

XG3387A

WIX

51040

Mobil

M1-101

K&N

HP-1001

Valuecraft

V3387A


1951 Ford Fire Truck


1951 Ford Fire Truck
Originally uploaded by Bob Cutlass
This 1951 Ford Fire engine was spotted at Sam's Club Cruise Night in Seekonk Massachusetts. The engine is a former fire truck that served Foxboro, Massachusetts. This was the trucks owner explaining some older type equipment used by firefighters to a fascinated boy.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Friday, August 17, 2007

Grandfather with 1941 Oldsmobile

This is my Grandfather's 1941 Oldsmobile. I came across this photo going through some old family photo's and found this gem. This was photographed in Foxboro, Massachusetts at my great-grandparents house(now my mother's house). The photo is dated on the back August 1942. This is one of my favorite old family photo's.

1938 Buick


1938 Buick
Originally uploaded by dok1
Late afternoon sun on a car manufactured almost 70 years ago, as photographed at Portsmouth, Ohio.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Chevy Impala


chevy_rocket_ship
Originally uploaded by Luke H
I love these Chevy Impala tailfins. It's a nice shot and angle.

Chevy Pickup


Chevy Pickup
Originally uploaded by dok1
I these old Chevy trucks.

1950 Mercury


1950 Mercury
Originally uploaded by dok1
A beautiful 57 year old mercury.

Caddy Storage 2


Caddy Storage 2
Originally uploaded by Luke H
Some old Cadillacs in need of rescue in Iowa. So sad to see this.

VW Beetle


VW Beetle
Originally uploaded by mwalshhome
Love the perspective and , of course it's a Beetle.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Auto Maintenance Spreadsheet

I finally put down my maintenance record using Google Documents. Here's my amateur work here:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pDq_YyL7suIy7LTDGS9b-VQ



It's work in progress. Perhaps someone could use it as a guide or have some suggestions for improvement.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

1986 Chevrolet Camaro IROC-Z Z/28






I found this gem at the Sam's Club cruise today. It has an amazing 6880 original miles on it and looks as if it just came off the showroom floor. I've wanted one of these for the longest time since I was a teenager. Same colors too.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Summertime Blues

Summer is the time for trips to the beach or vacation getaway. Checking out your vehicle ahead of time can prevent a breakdown in the middle of nowhere with spouse and kids in tow hoping your cell phone battery doesn't die out and your auto club membership is up to date. I found a nice list at About.com that will help check out before the big trip. Two important items it overlooks and I'd like to add is to check your oil and transmission fluid. Happy motoring!

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

2000 Chevrolet Impala


2000 Chevrolet Impala
Originally uploaded by Bob Cutlass
Introducing my daily driver. It's a 2000 Chevrolet Impala LS with a 3.8 liter V6. This photo was taken shortly after first purchased about three years ago. It now has 102,000 miles (I started with about 52,000) on it and has been pretty dependable. It'll be the star of future "how-to's" on the blog as I do regular maintenance and repairs with it.

1970 VW Beetle Convertible


1970 VW Beetle Convertible
Originally uploaded by Bob Cutlass
This bug was spotted at a local cruise night at the A&W in Greenville(Smithfield), Rhode Island. This was actually taken last year sometime. It(the photo) turned out to be one of my favorites.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

1938 Buick Century


1938 Buick Century
Originally uploaded by Bob Cutlass
Just a beautiful 1938 Buick Century spotted at a local cruise night. Sure don't build them like this anymore.

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Observations: Driving Me Crazy

I thought this was a pet peeve only local to Rhode Island but I guess not. What is it? People traveling in passing lane on the the highway not passing but being passed themselves.

Observations: Driving Me Crazy