A Different kind of Tech session

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  • faustmb
    faustmb Senior Contributor
    nick s wrote:
    getting there is part of the fun.

    if you can't take a little snag in stride, this is definitely the wrong hobby.



    Well said Nick!
  • Clutchguy
    Clutchguy Senior Contributor
    Well,I think I have some real good info.I thought maybe I would have had more responses about various years and things that go with that.I will try and make a good tech session with some of the info.Looking forward to seeing everybody in Auburn at the 48th.HET meet.:)
  • dwardo99
    dwardo99 Expert Adviser
    Well, I like to carry a complete distributor. It's much easier to just pop a new distributor in than it is to change points or condenser on the roadside. You can't hardly do it wrong on the 6. I know the 8 is different. On long trips I carry a generator, voltage regulator, water pump, fan belt, headlight and taillight bulbs, fuses, wiring and wiring equipment, and or course, tools.
  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    You forgot the fuel pump!

    Geoff.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    I've been doing weddings in antique cars for 9 years now, and breakdowns can present a serious problem. If you break down on the way to a car show, big deal, arrive late and get the "Hard Luck" award. If you break down between a wedding and a reception, you're giving back $350-$600, you're dealing with a VERY IRATE bride, groom, parents of the bride or groom, or all of the above, and you just ruined someone's wedding day. THANKFULLY in 9 years of doing this, I have only arrived late once. I try to keep my Hudson in top shape, and I carry hand tools, points and condensor, cap and rotor, coil, length of #12 wire, butt connectors, zip ties, hose clamps, electrical tape, length of hose, battery & jumper cables OR jump box, jug of water, quart of oil, compact portable grease gun, hubcap wrench, bulbs, 20A AGC fuse (only fuse on the car), various bolts & nuts, wood screws, gasket maker, a length of 2" wide fiberglass exhaust wrap, fan belt, and a small funnel for putting gas in the 1/8" NPT plug on the vacuum tank - I think that's it. Most of this fits in a med. sized canvas tool bag in the trunk. This is all the stuff I'd want to change en route to a wedding. If I was driving to a National Meet or something, I would carry an axle shaft, generator, head gasket, maybe a distributor. I always have my AAA Gold card (300 miles free towing) and cell phone. I also have a pickup truck and access to two car trailers if I need to phone a friend to come get me.



    Happy Motoring!
  • Aaron D. IL
    Aaron D. IL Senior Contributor
    jamcoats wrote:
    I've been doing weddings in antique cars for 9 years now, and breakdowns can present a serious problem. If you break down on the way to a car show, big deal, arrive late and get the "Hard Luck" award. If you break down between a wedding and a reception, you're giving back $350-$600, you're dealing with a VERY IRATE bride, groom, parents of the bride or groom, or all of the above, and you just ruined someone's wedding day. THANKFULLY in 9 years of doing this, I have only arrived late once. I try to keep my Hudson in top shape, and I carry hand tools, points and condensor, cap and rotor, coil, length of #12 wire, butt connectors, zip ties, hose clamps, electrical tape, length of hose, battery & jumper cables OR jump box, jug of water, quart of oil, compact portable grease gun, hubcap wrench, bulbs, 20A AGC fuse (only fuse on the car), various bolts & nuts, wood screws, gasket maker, a length of 2" wide fiberglass exhaust wrap, fan belt, and a small funnel for putting gas in the 1/8" NPT plug on the vacuum tank - I think that's it. Most of this fits in a med. sized canvas tool bag in the trunk. This is all the stuff I'd want to change en route to a wedding. If I was driving to a National Meet or something, I would carry an axle shaft, generator, head gasket, maybe a distributor. I always have my AAA Gold card (300 miles free towing) and cell phone. I also have a pickup truck and access to two car trailers if I need to phone a friend to come get me.



    Happy Motoring!



    Hey Jam, I've been in the same line of work the last few years with a '54 Caddy Limo and a '74 Excalibre sedan and a '48 Windsor limo among other old cars and the owner of the company was kind of a slum-lord with the maintainance to say the least and I ended up fixing a lot of stuff myself cause he wasn't a car guy. Luckily for him he had more than one antique car and the Bride could be rescued if and when something did go wrong. Had another employee rush me a different car on 2 occasions. Heck of a way to run a circus. The owner even put on his contracts "we reserve the right to substitue cars" in case the one the bride chose broke down. I could've run the business better myself doing the exact opposite of everything this guy was doing. Was never a dull moment. LOL How do you press upon such people the need for routine maintainance?
  • dwardo99
    dwardo99 Expert Adviser
    You're right. Fuel pump is in there too. Leaves less room for luggage, for sure. Seriously, I'm very attracted to the idea of substituting AMC fuel pump, GM alternator, modern HEI distributor, etc. I've never had trouble with any of this stuff except the voltage regulator but you can't buy it on the road.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    dwardo99 wrote:
    You're right. Fuel pump is in there too. Leaves less room for luggage, for sure. Seriously, I'm very attracted to the idea of substituting AMC fuel pump, GM alternator, modern HEI distributor, etc. I've never had trouble with any of this stuff except the voltage regulator but you can't buy it on the road.



    you can be sure that if these parts had been available back in the day a lot of car owners would have switched to them . They would "modernize"back then as fast as technology allowed so why not now.
  • mars55
    mars55 Senior Contributor
    There was an interesting article in the October 2006 issue of Hemmings Classic Car magazine by Jim Richardson. In this article Mr Richardson bemoans new cars and how the owner cann't repair modern cars. In contrast he said you could fix a point system with some fine sandpaper, a worn dime, a matchbook and a plug wrench. Now you all want to replace all your owner repairable stuff with new unrepairable stuff. I think the big advantage to modern car systems is that they do not wear out like the old stuff. But I don't think it is much more reliable. So if your HEI dies on the road you are calling a tow truck, but with a point system you can fix it in fifteen minutes and be on your way.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    hmmmm....good point
  • junkcarfann
    junkcarfann Expert Adviser
    mars55 wrote:
    There was an interesting article in the October 2006 issue of Hemmings Classic Car magazine by Jim Richardson. In this article Mr Richardson bemoans new cars and how the owner cann't repair modern cars. In contrast he said you could fix a point system with some fine sandpaper, a worn dime, a matchbook and a plug wrench. Now you all want to replace all your owner repairable stuff with new unrepairable stuff. I think the big advantage to modern car systems is that they do not wear out like the old stuff. But I don't think it is much more reliable. So if your HEI dies on the road you are calling a tow truck, but with a point system you can fix it in fifteen minutes and be on your way.



    I respectfully disagree...there is a major difference between having an old car like a Hudson equipped with a modern Petronix system, and having a modern car that is totally computer-controlled and basically unfixable on the road.



    You can always change out the updated distributor for an original point and condenser one on the road, (or with another updated distributor, they are not prohibitibly expensive), but you are stranded if your modern car's ignition system fails.



    So, with the old car updated, you have the best of both worlds...You can have the benefits of the modern systems, and still fix it on the road if you carry the parts. But with the new cars, you are stuck when they fail.
  • Clutchguy
    Clutchguy Senior Contributor
    junkcarfann wrote:
    I respectfully disagree...there is a major difference between having an old car like a Hudson equipped with a modern Petronix system, and having a modern car that is totally computer-controlled and basically unfixable on the road.



    You can always change out the updated distributor for an original point and condenser one on the road, (or with another updated distributor, they are not prohibitibly expensive), but you are stranded if your modern car's ignition system fails.



    So, with the old car updated, you have the best of both worlds...You can have the benefits of the modern systems, and still fix it on the road if you carry the parts. But with the new cars, you are stuck when they fail.



    This is great.This really gives a different perspective of an update.I think that it depends on which system you use.I have seen some of the GM type conversions,which I think take up to much room to say the least[advance curve to much,coil in cap,vacuum adv.issues---,but I guess you could just pull one distributor,put the original back in.If you planned for this,it would already have some type of resistor in place to correct the 12v system.I think you can buy the 6v solid state system,but most are 12v.The petronix system would be,pull one and install another,Distributor lead would need to be on the replacement dist..
  • Clutchguy
    Clutchguy Senior Contributor
    Well,I just wanted to pull this up to the front.I am doing the final summary sheet on this tech session and didn't know if anyone wanted to add anything here.I thank everyone on the Forum for all the great ideas that have been placed here.There's nothing to small or to big when commenting about this thread.All info is a plus for more than just Hudson people.Thanks again for your participation.:D
  • hudsonguy
    hudsonguy Senior Contributor
    FWIW,



    When I take a long trip in my 'modernized' Hudson, I bring along spares of most anything I can fix along the way if necessary. For instance, on my car I've installed a modified Chrysler slant six electronic ignition, so I bring a spare distributor, ballast resistor and control module. I've got two fuel pumps (AMC mechanical and electric) on the car, so I don't bring an extra fuel pump. I also pack a spare coil, gasket set, fan belt, light bulbs, starter (although last time I installed my spare starter I discovered it only had one start left in it, so I still needed my HET roster that day!)



    Even though some of this stuff is 'readily available' at common parts houses, it's not as readily available as it is when it's in my trunk next to the tool box. Speaking of tools, I also bring along a small box packed with everything I can think of, along with a torque wrench, timing light, floor jack and jackstands. I can pack all of this into a couple of places in the trunk and still have lots of room for other things.



    The most important thing to bring along is a high level of confidence in your car in the first place. This can only be obtained by spending time, getting dirty and getting to know every system on the car intimately. The way I see it, if I'm packing along all of this extra stuff there's little chance I'll need it, but it puts your mind at ease knowing you should have it covered if you do have problems.
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