Grease Monkey. (More on the resurrection of the Mark).

photo source: the manual.com
Honest work can result in dirty hands, no embarrassment here.

If the name fits, own it. I do. This is not about the glory work. It's about the tedious dirty, messy work.

The Doctor will see you!

There are some very dirty jobs that have to be done to complete a project. It's hard to keep the garage clean during these operations. It's also hard to keep my hands clean. I always make it a point to wear gloves, as I don't enjoy having greasy dirt under my fingernails or staining my hands and fingers. I also have plenty of water less hand cleaner available.

I don't consider grease stained hands as a badge of honor.

A very simple but useful tool.

I had previously made a special tool to allow me to use a hand held grease gun to force the seized wheel cylinder pistons out. It was just a bolt that fit into the hydraulic hose port, and was drilled to hold a grease fitting. A couple of other bolts were used to block off the output fluid port. I was using a newly purchased grease gun from Harbor Freight. It can generate 4,500 lbs. of pressure.

A vise comes in handy.

There was a problem when I hooked up the grease gun to the rear wheel cylinders. These have two opposing pistons, when I initially applied pressure only one of the pistons broke free and began moving. That was what I wanted but how was I going to break the opposing piston free if the other one popped out? The answer was to restrain the loosened piston with a pretty cobbled up looking set up. I used two clamps to restrain one piston at a time. It looks kind of goofy but it turned out to be quite effective. I'll come up with something better next time.

I actually used two clamps but one fell off before I could snap the picture.

That square plate covers the handbrake actuator mechanism. There's a cam and roller set up inside that expands the side arms when the central cable connection is pulled on. It's a system unlike anything that I've ever seen. I had previously disassembled the handbrake actuator and done a preliminary clean up. Now I cleaned up the components on my shop grinder's wire wheel.

Now it's the brake master cylinder's turn.

Feeling pretty jazzed at this point, I dove into the master cylinders. I decided to work on the brake master cylinder first. I removed the lock ring that also held the push rod to the assembly and shot some Kroil onto the piston cup. Then I screwed my grease fitting plug into the intake port and found a bolt that would  sort of fit into the output port. After a few pumps I watched as the piston began creeping into view. That was really easy. Cleaning out all that grease won't be.

The clutch master goes next.

The clutch master cylinder was just as easy.

I was impressed by how easy it was.

The slave cylinder was the easiest of all. There wasn't even a lock ring to remove.

Now I was really on a roll.

I still had the left front wheel cylinders to do. I hadn't gotten around to them in the first round. They yielded quickly to the power of the grease gun.

It had been so frustrating trying to use a hydraulic press.

After disassembly the biggest job is to clean out all the grease. It takes a few rounds to remove the bulk of the grease and progressively clean it with degreaser and finally with brake cleaner. There can't be any traces of grease left or it will contaminate the brake fluid and possibly cause the brake seals and piston seals to soften and swell.


After I disassembled the rear brake cylinders I was about to reach for my drill powered hone when I realized that these were made of aluminum. I couldn't run a three stone hone through them without causing more damage than benefit. So I decided to use a ball of  fine steel wool which I pushed back and forth through the bore using various devices lubricated by Kroil.


Even if the bores are a little out of round I think that the rubber piston seals should be able to compensate for that condition, for awhile, at least. Instead of lasting for 40 thousand miles they might wear and start to leak in 10-15 thousand miles. Who knows? As long as they last for awhile. How many miles would I be likely to put on this car anyway?

Probably the best restoration magazine out there.

Back when I was a subscriber to the restoration magazine, "Skinned Knuckles" there was a featured contributor Bob Harmon, from out in rural Colorado.  He documented the "restorations" of various cars over the years. I use quotation marks because his methods were not like the currently favored method of complete disassembly followed by complete replacement, refurbishment and renewal. He would just fix what the car needed. If he found that the car had a leak in the radiator, he would fix the leak, if possible. If that wouldn't work, he would replace the radiator, hopefully with a good used one. He would generally put a new brake seal kit in, he'd replace linings and hoses if it was necessary. If not, bolt it up and get it on the road. If a car had been sitting for a long time or if there were rust holes in the oil pan he would pull the pan, clean it out, weld up the holes, and clean the oil pump pick up. Oh, he might wiggle the rods to see if there was a lot of play. If he saw evidence of  metal in the sludge he might pull a rod or main cap to see what the bearings looked like. If not, onward and upward!


I am not disparaging the man's methods. He was "fixing up" an old car. Oftentimes the job required bodywork, painting and even reupholstery. But he only did what the car needed. I've recently been asked if I'm going to "restore"  this Mark VII. "You know, get it painted, redo the interior" people will ask.  That's the term that they know from the TV shows. I always answer that with, "I'm just going to fix it up a bit. We'll see."

I'm just going to do what the car needs, and does it need a lot!

American Pickers? What's my take on the show?

photo source: the show
Mike and Frank are like old friends

This has been a very popular show for quite a long time, and there are a lot of reasons for this. It can connect with lot's of different people's interests on different levels.

First of all, it's all about the stuff.

Mostly common everyday stuff, things that we may have grown up with, or at least been exposed to, while at our Gramma's house. Probably even stuff that we once had, but threw away.

It's significant that I can watch this show with my Wife, who can find something interesting on display though she has no interest in cars, motorcycles or old machinery. They usually showcase plenty of other stuff.

She does have a real interest in "antiquey" furniture and "thing -a- ma-bobs," as well as "shabby chic."

On the other hand, I do have an interest in old cars, motorcycles, old machinery, and furniture.

They do turn up a lot of cool old cars and motorcycles.

It is of course, staged and scripted. They only have an hour to present their story. How many times have you spent hours driving to a distant swap meet or antique fair, spent another several hours walking through the event, and left without finding anything worth buying? Nobody is going to want to watch that! So they condense it into an interesting narrative.

I was a something of a "picker" (small p!)  myself for a while. I went around buying Datsun parts hordes and old parts cars from guys that had decided that enough was enough. They were ready to get rid of it all.

I used to run a swap meet used car parts business. I would go through club newsletter classifieds and forum listings. My main hunting ground was the Internet via Craig's List. There was a lot of driving around and looking through stuff. Even a little wheeling and dealing.


So, what are my problems with the show?

Well, the biggest problem is that it's giving people an inflated idea of their junk's value.

Everyone now thinks that their junk is worth a fortune. We're talking about regular old junk. Beat up, broken, rehashed old crap.

Just because something is old and rare doesn't mean that it is valuable. Lot's of time the reason that things are rare, is because they weren't that popular when they were new. Or they were so shoddily built that they all fell apart and were trashed after a short lifespan.

Even with items that are actually rare and sought after, it's CONDITION that is a huge factor in it's valuation.

Take cars for example.

There are certain vehicles, like American muscle cars, that have risen in value rapidly and substantially over the last two decades. These connect with the personal histories and dreams of a large number of car guys. And, some of these guys are now in a position to pay big bucks for what they want.

Even though certain cars will bring huge prices at Barrett Jackson, it doesn't mean every six cylinder Mustang coupe is worth a fortune. Only certain years and body styles, fastbacks and convertibles. Specific performance models like early GTs, Mach Ones and the Bosses.

Condition is paramount. The most desirable find is a well preserved and maintained original. A properly restored example is next in line. Further down is a worn but complete original. A beat up, hacked up and poorly modified example of a desirable car is worth much less. A ordinary run of the mill version in a less desirable body style is valued even less.

The problem is that the seller is often convinced that since a Boss 302 sold for 75,000 dollars at the big auction, he can't afford to sell you his beater six cylinder coupe for a couple of grand. It's got to be worth more. Right? So the car will continue to sit neglected in the yard until it crumbles into a pile of rust.

Is the show fake?

Isn't every TV show fake? Does that keep me from watching it? No, of course not. It's entertainment.

Another hit show on the History Channel, is Pawnstars.

photo source: the show

Does anyone remember that Chumley was the name of Tennessee Tuxedo's walrus sidekick?

photo source" the show
You never know who will become the "break out" star!

Vintage and collectible items are brought into the store and their importance and value are discussed. Generally the persons bringing the things in want to sell their items. This is where we as viewers get an education in their history and significance. Also of their value. This is the aspect that makes the show so interesting. This is also where outside experts are brought in. Some of these experts have been spun off into shows of their own.

Some intense bargaining can take place. One thing that is abundantly clear is that the store cannot buy an item unless they think that they can make a profit on it's sale. Generally they can only pay from one third, to one half of the retail price. When I was a swap meet vendor, the rule was that you generally sold an item for three times the purchase price.

One third to the seller, one third to overhead and expenses, and one third as profit. Of course the bonus of being a picker is that you often acquire items well below their value. Really below their value, oftentimes even free! The seller's circumstances have a lot to do with how motivated they are to deal. Sometimes they are under enormous pressure to clear out a property or building. If they fail to meet the deadline, they will have to pay for the expense of clearing out and disposal. So they are highly motivated. This is when you make your money and it makes being in the business worth all the hassle.

It also could be interpreted as taking advantage of someone's desperate situation, ignorance, and even gullibility. This aspect reared it's ugly head early in American Picker's run. A few of their picks were seen as taking advantage of unsuspecting older folks. There was quite a bit of vitriol on the Internet for a while. Since then, the Pickers have been very careful to advise the seller of the fair value of the item and make an appropriate offer. Good rating are more important than a good deal.

Back to the pawn shop.

At least the items are presented one at a time. There isn't the overwhelming sensory overload of looking at a building stuffed to the rafters.

They do evaluate and buy cars and motorcycles. When they have a question they call in the "Kount."

photo source: the show

Another History Channel show, but this one is completely dedicated to cars. This show is a direct spin off of Pawnstars as Danny " The Kount" was featured as an automotive expert.

From what I've read, the featured shop is an actual working shop. Who are all those guys that are shown working on cars in the staging and background shots? They are the guys that do the actual work in the shop, as the business is quite busy with several builds taking place simultaneously. Since they are not the "personalities" they don't get any air time. Do you really think that "Horney Mike" would be a productive employee?

Their featured customers always seem to be pretty free spending. During their discussions about the restoration and modification of their vehicles price is never mentioned. Which is probably a good thing.

It's fun to see the guys cruising the back streets of Las Vegas looking for their next big automotive score. Besides lot's of nice cars parked in garages and driveways in front of the house, there are those gathering dust in side yards and hidden behind other running cars. The guys contact the owners, schmooze them a bit, then make their move. It is true that every owner has their price. I know that they could buy any of my cars with just a decent offer! Like most car guys I'm perpetually ready to move on to another project.


When they try to flip a car on the show, it seems that the price asked is always much more realistic to market pricing.

I guess the free spending fantasy is more satisfying to viewers. I could just be biased since I'm such a cheapskate.

Of course there are hit shows on other networks, Storage War$ for example.

Photo source: the show
Who would think that buying junk could be cool?

I had my own real life experience with "Storage War$."


My Wife and I were on an antiques hunt in Healdsburg, north of Santa Rosa. Besides visiting different antique shops and thrift stores we found ourselves at the huge Salvation Army compound that featured several different stores as well as residential facilities. We learned that was an auction on Saturday morning. We showed up bright and early. They were auctioning off groupings of items referred to as "lots." Prior to the start of the auction buyers get to walk around and check out the merchandise. We fell into a group led by a bidder that could have passed for "Dave" in the program. He strutted around sizing up the prospects for  desirability and profitability. He pointed to a lot containing several bicycles and said " With bikes it's either good clean kiddies bikes or solid ten speeds, the other kinds just aren't moving. Passing by a pile of electronics he stated "Stereos and stuff are too complicated and they usually don't work right. Better to buy them individually and be sure of what you get." Well, that did make a lot of sense. There was a bin full of different phone chargers and A/C adapters and he surmised that. "I can get five dollars apiece all day long for phone chargers, A/C adapters can be hit or miss."

Obviously the man was in his element, and thanks to the show, he was enjoying his moment of glory. Who knows how long he's waited for it, or how long it will last!

Later that summer, my Wife and I were staying at a motel in Newport Beach and it turned out to be right next to "Dave's" store! We went inside to check it out and it was just like some of the background and staging shots. There wasn't any sign of Dave or any indication that the store had any affiliation with the show.

I stumbled across the "Now and Again" thrift store in an Orange California shopping center on another trip down south. It was located a couple of doors down from the Bookman, the used book store that I was actually looking for.

Jarrod and his wife were not there. However there were life size photo cut outs of them placed on display in the store.

There have been several articles written that reveal that the show is staged. That's not surprising. I've spent several years involved with renting public storage spaces for my business. From what I've seen, it would be hard to make an interesting program out of the average daily goings on. Most of the units are just filled with crap.

One of the positive things that these shows have done is to educate the public on the value of preserving and appreciating vintage items. Now maybe I don't seem so peculiar to my neighbors. For all they know I could be sitting on a gold mine!

Is it two weeks yet?

Back up in the air, again. Note the downward slope of the driveway,
it's not an optical illusion.

Sometimes you just have to do the work, at least that what I tell myself. There's no other way it's going to get fixed without me crawling around underneath and sticking my hands up into it's greasy bits. There was quite a bit of crawling around covered in the last installment, and I can still feel  that in my aching joints. I haven't started rebuilding the rear wheel cylinders yet. I figured that I would remove the rest of the hydraulics and do the work in the comfort of my garage.

Always use redundant support systems.

The driveway is pretty steep, enough that having the car roll forward while being jacked up is a real hazard. It important to have the wheels on the opposite end well chocked. The ramps are quite useful in that they keep the under  the car space open. You can even have the ramps pointed towards the front, which opens it up even more. I never drive the car up the ramps, I jack the car up and place them under the wheels. They were backed up with an additional pair of jack stands and the floor jack. I had adequate, but not excessive room to work underneath.

This is where the clutch master cylinder lives.

Removing these components meant wriggling under the car on my back, I haven't used a creeper in many years.  That just requires raising the car up another four inches. I really don't like raising the car more than I have to. Especially while it's facing downhill in the driveway.

Stick your hands up in there. it's as much fun as it looks.

Those flex pipes are for the exhaust.

This is the clutch slave cylinder, pretty easy to reach.

The guts of the hydraulics laid out for dissection.

That reservoir at the top of the tray is for the brake fluid. It's actually made of glass, I wouldn't have guessed, it was pretty dirty. Directly below it is the brake master cylinder, the brake light switch is built into the back. What just looks like an old can of brake fluid is actually the original clutch fluid reservoir. Underneath the brake m/c is the clutch m/c. To the left of that is the clutch slave cylinder. This set up is much like the one in my old Datsun 280Z.

It doesn't look much better close up.

Just as a side note I found out that the glass brake reservoir was also used for several years on the Bentley Continental. Probably on most Bentleys and Rollers of the era, since it is part of the Girling brake system. I'll grab whatever connection to glory that I can!


There's going to be quite a bit of disassembling to do. I was successful using the grease gun method before, so I hope to have similar results. I will have to flush and clean the reservoirs and blow out the brake lines with compressed air. It's going to be a messy job!

My life on the Riviera, Part Two; A change in orientation. A major lapse of judgement.

This placard has hung on my garage wall for years. I was the first entry in that year's  ROA's  National
get together car show.  I got plenty of quizzical looks.

I drove it from the Bay Area to Klamath Falls Oregon for the get together. With my Wife and family. They did suffer a mite from the lack of a/c.

Why not include it in the show? It was customized. Lowered (slammed) with Moon Discs and wide whitewalls. I had covered the seats with black "simulated" sheepskin covers from the local Pep Boys.  They did actually look like the fur used on gorilla costumes worn in old movies. "Enviromentally burnished?" that's just a creative way to describe faded out paint. But hey, the car ran reliably and sounded great with those old Cherry Bomb glasspacks! It had a ton of attitude, but I couldn't dispute the facts.

An embarrassing confession. The car I bought was a real piece of junk. I should have known better.


I wish that I had taken pictures! In the pre digital age it wasn't easy, convenient, or cheap to document everything with pictures. I don't know if I ever took any pictures of the car. I'm including photos from the Internet to help illustrate my narrative. I've tried to identify the photo sources.

My first Riviera was in pretty good condition and it didn't require any body, paint, or interior work. The paint was recently resprayed, and polishing and waxing gave great results. This is the fun way to have a hobby car. Fixing and fussing with all the little things.

My '66 was all original but very tired and worn. The paint was faded with some surface rust. The body was straight, as well as the  trim and bumpers. The interior was worn and cracked. But it did have a full set of Riviera road wheels.

photo source Dean's garage
This isn't my car but it looked pretty much like this. At least mine had a driver's door!

This problem was common to vehicles of this era.
Now there are more resources available to deal with it.

photo source: hotrodgargae.com
Remove the trim and glass, grind off the rust and this is what you find.

photo source: hotrodgarage.com
Ignoring this won't make it go away.

It also suffered from the mid 1960's GM disease of rusted windshield and rear window channels.
Over the years dirt and debris makes it's way under the stainless steel window trim and just sits there. Every time it gets wet it turns to mud and causes the underlying sheet metal to start to rust. Over time it rusts completely through. Usually, it first makes itself known as a water leak around the windshield which produces a wet front floorboard. Water also leaks into the trunk, which often goes unnoticed. Needless to say all this water leads to a long list of rusty body panels. On my particular car all the pinch welds around the windshield and rear window were also swollen and rusty. Not an easy repair.

photo source: hotrodgarage.com
Fabricated patch panels are welded in as necessary.

photo source: hotrodgarage.com
Prefabricated corner patch panels are now available.

If you're planning on keeping your car for a long time you have to address this issue. It will not go away on it's own. I just covered the offending areas with an application of duct tape. Problem solved?



Even the motor wasn't in very good shape. There was an audible tapping sound from what appeared to be a bad valve lifter. If only!

So why did I buy this car? Especially after buying a much nicer car the first time? Looking back I really can't say. Was it Hubris? Did I think that I would restore it over time?

Usually, I'd look for a car that was in good shape in at least one of the three major areas:

Body and paint.

Mechanical.

Interior and accessory systems.

It's a form of mechanical triage.

My poor Riv was lacking in all of these areas! Under strict standards it wouldn't have made it into the operating room, it would have received the Last Rites.

While the body was straight and complete, the paint was thin with lots of light surface rust. Before buying it, I didn't inspect the window areas closely enough, to my regret. At least I chose a car without a vinyl top!

I bought the car even though it had an audible tapping noise and a rough idle. These are indicative of a bad lifter and usually a bad valve. My engine had both, and more!

The interior boasted worn seats and carpet, non working a/c and heater. At least the door panels and dash were in good shape and the power windows worked.

Three strikes and you're out? Heck No!

I probably thought that I would eventually get the car painted. However, this was in the old days when I maintained that if I couldn't afford a good paint job, then I wouldn't paint it at all! So I didn't!

I thought that I would just change the bad lifter if it didn't clear up on it's own. Hah! "Clear up on it's own? Who was I kidding? Myself, obviously.

I thought some mending and a set of seat covers would take care of the interior. Well the interior isn't the most important thing, at least to my thinking.

That's what I get for thinking!


Did I bail? A more sensible person probably would have. A more sensible person probably should have. But No, I doubled down.

Although I started with a pretty rough car, I ended up fixing most of these problems. Except the cosmetics. I ended up driving it as an everyday car for several years.

photo source: beautiful decay
Here's another Buick fastback with even more patina.

I never did get the car painted. I never fixed the rusty window channels. I just covered the area with duct tape to keep water out. Luckily the whole Rat Rod thing came along and for once I was right in fashion. My car didn't look like crap, it had patina!

For once, I was ahead of the curve!

When it came to the motor, my miseries could fill several blog posts!