John Stafford

The '96 Impala was my greatest build: an LS swap with all the fixings. The audio system and interior stood out. The twin 12s box is a hand-built, tuned-port supported structure, crafted for acoustic perfection. The split rear bench seat came from a '63 Riviera; I used its speaker grille for the box's ported air. This is that build in 20 pictures. The beginning video is midway through and testing the system. The final video is the finish product. All the photos are random shots of fabrication.

There’s my mark, all I need is for the rotor to land there when I drop the new one in. Timing is another matter.

That didn’t take long, it left a little time to share the progress. Now I can get back to replacing the distributor on the Cutlass.

Switching it up…

I get so sick and tired of following after incompetence. Don’t be fooled by every classic that looks good but runs. The level of Jerry rigging on this Cutlass is astounding. It’s okay, I’m giving it a makeover to make the most of what’s there. Stay tuned…

Although this Cutlass isn’t a full-blown restoration like the ‘61 Pontiac it is in need of attention because it’s a mess. When I’m through I will retweet this post with the final results. Time to do some magic, this one needs it.

Good morning World…☕️⛅️

Cone Displacement/Excursion: The physical distance a subwoofer’s cone and voice coil travel forward and backward while pushing air to create low-frequency sound waves.

Now that we can post 20 photos, here’s mine.

Easy day at the shop. I cleaned up a bit so I wouldn’t trip over things. Then I inspected and made a punch list of issues needing attention on the Cutlass Supreme. The owner will likely bite the bullet, provided he wants to drive it without hassle.

Admittedly I’m pretty proud of this build. It may have taken 54 hours, but the results are stunning. 40+ years of commitment to being the best I could be is what netted this job, there will be more now that this is done, guaranteed. We have a few more details to resolve like installing a new OE breather cap, that and the carburetor needs to come off and go back to the outfit that rebuilt it, it has an issue with the float, no big deal, but we aren’t delivering it till it’s perfect.

Since I’m getting such lackluster engagement with my beautiful classic restoration posts, who on God’s green earth doesn’t love an old-timey working three-reel slot machine? This came in while I was working on the ‘61 and I didn’t have time for toys, now I do, and with a little figuring, I had this old classic up and running too.

The air conditioning system is up and running in the ’61 Pontiac Star Chief; she’s blowing nice and cold. The Evap unit inside whispers like the wind. It took me 10 days and is nearly perfect—peak perfection. This job represents my entire existence as a mechanic who wanted from the start to be the best in the business. Mission accomplished. #Pontiac

The Star Chief moves over for delivery, and the Cutlass takes its place. The Cutlass is getting a new distributor to match the plugs and wires just installed. The mechanical weights are dysfunctional and not acting right. Some underhood corrections will tidy the rat’s nest. Nothing special—just making it serviceable and less tacky. Finished for today; tomorrow is a new day.

Using carburetors with quad idle mixture screws ensures consistent fuel delivery at base idle. The engine is boosted and boost is present at idle. Bypassing boost at idle can help, but lag becomes the issue.

😂😂😂

🚨’61 Pontiac Initial Start🚨 In the first video, we see the initial startup of the newly built 389 in the Star Chief. Timing was a little retarded, so it died. After a quick distributor adjustment, it fired right up and ran perfectly, as shown in the second video. After 52 hours and $760 in additional parts, this classic is ready for the long haul. In the morning we will charge the AC system, put the hood on and it is ready for delivery.

Getting ready to start up the ‘61 Pontiac and discovered I have a parasitic draw. Turned out to be the alternator. Getting one rounded up right now so shouldn’t be much longer and we can bring the 389 in the Star Chief back to life. Stay tuned…

Good morning fellow Classic’s addicts. Today we install the radiator and fire up the ‘61 Pontiac Star Chief. Stay tuned…