VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1955-1957 out with the engine

FINALLY got started on the project of pulling the engine for rebuild on the '56 Townsman wagon. It's going to be the driver out to Tahoe next summer, time to get started!

I thought you forgot about that car.

Ha! No, life has been busy, that's all. But now that a 1914 Baby Grand is waiting its turn, I've got to get this one done. I'm dying to get to work on the old one, but I've promised myself that I've got to get this modern V-8 vehicle done first. So far, I'm being responsible and mature - but that '14 is calling out to me every time I walk into the Shop!

Since when have you ever been responsible and mature??? Can I get a second opinion from Liz about that? :-)

I hope the engine going back in has enough oomph to pull a trailer with a 1914 on it through the mountains...

I was kinda thinking to pull the '56 out there with the '14....

Cousin Dale, I'm sure Lizzy will appear here at any time to confirm my overwhelming levels of maturity and responsibility.

With the overdrive/4.11 rear end you should have no problem.

Cousin Dale,

Really?! I kinda, sorta think of you and David guilty by association.....

And Don, I'm loss for words..........

Liz,
I was wondering how you would respond. We all know that none of us in our right minds are mature and responsible. That is not a criteria to cherish in my mind. Wouldn't be much fun either. Kind, considerate and helpful is the best I can hope for.

I had to learn that I had to shut my eyes and sleep occasionally so to get too far off kilter was not beneficial. When I made sure that the Boss had a say and it was seriously considered things got better. I suspect that in this case the V-8 engine had more appeal to the level thinker. That is not to disparage anyone, Don included.

Well now, I will admit that I have never really been very highly motivated to achieve being "mature" as the word is normally used. I much prefer to remain a big kid and enjoy myself instead. But I have always covered the bases pretty well for being responsible, or dependable, which means something much different. If I tell someone I will do something, I do it. And of course supporting the family, doing the right thing, and all of that.

And I agree that involvement of The Boss in pretty much everything is an absolute. She is a Car Guy, totally involved in VCCA, and all other areas of our life, for sure. We are partners, and I wouldn't want it any other way. Wouldn't have got married if we didn't want to be a team. And I kid her unmercifully, but if I didn't she wouldn't know what to do; and she learned decades ago to pay very little attention to me when I start in about her being a Left-Handed Blonde, etc, etc.

Liz of course likes the cars that go Zoom-Zoom, and I like the cars that go Putt-Putt. So she has her "modern" '71 Vette, and I have a Baby Grand.

But I have to confess that I have read and re-read that next-to-last sentence, and I'm still not sure what it says:

"I suspect that in this case the V-8 engine had more appeal to the level thinker."

Left-Handed Blondes are absolutely the best...especially if they have blue eyes! Second runner-up would be left-handed redheads with blue eyes.

Yep, Skipper, blue eyes, too. And, truly left-handed ('course, so am I).

Gene - it's a Powerglide, so no overdrive or 4:11 ratio. But the fact is, I have no intention of trailering the '14 out to Tahoe using the wagon (or anything else). If I can successfully go 5,000 miles round-trip in the 60 year old wagon, I'll be satisfied with that. I'm figuring the 1914 will be for showing at the next one - the 60th Anniversary Meet in 2021. By then, it'll be roadworthy (and well off of warranty at 107 years).

Chipper, Liz advises me that your comment about "level thinker" means the same as "level-headed." Which she says means HER (not really sure "level thinker" and Left-Handed Blondes isn't an oxymoron - just sayin..), and that you meant she was probably the one that wanted the wagon. Actually, it was both of us. We felt like it would be the perfect touring car. And I maybe haven't mentioned that it also has original 1956 Harrison A/C, so if I can successfully get that all working before Tahoe, we'll have a fine 60 year old car with 205 HP, room for everything, automatic shifting, and A/C to keep us smiling all the way across the USA.

I thought I remembered you says it had a 3 speed with O.D.
Yes, the Power Glide and a 3.55 rear would not make for a good mountain tow car.
Will be a good down the road driver.
Keep us posted on the rebuild.

By the way. While the engine is out at least replace the Power Glide front pump seal and O ring + the converter O ring.

I always liked that left handed blond. Yup she sure is a level thinker. At least gives your family some stability. A '56 wagon is not what I would have expected to twist your knob particularly a blue and off-white one (guess it almost matches the eyes and hair). Red covert, now that is a different animal, varoooommmmmm.

In case you were not aware, the Junkyard Dog is left-handed too!

Wouldn't that be two left PAWS?

I've been getting an hour here, an hour there in the Shop, and slowly getting that engine broken down. It's scattered all over the Shop at the moment. Haven't cleaned anything up yet at all, but looking pretty good. Even the heat riser valve still works! Mostly, this is a case of needing rings and a complete valve/head job, but since it is apart we will do everything while I have the opportunity to do it easily. The car has only 69,300 miles from new. But on the other hand most all of those miles were put on in the '50s and '60s, and then the car sat for 30+ years. So although it ran reasonably decent, there was a lot of smoke/steam etc out of both ends - the road draft tube and the oil filler/breather tube. It's definitely time for a rebuild. You can tell it's never been apart - all the fasteners are "un-shuffled" and everything is clearly factory assembled, except the transmission was out once before in the early 60's. I have a complete maintenance log of everything ever done to the car since it was new - every new battery, exhaust system, brake job, tune-up, etc, etc. until it went into storage. All the parts that have casting date codes all match up from the first week of July 1956. Which makes sense with the car having been sold new on Aug 24. Getting there!