Date: Sun, 4 May 1997
From: alanpete@ix.netcom.com (Alan H Peterson)
Glenn,
Checked out your P-1800 web page this morning. Very nicely done. I enjoyed the letters and other info. One thing I am curious about, regarding brakes: I have heard that the rear disk assembly from a late '60s - early '70s Volvo 140 can be used to replace the less than optimum drum system on a P-1800. The drums on my '68 ('67?) are so firmly attached that I have almost expanded the axle using the drum puller. I haven't tried the "heat the drum with a torch" fix yet, but the rear shoes tend to drag, and I'd prefer a disk system. Any info available???
Secondly, in the vein of gauge repair/replacement, I have come across a fellow in New York who works on old Smiths. He sent me a quote of, I believe, $100 to rebuild and recalibrate the speedo; $100 to repair the water temp, or $150 for both the water and oil temp gauges (that includes new capillary tubes). I've lost the quote letter, but I still have his card. The company is Nisonger, and the gentleman is Bob Castagnetta. Address is 570 Mamaroneck Ave, Mamaroneck, NY 10543. I haven't had any experience, personally, with his work. I would be interested in any feedback from others. I've been running pretty much without a speedo for two years, and the tach stopped working when I installed the MSD ignition. Of course, I was living in LA at the time and I had to be doing 80 plus to move out of the right lane, so the lack of a speedo was not a big problem.
I presently have two 1800s, a '68 runner with a thrashed interior but a great engine (including Weber and MSD) and a '65 non-runner with a great interior (the ONLY stock P-1800 I have ever seen without the crack in the dash.) It has no compression in cylinders 2 and 3. The plan is to pull the engine, buy a rebuildable B-20 block and IPD it up the wazoo (valves, cam, pistons, etc.) Since IPD is about ten minutes away, it is real convenient (to spend a lot of money. I agree the prices are fair -- there's just so much I want.) I see they finally dropped the four-Weber side draft kit from their line. I really didn't want to spend more on carbs than the car cost. Actually, for the '65, I spent exactly half the cost of their Weber conversion for the car. I bought two (a '64 and a '65) for $500 and hauling them off of the property. Ninety-five percent of the time, when a deal like that comes along, I am broke, but this time...
Got to go for now. Always good to meet another enthusiast!
By the way, IPD's black P-1800 shirt looks great. I have received many comments on the graphic on the back.
Alan Peterson
Alan -
If I lived ten minutes from IPD, my wife would probably divorce me. She already thinks I spend too much time "fooling with that gizmo."
I'm not sure about disk brakes from the 140 series fitting the 1800. I'd probably first try fitting a rear axle from a P1800E. They had disk brakes on the rear end, too. You might need to modify the rear portion of the drive shaft to make it fit the newer rear axle (believe it or not, there are shops that specialize in drive shafts), and you would have to figure out a way to attach the later model axle links to the car's body. Dunno, maybe it would be easier to try fitting the brakes to your present axle.
I like the idea of rear disks, but am content with the drum brakes on my '63. I never have any trouble removing the drums, because I bought J.C. Whitney's best industrial-strength hub puller years ago. I knew as soon as I saw the picture that no lesser tool would do. No spindly thing, this puller attaches to the wheel lugs using the lug nuts. It has been well worth the $50 price. (Part number 12VX8895A.) Call 312-431-6129 to receive the J.C. Whitney catalog for the rest of your life, or stop by the local used book store for a copy.
As for the drum brakes dragging, you can minimize this by adjusting them every 5,000 miles or so. Use the procedure in the Haynes manual.
Thanks for the tip about Nisonger. I have seen their ads in Hemmings Motor News for years, but never encountered anyone who had used their services. -Glenn.