My 53 chevy....a quick story

53stvblt · March 31, 2010, 11:13:42 AM

In 2004 I was on a run with my 53 heading over to my buddys in Iowa. At this stage of the game I still had the original drive train in my car. The Old blue flame 115hp 6 in a row with split headers & dual exhaust & 2 speed powerglide.

It was a nice warm clear morning with light winds & I was scootin along about 65mph. The motor & drivetrain sounded like they were enjoying the trip as much as I was so all was good.

After coming down a long grade I had to cross a bridge about 1/8th mile from a small town & just as I crossed the approach to the bridge I let off the throttle to slow down to the 45 mph speed limit thru town.

Now understand the local PD in this town is notorius for catching speeders passing thru here clear back to the pony express days.

So, when I let off the throttle instead of slowing down the ole blue flame roared to life as if I had slammed the throttle to the floor!!! I immediately started multitasking as the mph started increasing, like What the?, ok, gas pedal is in go slow position???, wheres the cop??? This is fun!!! etc. As I hit 85mph I shut the ignition switch off & slipped her in neutral. As I coasted into a car wash 3/4 way thru town I'm still checking for da fuzz. It turned out he had another pony stopped just east of town so I lucked out there.

During my earlier multitasking I narrowed the problem to the carb. Brilliant huh?

So I removed the oil bath & peered into the throat of the monster. Sure enough, the 2 throttle plate screws where no longer in existence allowing it to fall & wedge itself into the throat of the carb in a W.O.T. position.

Ok, no screws no fix. I call my buddy with my jell phone (some say these devices are making mush outta our brains) who was 15 miles east
of me & asked him to fetch me a carb off a donor car we had at his place. I remove the old carb & 20 minutes later he shows up with the replacement carb which we promptly install & head for my buddys place making sure we wave as we pass by the local PD sitting between 2
grain bins about 3/8 mile east of town.

Total down time about 40 min thanks to 1 of the many friends I have met with this hobby. I would do the same for any one of them at any
time day or night. Good friends, lotsa fun!, Great memories.

Thats all folks,
Bud

Carnut · March 31, 2010, 08:21:55 PM

Heh, heh, Thanks a bunch, thoroughly enjoyed the story.

phat46 · March 31, 2010, 08:30:29 PM

I gotta ask...Where did the screws go!!

Fat Cat · March 31, 2010, 09:50:12 PM

Quote from: "phat46"I gotta ask...Where did the screws go!!

I wondered the same thing.

53stvblt · April 01, 2010, 06:58:42 AM

Quote from: "phat46"I gotta ask...Where did the screws go!!

I have tried to answer that question many times. They weren't sheared off but had apparently unscrewed :?:
All I can say is when I cross that bridge now I brace myself just in case :!:
Bud

cr55 · April 01, 2010, 06:58:48 AM

Great story, that's one I never heard of before and I wondered too what happened to the screws. Hopefully they went out instead of in!!

..CR

Mac · April 01, 2010, 09:58:48 PM

Great story. I could just hear the 6 in full song.
You had a Non-electronic-drive by actual linkage-runaway Prius-experience.
It probably ran better afterward with the de-carbonizing the screws did.

ACEMAN419 · April 01, 2010, 10:18:42 PM

a copy guys i know had that trouble loosing plate screws from spraying nitrous so they ended up tigging the plates now made of steel to the steel shafts

zzford · April 02, 2010, 05:44:09 AM

Are you using any Toyota gas pedal parts?

53stvblt · April 02, 2010, 08:31:47 AM

Quote from: "Mac"Great story. I could just hear the 6 in full song.
You had a Non-electronic-drive by actual linkage-runaway Prius-experience.
It probably ran better afterward with the de-carbonizing the screws did.

Since that time I have upgraded the drive train & what I miss most is the blue flame split exhaust/glasspack combo. What a sweet unique sound.
Thanks,
Bud

Mac · April 02, 2010, 11:00:14 AM

Quote from: "53stvblt"
Quote from: "Mac"Great story. I could just hear the 6 in full song.
You had a Non-electronic-drive by actual linkage-runaway Prius-experience.
It probably ran better afterward with the de-carbonizing the screws did.

Since that time I have upgraded the drive train & what I miss most is the blue flame split exhaust/glasspack combo. What a sweet unique sound.
Thanks,
Bud

Oh, don't tell me you "upgraded" to a belly button bent motor?

53stvblt · April 02, 2010, 09:01:39 PM

Quote from: "Mac"
Quote from: "53stvblt"
Quote from: "Mac"Great story. I could just hear the 6 in full song.
You had a Non-electronic-drive by actual linkage-runaway Prius-experience.
It probably ran better afterward with the de-carbonizing the screws did.

Since that time I have upgraded the drive train & what I miss most is the blue flame split exhaust/glasspack combo. What a sweet unique sound.
Thanks,
Bud

Oh, don't tell me you "upgraded" to a belly button bent motor?

It's a cruiser, not a bruiser. I put a 1958 283 bored 30 over w/flat top pistons & a 700r4 tranny which by the way thanks to the help from this site to setup the tranny I now have a tranny that works beautifully & at 70mph is turning 2100rpm. For me it just don't get any better than this.
Thanks,
Bud

Mac · April 02, 2010, 09:58:54 PM

Quote from: "53stvblt"

Oh, don't tell me you "upgraded" to a belly button bent motor?

It's a cruiser, not a bruiser. I put a 1958 283 bored 30 over w/flat top pistons & a 700r4 tranny which by the way thanks to the help from this site to setup the tranny I now have a tranny that works beautifully & at 70mph is turning 2100rpm. For me it just don't get any better than this.
Thanks,
Bud[/quote]

Ohh...well...that's OK then. My C-10's gotta 283 and T5, so I can relate to ya Bud.