More impressions from a drive to town.
I think that exhaust leak is really holding it back. You see, the manifold appears to have had coolant dumped on it while hot -- there are cracks everywhere and a couple reasonably sized holes. Also, while driving, there is a quiet mode and a loud mode -- the loud mode is when the exhaust leak gets too obnoxious from the engine having to pull hard. If I am driving down the highway, it feels pretty zippy until the engine gets just enough of a load to go into loud mode. Then I start losing speed and can hardly get moving again. It also tends to run well at the start of a drive, but badly after going at speed on the highway for a while.
What do you all think? I know I need to replace the maintenance stuff, but does it sound like the manifold is also a problem?
Thanks
Hi Lewis,
What do I think? …… I think you are polishing a turd.
Asking if there is a problem when you describe an exhaust manifold “cracks everywhere and a couple reasonably sized holes” is strangely scary. Based upon your descriptions of the vehicles you have purchased lately, I question whether you have enough auto mechanic knowledge to truly understand what you are actually getting for your bargain deals.
That Rocky’s life is used up and you have purchased the remnants of a carcass that you are trying to resurrect from the dead.
Unless you were to do a frame-off complete restore, after many hours and months and lots of money, you will still have a somewhat unique, worthless turd. If you were to restore it (and that doesn’t sound like something you want to do), at the end of the day it will still be a historically unique, high maintenance, practically worthless, polished turd...…
..... Albeit perhaps a cute little turd.
With that said, lots of guys out there enjoy polishing turds and do a great job of it, so I won’t hold that against you.
I have polished a turd.
Gnarls.
