Customizing Tips For All!

In for fail smog test diagnosis today is this 1981 Buick Regal.
In its way it's exceptional. It captures a certain era in vehicle customization--hydraulics, etc.
Not my cup of tea but these folks are CAR PEOPLE, no doubt. I've learned to respect "low riders".
I'm posting it here because the amount of work they put into just paint easily rivals all the work the rest of us put into EVERYTHING on our trucks.
Check out the "water drop paint job". Pretty cool!

I agree, lots of time and effort in that paint. I used to own an '81 Regal. At 80K miles it was not running well even after a tune up. I took it to a Buick dealer. They told me the engine would have to be rebuilt to make it run right. Being in Kansas with no smog checks, I went to a salvage yard and got an intake, carb and distributor from a '79. Ran fine for at least another 60K miles when I sold it. The GM C3 (Computer Controlled Carburetor) system was never a great design in my opinion.

Dean

Dean, we've had to make peace with the feedback carbs. There were and are still so many out there.
This particular one is missing its TPS actuating rod! It goes under the accel lever.
TPS won't move without it.

Oh, how I remember those!. I used to be able to get them to run fairly well and pass what Chicago had for smog tests, which I suspect were/are nothing like your state's smog test.

This is my first 'custom' paint work.... I did this before I was married with three children and a house. I had a lot more time and money back then. This is the one project I will NEVER sell, it will always be with me... Lots of late nights in my Grandfather's wood shop, just me, alone with the radio going...

I can see why you would you would never sell that bike! The time and craftsmanship you put into it is evident.

Dean

Dean, we've had to make peace with the feedback carbs. There were and are still so many out there.
This particular one is missing its TPS actuating rod! It goes under the accel lever.
TPS won't move without it.

My family didn't run Fords, but I became a 'Ford guy' for about 10 years after that car. They had switched to EFI instead. Much better.

Dean

I was having this conversation with the car owner--1980 or 1981 GM vehicles across the board started "data stream" in addition to self-tests and code functions on all their computers!
From a diagnostic technician's standpoint GM was the GOLD STANDARD. The other makes did not really catch up for TEN YEARS.
Think about it, I could remotely view the goings on of all engine sensors while sitting in the air conditioned seat of the car! Those GM engineers need to be KISSED!
Meanwhile, everbody else had "KOEO/KOER tests (FORD), or "count the flashes of the check engine light" BS.
I learned them all, but GM ROCKED! And still does (diagnostically).
I am NOT a GM guy. Never was.
The feedback carburetor thing was always a mess, though. It can have all the problems of BOTH carbs AND computers. A headache!
I find that (except for in-carb TPS) these systems are very likely to have other-than-carb-problems. Sensors malfunctioning or mis/disconnected.
Nice motorcycle, GGORDON!

a few of the guys in my car club didn't want lowriders in our yearly carshow, they had some stereotype of them being gang bangers,

once they talk to a few in the lowrider club, they are very family oriented and do all the custom work themselves, so now they aren't so bad after all,

I wasn't on board at first, either.
It's amazing what they create!