Author Archives: RussD

LED There Be Parts

Posted on November 18, 2024 by RussD

In yet another cycle of how I learn something new, start with something really simple and try to make my early mistakes as cheaply as possible. Since all of the parts are readily available, head down to the local hardware … Continue reading →

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Tis the Season

Posted on November 11, 2024 by RussD

Watching TV is a bad idea for many reasons. Over the past few years I’ve caught random episodes of various TV shows featuring Christmas decoration and outdoor lighting. The people featured on these shows have gone totally over the top … Continue reading →

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Fall Thoughts

Posted on October 14, 2024 by RussD

Just back from the last car show of the year at Kimball Farms. I wasn’t originally planning to attend, as I had gone to the one last week, but the weather was absolutely beautiful. OK, once more into the breach! … Continue reading →

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Yet Another AC Update

Posted on October 7, 2024 by RussD

Got the AC recharged (again) and good news – it worked! All of the heater controls are working – the actuators open and close the air doors and properly route the airflow for AC, heater, and defrost. The fan works … Continue reading →

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Radio Plug

Posted on September 30, 2024 by RussD

Like other parts of the Imperial the radio has a story behind it. A story that I would love to know but will never discover… It is a factory radio – has to be to fit the curved dash. State … Continue reading →

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Tuning the Milling Machine

Posted on September 16, 2024 by RussD

I recently made a couple of parts on the milling machine. The first was for mounting a Quick Change Tool Post (QCTP) on the lathe. A QCTP makes it quick and easy to change cutting tools on a lathe and … Continue reading →

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We Aim to Please

Posted on September 9, 2024 by RussD

Another entry in the list of places where I have outsmarted myself trying to improve things… When I got the Imperial the rear springs were sagging a bit. As part of rebuilding the rear suspension I replaced them with new … Continue reading →

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New Toys. Errr… “Tools”

Posted on September 2, 2024 by RussD

So I was perusing CraigsList… That introductory line is right up there with “hold my beer” as an indicator that things are about to get interesting! I’ve been wanting a specific set of tools to expand my sheet metal fabrication … Continue reading →

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Electrical 17: Chasing Gremlins

Posted on August 26, 2024 by RussD

I’ve had an intermittent electrical problem for several months – one of the most frustrating things that can happen. The courtesy lights – lights in the front doors and a map light in the dash – come on when you … Continue reading →

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Electrical 16: Heater Illumination

Posted on August 19, 2024 by RussD

The Imperial uses electroluminescent lighting for the instrument panel, heater controls and transmission controls. The heater and transmission use plastic pushbuttons with a panel beside them to light the button caps. Unfortunately these panels degrade over time and now barely … Continue reading →

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