Messages

First let me say that I am blown away and very impressed by the thoughtful replies. I had a thought early on that maybe I should just go with a narrower tire to hopefully avoid the fender rubbing. You all have opened my eyes to the nuance involved, so maybe that was actually the right path from a fiscal point of view ;-). But we do love these cars, and that can have a big influence on how to proceed.

I don't have to tell any of you that these cars need a heaping amount of sorting. Sounds like the originals, right?

Surely more to follow, and I look forward to sharing what we find. Thank you.

Thank you so much for the replies!

I had a feeling there might be a locating pin ;-( This is a glass bodied car built in early 2017. It has been a blast to drive, but there are many things to be sorted. The tire rubbing has been bothersome, and I'm psyching myself up to pull the differential for a rebuild back at KMS. Gotten a fairly good howl going thanks to the breather defect...

CSX2259 I'll reach out via email and see what we can figure out.

Thank you,

Hi,
I have a CSX8000 with a rear transverse spring assembly that seems off center. The rear tires are shifted slightly towards the drivers side of the rear fenders. This is causing rubbing on the inner rear fender on the drivers side. The tires are 215/60-R15 Avons on OE wire wheels, and could reasonably be considered just a little large for the car. That said, if the tires had equal clearance on each side, looks like they should be fine.

My plan is to (after exposing the spring assembly) loosen the u-bolts and shift the spring stack over a bit. Seems like it needs 1/2 - 3/4". Never having done this, and not finding any reference to manipulating the spring assembly, thought I might ask for any guidance or advice. For instance, it would not surprise me if there was a locating pin that makes this 'adjustment' not possible.

Second question. I would like to raise the rear of the car at least an inch. Seems like every trip we take involves a full trunk, and the car rides fairly low even without that. Scraping mufflers and so forth. Is adding a leaf, or re-arching the springs a choice anyone here has made? I am in Northern California, so finding a shop experienced with re-arching might be a challenge?

Thank you for reading this. Anything that makes the car more driveable is a win in my book!

I started dealing with Jim in 1980 with my then new-to-me 66 GT350 6S632. Always helpful and extremely knowledgeable.

Anecdote to mention is that my wife, thinking of what to buy for Christmas that year, called Jim for ideas. He suggested (strongly) that she buy me an NOS brake proportioning valve, which she did. Jim was sure these would become unobtainable over time. When I sent the '66 in to Jim for restoration a few years ago, I was able to include that new/NOS valve for installation. Funny sending back to the source after 35+ years.

Jim and Jesse also helped with a beautiful CSX 8000 build for me a couple of years ago. Princess Blue CSX8042.
Visiting Jim back at the shop was a highlight for me. Meeting in person after all these years.

RIP Jim, and my condolences to the family.

Eric