Started the Black Car up for the first time this year. Garage space is a scarce commodity at my place. We have a single car garage which is reserved for my wife's Jeep without contest. So the Caprice spent the winter out back on a concrete slab with car cover. I put the battery back in it today, checked everything over and gave it a whirl. Fired up just like last year once the bowls filled up.
Couple things to sort out. The thermostat stuck shut the first time I let it run. I shut it down when it hit 220 and no coolant was circulating the radiator. Let to cool, then started it back up an hour or so later. Gently tapped the thermostat housing as it warmed up and it started working as it should. Probably a Failsafe brand in there... That's a cheap easy fix.
The already cracked windshield though really spidered out on me over the winter. But I'll probably wait to deal with that until I start the body work... I dunno. Don't want to get hassled by the cops either... a new windshield installed probably isn't much more than the ticket would cost.
At any rate. It felt good to drive it again, even if it was just a couple miles. Going to enter it in a big car show this weekend I think. It's no show car, but it will motivate me to get busy on it I think. And I'll make everybody else's cars look better. =)