critterpainter

Auction in Illinois 1929 Buick Hillbilly Buggy *Has Title* - Aumann Auctions, Inc. This is the worst one!

IIRC If your car is wired with the correct gas pedal start system then your regulator should have 4 terminals, not 3. Check your shop manual as it will show both the correct wiring for the gas pedal start system and the charging system.

I know the OP. He can speak Buick rather fluently, but work does keep him busy. Matt I will keep my ears open in case I hear something. Bill

Bobs Automobilia in Calif (805-434-2963) used to have it. They didn't have rivets though.

Several years ago I walked by a load of freshly crushed cars on a truck. On one car the left front headlight was on. Obviously the battery was still in place.

Dynaflow or 3 speed? The engine is Heavy. The engine and trans are Very Heavy. You will need a hoist that can handle at least 1500# when at least 2/3 extended. If you attempt to just remove the engine, the front of the transmission needs to be supported. If you remove both the enclosed driveshaft can "float" making the car hard to roll as the rear end can move to the front and rear.

Look inside the the heat riser valve above the carburetor. There is usually a steel sleeve there that can rust and pinhole allowing a leak into the exhaust causing a severe lean condition, often to the point the car wont run/

My bad. I grew up in an area where 18 degrees was considered COLD. Those of you in the -20 would have a different reality. Then do push the clutch in.

As long as you are changing the condenser, give the vacuum advance a quick check and loosen the screw under the roter and drop a few drops of oil on it. This will lubricate the mechanical advance and is mentioned in the service manual. The las 3 MG distributors I workedon had stuck or gummy mechanical advances.

The clutch does NOT need to be depressed. Just shift to neutral before starting the engine. Pressing in the clutch adds needless load on the starter and puts wear on the engine thrust bearing surfaces. Pre government intervention cars instructed the operator to shift a manual transmission into neutral for most makes.

The distributors on Buicks of that era had a nasty habit of not wanting to allow the vacuum advance to do its job. the inside diameter of the distributor housing where the groove is for the 3 balls sit to allow the vacuum to advance the breaker plate wear and don;t allow the breaker plate to advance smoothly if at all.

I believe the relay on the firewall started in 51 0r 52. Prior to that it was mounted on the carb with an additional starter relay mounted on the starter. if not cleaned occasionally cleaned on of the 2 types of switches would stick and not start. Also if you have a vacuum leak the starter will try to engage at low engine vacuum.

It might be wise to replace the ignition lock assembly with a new one. They can and do wear out.

Dumb question. Why doesn't Eddie-o just try to find a starter for a Buick Century or Roadmaster? They are a stronger starter than the ones used on the Specials and Supers.

Bobs Automobilia in California should have the valves in stock and they do ship around the world. Home One - Bob's Automobilia (bobsautomobilia.com)

Nice CAR! You might check out "Bring a Trailer" auction site. It has developed a reputation for strong pricing for quality. Show as much documentation as possible for the car and the features on the car. Those wire wheels are sharp looking and the radiator grille is a hard to find option. If the non-installed parts are as nice as the rest of the car it may be worth finishing the car as the project looks close to being finished.

To my knowledge and recollection these engines have no rear main seal.

About 15 years ago a friend of mine drove 35 miles to pick up the 1939 Buick Special he just bought. The transport driver said it ran well when he loaded it on the transport. It started right up! That was a good thing because the battery was almost dead. Transport driver didn't mention that he snagged the exhaust and ripped it loose. Made the car sound powerful! Got on the freeway and managed to wind it up to about 40MPH before it topped out. Managed to make it to the first gas station without running out of gas. Bob drove all the backroads all the way home. The next day I replaced the spark plugs, plug wires, and ignition points. While I was at it I cleaned the advance mechanism and replaced the vacuum advance. I did a valve adjustment with the engine at idle and could hear the idle smooth out as I progressed through the adjustment. Next day the exhaust system got replaced. Bob drove it back from the muffler shop and said it was a totally different car!

If you are referring to the frosted lense the 1937 had a more pointed lense and the 38 had a more rounded lense. Its a moot point now as only one style is being reproduced.

Why can't you use the original style vacuum tank? Most tanks can interchange between makes and when properly restored work quite well. I enjoyed having a good working vacuum system on my 29 Plymouth as most people had never seen such a thing. If the engine has a good valve train it should work fine. As a bonus its easy to prime!

I believe an overtightened packing nut on the water pump can also lead to this issue.

The issue is that the filler neck was a solid part of the original tank and did not have a hose connection. Most often a brace is made to hold the filler tube in position

The height of the vacuum tank above the carb may be an issue, however My first hunch is that there is one too many fuel sediment bowls in the system, especially if either of them sports a fuel filter.

If you install a leather belt with the wrong side facing the pulley, it will break. Unfortunately I can no longer recall if its the smooth side or the rough side to the pulley. Also the fan should be able to turn easily but not spin with the engine off.

One of the advantages of using an Optima 6v battery in the older Buicks is that you are getting 800 CCA not 600 or 650 CCA like most lead acid batterys produce. Its realy noticeable on a 320 engine.