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1939 Buick Special restoration


39BuickEight

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Thanks guys! Every time we put more on it we check the front bump stops so see if the suspension has moved at all. It's still touching them, but barely now. The tailpipe was hitting so that needs to be adjusted down, other than that, it all lined right back up like it should.

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Thanks for the tips! Plans are under way for those items....hopefully I will be able to let the cat out of the bag soon! I plan on getting fender lights. The car had them at some point (has the fender holes for them). I see them on eBay from time to time in the $150-$250 range. I also want to put fog lights on it. I think on these cars the lights really add some value to the overall look and design.

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  • 1 month later...

I'm not sure if any of you saw this thread I started about a parts car I found on Craigslist in San Jose, CA.

http://forums.aaca.org/f165/1939-special-really-nice-parts-car-367912.html

Well, it's mine now. Now, I own 2 1939 Buicks. I'll be marrying this car from CA with my car that was originally in Maine!

After being shot down by numerous shipping companies and led astray by another, it landed in it's new home today. Some fantastic parts I needed, a fabulous interior, some parts that I didn't need but are better than what I had. Some parts I can sell to recoup possibly all I have in this car. It runs, all the gauges work, the heater works, and I'm told even the clock works.

Still need to work out the gas tank.

 

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had this sticker in the window:

 

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a couple of interior shots:

 

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Edited by 39BuickEight (see edit history)
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Fantastic job, well done. I hope my project turns out quite as nice. One quick question if I may? When you restored the chassis, what specific product did you use.? It looks great keep up the good work and thank you for the progress dates.

FredD

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Fantastic job, well done. I hope my project turns out quite as nice. One quick question if I may? When you restored the chassis, what specific product did you use.? It looks great keep up the good work and thank you for the progress dates.

FredD

If you are referring to the paint it was brushed on. We used tractor paint as it is extremely durable. We used normal rustoleum primer on the frame and chassis parts. These are the same materials we have used in the past and they hold up great over time.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

small update, nothing to exciting

We have the body bolted to the frame now (loosely of course) and our new body mount holes lined up perfectly with the holes in the frame, so that was a relief. The end of the tailpipe is hitting the rear pan, so we need to bend the pipe a little. The door sill plates also fit almost as perfectly, nothing we can't make 100% right during finaly body work.

The parts car had a few other items I needed:

1. timing hole inspection cover (cleaned that and stuck it on)

2. a part I never knew existed, a shield that goes under the starter and attaches to the frame. I am guessing it is often left off during maintenance, like the spark plug cover.

3. the short crooked brake line from the master cylinder to the distribution, mine leaked due to bad threads, that leak is fixed now, that line would have been very difficult to make

no photos as this stuff is pretty basic, but just a quick line telling some small things we are doing during the summer between fishing trips

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Guest goodguy4life

Thx for the update Billy! Ive been slugging through some of the same issues with my 41 Roadmaster- she will be done in October-God willing sir! As to the fishing, if your ever in Alaska......... c me. I'l show you Salmon on the Kenai river most ppl only dream about.....

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G'day Billy,

That's the bugger !! Did you get its mate for the other side ??

I'd wrecked (dismantled ??) a few '39s before these turned up.

My old mate that had a '39 Century as his daily driver said he took his off as they restricted the airflow out through the engine bay.

SplashGs_zpsf57ee1ea.jpg

Danny

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No, I didn't know about the other one either until you posted that. I'll double check, but I don't recall anything else odd to me about the underside of the car other than the new style shocks installed last year. They were added by welding bolts to back of the lower arm and to the top of the frame right behind the original shocks. One of the things the previous owner did just before it was wrecked.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

some updates for the past couple of months:

We have been continuing to fit panels and doors, making sure our repairs are good. Painted the interior. Everything fits pretty darn well so far. I have been able to sell a few extra parts so far since I have duplicates of almost everything, so that is helping recoup the cost of the parts car.

The next projects are massaging the rear so the truck lid fits better, and taking out the headliner on the parts car so we can cut out the metal above the visors and patch that. That should finish the welding as far as we can tell.

 

 

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Edited by 39BuickEight (see edit history)
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  • 1 month later...
Guest beetlehouse1528

Hi, I am looking for the complete tranny for my friend's 1939 Buick Special series 40, do you have spare one can sale us? or have any source ? We are in Taiwan, we are doing same restoration as you done, hope can get your help! Regards Kevin Lo

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Guest beetlehouse1528

post-104279-143142819308_thumb.jpg

Many thanks for your reply! I will keep looking for it on eBay. by the way, I am also looking for the control rod as per attached photo...do you have any spare?

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Off topic

beetlehouse1528 Welcome to the forum

You would be better to start a new thread here http://forums.aaca.org/f165/ and here http://forums.aaca.org/f117/

Hi, I am looking for the complete tranny for my friend's 1939 Buick Special series 40, do you have spare one can sale us? or have any source? We are in Taiwan, we are doing same restoration as you done, hope can get your help! Regards Kevin Lo

1939 series 40 are 1 year only transmission with many 1 year only parts. Some parts are common with other years. 1939 transmission's have a poor reputation. A used car dealer of the 1960's has told he scrapped many '39's due to transmission/gearbox problems

Do you really want a complete 1939 series 40 transmission or just parts? A forum member has built a transmission from 1939 and later parts for his 1939 series 40. 1940 and later have better parts availability.

Dave Tachney parts out pre war Buick's. But any used transmission will/may need (expensive) work. Any '39 owner is best to keep transmission spares and not sell (I and others do)

'39 Buick team And we like photos

Edited by 1939_buick (see edit history)
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Guest beetlehouse1528

Many thanks for your reply and info! yes, if possible we would like to buy a complete transmission! if it is not easy to get one ... we will try to find parts to rebuild it!

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Many thanks for your reply and info! yes, if possible we would like to buy a complete transmission! if it is not easy to get one ... we will try to find parts to rebuild it!
Any ~75 year old transmission you buy may be in no better condition than the one you have now.

What is wrong with it ?

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Guest beetlehouse1528

thanks again your reply! the most important missing parts of this transmission is the " selector lever device" as attached photo, by the way, I just started a new thread to ask help...

post-104279-143142820839_thumb.png

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