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HOW LONG HAS YOUR CAR BEEN SITTING?


smithbrother

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I am interested in HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE YOU HAVE DRIVEN YOUR BUICK?

Maybe, NEVER, also how long have you been working on it if you haven't driven it?

Our 1941 Limited sat in our garage for nearly 20 years before I laid a hand on it. I got it on the road in 1997 and have since driven it over 25,000 miles.

Just wondering............

Dale in Indy

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Not sure how long an explanation you want here but.......

My 1958 Buick Special convert has been off the road since October 2007 due to a blown power brake booster. It is still off the road after having rebuilt the booster/master cylinder and purchasing a complete brake package from Kanter and new SS brake lines.

The delay....... as my business partner's wife used to say, "Life Just Gets In The Way". My other excuse... I live in what used to be the Automotive Capital of Canada, Windsor Ontario (just announced Feb 8/12 we lost that title to Oshawa, Ontario production number wise). From 2008 till now things just are not what they used to be and........ like my relatives in Michigan (which I think might have been hit even worse) just getting by. What has happen now is, with sitting up on jack stands, the rear trany seal has dried out (not uncommon with dynaflows) and needs to be rebuilt so......... while not undoable, time, cost and priorities are in play still.

OK so..... time to get off the whine box and .... my youngest boy said last week that it would be nice to get it back on the road this summer. Guess time has slipped away and he is right!

Doug

BCA# 35039

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Beautiful car Dei. Your son is right. It would be nice to get it back on the road this summer.

For me, I drive the Wagon everyday. Going on three years worth and I still love it. I had the GS out of the garage this past weekend, although there's too much residual salt to drive it anywhere. The 56 hasn't been run since Thanksgiving when the carb malfunctioned, a lot! Carb kit is on the way.

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Drove it Tuesday. The weather has been great mid to high 60's F. I have been enjoying my Buick.:D

I wanted to drive it today but I didn't get out of the garage.( as another poster said, life got in the way), I did finish the wax job I started last week and I think it looks great even if I say so myself.:)

Photo is prior to recent waxing.

Wayne B.

1941 Super 51

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Guest shadetree77

I've had my '52 since April of last year. Before I got it, it sat in a barn for roughly 40 years. I thought it would be quick work to get her back on the road. Boy, was I wrong! I've fixed one thing after another and life has definitely gotten in my way a few times(as well as a shortage of available funds!). I've only driven it 30 miles or so since I've had it. First trip was nice. Took a ride at dusk to the local Sonic drive-in with the wife to have some chocolate malts. Second trip wasn't so great. I got 20 miles from the house on my way to a car show and, well.....you can see the results of that trip below. Hope to finally get her on the road by summer. Wish me luck!:)

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Hello, my name is MrEarl, and I have BADD. (Buick Attention Deficit Disorder) Every time I buy a Buick and start working on it, my attention is drawn to another one and I purchase it. That coupled with Buick Garden projects and keeping the Buick Garden grounds maintained has caused to many projects to sit far longer than I care to even think about. But all that will change when I retire next year. I will be broke but have plenty of time to get every one of them on the road.

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Hi Dale! My poor Old Bessie (as I commonly refer to my 1957 Special) has been in hibernation since December, but next month, my caterpillar will become a beautiful butterfly again and will hit the road in preparation for Charlotte. This is is the year to drive the Buick and get some miles on her. Had her 26 years - going on 27 and only put 1200 miles on her. She needs to get up and go!

BTW, she hadn't been on the road since 1965 when I bought her in 1985. 17,652 original miles when I got her.

Edited by 1957buickjim (see edit history)
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I'm HAPPY for those that are DRIVING their Buick, I thought we would hear from MORE that have Buick's that have been sitting A LONG, LONG TIME.

MrEarl, sure would like to see pictures of the Buick Garden grounds.

Oh, I can tell you DON'T like 54 models...............I also see that your Riviera model # has a 5 & 4 in it toooooo. 54 must be your lucky number, LOL.

Dale in Indy

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I'm HAPPY for those that are DRIVING their Buick, I thought we would hear from MORE that have Buick's that have been sitting A LONG, LONG TIME.

MrEarl, sure would like to see pictures of the Buick Garden grounds.

Oh, I can tell you DON'T like 54 models...............I also see that your Riviera model # has a 5 & 4 in it toooooo. 54 must be your lucky number, LOL.

Dale in Indy

.....you should see the guys left arm!

Think sweepspear portholes and ink.

Anyway, I got to have a wonderful 50 miles with my ride until it left me on the side of the road back in the fall of 09...the last time it moved under its own power.

The last time it actually moved though was this month...off to the powdercoaters.

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I actually have it in the garage now but my camera is not!!!

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Bob, all I can say is WOW! I thought I was going deep..man, you are back to square one! The frame looks great. I am clearly impressed with the powdercoating on the frame. Mine will just be sprayed on K2 stuff..Keep up the good work and pictures!

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Guest Skyking
Not sure how long an explanation you want here but.......

My 1958 Buick Special convert has been off the road since October 2007 due to a blown power brake booster. It is still off the road after having rebuilt the booster/master cylinder and purchasing a complete brake package from Kanter and new SS brake lines.

The delay....... as my business partner's wife used to say, "Life Just Gets In The Way". My other excuse... I live in what used to be the Automotive Capital of Canada, Windsor Ontario (just announced Feb 8/12 we lost that title to Oshawa, Ontario production number wise). From 2008 till now things just are not what they used to be and........ like my relatives in Michigan (which I think might have been hit even worse) just getting by. What has happen now is, with sitting up on jack stands, the rear trany seal has dried out (not uncommon with dynaflows) and needs to be rebuilt so......... while not undoable, time, cost and priorities are in play still.

OK so..... time to get off the whine box and .... my youngest boy said last week that it would be nice to get it back on the road this summer. Guess time has slipped away and he is right!

Doug

BCA# 35039

Doug, that's one beautiful '58 that should be driven.......!

As far as my '62, I've been driving it quite a bit this nice warm winter.

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Guest gunjeep444

Well, it was -14 here this morning and my car is stored in an unheated garage in town. Does have the taillights back on((after re-chroming), so can drive it if it ever warms up. Got some springs from Wheatbelt to get it back up to stock ride height-which I hope to be more comfortable than the cut down springs it has now.

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So HOW expensive it it to POWDER coat a frame?

Must be nice to have a POWDER COATED FRAME, good for you!

Dale in Indy

Thanks...it sure looks great and it will last a long time for sure.

There is a local company that does it, the frame alone was a thousand but that included everything including shipping. They also did two coats! I had some other items so the final bill was a bit more. I plan on PC'ing every part I can, most at home though. Next is a test on a true flat clear for my bare metal parts, hope they look uncoated but I have my doubts.

Jim...I envy you and your approach, you will be driving long before I will. You ingenious way of doing a frame on is a model for us to follow.

Edited by stealthbob (see edit history)
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What a beautiful '58

I have not been able to drive mine since last Summer when I trailered it to a local dealer for our club twentieth anniversary. With the wisdom in Washington DC, our state and local governments decided it would be good to use TARP money to do "Shovel Ready" jobs on our state highways, city and county roads. And, for a time the rock pebbles were as thick as a river fog. Still one cannot travel more than ten miles without one hitting the windshield. I expect that I will be able to drive some this Spring. I hope you have an opportunity soon to enjoy yours.

'57 Roadmaster

Not sure how long an explanation you want here but.......

My 1958 Buick Special convert has been off the road since October 2007 due to a blown power brake booster. It is still off the road after having rebuilt the booster/master cylinder and purchasing a complete brake package from Kanter and new SS brake lines.

The delay....... as my business partner's wife used to say, "Life Just Gets In The Way". My other excuse... I live in what used to be the Automotive Capital of Canada, Windsor Ontario (just announced Feb 8/12 we lost that title to Oshawa, Ontario production number wise). From 2008 till now things just are not what they used to be and........ like my relatives in Michigan (which I think might have been hit even worse) just getting by. What has happen now is, with sitting up on jack stands, the rear trany seal has dried out (not uncommon with dynaflows) and needs to be rebuilt so......... while not undoable, time, cost and priorities are in play still.

OK so..... time to get off the whine box and .... my youngest boy said last week that it would be nice to get it back on the road this summer. Guess time has slipped away and he is right!

Doug

BCA# 35039

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Edited by Caballero2
correct typos (see edit history)
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Why thank you Caballero2 for the compliment, I appreciate it.

I'm not going to mislead anyone on the condition of the car though. It has many a hard mile on it and it shows. See I bought it when I was in High School back in 1972 as my every day vehicle, had lots of fun with it and naturally never had enough money to consider restoring it. Fortunately decent storage was never an issue and being a BUICK (and convert) made the decision early to keep it knowing that model would be tough to afford later in life. Dad had brought me up with antique cars which I now own also so...... as has been said before, Rust Is In My Blood.

Love your Caballero too! Should my ticket ever come in would love to have a 58 or 57 wagon. Might have something to do with the image and my age but the lines on hardtop wagons just have not been captured since (IMHO).

Now, with 4 inches of the white stuff on the ground today, back to making a work plan for getting her ready this summer.

Doug

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This a great question and one that should be asked before you buy a classic car as I learned the hard way.

Especially when you hear the phrase "well, it was driven here where it is parked".

Found out the lil' ol' lady drove it there after church 22 years previous to when I bought it.

Cut the pistons out with a torch.

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(I'm HAPPY for those that are DRIVING their Buick, I thought we would hear from MORE that have Buick's that have been sitting A LONG, LONG TIME.)

Thanks to others also that had a good word for my Special. Thought I'd offer up an additional response to the statement above.

Not only was the Special my 2nd car purchased, I bought this '58 Roadmaster convert in 1974 (my 3rd car) continuing my love for '58 Buicks.

As you can see by the picture I never had it on the road but it did drive on and off the trailer and has been in good storage while I have picked up most of the parts needed to put it back in shape for a paint job at some point. This one will be the retirement project so........ no folks, it is not for sale.

Does that fit the question, been sitting for a LONG, LONG TIME?

p.s. That's my '58 Limited in the background too. (another story)

Doug

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Dale in Indy,

Nooooo...... the Roadmaster is not for sale. Never hurts to ask though, ha ha.

Some may see these stories as hoarding and never completed projects but...... this is my....... hobby, not a business or getting rich kind of thing. I'd love to have the expertise Smartin is showing he has with his 58 Limited and his thread is inspiring me to get myself in a position to accomplish some goals with my cars now. That kind of posting (and others) makes one realize just how involved (and what one can do) before taking on a car restoration to whatever level one can afford.

After I bought the Roadmaster, came down to your "Circle City" about 1975 to see a '58 parts car listed in Hemmings looking for front fenders. It was an auto wreckers located on the Northwest side. Went on a Saturday early (I thought) and was told they closed in one hour! Was told I could take it off myself but needed to be out before the dogs were turned loose! Fortunately the bolts came loose easily and managed to get the whole left side complete with trim, headlights (T3's) and inner panels for $40.00 bucks. Wish that was today but........

For me half the fun is getting there and with having the Special on the road at the time, it was all good.

Before this turns into the '58 thread....... anyone else?

My Limited story later, Doug.

BCA# 35039

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Depends on which car, my '56 Roadmaster, I last drove in Nov., when I put it away for winter storage.

My '41 Roadmaster coupe has been under restoration for about 10 years, but it has been off the road now for 25 or 30, as the previous owner hadn't driven it in a number of years. Before I started on the restoration I used to start the '41 and move it around my property till about '01 when it went in the garage and to be taken apart. I'm hoping that it will be out of the garage in the next few weeks or so, and on the road in the spring.

Keith

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INSPIRATION, OH what a POWERFUL word.

Yep, most of us need INSPIRATION now and then. Just today after reading some posting I was inspired. I love detail work, so my arty side went to work on a 36 Buick round grill emblem. You see I make arty things out of the likes. I have 4 of these emblems, under the chrome of the Buick script is SOLID COPPER, I love copper, so polish it up.

I have made a scaled enlargement of the 36 piece, it is approx. 18" in diameter, and am working on adding to it, soon.

Well, anyway thanks for the stories, hope more will find their way to the site.

Dale in Indy

P.S. I knew the 58 wasn't for sale, just giving you a hard time.

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Forever, lol. It's a '52 super convertible, which I bought in October of 2010. I bought it from someone who had it sitting in a chicken house for 10 years, and he bought it from another fellow who had it sitting in a field for who knows how long. (thanks to trimacar for that info) I would guess that it hasn't been on the road since the early '60s. I really need an entire floor/trunk pan for it, which is going to be a challenge to find. Luckily, the frame/body mounts are solid and the engine isn't stuck. It needs little in the way of parts that are hard to find, aside from the aforementioned floor/trunkpan.

Edited by retirednow (see edit history)
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Guest Rob McDonald

DEI (God of the '58s), I know what you're getting at here - is the joy of owning a classic Buick dulled by one's inability to drive it? I say, no. What keeps us going is the faint but desperate hope of one day getting the old dear running. That's why we get all fired up by threads on this Forum. They confirm that real people, just like us, can accomplish a great deal, if they eventually commit the time and spend whatever money they can.

I last drove my Roadmaster about 15 years ago. It ran just as sweetly as it had ten years before, when I rebuilt the engine, brakes, and suspension. On that last drive, however, the Dynaflow was dripping at an alarming rate and the brakes were all grabby from fluid leaks. Rust does sleep but hydraulics? Not so well.

I'm now repairing these storage-incurred damages. I expect to drive the car again within the next few weeks, although the transmission will just have to keep leaking for a while longer. I'm not prepared right now to pull the power train again - maybe next winter.

Before spring - that's May in these parts - I want to install the weatherseals (bought years ago) and polish and install the stainless trim (including a bunch that's NOS - again, bought years ago). After making sure the lights, horn, and wipers still work, I'll throw a blanket over the front seat - likely a Hudson's Bay blanket, the Mexican kind being rather scarce around here.

I'm then going to drive, drive, drive this magnificent car. I want to share it with the world, while gasoline is still available and before regulations forbid the transport on public roads of relics of a politically-incorrect bygone era. Around here, anyway, old cars don't appear on the streets nearly often enough. I hereby pledge to do my part to remedy that.

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How long has my car been sitting or not running or both?

Well, when I bought mine in southern california in March of 2010, I was told that my car although it had a 1984 sticker on the plate had not been on the streets since 1970. Since all the service records stopped at that time I had no reason to not believe them. All this according to the lil ol lady who reportedly had owned it since new. A story completely backed up by her now retired school teacher niece, who was the lady that brokered the deal for me.

So a few months pass after buying the Roadmaster and getting it back home, I was sitting around one rainy evening in the shop and decided to clean up the Buick's California black plates. Upon which I thought I would kinda do some geological detective work. They are black plates and have the month/year stickers staked and caked on them year upon year. Now the plates indeed said April 1984 but I wondered if their story was correct if indeed it had last been on the road in 1970. I reasoned, if this was true, there should then be a 1970 sticker under that 1984 sticker. So, with a couple of beers for courage, I set about carefully peeling the 1984 sticker off to behold indeed a 1970 sticker! This would jive with all the maintenance records that suddenly stopped November 25, 1970. According to the sellers it had been reregistered in 1984 but not driven, since the mileage on the last 1970 record had stated 59,450 miles and the odometer now currently reads 60,040 miles. But it could of been started, run or even driven after 1970.

To continue, I also was still curious and carefully pealed back the remaining stickers as not to damage them but just to see what years were revealed. I found the next sticker was 1968, then 1966 then the last one was 1965.

I do know, In 1963 California changed from the yellow plates with black lettering which they had used since 1956, to the black plates with yellow lettering and everyone got the new black plates that year in 1963.

This raises some other interesting questions however. Was the original owner ol lady the original owner and bought the car new in 1957 as reported to me, or in 1965 as the maintenance records do not go back that far? If she owned it since new I would assume the sticker on the black plates would of gone back to 1963 or 64 in sync with the black plate issue. Also, in 1963 I am not sure if california gave you new black plates along with the 64 sticker on the plate or a black plate with 63 sticker or just a black plate then in 64 you got a 65 sticker? I will have to find out about what went on back then regarding that.

This still remains a mystery that I would like to solve. I have posted some photos showing the sticker years for you other "detectives" out there. Let me know what you think and maybe we can solve the mystery?

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Drove it Tuesday. The weather has been great mid to high 60's F. I have been enjoying my Buick.:D

I wanted to drive it today but I didn't get out of the garage.( as another poster said, life got in the way), I did finish the wax job I started last week and I think it looks great even if I say so myself.:)

Photo is prior to recent waxing.

Wayne B.

1941 Super 51

what a car your 41 I think they look sleek like a coup

mike

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This still remains a mystery that I would like to solve. I have posted some photos showing the sticker years for you other "detectives" out there. Let me know what you think and maybe we can solve the mystery?

I have two sets of CA black plates that came from pre-63 cars and they both have '64 stickers on them. I did the same thing you did by peeling everything but the last sticker from both wells. I have never seen a '63 sticker on a black plate only on a yellow one. A late friend of mine actually had a set of yellow plates issued in late '62 and the rear one had one 63 sticker on it and nothing else. It came from a car his dad had bought new in '62. The following year he was issued the black plates.

I don't think any yellow plates were allowed to be on registered cars after 63 in CA. Did you peel the stickers of the right tab well? Maybe there's a 64 lurking underneath?

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