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Lancemb's 57 Roadmaster Facelift


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I have taken on Lance's 57 Roadmaster 4 door this Fall/Winter to cosmetically restore the exterior of the car. New two-tone correct colors and a new BLUE stripe on the sweepspear trim :) Also, several parts are coming off for rechrome.

Lance dropped the car off a few weeks ago, and we stripped a few parts off so he could take them back to Chicago with him and have them rechromed. Since I (finally) got the 60 convertible running and stopping well, I am going to focus on the 57. I will be removing all of the trim and polishing what needs to be done before it gets reinstalled. The door jambs still have the original paint, and it shows well, so we won't be painting them.

Hopefully, this weekend I will be able to make a big dent in trim removal and general disassembly.

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This will be fun to watch. Was the blue stripe original and someone painted it red?

John, the stripe was originally blue but had been gone over before I got it with an incorrect metallic blue with a brush. Since I couldn't get a good sample off that for the original blue and it looked like garbage I just repainted it red. Now that the body is getting repainted the proper colors though I felt the time was right to put it back to blue. Now we just need to come as close as possible to that! The bottom color is close to original but the top is not.

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If you are thinking the car looks too nice to repaint btw there are some large areas on the doors that were flaking off and surface rusting underneath. It was beyond touching up. Plus I had been hoarding a few parts for this car for awhile now waiting for this!

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Lance and Adam,

Can't wait to see the progress photo's on this. Looking forward to a sweet ride. Like the blue sweep spear insert color. Will look great with the two tone blue, for sure.

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Lancemb:

Quoting from information provided to me: "Buick Product Service Bulletin #BPS 2.422, March 22, 1957 tells of the additional lsweep spear color. It's on page 136. Codes are: Tangerine; 56505H, Green; 56515H, Blue; 56516H." These were Dupont Dulux numbers. - Dan

Dan, I've seen that, but didn't think this code could still be translated in a meaningful manner today. Do you know if that is possible?

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Not trying to butt in here, just trying to be helpful. I got this off of the team Buick forum, as the result of a google search for the blue paint code: The reddish sweepspear paint was called Tangerine and is Dulux mixing formula #56505H. Green #56515H and Blue #56516H were added for this application on 3/1/57.

A Product Service Bulletin was issued later on during the year on how to refinish these trim pieces. The blue and green parts must not have been too common. Their part numbers were later cancelled. The factory then instructed dealers to order Tangerine parts and to repaint them.

Hope this helps. Joe (a Rambler guy).

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How do you hijack a thread on your own car?

:D

I'm glad you see it that way!

Here are photos of the upgraded side scripts and hood letters. All are either NOS or damn-near NOS old take offs that look new or very close. Trunk script is in chrome shop as I could not source one nice enough.

Adam will be sending me the door handles for rechrome, and I have already supplied:

  • NOS grille halves
  • Rechromed upper grille bar
  • NOS trunk handles
  • New door mirrors
  • NOS front bumper ends

I will also be supplying an NOS gas door, upgraded hood ornament, and tail light assemblies. The rest of the stuff is pretty nice as it is, but I will probably redo a couple more of the pieces as time and funds allow.

I can hardly wait!

Edited by lancemb (see edit history)
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The entire drivers side is stripped of stainless/chrome trim. After puncturing and lacerating my fingers several times, I thought it would be a good time to quit for the day :) I forgot to shoot a photo before I pulled it back into the garage. Next weekend!

Since the cheapo paint job that was done in the early 70's didn't remove the trim, it would be cool to polish a small area where the trim came off to see what both of the original colors look like together!

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Lance and Adam,

Can't wait to see the progress photo's on this. Looking forward to a sweet ride. Like the blue sweep spear insert color. Will look great with the two tone blue, for sure.

Jim, I see you are partial to two-tone blue 57 Buicks. What paint code do you have?

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Guest Rob McDonald

LANCE, ADAM, i am so jealous of the project that you have started. Once you get the new paint applied, my '57 Roadmaster will be at the same stage. The stainless trim needs to be polished - a Smartin specialty - and all the die-cast needs to be reinstalled. I have a handful of NOS trim pieces but most of it is "good enough" for my standards. I'll be following this one closely.

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Hey Lance,

Mine is actually T (Dawn Gray) over C (Dover White). Those are the original colors for the car, and not a high pick option, I would guess. With blues, I like the contrast more, so I would be more of a D (Starlight Blue Metallic) over a C (Dover White) with the tangerine sweep spear. Nice dark blue with the contrasting white and the tangerine would set it off between the two colors, especially with the tangerine wheel felloes. Just my opinion..But the E (Biscay Blue Metallic) over G (Dresden Blue) is a nice combo as well. Your car is in the right hands with Adam, for sure!

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Hey Lance,

Mine is actually T (Dawn Gray) over C (Dover White). Those are the original colors for the car, and not a high pick option, I would guess. With blues, I like the contrast more, so I would be more of a D (Starlight Blue Metallic) over a C (Dover White) with the tangerine sweep spear. Nice dark blue with the contrasting white and the tangerine would set it off between the two colors, especially with the tangerine wheel felloes. Just my opinion..But the E (Biscay Blue Metallic) over G (Dresden Blue) is a nice combo as well. Your car is in the right hands with Adam, for sure!

Wow your car looks bluish in your avatar. Still a great combo and my dad had a 57 Special that color growing up. I figure who better to get Big Blue back in form than a Buick guy?

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The top is too blue, and the bottom is too green. I have modern paint codes cross referenced now, but have not mixed any to test. Once I get Sean to check on the blue stripe code, I will order a small batch of each and spray it out

Thanks for posting Adam. That is so freaking cool! I love it now that I see the contrast! Let me know on that trim code and if no luck whether a sample could be gotten from old trim as suggested by Dan above...

Edited by lancemb (see edit history)
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Guest Rob McDonald

ADAM, it is so cool that you found the factory paint combination under the sweepspear moulding.

LANCE, I think I've hinted before that I'm not so fond of the colours on your car. These original tints look so much better together!

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The original colors will look sweet! I have to ask, is the engine bay getting the Smartin treatment as well?

No, the engine compartment is "halfway decent", but not perfection. Top of engine has been repainted when heads done, rest is largely original. Has A/C too, so a thorough detail would be a bigger job. However, most of that stuff is pretty nice and original. Car is largely a survivor, so I'm not going to get too crazy on it. What I do do, I want to keep as original. Firewall has original paint, so when I get it home I'll probably try to get in there and clean it up (unless after painting it Adam just can't help himself :rolleyes:)

I also plan to install new headliner and hopefully redye the seats when I get it back. The interior is pretty nice and original, but the blue has faded on the cloth portion of the seats.

I am mulling driving it down for the 2015 National in Springfield, MO if I get all this done.

BTW - I love the Studebaker truck. My dad had the identical truck unrestored, but not sure where it went to when it was sold 8-9 years ago. He also had a 56 he installed a Chevy front end and engine in and drove daily for years.

It looks like you need a Buick though...

Edited by lancemb (see edit history)
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No, the engine compartment is "halfway decent", but not perfection. Top of engine has been repainted when heads done, rest is largely original. Has A/C too, so a thorough detail would be a bigger job. However, most of that stuff is pretty nice and original. Car is largely a survivor, so I'm not going to get too crazy on it. What I do do, I want to keep as original. Firewall has original paint, so when I get it home I'll probably try to get in there and clean it up (unless after painting it Adam just can't help himself :rolleyes:)

I also plan to install new headliner and hopefully redye the seats when I get it back. The interior is pretty nice and original, but the blue has faded on the cloth portion of the seats.

I am mulling driving it down for the 2015 National in Springfield, MO if I get all this done.

BTW - I love the Studebaker truck. My dad had the identical truck unrestored, but not sure where it went to when it was sold 8-9 years ago. He also had a 56 he installed a Chevy front end and engine in and drove daily for years.

It looks like you need a Buick though...

Going back to the original colors is going to look great! I can understand wanting to leave the engine bay alone if everything looks decent. All of my projects end up coming out of the weeds to be fixed, so nothing looks decent anymore.

Thanks for the kind words about my old truck. I've been in love with this truck since I was about 10 years old. My dad and uncles bought it to use as a parade vehicle to advertise their construction company. I've been wanting to tear it down and do a frame off, but had too many cars to fix this summer. Hopefully this winter I can get started.

I've been trying to find the right Buick for me for a while now. First, I have to thin the herd. I have 26 vehicles right now. Once some of them are gone I'll be on the hunt for my next Buick. I've been thinking 54-57, but I like a lot of body styles from the 20's to the 70's. That makes it difficult to choose. I would like to have one in time for the 2015 National. Odds are I'll remain indecisive.

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OK, my mother gave me these last year and I am super excited to share them for the first time. I just scanned these now. The first two pictures are at one of the first BCA national meets in Flint in 1975, right after the car had been painted. The 3rd and 4th pics show this very Buick with its original paint, pre 1975 at the house my parents lived in before the house I grew up in. Is that cool or what?

SO now we get a glimpse of what Big Blue will look like again!!

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Lance,

Those pictures are so cool! That car is a family treasure! It is really great that you still have it and are now slowly bringing it back to the way it was in pictures 3 & 4. Way cool!

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Before I start stripping, I want to get a couple small batches of the two body colors and the paint stripe, and do a spray out on the panels to verify a match. After that, I can go to town on body work. I am just waiting on my paint guy to get back with Dupont to get a modern formula for it.

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Lancemb, I love those pictures of the Flint meet. Was that 1975 or 1978, the 75th Anniversary of Buick Meet? My wife and I were at the 78 meet, albeit for one day only, Saturday. With the 56 we were probably very close to your car. I'd have to dig deep for any photos, and don't know if I still have any or not.

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I'm glad you see it that way!

Here are photos of the upgraded side scripts and hood letters. All are either NOS or damn-near NOS old take offs that look new or very close. Trunk script is in chrome shop as I could not source one nice enough.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]276183[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]276184[/ATTACH]

Adam will be sending me the door handles for rechrome, and I have already supplied:

  • NOS grille halves
  • Rechromed upper grille bar
  • NOS trunk handles
  • New door mirrors
  • NOS front bumper ends

I will also be supplying an NOS gas door, upgraded hood ornament, and tail light assemblies. The rest of the stuff is pretty nice as it is, but I will probably redo a couple more of the pieces as time and funds allow.

I can hardly wait!

… As the self appointed village voice for caution, I would like to add, you may want to reconsider the re-chroming of the front and rear bumpers. First off they look pretty darn good in Smartin's photo set and cannot understand why a recharge is needed. Secondly, especially since most shops today chrome via the Trivalent process which is essentially a dye job and shows a crisp whitish hue in shine upon completion. Yes things get chromed but they have to add a dye at the end of the process to make it look something close to a traditional chrome job. The Trivalent job comes out pretty much like plastic chrome paint can lid. The original chrome on the other hand, was Hexavalent and shows a blueish hue in shine upon completion and this is what the Trivalent guys are attempting to duplicate by dyeing the batch but never really can come close to the good ol Hexavalent process end product. We mention all of this because your NOS bumper ends etc were Hexavalent and when one attaches a Trivalent processed metal part next to a true Hexavalent piece the contrast is very noticeable. The moral of all of this is to make sure you obtain the chrome services of a shop that will indeed perform the true hexavalent process and will apply whatever it takes in copper and nickel and will bake it properly upon completion.

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Lancemb, I love those pictures of the Flint meet. Was that 1975 or 1978, the 75th Anniversary of Buick Meet? My wife and I were at the 78 meet, albeit for one day only, Saturday. With the 56 we were probably very close to your car. I'd have to dig deep for any photos, and don't know if I still have any or not.

Thanks John! These pictures are from the 1975 meet. I also have a couple pictures from the 1972 meet in Flint, where my dad had his 1940 Special business coupe (featured in 75 years of Buick book). Was '72 the first national meet? I'm not sure on my BCA history...

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