Guest TerryB601 Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 Who did hydraulic front brake conversions for 31 Buick's ? The 31 Phaeton I've been showing on this forum has been converted to juice brakes on the front. If the Buick reference book I have for the car mentioned hydraulic brakes on the car I can't find the page ! The master cylinder is tucked into the frame below the starter and looks factory correct, has anyone seen a 31 with juice brakes or know who supplied the option? Thanks for Your time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted January 24, 2015 Share Posted January 24, 2015 I believe Buick's first hydraulic brakes were in 1936. Perhaps someone converted your 1931 sometime after 1936? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibarlaw Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Quite strange that someone did not convert all fully to hydraulics. I knew a few old timers in the garages I worked at in the 1970s. They said they had done some conversions on pre 1936 Buicks when the cables finally gave out and were no longer stocked. I wonder what did they use to make the conversion. Nothing would match up with stock brake structure. Seems that it would be an expensive fix to put right back to original. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TerryB601 Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Hello again Larry, It probly seems crazy that after 15 years I have just realized this BUT this car has been tucked away waiting it's turn to be restored or given the attention it needed to really bring the car back to life and although we did take it out several times a year to streach it's legs it was then parked and covered and pretty much left to age like a bottle of fine wine, lol back to the brakes, Im not sure when the master cylinder went dry but even at that point the way the conversion is set up the rear brakes still work. The conversion is very well done and well engineered , I was hoping someone had seen a SIMULAR setup and maybe had imformation and or the history of the manufacture of the product. I've been a Spark plug collector for 45 years and half the fun is reading about and looking at the designs of hundreds of ideas and designs that were being marketed. The same Im sure was true with hundreds of Automobile parts and add on- upgrade devices. These Beautiful cars we enjoy come from a time when this Great country was being built and people like Albert Champion were designing and making products in the back yard at a rate SIMULAR to the Automotive manufactures. I've learned so much about this 31 Buick in the past week or so and Im looking forward to learning more!!! Thanks soooo much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shaw Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 I agree with Larry that some job shop did it when the front cables froze-up. Have you been to the spark plug museum in Pendleton OR? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TerryB601 Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Im in touch with the Real Deal Buick Guys and it's looking like the work was done using parts available , we take for granted all the neat stuff company's like Willwood , Bear etc developed and make available and fit like a glove. I remember the story's my Grandfather told, like stopping on the shoulder of a road and dropping the oil pan and using a piece of leather from his belt for a temporary rod bearing to get his 1917 REO Speed Wagon and the load of logs it was hauling to the wood yard. People improvised and made due with what was available. No I havnt been to the musium. I've been to shows and swap meets over the years and Ive tracked down and dug and recovered insulators and plugs from were plugs were made during the heyday of the industrial boom I was lucky enough to find a wooden crate of NOS Rentz Lighthouse plugs in a wharehouse in Atlanta " lucky me but the value of that type plug was cut in half because I desided to share them with other collectors" lol. It's all for fun and preservation of The ideas and hard work and Great Old Cars We enjoy so much. Thanks so much Terry B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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