1915 C36 Buick

I am getting ready to start a C36 that has sat for a very long time. I would like to find out the proper way to change and check the oil in the engine. It has 5 plugs down the center of the oil pan, a petcock on the left side of the pan and a plug in the front of the pan. I also would like to know how much oil to put back into the engine. Thank you in advance for the help.

To change the oil, remove the bolt at the back of the oil pan. The other 4 bolts on the bottom of the pan are for the drains for the rod dipper to collect oil into.

To add the correct amount of oil, on the drivers side there should be two breather caps. Remove one of the caps.

On the drivers side on the side of the pan there should be a small brass valve. Open the valve and put oil into the engine through one of the breathers until oil comes out of the small valve.

You now have the correct amount of oil in the engine.

There is a thread that has pictures and everything about this but I could not find it. I put the pictures up for the other thread.

Here are a couple of pictures. Notice the inside of the pan where the dipper troughs are and the drain bolt below. The one to use to drain the oil is to the far right, next to the last trough on the right.

The next picture is of the side that has the two breathers with covers to fill the oil.

Hello Larry. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions about this Buick. I have another couple questions to ask - do these cars have positive or negative ground systems? I am pretty sure the original owner had it operating as it was when new. There was no battery in it when the car came to me. I was going to use 30 non detergent oil in the crankcase, but the timing gear area has a tag that requests 600 wt oil, what would you use. Not knowing the history of lubricants used in this coupe I figured another owner would already know what is best. Thank you again for your help

Larry Gross

1926 Model T Roadster

1927 Studebaker Commander

1947 Chrysler windsor sedan

1948 Chrysler New Yorker Convertible

1959 Studebaker lark VIII Stationwagon

I use Shell Rotella 15w40 oil in my truck. Is still supposed to have some zinc in the oil. You will hear all sorts of opinions on oil, but this is what I use.

The car is a negative ground.

I use Lubriplate 600 wt oil. Here is a thread that discusses the 600 wt oil.

By the way, where are you located?

Hello Larry. Thank you again for your response. I use 15-40 in all of my vehicles. This Buick is owned by a friend who's father passed away years ago. They wanted to get it running to prepare to sell the vehicle, probably at Hershey Pa since we live about 45 miles from there. I knew the T was negative ground but did not know if all the other auto manufacturers were positive ground until the 1950's.

1926 Model T Roadster

1927 Studebaker Commander

1947 Chrysler windsor sedan

1948 Chrysler New Yorker Convertible

1959 Studebaker lark VIII Stationwagon

Can you put some pictures of the car for the rest of us to look at?

Yes, These Buicks are Negative Ground. The engine only holds about 3 and 1/2 quarts before it starts to drip. Dandy Dave!

Why wait for Hershey when so many Buick guys are already looking for cars on this forum's Buy/Sell listings?

Why wait for Hershey when so many Buick guys are already looking for cars on this forum's Buy/Sell listings?

Yes. And we would love to see photos. Dandy Dave!

Ltc4748

I live an hour and 10 minutes south west from Hershey at Chambersburg. I don't know if you live north, east, west but I would love to see the car.

I plan to start the vehicle next week and will take pictures and post them if I can figure out how ( I have not tried to do any pictures yet on the forum ). I will also ask the owner if they are willing to sell privately. I will post their reply. Thanks to all for the information and help.

1926 Model T Roadster

1927 Studebaker Commander

1947 Chrysler windsor sedan

1948 Chrysler New Yorker Convertible

1959 Studebaker lark VIII Stationwagon

Ltc4748 has just indicated that he has the car running well and had a splendid time doing so. He seems very skilled and did a fine job of bringing it back to life.

I visited him this past Saturday to look the car over and try to evaluate if I would like to make an offer. We still have to get our offer to the owners and see if they will consider selling privately. It looks to be a very solid car even with the cream body and red wheels. (Original Colors to be Blue/Black). The top was very nice and there are side curtains. The nickel plating was polished off or removed long ago. Tires looked good but are probably 40 years old. I would love to have this one for the brass era tours!

I hope you get it Larry! I would love to see it. I love the 1915 thru 1918 roadsters. Was the C36 the longest wheelbase roadster in '15?

Cheers, Dave

Thanks Dave. Hope springs eternal. But again I believe they will want a price well above my limit. The longest wheelbase 1915 roadster was the model 54 6 cylinder.

130"WB, Price $1,635, 3, Weight 3,400 lbs. Only 352 made!

Good luck getting that car Larry. There was a C37 for sale not long back, that was missing its back section ( tub and rear doors) that I was interested in. But decided, didn,t feel like takling building a roadster rear section for it. Hope you get that car. Rod.

Thanks Dave. Hope springs eternal. But again I believe they will want a price well above my limit. The longest wheelbase 1915 roadster was the model 54 6 cylinder.

130"WB, Price $1,635, 3, Weight 3,400 lbs. Only 352 made!

Yep, That's a..bout right. Sept for the two Twin sixes, (V12's) Walter Marr built around that year. One still exists. It belongs to the Marr family. Dandy Dave!

 I did own the 1915 C-36 for about 10 seconds at the Hershey RM auction. They took my phone bid at $15,000. Larry Schramm looked it over with me and he picked up on a few things that I missed when it was at the mechanics garage.  
 I offered the owners $15,000 before the mechanic got it running. They said they wanted a "bit more" but would not say what a "bit more" was. Then when he got it back on the road I told the intermediary I could go more if I could drive it. I tried to set up an appointment to do so from April till the end of August but was always put off. The car sold for $17,500. The RM site states $19,250 as they added the buyers premiums. Again, the intermediary was to screen worthy buyers. Then I found out from the mechanic that the intermediary was the one who pushed to put it in the auction. Expecting $20K-$25K. I figured that my bid with the 10% premium would have been $16,500. What I would have considered "a bit more". Instead the family would have realized more if they would have sold it outright. Considering what they had to spend getting it running. Also, I don't know exactly what RM would have taken out. At least 10%. I know our local auction houses do 30% on household items and 15% on vehicles.
 I hoped that the car went to a Buick loving home. Surprise!! I find out it went to a dealer who had it at his space the next morning at $24,500! I believe it was left out uncovered with the top down during our severe thunder storm Friday afternoon. So much for a Buick loving home!

It would be interesting to see if the car actually gets an over $20K sale with all of the issues that made it less than a "perfect" car.

One of the more humorous items was that it had two different sets of fenders.  The left front and right rear matched the bead size and the right front and left rear matched and had a different size bead.  As Larry D said there were a number of "not technically correct" items with the car.

With that said, the car would be a nice runner for doing tours.  A lot of driving fun.

Dang, Larry! Some people are just too stoopid for their own good.

Cheers, Dave

Dang, Larry! Some people are just too stoopid for their own good.

 

Cheers, Dave

Which Larry?

Which Larry?

LOL... Neither. You two Larry's were smart not to bid any higher than you did. I think Moe was selling, and Curly was buying.  Nuk Nuk Nuk...   Now watch them try to pass it off as an equal to the Chartreuse Lady. Wish I was there with you pick it apart with you guys. I had to leave late Thursday afternoon. Dandy Dave!  

Larry.

 I believe Dave was referring to this Larry. Also considering that the mechanic who worked on the car is a Larry also. Looks like a Larry conspiracy. With no Moe, Curly or Shemp.

 Another thing we noticed on the car was that it had a decided lean to the passenger side. It was not noticeable to me since when I first saw it at Larry (the mechanic's) garage it was on the lift. Looking at the photos on the RM website.the front and rear views of the car looked to have it in a perfectly level attitude. On closer examination the driveway where it was photographed the grade slopes down on the drivers side. Broken Spring?? While the car was on the trailer we found evidence of pop riveted patches. Also bondo on the fender and body as well as how the mismatched fenders were installed. They had a 90 degree flange with about 40 very small pop rivets. RM touted this as an "high grade older restoration".

  As my friend Dave Blaufarb told me after our examination when it was on the trailer at $24,500 .... "I think you dodged the bullet on this one"..

Oh my gosh, I didn't mean either Larry was Stoopid!! Sorry for the confusion. I was referring to the owners of the car that Larry D was making a quite reasonable offer to but they just got...too greedy! Anyhow, looks like it worked out for the best. Still love those 1915 - 1918 roadsters, though...

Cheers, Dave

The Auction experience was well worth it. I was a cheapskate phone bidder. If you wanted to be in the convention center ballroom floor you had to have a $200 non refundable on purchase bidders number.. It was so interesting to see the RM crew members trying to get some of the older cars running to drive across the auction block. A beautiful 1929 Packard roadster thought to bring in the order of over $80,000 would not start. After the chief mechanic could not get it going then came the "TOW OF SHAME" which was a 4 wheeler and a tow strap to drag the expensive machine across the auction block.. That happened many times over the next 2 nights. Many of the1910s-20s cars started up immediately and quickly died. Each time some one forgot to turn on the fuel or vacuum tank. Each car had a card with starting instructions. The 1915 C-36 had the same problem and the young crew member automatically calls the head mechanic. I felt torn.. but since I had been denied the chance to drive the car I at least wanted to hear it run. So I suggested the young man turn on the fuel valve below the vacuum tank. Wow.. started up and ran pretty nice after that. It did leave a trail of oil on the trip up to the convention center ballroom.

Oh my gosh, I didn't mean either Larry was Stoopid!! Sorry for the confusion. I was referring to the owners of the car that Larry D was making a quite reasonable offer to but they just got...too greedy! Anyhow, looks like it worked out for the best. Still love those 1915 - 1918 roadsters, though...

 

Cheers, Dave

I'm sure there is no offence taken by any of us early Buick collectors. I just had to put in my l'il poke. Being I know both of them personally I could get away with it as they know where it is coming from. LOL.   Signed, Top Stooge, Dandy Dave!   

Do you say you know us or............we know you or your lady friend,  Chartruse?   The Chartruse Lady????

Sounds like it was a good car to stay away from Larry D. With all the pop rivets and Bondo remark, I would have thought twice. The 1915 C-37 Chassis that I brought home from California about three years ago also had a leaning issue. Upon taking it apart, it was a broken center pin that made the springs shift off center and thus the lean. The car looked like it was in a crash at one point in its life and also had a patched hole in the oil pan. You never know with these early cars after 100 years passing by. If they could only talk and tell us where they have been. The only way to get one the way you want it is to do a ground up on it yourself. Dandy Dave!     

Do you say you know us or............we know you or your lady friend,  Chartruse?   The Chartruse Lady????

All of it. Why you have both been up close, personal, and intimate with the Chartreuse Lady.   Nuk Nuk Nuk.. It is just what car guys do when they see a good looking one. And then they get to know the owner to find out how big of a crush he has on her. If they can steal her away from him, Or if he thinks she a pig and can be bought cheep.  Dandy Dave!

I am introducing myself as the new owner of the '15 C36 talked about above.  She is coming back home to Michigan within 50miles of where she was first built, Flint MI!

The story is my dad has wanted me to switch over from the old motorcycles and into the cars so I finally did; maybe at a higher price than you all think is reasonable but I took a liking to the car and just had to have it.   Since my Dad has a half dozen or more cars and is a great adviser I expect with his help this engineer can give the Buick a good home as hoped for earlier in this conversation.  I would certainly appreciate any advice from others that have experience with this vintage of vehicle.  My first goal is to just make sure it is mechanically sound for some summer touring.  No plans for restoration for a while.  I need to know my sweetheart is up to the task of navigating and enduring all kinds of weather we might find on the touring road! 

As far as the previous restore, the prior owner provided a book with all the work done and receipts and photos and that provides a clue for the fender issue.  Apparently they had 2 replaced during the 60s restoration; not sure which two.  Other than the fenders, it does look like the gentleman took great car to fix anything that needed updating.  The engine sounds strong and I am certainly anxious to get it on the road.  I noticed the lean and am hoping it is something simple as was mentioned above. 

Anyway,  now you all know what happened to this Buick.  I look forward to meeting you down the road someday.  Kindly,  Mark from Brighton, MI

Come on up to Fenton when you have it out and about.  I'm in the book as they say.

Mark,

I have a '15 truck and live in Rochester.  The truck is just up the road from you off Grand Blanc Rd and US 23.  Call me (or email )sometime and we can trade stories.  I have a lot of experience with you powertrain and that year.  I also know Dave Brennen aka Dandy Dave well who has the same car as you.

Larry

Mark:

 I am so glad it has finally gone to a "Buick Loving Home". I can send you all the photos I took of the car at the mechanics garage while I was trying to negotiate with the owners. You will have a wonderful support group with Larry Schramm and Brian Heil nearby!

I want a ride!

I'm in your Circle also if you need any advice. Measure the width of the fender bead and compare it with the width on mine which is about 5/8. That should give you a good idea which two have been changed. Dandy Dave!  

Also, When you get it , check and see if it charges the battery with a multimeter. That will give you an idea if the regulating resistance coil is any good. It is not uncommon to have a bad one. The upside is that the fix is usually simple with some nichrome wire. Dandy Dave!