studebrooklyn

Dear Buick Friends - I am in need of replacement starter bendix drive for my 1930 buick 64. Part No. R11A i am not sure if anyone can rebuild these, but if so, any leads are appreciated. Many Thanks! Michael

Thanks Don. Yes, i learned to lubricate the fan gears the hard way a long time ago! thanks for your reply.

Thanks Larry - so glad you are enjoying the music! We have another recording which will be done soon, I'll send you that too if you like. Regarding the pulley: How does it demount from the crankshaft; any idea? Or would the machinist straighten it out attached to the block? seems tough to access on the engine and the radiator might need to come out? thanks! Michael

Greetings - Regarding my 1930 Buick model 68: The damper pulley (the one that runs directly off the crankshaft and spins the fanbelt) is bent and wobbles when it spins. It is NOT loose. The warping is not drastic; the belt stays on fine and doesn't seem to wiggle, but it is also not minor; it's clearly visible. It was this way when I purchased the car. Since then, I've driven the car over a thousand miles like this without incident, but I'm wondering what i should do? Am I damaging the engine, welcoming a larger problem by keeping it this way? I could try straightening it, but am afraid of causing a bigger problem. should i look for a replacement damper pulley? Any advise would be greatly appreciated! Best, Michael

Michael - If you have photos, I would be most grateful! Mine are so broken up, pieces missing, etc., that it's tough to know the original design. I know i could fabricate something, but i'd love to see what the original idea was nonetheless. many thanks!

Thanks so much Mark - Yes, i have that exact orange fram rocker assy set-up. what filter fits it? UOTE=Mark Shaw;1277767][ATTACH=CONFIG]239630[/ATTACH] The large oil pan is actually a settling basin type "filter" in most older cars. However, you can pick up a Fram type filter housing that can filter just the rocker assy.

Hello - On my 1930 Victoria Coupe Model 68: Both of the pot-metal floor mounts for the passenger jumpseat are broken beyond repair. anybody have a lead on where i might find replacements? has anyone made these? Thank you!

Hello! Just curious what oil filter (with part number) anyone recommends for best fitment on 1930 series 60 buicks. can't seem to find it in any of my literature. Many thanks!

thanks for the good advice, gents. Larry, i remember meeting you and enjoying chatting. kindly forward you email address, and I'll send my orchestra's latest CD out to you. And i hope to see you again at macungie this year. all best, michael

i'm not sure if the fan system is the same on '31s and on '30s (which is what i have), but to my knowledge it's not a bearing system at all, but a system of little gears that spin the fan. If it is the latter, one thing you may want to do - although it is time consuming - it to disassemble the entire mechanism (fan, belt, everything). inspect the actual gears. I did this to mine after the fan failed and fell off. the gears were all broken inside. (due to years of wear and tear and probable lack of lubrication over the years.) in this case there is a gent who manufactures a sealed bearing retrofit that works wonders.

Greetings! I'm doing some (very) cold weather driving in my 1930 Buicks. Anyone have recommendations for how i should position/manage the carburetor heat lever on the dash for optimal running? Should i leave it open/halfway, etc? Many thanks! Michael

Hi Michael - Thanks for explaining. I understand, you'd have to change all the wheel hardware in order to swap to wire wheels. I think the artillery wheels are neat on this car. Yes, I am the new owner of the Victoria coupe. Went up and drove it yesterday; really drives well and is mechanically sound which is what sold me.

hi - thanks so much for the info! just curious what you mean by: "Sidemounts and wire wheels were a factory option on these cars although one cannot swap one for the other without making additional changes to the chassis. " why would chassis need to be altered for wheels or sidemounts?

hello pre-war buick friends - can anyone confirm the model of this 1930 victoria coupe? http://www.ebay.com/itm/380755220322?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648 the artillery wheels and lack of sidemounts led me to think originally that it was a 58, but the owner confirmed a wheelbase measurement on 132''. it is advertised as a model 68. many thanks!

congrats on this wonderful inheritance! i own the big brother of your car, the model 64 roadster which i drive regularly in NYC (pictured above). your model is a bit more common than the larger 60 series, but is still a rare bird, especially in roadster form. i also love that your car appears in an understated colour scheme without the overdone whitewalls and heavy-handed aftermarket pinstriping. keep it that way for a truly elegant and period-correct presentation! as other members have stated, your car shares few common parts with the series 50 or 60, so make sure you are very specific when ordering parts. from my experience, some main points to address particular to your car are: - heat riser (make sure it isn't leaking and deteriorated inside; there's a metal tube running through it. they can be rebuilt and even bought brand new, refabricated, by bob sheppard in australia. also, make sure all the linkages are connected and functioning) - marvel carburreter. (have it rebuilt by a pro, it is worth it. don't fool around with the adjustment on it once it's installed. they are incredibly finicky. if the carb is sound, there is no reason to touch it.) - radiator, thermostatic fins (if car has been sitting, radiator will need to be boiled out, and the thermo fins should open and close for proper temp regulation; also a very neat feature on these cars in lieu of a thermostat.) - cooling fan: it was designed with a gearing system, not a ball bearing system and needs to be lubricated regularly. check this immediately. usually the gears freeze up or disintegrate after years of being ignored. if they are already compromised, i highly recommend replacing with a retrofitted ball bearing adapter; then you'll never have to think about it again. there is a gent in Pa. that makes them whose contact i can forward. otherwise, all the common things apply to a car that's been sitting. empty and clean or reline gas tank, drop oil pan, and all the other good advise above from other members. enjoy, she's a beauty!

Hi there - Any chance you may still have these doors and may want to sell them? Thanks, Michael

Also, I wonder if perhaps '29 or '31 door parts might be compatible with a '30? Another thought: perhaps door parts from another GM roadster (Caddy, Olds) could be adapted? (Not that those would be any easier to find.)

Sure thing, Neil, will send as soon as i can. however, my interior was redone before i acquired the car, and i CANNOT vouch that it is completely correct. as it happens, i need some help, too, with a few last touches: Somewhere before I acquired the car, all of the interior door handles, pulls and even the mechanical innards inside the doors were lost. Right now i just reach outside the car and open door to exit, but it's a little embarrassing. these are the parts i need: 1930 Buick Model 64C ROADSTER: 2 Interior door pulls, and any related hardware. (to open doors from inside car) 2 interior door handles, and any related hardware (to close doors from inside car, shaped kind of like bottle openers) All the mechanical hardware inside doors. (I might just fabricate if no dice.) i attach a pic of the interior of a model 40, which i believe shares some of the interior door hardware. all best, Michael Arenella

Dear Buick Friends, Somewhere before I acquired the car, all of the interior door handles, pulls and even the mechanical innards inside the doors were lost. Right now i just reach outside the car and open door to exit, but it's a little embarrassing. Anyone have any leads on where I may find any of these parts? 1930 Buick Model 64C ROADSTER: 2 Interior door pulls, and any related hardware. (to open doors from inside car) 2 interior door handles, and any related hardware (to close doors from inside car, shaped kind of like bottle openers) All the mechanical hardware inside doors. (I might just fabricate if no dice.) I attach a picture showing both the pull and the handle. (But not of door innards which I also need) Thanks for your time and help. Michael Arenella

Neil - I have the same car, restored. I have her in storage for the winter, but will get her out next month and send you some pics. (if you haven't got some before then.)

It just seems unnecessarily "elitist" to me, and taints the hobby to make these official declarations as to what a "full classic" is. Just imagine the pride of ownership of any individual who could make good enough to purchase a new car during the depression. That sentiment alone surely makes any surviving car from that era a "full classic", be it a Ford or a Duesenberg. Just because a car may have been more expensive, doesn't make it more desirable. What attracted me to my '30 Buick 64 is probably what would have attracted the original owner: lack of ostentation paired with a big body, superior quality and above average power; and they weren't inexpensive cars when new. Not everybody's into Caddies and Packards, even if they can afford them; then or now! But then there are "car guys" and there are "car flippers", the latter of which benefit from and likely make these arbitrary rules.

thanks for your thoughts, brian. the engine is surely what they base it on. but IMHO, that straight 6 is a marvelous engine; the apex of buick know-how in 1930. it actually pulls stronger torque than the straight 8, and is virtually as powerful. but, on the other hand, if my car were a "full classic", i probably never could have afforded it! maybe someday the CCCA will find it worthy; i hope so.

dear buick fans - perhaps as a proud owner of a fully restored 1930 buick 64C sports roadster i'm a bit biased, but has no one else found it hard to believe the the 1930 model 60 is not considered a "Full Classic" by the CCCA? (yet the straight-8 1931 model 90 is) not that i really give a rat's bottom, but just saying...... what do they base these rules on? thoughts?

mark - i'm not in the BCA; where do i sign up?

hello mark - i can't get any photos at present since the car is tucked away in storage, but i do have some measurements: heat riser: the 60 dimensions are: Outside Diam. 1&21/32 1&23/32 * 1&3/4 * Inside Diam. 1&35/64 1&35/64 1&39/64 Length 4&5/16 4&7/8 5 it has these numbers on the side: 146 48 thanks so much for your time mark!