SLP5357

Caballero2 - thanks for the link. That's looks like what I need. I accidentally set mine on fire years ago while doing a little welding nearby. I was surprised that Steele Rubber Products had no listing for this gasket, but it looks like Cars (oldbuickparts) does. Thanks again for your help! Steve

Old-Tank - thanks for the link - it was a little on the technical side but I think I followed it O.K. The more info I get on this subject, the more nervous I get about media blasting in general. The guy who I spoke to who does only silica sand blasting said that he uses low pressure and a high volume of sand in order to avoid warping. I'm not sure I want to take a chance as there's not too many replacement panels out there for a 46C - in fact there's probably none! Bernie - I'm with you on the soda blasting - I've heard bad things about that too. I may just have the frame sand blasted at this time so I can reach my goal of a "rolling chassis" by late Summer. I plan to construct an electrolysis tank to strip the doors, hood, trunk lid, etc. I've seen these tanks on youtube and they are pretty impressive. I really appreciate the input from you both - I'll keep an open mind on the blasting subject as I get more info. Thanks Again! Steve

Does anyone know where I can find a replacement for the thick rubber welting that seals the space between the rear quarter panel and the outer wheel well on a 57? I spoke to the folks from Steele Rubber Products at Hershey a couple years ago and they had no listing for this rubber seal. I know I'm getting a little ahead of myself on this restoration, but this has been bothering me for some time. Thanks for any help! Steve

Does anyone have experience with dustless blasting? I've gotten quotes lately from folks who do remote dustless and/or sand blasting. The dustless blasting guy uses crushed glass infused with a chemical that slows oxidation. The sand blasting guy uses only silicone sand and guarantees no warping. I've watched youtube videos of the dustless blasting and it looks interesting, but it seems like they're focused on paint removal and not so much on rust removal. I'm leaning toward the crushed glass dustless blasting but I'm hoping it's effective on surface rust. I think the prices quoted are very reasonable - $850 to $1,000 to blast the body shell (no doors, front fenders, trunk lid or hood) as well as blasting the frame and spraying epoxy primer (on the frame only). Any input is greatly appreciated! Thanks in Advance! Steve

Sorry - I forgot to attach the pics...

UPDATE: Once again I've searched the archives of photos past and present and located several that I had hoped to find. These pics are from early 2011 when I had my convertible moved from the last garage I rented to my own garage. Sorry for the grainy pics, I think these were taken with a Blackberry. At this point, I have several hundred hi-res pics to organize chronologically. They start in 2011 and run through present day. Most of the photos were taken up close and are the ones I'll use to help me reassemble the car. I won't post those, but I will post some that I took of the entire car in various stages of disassembly. Thanks for your interest and stay tuned... Steve

Imperial62 - Thanks - took your advice - check out my new post on Me and My Buick "1957 46C Special Convertible"! Steve

I can't believe I found the pics from 1976 - I spent most of today searching for them and through shear luck I found them in a plastic storage case on the second floor of my building. These are the earliest photos I have of my convertible. I suppose this is the best place to start as far as documenting this restoration. My older brother Jim and I picked a nice sunny day in the summer of 1976 to start dismantling my car. You can see the two of us in one of the photos (I'm the good looking guy on the left.) We were virtually clueless as to what we were doing that day, but I firmly believe that by dismantling that car then, I probably saved it from the shredder - there's no telling what an 18 year old would have done to that car if left unchecked. At any rate, enjoy these pics - there will be more to follow.... Steve

This is long overdue! I should have started this post in early 2011 when I finally started the restoration of my 1957 46C. But first, a little background... I literally stumbled upon this car in January of 1976. I was 18 at the time living in the small town of Beaver, PA - just west of Pittsburgh. I had a job delivering a rural motor route for the Pittsburgh Press and it was while out delivering bundles of Sunday newspapers that I passed a large 2 story garage owned by an elderly gentleman named John Hineman. Mr. Hineman had an extensive collection of 1950's cars stashed away inside his barn/garage that he had been collecting for many years. The doors of his garage were always closed so regardless of how many times I passed his property, I had no idea what was hidden inside. One day, however, that all changed. Mr. Hineman, with the help of some young guys from his neighborhood, spent one Sunday morning pushing several of the cars out into his parking lot so that he could do some early Spring cleaning (January). As I passed by that morning on my way home from delivering, I literally came to a screeching halt on the road in front of his parking lot. There sat a 1957 Buick Special Convertible - two tone - Carlsbad Black below the sweep spear and Antique Ivory above with a black top and red interior - a classic 50's color scheme. The car was covered in dust and dirt but looked to be in very solid condition. I approached Mr. Hineman and asked if he would be interested in selling it - he informed me that the car had a blown engine, a rod was sticking out of the oil pan. He then related this story to me as to how the car ended up in his possession.... In 1963, two teenage brothers (I believe their last name was McKnight) were driving their father's convertible to a high school basketball game between Beaver High School and Midland High School (about 12 miles west of Beaver). Unbeknownst to the brothers, the car had developed a serious leak from the oil drain plug. They drove 12 miles to Midland and half way back when a rod went through the oil pan. Mr. Hineman, being a friend of the family and owning a tow truck, was called to the rescue. He towed the car to his garage and when it was determined that the motor was junk, the McKnight family signed the title over to Mr. Hineman. There the car sat for 13 years until I happened by. Fast forward back to 1976 - I told Mr. Hineman that it didn't matter to me if the car needed a motor. I had started working at a gas station two years prior and had access to the garage, my boss's tools and his expertise any time I wanted. I asked once again if he was interested in selling it and it was then that he told me he also had a 1957 Special 4 door sedan with a good motor that he would throw in. The asking price? $250 for both - SOLD! I spent the Spring of 1976 swapping the motor and transmission from the sedan to the convertible, but not before completely rebuilding the 364 and having the Dynaflow rebuilt by a local transmission shop. In the summer of 76, I drove that convertible for a grand total of 58 miles before deciding that I should have done a total restoration rather than just a mechanical restoration. I of course had no idea what a restoration entailed, but I started nonetheless. With the help of my older brother Jim, I began dismantling the convertible and boxing the parts. I soon learned that I had bitten off way more than I could chew and decided my best course of action would be to put the car back in garage storage until I had the know how and finances to do the job right. Funny how time flies... For the next 34 years, I paid monthly storage to preserve that car in the hopes that I would one day finish it and be able to enjoy it. I stored it in 3 different garages over the course of 34 years - the last being a 20 year duration over which I'm sure I put the garage owner's children through college - but it was worth it! All of the garages I rented were dry and had solid roofs overhead so my car stayed in basically the same condition over the years - I wish I could say the same for me! At long last, in 2011 I was able to renovate a garage at the rear of a 2 story commercial building I purchased in 2005. The building itself was a never ending project to renovate. At present, it houses my business (a full service print shop) and my convertible (completely dismantled). As stated earlier, I should have started this post in 2011, but better late than never! I'm in the process of organizing photos that I took since 2011 and I'm also trying to find a couple of pictures taken in 1976 when my brother and I started the original dismantling. I plan to do a retroactive post to 2011 and include some of those pics. Once I get through 2011 - 2015, I hope to do weekly updates. Please bear with me as it may take a little while to get everything together. Thanks for your interest and please stay tuned... Steve Poulos - Pittsburgh

Hi Forum Folks! It's been quite a while (over a year) since I posted anything on the forum. Just wanted to let everyone know that I've actually made quite a bit of progress on my 57 Special. In the past year, I bought a rotisserie, engine lift, engine stand, etc. and managed to find some spare time to work on the damn thing! At present, I have the body off the frame and mounted on the rotisserie, the engine off the frame and up on an engine stand and the frame itself stripped of all components, ie. transmission, rear end, suspension, steering, etc. I recently contacted several mobile dustless blasting companies and got ballpark quotes to media blast the body shell as well as the frame. I think I've settled on crushed glass media blasting for both, but would welcome any input anyone has on this process. I've included some pics of my progress to date. I'm sure I'll be on the forum a little more often now that I'm getting somewhere with this restoration. I'll keep updating from time to time. Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas! Steve (Pittsburgh)

Nicky - I'm interested in both bumpers as well as many other parts - restoring 57 special convertible - may be interested in complete car. Where is it located in PA? I'm in the Pittsburgh area. Thanks! Steve

Hi Rob! Sounds like you're just about there! Ditto on the distributor being 180 degrees off - just lift up and turn the rotor half way - you should be good to go. I know what you mean about being nervous starting one up after years of sitting. I was a basket case starting mine - I never knew I could look so many places at the same time. I thought for sure I'd have oil, gasoline, coolant etc., leaking out everywhere, but that wasn't the case. I can't wait to hear that you got her fired up, so I'll keep checking in when I can. BTW - I'm bringing in a new restoration project to my shop later today - a 1953 Seeburg jukebox that was left for my wife by her Grandfather years ago. I figure on having the jukebox stocked up with my favorite Doo Wop 45's in a few months time. I can't think of a better working environment for my ongoing 46C project. Keep me posted... Steve

Hey Rob - I've been following your post for a few days and thought I might throw in my two cents worth as I went down this same road last year. I started a 364 that had been sitting for 36 years and it seems to me that I was in lock step with your check list including the "squealing school girl dance." I do agree with John regarding the use of PB Blaster as I went through two cans of the stuff before I was brave enough to even hand crank her. I would spray the hell out of the rocker assemblies and even spray some in the cylinders just to be safe before cranking with the starter. If you can see oil dripping off all of the rockers while cranking, you should be good to go. Also, with the valve covers off, you can see if you have any stuck valves - BTW I think John is correct regarding non-interference heads. As far as the cooling system, I don't know if you've had the bottom radiator hose off, but I would recommend disconnecting it at the water pump just to be sure nothing has solidified. On mine, I learned that 36 year old anti-freeze turns into black Quik-crete. Good luck with the resurrection - can't wait to see the video (including the squealing school girl dance.) Steve

Bob - thanks for the refresher course on silicone spray and paint jobs. It reminded me of one time my friend with the body shop said "don't EVER spray silicone near the paint booth." Now I remember why.... Steve

Bob & Rob - here's an update. I used a can of Liquid Wrench Spray Silicone on both sides of the grommet and left it sit for a few hours. It was definitely more pliable after doing so. Bob - I know exactly what you're referring to as far as the nylon glass tool. A buddy of mine has a body shop and I remember seeing several of those in his toolbox. If I can't find one at the parts store, I'll borrow one from him. I think the combination of heat, soapy water, etc. will do the trick. I will, however, be extra careful with this grommet - I spent a couple hours on-line yesterday looking for an aftermarket replacement. It seems like they reproduced every firewall grommet except this one! Rob, regarding that temperature gauge assembly, shame on me for hesitating! If you come across one in the future, keep me in mind. This time of year my business slows down and I can actually get things done - I'm getting real close to unbolting the body mounts - I'll keep you guys posted with my progress. Thanks Again! Steve