Bee-Oh-Pee

Yeah, they did, Glenn. I sent them the pic's, but havn't heard back yet. They're usually prompt, so I assume they're really trying to find the things. In all honesty, I don't have a lot of hope. I've scoured the earth, including the catalog from AuVeCo. Haven't given up yet, but I suspect I'll eventually find them used from some good soul.... Funny thing about the whole issue is how pristine that trunk is... almost looks new... except that it's empty, except for the original carpeting. Somebody should be shot for losing that stuff... but I wouldn't put it past the cluck I bought it from... no love lost at this point. Oh, and yes, too, I'd say Foosick could get the cardboards in any color that REM offers...

Glenn, Are the 4 around the hinges the only ones used? If not, how many others? Thnx....

Thanks, Chuck. I'll give him a holler.

Did anybody here in the Buick world have any success finding those trunk-cardboard clips? I've been looking for them for my Olds, with no success. A good Samaritan over on the Olds side shot these pic's of the clips from his 64 Starfire ragtop for me. I'd suspect they'd be pretty close, if not identical, across GM....I've exhausted all my normal channels... I guess the boneyards are next!

Glenn, Did you ever have any luck finding those clips? I've been looking for them for my Olds. Thanks, John

Got the pictures, Pat. Thanks! I will post them here with your permission.

Well, I guess I got no takers.... at least until the snow thaws Can a fairly well preserved original, installed clip be reused, or are they pretty much shot when installed? I must admit, the more everybody tells me about them, the less I feel I know. :confused: Whoever said "a picture is worth a thousand words" knew what he was talking about.

Hey, folks. I did call RS; for the moment -- and until I get some decent pictures of the clips and a view of how they're installed -- I'm dead in the H2O. Abe at RS(who was VERY willing to help) was at a loss, unfortunately. I did manage to scrounge a decent picture of a 64 SF Conv't trunk from one that was for sale on-line a few months ago; it shows the jack and spare very good; but I can only see about half of the two right-side cardboard pieces, and no clips at all. Of course, I could probably cobble the pieces together in the trunk and have them look half-decent; but my goal (which is no doubt obvious to anybody who's been following my "nekkit trunk" saga since last May) is to do it the right way. :cool: Glenn, sorry to hear of the meece nest.... that's definitely a hazard of the hobby... I got one or two in the engine bay on a car I used to keep outdoors about 10 years ago. Do you have a "regular" camera? Maybe you could take some pic's and snail-mail them to me. I'd be glad to make good for the film & postage! I'll take the pic's any way I can get 'em.... Am really anxious to get all this stuff installed after accumulating it over the last few months. I got a spare-tire cardboard and dyed the houndstooth pattern blue to match the trunk; used Colorbond Crystal Blue upholstery paint ... It's actually a Ford color, and it came out fabulous, I must say. I put about 5 very light coats on, as per instructions, w/ about 15 minutes b/w coats. Thanks for the chime-in's and help. :cool: I just need to get some good snapshots. Not sure of the body-shop supply house... but I'd predict I'd get that deer-in-the-headlights look I get wherever I go in Louisiana seeking parts for a '64 Starfire. :confused:

Got my beautiful blue cardboards from Fusick... now all I need is the proper clips... As mentioned in another post, they don't sell them or even know what they're supposed to look like (kinda' like me). Anybody out there can steer me in the right direction? I'm not sure if they're at all visible when the boards are installed; but if I could get a picture of one of the clips, I'd at least have a clue as to what to look for. I'm betting if I had a picture of one, I could get something close from Restoration Specialities. This is the last piece I need for the trunk... John

Thanks, Dan. I have to be careful what I ask for! The terminology is getting a bit clearer, although I know all the stuff about cones and clutches engaging and being effective would have a lot more meaning to somebody who knows automatic-trans theory.... I'm still on that steep learning curve. The whole purpose of my pursuit is to apply this theory to what I sense happening in my Roto when I drive, to more or less determine its state of health (other than just the car’s moving forward!). As I mentioned, I certainly can't sense any ratio change before the BIG 1-2 shift. It also feels fairly sluggish off the line; and not in a carburetion sense; it runs like a top. It just doesn't "jump" the way a lot of other cars with similar (or worse) power, weight, and final drive ratios seemed to. BTW, is the tranny "locked up" in 3rd as well as 2nd? Finally, as a technicality, is a stator "fixed position" by definition? I think of a stator as something that "stands" (Latin root) or remains stationary, like the stator of a motor or generator. Is there any other kind? Best, John

Don, What exactly is the Roto "torque multiplier" if the coupling is not a torque converter? So far, I thought the only difference b/w converter and coupler was the pitch of impeller and turbine veins, thereby multiplying torque. Also, if the coupling drains after 1st, what keeps continuity or communication within drivetrain? Finally, I'm still pondering the ramifications of the stator in the coupling. So if the Roto's twin-coupled predecessors had no stator, were they simply less efficient? Great stuff, John

Well... this is indeed a steep learning curve, Don. Extremely interesting. I recall my Dad talking about his 54 Pontiac's 4 speed auto; and my uncle had a 65 Bonneville 389, which I'm guessing was a switch pitch TH-400. So if indeed there are only 2 shifts on mine, what I'm feeling is the 1-2 shift. Yeah, it's quite radical compared to other auto's, IMHO. But I guess everybody already knows that. I remember learning to drive on my aunt's friend's '63 Dynamic 88 and it did the same thing. I pretty much baby my car, so shifts are light throttle. I'm supposed to be on a waiting list for repro filters; they were originally due in October, but are supposedly still on the way... Thanks for the continuing education! Do we have a thread just for trannies? I feel a bit guilty for hijacking this one. John

Sorry to burst in, but this thread is too interesting and educational to let die.... the whole idea of the the RHM fascinates me... and as i've said before, scares the hell out of me, since I'm now a proud owner. It seems like such a quirky piece of equipment... I keep wondering what GM's objective was, since they already had reliable (and some would say, superior) alternatives when it was developed. Was it designed with the goal of more bang for (GM's) buck? To save space in the tunnel, and thus have more inside the car? Weight savings? The fact that Cadillac and Buick refused to use it has always spoken volumes to me. I've always felt I was extremely sensitive to what's going on in my automatics (mostly TH-400s and Torqueflite A-727s, but even newer Toyotas and Nissans, too). I can usually feel the nice shifts (even though my wife's Fusion 6-speed sneaks 'em by me regularly; especially when cold). I have no flippin' idea what's goin' on in my RHM. That initial "shift" or whatever you want to call it is imperceptible. Then, the 2-3 shift (if that's what you want to call it) takes the 394's RPMs WAAAY down (if it's ever gonna ping, I get one there) and the car takes off like a "Rocket"! Then I guess there's one more little, final shift. But I really don't know if it's doing everything it should be doing. Fluid looks and smells good, and doesn't leak (too much).

1957buickjim, Yeah, I have.... they most likely do have something that would be either exact or close enough to pass... but few of them have the exact application listed. That's why I'm looking for a picture, so I can at least have a clue about what I'm looking for. Right now, I have neither clip nor clue.... BTW, I dealt with those guys a lot when I had my Buick and they really are are an invaluable source for hard-to-find hardware. Thanks for the input! John

chequenman or anyone else familar with this, I'm looking for a good picture of one of those trunk cardboard clips. You are right about Fusick not selling them, and I wasn't able to get any info from them on the clips at all. Can anyone post or e-mail me a clip pic? It would be great if I knew how they were installed and how many of them the cardboard installation requires, too.... John

Hey folks... FYI... Spoke to Kevin at Fusick this afternoon regarding trunk cardboards in a nonblack color; he called REM and learned they could get the cardboards for my car in blue. So for all you guys that would have otherwise settled for black, there is hope! Thanks to all on the board, as usual, for your help. Best, John

Hmmm.... sounds like an idea, Todd. I will look into it.

he he! You'd think by 47 it would have outgrown those things....

Sure wish Fusick had the '64 repro lenses... mine has a big chip on one of the corners..... big pimple!

Thanks, folks. I know they're different, Glenn. That makes just about everything in the trunk of the convertible as compared to the coupe or sedan. (That's just one more reason I wish I had a reference I could use to see exactly how they're supposed to be.) I'm going to call those Fusick guys and see if they're really worthy to have a department called "customer service."

Sounds like an option if I did indeed have access to the patterns, Jim. But also, it's kind of like inventing the wheel. To put it bluntly, I ride on as many backs as I can since I work full time, and I also try to reward those who take the plunge and actually reproduce these extinct parts -- it's just too bad they don't offer my proper color. Right now, I'd be thrilled to just get a picture of somebody's convertible trunk that showed exactly how all this stuff was supposed to look from the factory. Thanks for the input!

Dave, Congrats! Was the Rallye 350 engine any different than yours? I remember reading about the Hi-perf 350 Oldses of this era (as a kid, of course), and they kicked butt. And that color makes it look like it's doing 70 standing still....

Anybody learn how to post pictures yet? (Hint, hint!) Got the PCV system all in order, and got the intake red, as it should be. Also got the back-up lites and license lite working as they should. I just need my jack handle, spare tire, and trunk cardboards to complete the picture... I just hate paying thru the nose for the cardboards and still have to dye them -- but I guess it's the only "port" available during this storm.... It would be fabulous to see a pic of your trunk, Glenn, since it's blue like mine. And I'd like to see what those clips look like. BTW, wound up finding an original pcv tube in a junk yard in Mancelona, MI, that's been there for 40 or 50 (or more?) years.... they have some real gems... and some with oak trees growing out of them. Only problem is being in N. Mich., it's not a good place for wheels, since they're all rusty.

These are the only two things I'm now lacking. If anybody has a nice original 14" rim and/or an original-style lug wrench in very good to excellent condition (no bending, heavy pitting, etc.) they'd be willing to part with, please send me picture and price.... via pm or e-mail. Thanks in advance.....:cool:

Wow... hooda thunkit? Well, assuming I can still get that part, then all I need is the elusive tube.