Buicknutty

I'll second John's suggestion as a first step. Also, did you do a flushing on the cooling system? Its' possible that a lot of old rust and scale have come loose and plugged up the passages in the rad. The torque convertor seal will be the main potential for leakage at the front, and they should of changed the rear one, as that has to be removed to get at the torque convertor, and the rear is the most common spot for leaks an a Dynaflow. So, the point is that very likely you will have a good Dynaflow for a long time. Keith

Awesome! I'm now down to about 6" (from over 2 feet) of snow in front of my garage door, so perhaps I'll soon by able to do the same! Keith

I too had an unbelievable amount of crud inside the water jacket, and the rad and block had been flushed not long before I took it apart. The hardest part was getting the block clean around no. 8, as there isn't a freeze plug at the very back of the block. It was worth the trouble though, as I've never had it run hot, even on the hottest days. Great work you're doing! Keith

Just read through your thread to date. Glad to see you are coming along nicely with the project. I too started my kids out by having them help me bleed my brakes! Keith

I have a clock for a 1947 or 48 Buick, I don't know if it will fit any other years. It is nice and clean, with good chrome, clean, clear glass, inner face is virtually mint, though the copper shows tarnishing. The date stamped on the edge looks like "Oct '48". Check out the pictures. The best part, is that it still seems to work. I had it hooked up to a battery for 15-20 mins, and it ran well during that time, but of course, since this is an original I cannot give any warranty as to its' reliability. Asking $40., plus shipping from Canada. As usual, the first firm offer takes it. Please PM, me, and post your interest here. Thanks for looking. Keith

I have this base for sale, fits all 1941's, I believe. Asking $25. plus shipping. Please check out the pictures, there is considerable pitting, but the chrome is still quite bright, would do for a "driver". Also, I'm asking $50. plus shipping a grille (2 pieces, left and right) that fits all 1941 Buicks. pitted, and the chrome is dull, but there are no cracks or breaks, and all mounting studs are good. No pictures at the moment, but I try to post some later. Shipping is possible, but would be quite high, as it is large and heavy, so if you could pick it up, or perhaps I could meet you part way somewhere. I'm located in the Toronto, Ontario, Canada area. Please PM me, don't just post a reply here. First firm offer sells the piece. Thank you for looking. Keith

I have a '41 Roadmaster with a rebuilt 320 and dual carbs. During the rebuild I had my rods modified to accept inset bearings, which I'd recommend, if you ever have to do the engine, but till then enjoy the ride. The gas mileage you're getting is not out of line, and I agree with other posters if you can get a ratio from one of the cars up to '55, that will help your cruising speed and mileage somewhat. I drive mine at 60+, but not 70, and 55 or so is very comfortable, but I have a 3.36 axle from a '55, and hope to install it this spring. By the way, only rear axles from '55 and earlier will work, after that they changed the design, but most, or all from 1940-55 of the inner axle parts will interchange, and models from roughly '53-55 have the tallest ratios, but check a service book first. The inner shafts simply have to be updated with the new ones, its' a bit of a job, but worth it. The front shocks could cause some of the issues with shake and shimmy, but also the upper pivot pins can wear and cause trouble as well, but as you say that the steering is tight, perhaps they are fine, but a thorough front end check would be a good idea to see if there's anything loose. If you find the oil leaking out from the shocks, you will have to consider having them rebuilt, but till then, oil is cheap. Also, about blocking off the back carb. My car had this modification done to it a long time before I bought it, and during the restoration I had it rebuilt and am now using it, though I must say its' a bit of a bear to get them properly set up. I did rather wish for a Carter 4 bbl., like my '56 Roadmaster has! Enjoy the drive, as I really enjoy mine. Keith

I take it you mean the underseat heater? This going by memory, but should be mainly correct. You will need to get under the car, the heater hoses kind of snake through the frame, and are attached to the heater core from the bottom, and will need to be removed, also you will also see the bottom of the motor, near them. It's best to drain the rad first, before removing, as there is a considerable amount of coolant in these engines. From inside, the seat base will lift out, and then you can see the unit. I believe that there are four bolts/screws that go through from the top, and fasten with nuts underneath. The motor is fastened in place at the top by two small nuts that are under the fan, which is held in place by a small set screw. The nuts on the bottom are held in place with tabs of the floorpan, at least originally they were, and this could be a serious chore if there is much rust. Mine all broke, and I was as careful as possible, but my car was very rusty to start with. Then it should come apart, there is a top section that will lift off from inside the car, and the core will lift out. Hope that this helps! Keith

Good looking work, and the blind is really neat! Keith

Looking forward to seeing it all! Keith

Looking forward to seeing the progress on this fine car! I went through a similar search for floor panels when I started my '41 Roadmaster, and at the time there weren't any reproductions available, so we made our own. I think that if you found a compatible car with good floors, it would likely be too nice to part out, but I wish you luck in your restoration. Keith

Pat; Thanks for the additional info. I guess I'll have to "bite the bullet" and buy the materials! Keith

Is the roller soft, so that it will conform to shape of the mouldings? Keith

I just found the thread. Great looking car, and nice, nice, work you've done on it. I'm interested in the woodgraining, as I have a '41 McLaughlin Buick that I still have to finish the interior on, and the woodgraining all needs to be done. So, I take it that you found the Grain-It kit was worth it, and worked well? I found them a while back but wasn't sure, as the cost of the kit isn't cheap, but didn't know how well it would work, as I'd never seen anyone's car done with their system. Keith

There is "friction material" on the bands and clutches, and this will slowly wear away, and this might be the "non metallic" stuff found on the bottom of the pan. This is pretty normal for a transmission that's seen a fair bit of use. It can be a tough choice as whether to replace what's worn, or do the whole thing. Most of us have decided to just do the seals, then put it back into service. If your car has high mileage, then it might be a good idea to do the whole unit, but also think about the use you plan to give it. If all you want to do is to take it local cruises and events, then likely you could avoid a complete rebuild. If you want to do long distance driving, then perhaps a fully rebuilt one might be the way to go, but Jim knows these well and can ask key questions to help to make the choice. Keith

Dale; That could well be the front seal, but give this gentleman a call. Jim Hughes, Jim's Dynaflow Service Perrysburg, OH, 419-874-2393 His name and number have been posted on the forum before. I had an issue with the torque convertor when I had mine apart a year or so ago, and his depth of knowledge about these transmissions is great. So, even if you just discuss your problem with him, he will be able to give you good advice. Keith

I'll go with the same thing, more info would help us a lot. Most parts are available from a few sources, depends what you need, but they can be rebuilt. Matt mentioned the torque ball seal and retainer, if the fluid is coming out of the back of the trans, that's the likely culprit. This has happened to me a few times, over the years, and the nice thing if that's what it is, the trans doesn't have to come out to fix it. Keith

I feel the same way. There's still nearly a foot of snow in front of my garage, here in Toronto, Ontario. Keith

Just found this thread, as was browsing through the "Speedsters" part of the forum, as I'm interested in building/restoring one as a future project. Your previous build is one awesome looking car, and the current one is looking very nice too. The exposed rivets will give it a very cool look. Thanks for sharing. Keith

Jim; Thanks for the photo, as I said before, its' looking real nice. About the tires, I've seen some of these old tires and rims hold pressure for years and years, sometimes decades, and I have to keep checking them every few weeks on my late model Buick! Keith

Nice to hear from you again, and even better to see the progress you're making! When doing my '41 Buick, I went long stretches with little or no progress on the car, and it was very, very frustrating at times, but the thought of someday driving it down some nice country roads kept me going. As to the carb problem, it sounds like a sticking float, perhaps it hangs up on the side the bowl when it goes right down to the bottom? Less than 3 psi should not overwhelm the float. I still use a mechanical pump on my '41, and give the carb a quick prime if its' been sitting a long time, so as to avoid all that cranking. Keith

Looking good! Keith

Lovely car, Thomas, thanks for sharing. Keith

Nice video, as always, the car is looking great! I'll really be looking forward to seeing the carving of the new wood on video. Keith

Love the look of those old lights! Plus AM 740 is a nice oldies station to listen while cruising in a vintage Buick! Keith in Toronto