therios

I took my 1957 Roadmaster out for a 250+ mile drive today! I had no particular destination in mind when I left Washington, DC at around noon today. I just knew I wanted to go for a drive. When I found myself in Winchester, VA, I decided to keep going into West Virginia and on to Cumberland, MD. From Cumberland, I drove back to DC via Hagerstown and Frederick. I was back home in DC a little after 6 PM. I've included a map of my route below. The car handled it all with ease. What a great day behind the wheel! :cool: Ike

Paul, What time do the festivities begin and end? Ike

I'm planning to be there this year and I'm bringing my father, George, with me, too. Last year in South Bend, my dad and I arrived too late to join the Pirate Gift Exchange so we just watched all the fun from the sidelines. Given the announcement by Bill Stoneberg in another thread that the forum breakfast has been moved to 7 AM in the Grand Ballroom - Salon 4 (http://forums.aaca.org/f240/change-location-forum-breakfast-updated-itenerary-375713.html), is it possible to update the title of this thread? [TABLE=class: cms_table] [TR] [TD] DAY [/TD] [TD] TIME [/TD] [TD] MEETING PURPOSE [/TD] [TD] LOCATION [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Fri. July 25[/TD] [TD] [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [TD] [/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Volunteers meeting[/TD] [TD]7:00 AM[/TD] [TD] [/TD] [TD]Grand Ballroom - Salon 1[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Forum breakfast[/TD] [TD]7:00 am - 9:00 am[/TD] [TD][/TD] [TD]Grand Ballroom - Salon 4[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] Ike

Wow! Tinindian has to take the prize! That's amazing!

Great thread! I took my first driver's test in 1979 in my parents' 1978 Mercedes Benz 450 SEL, and I own that car today! When my parents bought the car in 1978, I was 15 years old and I asked my father not to ever sell this car because I was going to want it someday. Well, several years ago, I finally bought the Mercedes from my parents (admittedly, for a song) and started bringing it back to its former beauty and mechanical integrity. Today the car looks and drives as well as it did when it was new! Ike

Oh, boy. I hope I have better luck. I just shipped my 57's MC/booster unit to a well-known brake booster rebuilder in Florida. I'll let you know how it turns out. Ike

I doubt that it's a bootleg photo of my sister! But the resemblance is uncanny. I don't recall seeing any photos of my sister next to 1954 Buick; and our parents didn't have a dog back then, nor do they remember any neighbors with such a dog. (It wasn't immediately noticeable to me, but there is what looks like a black Cocker Spaniel next to the car and behind the little girl.) Also, my guess is this photo is from the mid- to late 50s. My sister wasn't tooling around on a tricycle until the early 60s. Just for laughs, I put a copy of this photo on my parents' living room digital photo frame displaying family photos! (Really; I'm not kidding.) It may not be my sister, but she feels like one of the family! Ike

Dave, It's freaky how much the little girl in this photo resembles my sister Sofia at the same age. I've shown the photo to my sister and our parents, and to an uncle -- all of them thought it was a photo of Sofia! In fact, my uncle is still not convinced that it isn't Sofia! Ike

Yes. This is a really great thread! Many thanks, Dave, for sharing all the great photos. Ike

Hi Clark, I recognized your beautiful car from the Velocity/Discovery "What Do You Ride?" web site. I've given your car several thumbs-up! :cool: Ike

Thanks Pete! Ike

Gosh, I don't know. :confused: The Master Body Parts Book refers to it as Windshield Glass (rubber) Channel. Does that mean it's glued in or not? The part no. for a 1963 convertible is 4858475. The parts book contains an exploded view and list of typical windshield parts. CARS, Inc. sells a part it describes as "Vulcanized Windshield Seal" for 1963-1964 Buick LeSabre, Wildcat, and Electra Convertibles. No mention of also needing to purchase glue. Edit: After submitting the above, I realized that I can check my 1963 Body Service Manual. It describes how to remove the old windshield and how to install a replacement windshield. It doesn't mention glue. It describes fitting the rubber channel around the glass; installing a strong cord in the pinchweld cavity of the rubber channel; and applying a ribbon of medium-bodied sealer around the rubber channel and on the windshield opening before positioning the windshield and pulling the cord to seat the lip of the rubber channel over the pinchweld flange, etc., etc. Ike

Thanks for the info Willie. I think the max. inflation of my 235/75R-15 tires is 44 psi, so 35 psi should be okay, especially for short drives around town. For extended summertime highway driving at high speeds, maybe I'll lower the cold tire pressure by 2-3 psi. And thanks also for indulging my curiosity about your experience with the 70R-15 tire. I agree with you that a lower profile and smaller diameter tire doesn't look quite right on old Buicks! It's too bad you weren't able to use those tires on the trailer, though. I hope you managed to sell them for a few bucks. Ike

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:UseFELayout/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> Good point, NTX5467. We should compare apples to apples. Willie is referring to his experience with a 1955 Century, which came standard with 7.60-15 bias-ply tires; whereas I believe that all 1955-57 Roadmasters came standard with 8.00-15 bias-ply tires. By the way, did this difference in tire size necessitate wider rims on the Roadmasters? (Incidentally, it seems that all 1955-57 Supers also came standard with 7.60-15 tires, but 1955-57 Specials came standard with 7.10-15 tires.) Willie, I hope you don't mind my pursuing this a little further. Perhaps you can help me figure out why you experienced rubbing with a 70R-15 tire, but not with 75R-15s. :confused: First, to eliminate the most obvious possibility, by any chance, could the 70R-15 tire that rubbed when tested on your 1955 Century have been a wider tire than the ones you ended up buying? For example, could the tire you tested have been a 235/70R-15, and the tires you ended up buying are 225/75R-15? Alternatively, another possible explanation might have to do with the fact that you tested only one tire. If the tires on the other three corners were a different size and/or type (e.g. bias-ply instead of radials), could that have shifted the car's stance enough to lead to rubbing on the corner with the 70R-15? Just a thought. Anyway, thanks for indulging me by reading this. Ike PS: Below, for everyone's convenience, I have attempted to summarize the standard tire size information I found at http://www.automobile-catalog.com/model/buick/full-size_buick_3gen.html for 1955-57 Specials, Centurys and Supers, and Roadmasters. Standard tire size for 1955-57 Buick Series 40 Special: [TABLE=width: 320] <tbody>[TR] [TD] Standard tire size:[/TD] [TD=width: 117] 7.10 - 15[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=width: 258] Tire width (mm):[/TD] [TD=width: 117] 180[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=width: 258] Tire sidewall factor:[/TD] [TD=width: 117] 90[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=width: 258] Rim size (in):[/TD] [TD=width: 117] 15[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=width: 258] Total wheel diameter (mm / in):[/TD] [TD=width: 117] 705 / 27.8[/TD] [/TR] </tbody>[/TABLE] Standard tire size for 1955-57 Buick Series 50 Super and Series 60 Century: [TABLE=width: 320] <tbody>[TR] [TD=width: 258] Standard tire size:[/TD] [TD=width: 117] 7.60 - 15[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=width: 258] Tire width (mm):[/TD] [TD=width: 117] 193[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=width: 258] Tire sidewall factor:[/TD] [TD=width: 117] 90[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=width: 258] Rim size (in):[/TD] [TD=width: 117] 15[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=width: 258] Total wheel diameter (mm / in):[/TD] [TD=width: 117] 728 / 28.7[/TD] [/TR] </tbody>[/TABLE] Standard tire size for 1955-57 Buick Series 70 Roadmaster: [TABLE=width: 320] <tbody>[TR] [TD=width: 258] Standard tire size:[/TD] [TD=width: 111]8.00 - 15[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=width: 258] Tire width (mm):[/TD] [TD=width: 111]203[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=width: 258] Tire sidewall factor:[/TD] [TD=width: 111]90[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=width: 258] Rim size (in):[/TD] [TD=width: 111]15[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD=width: 258] Total wheel diameter (mm / in):[/TD] [TD=width: 111]746 / 29.4[/TD] [/TR] </tbody>[/TABLE]

Willie, How much do you inflate your radial tires? I've been inflating my cars' 235/75R-15 tires to ~35psi (cold). The ride is comfortable at this pressure; but I wonder if it should it be less? Ike

Here's a screen grab using Google Maps Street View (very few cars on street), and a photo someone uploaded to Google Maps of a similar street view (with a lot more cars). I can't tell if there are any Buicks in either of these shots, though.

Rob, That's good advice. Thanks! I won't drive my babies on salted roads if I can avoid doing so. Last winter, the weather in DC was very mild. There were very few days with sub-freezing temperatures, and so very little salt was spread on the roads. I was able to take my cars out for some "exercise" almost every weekend throughout the winter months. This year has been a completely different story, however. There have been some cold, damp, and blustery days in DC this winter that it almost felt like I was back in Chicago! DC has had many days below freezing, a substantial amount of rain followed by freezing temperatures, and even several snowy days; so the roads have been thoroughly and frequently salted. As a result, my cars haven't been on the road very often this winter. I think I've had them out only two times since before Christmas. I fly home to Chicago at least once a month. Of course, it's much worse there than in DC. Lots of snow this year, and really cold, too. If my cars were in Chicago, they probably would be in storage until late April. So I'm not complaining about DC. At least here in DC there's a good chance I might be able to take them out again soon. When that day comes, I'd like to be ready to have the windshield on the Electra replaced. So thanks again for the advice to call some local shops before buying the glass from someone else. Ike

Rob, You are correct about the meaning of the two-digit profile number; but the first three digits refer to the tire's width, in millimeters, from sidewall to sidewall. A good explanation of all the numbers is provided here: http://www.goodyearautoservice.com/content/content.jsp?pageName=TireSize A 70 profile 235 mm wide tire measures 164.5 mm (.70 x 235 mm) from rim to tread. Whereas a 75 profile tire with the same 235 mm width measures 176.5 mm (.75 x 235 mm) from rim to tread. The width hasn't changed; just the tire's height from rim to tread, and therefore it's total diameter. So, as far as I can tell, a 235/70 has the same width as a 235/75, but it has a smaller total diameter; so why would a 235/70 rub if a 235/75 doesn't? Ike

Hi Earl, Here are a couple web sites that may be useful in helping you decide. Automobile-catalog.com provides a wealth of information on the original specs, and offers some suggestions for alternative tire sizes. http://www.automobile-catalog.com/tire/1955/292745/buick_series_70_roadmaster_riviera_coupe_dynaflow.html TeamBuick.com has a calculator page that includes a tire diameter calculator and a speedo converter for alternative tire sizes. http://www.teambuick.com/reference/calculators.php The original spec tires for a 1955 Roadmaster Riviera 76R were 8.00 - 15 bias-ply: [TABLE=width: 100%] <tbody>[TR] [TD]Standard tire size:[/TD] [TD]8.00 - 15[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Tire width (mm):[/TD] [TD]203[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Tire sidewall factor:[/TD] [TD]90[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Rim size (in):[/TD] [TD]15[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Total wheel diameter (mm / in):[/TD] [TD]746 / 29.4[/TD] [/TR] </tbody>[/TABLE] So, I guess a perfect radial replacement tire would be a 203/90R-15 -- if it existed! I have noticed that Coker Tires now offers bias profile radial tires: http://www.cokertire.com/brands/american-classic-tires/american-classic-bias-profile-radials.html If you haven't already, you may want to check them out. In addition to the bias profile radial tires available from Coker (and maybe others), possible radial tire alternatives for 8.00 - 15 bias tires include: 225/70R-15 radial tires, which have a total wheel diameter of 27.4". (55 mph speedo reading actually will be 51.3 mph) 225/75R-15 radial tires, which have a total wheel diameter of 28.3". (55 mph speedo reading actually will be 52.9 mph) 225/80R-15 radial tires, which have a total wheel diameter of 29.2". (55 mph speedo reading actually will be 54.6 mph) 235/70R-15 radial tires, which have a total wheel diameter of 28.0". (55 mph speedo reading actually will be 52.4 mph) 235/75R-15 radial tires, which have a total wheel diameter of 28.9". (55 mph speedo reading actually will be 54.1 mph) I have not found 225/80R-15 radials available anywhere, even though they are listed by automobile-catalog.com as an alternative tire size. I have 235/75R-15 radial tires on my 1957 Roadmaster and my 1963 Electra 225. As with your 1955 Roadmaster, both of these models originally came standard with 8.00 - 15 bias-ply tires. I like the way the 235/75R-15 tires look on my cars. I haven't noticed them rubbing or hitting the wheel arches, even though they are 32mm (~1.26") wider than the original bias-ply tires. Had the bias profile tires been available last year when I was in the market for tires for my Roadmaster, I certainly would have considered them, but I'm happy with the tires I ended up getting. I hope this helps. Good luck! Ike PS: Willie, why would the 70 profile tires rub and the 75s be OK? Tire width being equal, 70s just have a lower profile and hence a smaller diameter than the 75s. It seems counter-intuitive to me that the 70s would rub and the 75s wouldn't. I would expect the "taller" tire of the same width to be the one with the most potential to rub. What am I missing?

Good grief! I forgot that I have a Master Body Parts Book for 1940 to 1963 models! So I can answer my own question. I was able to confirm that for the 1963 model year, Buick used the same windshield on: LeSabre 2-door sport coupe (4447) and convertible (4467); Invicta (Wildcat) 2-door sport coupe (4647) and convertible (4667); and Electra 225 4-door hardtop (4839), 2-door sport coupe (4847), and convertible (4867). Also, according to my Master Parts Book, there were two choices for the type of glass: Part No. 4870523, clear glass for a suggested list price of $89.50; or Part No. 4870524, soft-ray tinted glass for a suggested list price of $107.50. I'm still interested in hearing any advice and precautions from the forum about windshield replacement. I presume that a typical big-name auto-glass shop can do the job. What kind of things should I be aware of to make sure things go well? Thanks, Ike

Hi everyone, I would like to replace the windshield on my 1963 Electra 225 convertible. It's chipped in one spot, and a crack has formed in another. Furthermore, the condition of the glass is such that I get a lot of glare driving when the sun is low and from oncoming cars' headlights at night. I think it's time to change the windshield. I have found a vendor who lists a windshield that fits the 1963 Electra 225 2-door coupe. Can anyone here confirm for me whether the windshield for the coupe was the same as that for the convertible in the 1963 Electra? Also, I would appreciate any recommendations or advice about replacement windshields and vendors. If this kind of information has been discussed in another post, I wasn't able to find it in my quick search. Thanks, Ike

Thanks Rob. I didn't know that. Uh-oh. Mr. Earl won't be happy that you didn't include a photo of a "fifty-four" in your post # 1954! You'll have to include a '54 along with a '55 in post #1955. [i forgot that you can edit your post. Nice recovery.]

Rob, I love the color of the '53 Skylark in your post # 1953. Was that a factory color in 1953? I don't believe I have ever seen it before. Ike

Rob, great idea to build up to your 1957th post with tribute photos of Buicks from the 1950s. I can't wait to see the rest! Ike

Please make certain you are within the frame of camera recording for your forum friends! Good luck!