Eric W
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Everything posted by Eric W
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The silencer / air cleaner on my '51 76R is missing something. Probably some sort of isolator between the manifold bracket and the bottom of the air cleaner element, and some sort of "cap" for the bottom of the air cleaner element (or maybe this missing thing is all-in-one), and the long bolt that goes through it all. Anyone have photos of this? Anyone have one of these that you could part with? I put '50-'51 in the subject because that's what the parts book shows for the silencer. I wouldn't be surprised if this "cap" and bolt are across many years, but I couldn't find those listed out separately. All of what I have for the air cleaner / silencer. Something holds this air cleaner element to the silencer (what covers that big hole in the bottom). View up inside the silencer part - expect long bolt goes through small hole. The air cleaner part. Hole in center looks like a lip to accept some sort of cap. Bracket on the intake manifold, bottom looking up, forwards to the left. Air cleaner sits on top of this.
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Got back to Casa Grande today. Found what may have been the last 4 usable 6.5" vintage Buick rims that they had. There were none loose - all of these had to be pulled. One bonus with that is they let me keep the bolts. Two of the wheels were on the front axle of a '49 that had been hot-rodded. It had a V8, open driveshaft, 4-link rear end (with completely different wheels on it). Yes, the blue rim has a ding that I'll straighten out. With the one 6.5 that was on the car, that gives me 5 to work with. The 4 from the yard today all have the clips for the "dog dish" hubcaps. This car runs the full hubcaps, so the clips need to go.
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Good catch, Al. Yes, I will be doing something with the seat. Could be a linear actuator that could be made to fit into the original seat adjuster. But as my 76R sits now, it does not have the correct front seat. It has a non-power-adjusted 2-door seat from something (the seat backs tip forwards on each side), but I don't know what. The original seat is gone. The electrohydraulic seat adjuster hardware was in the trunk. I saw one of these seats out of a Cadillac on ebay recently - they'd split it into about a thousand pieces, wanting dozens to hundreds of dollars for each piece. Might be nice if your car was missing one part, but to fight it out in a multitude of auctions to end up with a multi-thousand-dollar seat - I could probably dress up a more common seat to resemble, if not nearly replicate the original (if I can't find an original). It looks like the nu-relics window motors are all 12V. So another aspect of this is converting the whole car to 12V. That can also be done in a not-so-obvious way with a new-build one-wire alternator in a case that closely resembles the original generator case. I forget the name of the company that's building those, but it was in another thread on here. I'm not set on anything, but I looked into costs for restoring the hydraulics, and it's the same or more than the nu-relics window kits and 12V conversion combined. Then you still have the possibility of some sort of hydraulic fluid getting loose in the car and ruining paint, upholstery, etc.
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Didn't get the rims anywhere this week, but I've been cleaning up hubcaps. Have about 13 or 14 of the '51's to choose from now. The best 4 will go to the 76R. These are what I think may be the 5th, 6th, and 7th best. Been working close-up on the polishing wheel, in the garage lighting. Had to take them outside to see if "they'll do". Other than cleaning off some extra polish residue, I'm declaring these done enough for the 41D.
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Near as I can tell, the power windows from 1947 - 1953 were hydroelectric. Since my car isn't a convertible, I was thinking about maybe leaving the hydraulic pump for appearance, but not circulating the fluid inside the doors and cabin. I found this: nu-relics.com/hydraulic.html -bolt in conversion specific to these Buicks. Would be interested to hear if anyone else has done this, using these or a different product.
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Thanks Jeff. Checking the link to your 76C blog, it looks like you've found some nice NOS items. Unfortunately my car had some diassembly and lost / missing parts, so I'm trying to find what I can before really taking things apart. Will you be keeping the hydraulics for the windows? I was looking at converting those to electric. I'll post a question on that in the post war forum.
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Added a couple more... http://www.ebay.com/itm/141482223015 1940-53 roof antenna mast & base, not for convertible or hardtop $30 + ship. http://www.ebay.com/itm/141482233236 1950, 51, 52 Super/Roadmaster trunk emblem handle lock $67 + ship. -
Here are my current listings: http://www.ebay.com/itm/141479236281 - '55 cigarette lighter socket/housing $15 + ship http://www.ebay.com/itm/141477348431 - '54 '55 '56 Hardtop courtesey lamp LH $45 + ship http://www.ebay.com/itm/141477348327 - '55 tail light lens (pair), 1 never installed $30 + ship http://www.ebay.com/itm/141474460352 - '51-'52 hood emblem $12.50 + ship Not sure if these postings have led anyone to my items before, but if so, thanks for helping me move these parts along so I can keep making progress on the cars...
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Since you point out the 1 inch - it is in the photos. I'm guessing that's a LOT harder to work out than just mask the color change along the trim mounting holes and hide the color change under the trim. Very cool. Looks great!
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Wheels off to have the rims re-done. Local tire shop that I've done a lot of business with pulled the tires for no charge (they know I'll be back for the new tires)... Up on ramps/stands for wheels off. 6 rims (pick the best 5), and yes, they all measured 6" with the tires off... The one to try to color match. That color looks so much lighter/brighter in a flash photo.
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Relisted - http://www.ebay.com/itm/141474461136 - '51 / '52 hood ornament, $25 + ship. SOLD - http://www.ebay.com/itm/141466363175 - '55 dash switches - heater/defroster fans, $50 + ship. SOLD - http://www.ebay.com/itm/141466364450 - '55 dash heat/air control sliders, $25 + ship. Relisted - http://www.ebay.com/itm/141474460352 - '51 / '52 hood emblem, $12.50 + ship. http://www.ebay.com/itm/141467434977 - '54 / '55 / '56 hardtop courtesy lamp, left side, $45 + ship. http://www.ebay.com/itm/141467441546 - '55 tail light lenses (pair), 1 is NOS/repro, $35 + ship. I know, not a lot of time left on some of these. If they aren't sold, I'll relist.
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Thanks Willie. Got the trunk emblem cleaned up - the outside of it anyway. Still need to clean up the lens retainer clips, reinstall the lock, make up a spring for the keyhole cover emblem... Anyway, here's painting 2 examples of the swing-away keyhole cover. Why 2? Because similar to my experience with improving the appearance of this same part on the 41D, for this car I'm using parts from (at least) 4 different sources to make up the best trunk handle / trunk lock assembly. Keyhole cover emblems being painted - the lower one in the photos was so shiny I debated just leaving it... Temporarily assembled to show what it looks like on the outside...
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This week worked on measuring those rims - well, not just the 2 that I got at DVAP, but also pulled all 4 off the 76R and 1 off the 41D. The 1 off the 41D is "the reference". Two things I wanted from that - to get the outboard side offset to the center of the rim, and the inboard side offset to the center of the rim. Since the 41D was not messed with in any significant way, I'm assuming those are the original 6" rims on there. So with those 2 dimensions, I can determine rim width without needing the tire removed. So I measured the other 6 rims and found 2 that were the same as the one from the 41D. So that gives me the second thing I was looking for - a rim to use for the spare on the 41D. The down side is I now know that I only have 1 rim that is actually the correct size for the 76R (6.5" width). I'm thinking use the 6" rim that won't go with the 41D as the spare for the 76R, and then there's 3 5.5" rims that I don't really need for anything. The plus side is I now have inboard and outboard-side offset dimensions I can use at DVAP (or wherever) to sort out 3 (or maybe 4) more 6.5" rims for the 76R. Anyone know what used the 5.5" rims?
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Thanks David. Took a chance on something else - though I have the parts book & try to study what interchanges before bidding/buying, I took a chance that paid off. The car needed the front door power window close-out panel. This is a little more involved than just a rectangle with some screw holes - it's got pressed depressions in it that are attach points for part of the mechanism. The smaller forward cover plate is just a flat piece, so that's pretty easy to make. Found a '52 Cadillac 4-door being parted on ebay. People went absolutely nuts for basically the entire power window system. Though they were offering the 2-piece front-door power window close outs, someone else already bid. So I took a chance and bid on the 1-piece back door close-out plates. Turns out, these appear to be exactly the same except they add a small clip to hold a wire or something. That's easy enough to remove, so 1 more piece of the puzzle down... - the plate, power window door close-out, rear door, 1952 Cadillac. - where it goes on the 2-door Buick...
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Got that 3rd left-side freeze plug out. No additional tools. Also went back to DVAP today. Been basically exactly a year (last Saturday in October, 1 year ago). Before I went, I reviewed the photos I posted here: http://forums.aaca.org/f115/dvap-casa-grande-location-361557.html The very last photo - is a 2-door hardtop. Since then, I got the reason for this thread - a 2-door hardtop. Mine needs the radio antenna. Found that same car and bought the antenna today. - as-purchased. After a couple of minutes of straightening, I got the segments to slide into each other. - here it is compared with a non-hardtop antenna. The base angle is different. The hardtop antenna tilts up more. - some other items. Couple of rims & bumper center section. In speaking with the guys at the yard, I can understand how they offer lower prices to walk-in customers vs. responding to internet requests. By going there, I take the time to locate the parts and then have them send their guy over to pull the part. With the internet, they have to spend the time hunting to see if they even have the part. They said they were very busy with all makes & models, and are still actively acquiring more cars. I thought prices were quite fair.
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Nice job! Cool that the header is 5/8 3/8. Couldn't see that from the photos. (5 cylinders on one "half", 3 cylinders on the other...)
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It's been a while, but I've also been getting things done with the other cars. I've had the carb on & off this one a few times in the past few days. Thought the timing of the metering rods was off or something, so I ran it with the choke and vacumeter cover off. Seemed like the vacumeter piston was kind of sticky - not smooth action there on acceleration. (Tested while parked, not in motion.) So I pulled the carb off and cleaned the vacumeter piston and its bore. Put it back together. Next run, noticed that the main nozzle for the front/rear cylinders wasn't flowing! I think that would make a BIG difference. Today, pulled the carb off and apart again, specifically to focus on getting flow in that passage. Also found the "anti percolator passage" into the larger passage blocked. Checked that there was flow with shop air - put air through a little tube into one passage, covered another outlet with a finger, and felt for air at the outlet of interest. Compared this "check with air" with flow on the other half of the carb - seemed like I could feel something, so I put it back together (getting pretty quick at carb remove & install). Started, ran it up - flow on both sides! Should make a little more power with 8 cylinders firing instead of 4! Though impressive that I could get it around the block and up the driveway - with a running start - with only the middle 4 cylinders firing! Backed it down the driveway, into the street. In drive, it died. Was too gentle with trying to bring the power up. Tried again by just putting in maybe half throttle, and it went through the rough spot and took off. Feels MUCH more like it would be OK to enter a road with real traffic. Took it around the block a few times, then back up the driveway was no problem - pulls like a "real" car with 8 of 8 cylinders... Also had swapped out the plug wires a couple of weeks ago, but I don't think that made any difference. Other than I went for the "vintage look" set from Bob's. Overall, a good day that gives me a real taste of where this car is headed...
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I was thinking this info might play into the write-up you're working for this. Nice job on the clock delete illumination.
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The Roadmaster clock measures 3 1/2 inches diameter to the outside of the chrome trim ring. The Special clock measures 4 1/2 inches diameter. I don't have either of these loose to see if the movement is the same or not.
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I think the c-list price was in the 3k range. Even with the reserve there it probably won't get bid that high. A possibly better '52 56R is on there now out of Ohio. That one is bid a little higher right now.
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The "after" photo... (they should probably include this in the ad)
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In the 3rd picture in post #33, you can see the center back glass is broken out. Also can see the curved side glass is that slightly blue-tinted EZ-eye color. Car came with a loose-part replacement center glass - clear. I think that would look a little odd, especially being right next to the curved blue back window side pieces. So I found a guy parting out a '50 Super hardtop (I don't know, maybe 1000 miles away?). I confirmed in the parts book that the glass is the exact same part number. His car had the EZ-eye blue tint. So we worked out a deal, and he threw it to UPS. Package with the glass shows up yesterday. The box is 3 sections taped together - so no stability along the glass' long dimension. And the box feels wobbly as I pick it up. I'm figuring, time to find out if the shipper really put the insurance that he said he would. Open the box up, and the glass is wrapped in an old seat cover - no foam, just cotton batting. Not much of a shock/bump resisting material, I think. Open that up - and the glass is in one piece! That's one tough piece of glass! Carefully set it in the trunk over the top of the clear piece, which is now surplus (but I don't think I'm going to dare trying to ship it anywhere)... Anyway, another small victory in trying to collect the right parts... Oh - why was he selling a good back glass from a '50 56R? Sounded like a monster project (in more ways than one). He's putting the body over top of a late-model Ford Crown Vic frame. To do that, he had to slice it all down the center and "widen" it about 8". Something about the rear didn't work out, so he's "converting" to a "sedan delivery". Mmmm.... Good luck with all that. Guy may be a custom car genius for all I know...
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Saw this on Phoenix c-list last week (but not on the Tucson list, and it's in Tucson). Unfortunately I don't recall the price they had listed... Guess they really want to move it. Claims that "all" the trim is there - but not in the photos. Ask them...not mine. http://www.ebay.com/itm/251658732592 (incorrectly listed as a Special, it's a 56R)
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What the front plug looked like - clearly rusted through: Front plug - out: Middle plug - out - pair of saw cuts helped to allow a small section to pop loose, allowing the rest to come out:
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Looks like maybe a fuel tank hung in that hole in the "trunk". There's brackets on the rear cross-frame that could have held the J-bolts for the tank straps. Also the lower radiator hose isn't connected. From the camera bracket photos, it looks like the camera was - well, huge. Interesting how the front fender / front corners and rear fender top to the rear centerline were previews of 1959/1960 styling. And you can't hardly find a current-year car without a rear-view camera... Thanks for posting those photos!
