Buffalowed Bill

Great opportunity for someone! After a recent move I looked at the thousands of books and Magazines that I had accumulated over the last 60yr, and asked myself why? I stopped taking several magazines and began rereading what I had. No specific order, but when I picked a magazine up I read it cover to cover. It was like reading something as fresh as it had just arrived in the mail. In addition it helped me trace how the hobby had changed over the last six decades. It also allowed me the backcheck the editorial content regarding which cars would be collectable in the future and the direction that the hobby was headed. It also gives some purpose to hanging on to this stuff in the first place!

I guess I will never forgive GM for using set in windshields and back-glass. That brings me to my question was Ford still using form fitted window gaskets 1961-63?

You mean Kent Jaquil (the spelling is not right). He did work on some of my wiper motors decades ago. Always top notch work. He lived in eastern Washington later moving to southern Oregon, for his retirement. He had become quite elderly and was no longer doing wiper rebuilds the last I heard. That was at least five years ago I hope he is still with us. David Ficken has done some goo work.

I did that with my 1967 Camaro years ago. Centari enamel with hardener added and then Sikkens urethane (hardened of course). The paint job was new and it was like a regular two stage process. The job turned out as nice as I hoped it would. I'm guessing that it could have been used over air dried enamel, but then again it might lift the color. I'd have to know more about the history of the paint that's on the truck. I just wonder why you're considering it?

I was just commenting on another contributor's response. I like both the early Bird and the contemporary Corvette. Two totally different beasts. I've never owed either but have been around both in my youth. Neither one was better then the other-just different. At my age I just enjoy seeing and remembering when they were just a used car.

" If they had only focused on making the 55 Bird a higher performing car just as it looked with a smallish second row seating option, it may have been a real winner." To that point that is exactly what Ford did five years later with the 1st gen Mustang. It also added the element of affordability to the equation. I often ask myself what's in a name (model, or even marque). The passing of a name can either be ignored by the masses or it's demise grieved-Oldsmobile or Plymouth. Some model names are discarded, or moved around, so often that they mean nothing. In the case of the T-Bird was it the name that sold the larger Fords or was the buying public just ready to move on from the two seater and the company just read the market correctly. In the case of the T-Bird I think it was a little of both-what say you?

Please don't be tempted by clear coating or even a mechanical buffing (buffing wheel). A gentle hand buffing using the finest compound available at an automotive paint store, would be about as harshly as I would treat your original paint. Your paint after 70 years is going to be very thin. Even a judicious hand rub could rub through the original paint. This is one of those cases that the least amount of effort maybe what's best for the car.

I'm a little more forgiving of the direction that Ford took with the TBird. In 1958 it became the genesis for the whole Personal Luxury Car theme, which would become one of the hallmarks of US car manufacture for decades. I drive descendants of the "clunky" TBirds daily. In my 90's TBirds and Lincoln Mark Vlll's I find the comfort and utility that suites me. This is where the groundwork was laid for some of the other cars that I love. I wonder if there would have been the impetus for two of my favorite cars in our collection-1963 and 1965 Buick Rivieras?

I hate to say it, but I believe that I saw enough of this guy to make me wonder if he has a clue as to what he's doing. I only hope that he can get some help form some of the other Keller owners. Lucky that it's not the only survivor.

I hope this doesn't offend anyone here. I have become enamored by this gal and what she does, what she knows and her attention to detail. She is not the fluff that you see on some of the "reality" shows. She knows her stuff and is more then willing to get her hands dirty. I know some of you car guys will be familiar with her YouTube channel work. The cars that she works on may not always be to your liking, but just try to remember that they didn't just stop making cars in 1972 and not everything good was made in America. Sarah-n-Tuned-YouTube

I apologize for sounding like a broken record, but...We are all car guys here. As such we all fall pray to styling and horsepower. I was guilty as the next guy in this regard. And to be honest I hope that I never loose my love for styling, albeit uniquely my own. Around thirty years ago I began to see an occasional car, maybe a four door or a car, or a model that I would never have given a second look when it was new. I realized that I had not seen a similar car in decades. It was like I was looking at it for the first time. It seemed a miracle that it had survived. But by the grace of god, and the special circumstances that had led to it's survival, this car would have met the fate of over 99% of it siblings. It was at about that time that I began to ask the questions about the car, and the why, where, and by whom there had been an intervention into the natural order of things. I now look at all cars not just cars that I own and love. Thankfully I no longer have the need to own every car that I see. Old age has a way of mellowing some of us. It allows me to enjoy the car and it's story. It's a much more peaceful existence. It's kind of like finally being able to see the forest for the trees. It's a great place to live, try it you might like it.

Our world has changed a great deal over the last several decades. The car culture that we old timers grew up with has become become smaller as the general population has grown. The understanding an level of appreciation that we grew up to enjoy is just not found in the general population today. Believe me your truck is appreciated, it's just a case of the wrong audience. I have a reasonably nice 1994 Ford F150 FWD pickup which is my occasional work truck. The original paint still shines and the interior is still nice. I don't consider it part of my collector car stable, but I'm routinely surprised by thumbs up when I least expect it. Like sitting in the public dump line. With "Bluford" it's all about the color. Everybody seems to be attracted to the original Calypso Blue original paint.

As an old friend told me many years ago "if you have an itch you have to scratch it." Now admittedly I don't know how strong your urge to scratch it is. That's something only you can answer. It's an adage that I have always tried to honor. But it's only a part of the equation. If you can't afford to take the risk financially or emotionally don't do it. If things don't seem right walk away. There will be another car and another time. I think that they are great cars. I would love to have one in my stable. Try to buy the best car that you can afford. Good luck!

The world has changed! The other day I drove my Lincoln Mark Vlll (not even close to the size of a 70's Mark) to breakfast at a popular eating place. The parking lot was full, but as I was pulling in to the lot a large pickup was exiting the lot. When I found the one parking spot that was vacant I began to wonder if the driver of the aforementioned PU had just pulled out of the spot or had just shunned the spot altogether. The spot was one of those really tight spaces. On one side of which was a big SUV, and on the other side was a large PU that was not centered properly between the lines. Now the soul searching began. How nice were the two vehicles I would be parking between? Were they nice enough that I would trust parking my 30yo, original straight car, between them? I sat there for a few seconds sizing things up. I knew that I could get into the spot but could I get out of the two door car once I was in there? Since the other two cars were headed in, backing the car in would give me a little more room to get out. Backing would allow me to fudge a bit, but finally I decided to head in and let the chips fall as they may. I left the driver on my right a little room to open his door. Once in the parking spot I looked over to my left-what the hell did I just get myself in to? My drivers' door would only open about a foot. At 79 years old I'm not as nimble as I once was. What happens if I get half way out and get stuck! I could always try to exit the passenger side but that would require climbing over the trans. hump. I finally decided to just go for it! I'm sure it wasn't pretty and if there was a camera taking my picture someone could have gotten quite a laugh out of the whole process. But I survived and so did the car! Thing we seldom had to consider 40 years ago.

The recent responses to this thread create more unanswered questions then they answer. I googled for a comparison of the rates by state and got only that there are 6 factors that determine what someone pays in a particular state, only one of which is where someone lives. It also stated that the average full coverage is $1592/yr. It didn't give me the range of rates. Is there a source that compares the rates by state or by local?

All of this makes me wonder why anyone would want to buy a new car. But then who am I to talk, since I have never bought a new car and never intend to buy one either. I like driving an older car because it suites me to drive a car seldom seen on the road today. In addition I really hate the idea of overpaying for my transportation cars, when it's not necessary. All of the above just serves as a positive reinforcement for what I've been doing for the last 60+ years of driving. Thanks Ed!

I love the car! Now I don't want to instigate another squabble over WW's, but really backwalls just look wrong on some cars, this is one of them. If it gets down to what came on them when built, it's a no-brainer. In the day I never saw one with black walls.

I'm no expert but here's my two cents worth. It takes experimentation to know what works best for a particular car. Looking for some magic mix that will suit all similar cars is near impossible. Temperature, humidity, altitude and driving conditions all effect how a car will run. A flat land car from Kansas is not going to run the same at 7000' in the Rockies. When on a tour we tend to fly by the seat of our pants. I usually try to come down on octane at extreme altitude. But you don't really know what a particular station is dispensing at any given time. Every tank full is an adventure. As a rule of thumb, whether my car is running good or maybe not so good, I try to not get the fuel level below half a tank. IMO in that way I'm mitigating the effects of getting some bad gas. At home I mostly like to stick to non-ethanol, but if it's not going to sit for too long I don't think it makes much difference. If I suspect that there may be some water in the tank I will make sure that what goes in the tank is ethanol. In that way at least the water will burn off with the alcohol. Speaking of water it may be beneficial if used properly. Again it's all a matter of experimentation as to what works best for your car. I have a friend who swore by the water injection he used in his original 1968 Dodge Charger "Hemi" that he bought new. That is until the check valve failed while parked on one of the hills that helps define Seattle. It filled the cylinders with water, or at least some of the cylinders, so when he hit the starter it experienced a hydrostatic lock and a bent connecting rod-not good. More current information beneficial here. The technology is science based and not some kind of snake oil. Water injection systems are used in some cars, especially those with high compression or forced induction engines, to reduce the risk of detonation and increase the power output1234. They work by spraying a mixture of water and methanol into the air/fuel mixture or the cylinder, which cools down the intake charge and the combustion chamber134. Water injection systems can also help clean the carbon build up in the engine4. However, water injection systems require regular maintenance and monitoring, as a failure or loss of water can cause severe damage to the engine5. Some systems have fail safes or backup systems to prevent this5.

Interesting article that has been around for a few years. Paul Galvin | Hemmings

I very seldom sell a car. For the most part all the cars that I have bought over the last 30+ years I considered keepers. Over the last 5 years I have sold several cars to friends. I know people bristle when talking about the advisability of selling to a friend, but in my world I have to be able to vet the next owner, or I refuse to sell. With me first comes the interest phase. If I don't feel there is a good match of car with the owner, all the begging and pleading in the world is not going to make any difference. It's only been the last few years that I have even listened to someone who says that he is interested in one of my cars. The interested party has to sell me on himself, and make it clear what his intentions are for the car. It might take months or years before I get off the fence about selling. As for being honest-hell I try to talk the guy out of wanting to buy! It would be stupid of me to sell a car that I love, to a friend without being honest. It's not about the money-it's all about what is best for the car. I have never knowingly screwed anyone on a car deal. I'm too old now to ruin my reputation by doing something that I wouldn't have done when I was younger.

As for my comments regarding being careful not to overvalue your car for insurance purposes. Please read some of the very long thread started by recently diseased AACA forum contributor regarding the problems he was faced with when a small fender bender that he had with his 1938 Studebaker turned into a nightmare when he found how difficult it would be to register the car without the dreaded "SALVAGE" notification on the title. Guess the adjusters estimate to fix damage - 1938 Studebaker is settled

Thanks for the Birthday wishes-It's all good, The Dude abides!🙂

I answered this inquiry four years ago-I'm still here, four years older, with the same two cars and it seems that I'm still the oldest responder. Hard to believe that it has been four years but I guess I have to. I hope that if this thread is revisited in four years I will still be able respond. Bill

35 years ago I left JC Taylor for Hagerty, when they could not match the price or the coverage that Hagerty was willing to provide. I would have stayed with JC Taylor if the coverage had been equal. Hagerty has treated me right, no reason to change now. There are several competitive vintage car insurers. Ask for a quote from several and take the lowest bid on agreed value policy. Except no less then an agreed value policy. But don't overvalue your car or you could loose it if you have an accident that ends up being a total.

Sorry I rankled you West. I did say that it was my opinion and I assume that what has worked for me is not going to be appropriate for some. It's very rare that I have a car judged today. I did, however, just pull a car out of the Americas Car Museum after a four year stay. It's rare that I take an old car out on an extended tour these days. I'm 79 years old, Mary and I struggle with anything much more the a couple hundred mile trip in an old car. However, we do travel in one of our 30yo daily transportation cars and enjoy the notoriety of diving a car seldom seen today. Wishing that I was 60 yrs. old is not going to make it so. But it's all good the Dude abides.