WhipperSnapper

I bought the car from a man up in Rockmart. It was parked out in his driveway under a carport.

Hi Matt. Hello John. Thank you both for your insight. The convertible project sounds like a very interesting one Matt. Do you have a thread going for it? If so, I'd love to see it. I understand the time (and financial) constraints with a project like that! I owned a 1970 Mercedes 6.3 a few years back and did a good bit of work to her including completely restoring the interior. It was quite a job and cost me a small fortune (I remember being asked to pay $1,500 for a REBUILT PS pump!!!). This Buick is by far the oldest vehicle that I have owned to-date and compared to the Benz, it seems to be pretty simple mechanically and the cost of parts is extremely reasonable. I'm sure that the Buick has her quarks but a full restoration seems very realistic. Again, compared to a 6.3l Mercedes with air suspension! I'll admit that I'm one of those people who becomes deeply bothered by bad paint, bad seals, rough chrome, etc. on my cars. I just get the urge to pull it into the shop and make it right! I bought Grace because she needs the work and I am very excited about bringing her back to life. That being said, I agree with you guys that I should put some miles on before taking her apart. You're right - how will I know if I truly made her better than she was when I got her? I've been doing some reading on the disk brake conversion and I agree that it's not necessary for how I intend to use the car. She will be a weekend cruiser. Maybe driven to work on nice sunny days and occasionally driven to Tennessee for family get-togethers. A/C would come in handy for those trips to TN, but I highly doubt that I would use it otherwise. I rarely use the A/C on my DD unless my wife is in the car with me. I prefer the windows down. :-) I have also been researching 12v conversions and it seems to be a lot of trouble for minimal return, so I'll cross that one off too. The radio in my car does not work at the moment and I'm not sure why. Modifying it to allow for streaming audio would be ideal, if I could get her working again. I'd love to keep it original, I just didn't think that was even possible! I am going to spend some time on the engine and brakes today. She needs new hoses, fluids, filters, etc. I am going to clean the carb too and see if I can get her out of the garage. I forgot to mention earlier, but the tires are dated 1978! They are completely shot and will need to be changed before she leaves the driveway. I want white wall tires! Is there a specific tire that you guys would recommend? Also, Grace has no seat belts (front or back). How do you guys recommend I handle that? Thanks! Joseph

Hello Pete. Thanks for the reply and for the info on the model. I am interested in discussing the pros and cons of each. My mind is not made up yet, as you should have noted from my post. I am looking for information here, not criticism.

Hello everyone! I found this gem on Craigslist this past weekend and just couldn’t pass it up. I’ve always liked the look of the 50’s Buicks and the asking price seemed reasonable enough. Here are a few photos: http://s778.photobucket.com/user/josephlong757/slideshow/1951%20Buick%20Super So, I’m guessing that you’d all enjoy a little background! She was purchased new by a local funeral home here in Georgia and was used in funeral processions and driven by the family up until the mid 1970’s. The car then passed to an amateur collector who drove her on occasion and frequented car shows up until he passed away. After that, the car was parked and sat in a shed from 1989 until around 2010. It was then sold to the man who sold it to me. The interior is in excellent condition and I'm wondering if it may have been redone at some point. The exterior is a bit rough, but appears to be very solid. The car was re-sprayed in the original black somewhere along the line and whoever did the paint did a poor job. I have found a bit of rust up under the driver and passenger floors and some in the trunk. As you can see, the chrome is also in need of work. The car does run but I have not yet driven her because the brakes are not working. I’ve ordered a shop manual and will do some digging when it arrives. Anyways, the goal here is to do a full frame-off restoration. I want to keep the car original with the possible exception of converting to disk brakes, an FM “look alike” radio, and maybe adding A/C. Did these cars even come with a factory A/C option? So, here are a few things that I’ve been wondering: Is my car a Super or a Super Riviera? The plate (photographed) says “Model: 51-52.” Is there a place online to decode the VIN? Also, where did GM hide the build sheets on these? How difficult is it to rebuild the I8? It doesn’t seem to be very complicated but I hear that the bearings make it difficult…? Is there a rebuild kit that you guys recommend? What do I need to know about that DynaFlow transmission? I hear that it’s sort of like a CVT? Do shops still rebuild these? Have any of you converted over to disk brakes? If so, what do you think? Is it worth the trouble? What do you guys think about converting the electrical system over to 12v? Have any of you done a frame-off restoration on this model? I’ve had some trouble finding a complete thread on an engine rebuild or a thread discussing a full restoration. I think that’s it for now. I am really looking forward to getting to know the active members on this board and learning more about my baby. Her name is Grace, by the way. Apparently coined during her funeral home days. -Joseph