Buickborn

Imperial62, I'm sure updraft carburetion derived from primitive fuel delivery systems: gravity feed; or fuel tanks pressurized by a manual driver-operated pump; or, later on, vacuum tanks -- all of which would be challenged by the uphill-feed required by a (necessarily high-mounted) downdraft carburetor, especially if the vehicle were tackling an uphill incline. In spite of obvious concerns about the gravity-defying upward air/fuel stream issuing from an updraft carburetor, my experience with them is that (like 6-volt electrical systems) they work just fine if everything is in good order. That is the case with my '30 44 roadster, which -- like a friend's Model A -- starts very quickly and responds well to the go pedal. Updrafts were in common use into the early 60's in in-line marine engines (in order to allow for a low-profile engine box), and I have yet to waterski behind a boat that could pull me out of the water faster than my dad's '58 Owens powered by a Zenith-updraft-carbureted Hercules marine mill. Concerning Marvel carburetors, they were indeed beset with problems, so much so that in 1934 Buick abruptly fired Marvel in connection with the new downdraft 233 engines. But apparently Buick was stuck with Marvel in the case of senior engines until 1936, when the new, downdraft style, 320 was introduced.

Carbking, I'm not sure what you mean by "changes the complexion of the car for someone who enjoys driving the car." While, as a mere hobbyist I can't claim your obvious level of expertise in these matters, I think you'll agree that modifications should not go beyond what is necessary to correct any deficiencies in the car's performance. In the case of my '30 series-44 roadster, I theorized that its somewhat lackluster performance was due to unnecessary (due to the high volatility of today's fuel) heat in the intake system. So, with no deletions of original equipment, I fabricated and installed couple of simple sheet-metal partitions to block the flow of exhaust through the heat riser system -- a solution that worked like magic. Now the car performs well, starts nicely (in fact, instantly in moderate temperatures), and continues to keep the carburetor relatively cool due to the carb's original low position next to the crankcase. Not only that, but if I clumsily manage to overchoke, excess fuel does not flow down into the engine. Not a bad outcome, withal, for a few cents' worth of material. And, by the way, I am definitely someone who enjoys driving my car. Incidentally, I like your choice of words. I'll have to remember changes the complexion . . .

Tonyp, when I posted a question this morning about your locality, I also intended to mention that anyone reading your post would have to appreciate your thoroughness in describing your car. That's a nice change from all the offerings out there containing so little information as to raise concerns about what's being left out. Your approach makes it far easier for a prospective buyer to trust the seller. Nice!

Tonyp, what is your location? My area code list says Tennessee, but in this cell-phone age that might not be reliable.

I don't much care for the downdraft carburetor conversion in this car. Judging by how well the original updraft system works in my '30 roadster, I see no valid reason for this clearly incorrect modification.

Matt, I'm not sure what you mean in indicating that a title not in the seller's name is "as good as no title at all." That is generally called, if I'm not mistaken, an "open" title, and -- at least out here in the Wild West -- I've seen many vehicles sold and subsequently re-titled/registered to the buyer on that questionable basis. My understanding of this practice is that sellers of using open titles are avoiding having to register as dealers with DMV, thereby avoiding a host of requirements with which I'm sure you're more familiar than I. Further, in many states, "casual" (i.e., private party) sales are exempt from sales tax -- meaning that sub rosa sellers staying under the radar with open titles have a bottom-line price advantage over dealers. That, I suspect, is why many buyers go along with such shenanigans.

Well, it may be that the seller is located in a state where a new title is difficult to obtain and hoping to find an optimistic buyer or -- failing that -- a buyer located in a relatively easy-title state. By the way, I have a friend here in easy-title Nevada who buys untitled cars all the time, gets them titled, and flips them accordingly.

Dynaflash 8, for a great source on original colors going back to the 1920s, I've had very good luck with SBC Global out of San Diego. Web address is autocolorlibrary.com That will get you to more colors than you'll know what to do with. They even sell old-school acrylic lacquer, with which I've had excellent results for repair work -- and which I like because it's idiot-proof. With a little wetsanding, all my drools, orange peel, and fuzz vanish like magic, and -- most important -- I end up looking as if I knew what I was doing.

Well, SBRMD, I'm not sure I can claim to be in the same "great mind" category as you appear to be. If I were, surely I'd have been able to lay my hands, as you have done, on a '49 Roadmaster -- that is, a sedanet or Riv. I've been looking for a decent, affordable one for many years with no luck whatsoever. Got any smart pills?

On second thought . . . this COULD be a stick-shift job, because it's clearly a Super with an extra porthole added. On a real Roadmaster the forward hole is about even with the front end of the side brightwork and about halfway between the front and rear ends of the front fender. On this car, the clearly added front porthole is much too far forward. Would be interesting to know whether the seller is representing this car a Roadmaster.

No dents? What's that just below the left headlight -- custom body work? Manual transmission? In a Roadmaster? I wonder if this gent is referring to a different car.

6 or 6'5 inches edge to edge? That sounds awfully narrow to me. The (original) wheels currently on my '54 Roadmaster measure 7" inches edge-to-edge, and the spare wheel (I have no idea what it came from) measures 7 1/4". Not only does there appear to be quite a variety in Buick wheels, but I think we have to be careful about variations in offset. For example, when I replaced the stock wheels on my '41 Cadillac with repro 48-spoke wire wheels (El Dorado style), I thought the 1/4" difference I'd measured in the backset was insignificant. In fact, that minor difference radically affected the car's steering characteristics, causing considerable road wander that I corrected with time-consuming trial-and-error adjustments to the toe-in. I shudder to think of what the effects would have been had I been running mis-matched wheels.

Dynaflash8, here's the day's dumbest question: how do you measure the width of a wheel? Bead to bead? If so, then I have an available, reasonably rust-free 15x6 wheel off a '54 Roadmaster. Bad news: it's a bit bent, apparently from striking a curb. My tire guy says it can be straightened. If you wish, you can have it gratis + shipping from zip 89049. If that doesn't float your boat, my sometime partner-in-crime Buickmansam has a few clean '56 Buick wheels, but I'm not sure whether senior or junior series. Will check with him.

PM sent.

Auburncoupe, to answer your question: my black '54 4-holer (the last year that 4 holes were reserved for Roadmasters) is a coupe with the correct red/black/heavily-chromed bordello interior and Matador Red wheels. This very sharp, rolling gin palace really pops! (If Grandma Church had one like this, she must have been quite a cool old lady.) Currently, I'm a bit photographically challenged but will see what I can gin up.

Your header indicates that you're looking for a '51 - '53 wheel. What year is your car? Reason I ask is that the '53 (50th Anniversary) wheel differs considerably from the previous two years' version. With two banjo-style spokes, it featured a gold sculptured likeness of an '03 Buick (actually, it was an '04) in the hub. In any case, I have an exceptionally nice one of these on hand -- a "Power Steering" version -- in an extremely dark blue which consistently passed for black during the 15 years that it served in my black '54 Roadmaster before I was able to find a good, correct replacement. If you're interested, I'm open to offers.

In case you have no luck in seeking used 6:50/16 whitewalls (and goodness knows new ones are pricey!), for an economical alternative have you considered using Port-a-Walls on modern P215/R16s? That solution would provide the peace of mind of new tires plus the handling advantages offered by radials -- along with the charm of an old-school approach to whitewalls. Port-a-Walls are available from LucasClassicTires.com (I'm not sure if the use of upper case is correct in their URL) -- ph. 562-595-6721 -- and I believe Universal Tire has them as well. I'm planning to use them on the 16" radial tires currently on my '39 Dodge coupe.

Your engine appears to be a '54. Starting with the '55s (actually late '54s, if I'm not mistaken), these engines used twin oil filler/breather caps, one atop each rocker cover -- probably because the earlier arrangement allows little clearance for an oil can due to the proximity of the air silencer.

If this was a conversion, someone did an impressively good job, judging by the back side of the cab. Is it not possible that Buick did build a few trucks, perhaps for dealer use, as did makers of some other non-truck marques? Could this have been a tow truck? Particularly puzzling are the wheels: certainly truck style -- not wood, not wire . . . but with an apparent special-edition Buick hubcap to match? (Also, the apparently drop-center wheels appear to be too small to have been simply leftovers from an earlier design -- as do the brake drums.) Who besides Buick would have supplied these hubcaps? Interesting item . . .

Very original, low mileage-'50 Jetback on C/L in Albuquerque. Not mine. : https://albuquerque.craigslist.org/cto/6131170112.html

Here's some good news and bad news. The good news: I have one of these hubs in beautiful condition, with only slight cracking visible in the very center -- completely clear otherwise -- and the rim is nicely replated. Bad news #1 (maybe for a Special): very prominent gold POWER STEERING lettering in upper arc of the hub; Bad news #2: I really do not want to separate the hub from the rest of the wheel, also in beautiful condition (very dark blue -- passed easily for black in the black Roadmaster from which I removed it). Will part with the whole works for $250 + shipping. Incidentally, the reason I removed this fine '53 wheel from my 76R is that the car is a fifty-FOUR.. It took me 15 years to find a black '54 wheel as nice as the '53 it replaced.

Just a couple of detail questions . . . shouldn't the seat back frames be stainless, as in '54/'55 Roadmaster? Shouldn't the top of the radiator tank be rounded, instead of flat as in '54/'55? Gorgeous Roadmaster!

Hmmm -- I don't remember ever seeing a '55 with the '54-style oil filler. Could this be correct on early jobs?

Oops! I goofed in my previous post. In my rush to find that Bugle ad mentioned here, I misread it, thinking that it was a non-photo listing for a roadster rather than a coupe -- when in fact a pic of the car appears right above the copy. Oh, well, at least I don't have to be dying with envy of a guy I thought got a 90 series roadster for about what I paid for my non-classic 40 series R/S roadster.

That appears to me to have been an outstanding deal, considering that last summer I paid $18k for an unrestored (but very nice, with a fairly fresh engine) '30 44-series roadster. However, the Bugle ad in question mentions nothing about the car's cosmetic condition; and, at about 67000 miles, the car is probably ready for some major engine work. Still, we don't often see a complete, open-bodied, full Classic advertised for dollars in the teens.