SpecialEducation

What's the history/source of the cam that was analyzed?

I guess, "Has been authenticated by the buick club car is 99% all there," would mean it's a 396 point car? It would be nice if his grammar and photos were 99% there...

Don't get hung up on RPM. I drive all day long down the highway at 3500+ RPM. Big deal, the engine was designed for it. Turning it slower and using more throttle is actually worse, from a mileage standpoint and internal heat damage. Spinning a SBC at that speed is a different story, but that's not what what we are taking about. Pushrod V8 architecture is completely different than the "high feature" engines, so applying old school generalities to modern powerplants is not really fair. I saved money in fuel and insurance when I sold my '03 Sierra and bought the Vue - which I have abused sorely over the last 13 years. Obviously, your mileage may vary...

True. I'd rather tow my camper with my Vue than with my '83 Scottsdale (305/Q-jet). I know, because I've done both.

The max weight of my camper is 3500 pounds, which is the max capacity of my Vue (which is smaller than an Enclave). I bought this Vue new in 2004, and have been pulling trailers since day 1 as I was running a mowing business at the time. I'm at 308k today. I did just break a rear sway bar link yesterday, but I doubt that has anything to do with trailering. I'm still on my original brake shoes back there. Stability is more about how the trailer is loaded than anything else. I usually run with a sway-bar, but it tows fine without it. I've also got electric brakes on the camper, so stopping is never a problem.

Depends on what you are towing, because areo is a big factor. My Vue has a 2.2 4 cylinder, and the drive from the keys was pretty nice, even on the two Lane blacktop of Georgia and Alabama. However, the aerodynamic brick of my 3500 pound camper is a bit much for it unless we have a good tailwind. Based on my experience with this rig, I'd think an Enclave would do just fine. Yeah, the mileage may not be any better than a truck, but if you have seven passengers, they'll be much more comfortable.

I flogged the daylights out of an '82 307 back in the '90s. Great motor. If you find a well-cared for example of any '80s GM car and it has the original bumper fillers in place, don't expect them to last long. Some replacements out there are vinyl, some are fiberglass, and I've seen some Grand National guys welding some up out of stainless for the Regals. It's pretty much a given that 35 years seems to be the limit, even on garage-kept cars.

Yeah, I've been eyeballing that park dog.

Stromberg WWs were used on many makes & models back then. While the Buick version was unique because of the throttle start system, I'd bet that any WW would work with minor adaptation. There were two different 2bbls used in '56, but I only remember the Stromberg because that's what we have. The other was probably a Rochester, but I don't recall the model.

30R9 is supposed to be fine, too. True story: Gates once made a batch of vacuum hose, but labeled it as 200psi fuel hose. We say replace it every 7 years, but this stuff was cracking out & leaking after 2 or 3 with only gravity pressure 100LL behind it.

Just checked the inventory list, and it looks like it has gone to the crusher, sorry.

Ugh... I hate it when ugly things creep into the background. Here, I helped you out a little: If I get a chance, I'll slip a Sparty on that front tag for ya! ?

Sounds like a charging system problem. It should not drain the battery while idling.

Amen, brother!

As I recall, the stop on the back is longer for the 50/70 series cars, so if you buy it for a 40/60 series car, you trim the stop peg a little.

Dad just spent an hour waiting on the vapor locked '56 to cool down & start again. He's over 3 hours from home at the rainbow arch bridges on Route 66 in SE Kansas. A few weeks ago I told him he should install an electric pump. He claimed he'd never had a vapor lock issue in the '56. I told him he's smoking crack. When your fuel filter suddenly turns bone dry, it's pretty obvious. Any guesses how hot it was under that big, black hood? On a side note, he just noticed this clap trap south of the fuel pump. Anyone think that mess is factory?

Is that a household cord on top? Looks like some sort of electric heat.

GM was an early adopter of teflon, but I've never seen such on a '56. Fuel on top, vacuum on the bottom. Usually when we have a pump fail, it's around the big disc on top that starts leaking fuel.

OH, I'll throw this out there now instead of making you read the book. Remember that the radio is a tubeset. It takes a while to warm up, so if you turn it on and hear a buzz, that's just the vibrator converting DC into AC mechanically. As the owner's manual will tell you, the vibrator can be damaged if you try cranking the car with the radio on.

Wow, that's a nice looking Roady you've got there! For the 2 buttons on the floor, one is the dimmer as you suspected, the other is for the radio. Push the button with your foot, and it auto-seeks the next station. Visit Hometownbuick.com - there you will find things like the owners manual free for the reading. That will get you up to speed on all of the funny gizmos in your car. As far as fuel pumps go, where has the car been while in storage? If it was fed fuel with ethanol then left to sit, the soft bits may have been turned to goo. If you can buy ethanol free gas where you are, this car will be happier. There are kits out there to rebuild these pumps, some are even sold as ethanol resistant. It sounds like someone may have bypassed the pedal start at one time. Not all that uncommon. Our '56 came bypassed when we bought it in '95, and we've never bothered to return it to factory. It's on the to-do list, but it's down there a ways. Some pix of your underhood arrangement would be helpful; I'll be looking for your follow up. Welcome to the forum!

Don't mind me, I'm just here for the show...

I'd eat Spam for 3 meals a day before I'd touch Ramen noodles… Don't get me wrong, I love Ramen noodles, but the nutritional value is terrible!

Parade season... I suppose it's not every day you have a sitting congressman sitting in your Buick. And on the way home from the last parade, we had to stop by this sign...

I buy & have Halon 1211 bottles serviced & filled all the time. A "kitchen" size 1211 bottle will cost you about $250 new. And its no more environmentally unfriendly than R12, however unfriendly as you may think freon is.

Here's a couple more: As far as Portawalls go, $100 will get you a decent look from a few feet back for a few months. We we bought a set of 100mm in 2012, and they looked good for one summer. I don't think they put UV inhibitors in them. They were dried out & cracking at a year old. They drove fine with radial tires & all of that, they just turned ugly fast.