Gary W
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Posts posted by Gary W
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Sunday January 20, 2019: Hand Throttle (Part Two)With the dash attachment done, I started on the pull knob.
The wire that runs inside the outer casing is firmly attached to this pull knob.
Here's the problem. The end that the wire attaches to is broken.
So what I did here is
Drilled a 1/16" hole through the remaining metal at the end of the part.
I bent the wire 90 degrees.
This way, there was a mechanical "Lock" to attach the two. Next, I cut the protruding end down so it stood just a bit proud when the wire was moved.
I was going to solder it together, but I realized that once its in the tube, there is no room for it to move and it should stay secure.
The tube keeps the wire centered in position.
Now, simply slide this wire through the outer casing...
Back to the car, begin sliding the finished casing through the dash panel.
Slip on your mounting hardware before running it through the firewall.
Tighten it up behind the dash, then run the casing through the firewall pad and into the engine bay.
The casing came through the firewall above the voltage regulator (I don't know if that is correct, but there were holes already punched, so I used them).
Then the casing routes down the firewall and clips just before it attaches to the throttle linkage.
With the dash knob pushed in fully, pull up the little lever arm and attach the inner wire.
I didn't start it today because it's pouring out, but I did roll the window down and watch the action as I pulled it out and it moves the throttle plate on the carburetor so I think it'll work just fine.
Have a great night!
Gary
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Sunday January 20, 2019: Hand Throttle (Part One)
Today I spent a couple of hours in the garage hooking up the hand throttle pull so it operates as designed.
Being mine was rusted and broken and could not be re-used, I had to be a little creative to get everything working.
In the end, it all works as it should.
Two years ago, removing the unit from the back of the dash panel. Everything was hopelessly rusted solid.
I bought this generic choke cable at NAPA auto parts.
Turns out, all I actually used was a 36" section of the casing and the wire that runs inside it.
Remove the pull knob. Mine was not attached to anything so it slid right out. Then remove the nut and washer from inside the dash and slide out the face and the tube.
Here's the guts on the bench. Couple of issues here:
1. The "tube" that holds the outer casing firm was split down the side.
2. The pull knob unit is broken at the end where the inner wire attaches.
Using wire, I made some preliminary measurements from the inside of the dash to the throttle linkage.
Pull the wire out from the casing.
Lock the outer casing in the vise and cut to the required length. I cut it to 36", disregarding all the rest of the stuff attached to it.
Dress it smooth with the file as the hacksaw makes it pretty messy.
To help attach the outer casing to the dash "tube", I used this JB Weld epoxy.
You can see the split, so I inserted the knob just so I knew how far the casing can go in.
Then, I used the epoxy around the casing and basically "screwed" it down into position.
Once coated and seated, I pressed the split tight in the vise to aid in retention.
Set this aside now that the 36" casing is attached to the dash tube.
Part 2: the dash knob and final installation.
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Carl;
Your are correct:
Here's the sequence:
Radio supported by the bracket that drops down from the rear hood hold-down bolt.
That bracket is adjustable to get the radio face parallel with the dash.
Special thin nuts secure the radio to the dash panel.
Your bass/treble local/distant knobs have a flat spot that fits over the shaft.
Finally the ivory plastic knobs are slid in position and set with a set screw.
Gary
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Back in June, 2017, I got my steering column / box back from Lares. I was just in the process of sanding, prepping.....
Matt Hinson sent me a link from the July-Aug 2016 Toque Tube II:
From Matt:
"The colors for most of the interior components are listed on the 1937 Buick Paint Chart. You can find it reproduced on page 4 of the attached issue of the Torque Tube II.
Of course, this is for 1937, but maybe the '40's are similar? I don't know the "original source" for the chart though.
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The radio knobs are a one-piece ivory-colored plastic knob with a small set screw to hold it tight.
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The '37's called for "Marsh Brown" on the column. (...and some other components)
I painted mine "Savoy Brown", mixed non-metallic only because I liked the deeper color next to my wood grained parts.
But the Marsh Brown is proper for the '37 Buick.
I used SEM "Trim Black" on the box to match the chassis components.
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That is the correct bracket. The 90 degree top part attaches to the bolt that comes down from your rear hood hold-down bolt. The serrated end allows you to adjust the rear up and down to get the face nice and flush before tightening it down.
I think it was around $400 to completely restore the radio to blue tooth compatibility.
Great Article!!
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1 hour ago, 1940Super said:
I have a short video of it running but not sure how to upload
You can upload it to You Tube and just imbed the link here. With only 9MB limit, your video clip will be only one or two seconds if you upload it directly to the Forum.
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Phillip:
Love the article. If you are still planning on restoring the radio, please consider "Bill the Radio Guy". He made my original radio bluetooth compatible and it has a hidden pigtail to keep your phone charged.
I have since made playlists on my phone (or iPod....) with all the big bands... Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman and some old radio shows.... It makes the ride so much fun!
Great job!
Gary
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Mine has a circular fine brass mesh screen that sits at the top of the glass bowl to prevent impurities from exiting into the fuel line.
The previous owner also had an in-line filter attached to the Marvel carburetor also. I did not use the secondary filter as I feel with the tank all treated by Moyer, and new lines, the brass screen should work out fine.
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James,
I just realized all my cables are size 1/0. (Which is a size zero, "one aught").
I'm sorry for the confusion. You originally stated you were going with the 2/0, and on 6V that's a good choice but these work nicely.
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Plenty of juice to the starter. She turns over fine and it's still a fresh overhaul... still a little tight. I have no problem adding a few extra grounds. A lot of gremlins are caused by faulty grounds.
If I can help at all, please don't hesitate.
Gary
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Hello James!
Here's how I routed my battery cables. All my cables are size 1/0 and are also cloth covered. I ordered them custom sizes with either battery stud clamp ends or rings depending on where I used them.
Overview of my cables.
I actually have two heavy cables coming off the " - " (Ground) terminal because I'm a mental case and wanted to be sure I had the car grounded well.
I scraped all the POR-15 off the frame above and below the frame.
That yellow shmutz is a corrosion-inhibiting battery paste. I used star washers to give it mechanical "bite" into the frame as well.
So, the yellow wire under the frame is a dedicated ground wire that runs back to the fuel tank sending unit. I did cover it with a tar-impregnated cloth covering when it was installed.
One ground cable runs over to the top of that connection so the cable grounds the frame and the tank ground runs directly from that stud as well.
This cable was made with two eyes, the eyes are tinned.
Here's how the ground to the frame looks like under the car.
All battery cables are cloth covered.
That cloth covered wire clipped to the frame rail is the dedicated ground to the tank.
The second cable off the negative side of the battery goes up to the starter grounding post.
This cable was made with a battery stud clamp on one side, an eye on the other.
I have that ground cable attached directly to the ground stud of the starter motor, and a braided ground strap runs from that stud over to the engine mount/side frame rail.
The other heavy cable is the hot wire. I ran it through the opening in the engine casting to keep it stable.
I also ran ground wires to every single lamp on the car to be sure everything illuminated nicely.
Can you say overkill?
Can't help it.
The only thing I did differently is installed a master kill switch just before the hot cable attaches to the starter.
I really want to move that switch either under the dash, or somewhere else easier to access so I don't have to lift the hood every time I want to take her for a ride.
If you need any other photos or whatever..... I got thousands!
Gary
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Thanks for all the nice compliments.
I'm so happy that you guys find value in my work.
The next car I would love to own would be
a convertible model Buick of the same vintage.
1937 or 1938 Buick Model 66-C. Keep that between us for now!
Of course, I need garage space so that will most likely be the first step.
Thanks for all your help throughout this journey!
I've made some really great friends here, and appreciate the camaraderie.
Respectfully,
Gary
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Did everything myself.
Carefully note how you remove everything and take photos as you go. It really helps the re-install
Use the "string technique" when you install your rubber moldings. It really makes things go nice and easy.
Here's how I did the rear window glass:
Front windshield glass / rubber install. In this post, I had help and we used tools to pull the rubber over the pinch weld. The tools did make a couple small marks in the rubber. The string method I used on the rear glass left no marks in the rubber at all:
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I ordered ALL my rubber replacements from Steele. Every piece fit as it should.
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Stunning!
Happy New Year Roger!
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Sunday December 30, 2018: Final visit to Bob's paint shop for the hand compound and final polishing
I have 190 miles on her now, and Bob had a few days open in his shop schedule to get the Buick in for the last steps to finish the paint.
There were a few touch-ups to make around the hood and a boo-boo I made in the trunk.
The most pressing issue for me was the hood alignment at the front.
So over the last few days, Bob fixed all that stuff and I got her back this afternoon.
(Disclaimer: I had a REAL TOUGH time trying to resize photos tonight! I took hours trying to get these on the site)
Back in Bob's shop for the final paint work.
Here's the front end and the hood (mis)alignment. I just couldn't stand the way it all lined up.
And touch-up work needed on the forward edges of the hood where it meets the front clip.
As always, Bob takes his time and evaluates every inch of the car.
I caught him doing a little fine touch-up on the inner surface of the trunk lid. I like watching the technique.
After the front edges were all touched up. Now she's ready for the hand compounding.
Using this 3M product, Bob hand-rubbed the entire car, starting with the roof.
After all that labor, the car then got a finish coat of wax.
All the labor done by hand, no machine for this final stage.
She looked just beautiful inside the shop under the lamps.....
..... and looked even better outside!
The front hood / grille area lines up so much better now! The gaps look great on both sides.
(I'm really sorry for the poor quality of these photos.... some are dropped down to 218KB.... )
I took my nephew out for a 20-mile run! So much fun.
2-years ago he was two.
Now he's four and loves the cars.
Have a great night out there!
I wish you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year!!
Gary
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If you are replacing the seals, I guess it really doesn’t matter how you remove the glass and seals. Mine were petrified into the pinch weld and my glass/seals came out in pieces.
Definately get a helper and I suggest using the “string “ method to install the glass (like I did on my rear windows). It really was a better technique.
You have your windshield garnish molding out, protect your dash panel.
It’s not that bad a job. Be sure to protect your paint all around. If you use soap as a lubricant, things get slippery and you can easily drop tools.....
Gary
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Beautiful!
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Here's a thread started in 2010. The discussion describes how to install a momentary switch under the dash to eliminate these issues with the vacuum start switch and/or a defective voltage regulator.... maybe worth the read:
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9 hours ago, Buick 59 said:
did you ever tell us whether you resolved the issue with the drivers side door handle hitting the fabric
I didn't get that fixed yet. I've been pushing the fabric in while opening the door for now so it doesn't rub.
But I guess that will be a winter project removing the door skin and hopefully figuring out why it rubs like that.
I may start by simply switching the handles from the drivers door to the passengers door and see if that does anything.
Thanks so much for following along!! Appreciate the support!
Gary
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Hi Terry!
At this point, I have these few things on my checklist to finish the restoration:
1. Interior: I'm still waiting for the rear window shade to come back from LBB. When I get that shade installed, the interior will finally be done.
2. Exterior: She is going back to Bob's paint shop for a few touch-ups, final glaze and hand rub. That will finish the exterior.
3. Mechanical: I am bringing her to get the front end aligned in a couple of weeks. Although she tracks really straight, I want to have it all checked under there.
I am going to set up the hand throttle as it was from the factory. I found a cable that will work nicely with my dash knob.
At 300 miles, I am going to do another oil change and make any adjustments that are necessary.
I think that 300 mile benchmark is my "finish line".
I actually have 170 miles on her now, slowly breaking her in and making little adjustments as I go along. She rides beautifully.
I love this car.
Gary
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1 hour ago, bigmck said:
Thanks for the inspiration
Neill;
Your dash panel looks beautiful! Be very proud of it! You did a great job!
Thank you for the kind words........ That "inspiration" was one of the main reasons I started this thread.
Remember, I was a novice to these "big Buicks" two years ago. I published this restoration journey, (the good, bad and ugly), for a couple reasons:
First: Selfish reasons. I needed help from the members here, and I knew it.
Second: Hopefully as a "guide" so others feel empowered to tackle some projects on their own cars, both big and small.
Third: That others will see my methods and chime in with either "Oh...that's how you do that!" or "Don't do it that way!.. Do it like this..."
Judging from the many, many, many messages I've received throughout this restoration (both public and private), I feel like I've met these goals.
I will forever be indebted to the members here who have followed along and encouraged me every step of the way. The talent here is just amazing.
Thank you for sharing your work, I truly appreciate you mentioning inspiration. It means a lot.
Going forward, I would like to somehow make a "table of contents" or "glossary" of some sorts to help index the many subjects contained in the blog.
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!
Gary
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Pre-War Buick Advertisements
in Buick - Pre War
Posted
This is great! I love these..
Any for the 1937 Year?