[1937 Buick Model 48: RESTORATION HAS BEGUN! (Photo)]

On 5/9/2021 at 5:27 PM, Gary W said:

Sunday, May 2, 2021:     "With This Ring........"

 

A Wedding Story

 

Today I had the honor of participating in a beautiful wedding ceremony with my Buick.  It turned out to be a beautiful day, and the Buick performed flawlessly.  Oh, the newlyweds looked really nice too!

I won't take a lot of time, but I do want to share a few photos.  It was so nice to get back into a public space, with people, laughing, dancing.....  starting to regain a little normalcy to our lives.

 

Here's the backstory:

I purchased the Buick from the estate of Mr. Harry Yeager.  Harry and I were friends through our local Vintage Automobile Club of Ocean County.  Harry's daughter, Jen, is a hygienist in my office and has been working with me for 24 years.  

30 years ago, Jen was married in the Buick.  Her dad, Harry, drove her to the venue.

TODAY, Jen's daughter was married in the Buick.  She was so looking forward to being driven in her grandfather's car, and so I was honored to make that happen!  Here are a few photos:

 

 

The Buick just turned 2000 miles on Sunday, April 25, 2021.  

I followed the "2,000 mile maintenance" schedule and topped off the master cylinder, changed the oil, changed the transmission oil, drained and filled the radiator, filled the tank and generally went through the chassis and gave the bolts little "snug".  

Here I am on Wednesday, April 28, 2021 beginning what would turn out to be about 30 hours detailing the car to get it all shined up!  I cleaned everything out from under the fenders, under the running boards, the engine and flywheel pans.  Then started on the white walls, the chrome, ....

 

 

The windows, all the grille bars, and then that black paint, starting from the roof and working down. 

 

 

When all the detailing was done inside and out, I applied this sticker-decal to the glass.

 

 

Sunday, May 2, 2021:  Wedding Day!  

The day started with a downpour!  By 10:00 it stopped raining and the streets began to dry.  I was dreading getting caught in a storm, but the weather angels smiled, and it was good the rest of the day!

Here I am at noon, ready to play my role as the chauffeur.

 

 

I live in Wall Township, NJ.  The wedding was held in Hamilton, NJ.  I basically mapped out a route using all back roads and county roads that paralleled 195.

So, for those of you not from Jersey, I had to traverse the entire state from east to west.  Hamilton is about 4 miles from Pennsylvania.  It was just about 42 miles each way.

This photo is one of the many back roads I travelled.  Most of the trip looked like this.  Not what you think of when you think of Jersey, but we really do have some beautiful areas.

Honestly, I was stressed on the way out.  It was so important to the bride to be there, and I was just praying for a safe, trouble free trip.  The Buick delivered.

 

 

Arrived at the Hamilton Manor right on time, and they took hundreds of photos with the car.

 

 

Here, the Bride is in the front seat, getting ready for the "first look".....  the first time the groom sees her all dolled up.

I think that is something kinda new at these weddings now.  When I got married, my "first look" was when she was walking up the aisle.

 

 

She was a stunning bride, and they've dated since High School.  

 

 

All in all, a very fun and exciting day!

I was so happy to be able to come through for her.

 

 

Last one!

They finished all their photos and I was back on the road, crossing the state, with a lot less anxiety.  

I actually enjoyed the ride very much!  Then, back to the wedding to attend as a guest!

Very busy day, but all-in-all, very satisfying.

 

I hope you all are staying safe and healthy out there!

Have a great night.

 

Gary

Incredible journey my brother... Any Wedding Magazine publisher would pay top dollar for these photos on their cover!

Great job Gary, and congrats to the happy Coupe! ...I mean Couple! 🙂

[1937 Buick Model 48: RESTORATION HAS BEGUN! (Photo)]

On 3/15/2017 at 6:37 PM, Gary W said:

Spent the day wire-wheeling a bucket of nuts, bolts, lock washers, and... the drag link, master cylinder, the brake and clutch pedal, stabilizer connections.....  

Then cleaned them with acetone and sprayed them gloss black.  Have to spray them in small batches, too cold outside so quick spray and immediately back into the garage.

 

AMAZING how nice the parts look just using the wire wheel!  

 

 

Your attention to detail is 2nd to none!

[1937 Buick Model 48: RESTORATION HAS BEGUN! (Photo)]

On 1/1/2019 at 11:11 AM, Gary W said:

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

 

What a great journey you’ve taken us on Gary-  down the throwback memory lanes of travel years gone by, in real time. 

Thanks for the incredible ride brother! 

What an amazing transformation!

Drive her well and driver her often...

 

“Get’cher motor runnin’,

head out on the highway...”

KRW

[1937 Buick Model 48: RESTORATION HAS BEGUN! (Photo)]

16 hours ago, Gary W said:

The Bug:  "Ingrid"

1967 Volkswagen Convertible

Karmann Body (Cabriolet?)

 

 

Quick story:  14 years ago (2004), my younger brother was just turning 40.  His wife asked me to find  "the red convertible you guys had when you were in college"  as a surprise for his 40th.  She gave me about 9 months advance notice, and I found a beauty.  It had only 8,011 original miles.

No rust, no rot, all original and runs like a top.  The owner put some chrome do-dads on it, I did a complete brake job, installed new tires and put a newer 1971 carburetor on it.  It's been 14 trouble-free years since.  The car is a blast to drive!  I never mentioned it because technically, I'm only the caretaker.

 

The car was stored at my house from 2004 to November 2016 when I purchased the Buick.  I kept it detailed, running, maintained...... took care of it like it was my own!  Now it's at my mom's house.  She has a two-car garage.  I hope to build a garage soon so Ingrid can join her "sisters" once again!

 

This was the "line-up" when she was with me.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 2017 at Monmouth Park car show.

 

Gary

 

 

 

Another Beauty! Thanks Gar... 

Remember the "Electric Banana?"  '71 Super Beetle in Canary Yellow with no heat?

But, it had headers... that was important. To pop wheelies... 

 

[1937 Buick Model 48: RESTORATION HAS BEGUN! (Photo)]

Gary,  absolutely, beautifully, fantastically gorgeous!! 

What a lesson in restoration education for all to see...  best comment was the better than when it rolled out of the factory reference! Truth!!

 

PS- A buddy of mine who's following along said this...

 

"That Buick is Gangster!! Does he have a Tommy gun to go with it! HA!"  

 

I loved somewhere in this "thread" (more like an encyclopedia) where somebody said to another member, there's a picture in section "X page 63..." For most mortal folks....no. 

Keep it up brother...!!

Hey- do you still have the ('64?) VW Ragtop? Could you email me a picture? 

Thanks bro... love ya! 

#1

[1937 Buick Model 48: RESTORATION HAS BEGUN! (Photo)]

On 1/31/2018 at 5:36 PM, Gary W said:

Wednesday Evening, January 31, 2018:  Wiring of the Heater / Defroster Unit

 

 

I didn't really know how the unit was wired originally so this is what I did today:

 

 

Flashback to last year.  I don't like all the accessory switches in sight right in the middle of the dash.

 

 

 

 

My first goal was to try to keep the under dash area as "clean"  as I can.  I didn't want all the accessory switches hanging down under the radio and glovebox.

So I wired the Heat and Lite switches down to the left of the steering column.

 

 

The "banjo" is hiding the slide switch that turns on either the cluster / clock lamps or the map reading lamp, but that other black switch over there is how I wired the heater / defroster.

 

 

Looking right at it now, I mounted a SPDT toggle switch into the factory hole that was already in the dash at that location.

 

 

So now, when I turn on the HEAT switch, it feeds the SPDT.  

 

 

When I push towards the windshield, it actuates the defroster motor.

 

 

When I pull it back towards the cabin, it turns on the heater blower motor.  Center is off.

The HEAT switch has a built in rheostat / transformer .....  that changes the speed of the heater motor.

 

 

 

 

 

B E FO R E   A N D    A F T E R :

 

January 2017:  Just before restoration began.

 

 

January 2018:  Huge improvement.  

I really like the way the radio fills in the center.

Those four wires hanging down are for rear speakers if I want to install them.  I need to tuck them away.

 

 

 

BEFORE

 

 

TODAY

 

 

 

Have a great night out there!

 

Gary

 

 

 

 

 

[1937 Buick Model 48: RESTORATION HAS BEGUN! (Photo)]

#2... Amazing work brother... 

It's very possible, this could be the most interesting and most educational Automotive blog in the world!

The attention to painstaking detail is amazing.

Must say too, you have lots of good folks following here and they obviously appreciate the hard work and level of dedication you bring to the project. 

If they could have only seen the how it started...with dad's old Lionel trains 50 years ago, they would understand even better!!

Great job Gary... as usual.