NZ Buick

Well was a big day for me yesterday. After five ish years my Buick project is now rolling!

Yes it’s walnut. I had the option of mahogany or walnut and am hopeful the walnut will stand up to our NZ sun better as roof down driving over summer will be a priority in this car. Was modelled off a few photos and measurements taken of my father’s original ‘16 and has come up amazingly!

Another step in the right direction! Hoping to have a rolling chassis together in the near future so need something to steer it with!

Well after a great deal of searching and no luck finding any I have managed to make a new pair of brake bands for my project by rolling some strips of steel to the right diameter and riveting the old hardware on as required.

From everything I can make sense of with the parts I have collected they’re all E/H 6 cylinder rear axles. I’ve ended up with three of them by now and only have just enough parts to piece one complete one together. The brake bands and the long torsion rods that go under the rear from side to side and forward to the front of the torque tube seem to have suffered the most.

Unfortunately this is one of two parts axles that are both in a very very sad state. Fortunately I have enough of all the hardware between them to piece together what I need it just seems the bands themselves have practically vanished one still has a lining around the drum attached to nothing at all!

Those measurements are exactly what I’m after. From what I can tell of the pieces I have left mine don’t have rolled ends for pins like yours but rather have a riveted on pad with saddles attached for the pins and adjuster to mount to. I’ll try to add a photo to explain. Is there any way you could measure the thickness of the steel the bands are made of for me? I think I will have a go at rolling some new ones.

Has anybody got some dimensions of the inner and outer brake bands I need for my 1919 Tourer project? Or has anyone had new ones made? I only have remnants of seriously rusted ones left and cannot get accurate measurements from them to attempt to make new ones. Perhaps someone has some spares they may be willing to part with???

Hi Rod, This is what I’m assuming must have happened at some point. My fathers D45 has 8 leaves in its rear springs so I can only guess I have a pair of them in my parts. Hopefully the 15 leaf ones won’t be too hard!

Here is one of the 15 leaf springs. The chassis number it is off is 526323 can anyone clarify anything for me from this? Perhaps the cars that came out to NZ had bigger springs?

Sorry Morgan, I have what is going to be a E/H X45 Tourer. Unfortunately I don’t have a ‘car’ as such just a mountain of parts that I was lead to believe was of numerous 1919 Buicks. The two pairs of rear springs I have are 8 and 15 leaves. The 15 leaf pair came off the chassis I bought most recently with a diff etc still mounted under it which I assumed had never been out.

The springs that were on my chassis which I’m sure is a H45 Tourer are 15 leaves and seem really heavy and the springs In the mountain of parts are 8 leaves but I have a feeling may be off a 4 cylinder car.

My theory when I did it was the cam lobes in these engines are so gentle and valve springs so soft that I would get away with it. My main goal was to attempt to reduce a bit of friction and be sure the rollers were perfectly round.

Hi Terry, It certainly has to be a sign that numerous people of different backgrounds have suggested this is not a good idea. I have set a goal of trying to start this engine by the end of the year so still have plenty of time to refit solid rollers if I need to. I’ve kept everything i need to do this and at least it can be done without tearing the whole engine down again! Once I’ve done a little more research I’ll make a choice.

I would agree with that thinking only I have no sedan parts in my pile only tourer and roadster. I can only assume the tourer needs the heavier ones for carrying passengers over the rear axle.

How many leaves should the rear springs of a 1919 Tourer have? I have two pairs of springs in my pile of bits one is much lighter that the other. I’m assuming the lighter are for a Roadster or possibly for a four cylinder car and the heavier are the ones for the Tourer?

Perfect thanks Hugh! Looks like the wheels I’m making fit onto my ‘19 tourer are ‘22-‘24 four cylinder ones. Another mystery solved!

Did any early Buicks come with 23 inch wheels?

That’s great advise Thankyou Rod. I’m not too concerned about the time it will take as I’m already a few years into this project and am yet to even have a chassis with wheels attached that can be rolled around! It is a gigantic puzzle to me that I’m thoroughly enjoying working my way through with the hope one day I may have a nice old car to drive around.

I have an E/H45 Tourer

This is a job I’m not looking forward to with my 1919 tourer restoration! I have practically nothing left to work with in terms of wood work just a whole pile of floppy sheet metal

Unfortunately I’m not so lucky! I’m missing one outer cone and because the hub has been off the stub axle so long one inner cone has surface rusted enough to pit where the balls need to run. I’ve been to our local hearing supplier and have hopefully found some tapered roller bearings with correct IDs and smaller ODs so I can hopefully sleeve the hubs and make them all fit. Just waiting to hear back if they’re available or not.. fingers crossed they are!!

I cannot locate any numbers or markings or anything on these bearings unfortunately

Hi all, I’m searching for some replacement front wheel bearings for my 1919 project. I have a feeling the axle I have is out of a later car as it appears to have bigger and shorter stub axles compared to other 1919s I’ve seen. Has anyone got any ideas where I may be able to source them from?

Well they fitted in perfectly! A bit more setting up and my diff will be ready to work again for the next 100 years! A huge leap forward for my project!