Bill Stewart

Git-Rot is for structural repairs to punky or plain rotten wood or to repair an area where fasteners are needed. It will only penetrate so far (and very little in decent hard wood). As Hugh notes up near the top, you do not want to be gluing wood to metal. There are many thin colorless penetrating wood preservatives that should disappear into your project and do what you want without causing new troubles. Wood boat builders and restorers would be very informative. West Marine and others will have products. Having done that, I don't think you even need the sealer which several people have mentioned, but sealer should stick properly to the preserved wood if you choose to use it.

I am virtually certain that all 36's had Chancellor Gray (never body color) dash. Chancellor Gray is very dark, but obviously not black when compared with a saturated black. It has very fine metallic which can be seen on a decent original dash when cleaned up and buffed. I was able to match the color almost perfectly including the metallic. If anyone is interested I will look for my "ingredients". I cannot imagine duplicating the original graining without using "Grain It Technology's" printing equipment---patterns, dyes, rollers, etc. Counting all the garnish in the car, I believe there are 17 or 18 pieces including the rear view mirror and the handle on the back of the front seat. So the instrument panel and glove compartment "ain't the half of it". Grain It has great tutorials on line and you can practice and immediately redo dozens of times and still have supplies left over. It wasn't the most fun I've had, but sorta.

Paul, On second thought, your car being a Holden Buick, may not have the same dash and instrument treatment as a US car like mine. Let me know. I can easily take whatever pics you may want of orig or restored.

Paul, I have good pictures of original window garnish and dash, as well as my results using "Grain -it Technologies" supplies. The results are great (in my humble opinion) and the process using Grain-Its stuff was not difficult. I am am electronically challenged so cannot post the pics here but will email them to you. Incidentally, the solid "black" of the dash is not actually full black, but as I recall, "Chancellor" black, which also has some fine metallic in it. If you have a decent original dash you may be able buff it back to life enough to see the metallic in it. I did so and was able to duplicate the color very closely.

Number one, you've got to get a shop manual. Asking questions here is great and you will find many smart and patient people. Also start using the "search" feature at the top right of the screen to look up specific questions. It takes a little practice wording your search to get the most helpful answers. Welcome. Good luck.

Thanks for all the ideas everybody. I got hooked on Gary W's links re: carburetors/fuel pumps/gas tank senders/etc. Remarkable work Gary! Thanks. I will be going through all your contributions whether it involves a problem of mine or not! This whole discussion led me to follow everybody's ideas, and my own, all over the blog. Very helpful. Most contributors are very considerate no matter how new or uninformed the questioner may be. I had not known until today that there is a website to find no alcohol gas or that we can remove alcohol by mixing the gas with water to separate. Something so obvious, but I hadn't thought of it myself.

I really do hate it when I raise an issue that all you old folks think is off the wall----but if modern fuels are such a problem can the old fuels be approximated by cutting slightly with a less refined product, perhaps kerosene or diesel? Would that result in a lower octane rating?

Actually carbking, thank you for your response. I take it that this wicking problem would not have been present when the cars were built, but because of thinner (actually)? fuel and the porosity or surface "fuzziness" of the old castings, the wicking is a modern problem. I bought my 36 (now parts car) in 1956 and I recall no such odor situation in the garage then. Of course my memory may be as "fuzzy" as the old castings and I didn't have a wife who thinks gas odors in the garage are a negative thing.

Actually carbking, thank you for your response. I take it that this wicking problem would not have been present when the cars were built, but because of thinner (actually)? fuel and the porosity or surface "fuzziness" of the old castings, the wicking is a modern problem. I bought my 36 (now parts car) in 1956 and I recall no such odor situation in the garage then. Of course my memory may be as "fuzzy" as the old castings and I didn't have a wife who thinks gas odors in the garage are a negative thing.

Carbkings reply to my original question was not serious. Neither was my similar quality response suggesting that he fill his carb with epoxy. Carbking misunderstood my suggestion, thinking that I was making some kind of serious suggestion. All of this is not constructive. So, seriously, has anyone ever come upon an idea to stop gasoline from wicking out of the carb? Coating the inside of the bowl and cover with something impervious to fuel? Something like the old shellac on carb floats (before modern fuels). A few years ago I made a fiberglass gas tank for a boat using epoxy resin. Still good after at least 15 years. Any thoughts?

Thanks Morgan. I realized that you didn't know that my carb is a downdraft. I especially appreciated the helpful suggestions from the king of carbs though. I am sure he would only propose solutions that he has tried and found useful. I wondered if he has considered filling the carb on his 1979 with epoxy to eliminate the odor. Or maybe he could consult a specialist.

Morgan, my car is a 36 Roadmaster. This is not the first time I've learned something that everyone else seems to know. I'm thinking hard about carbkings suggestions to decide which ones to try. I'll let everybody know what works.

The gasket between the bowl and cover on my carb is always wet with gas until the fuel is almost gone. The fuel level is exactly where it should be but it "wicks" up the inside of the bowl, blots through the gasket and wets part of the outside of the bowl. I have removed the carb cover, dried the inside of the bowl above the fuel and watched the gas crawl up the side of the bowl like it might wet a blotter. I made a new gasket of rubber (figuring its not "wickable") and fuel still gets out. What am I missing? I can't find anything on the blog about this. This really bugs me---I can always smell gas when I walk in the garage. Doesn't seem like enough to be dangerous, but still---

1936McBUICK, I have one that is in two pieces(both bent) and pitted. If he can work with that, he would be welcome to contact me.

Well! I feel really dumb----or at least terribly unobservant! In your very good article Joe, I missed the "Key to Suppliers" which told where to get the bulb part numbers that you listed. Certainly takes the mystery out of things! I could also have helped myself if I had first learned what the abbreviation/code numbers system is all about. Thanks to all of you who did not point out that I should know at least a little bit before expecting to get bailed out.

Many thanks to everybody!!! But especially to Joe. Joe, I read your article before looking for bulbs. It was perfectly organized and very informative but, of course, couldn't provide the specific detail that I was looking for. My head does not work well for electrical stuff and there were too many choices available on line. I do not know what the "L" means with the 63-L and 81-L but they are shown that way in my shop manual. And Joe, can you recommend a bulb for the stop light, # 87? The information and sources given by others will also be very helpful.----Turn signals are next! I'll try to go to school first. Thanks again everybody.

I would like to install LED's in my 36 (excluding headlights). I am finding the numbers and terms used by different sources confusing. The 36 shop manual labels the original incandescent bulbs #51, 55, 63-L, 81-L, and 87-L. Can someone provide the numbers for the right LED's or point me in the right direction for info?

I recently contacted White Glove Restorations where I spoke with Crin Dima and ordered two Trippe Light bulbs. In subsequent days I inquired about several other things which had little profit potential for Crin. He was pleasant and helpful beyond any reasonable expectation. I know that he is introducing new products. He deserves our support.

Paul, Additionally, the felt around the floorboards is about twice as thick as you can easily get these days. It was rather casually fitted and tacked only to the bottom. The felt extended beyond the edge of the floorboard about 3/4 of an inch and folded up the edge when pushed into position. (Probably more than you ever needed to know about that subject). Cheers

Hi Paul. My original 36 has a certainly original, roughly square piece of what I would call thin leatherette (black) over the hole, attached with small tacks. The tacks are rusty but seem to be the typical blue tacks. Cheers, Bill hi

Mike, yes the insulation will make the engine bay just a little cooler and may help to avoid vapor lock (though I kinda doubt it), but the exhaust pipe will be just a little hotter where the insulation ends under the car. Don't know how much that may matter. Bill

I ran my own business, both retail and wholesale for 30 years. The only ethical way to respond to mistakes is to cheerfully make it right no matter the cost. Keeps the customer and encourages the business to improve.

Easiest way to get gas in car that's been sitting-----hardware stores have small squeezable transparent oilers with thin retractable tube/spout. Safe and easy to squirt in "sight screw".

I had to remove radiator for repair, giving me a chance to examine timing chain and gear. They appear as new. Oil slinger was in place. Damper also looked fine but who knows whether it's doing it's job? Sending it in for a "redo" seems like cheap insurance. Shaft and damper are not worn and there is no indication that the shaft has ever spun in the damper. A new, slightly snugger key should be fitted. Damper slips on easily but snug. So----Judging from the helpful comments by responders above, I think I may need only a spacer thick enough to cause the bolt/washer to bear on the damper instead of the end of the crank. Make sense? I still don't understand the tiny shim in the curved key slot. It suggests an attention to detail that I haven't seen anywhere else on the car. Any thoughts from anyone, please?

Also found tiny curved shim in bottom of key slot. not familiar with that. why? Doesn't seem to have any real effect. Any info on that?