1937McBuick

Lol, looks like we shop at some of the same type of stores. I will never do another car. I saved one, or am in the process of trying. Just afew comments..... cars stored outside with broken windows will have floorboard issues, cars without wheels that are sunk into the ground will have floorboard issues. Even cars stored indoors in alot of cases will be so bad that they need complete restoration. Cars that went into storage in very good shape will need the building they're in properly maintained to PRESERVE them in the condition they went into storage in. Then there is the mouse issue, even cars in nice condition can turn into an ugly mess if mice get in them. Another issue on the Prairies of Western Canada is many cars have met their end because of crushers and scrap iron dealers, maybe not so much at collector's yards but the ones scattered around farm yards, abandoned and lived at farms, and just randomly scattered around the countryside. Many many decade old cars are wore out or time alone has deteriorated them, like me.... some stuff doesn't age well.... cloth and vinyl interiors, convertable tops, old glass, paint, weatherstripping.... But there are indeed some hidden treasures. Just have to find them! The earth has a way of reclaiming everything that came from it.... so an effort is required to keep it from deteriorating. Thanks for the pics.

That's how my 37 is. We used a LIMCO Supreme Plus Base coat 4894. But yup, in certain light it looks black but other light a rich dark navy blue. I wonder if they tweaked the colors a bit from one year to the next. No sense comparing codes because mine is a McBuick and they are likely different codes from year to year. I like the dark colors on these cars, makes them look gangsta.

I'm not worldly. Not an expert and don't claim to be. I have many interests and cars don't dominate the rest. I don't make my living knowing the hobby inside out. I'm actually very shallow and one dimensional when it comes to cars, I know mine best, if I'd turn sideways I'd likely vanish!

No gun holsters in my 37 but there were a couple of 38's on the passenger side lower most cavity in the front right corner of the body. I've posted pics in other threads like this so won't bore you with it again. But I will repeat: if old cars could talk I'm sure they'd have some good stories to tell.

I had to Google the Brewster to see what all the fuss was about. 34-36, what unique styling with that long heart shaped grill and those swept up open front fenders To me it's a head turner, no--not to look away in disgust but because I've never seen anything like it. Is there? Definitely different. If someone was going to give me one I wouldn't turn it down. I'd encourage the original poster to repost the picture.

You make valid points Ed. And I need to drop the ROI mantra, we all know in most cases there is none. But I will never drop the concept of getting value for money spent, knowing most projects are in over their roof lines, lol. ps, "entertainment" is supposed to be enjoyable. 😉

A lack of common sense is expensive. Niavity is expensive. Pride is expensive. Absolute trust in other people(unrelated) is expensive. Dreams are expensive. Being a door mat is expensive.... Let's get back to salvaging Pierce Arrows. Didn't intend to derail the tread.

In my opinion the car restoration "business", except for the elite top end cars, will be either on life support or dead. There is a huge disservice done to customers when shops purposely lowball and knowingly come in under what the cost of restoring a car will finally come in at..... just to get the job in the door and know full well the customer likely won't say "whoa in a mud hole". Cost over-run of 20% may be acceptable but one and a half to two times over budget/quote and twice as long in time are unacdeptable. There is little or no value or ROI in this hobby. Let's make it clear, hobbies are for the guy spending the money on something that will never be worth what was sunk in and business is for the guy supplying the goods and services making the money on something that isn't worth what was spent on it. Obviously I've had a bad experience.

Indeed, depends what Lucy's new owner needs and doesn't need. It may not look like it but my project is kind of down to the short strokes of a climactic finish....😉. I told a fellow Buick enthusiast I've never waited this long for anything. His reply, "Patience brother. I've waited 30 years for this(his) Buick "build". Ain't no schedule for joy." I appreciate the encouragement..... I just don't want to run out of time. And regarding patience, patience is a virtue, but no one has ever called me virtuous. Actually having the project take this long must say something about me, maybe both good and bad. I guess I don't want to spend all my time on patience anymore, I'd like to spend my time enjoying what I've been "patiently" waiting for..... to drive my 37 McBuick coupe. Take care everyone.

Trying to straighten bent front bumper mounting brackets... Should just phone Dave Tacheny and see if he had a set of good ones. Finally found enough good McLaughlin Buick rims to make a good set of 5, last one arrived today. Now I don't have to use the deeply pitted one from being sunk into the dirt(it was going to be the spare anyway but.....) When I get the brackets straightened I will take them, the rims, and afew other parts to get powder coated. My heap of junk never had any when I found it. Not sure what I was thinking over 3 decades ago! Thanks to all the people who helped/sold parts to me, not many of these cars around here so everything is so far away.

.....buy a driver. Spend more money on a finished car you like. Leave the restorations and fixing up to people who don't value money or have more than they know what to do with(not me). Me, ""a fool" and his money are soon parted". It can become an obsession, a sickness, an addiction.........I just keep digging myself in deeper, I need an intervention.

This has been fun, thanks to everyone who posted something so far. I've enjoyed the various replies. What a fun bunch of enthusiasts. Hard for me to make a comedic reply to everyone so this the "blanket thank you" for up to now and in advance.... Anyone else? Take care.

What is It? Is it behind the guy in your Avatar picture?

Is that akin to "cradle robbing"? I'm not sure what my relationship to my car is akin too but I've thought of divorcing it many many times.....I've come to the realization that I will lose less money if I keep it..... even though I love to hate it at times.

.....when you were born? I know some of you have a fleet of them. Mine was 28 years old. I wonder if it was still being used.

It might have more value as "habitat" for what ever is living in that water.

Yes there "was" a MBCC, McLaughlin Buick Club of Canada. Because of declining interest and likely falling registrations they decided to close it down. It's kind of sad but I am thankful to the people that kept it going as long as they did, it takes dedication and effort. I "think" the Buick Heritage Alliance based out of AACA Library in Hershey PA. adopted the library contents of the McLaughlin Buick Club, at least they will be preserved.

Yes, Vern and I have been in touch and he has been a good resource and tries to help where ever he can. There will be a great loss of knowledge when some old(long) timers pass. Thanks for the tip though.

Maybe I should just contact GM of Canada and request the data from them. In the digital world we live in it might be at someone's finger tips and afew keystrokes away from my email inbox. I always wondered about 38's and my renewed interest on the topic was sparked when someone contacted me saying he acquired a 36 McLaughlin, he thinks it "might be" one of the big series, I asked for a picture of the fire wall tag. 36(@4722- all models) and 38(@5081 -all models) had lower production numbers than 37(6880 -all models), but for the life of me can't remember where I got that data for 36 and 38(yesterday!!! Lol), DYODD(please believe I don't intend to deceive). Ironically, as long back as I can "remember" 1936 entries into the McLaughlin Buick Club of Canada roster were always fairly low in comparison to 37's and 38's(not that there were many of those either!!). But I'm sure there's cars out there that were never registered. The last roster there were none registered. For the sake of preservation, he said he is committed to keeping it as original as possible. He's looking for the infamously hard to find hood ornament.

I'll post GM of Canada's reply to me(over three decades ago-- June 1990) for the production numbers for 1937 McLaughlin Buick by Series and model. Domestic, Export -LH drive, Export -RH drive. It is very interesting to note all sedans were trunk back models. And there were no 60 series closed coupes, only convertible coupes with rumble seats. Not all models produced in the US were produced in Canada. I did a comparison once and it was fairly straight forward until I got into the 80 and 90 series where descriptions made it hard to decipher the data...."for me". Some very limited production numbers. I'm not saying there wasn't the "odd anomaly" out there but I can only go by what was reported to me. So in essence I was looking for data on 36 and 38 comparable to what I posted. I guess the good thing about posting the 37 data here is it will be available to others as a resource too. Thanks for your replies.

Does anyone have the production numbers(by series and model) for 1936 and 1938 McLaughlin Buicks?

Do they come in the plug size he needs? I thought someone said 7/8.

My biggest concern would be the plugs being too tight or partially seized and a modified socket or stamped steel socket splitting open and getting wedged in the small gap before that possible one stubborn plug gives in and loosens. Seems there's always that one in the bunch that refuses to surrender. I hope that's not your case. The engine your working on appears to be in decent shape, not a pile of rusted scrap and the plug cavities are clean without a bunch of crap in them. Blow them out to make sure. Machining the socket would give you the most uniform results that might lend itself to its own integral strength to do the job. Would a modified impact socket be better than a "cheap off-shore" piece of crap? When your done with it, it becomes part of your "one-time" specialty tool collection that never gets used again or lent out to friends who need it for the same job. Let us know how it goes.