Century Eight

I don’t know about the 38 but by 1950, they could be haphazard. My original 12k mile car was generally correct when compared to other cars, but the Hydraulic Lifter decal on the valve cover was just slapped on cockeyed near the back of the valve cover. So instead of neatly symmetrically placing it where you think it should be, I reinstalled it at an angle, just like it came off, before I did it over. All cars were not perfect when they left the factory. So depending upon the plant and the day of the week or time of the shift, you could put them anywhere you want and say you are right. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. (Third owner of a twelve thousand mile car that I bought 49 years ago)

I have used Meguiars #7 show car glaze with good results on my 1950 Buick that still has original paint. Been using it for years.

So many good comments here , especially Matt and AJ. I couldn’t not, negotiate, but dont lowball him so much you insult him and loose the relationship. If you miss out on this car, consider the prewar Buick Convertible sedans, especially the Century and bigger because they have the 320 engine and are great for touring. I think it is a buyers market for this type of car and they are sooo roadworthy and can be had for less than you are looking at. Plus, whenever I pull into a show in my ‘40 Century Phaeton, everybody notices!

As someone said earlier in this thread, get in contact with Lou Mandich in Unionville, PA, Last Chance Garage,. he works on early stuff. Also, if you are near Allentown, have you had any success in contacting Keith Flickinger at the NBCenter For Automotive Heritage (Bulgari Complex) right there in Allentown or any of the people that work there? They are hooked up with I believe Penn College and train on old cars. You should be able to network there as well as Das Aukfest close to you.

i agree with most everything @ABear said. Allow the fact that you are going to live maybe an hour away from your work to find a place acceptable and also get a garage ceiling tall enough to put in a storage lift. Most new houses today, like my kids, have an HOA and a garage that will hold a minivan but not a landyatch from the fifties.

Grant , I have enjoyed seeing some of your posts. I plan to be there but without a car. This chapter should put on a very fine meet. They have done it before. You will enjoy the Auburn Cord Dusenberg Museum, but if you can tweak your schedule, you should look into going to the Gilmore Car Museum as well, just over in Hickory Corners, Michigan. You would not be disappointed, as both of these museums are some of the best in the country.

Hans, I know you have checked a lot of things, but when my engine is revving too high, I will get that terrible clunk noise in my ‘50 Super when I want to go into reverse. So no matter what gear I am in, I go to neutral for a few seconds before I put it into reverse. This seems to greatly eliminate the clunk noise. You have to be careful not to do it too fast.

Seems pretty basic, but how do you know your wires are still good? I just tested my wires on an old Buick and found two of them bad, and the car still running, but rough. I’ve even seen new wires fail right out of the box.

In the interest of being cautious, put each part in a bag with your instructions and contact info, in case the outside of the box becomes illegible. If the shipper tears open the box or the part falls out, it is still identifiable. I have had empty, damaged boxes delivered to my place of business, with no part inside. Also, if using a used box, be sure to obliterate any previous addresses and upc scan codes. They could deliver it to the last place it went if they scan the wrong code. Been done before.

I dont know if you can successfully over-insure something but when I worked for an airline and would ship a broken part for repair, I always insured it for the replacement cost verses the broken core cost. I would hate to need to replace something at my expense, when I tried to save a few dollars on insurance. Pay me now or pay me later.

Assuming the windows are too good to want to screw up, can you get a coat hanger thru the vent window and work it open with the window crank? Also, some of the window mechanisms are so weak, that you can pull them down with the open hand(s) pressing flat on the glass. You can also duct tape several pieces of tape to the window, making a handle, and pull it down. I’m not a thief myself, but I have seen it several times on the internet. Then, there’s always the brick!

My ‘50 Super has an air outlet. My ‘40 Century and ‘40 Special do not have air outlets. When i am at the gas station, I fill them all up on max flow. Maybe the neck of the can you are using is too big. When I use a can to fill my lawn tractor, I use a funnel that has a small neck, forcing me to go slow. Slowing it down should control any problem.

I just re-read your original post. It is possible you have the latches over-lubed. Wish I could demo you mine. If you are near Cleveland, the Buick National will be held there in July. You’d enjoy it and be able to check out those hinges. (And join the BCA if you haven’t already!)

I would suggest you get a shop manual for that car. I have had a’50 Super since ‘75 with the same mechanism and never experienced this issue. When I lower my hood, I hear a couple noises instead of just one that tells me it is latched. It’s like you have to push it down, and then it pushes back a little, makes another noise, and then lets you know it is firmly latched. Not easy to explain the idiosyncrasy, I would hunt down another buick owner at a show and ask him for a demo. Yours must slightly out adjustment. Does it happen usually on either side, or mostly just one side? I feel you pain because four years ago my conventional Chevelle hood smacked me in the windshield at thirty-five mph due to a bad latch. At least with the Buick, only one side is going to come up and then come back down, because of no wind. Keep us posted. Yours may need lubing, but to much lube in the wrong place can make it slip back down between the time you pull the cable and then get out to raise the hood. Then it helps to have long arms.

I bought a ‘40-46c about 40 years ago and got a new clutch from about a 54 Jeep. I don't remember if it had an oil slinger or not. I got a throw out bearing back then over the counter at probably a NAPA store. That was then. Now, I would check with someone like Bob’s , CARS etc or the Buick Barn, Kanters, or Fusick. There are other vendors that could probably tell you exactly what you need.

Great railroad, great choice of cars!

Stay on this forum and join the Buick Club of America. You can find a lot of support information and be able to chase down many parts. You wont find everything but you’ll be able to turn it into a well running , fun car. Good choice, it will do pretty well in modern traffic if you remember it is old and don’t over-drive it.

Whatever truck you buy, check and/or replace the brake lines. I infrequently tow big Buicks, 4400 lbs, with an open trailer, behind an ‘04 3/4 ton Sierra that I bought new. At about year ten or 100k miles, I was loading up to go to a show and the brakes went to the floor, fortunately in my back yard. I found out that in the early 2000’s ALL the mfrs. had crappy brake lines. Didn’t matter if it was Ford, GM, Toyota or whatever. The steel at the time, wasn’t holding up to the salt and brine they put on the roads these days, and they rust and rot and you are in for a surprise when you least expect it. And I live in a relatively mild area with very little snow. So we got a brake kit to replace all the lines. (Now why would you think they make kits? Must be pretty bad) There were even class action suits , but do you think the little guy won? As someone said previously in this forum, “Its not how much you can pull, but how much you can stop.” Be safe. Whoops, I guess I am repeating myself. I just ran across this thread again and didn’t realize I harped on the brake lines but that was a year ago. But anyway, I am leaving my comments in, because I think it’s really important that we all have good brakes.

I had the same experience with the float on two different cars. The unit was ok but we got some other floats for a few bucks to change out and the sending unit worked fine. The “cost”” was doing push-ups with removing and re-installing the tank a few times until it was right. Ah, those off-shore parts we sometimes have to get!

About a year ago there were several threads on this subject involving auxiliary fuel pumps and vapor lock. I would suggest referencing those and checking out the tips as well as safety suggestions. Quite helpful and well explained. but if it wont start after 10-15 min, I would rule out vapor lock and check the fuel pump or electrical issues. The auxiliary fuel pump makes a nice addition.

Yes , 40 pontiacs

Matt is right

You are right, but we neglected to talk about the Special Bowl, because it was the smallest, and then the Super Bowl because it was greater, even with the same cubic capacity, then the Century Bowl which was the greatest with the biggest power to weight ratio, and then the Roadmaster Bowl with the same cubic capacity. Rarely mentioned is the Limited Bowl, because it the master of all. I am lucky to have the first three.