NTX5467

United Classics, a big welcome to the forum and thanks for your comments! Some of Glenn's comments about vendors and similar people in the cars and parts business are pretty accurate. Unfortunately, we've seen situations over the years where a nice, pristine older vehicle was sold to a younger person and that particular younger person promptly started adding a killer sound system, different paint, and other things that basically destroyed the collectible value of the vehicle in the process. Naturally, the younger person was so excited about what he could do with that car, but we had to just stand back and say "It's his/her car now so we have not control over it" as we walked away with our head hung low. I know all younger people are not like that, but that stereotype does exist and that could well be why sometimes those of the "more vintage" hobbiests might make it a little harder to buy parts/vehicles we have. In our own somewhat misguided way, we just want the vehicles to see a good life in the future just as we might want our own children to prosper and do well. So, unfortunately, many can be just a little gunshy about selling a collector type or older, well preserved vehicle to someone that we feel might not fully understand what they have. But younger people aren't the only ones that don't appreciate or care for a special vehicle either. An early 30s guy that used to work with us found a yellow '79 Trans Am for sale in a metroplex paper. He went to look at it and discovered it was a special ordered vehicle and was being sold by the wife of the original owner. Sounds great, so far. He was naturally excited and got the money together. He went to the trouble to do an oil change and such before he drove it for a test drive as it had been sitting a while. Then he bought it and trailered it to a tire shop and got some custom tires/wheels for it. Then he took it home. A great, low mileage, garage kept car. Only problem was that he did not have a carport to put it under. Not usually a problem, but then it hailed one night--OUCH! Sure, the insurance paid a claim on it, but it never got fixed. Sure, he loved the car, but he did not have the necessary facilities to keep it in the condition in which he bought it. It was still what it was--a lower mileage factory muscle car of the time and still looked good at 75 feet, but it was also basically "dead meat" as it was hail damaged and needed a full repaint/redecal plus body work. Not financially justifiable at the present time and definitely would not bring the money it should if sold. So, it's not just the younger people that can degrade a nice, older car. I understand your situation also. You want to participate and it seems that some of us won't let you or don't want you involved, and if you are involved, you'll "pay". Definitely a turn-off and motivation to go do something else or a better place to do it. What I have observed is that to get "decent" prices on older vehicles, you have to get about a 90 minute drive away from the metro areas. These will be the typically smaller towns with the older cars in the garages of their original or second owners. Prices will be much more reasonable too. Here in Texas, there are several "Greensheet" or "Shopper" publications that cover these smaller town areas. Plus the metro newspapers. Many times, you can find something similar to a hot collector type car, but in a sedan or 4-door hardtop at a really good price. Even some of the used car lots in those towns can have some bargains too. Basically, what you're doing is getting outside of the "bubble" where everyone tries to get "two prices" for something THEY perceive is collectible just because it's old with fewer miles on it and is trying to make a cash cow out of the vehicle. When you encounter these "more vintage" owners, you have to know how to deal with them. Many times, if you get to know them and such, over a period of time, the time invested can pay off if it's for a car you really want. In the parts business, personally, if I find a younger person that's trying to get an older car fixed up (or a parent that's involved in the same project), I have NO qualms about selling to them at wholesale pricing if I can get what they need from GM or I'll try to refer them to a competent, reliable, and honest vendor if it's something we can't get anymore. I usually try to see what their orientations are on the project and go from there. Encouragement, help, and mentoring are things that we ALL can do in that respect without being judgmental of the owner and their orientations. Hopefully, the desire will be to keep things reasonably stock, but sometimes various well planned "enhancements" can be done tastefully too (as in "Day Two" restorations/preservations). The comments about peer pressure being a determining factor about younger people having what they have for vehicles is accurate. Just depends on which crowd you want to run with or be a part of. Some might have said the same thing about everyone being attracted to Chevys or Fords in earlier decades too, as we went on a different path to Buicks, Oldsmobiles, Chryslers, Mercurys, etc. In those earlier times, it was the higher level car lines that had the "more substantial" motors, better materials, better designs, etc. than the more mundane vehicles (some of which were not too shabby themselves) AND also served as donor vehicles for powertrain items and other things to make the first street rods back in the 1950s. Again, welcome and we look forward to your input in the future. Enjoy! NTX5467

Dave, you make some good points about delaying things when the market is seemingly exploding with similar products. Historically, though, GM has typically let Ford and Chrysler explore niche markets and then THEY decided to be there "after the fact". Camaro/Firebird 2 years after the first Mustang, for example. History's repeating itself to a certain extent. Of course, with GM's market share being so much different than it was back then, such decisions do become more critical in more modern times. If you recall along about 2000, Chrysler had what would be called a crossover vehicle concept car. It was called "Citadel" and basically a 300M "wagon" with 300M styling cues. The LH platform had always been configured for fwd or awd from the outset, so that stuff was minor. Plus, they already had awd vans with the needed hardware. It should have been to market two years earlier, but it was decided to build the car on the minivan platform instead of the 300M LH platform. Then here came the Germans that wanted a better safety rating. Sure, they delayed things so they could "get it right", but it also took Chrysler out of the innovative forefront of that market segment too. It still got here pretty much in time as "Pacifica", but still not the first to the table and definitely not a "pioneer" in that market segment. I suspect there might also be a hidden reason it took GM two years to study things. But that's open to speculation. Just some thoughts, NTX5467

I concur, Matt, the $30K range is where a good bit of the growth and activity will be in the marketplace. Pontiac recognized that when they configured the 2004 Grand Prix to have all of the cargo functionality it has. The comments were to the effect that younger buyers in that price range wanted something with high value, high style, and high functionality that would let them spend their money on other things than cars. In reality, though, the $30K range has been highly competitive for some time now, even if you wanted to expand it to $25K-35K. That covers a lot of territory and many neat cars. I looked at the G35s several months ago. I like the lines of the coupe much better than it's sibling Nissan Z-car. More upscale too. But when the sedan had less leg room than many other similarly sized cars, that was the end of that. Plus all of the high level (read "Expensive") options on most of them, the normal import "package" deals for options suddenly reared their ugly head. Yikes! With some restraint, it did seem possible to get a G35 sedan for a decent price. Oops, it's on the OLD Maxima platform instead of the NEW Maxima platform? So much for really new stuff there. If you just want something "by the specs", then the GTO is right in there too. I DO wish it was of North American manufacture and origin, but with the global orientation of the auto companies today, we got what we got. No reason at all that WE could not have done something of that nature up HERE in the first place either! Too many distractions with safety, fuel economy/emissions, and such on this side of the Equator, I suppose? I might be a little older than Matt, but I TOO understand the reason for carrying a cell phone with me, not to mention buying something with OnStar on it too. No real place to carry tool boxes anymore! Nor is it fun to use them out beside the road anymore either! Are we all getting lazy or just becoming more aware of the world we live in not being the safest place in the world? Changing orientations with different times and advancing ages. I doesn't bother me to own and drive older cars, but if I had a wife and kids, they'd have to have something reliable and safe (which new Buicks and other newer cars DO tend to be). It most probably would have some OnStar accessibility and she would have a cell phone with her--maybe even one of the older Analog 3-Watt models. I suspect that if anyone starts shopping the various roadside assistance programs, you might discover that GM's program is one of the overall best. OnStar makes it better too. A local paper had an advertisement for a new Grand Marquis GS. Selling it at about $500 over stated invoice (not mentioned that way, but just my suspicion) and adding all of the various rebates/allowances (AARP and Mercury Loyalty), the selling price suddenly dropped to about $19,000.00. Maybe with that much rebates and such, if you don't get too deep into a finance plan you might be able to drive it for two years and not spend too much money on depreciation. Just some thoughts, NTX5467

Some of Glenn's comments are pretty valid! Look at what GM was in the 1950s or so and look at what it's got for "assets" now--Gone: Euclid heavy equipment, Detroit Diesel, heavy duty trucks, FrigidAire, and DelcoRemy, among other things. GM vehicles helped build the highways the big GMC trucks hauled the produce and raw materials in (with Detroit Diesel engines in them if they were big enough) to the appropriate processing areas, then hauled the finished goods to and through their distribution networks, the purchaser took them home in their GM vehicle (if it was a food item, then it was put in their FrigidAire refrigerator). In effect, some GM entity touched the lives of most every USA citizen at some time in their daily lives. There's also a good chance that the locomotive that might have also moved the goods was built by GM Electromotive too. Ford was similar in many cases, except for their Ford Tractor division that might have been used on the farm and the lack of locomotive production. Ford has heavy duty trucks then as now, but also had their Philco line of household electrical items. If you have read the John DeLorean book on his time at GM, the comment was made that when innovations in GM products took place, it was during a time when the engineering types were in control of GM. When product tended to be bland, it was when the accounting types were in control. Probably one of the last times when the engineering people, per se, were running things was in the time prior to the 1980s. The accounting people pulled off a "palace coup" in the early 1990s and the rest is history. One of Mr. Lutz's strong points is that he is neither an engineer nor an accountant, but fully recognizes that both sides can work together to produce exciting products for the same price as a mediocre product--or less. Cost controls and innovative engineering solutions can do it. Much of what GM is dealing with today harkens back to management decisions made during the middle or early 1980s in one way or another. It really serves no purpose to fault those people for what they did then or what they did not do then as it was a "different world" in many respects. What might be faulted could be termed as "turf battles" related to individual or collective corporate issues instead of really looking at what might lie ahead in the marketplace. If you spend too much time putting out fires, you can't fully focus on the issues at hand before they, too, become "fires". GM had many marketing miscues and misdirections in the 1980s, as I've observed. That, plus delayed new products did contribute to the demise of Oldsmobile while other GM "divisions" maintained decent sales for the times. It was a curious chain of events, followed by the beloved "brand management" that helped dig the grave for Olds. As GM morphed from a group of individual car company entities into what it is today, there certainly were some sound financial reasons for this to happen, but sometimes you can carry the "duplication of effort" elimination a little too far in some areas and not far enough in others. If the previous divisions were still more intact than they are today, each division might be more responsive to market issues as they were not only competing with outsiders, but also with the other GM divisions for profits and sales. This sibling rivalry helped drive much of what happened at GM in the earlier decades. When everything was combined, so to speak, that went away, as did the greater individuality of each of the division's vehicle lineups. There are many side issues related to this whole situation! Some with good results and some otherwise. What some might see as plusses, others would count as minuses and vice versa. Sure, some of us here are living in the past to a certain extent. After all, we've holding onto vehicles that have some special meaning to us for some reason or another and bring back pleasureable memories of times gone by. Many times, they caught our eye when we were younger and could not afford one new or a younger person might have seen one and decided they liked the old ones better than the new ones. Whatever the case might be, we are here as automotive enthusiasts that happen to also appreciate a particular marque of vehicle(s). We can talk at length about where things have been or how we got to this particular point in history, but what we need to be looking at is where we're going in the future and how to best get there--both for what we're doing in the automotive hobby and how it relates to the Buick automobiles we do or might want to own (old, older, new, newer, or otherwise) in the future. There are enough decades of Buicks for someone to find something they like, appreciate, or want to preserve for future generations. Each generation of a particular vehicle platform or model series has their own unique plusses and minuses that might best fit our particular automotive tastes. These things can also transcend all age demographics of enthusiasts too. Sure, we can all send communications to the powers that be at GM, Ford, DC, or otherwise and tell them to build cars that WE want and that WE perceive that others also want. Where the problem might come is that few of the current designers might really understand what WE want as THEY are not from our generation AND are looking at things about 7+ years down the road and trying to best balance things against safety, emissions, and fuel economy issues. Definitely a multi-faceted situation! Buick must maintain its core customers and still reach out to new customers at the same time. More product will do that in many respects. If WE stop buying Buicks for whatever reason, how can WE expect others to buy them? WE are supposed to be the hard core enthusiasts that stick by their beloved marque through thick and thin, aren't we? Through this demonstrated loyalty, hopefully we might influence the powers that be to alter their planned courses with respect to future Buick products as WE are the loyal customers instead of "fair weather" customers. Unfortunately, it appears that the next new product cycle will not be car-related, but SUV-related. But, if all of the new car-related products that can be out are out, then the 2006-2007 time should be an exciting time for GM. In the meantime, keep the faith and make a better tommorrow a reality. NTX5467

With all due respect, when's the last time you heard of someone spending $10K on an American V-8 so it would run fast? Sure, the Honda/Acura cars are fast and can be made that way if not, but look at what it takes to make that happen. Look at how light they are too. And they were NOT really cheap to buy when new either, unless you look at the very low level Hondas. If those import people were really concerned about going fast, cheaply, they'd be driving hot rodded Chrysler Turbo 2.2L cars. With about $40.00 of readily available parts from the hardware store, they will scare most of the import turbo people with how fast they'll run without getting into the motor for extensive mods. Lots of speed equipment out there too via the Chrysler Mopar Performance and aftermarket (Forward Motion and others) pipelines, not to mention the Neons too. As for cheap performance parts for the current W-car GMs? There are tons of sites out there for that stuff. It all started with the Grand Prix people and spread to the similar Regals, Intrigues, and Impalas. Check out www.RegalGS.org and the other related sites. Lots of very in-depth tech information out there too, plus how to drag race a front wheel drive car! I've NEVER gotten excited about any Honda/Acura, even the high end NSX. Good cars and such, just not my orientation. Sure, there's lots of import performance stuff out there, as evidenced by the Tuner TV shows on Speed Channel and similar, but if you notice their car shows do include FOUR DOORs too, plus all of the full custom stuff with PlayStations for every seating position (it seems). Lots of money spent on "eye candy" stuff that really doesn't make it any faster or handle better. Many of us here are old enough (whoops, there's that word again!) to remember when sport coupes and convertibles were the glamour cars and such. Naturally, they usually had big motors that could lay rubber 'til whenever and peg the speedometer, but those cars are ssslllooooooowwww by modern standards. It's natural to suspect that the youth of today want the same cars as we might have liked when we were younger, but they obviously have different tastes in those things OR haven't spend enough time to break from the peer groups to explore what might be out there in the way of older cars or newer domestic cars. They also seem to be of the orientation that they HAVE to change something to get what they THINK they want, when it might already be out there from the factory. Be that as it may. If you want NEW Buick stuff, the American Sunroof Corporation has packages for the Regals, Impalas, and Grand Prixs just as SLP had for the SS Camaro and Firehawk Firebirds. Brakes, suspension, exhaust systems, etc. Some pretty neat stuff for a price and nothing that could not be done to existing similar cars too. It's all out there NOW, just few people not into those cars are typically aware of it. It probably is not "approved" to advertise high performance in a luxury car brand for whatever reason, but Buick has the hardware to do a better job of building a performance option package from existing parts than they have done recently. If they are getting ready to do it for Pontiac they can similar do something similar for Buick. They could take a Regal GS, get the same strut calibration as they used on the '98 Regal GranTouring Suspension, add some larger sway bars and some 17" or 18" performance tires, maybe lower the ride height just a tad, add on some of the aftermarket exhaust items and maybe a less restrictive air inlet, and maybe a more agressive ECM calibration for good measure. Selective black-out paint on the lower body with some chrome accents here and there, plus some more prominent Tri-Shield emblems for that Buick Identity. Even though this would be a luxury brand, the whole package should not be configured such that it had ALL of the luxury options in it. Performance should take precedence over posh, but posh should still be there as it IS a Buick car. Carving up corners doesn't require automatic a/c or even head-up displays, for example. For good measure and marketing issues, the excellent Monsoon sound system of the earlier Regals would need to be included. End result, quite an automobile from the factory! Market it against the similarly sized Jaguars and Lincoln LS, for example, but it could probably also pull from the Chrysler 300M ranks too. Several options there! It could do the same job that the late Olds Intrigue could have done in that market segment. Fast with Class and Value. There could also be an upscale LeSabre-body car with supercharged power and upgraded chassis components too. Bucket seats with a console too. Similar things as the Regal I mentioned--it could be Wildcat. It could aim squarely at the 300M and probably could win, hopefully for about the same price as a 300M currently is. Sure, the new 300 car will be rear wheel drive, but the current 2004 Grand Prix is proving that front wheel drive sedans are not all boring, just as the 300M did. Sure, Buick's core buyers will continue buying the cars they have for years, which is good and can fund the more niche models that will raise some of us' excitement level. But with a few option package repackaging of components, a synergy can very possibly exist that would put a performance tag on Buick moreson than in the past. It would have to be done carefully as Pontiac is again tagged as the "performance" division of GM. Pontiac = Performance with an edgy attitude. Buick = "Unsuspected" high performance that doesn't come out unless provoked. Cadillac = Luxury with highly sophisticated high performance hardware. In reality, the Honda tuner market segment is being addressed by Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Saturn. There are already several "tuner" cars in those GM bodies with 400+ horsepower EcoTec 4 cylinders that are making the rounds on the nation's drag strips and tuner race/show activities. The Honda/Acura tuner people are not going to give up their "kewl" cars just as the diehard Toyota Camry customer would "never" consider a Regal. There's a cetain mindset those particular people have bought into and exist within, which is fine if that's where they want to be (regardless of the monetary cost to make it happen). What probably needs to be done is make a credible case for GM vehicles they might enjoy owning and then make it happen. The way the 2004 Chevy Malibu is being presented in dealer training, it is a viable contender in that respect, for example. The current and future hardware for some more performance oriented Buicks is already there, just as the market segment is (as www.RegalGS.org and other websites already proves). I recently rented a 2004 Grand Prix (base model) for a trip. Great chassis dynamics and performance, but those "racing inspired" seats with "wings" make it harder to get into and out of, but once there, it's great. Then, last week I rented a Regal LS. Better to get into and out of, but with the chassis calibrations and such of the GP (or the '98 Regal I mentioned above), it would have been more fun to drive. Somewhere between the two is a Buick that many might like to own instead of an import! Enjoy! NTX5467

Mercury has the same AARP offer in their ads for the Grand Marquis too. From the original plan for the various carline divisions of GM, the mainstream Buick owner will be an older ("older" is relative here) due to the price of the new vehicles. Not typically something a 20-something would go out and buy for a new first car due to that fact, which is why the second owner demographics can be so important. What's missing is the "aspirational" aspect of Buick's perception. I recall seeing a video with old car ads in it. It showed a female (and possibly single) school teacher being elated that she could buy a NEW Buick instead of a lesser make of car. It might have been a base model Special with blackwall tires, but it was an early 1950s NEW Buick nonetheless. Buying a Buick with the help of GMAC financing (remember: female, young, new job in those days probably meant no bank would do a car loan for her) was the key to helping her (in this case) start her new job on the right foot functionally and perceptually. Back then, a Buick was a Buick regardless of whether it was a Special or a Roadmaster--the message was the same, I've arrived and I'm going places in a reliable and classy AND upscale vehicle. In the current design schemes, it's kind of hard to get the same visual pizzazz as in the 1950s with basically NO chrome trim or two-tone or three-tone paints, much less wire wheels from the factory. Yep, those are '70s and '80s styling cues, but they typically dressed up the cars much more than what the aftermarket has been able to do today (AND at much less cost than current aftermarket kits). Perhaps with an infusion of Lutz magic, sales and marketing can branch out to capitalize on the youth aspects, especially now that kids don't always end up in 2-door coupes any more. Hope y'all had a nice Thanksgiving and also have a great Holiday Season! Enjoy! NTX5467

You reckon the Ford "milestone" might have received the same press coverage if the particular vehicle had not been a red Mustang, but a Police spec Crown Victoria or a regular Grand Marquis? NTX5467

After the Buick Centennial Celebration in Flint, I have a renewed appreciation for the compact "baby Buicks". At one of our yearly shows, a guy brought out a pretty much pristine Special station wagon. A few "indiscretions" as for tires, radio, and such, but very nicely and tastefully done -- with NO major body mods. Even still had the original wheels and wheel covers! It really surprised him when he was awarded the Best Of Show award. From what I've observed, the people whose age demographics show up in the buyer statistics are for NEW Buicks. With each used car cycle, the age typically gets younger and younger. Yep, even for the 4-door Regals with the normal 3800 V-6. LeSabres are still great family cars for the Great American Family too (for families that need more room than a Regal, but not wanting a van-type vehicle). Park Avenue customers do probably approach the much stated age demographics from what I've seen. Getting some kind of neat Buick in the video game networks might be a good move. We all know that Chevies and such were NOT the only fast cars in prior times and it's still that way. Heck, if you look at the 0-60 times of a 3800 V-6 Regal LS, it will put many of the muscle cars of the '60s to shame (especially the ones wit the "standard" rear axle ratio) in "as produced" configuration. Even Karen Cisco drives a new LeSabre in the television show! Enjoy! NTX5467

I'll tend to agree that perhaps normal DOT3 or DOT4 fluid might be the best way out, especially considering the availability in the open market in non-metro areas. Doing the flush every so often might be a pain, but it tends to be inexpensive insurance. Another way to do the flush might be with a "power bleeder" setup or one of the manual pump brake bleeder setups that uses a hand pump with a hose that attaches to the bleeder screw. As for the silicone fluid situation, back when silicone fluids first came out in the 1980s, DowCorning was the main source for it. It was billed as not absorbing moisture and was advocated for vehicles like Corvettes with had problems with their four piston caliper housings being pitted and needing replacement (which also led to the stainless steel sleeving operations too). A friend had acquired a '79 Corvette in about 1981. He had heard of the caliper issues and investigated the silicone fluid as an alternative before things got to that point on his car. At that time, DowCorning (or someone of that nature) said that it was ok for the two fluids to mix as they would work ok without any problems. What did happen after a time of non-activity was that the two liquids would separate, but not react to each other. I recall seeing a picture in a glass jar of the two liquids. One picture showed the solution and the other one with the two liquids separated with one settling out to the bottom and the other one on top of it. What my friend found for a source at that time was motorcycle shops as they had been using it for some time. It was also less expensive there than at the chain auto supplies (even though it took more small bottles of it). In more current times, sources might be some of the shops or vendors which supply and cater to SCCA autocrossers and racers. Possibly a copy of "Auto-X" magazine would have some ads for these people. After doing the flushing routine, he noted that the pedal had a little more sponginess to it than previously, but after about a week of driving, it became more solid than before with a better feel in performance driving. We suspected that there might have been some air bubbles in the system that had worked their way out or something. End result, he was happy with the conversion. Prior to that, we had used Castrol GT LMA (Low Moisture Avidity) brake fluid. Seems like it was DOT4. At that time and probably now, it's pretty well available and just a little bit more expensive than DOT3. As for the higher heat toleranace of DOT4 than DOT3, for the normal driver that's probably not going to be a problem. GM still recommends DOT3 for Corvettes and the F-body cars (Camaro/Firebird). With the speed capabilities of those cars and the heat that can be put into the brake calipers during one of their top speed stops, if something else was needed, it would be there, I suspect. As for the flushing every so often, that can probably also extend to the newer cars with their anti-lock brake systems. It's suspected that many of the same moisture issues might also affect these valves/modulators on vehicles that don't see very much driving at a time. I'll admit that my information is somewhat dated compared to what the current recommendations might be (as to silicone fluid and mixing/flushing), but what I mentioned seemed to be pretty much the way it was when it first came out. When it first came out, it was supposed to be the "best" brake fluid with all of the good things and few of the bad things--plus at a hefty price back then. But, it kind of seems like buying a GM truck with G80 Locking Differential. It might cost several hundred dollars as an option, but if it saves you one tow bill, it's pretty much paid for itself. Back when silicone fluid first came out in the 1980s, the main markets were supposed to be Corvettes, muscle cars, and other cars that saw little or sporadic use. No one considered that annual or similar flushing of the brake system with fresh fluid might be a cheaper alternative, from what I saw. It's also much easier to replace master cylinders and wheel cylinders than rebuild 4 calipers with 4 pistons/caliper or purchase new caliper assemblies. Just some thoughts, NTX5467

Great observations, palbuick! Door adjustments can be tedious and time consuming, to say the least. You'll typically have fore/aft adjustment at the body side of the hinge and then in/out adjustment on the door shell portion of the hinge. Use the rear striker as the final adjustment for "in/out". There would probably be a very limited amount of up/down adjustment compared to the other adjustments. One other thing to consider is that unless you've got the car on a drive-on alignment rack, you can run into trouble as not all "level" floors really are level. This might affect the final adjustment as the body/frame are working as one entity and can flex together. Enjoy! NTX5467

Glad that you're happy with your Buick, regardless of your age! To me, the bounce test might not really work as it used to in prior times. If the ride is comfortable for the way you drive and the roads you typically drive on, then things are probably fine as is. Buicks do have a different feel than many other cars, which might take a little getting used to. But, as in prior times, if the vehicle continues to move up and down after going through a dip or a strip of undulating roadway, then it might be time to consider new struts. You might try upping the tire pressure a little, but not to exceed the maximum pressure listed on the tire sidewall, and see if that makes it feel firmer. From my own personal experience, adding two to three psi more to the front tires than what the rear tires have in them (still not exceeding the stated max pressure) can make a difference in the ride and steering response. Basically, it's making sure the tires are more evenly loaded, front to rear, for the air pressure in the tires. Something I've been doing for years, but proceed at your own risk. Enjoy! NTX5467

Batteries Plus is a chain that just does batteries, similar in concept to what Interstate Battery has branched off into recently with retail stores in retail centers. I'll concur with Bob on the originality issue. I might be accused as being too much of a purist, but I like to see the correct maker/style of battery under the hood of a nicely restored vehicle (i.e., Delco for GM, Autolite or Motorcraft for Ford, and Mopar for Chrysler vehicles). When I see a full restoration or a very nicely done car with an inexpensive "auto supply" battery, it just doesn't look right. Plus, if they cut corners on the cost of the battery, what OTHER corners did they cut when they were restoring the car? I will let them slide a little if the battery might not be a repro, but a currently available version of the "correct" brand of battery as that proves intent to me. On the other hand, the "compact" batteries of the same CCA rating do seem a little out of place. Just some thoughts, NTX5467

Whether you replace them as a unit or put cartridges in them (which requires extra labor time to do), they will have to come off the car with the appropriate tools and then similarly take the spring off of the strut with appropriate tools in the holding fixture. Then when everything's put back together, a front end alignment will be necessary too. When the struts are off of the car, inspect the upper mounts for wear or deterioration. Better to replace them now than have to pull things back apart to do it by itself later. Not sure which brand of replacement struts might take the float out without being too stiff (or even if anybody builds a "stiff" strut for those Buicks back then). Might be that the replacement Delco struts could be a little firmer than stock too. The stock base suspension was not the firmest thing around back then but the Grand Touring Suspension upgrade was a little bit stiffer. Usually, the stiffer suspension came with higher performance tires, stiffer springs, larger front and rear sway bars, but with the same struts. Goodyear Conquests were the stock tire and Goodyear Eagle RS/As were the tires for the upgrade suspension back then. Hope this might help, NTX5467

At that point in time, all Buick 4bbl carbs were the Rochester QuadraJet "spreadbore" 4bbl. Enjoy! NTX5467

Many of the questions you might have can be answered in "The Standard Catalog of Buick", which can be found at the major bookstores and also on their websites. It goes through each model year with production figures, equipment details, mechanical information, and some representative pictures. Of course, a sales brochure or Buick Service Manual from that year might help too. The GM Parts books for Buicks of that general year will have some of the decode information in them too, but many of the sales codes might require some help from those Buick Enthusiasts more attuned to those particular Skylarks or someone with a 1972 Buic Order Guide (that the dealerships used to order new cars with). Unless it's an inline six cylinder (Chevy 250), then it should be the basic "standard V-8") Buick 350 2-bbl V-8. Not a bad running engine, even with the small 2bbl carb that came on them! The 2.73 rear axle ratio would be standard too. If it has "PosiTrac" or the limited slip rear axle, that would be an extra option. If you jack up the rear end such that BOTH wheels are off the ground, both wheels should turn together instead of one spinning a different direction or spinning at all while you manually rotate the other one. Unlike the Chevy V-8s many are used to seeing, the Buick distributor is at the front of the motor and the oil filter is on the front end also, down low. The Buick V-8s have many premium design features that Chevy wouldn't pay for too, which is one of the many reasons they are great running engines. Enjoy! NTX5467

We might know them as "wagons", but new generations know them as "utility" vehicles. If the 1980s Jeep Cherokee compact utility was not the same thing as a station wagon, except it was a Jeep, or the Grand Wagoneer in the larger size slot, then what were they? Yep, they had (or could have) 4 wheel drive, but they did the same things as the Country Squires, Chevy Brockwoods, Plymouth Suburbans, etc., just on a heavier duty chassis. Everyone is trying to be creative and not call them "station wagons" or "wagons", but to put some neat sounding buzzwords around them. Like "sport wagon" (could have been a fancier Plymouth Sport Suburban in 1970?) or "sports activity vehicle" (BMW X5), or the original "Sport Utility Vehicle" or when it's just a repackaged car, "Crossover Utility". In those earlier cases, those Jeep Cherokees became the vehicle of choice for the young and active lifestylers in the 1980s who needed something large enough to carry their camping equipment, race bikes, etc. to the sporting events or the boondocks and a regular car (or the "disappearing" station wagon of those times) just would not accomodate them. As those younger owners got older and needed more room or could afford something nicer, yet still needed a dual purpose vehicle, the Jeep line expanded to bigger and better things. Recall too that the Chevy Tahoe came online just about the time the last rear wheel drive Impalas and Roadmasters were built. Enough room to carry 4 people and their luggage on a trip in very nice comfort, but still not as bulky as a regular Chevy Suburban. Truck-chassis vehicles have been getting nicer since the later 1960s and then really got equally as nicely trimmed as cars in the latter parts of the 1980s. Their "car like" qualities have been growing ever since then. In the case of the Malibu MAXX, it has the same "fold flat" front passenger seat that can be had on the 2004 Grand Prix and some Saturns. It has a longer wheelbase than the regular Malibu too, so it's the "stretch" Malibu, if you will. There are already several other imports in that same general market segment. Chevy's just fielding a domestic into the fray (plus possibly a longer wheel base version of that platform for a more upscale version in later years?). I saw the car in person at the 2003 Dallas New Car Show earlier this year. It looks much better than the current "Classic" Malibu. Should be a much improved car, but not sure about the "improved" price . . . I'll find out in a few weeks. Enjoy! NTX5467

The Mopar Muscle article I mentioned is about the cruise in Kissimmee, FL. Seems that a vehicle that had attended in prior seasons suddenly was not nice enough. He goes into some detail in his commentary. Not sure if this happened this year or another time. NTX5467

I know things sometimes are different in other parts of the country, but down here any car cruise event is typically sponsored by a car club of some sort in partnership with a business (usually a drive-in eating establishment or a sit-down eating place in a shopping area). It is kind of expected that there will be paid registrations with appropriate trophies and such. There is one weekend cruise event held at a floundering shopping center that attracts over 300 paid-admission show cars inside of their show field regularly. They have nice trophies too. That is pretty much the template for things of that nature down here in Texas. There are also "get together" cruise events that happen in various places too, usually in conjunction with a drive-in or similar location. No admission fee, no awards, no DJ, just everyone showing up to look, admire, and hang out with some really nice cars and other cars that are "works in progress". In many cases, you had to get there early for a decent parking space or you parked out in the vacant field adjacent to the place. In some cases, a bunch of people congregating in a shopping center parking lot could rise some suspicions by the law enforcement people. Some towns have anti-loitering statutes and some shopping center people kind of don't want anything happening on their grounds not related to business (with appropriate signs posted). What you CAN do is let your club people figure out a location they can meet for a meal and chit chat some night or weekend afternoon/evening (other than the regular meeting) and everyone drive your cars. If you can arrange it with the management, they'll probably reserve some parking spots in front for you. Then, if things work out, you might approach them about helping y'all host a cruise event in the spring next year/season. If they want to initially spring for the trophy costs, that would be fine, but if you soon find that your club could be making some money from it by charging a marginal admission, that would be fine too. In other words, it should be a mutually beneficial venture for everyone involved. One thing our chapter did a good while ago was to use a popular weekend cruise spot for our chapter meetings. We met at like 2pm on Saturday afternoon. We had some reserved parking in front by the street too. That got our members to that famed spot in the daylight hours and that led into the cruise event that night if they desired to stay. Plus we put a small add in the local paper of the meeting place and time too. Worked out really well. We also found out that many of the Harley riders rode to school in the back seat of a moms' carpool Buick. In the past, there have been some neat cruise events that were not car shows. Everyone knew that a car club group would be at a particular drive-in on a particular night to park, eat, and socialize. This attracted others too and it turned into a really big deal, which just happened to be at a McDonalds, and went on for several years. After that location was closed down by the McDonalds people (email me for details, if you like), it moved to another place in another part of town. There were a multitude of car clubs' members that were there on the designated weekend night. It lasted for many years too. These are the ones I classify as "hang out" or "get together" cruise events. This one was at a Burger King that later went to a local chain. From what I saw at these two cruise locations, if different people showed up with "different" vehicles, the reception they got typically determined if they came back or not. In other words, if they felt comfortable there, they'd return next time or maybe when they got some more work done on their vehicle. You'd see anything from trailer queens, clandestine "barely legal" street racers, collector cars, hot rods, street rods, classics, antiques, muscle cars, etc. It was more of a celebration of "cars" than anything else and everyone had fun, bought food, hung out, met new friends, and generally had an enjoyable time. Sometimes, they might give discounted drinks to those who had a car on the lot too, but it really was not necessary as the draw was already there and everyone was glad to be there. Those were some great times! Enjoy! NTX5467 For a "new" cruise event, one key factor is to not conflict with existing events nearby. Choosing the "good" time can be something of a chore.

Hosting a cruise night can be fun, but also work. Down here, it's no big deal to charge $5.00-10.00 per car as that money helps pay for the awards and other expenses. Charging money definitely is not a factor in killing a cruise or keeping one from starting. One key thing is that the parking lot you'll be using is used with the permission of the owner (i.e., shopping center management or similar) and does not interfere with other businesses in the area. Some of those other merchants tend to be very protective of their allocated parking spaces--even to the extent of killing a cruise with their complaints! Many times, you can partner with a eating place that will kick in some money for awards, a live band, or a DJ, and then let them make arrangements with who owns the shopping center parking lot so you can legally use it with everyone's blessings. Some cruises have had to move as the shopping center owner/manager wanted RENT for it to be used for a car cruise event. In the Dallas/Fort Worth area plus most of the larger metro areas of Texas, there are weekly cruise "circuits" that have grown to where there are a lot to choose from each weekend. The vast majority are shows with trophies and entry fees and usually have some area car club as the sponsor of the show. Many of the larger shopping centers usually have some eating place that is glad to partner with the club to produce a quality event that draws people into their place and the shopping center. There used to be some "get together" car events too, that many car club people went to just to hang out and such. I have lost track of where they are these days, but every so ofter a report comes up that they are still going on, but at a different place. Down here, the cruise season has basically ended with the cold weather, but some still might happen during the weekend days. What you might consider doing is visiting other cruise night events and see what they do and how they run things. The put your heads together and see what you can come up with for next spring. Do a cost analysis for trophy expenses and class structure versus how many (conservatively) vehicles you might expect to attract each week. Everybody has their own orientations about what vehicles you desire to attract and not to attract. Key thing is to not make anybody mad--check out the editor's comments "UNwelcome. Banned at Old Town" in the December, 2003 issue of Mopar Muscle magazine. Other key thing, don't make it a money pit that doesn't at least break even after the first few events. Just some thoughts, but above all, HAVE FUN! NTX5467

From the odd-fire 3.8s I've been around, they typically idled smoother than many V-8s did back then, not to say that some didn't. But there were some harmonics in the engine that also affected things like bearing life (I remember seeing a graph at the Flint V-6 plant back in the late 1980s during a tour that showed that odd-fire main bearings lasted something like 10K "proving ground miles" and even-fire main bearings lasted 90K "proving ground miles") and possibly some other issues that would come later. At that time, BOC Powertrain was proud of the fact that their new 3800 balance shaft V-6 engine would replace the Datsun six cylinder used by Holden in Australia back then. The vibration you describe sounds more like something on the order of a harmonic balancer or incorrect flywheel or something or that nature. Just some thoughts, NTX5467

In the long run, the fiberglass replacements will last longer and not crack with age, as the plastic ones might. Of course, if the bumper moves on the impact absorbers, the fiberglass panels will probably crack and also cause some body damage in the process. Pluses and minuses with each material. There are several vendors for the replacement panels. There is a place in Houston that advertises in the Auto Trader (or used to) that has the replacement panels. I did a Google search for bumper fillers (trying to see what was out there for a '74 Eldorado earlier this year) and found some vendors/manufacturers of them I was not aware of (plastic and fiberglass both). If you do find some NOS panels, remember that they are as old as the car is so their ultimate durability will be less and more fragile than a newly produced replacement panel. Just some thoughts, NTX5467

If you have the instrument panel trim bezel off, the cluster should be ready to come off in your lap. On my '80 Newport, the cluster is held into the structure by plastic push pins. No screws. Just pull them out and push them back into the hole to put things back together. You'll still have to release the wiring and speedo cable to get everything completely released, though, but nothing unusual. You should be able to access the cable only from under the dash, as always. Might need a new cable, but sometimes just some quality speedometer cable lube will work. With time, the plastic inner sheath of the cable will wear away exposing the wire mesh middle layer of the cable. When that happens, it can cause the cable to fray and then things can come to a screeeeeching halt immediately when the frayed cable and the inner sheath latch up. Might be better to get a whole new cable if you remove the cable from the housing and find any fraying or such on it. Cheaper in the long run too, time and money. If the noise is from a worn bushing in the speedo head, it will sound like someone lightly scraping two metallic cups together as they brush against one another. Might cause a jumping needle too, accompanied by the noise, instead of a continuous type noise the cable would make. Hope this helps, NTX5467

If it's putting out black smoke during warmup, the automatic choke is not coming off soon enough. Not sure what helps the thermostatic spring work on that particular carb, but it could be gummed up and need cleaning plus making sure the vacuum portion of the pull off assist is working too. If it gets heat from the intake manifold, make sure the center part of the manifold under the carb is hot (hotter than engine temperature from heating by exhaust gases). If it's not, then the intake manifold will need to be removed to clean out the heat crossover passage (later 318s were bad about getting plugged up in short trip driving, from what I've seen) but it can happen on any engine over time. At approximately 70 degrees F. ambient (all engine parts), the choke should just close fully, with just enough tension to make it close instead of a hard snap closed. Use that as a baseline adjustment for the choke thermostatic coil spring. It could also be a plugged calibration air bleed in the carburetor's venturi cluster area. Plugging or decreasing the size of the air bleed (with deposits or such) will make the circuit go full rich. Might also be, a somewhat remote chance, but still a chance, that the igniton points need to be replaced. I saw that happen on a friend's '58 Buick one time--acted just like a carb issue but was the ignition points. Get some quality points and make sure to lube the rubbing block on the points and the contact cam too. Set them to specs (gap AND dwell) for best performance and durability. See that the coil is up to snuff too. When an engine runs that rich for that long, it's not good for the engine as it can wash the oil off of the cylinder walls and result in more wear over time as the lubrication is being washed away, not to mention oil dilution by the excess fuel. Get the carb working right and do an oil change too. Followed by a full length highway driving situation of at least 10 miles at highway speed to get everything back up to temp and such. Might need to do another oil change after that too, for good measure. Hope this helps, NTX5467

A "pull" situation would relate, typically, to the caster adjustment, which is not easily adjustable on vehicles with strut suspensions (you have to elongate the upper strut mount holes to get any adjustment from what the factory setting is). That would lead me to suspect a tire situation more than an alignment situation. Plus, you have to allow for the road crown (which can be more than you suspect) in many situations too. What you might also check is to jack up the front end of the car, getting both wheels off the ground (using jack stands for safety reasons should the jack start bleeding down). Then start the car (in "Park") with the steering wheel centered. If the wheel starts turning in one direction (probably to the side you're experiencing the "pull" from) by itself with the engine running, then the "pull" will be more from the control valve in the rack having a problem than from alignment or tire issues. If this happens, you might buy some quality power steering fluid (hopefully GM as the quality can vary, even though it's more expensive, or a name brand fluid that is spec'd for GM cars) and flush the steering system. There are some aftermarket flush kits that are also designed to clean the system from excess wax buildup or other deposits. Follow the directions on the kit. Berryman's has a kit that we sell to our shop techs, but finding it or something similar outside of a dealership might be a task. You'll probably need a couple of quarts, at least. As for the tires' contribution to a pull situation, swap them front to back and see if that changes anything. Might be a belt getting ready to separate or something similar. As temps have varied lately, make sure the inflation pressure is in the "correct" ball park too. These might be the first things to do and then check the rack operation next. As for looseness in the rack, I checked with our front end tech and he was of the orientation that if the rack is old enough to need adjustment, it probably is "toast" (his word) and would need to be replaced anyway. ACDelco and others have reman steering racks in the aftermarket. Changing the steering rack assembly would be the last thing to do in this scenario. There are "short racks" and "long racks", with the main difference (other than cost) being whether or not the inner tie rods are included. Hope this helps, NTX5467

We see much more activity on outer tie rod ends than inners. Haven't seen that many complaints with "looseness" in the steering on any rack and pinion unit that I can recall and I don't know if GM admits to there being any adjustment for wear as there is on the recirculating ball steering gear box. Of course, replacing either the outer or inner tie rod end will require at least the toe-in to be reset. If the price you mentioned is for the parts, labor, and alignment check, then it's not too bad. Of course, you could get a second opinion from another shop too. What led you to suspect the front suspension needed attention? Just curious. Just some thoughts, NTX5467