old-tank

While you have the distributor out replace the points and condenser with a set from NAPA or CarQuest if what you have was from a vintage supplier. In this case your problems sounds like it is fuel (delivery) related. Study the power circuit of your carburetor to see if it is working correctly. Willie

Can you swap the coils to see if it is a dead coil or a dead 'position'?

April 4-6, Bastrop TexasThe Lone Star Chapter’s 27thBluebonnet tour will be held at theComfort Suites Inn in Bastrop. Visit historical sites, shop local vendors andenjoy the beautiful Colorado River Walk. Enjoy Friday night hospitality to meetold and new friends and share car nut stories---again! Car show registration Saturday from 8:30-10:30 a.m.Peer judging for Best of Show, 1st, 2nd and 3rdplaces, Long Distance and Hard Luck trophies. Trophies and door prizes forBuicks awarded at Saturday night banquet. Registration is $50 per person(includes Saturday night banquet). $25 car registration for Hospitality Suiteon Friday and Saturday and car show only. Registration after March 15this $55 / $30. Mail advance registration checks to Lone Star Chapter, 5112Arrowhead Drive, Baytown, TX 77521 and include names of attendees and cars tobe driven. Make motel reservations directly with Comfort Suites Inn at (512)321-3377. Room rate is $101/night until March 7th or regular, higherrate after this date. Mention Buick club tour to get best rate. Need moreinformation??? Contact John McGill at 281-424-1989 or Rod Seastream at281-454-6715. Flier and Registration

Mud http://www.autoairandaxle.com/?gclid=CN_0xoizurwCFZRr7AodMhAAIg#!custom-oil-fuel-power-steer/c22ze I have never used this business, but there may be a similar one near you to give more choices on crimps. Willie

Ike, it all depends on the tire. 75 series tires I used in the past had 35psi max inflation and I used ~32 psi. The currently installed Firestone FR380 tires are rated at 44psi max inflation and I use 41psi now. At 32psi the handling was squirrelly and the ride was worse (seemed to slap and kick on small bumps like concrete joints). To find out for sure try it on YOUR car. In the distant past I have used 8.00-15 tires on a 55 Special with no issues. The radials that rubbed were 225-70R15 Toyo. I could have lived with that, but the tire looked ridiculous on the the car and measuring masking tape around the circumference of that tire and a worn 7.60-15 it was 10% less. The tires also rubbed the frame of my flatbed trailer which has 7.00-15 tires (I was really trying to get some use out of $400 worth of new tires before I junked the 92 marquis for $400) Willie

235/70R15 will rub, really they do rub on a 55. Maybe because the 55 rim size is 6" vs the recommended 7-8"; the speedometer will be off; the car will look like a local mexican lowrider...

Paul I just did that job to replace the LH exhaust manifold. Nothing easy about it. Penetrants, heat, dremel cutoff, lift or service pit, your choice of words... The most handy tool for this is a 9/16 universal impact socket, use with or without impact to remove the nuts at the manifold (don't rush those and risk breaking a stud, which will require removal of the manifold, which will risk breaking manifold to head bolts, which will require removal of the head...) When you replace the bolts at the crossover to exhaust pipe don't use grade 8 like this ******* did...you will break tools before your break those (also anti-seize does not work on exhaust parts). I used stainless steel bolts and nuts...don't know if it will work, but sounds good . Willie

Thanks Rob for the correct reasoning. My reasoning is from personal observations on a 55....I had some nearly new 70 series tires from a car destined for the junkyard. I paid for mounting only one to try and it failed. (note: if the idler arm bushing is worn ANY tire will rub). Willie

A P235/75R-15 radial tire (that's 235 not 225) would be most appropriate for the Roady. Any 70 series tire would rub the frame in corners. http://www.turbinecar.com/tires.htm ... more charts than you need to confuse you some more. Your original size 8.00-15 basically has the same diameter as P235/75R-15 which will keep your speedometer and stance of the car correct. If you want WWW Coker tire has some choices, http://www.widewhitetires.com/ has Coker tires and other choices with free shipping, http://www.dbtires.com/ is another choice and they can put the correct 2.5" WWW on any tire. I use bias ply on my cars that I drive less than 15,000 miles in 5 years...radials on the those that go more than 15,000 miles in 5 years. (bias ply will last 15 years or 15k miles; radial will go many more miles but around here they start separating after 5 years) Willie

Parts from Autotran (David Edwards) will serve you well. Check with Bob's Automobilia (closer to you).

Not too bad. Some of that is as good as it gets or as good as it came from the factory. Install the hood, a check that there is an acceptable and even gap at the cowl. If as evidenced by one of your pictures if it is not even side to side, bending the hinges or adding shims may be needed. Install fenders and with the inner fender assembly loose, install the upper grill bar and check gap and fit at the front of the hood. The fenders should be able to be tweaked for gap to the hood and doors ( which we assume are installed with good gaps at the bottom and rear quarter ). It is not shameful to do some sculpting with body filler...or some grinding of edges... Willie

If you are going to reuse the original pistons, check those too. If they are damaged or worn out of specs, that will influence your decision. You might try honing out the scratches using a coarse stone and then finish with finer stone appropriate for the rings you will use. The service manual (55) says you can use the original bores if wear is less than 0.006" (I ran one for 25K that had up to 0.014" wear --- it was noisy, but probably would still be running if there wasn't a cam failure). I would not be afraid to use it. Too many of us rebuild these engines to run 300,000 miles and will never do 10% of that. Use the best moly rings and don't buy from a vintage supplier...that is the same ring set that Ford, Chrysler and other GM used on engines with a 4" bore(ie chevy 350). Willie

If the hood fit and functioned well before you took it apart, install the hinges to the body in the original location (evidenced by marks made by the scalloped washers). Then install the springs to help with that heavy hood. Now if the hinges need adjusting, the springs will have to be removed...and the hood...and try again. My CVT needed days of adjusting since I had cobbled in a different cowl and floor section, but my 4dr just fell back together. You will find that what looks like the correct adjustment will have the opposite effect . It is nice to have a helper for the lifting, but choose one with a 'mute button'...too many different opinions will really screw things up . Willie

If you can compare the brake pedal leverage of the MC on the car it was made for vs your car. On 55's with the MC under the floor, changing to a hot-rod dual MC, it will not work with the stock 55 1:1 leveage... it needs 6:1 to work. Willie

Check the engine mounts, tranny mount and thrust pad, then adjust the shift linkage as outlined in the service manual. A quick way to rule out the transmission is to detach the shift linkage at the shift arm at the transmission and compare to the current observations ( there are detents in the transmission ). Willie

It ain't that bad. That picture shows it is in the same location as my 55. So unbolt it from the inside, leave the hoses on (and replace before installation) to aid in maneuvering. I remove the rear portholes to help on the 55...maybe no help on a 56, but you don't have the big hood hinge spring in the way like a 55. Just start doing it...it ain't that bad. Willie

No frozen flowers or fruit...can't send the antifreeze (adult beverage variety) that you really need. Surely someone up there owes me a beer that they can give to you .

Update: before someone else does this, the jury is still out. Even with outside temps in the 70's the driveablility is crap. Vigorous acceleration from a stop in drive, I get a severe lean bog...once the engine speed is up (and resultant increased airflow) it runs well. I'm going to leave it in place until the temps are in the 90's+. It probably will solve the manifold paint burning issues and carburetor percolation, but I don't want driveability problems. Fuel injection like Ben did is getting closer... Willie

Makes nice tight bales....definitely not OSHA approved

Egge Machine and Kanter and others have kits, but stay away from the Ebay vendors. A better way would be to extract the engine, disassemble, measure and see what you need. Many of the parts can be sourced by the machine shop, available locally from NAPA, and listed by RockAuto. A little 'leg-work' will save a lot. The machine shop will measure and show some wear on the cylinders and will want to bore, but that early nailhead will respond well to reuse of the pistons with new rings if wear is less than 0.006 inch. More tips as you get into it. It is OK to ask about each and every part... Willie

Get it matched locally. Like Paul, I never could find info on interior colors and none of my 55's interior colors match any available exterior colors. Willie

Does it work?

Condolences...

incomplete without (old, rusty) baling wire...