The Old Guy

I have a 40 Buick that I have driven over 90,000 miles,and it is a restored car. I took the liberty of changing the rear axle to a more road worthy gear, but that is the extent of the modifications unless you count the dual exhaust I installed to disturb the purists! I also have a 37 Buick coupe that has a 455 and all the latest toys, and I think they are both fun to drive. Hot Rods are a fact of life ,and whether you like them or not, they will be with us forever. This argument has been going on for as long as I can remember, and will never be resolved. The whole thing boils down to the fact that whoever owns the car can do as he pleases.

Bob, keep up the good work, and don't let this post bother you! Most of it was tongue in cheek anyway.

TA Performance has a long list of performance parts for the401

Dan Lagrou 8005 Tiffany Almont MI 48003 The area code may be changed, as this number I have had for a long time. 810-798-2491 Dan specialises in 215 engines.

What started out as an observation and a little levity has almost become a flame! Lighten up guys!! I for one think the pictures in this issue are by far the best National coverage we have EVER had.

Norb, you are looking WAY TOO HARD at those pictures! They probably flipped them to make them fit,as the earlier post said.

I would imagine that the ultimate 50s engine would be the ones they ran in the Mexican road race. They were called export models ,and had bigger cams and adjustable rocker arms.

If they are 15X7 ,make sure they are for your car. Most 15X7s are a 4 3/4 bolt circle for the A body. The only 15X7s for the 5 inch bolt circle were on the mid 70s wagons.

Bruce, don't pick on Ken!! He at least admits that he is not too quick.. or did not pay attention when he was younger.

I also use Hagerty,but for a different reason than the others. I drive my Antique Buicks collectively about 20,000 miles a year. They have never asked me for an odometer reading ,and have taken care of two small claims ( a windshield and a bumped fender) with no arguments. I think they are the BEST

I am 150 pages into the book, and it is typical Stephen King! He has a WILD imagination, but is is still good reading

The points on you Buick can be set with a feeler gage. Turn the engine over until the rub block is on the high point of the distributor lobe. then using a .015 feeler, adjust the points to allow the feeler to pass. I usually check with a .018 feeler . If this won't go ,you are good to go

37-38 Century convert 40 Super convert 70-72 GS 455 convert

The BDE rgional meet in PA was not only a well run meet, but also very educational. The tours to the "Horeshoe curve" and the museum were great, and some questions about the Johnstown flood that have had me wondering for years were answered completely. The Altoona area is beautiful, and our hosts took us on some of the most scenic roads we have ever had the pleasure of traveling. My compliments to Darrell and Connie, Chet and Peachy, and Dave( who is the most knowledgable railroad buff I have ever met)

Many people put Marvel Mystery oil in their tank, and I can,t believe that the oil mix will cause you any problem. I used a mix of 15 gallons of gas to 3 gallons of fuel oil in my 32 Buick to do away with a recurring vapor lock problem,and that worked just fine.

I have been working on and driving old cars for 55 years, and am still involved with all aspects of the hobby. I do not have my restored Buicks judged, but a 32 I restored has been to Meadowbrook 3 0r 4 times , and my 40 was invited once. The 40 has also been to the "Eyes on the Classics" by invitation. I have a 37 Buick coupe that is a street rod and I guess I am from the "old school" as I think that Buicks should have Buick engines, Fords need Ford power etc. I looked a long time to find a 37 Coupe that was good street rod material ,and when I found one with no engine,trans or interior, and a floor that looked like lace,that is what I used. I agree with the majority that it is hard to see nice originals turned into street rods, but it is cheaper by far than the route I chose. The facts are that what happens to a car after it is sold, is up to the owner, and in fairness to the street rod fraternity, how many of you have seen a nice original car sitting in a collectors yard rotting into the ground, and been told" I'm going to restore it some day! I would rather see it on the road, no matter what form it is in.

You are right. but they were a GREAT singing group back in the 50s

They are still running Buick Straight eights at Bonneville and a stock bodied sedan went 156 last year. The new records will be available to me next week, and I will check and see who did what.

If it just keeps turning ,there is not much holding it in. I would take a punch ,and drive it out.

The cooling system in the 40s Buicks is border line at best.If you are contemplating an AC unit , I would upgrade the radiator at the same time.

Keith, I believe you can still order them from the dealer. My AC repairman just got one for my 72 GS .If you can't find one, let me know, and I will ask him where he got mine.

The Riviera stage 1 and the A body GS used a different cam. The A body had 2 grooves ,and the Riv had one.The riv cam had less duration because the car was heavier, and they had the A body cam tuned to just haze the tires so the Riv cam would have broken the tires loose

If you are interested in a 63 Electra 225 2dr hd top with 25,000 actual miles, I have one for sale. The car is all original with good Black paint,a grey interior and very nice bright work. I am asking $8500

I looked for a long time for a 4 1/8 white wall for my 40 and ended up with the BF Goodrich bias ,as I could not find any thing. I know the bias tires do not run as long ,because I have worn out 3 sets ,and just put on a new set of BF Goodrich 700X 15 on my Convert. The car has been driven 90,000 miles and really does not handle too badly with the bias tires. If Diamond makes a WIDE Radial it looks like they are the only source.

This subject has been coveredmany times before,and to my knowledge, there are still no adaptors made to mate a late trans to your engine