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Reatta Man

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  1. I have a 1965 Buick Wildcat Custom convertible that has been stored for about 20 years in a heated garage.  I'd like to ask if anyone knows or can recommend a shop in or near San Antonio that can get this car on the road again.  I know the gas tank and lines will need to be cleaned, the carb rebuilt, and possibly all four wheel cylinders replaced.  

    After having a near-nightmare experience with a local NAPA shop for some repairs on my 2003 Chevy pickup, I don't want to just pick a shop and hope for the best.  

    Any recommendations and stories of past experiences would be greatly appreciated.  

    Joe

  2. Bill,

    One suggestion I forgot to mention before. When you go to glue the front of the top to the bow, open the top about 6-9" and let the top bow rest on something, keeping it paritally open. I think I used an empty paint can.

    The reason for this is because there is no way you can pull the top tight enough with your hands. When you staple it with about 6-9" open, then close it, the top will then pull very tight.

    By the way, how much money did you save doing your own paint job? It looks great!

    Joe

  3. OK, I may possibly be looking at swapping engines on my 2002 Park Avenue with a Series II 3.8 engine.

    Has anyone done one lately? If so, did you take the motor out of the top, or drop the cradle from the bottom? Also, any lessons learned you would like to share?

    Joe

    "Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought

    --Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1937<o:p> </o:p>

  4. Ah yes, the pristine car with the ridiculous price. Gotta wonder why the owner doesn't have the price listed in the link, but wants $30,000 on ebay?

    This looks like the kind of car that should be run through one of the higher-end Barrett-Jackson or RM auctions. However, the owner probably doesn't want to make it drivable, at least across the auction block, or pay to have it transported. And, in light of today's market, I don't think this car would bring more than $20K-$24K at auction...way short of the asking (demanding) price of $30K.

    It IS without a doubt a beautiful car, and a very rare find. But, could you buy it and drive it (enjoy it)? And, can you imagine the look on the clerk's face when you bring in the MSO for a 1975 car???

    Joe

  5. Yeah, I am hoping to find standard-sized bearings, which will tell me they haven't been touched before. As for whether the crank is out of round, I'm hoping that good ol' forged steel crank will take a little excess beating and still be OK. Had the same thing happen to a V-6 Olds version of the Northstar and had to replace the motor. THAT motor was so bad, I almost thing GM intentionally designed problems into it!

    The knock is a very light knock, so if the CR bearing only wore through a few thousands of an inch of metal, well, I am keeping my fingers crossed.....

    I'll keep you posted.

    Joe

  6. As for my comment about the Buicks we all love and preserve being light years from the Buicks of today, it was more of a character statement.

    Buicks looked different, drove different, had unique engines, transmissions and features than the "corportate bean counter" Buicks of today. Add to that the fact that every car has a rounded front end, rounded swooping headlights, a highly raked windshield, a "center stack" where there used to be a unique Buick-only dashboard, and you get the drift.

    Can we/should we go back to the uniqueness of the Buicks of the past? Probably will never happen, as long as every car manufacturer worships at the altar of CAFE and Federal rules seem to be mandating accomplishments that aren't even science fiction right now (CAFE standard of 61MPG by 2025 when a hybrid Prius gets 51 MPG now; trucks must get 30 by 2025).

    So, the Buick of 1965 was 95-99% Buick. Now a Buick is 80% GM, 15% GM worldwide, and 5% Buick.

  7. Business is business...and the taxpayer is getting the 'business' done to him and her. We will NEVER see all of OUR money come back to us, and even if it did, the thieves in DC are at least as bad as the ones in Detroit. The fact is, everything that comes in one door goes out the other doors, windows and the mail in DC.

    The car companies can do what they want, just like Kmart, Sears, Best Buy, Circuit City, Montgomery Ward and a dozen others....only WE didn't help subsidize it.

    The fact is, we are lucky it was Pontiac killed and not Buick. But, if the Chinese stop buying Regals, look for Buick to get the axe.

    There is NO loyalty in any business any more. Buy what you want, drive what you want....the classic Buicks are light years from what wears that logo today.

  8. So, my '02 PA with a Series II 3.8 blew the harmonic balancer. Replaced it, and now have a knocking connecting rod bearing.

    I already have the parts, and when the weather warms a little, will drop the pan and replace the connecting rod bearings. My question is, has any one else done this with good results?

    I parked the car within 20-30 miles after hearing the harmonic balancer start to knock. I don't know if the oil pressure dropped; the sensor is bad and constantly reads something ridiculous, like 150 PSI, even if the engine isn't running.

    I replaced a badly worn connecting rod bearing on an older Series I engine, with good results. But this is my first time to deal with a bad CR bearing in a Series II engine. A local mechanic told me that if the bearing is knocking, the crankshaft may be bent, or their could be an oil pump problem. I'm hoping the out-of-synch harmonic balancer caused a vibration and threw the crank out enough to wear out the bearing, but not do any other major damage.

    I think the engine is pretty solid; I just drove it to Texas from Florida a few weeks ago, with no noises or problems.

    Thoughts?

    Joe

  9. Agreed. Fire plays tricks with virtually all electrics (connections, relays, switches, etc) even on the wiring harnesses that are not burnt through. Add to that the fact that fire will burn through the primer and rustproofing inside of any metal panel it reaches, and you have the likelyhood of fast and large areas of rust from the inside out. RUN!!!!

  10. Hello, gang! Happy new year!

    I now have a mint 2002 Park Avenue, and I would like to upgrade the radio. Does anyone know of an aftermarket (or newer GM/Delco/Delphi) radio with bluetooth and navigation that is compatible with the steering wheel radio controls?

    Has anyone installed a radio like this and gotten it to work with the steering wheel controls? Thanks for any help!

    Joe

  11. A few wishes for my friends and family:

    - TO ALL WHO SUFFERED LOSS: May 2012 see your pain subside and your life again be filled with joy and hope.

    - TO ALL WHO QUESTION, HOPE AND DREAM FOR THE FUTURE: May 2012 see your questions be answered and your hopes and dreams become clearer as wisdom and knowledge come into focus and into your grasp.

    - TO ALL WHO WAIT FOR A LOVED ONE TO RETURN FROM A WAR FAR AWAY: May 2012 bring your loved one back to you safe, whole, and bless your life together in a world of peace.

    - TO ALL WHO SEEK GOD: In 2012 may your search lead you to His son and His word, for therein lies true love and the family of God.

    - TO EVERYONE: May 2012 bring you joy, peace, prosperity, fulfillment and blessings!

  12. Kinda reminds me of the Air Force's C-5 aircraft on their way to or back from Korea or Japan. They stop at Hickam AFB to refuel. They sure do break down a lot in Hawaii........sometimes have to stay there an extra 2-3 days while a part is flown in and installed.

    Hmmm.......

  13. If she needs the money, that is one thing. But, at age 93, worrying about getting the most money for what is basically an ancient artifact is "majoring in the minors."

    Borrow someone's hat, put pieces of paper in it with the names of her favorite charities, the names of car museums that have expressed an interest in it, and any names of relatives that want it and can appreciate it, and draw out a name. That is where it goes.... DONE!!!

    If she doesn't like that, donate it to a local BCA chapter, with the understanding the money from the car will be used in the name of her late husband for some philanthropic or charitable cause. My Lions club was committed to Eyesight work. Some Rotary clubs and Kiwanas donate money for kidney and cancer research. BCA clubs have done similar good works with proceeds from car shows in the past.

    Give it up....it is just an old car!

    Then she can focus on the important things like family and her own health in the few years, months or days she has left.

  14. Sounds like a matter that will more likely be handled by the Canadian probate court than by the current owner.

    Unfortunately, one of the problems with some VERY elderly people is that they have so little to hang on to, that if she gets less than her $9K for the car, she could fixate on how she gave it away or was cheated out of it, and therefore actually lower or lessen her remaining quality of life.

    Sad, too, because the probate court will probably wholesale it to a junkyard for $500 after her passing.....

  15. Here's a few interesting reads about car colors, the economy and people's moods:

    Car color trends shift with the economy

    Economy Makes People Choose Boring Car Colors

    Mobility, Money, Mood, Marketing Sway Car Color Choices

    This isn't a new phenomenon; I remember reading years ago about how some economists believed people's optimism in the late 50s attributed to the bright colors that were so popular at the time.

    As for buying ANYTHING from the 'new' GM, this article pretty much killed my enthusiasm for considering them when it comes to new cars:

    http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/19/gm-impala-lawsuit-idUSN1E77I0Z820110819

  16. If gas goes from $2.25/gal. to $3.75/gal. (67%) regular price, why wouldn't motor oil go from $3/qt. to $5/qt. (67%) regular price over the same period of time?

    I watch for grand opening specials, promotions, and mail in rebates (usually for 5 quarts plus a brand name filter, which I often don't use in favor of an OEM filter), and buy in bulk when possible. At the last (Pep Boys) grand opening I went to I bought 4 cases of oil (to add to the 2 I already had).

    (The same Pep Boys recently had Mobil 1, which my 2010 Prius needs, for $3.50/qt. I've otherwise never seen it for less than $6.30. I bought 2 cases of that even though I still have more than a year of free oil changes from the dealer left. Right now I have a lot of oil socked away for only having 5 running cars, and probably won't have to buy any for another 3 years.)

    To this day I have never paid more than $2 for a quart of conventional oil. Up until about 2008 (by which time I hadn't had to buy any in about 4 years) I had never paid more than 99 cents. In all cases all of it (except the Mobil 1 synthetic) is either Pennzoil, Valvoline, or (at Pep Boys this year) Castrol.

    Dave,

    TOTALLY agree with the idea of shopping price. However, for some reason, Pep Boys is ALWAYS higher here than the competition.

    WalMart Mobil 1, 5 qt-$24.50 PB $36.50

    OReilly Penzoil synthetic 5qt, $23.50 PB $31.50

    Here is where it is really getting interesting; WalMart house brand synthetic 5 qt (FULL synthetic) $20.50. OReilly house brand full synthetic 5 qt $19.50. I expect to see a "Roll Back" sticker at WM this weekend.

    Same is true with antifreeze; PB is waaaay higher than the local competition. So, shopping saves YOUR money.

    And, like your new quote.

    As for the other comments about taxes and Texas, what can I say...my senator can beat up your senator? Of course the REAL solution is 9-9-9!

    Just remember.....No Cain, No Gain.

    Joe

  17. Yep, keeping my fingers crossed, Barney! Between the cool weather and their dirt cheap prices, I'm looking to save about $2,000 Saturday!

    They have about 10 Lesabres listed on their web site; it should have the same vertical function, so I will buy the entire assembly. The Lesabre probably won't have the same seat module, but I just want the mechanical parts. Plus, I will be able to strip out the rest of the parts for spares. As usual, the steel parts look as if they would last forever, but the plastic pieces are the weak spots.

    You still got a corral full of Reattas?

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