Gene Brink

Looks great, Bill. Thanks for raising the question. Would be terrific to have options if it makes $$$ sense.

A few laughs? Tears are still flowing. Seems like poetic justice since these calls are so annoying...

Positive pressure (lots of it) in the crankcase is why the oil is coming out the dipstick tube hole in your block. I'm betting you have a hole in the #1 piston. Time to pull the head for a better look. If you're lucky you may get by with a single piston replacement but will only know after checking everything out. Good luck. P.S. You might be lucky enough to pull the plug and see something through the hole while shining a flashlight on the piston top. Probably will need the piston 3/4 of the way up the cylinder so you can see most of the top by viewing at different angles.

Geoff, With that low mileage this should be a great car but, unfortunately for us "shade-tree" mechanics, one that is pretty complex. After you've checked your vacuum lines and given it a once over I'd say you are ready to drop $90 bucks or so for a good mechanic to run a scan to determine what is wrong as Joe probably has it nailed. A new sensor or two and you will be in business! Mileage should be 22 or so in mixed driving and will approach 30 on the highway. Good luck.

Too many to actually pick just one from most decades but here goes. 00's-10's - no real favorites but will go with '05 because I had the privilege to ride in one 20's - 24 - Pete hit it right on, 4 wheel brakes (and good looks) 30's - tie between '35 & '37 (only two years apart but what a difference) 40's - tie between '41 & '49 (especially the sedanette) 50's - '57 - just hits me right (but love every year!) 60's - I'll go with '63 (Riviera and Skylark) but another decade where I like all of 'em (especially 2 door '62 full-size hardtops) 70's - '70 Skylark 80's - Not much interest but the Reatta is my choice 90's - 00's (<span style="font-style: italic">second time for the 00's!</span>) - Not much passion there but the cars have become "good" again (and I know not everyone thinks they ever stopped...). Now if they can just do something about the styling (and model availability)...

Boy, if you'd asked in 1965 I'd have known what both were but now... I'm guessing the difference is five inches (the difference in wheelbase) and the torque tube assembly is the same for both applications. Looks as though that would be more expensive than two different transmission back halves but perhaps not? To nail down completely you are probably going to have to find a couple of willing souls to slide under and measure one of each "flavor." Maybe someone will need to change their oil soon and can get the tape measure out at the same time.

'54 & '55 are different. Century/Special output shaft and housing are shorter than Roadmaster/Super. Don't remember the difference but when replacing (yet another) transmission for the '54 Super if I could not find a Super/Roadmaster I'd snag what I could and change out the back half. Not much work -- just a nusiance. Don't know about '57-'60 but would not be surprised if they were not the same.

Pretty fragile - if you are pulling on it much it will break. Getting it out easily depends upon what you see when you look at it (after removing the nut that holds it in place) - rusty goop or clean? In my experience usually a good bit of rust has built up and slathering some Naval Jelly on, letting it sit and then flushing well with water will clean enough goop out that it can easily be extracted. Good luck.

Unless #1 was not firing at all I can not imagine the piston moving that much without the engine sounding like a blacksmith banging a hammer on an anvil. 1/4" of movement should result in a broken crank in a few seconds I'd think. For sure drop the pan and see what the low end looks like on that rod. Good luck.

Just to add a note to what Paul says there are two gear sets - one for low the other for reverse. The both are mounted on either the input or output shaft that connects the engine to the rear end (engine to torque converter) by either oil pressure and fluid only (that is drive [which is direct drive - no gears]) or a combination of oil pressure and fluid along with gears (low or reverse). In both low and reverse the maximum torque multiplication of 2.10 to 1 is multiplied to 4.55 to 1 so pick-up is much faster (note: the variable pitch stators in the transmission will be in the "performance" position when you floor it in both drive and low [reverse too if you are crazy enough to floor it when backing up] and pump pressures are doubled when compared to drive). In addition to wearing the band out shifting from low to drive when one does not shift as early as 40 mph (one can reach 60-65 if memory serves me correctly <span style="font-style: italic"> and when one is racing a Ford, Chevy, etc... one does NOT want to shift to drive at only 40 </span>) really bad things happen (like the band crushing the drum housing the gear set for low). Talk about bad rattling noises when that happens (and about five more miles before the stator blades break out, the entire drum disentegrates and the input/output shaft are no longer connected so the car will NOT move. Bad memories... but sure was fun! Of course $25 would get you a replacement at the local junkyard so...

Put it in drive and go. Use low and shift to drive all of the time and you will be rebuilding again. Dynaflows are very durable when left in drive but a heavy foot and low to drive shifts will make you an expert at remove and replace (as I well know from past experience...).

An easy vote indeed!

Looks quite clean. http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/car/719323715.html

Posting in to sell as well. Looks quite clean. http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/car/719323715.html

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RTMartens</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I also read in my shop manual last night that there is some filter material in the crankcase ventilation system intake (before the road draft tube) built into the valley pan. Is this material cleanable or replaceable, or should I just leave it alone. I'm thinking it might be well clogged or saturated after 50 years and maybe I need to take care of all of this at the same time. Thoughts? Experience? </div></div> Can be cleaned though Willie is right - if it was ever hot-tanked it probably was destroyed. I cleaned by submerging the valley cover in a shallow pan in kerosene for a few days and then rinsing with fresh kerosene until it ran out clean. You will be able to see some of it through the vent holes. Worth trying before disassembly and rebuilding. Good luck.

Heck no, you are not the only one who thinks a nailhead is a thing of beauty. Way to go!

Nailhead refers to the first Buick V8 engines ('54 - '66; 264 - 322 - 364 - 401 - 425 c.i.)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Pete Phillips</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Yep, all "originol" *cough, gag*. I especially like that all original foot-shaped accelerator pedal, that original purple bumper, those original yellow flames, that original red valve cover, that original red siren bolted to the top of the fresh air duct, those original seat covers, the original foot pedal pads, that original red and yellow oil filter housing, and those original interior door panels. Definitely my kind of car, unrestored, and just like it came from the factory. Maybe he should enter it for an Archival Award at the next BCA meet? Pete Phillips</div></div> Don't forget the '59 Caddy tailights...

Dan, Inside the output shaft on my '54 so am guessing it may well be the same on yours. Lot of work but not at all difficult once you have pulled the axle back <span style="font-style: italic">provided you can pull it back enough to get the output shaft housing off (which I doubt) </span>. If you do not have the clearance you will have to drop the transmission which is a bit more work (unless you can remove the transmission mount and let it hang down until the engine meets the firewall to get an angle that will let you remove the shaft housing??). Maybe someone here has done this before? Good luck

Sounds like fuel starvation. Betting the fuel pump is not delivering enough fuel (or a line is pinching off for some reason reducing the flow). Good luck!

Static collector. Needs to be installed dry to work (although I have run with and without with no difference. Always would up leaving them in as if Buick put them there in the first place that is good enough for me...

Picture#26

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dave@Moon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Check your exhaust for a blockage. It could be a muffler breaking down or possibly a gasket slipping. Slowly choking off the flow of exhaust will bring about these exact symptoms.</div></div> As will a worn distributor bushing that permits the shaft to shift out of place radically changing the timing when RPM's are increased (and only then). Learned this the hard way on an old Volvo that had no power over 1500 RPM. (and Dave is right on about the muffler. Had a '66 Mustang that would not get over 10 MPH or so. New muffler and away we went...) Good luck.

I remember being really knocked out by maybe five (production) cars in my lifetime. (*remember, I'm 40) - Dodge Ram -Mazda Miata -PT Cruiser -(new) Mini Cooper -Lexus (hardtop convertible, whatever they number call it) Notice a pattern? "Retro Styling" Mike, Don't think the Miata and Lexus are retro styled at all BUT the Miata was a retro <span style="font-style: italic">idea </span> as it was time for a sports car roadster that hearkened back to the British cars that "started" the love affair many had with the sports cars. The Lexus is just one of several other marques that realized there is a potential market but no retro look there either. (And I must add, you are a bit too young to have been there when the 1st generation Riveria released. Still lust for one...)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: rlbleeker</div><div class="ubbcode-body">If brand loyalties are set for life, how come so many of my fathers generation 55-65 who were raised with the big three are driving Hondas? </div></div> Right in my wheelhouse as I am 60, have always been a car nut (knew all of the makes and could call 'em out when riding in the car with my parents when I was three) and, sadly, witnessed the import onslaught first hand. Initially price and "sporty" (actually smaller) is what drove sales of the common import (VW only really) and what made them a success, I think, was pretty good reliability and build quality and when one had to repair 'em - cheap! Then the Japanese onslaught with Datsun and Toyota (Honda came later [and not many wanted their first car here - same price as a VW and much less car] and really did everything right). Cheap with a good bit of content and, again, reliability and good build quality (albeit pretty cheap materials at the time but screwed together well). US manufacturers continued to offer a wide array of choice in how you could build your own car - stripped down (and virtually as cheap as the imports) or by selecting options fully loaded. By the time you matched foreign content the US car was generally more expensive (and often you could not match with a 4 sp transmission, etc.) so kids did what kids often do - bought what they could afford. Over time the Japanese imports in particular have continued to offer great reliability and build quality with much better materials and for a period of time they exceeded the US cars in general (not so much today but still an overall edge) and that past heritage has endeared them to literally millions of buyers to this day. So buyer loyality for a lot of people was set while they were young (and all it took for someone slightly younger was an older sibling's good experience with something to influence them as well). Buick can recapture market share if they are able to build products that will meet (or exceed) the expectations of people and that requires "cutting edge" thinking which they have not exhibited unfortunately. While their product line is generally solid it is not "exciting" and they lag behind current trends so are not benefiting from "first in the market" (I think the last time they were in that position was with the Opel GT - huge interest that created lots of buyer traffic <span style="font-style: italic">in 1970</span> for a very limited use car and that interest went away in a day when the Datsun 240Z came out - bigger, flashier, more powerful for about the same price) equals sales and interest. LaCrosse, Lucerne, Enclave, etc... are okay but... Having said that I enjoy my Park Avenue. Been reliable, decent mileage, comfortable on the road and handles better than a large car should but my kids tell me that it is a geezer car...