Fr. Buick

I thought I would pass this on for those in the neighborhood. Another yard ready to vanish, darn it, with what looks like a bunch of Buicks. http://www.rowleyauctions.com/pages/...y1718_2008.htm Happy wrenching, Fr. Doug Cook

Anybody going to Flint from the SoCal area? I would rather give my money to someone's gas tank than to the Post Office!!! Talk to me!! Fr. Doug Cook

Have you tried a thicker oil in the gear box? Also look into the Yahoo group for '27 Buick. Very active, and smart folks to help you out. Happy wrenching, Doug Cook

Regarding your radio, there is a guy in NJ by the name of Alan Kriss, IIRC. He runs ads in Hemmings in the Buick section, I believe. I will double-check for you when I am back home. It as been a while since I looked him up, but he has done two Sonomatics for me over the years - one a standard model and the other a Wonder-Bar that my local guy could not get to work. Very good man to deal with. Have fun, and that dust-mask sounds like an excellent idea... Doug Cook

There was also the up-graded "Wonder-Bar" radio, bumper extensions for the front and rear, and the windshield-washer. I think back-up lights and the rear license light were also options, IIRC. A fun car to play with. Happy wrenching, Doug Cook

I have had good luck with the Eastwood coating described above. Best to sand-blast the parts, though, and use a few coats of the Eastwoods. Then assemble It does not last for ever, but it can be dabbed on with a small rough paintbrush for occasional touch-ups. What a cool car to be working on!! Have fun. Doug Cook

You might try www.impalassforum.com

I'm here for three years total, one left to go. The Boss (benedict)has bigger issues to worry about than me... I keep my head down at the oars, and he keeps the high watch on the crow's nest. And as for you, Mr. Earl, you are NO help, friend!! Here I am trying to be of assistance, and I get you casting aspersions....

Alex, nice looing Buick you got, and I am sure it makes quite a statement on the Italian roads. Where are you located? I am in Rome as a student for the next year, so if I can be of help on the car, keep me in mind. Doug Cook

Oh, I have been known to drive far - very far - for a Buick part. But Flint is not in the cards this summer. I plan to hit Colorado Springs next year, though... Will I see you there, Mr. Earl? We may have to fight over the same part... Better you stay home, then. Nobody out there going to Flint? Talk to me, somebody!! Doug Cook

I have a '24 Buick radiator and shell that can be brought to Flint for the annual show this summer. I would rather avoid shipping it - delicate and OLD. Is there somebody in SoCal who is driving out and can bring this home with them for me? I would be happy to make a generous contribution to the gas fund, and take the part off your hands once you return. TIA, Doug Cook

No, still in Rome. I have another 14 months to go before getting home and back to my Buicks. Yes, you will want to pull the steering gear off before lifting a body off. Once the steering shaft is bent, it will be hard to get it right again. And power-steering is a BIG plus on a heavy Buick. It will be worth the work. Have fun and keep us posted, Doug Cook

You have to visualize that there is a solid steering shaft that runs from the gear-box to the steering wheel, and can not be undone. Around that is the outer column and an inner column inside that - three layers of fun. First undo all electrical. Remove neutral-safety switch and the small tab that activates it. Then remove the wheel with a strong puller. Then remove trans selector lever behind the wheel. Then remove bracket that holds the column to the bottom of the dash. Then undo trans linkeage at the firewall. Then loosen the big C-clamp where the bottom of the column meets the gearbox. Then undo pitman arm and all bolts connecting gearbox to frame. Then undo front seat from floor-pan and slide back towards rear seat. (Two bolts is all there are.) You can now lift the gear-box up and slide towards front of car, allowing column to tilt down towards the floor. The steering shaft will slide out of the column with it, making this heavy and awkward. Be careful not to damage the rubber seal around the column at the floorboard, as they are brittle with age and expensive to replace. I think Bob's Automobilia has a reporduction for '54. Once gear-box is out, you can remove the rest by disingaging the inner column from the outer column. The lower trans selector lever slides out a certain way, allowing the outer comumn to come out into the car, and the inner column to exit through the engine compartment. The turn-signal housing at the top of the column can come off at the end of the project or the beginning... I completely undid mine so as to powder-coat everything visible in black. I recommend that if yours should be black. It is a lot of work, but go slowly, and it will make sense... And while you are at it, be sure the horn-contact on the shaft is in good shape. It is a copper sleeve insulated with rubber underneath it, and prone to come apart. Mine cracked apart and disabled my horn, which was the start of all this fun for me on a '54 Special. Take your time, it becomes clear as you go along. Good luck!

The best thing you can do is to keep the brakes adjusted. My '54 book tells me to do it every thousand miles, and I know it makes a big in how the brakes perform. The power brake will only make it easier on your foot. It will NOT make the car stop better. These old bombs were not built for the traffic we have today, so leave some space between your bumper and that Honda up ahead. And get used to brake fade. Also, the power brake system was not that great a unit, and expensive to find and rebuild. You would be beter off spending money on the power steering, which is a big help on my '54 Special, and I understand it got even better by '56. It is still a heavy car to drive (AKA herd down the road), but parking is much easier. Go for that first, and play with adjusting the brakes before you sink money into a power unit. Happy wrenching, Doug Cook

Yes, the two wires connect at the point you found: from the horn relay wire to the horn button wire. The horn wire that runs through the steering shaft, from the horn button down, "exits" the shaft through a small hole and is attached to an insulated sleave on the outside of the shaft. The spring-loaded contact on the steering column keeps contact with that sleave as the wheel is turned. So when the horn wire is grounded at the horn button, you get a wonderful sound. I hope that helps, Doug Cook

Can you give me an outer diameter, please? Thanks, Doug Cook

I took parts off his hands a few summers ago. Very helpful, and great folks to deal with. And a nice excuse for a ROAD TRIP!! Doug Cook

Well now you tell me... Good to know, though. Thanks!

It is NOT easy to get to, at least on my '54 Special. Assuming you are similar or identical on your '55, you reach it from the top by reaching into the space between inner and outer fenders back near the hood hinge. From under the car, flat on your back and reaching up behind the inner fender. There are two bolts that hold the assemply onto the fender. Undo the cable, as well, which unscrews much like your cable-TV feed. Then with hands and arms all banged up and dirt in your eye, you go up top again and use a special tool to undo the fancy (for lack of the proper word) ring-nut on top of the antena mount without ruining it. Lots of oil on it ahead of time would be a good idea. The pot-metal does not hold up well and goes bad on the inside, often marring the black plastic insulation as it comes off. You might make your own tool: Find a piece of soft-metal pipe of similar dia to the nut and grind it down on the end, making two tabs to grab ahold of said nut. Just be patient to get the two tabs evenly opposed and sized to fit. I hope that helps. Happy wrenching, Doug Cook

I have an NOS set of plug wires, and the ends are 90-degree angled. Plus the spark plug covers going over the wires make it a simple guess. Happy wrenching, Doug Cook

Thanks to you both for the help, Doug Cook

That is true about the Oldsmobile interchanging, but for the 88 series ONLY, IIFC. Don't get one off a 98!!

Hi, all, hope you can confrm my suspicion... I am restoring my '54 Special, and just recently found Class-Tech-Cars on Ebay, advertising a trunk-board kit for '55-'57 Buick 40/60 sedans and hardtops. You know, the card-board that covers the sides and back of the trunk. Now, if it works on a '55, will it not be identical to a '54 as well? If anyone has purchased their product, I would be grateful to hear your impressions. Thanks, and happy wrenching, Doug Cook

What ever you do, DO NOT let the shop talk you into hardened valve seats. They are not necessary and could ruin the head by breaking into the water jacket. Check out Rus Martin on the web. He speaks Nailhead fluently. Happy wrenching, Doug Cook

I had an older version of the 3800 in a '94 SeSabre. With three adults plus weekend luggage, the air on, and 80 MPH through the hot desert, I got 30 MPG. And with plenty of quiet and comfort. A very good engine, I believe. Doug Cook