Chacheska

I'm glad I started a thought provoking topic. It's definitely one that everyone needs to think about at some point in their lives. Sometimes it takes the death of someone you know or a family member that makes you realize just how unprepared most people are when it happens. Watching what happens to everyone else's cars go to places or people they didn't intend them to go to is a real wake up call. I admit to not being prepared well enough in the event of my demise. Currently my mother would get all my 'stuff' which, at 86, I doubt she could handle. It's definitely time to make a will and write specific information and instructions on where they are, what they're worth and who gets them. I'm one of those solitary types that needs to get my schmidt together. This is one of those inevitable events that isn't going to go away. Thanks for keeping the post alive so more people are made to think about it.

Thanks for that info, Harvey. I'll make some calls later today and see what I can find.

Thanks, folks. I was prepared for the warnings. I have no intention of becoming a french fry. Most plastic gas containers have a small secondary vent cap. The newer ones don't but feeding the hose down through the pour spout still leaves some air around the hose which most likely will act as a vent for oxygen exchange. I don't intend to do this on a regular or prolonged basis. As for the outboard tanks ....... you mean as used in boats? Are those available from marina outlets? I've seen people sell fuel cells but was told they're not ideal for this application because of the bottom not being flat. All warning have been definitely noted here.

I used to keep the gas tanks in all my various 1930's cars full when gas was relatively cheap but now I tend to keep them empty. Instead of putting a few gallons in and draining each one before the gas gets stale I thought it may be better to use a 5 gallon gas container with a length of rubber fuel line coming from the fuel pump directly into the container to run the car. I thought of this recently when my 1932 Buick quit on me twice. I disconnected the fuel line and used an electric fuel pump to suck the gas from the tank through the fuel line. I got a lot of gunk in the filter that I connected before the fuel pump which bolstered my suspicion that the fuel line was plugging up from sediment in the tank. The fuel pump and bowl had a lot of sediment so I cleaned them both thoroughly, ran fuel hose into a 5 gallon plastic gas container I placed on the running board from the fuel pump and tested the car several times. It runs fine so now I need to remove the tank and have it boiled out. It's easy to run a rubber fuel line through any number of holes in the floors and firewalls of 1930's cars because of the batteries in the floor and holes in the firewall. Has anyone tried this before? I'm not talking about highway driving or caravans here, just short rides around a few blocks in the neighborhood. Does a gas container need to have a vent hole for air to escape? Other than the obvious danger of having 5 gallons of gas on the front floor is there any other downside to running a car this way that I may not be thinking of? Should I make sure my will is up to date?

Hi, Andi. I see you still don't understand the distinction between a classic car and antique/collector car. Google search the letters CCCA for a list of classic cars and an explanation of what a classic is. Classics were built from 1925 to 1948. Your Buick is too new to be a classic car. The last poster was right. It'll cost you too much to ship it to your location. It would be just your luck that you'd pay $1,500 to ship it to you and find a buyer from back east. It'll sell where it is as long as you have someone there that can sell the car for you. Let the buyer handle the transport fees.

Hi, Andi. I live in the Buffalo area. If the car is located near here and there's anything I can do to help you with the car let me know. Your Buick would be considered a collector car or antique but not a classic. I know this is probably the only car of this vintage you'll ever deal with but the correct terminology may avoid any misunderstandings when you sell it. 1967 was a good year for styling. If you decide to keep it and need advice on shipping the car out to you let me know. I've had a few cars shipped before and can offer some advice. Best of luck to you!

Thanks for the mileage verification, Norb. I was told 175 miles. If the worst case scenario happens I can go get it myself but by then gas will probably be $5 a gallon! Roberta, I remember seeing that car at the Grand Island show. Don't remember the kids, though. That show was 12 miles from my house. Derek, thanks for the well wishes. There's probably someone from the area going to the meet but they most likely don't read this forum. My next step is to get the roster out and start making phone calls. Thanks to all!

It was just pointed out to me that I had the wrong name of the city in my post. It's Rose CITY, not Rose Hill. If anyone is going to the nationals from Rose City please contact me. I need a case of fluids brought to the meet. I'm in western N.Y. and can bring something to the meet from this area if someone needs an item brought there.

Roberta, you're absolutely right! It IS Rose City, NOT Rose HIll. Duh! I don't know how I made that mistake. Thanks for pointing that out for me. Derek, you're very intuitive. That's exactly what I'm looking for ....... someone who is going to the national that can pick up a case of fluids for me. You should work for the psychic network. You're very good. I'm in western N.Y. so if there's anything anyone needs me to deliver to the meet from this area I'd be happy to accommodate them. Thanks again for pointing out I had the wrong name, Roberta.

!!!!!

Hi, Norb. I'm told the nearest big city is Bay City, Michigan. Haven't looked on a map myself. I believe it's about 175 miles northwest of the national meet in Flint.

Hi. Is anyone from, or close to, Rose Hill, Michigan going to the BCA nationals this summer? If so, please contact me at chacheska@verizon.net. Thanks very much. Karl

Hi. Is anyone from or close to Rose Hill, Michigan going to the BCA Nationals this summer? Please contact me at chacheska@verizon.net if you are. Thanks very much. Karl

Boy, this topic really hits home. Whenever I see the word 'Classic' used on a 1970 or 1980 something car on Craigslist I contact the owner and try to tell them what a real classic is by suggesting they do a Google search under the letters CCCA. 4 out of 5 times I get a reply that tells me to go F myself or to mind my own F'n business. I've been in some interesting and colorful verbal sparring matches with a few of these nitwits. Another thing I've tried to do, and in this case was successful, was to contact the local newspaper and the Swap Sheet and explain to the editors what a classic car was since they never seem to have any real classics (as defined by the CCCA) in their columns labeled 'Classic'. Both editors listened and understood my explanation and both changed their column headings by taking out the word 'Classic' and replacing it with Antique and/or Collector cars. It's a small step but one that may help younger collectors who don't have a clue as to the meaning of the word 'Classic' better understand the category to which their 1985 Monte Carlo or 1974 Chevelle fits in. I agree wholeheartedly that the word 'Classic' is probably the most over used and wrongly used term in the car hobby right next to the term 'frame off' restoration.

Check Craigslist. I saw Rotella oil selling by the barrel for less than $7.45 a gallon. One guy was selling it for $5 a gallon locally but I just missed it. If you shop around you can do better than $7.45. Be patient. Any of the older oil classifications has more ZDDP in it so SL should be fine. I believe the change came with the SM classification. I used to buy oil by the case 15 years ago whenever they had specials going. I have over 200 gallons of older oil stocked up. Most are SJ and some SI. I wasn't anticipating this zinc & phosphorus problem. I just got lucky.

I've been aware of this problem for over a year. Back then I would ask fellow pre-war car club members about it and no one seemed to have heard of the problem. I stocked up on EOS (engine oil supplement) from GM which is high in zinc and phosphorous. Most of the old supplies are gone now. I found dealers who had old stock left. I'm not sure which bottle Ron is referring to but $7 for 4 oz is a colossal rip-off. The EOS I've bought comes in 16 oz bottles and they cost me $6.97 a bottle. While I was buying up a couple of cases I discovered a dealership that had 32 oz cans (older formula) of EOS for $6.41! That's right, twice the additive for less than half the price of the 16 oz. I don't understand how GM priced their stock but I was able to buy 2 cases of the 32 oz cans from 2 different dealerships. There's an ad in Old Cars Weekly from a company that sells ZDDP additive supplements but it's pretty expensive. There have been numerous articles written about this mostly from last summer in various car publications. I believe this is an issue for all cars up to about 1996, if I'm not mistaken. Using the older, higher zinc and phosphorus oils in newer engines can cause catalytic converter failure from what I've been told by a couple of mechanics I know and trust and from a few articles I've read.

Pete, I bought a 1992 Dodge diesel dually from Texas 5 years ago for $6150. I drove it back to N.Y. and averaged 22 mpg empty. It has the 355 rear end. You can buy the '91 to '93 Dodges for reasonable money now and trucks down south are not only plentiful but they're rust free which means cheaper prices for a better truck. Diesel prices are high now so I don't know how that will offset the mileage but I do know diesels last longer and the Cummins is a great torque producing engine. I love my Dodge. It's a work horse. If you like those years I suggest buying a southern truck. They're very common in Texas, Florida and Oklahoma where people have horse ranches. I like the dually for the added safety and stability of having that extra wheel if one blows out when pulling a load.

I met a guy selling a 1927 Buick near me. His son took courses at the college and the father had nothing good to say about it. It's possible his son was a bad student but I don't really know. All I know is that he thought the school was overrated and not very good. I don't know anyone else who has attended. It sounds like an interesting concept for a school.

I answered this question in the AACA forum before seeing there were more responses in this Buick forum. You can check my reply there regarding longevity issues and cracking over time. Matt, if you're looking for plastic knobs and other pieces to be uniform in color then Skip Boyer is the guy to buy from. He's been reproducing those knobs for at least 20 years that I know of.

Hi, Mason. You sound like a kindred spirit. I, too, don't make much money and have sacrificed a lot of other things in my life to own the cars I love. You sound like the perfect candidate to consider for something like this especially since we're the same age. Actually, from a receiving point of view, we'd both ideally be better off getting into this kind of arrangement with older members to stand a better chance of actually benefitting from this type of arrangement. If you're interested we should talk about it. I'd be interested in knowing what classics you own. Send me an e-mail at chacheska@verizon.net and we can discuss it. Thanks for replying to the topic!

Can leave for R.I. anytime from mid May to the 2nd week of August. At that time I'll be headed towards N.J. to attend the Cadillac Nationals so I can take a vehicle to N.J. or Philly then. Thanks! Ciao!

I can leave for R.I. or anywhere in between Buffalo and there as early as mid May all the way up to 2nd week of August. At that time I'll be going to the Cadillac Nationals in Cherry HIll, N.J. and can take a car to that area or Philly at that time. Thanks! Ciao!

If anyone needs a vehicle transported to R.I. or anywhere between Buffalo, N.Y. and there let me know. I'll be ready sometime in mid May all the way through the 2nd week of August. I'll be going to the Cadillac Nationals in Cherry Hill, N.J. the 2nd week of August so if someone needs a car transported to the N.J./Philly area at that time let me know. Thanks! Ciao!

Hi, John. I had my 1937 Buick steering wheel done by Richard. His price is amazing. He was doing them for $150 for many years. Last I heard he's up to $175 but that was 5 years ago. My wheel came out very nice. I've heard some complaints about his wheels cracking over time from expansion and contraction. I haven't put my wheel on my Buick. It's in the closet so it's held up fine over the 12 years I've had it. Richard suggests taking the wheel off for the winter months. I've heard Donaldson's wheels have some sort of additive that prevents them from cracking under expansion and contraction conditions which is why they're so much more expensive but I have no complaints about Richard's work. I think he'll re-do them under certain problematic conditions but you'd have to ask him what his policy is before hand. I'd definitely use him again.

Hey there, Jim. If someone wanted to use a 1931 Cad shop manual in the shop and not collect it most people will buy a repro copy for $25. Best guess, based on your description, is $150 to $200. I've seen one sell for as little as $100 but if you find the right guy it may be worth as much as $250. Nobody is going to pay that kind of money for a manual they're going to take into the garage and get oily fingerprints on so anyone looking to buy will be a collector.