Buicksplus
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Posts posted by Buicksplus
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Need a reworkable cylinder head for 1926 Cadillac 314 CI V8. I think the R and L are the same, but if not, we need a left. Any info on similarity with other years welcome. Leads appreciated too.
Thanks in advance for your help
Bill
Albuquerque
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Here's one, very well done on a Buick chassis at the 2010 Glidden Tour in Holland, MI. Looked kinda scary to drive, high up on that horse! I would definitely take some Moxie to drive that thing in today's traffic!
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It looks like '39 Buick to me. Item is similar to those on the '38, but 38 has chrome trim on the side rather than the top. This item was optional on the '39, most 39's don't have them. I heard they were required in a few states because the headlamps on the 39 were so close together.
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1947 Lincoln Continental Convertible project with a 1947 Lincoln Zephyr 4dr Sedan parts car. The Continental was dismantled by the now deceased PO for restoration. The widow says it is complete. Most of the major parts appear to be there except the OD transmission.
The Zephyr sedan is completely assembled and relatively untouched. Both cars are stored in Albuquerque, New Mexico. There is not a lot of obvious rust on either car.
See some pictures at https://picasaweb.google.com/Sullivan87108/Lincolns?authkey=Gv1sRgCOW955GMldrYlAE#
$12,000 for both, for more info Call Charlie at 505 898-1833 walker@thuntek.net
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1947 Lincoln Continental Convertible with a 1947 Lincoln Zephyr 4dr Sedan parts car. The Continental was dismantled by the now deceased PO for restoration. The widow says it is complete. Most of the major parts appear to be there except the OD transmission.
The Zephyr sedan is completely assembled and relatively untouched. Both cars are stored in Albuquerque, New Mexico. There is not a lot of obvious rust on either car.
See some pictures at https://picasaweb.google.com/Sullivan87108/Lincolns?authkey=Gv1sRgCOW955GMldrYlAE#
$12,000 for both, for more info Call Charlie at 505 898-1833 walker@thuntek.net
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1947 Lincoln Continental Convertible with a 1947 Lincoln Zephyr 4dr Sedan parts car. The Continental was dismantled by the now deceased PO for restoration. The widow says it is complete. Most of the major parts appear to be there except the OD transmission.
The Zephyr sedan is completely assembled and relatively untouched. Both cars are stored in Albuquerque, New Mexico. There is not a lot of obvious rust on either car.
See some pictures at https://picasaweb.google.com/Sullivan87108/Lincolns?authkey=Gv1sRgCOW955GMldrYlAE#
$12,000 for both, for more info Call Charlie at 505 898-1833 walker@thuntek.net
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Mark:
I destroyed bulb on my Buick 8 years ago, I finally had to drill it for a sheet metal screw and pull it out with a slide hammer. You only have to worry about avoiding damage to the seat in the head, your damaged bulb is quite replaceable.
There is a fellow in Florida/Vermont called "The Temperature Gauge Guy" who used to advertise regularly in Hemmings. He fixes these for reasonable prices and has plenty of the original style bulbs to replace yours. Look in Hemmings under "Services". The Skinned Knuckles article has a DIY solution that would probably also work, if you're handy.
Good luck...
Bill
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I've seen people cut and weld sections of new straight pipe into portions of the manifold that are rusty. I have a 28 engine with one of those, it doesn't look too bad.
I had a few leaks in my '27 manifold that I patched here and there on the outside with fiberglass. This repair has held up for years. I didn't think it would, but the Buick cooling system is non-pressurized so keeping it from leaking isn't that difficult. I smoothed out the fiberglass so it is not very obvious. I suggest you try this then keep your eye out for another repro or good used pipe.
Good luck!
Bill.
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Great pictures, what a treasure. I wonder what stories this car could tell.
As a former 39-90 owner, I can see there are quite a few unique 90 parts still on this car. I am pretty sure most of the running gear is for 80-90 only, including brake drums, spindles, shocks, suspension arms, springs.
Some of those fenders look like they could be saved, they are very hard to find if you need them.
You might be able to sell some of this stuff on e-bay if you're patient.
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Suggest you clean out the carb very carefully, using compressed air to make sure all passages are open. If it was gummed up, chances are there are still passages plugged or restricted. Also make sure the flapper is free to move smoothly. I assume you still have the original Marvel updraft on this car.
I would not drill out any jets at this point, that is not a reversible process and replacement jets are hard to come by. Assume the car ran reasonably at one time, you just need to clear out the obstructions if there are any. That's what it sounds like to me. Note that turning the flapper screw inward will richen the mixture. My Marvel has a major needle valve on the bottom and I have found the high and low speed mixture to be very sensitive to this needle. I am not sure the 31 Marvel has the lower needle, but it it has one, I suggest you open it a quarter turn or more.
You could also have a vacuum leak, intake gaskets can fail just from sitting. Put a vacuum gauge on the manifold and check that out. Probe with an unlit propane torch to look for vacuum leaks, the engine will speed up if you find one.
Good luck, welcome to the mahvellous world of Marvel!
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Grant:
I had a 39-90 for years. It was a chronic overheater until I got a lot more miles on it. The friction in a rebuild can overwhelm the cooling system. Your engine is freshly rebuilt with new bores. I would get at least 2000 miles on that engine before you do much more to the cooling system. Drive it at night regularly to rack up some miles, bring extra water if necessary. I found this did a lot for my Buick.
You could have a head gasket leak or crack in the head that's sending exhaust gases into the coolant. Most shops have a sniffer to detect exhaust gases in the coolant, might be a good idea just to make sure that's not the problem.
I think the thermostat bypass valve is not your problem. I believe that little shuttle valve to turn off the bypass was not used in a 47 engine -- instead there is just a built in calibrated orfice that passively controls the amount of water recirculated instead of going through the radiator. It has no moving parts.
I did put an RV flexible fan on mine and it was most helpful. This fan was a bolt on replacement for the original and it was a tight fit -- but it cleared everything and really increased the air flow. I suggest you keep an eye out for one, most auto parts stores sell them in various sizes and shapes.
Make sure the timing is set properly and that the centrifugal advance is working on the distributor. Retarded timing really ads to the cooling system load. Make sure the fan belts are tight.
Mostly, though, get some miles on your buggy.
Good luck down under!
Bill S
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Good luck, Buick friend. I would not give it much of a chance since the committee rejected an application a few years ago for 31-39 80 Series Buicks. But times and committees do change, congrats for your initiative. Without it, surely nothing would change. I hope your proposal sails through, I think it would be good for the CCCA.
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These engines really should not be operated without the spark plug cover. Most of the oil from the rockers returns to the crankcase via the gallery covered by the spark plug cover. There are many openings under that cover for dirt to get into the crankcase and on the camshaft.
There are ridges that will keep most of the oil in place without the cover and I know many folks run these engines with missing covers. Still, it's not a great idea. Later Buicks (I think by 1930) provided covered oil return passages and then the spark plug cover became a cosmetic item.
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I'm pretty sure the pistons come out the top of a 38. They did for my 39 and the 38 and 39 engines are very similar.
Earlier Buick pistons had to come out the bottom, the big end bearing on the rod would not fit through the cylinders. This could be done without removing the crank, you just have to rotate it to the right position. On those bottom loading Buicks, there is a generous chamfor on the bottom of the cylinder to help compress the rings. I don't think there is enough room on the bottom of your 38 to get the pistons through.
Your Buick probably has a loose big end connecting rod bearing. These have poured babbitt and are more inclined to failure than the wrist pin bushings. If the bearing is just loose, you may be able to take out some shims and tighten it up. This can be done simply by removing the pan and taking off the lower rod cap. The shims are between the rod and cap.
If the babbitt is damaged or missing (you'll see chunks of it in the pan when you take it off, looks like solder), you'll have to pull the rod and sent it out for rebabbitting.
Good luck
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Buick made two engines in 37 and 40 -- a 248 and 320 cubic inch. The 248 is much more common, but the Century, Roadmaster and Limited used the 320.
You are learning what many of us have also learned -- Buicks changed quite a bit from year to year back then -- even though the specs were similar. It is very unlikely you will be able to use many of the frame or drive train parts without lots of modifications to your car. When you start adding up cut and paste modifications to frames and torque tubes, the project can get out of hand and budget. I think it would be worth your effort to find another frame or 37 parts car. It will probably be cheaper in the long run.
The engine should fit OK but probably not much else. You need to find out if you have two 248 engines or one 248 and one 320. Rear end and tranny might work if the wheelbases match, though the 40 tranny is a column shift and the 37 floor shift.
So much for the myth that rods are made from cutting up rust buckets. Sounds like that 40 was a good sound car before it met the torch. Your 37 sounds like a better candidate for a rod than that 40.
Good luck and have fun
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Cracks or porosity in the water jacket are common in these engines. If there are cracks on the pushrod side of the engine, the water drips straight into the oil pan.
The good news is these cracks are easily fixed with fiberglass and the 'glass holds up well because the coolant is not pressurized. But you do need to find them. They can be seen pretty easily if you take those large side covers off and fill up the radiator.
It could be a head gasket too, but I doubt it. Even with the low torque you used, I don't think much coolant whould end up in the crankcase. But I would still put a new gasket in there and torque it up properly.
Stop running the engine, of course, that coolant will damage the poured babbitt bearings in your engine very quickly.
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When the cable is slack, the single shift rod selects just 2 and 3rd gear. When the cable is shortened (this happens when you pull the shift lever toward the steering wheel), the rod selects 1st and reverse.
If you throw the cable away, all you will get is 2nd and 3rd, not a good thing!
As someone else said, this system was only used in 1939. But it works fine as long as all the parts are there.
Bill.
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Great table Dynaflash. But I think this has all been done just a few years ago, at least for the 31-39 80 series.
Classification committees come and go, but in the past the committee would have a real problem with the high production numbers (well over 10K per year) for the model 81 and 71 sedans. The committee does not respond well to arguments that the car being proposed is "as good or better than the Cad 62" -- since many felt the 62 was an anomaly.
I am struck by the incredibly low production figures for the phaetons, 81C and 71C. I think you might have a better chance trying to get these individual models classified. They clearly are very unique amongst all the prewar Buicks, they are even more unique than the 90 series cars. CCCA has not done that, except you might say that the Chrysler T&C or Lincoln Continental are just special models within a production series.
Good luck, I suggest you contact the classification committee and ask them for any material they may have regarding the previous proposal to classifie the 80 series Buicks.
Bill.
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Unlike Buick, most prewar Cadillac Phaetons are admitted, only a few are excluded: such as if they happen to be a model 61. I think most production Cadillacs are classics, there are just a few that aren't.
Except for custom bodies, CCCA does not classify according to body style, but rather series. (maybe they should??). Almost all the recognized production Buicks are 90 Series sedans and limos, there were very few phaetons built in that series (there were some in the early 30's). If the 1940 Buick 80 Limited built a phaeton (I think they did), that car would qualify. But the '40 is the only 80 series Buick that is a recognized classic.
I think years ago the classification process may have been even more political. If you were connected and had a friend that you wanted to join and he had a relatively rare luxury car, you could get it classified. Seems to me the flak over accepting the Cadillac 62 made the classification committee extremely cautious. I don't think they added a single production car to their list after that, save for a few obscure makes with a handful of survivors out there.
Before the Cad 62 fiasco, it was fairly common for CCCA to add new production cars (such as the Buick 90's) to their list.
Boy, I sure hope they reclassify some of my Buicks, I'll be rich and I can finally go to CCCA events again!!!!
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Friends:
When I was in the CCCA for 25 years, I felt the club should embrace all those borderline classics. Bravo for dilution! I eventually left when it was clear that the CCCA leadership prefered sort of an automotive country club atmosphere.
Please don't bore me with all the talk about how a Chrysler T&C or Cad 62 is too streamlined and no way comparable to a Packard V-12. Guess what, a Packard V-12 limo is in no way comparable to a Duesenberg convertible coupe either. No two old cars or classic cars are equal, they are just cars. Each one has their fans and lots of people who like them.
I understood the point of the club was to recognize "fine and unusual cars" . There are many of those out there, including plenty of borderline classics and yes, postwar cars too. But the club what it is and we all get to decide what sort of club we want to join.
Enjoy!
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I have a unit off a 28 and it is designated a 640Y. This unit should fit to your 27 generator. This distributer uses the cheaper Chevrolet points and the timing is adjusted by rotating the distributor -- rather than via the drive gear on the 27.
I use a distributor like this on my 27, it fits and works great.
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Dynaflash:
I was in the CCCA for 25 years or so, mainly because I had a Buick 90. Thank you for your efforts classifying the 90 30 years ago.
I went to a few CCCA events and never detected much sentiment that the Buick 90's were not "Classic" enough for the CCCA. There was not much reason for anyone to complain. The 90's are very rare and shared many components with long wheelbase Cadillac Classics and they fit right in. I never saw too many at CCCA events, but there were quite a few 90's listed in the club roster.
There have also been custom bodied Buicks of all series classified too, I have seen some of them at events here and there.
Those big Buick Phaetons of the late 30's are fabulous cars, they are really more impressive and as rare as the 90 series limos and sedans. But they will never be classified. I don't think CCCA has classified a single production car since the Model 62 Cadillac, save a few obscure makes with very limited production -- and the recent classification of the T or C.
If the Buick Roadmaster phaeton had a special name (like Continental or T or C) it might have been classified, but Buick didn't do that. Such are the oddities of the CCCA classification system
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The CCCA Classification committee can always change its direction, but if it is like it has been for the last few years, you are wasting your time trying to classify the model 71 Roadmaster Phaeton.
Some time back an application was made to add all the Series 80 Buicks, 1932-1939-- based partly on the fact that the 1940 Series 80 Limited is so classified. It was rejected.
CCCA doesn't classify individual models, such as a Phaeton, within a series for a production car. Which means if they admit the 41 Roadmaster Phaeton, they would also admit all 41 Roadmasters -- including more mundane sedans and coupes. This is very unlikely to happen.
Saying that a particular model is better than the Cad 62 doesn't fly because CCCA generally believes that classifying the Cad 62 was an error that will not be repeated.
But times and leadership changes, who knows. The TorC was a surprise to me. Maybe a Buick Roadmaster might fly this time.
Bill, NM
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I have had this problem with my 40 LaSalle. It does the same sort of thing with both a Stromberg or Carter on the car. I used to have a 39 Buick 320 that had similar symptoms.
I believe the flooding is simply due to the boiling off of gasoline in the bowl when the engine stops. The carburetor heats considerably when the engine is shut off, remember it is sitting on top of the exhaust heat riser. This causes expansion of the gasoline, it bubbles up and flows out through the jets into the intake manifold and even out the top of the carburetor. This does not happen with the engine running because the carb gets cooled by the steady infusion of cool, fresh gasoline from the tank.
There is not much you can do about it. I found fuel pressure or even lowering the fuel level had little effect. The high volatility of today's gasoline exacerbates the problem. I think it does little harm except the car is badly flooded when you try to start it within 15 minutes or less after you shut it off. It takes wide open throttle to get it to start, and the car bucks and surges for a mile or two, but then it smooths out when the gas finally cools off the bowl.
I now have my LaSalle running on the electric pump only. If you do that, you can shut off the pump before you stop the engine and let it run out of fuel. This will stop the flooding on restart, but it is a tedious process.
Bill.
Meet photos from Denver
in Buick - Meets & Tours
Posted · Edited by Buicksplus (see edit history)
Great meet, had a wonderful time. Really loved that spectacular Rambler Ranch, see the lovely '58 hanging out there. Here we are driving back home via Poncha Pass, one of several gorgeous and daunting high passes between Denver and Albuquerque. We drove about 900 miles to and from this meet. Our '27 did OK with the altitude but the incredibly long climbs were definitely a challenge for this old car.
Thanks to all the Denver BCA folks who put together a terrific national meet...