Pete Phillips

I have a straight eight cylinder head, 31.75 inches long, appears to be the same size as the one on my '49 Super, so I think it is a 248. Casting number is 1319408. Can anyone help me identify the year of it? Pete Phillips, BCA #7338 Sherman, Texas

Are there some letters and numbers stamped on the side of the carburetor base? I have a book I can look it up in, if you give me the numbers/letters (usually 2 of each). Also, does the engine have the motor mounts on the side of the engine, midway from front to rear (1948 & up), or does it have the motor mount under the very front of the engine (1947 & back)? Pete Phillips, BCA #7338

I think I'll go with gray vinyl. Thanks to all for the responses. I found some remnants of old dark vinyl around the base of the front seat. Pete Phillips

Wow, I would say it brought top dollar. Two ticks shy of $30,000! Pete Phillips

I salvaged several parts from a 1950 76-S a few years ago and I own a 1950 76-R. Many of those parts are the same as the convertible which is a model 76-C. I have extra front fenders, hood, grille teeth, front & rear bumpers (needing replating, of course), rebuildable mechanical parts, etc. I do NOT have any extra front parking light housings which are very hard to find, nor any extra back-up light housings which are also very hard to find. My 76-R has the dreaded Hydro-Lectric system for the power windows and power seat, which the convertible will also have. It's not that difficult to trouble-shoot, but very few mechanics are familiar with it. As Mike alluded to, hoods and front fenders are Roadmaster-only; Supers and Specials will not fit. There are so many versions of the rear fenders/rear quarter panels (even among the Roadmaster series), that you can very easily go wrong there. If you don't have the recent Buick Bugle issue on the 1950 Buicks, you need to get one, which sorts a lot of this out. Pete Phillips, BCA #7338 Sherman, Texas 1948 model 71 1949 model 59 1950 model 76-R 1959 Electra 2-dr. ht. 1962 Electra 225 4-dr. ht. 1963 Wildcat conv.

Anyone else know of a search-tune radio as original equipment on a Buick prior to 1951? Pete Phillips

I have done it before but on a wrap-around windshield like the '57 Buick, I would be very reluctant to do it myself. Those wrap-arounds are very difficult to install and easy to break. All it takes is one mis-step, and you have $500 or more down the drain. Every time I install one myself, it always takes 3 or 4 times as long as I think it should take, and I swear I will take it to a professional glass installer next time. The flat and slightly curved windshields on the older cars (pre-1954 Buicks) are not too hard to install, but the newer wrap-around ones are only for the experienced installer, in my opinion. Professional glass installers earn their money, no matter what it costs. They can do it in one-quarter the time it would take me to do it, and if they crack it, they buy the new one, not you. Pete Phillips, BCA #7338 1948 Roadmaster model 71 1949 Super model 59 1950 Roadmaster model 76-R 1959 Electra 2-dr. ht. 1962 ELectra 225 4-dr. ht. 1963 Wildcat conv. 4-spd.

A friend of mine without a computer needs another starter for his 1933 1/2-ton International pickup truck. It has the original flathead 6-cylinder engine, and the flange on the front of the starter has self-destructed when attaching screws came loose, so it is not really rebuildable, except at great expense by a machine shop which would have to make a new flange with ridges, etc. I assume there are other years that the starter is common with, but I don't know International trucks very well. This truck is nice, with wire wheels and a single side-mounted spare. Its restoration has been a labor of love for him these past 10 years, and now it is not running due to the starter. ANY help or leads appreciated. Pete Phillips, Sherman, Texas pphillips922@earthlink.net 1948 Buick Roadmaster 1949 Buick Super Estate wagon 1950 Buick Roadmaster 1956 Studebaker Golden Hawk 1959 Buick Electra 1962 Electra 225 1963 Chrysler New Yorker 1963 Buick Wildcat conv.

Absolutely amazing! And I thought that was a lot of rain on Friday morning of the judging during the meet...! If anyone lives close to Ames, please take a photo of the show field now. The Des Moines TV station prohibits the reproduction or publication of any of its photos of the flooding, according to their web site. I would love to run a photo of the flooding in the October Bugle when we cover the national meet. I have several photos of the overall show field that day, with all of the cars parked there. Pete Phillips

I just talked to a 1951 Roadmaster owner for an article I am doing on his car. It has the search-tune radio with a button on the floor for changing the station. This is the earliest car I have ever heard of for this option. My 1950 Roadmaster does not have it. I have seen many mid-1950s Buicks that had this (1954, 1955, 1956). Does anyone know if 1951 was the first year for this option in a Buick? Pete Phillips, BCA #7338 Sherman, Texas 1948 Roadmaster 4-dr. 1949 Super Estate wagon 1950 Roadmaster 2-dr. ht. 1959 Electra 2-dr. ht. 1962 Electra 225 4-dr. ht. 1963 Wildcat conv. 4-spd.

Wrong info on the transmission, "ciaranjpayne"! Flightpitch was OPTIONAL equipment in the Super, the Roadmaster, and the Century in 1958. So, a 1958 Super could have either transmission. Pete Phillips, BCA #7338 Sherman, TX

Sit in the car on the driver's seat. Open the door. Look between the two hinges, on the pillar below the windshield--not on the door, as if you were peering into the back of the fender. There is a cover plate between the two hinges, and the VIN plate attaches there, at an angle.

I did this recently on a friend's '59. Just to echo what "Koala" said, you need a two-belt crankshaft pulley, a two-belt water pump pulley, and the whole steering column. Pete Phillips, BCA #7338 Sherman, Texas

Standard equipment on a '56 Super was single exhaust and no bumper exhaust cut-outs. This was either a bumper from a single-exhaust Super that was added to a dual-exhaust car, or else the original bumper on this single-exhaust car that had duals added later on. I had an N.O.S. 1956 Super rear bumper without the exhaust cut-outs amongst my old Buick parts stock, and it took several years before I found anybody who had a single-exhaust Super who needed that bumper. Pete Phillips, BCA #7338 Sherman, TX

Part, but not all of the photo problems were mine. I found out about five seconds before the awards presentation began, that I was also expected to run the computer screen projector with the photo presentations! Big surprise. Not only that, it was on someone else's computer and I was unfamiliar with its controls. So, when some of the photos were out of order, it was just too much to try to read off the list of names for the right class, keep things moving, announce the awards, and fish around on the computer for the car photos that were out of order. Lesson for future meets: The announcer of the awards cannot also run the slide projector at the same time. If we had had to prepare for an awards banquet on the same day of the judging, after the rain storm delayed the judging for several hours, there is no way we could have been ready in time. Pete Phillips, BCA #7338 Sherman, Texas 2010 MeatHead Judge

Below the windshield pillar post, between the two hinges of the front door, as you are looking into the front fender. Pete Phillips, BCA #7338 Sherman, Texas

For those who don't know, the sign on the front of the '54 Super sedan said it would be crushed if not sold by Friday afternoon, which seemed like a terrible waste of an old car with plenty of good parts still left. My thanks to "54buickbandit" who apparently saved the day and saved the car. I've heard that he plans to restore it and get it back on the road, given some time. Nice to see a younger guy get into this hobby. The bargains are still out there once in awhile, as this car proves. If any of us can assist with advice, parts hunting, etc., don' t hesitate to ask! Pete Phillips, BCA #7338 Sherman, TX 75090

Ben is right, for a total of three round dials on the Super and Roadmaster; only two round dials on the Special.

Semi-gloss black is correct. As far as I know, "satin" and "semi-gloss" are the same. I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong. Pete Phillips, BCA #7338 Sherman, TX

More photos

Sounds like a '52 if it has the little chrome fins on top of each rear fender. Look at the data plate on the firewall, and next to model # it should say 51-xx or 52-xx, the xx being the series and body style number. I believe 1951 and 1952 dashboards are the same. Pete Phillips, BCA #7338

A few more photos before I head off to the awards banquet. First photo is an immaculate 1951 Roadmaster, then a rare 1968 California GS coupe, then a row of early 1940s/late 1930s Buicks, then a group of 1960 Buicks (and one '59) including a rare '60 Invicta wagon. Pete

More photos. I never knew that 1959 wheel covers were supposed to have red paint in their center emblems until I saw a new old stock one for sale today! There is a red '54 76-C here that is gorgeous. The '54 Landau photo makes it look like there are TWO of those cars. In reality, the rear one is a likeness that is painted on the back of the car's enclosed trailer. Pete

Weather is warm and humid but no rain; flooding was east of here. No prices are posted on ANY of the cars for sale (great way to sell a car, eh?). Will post more photos shortly. Pete

They are here at Ames. I have seen that car in the hotel parking lot this afternoon--hooray! One or two other 1959s in the hotel parking lot as well. Pete Phillips, BCA #7338