Thriller

I believe the 2000 pixel limit is on one direction, typically width, which in nominal standard size would probably be 2000 x 1500, or a 3 MP image. I typically resize photos to 800x600 or 1024x768, which makes the file sizes much more reasonable. 8014haar - do you have any photo software that came with your camera? If so, there should be the ability to crop and resize photos as necessary. The one caution I would make is that you then want to save the file with a different file name so that you keep the original high resolution image. Another alternative is to upload them to a photo sharing site, such as PhotoBucket, and then use the links they provide to post them in a thread. Worst case, click on my tag on the left to send me an e-mail and send a couple of photos at a time. I could resize them easily enough and post them up. I expect to be around most of today, but won't have much computer time tomorrow...and go back to work next week, so that will really put a crimp in my available online time. From the August Old Cars Report Price Guide: #2 - $24990 #3 - $16070 #4 - $7140 #5 - $4280 #6 - $1430 There are other guides such as vmrintl.com - you could do a search on price guides...use antique or classic auto in the search terms. Not all online price guides give you pre-war values. Keep in mind that these are guides and are not absolute. Local economic conditions and location of car also play into it. The hard part in this case is to peg the condition of the car. You've got a good idea of the body condition and the fact that there are several thousand dollars worth of work to have a body shop do a really good job on finishing it off. The condition of other things like the wheels and interior are important as well...if this is a car that is almost complete needing just paint is very different than a car that has some cosmetic work done, but mechanical ignored because the intent was to make a modified car, for example. The other thing is that you can expect a seller to want to get whatever they have into the car out of it. Sadly this is typical, unless they are desperate for the cash. If I were looking at this car, I would be ascertaining the drivetrain and interior condition. If both are good, I'd suggest a high #3 price wouldn't be out of order. The book I looked at has a photo of a 56S and it looks great (just familiarizing myself with the appearance of the car) and there were 816 66S produced, so there can't be many left. For me, if this opportunity came up, I would be hard pressed to let this one get away - it is a fantastic looking car. Good luck coming to a decision.

Government planning for the future? That's probably the most surreal thing I've read here. Sorry for the sarcasm...it stems from sending billions out of country annually in aid while we have hungry and homeless folks among us. It is good to hear that things are in relatively good shape with respect to people and the cars. We wish you well in recovery efforts.

Barney, It is quite possible that I'm not quite getting this configuration. Does the threaded rod come straight out from the side of the car perpendicular to the wheel? If yes, then a flat plate that covered four wheel holes with a hole in the middle for the threaded rod would be stronger than a piece with a bend. Based on the photo, I think it must be that I don't quite get it...does the threaded rod come into play on an angle? I'd have to take a look, but this seems quite different than on the '29.

Agreed. It's funny how I've now looked over a couple of North American 2011 Regals and only saw Buick badging, not Opel. It is a separate issue than the old Opels sold at Buick dealers. As far as I know, the BCA has never turned away any Buick simply because it shared platforms with another GM (A bodies, Apollos, Rainiers, or any others). Oh, gee, that's right, my Rainier is listed in the BCA roster...as are other badge-engineered Buicks, therefore, it is a non-issue, since precedent is set.

I really am of mixed emotions about chiming in here, but I'd like to see some responses and information. I trained as an engineer in university and have a scientific mind, so I prefer to deal in real data rather than conjecture. First, how did you determine the average age? I didn't even get a list of who attended and what cars they had - that was a decision of the organizers and I'm fine with it, but I saw many there who were in their 40s and 50s. I learned a long time ago not to try to guess someone's age because I was usually wrong. Secondly, is there anything wrong with the average age? Generally, if it means retirees attend, having earned their livelihoods and now having the time to participate, I have no problem with that. If younger folks can afford it and make the decision to attend as part of their summer holidays, that's great too. I do have a problem though with the suggestion that we have to be a certain age to be BCA members and attend a National meet. I understand the concern about an aging population, but I know some of the members could very well be offended by the age remarks in the first place. From experience, when our children were younger, it was more important for us to use our vacation time to visit grandparents and family since we don't live that close...our children are older now and enjoy attending National meets, so we attend as a family. If / when our priorities change, we may change our thinking about it. Last Bugle I looked at did not include age on the new member's page, so I don't know their ages. From personal observation of a local club, and from other organizations I have heard about, many organizations are aging. That said, we are in an expensive hobby. There aren't necessarily that many "younger" folks involved in the hobby in the first place. Then take a small portion of those who are into Buicks, and I'm not sure the "youth" is the genuine growth market. From someone who was once in that age group, there was a time when I was more interested in speed and power, so if I had joined a group back when all I had was the Wildcat, I may have been more inclined to join a group like BPG. As I aged and got more exposure to older iron and saw original cars, my tastes changed to appreciate some of the finer points of Buicks such as ride and uniqueness rather than simply go fast. Going back to it being a pricey hobby in the first place, many who get into the hobby are either young and on a shoestring budget, so any dues at all may get in their way, or they have matured somewhat. Generally speaking, in the age of the Internet, some of the value of belonging to a club like the BCA (with Buick specific vendors and classifieds) have been diminished. Now that you can go to RockAuto, eBay, and others to search out hard to find parts, you don't need that aspect of the club as much. Then it comes to the question of whether or not that generation is about being "joiners" in clubs like ours or whether they simply want their social networking groups. How was this more expensive facility paid for? What were the fees for attending their meet? Again, the income from an event or membership dues = (number of people paying) * (price per attendee). Maximizing income is an economic problem and there is no absolute way to tell what the magic dues / meet dollar figure should be. Also, we aren't necessarily trying to maximize income. For a national meet, we want to avoid losses if possible and maximize attendance (my opinion). Location, activities, cost, and other things come into play. Frankly, for people who drive any significant distance, $50 registration fees pale in comparison to fuel costs to get there. So, the Minuteman Chapter could try to make the National Meet in 2011 free for registering and cars / swap spaces, but that still wouldn't get everyone to flock there simply because for some it involves too much time and travel expense. So, I agree that cost is a factor, but the registration fee isn't the only cost and cost is not the only factor. For 2012, the meet is occurring on the early side for me - our children are in school until nearly the end of June and I don't know when the older ones will be finishing their exams. So, if I don't attend, it won't be because the registration is $50 instead of $25 (in case anyone has any trouble with it, the 2011 and 2012 meets I note are hypothetical examples I have created, not based in what the fees will be). Then how do you explain membership decreasing before dues were raised? The dues increase was brought in to combat the income drop due to declining membership. New members weren't flocking to the club at $35 simply because it wasn't $50 dues. So, while lowering dues may stem losses and may encourage some to join or re-join, I am not confident it would not result in the red ink situation of about a year ago. It is easy to say lower the dues, but the membership told the BoD (as best they can with a good attendance at a meeting in Colorado) not to cut costs associated with the Bugle, but rather raise dues as needed to cover it off. Frankly Craig, that issue was dealt with over a year ago. So, while we all agree in principle to promote the club and encourage new membership, how do you get everyone to agree to your premise to double membership? Pay double the dues and get a rebate when someone says you recruited them? I don't see that working. I think the dues were $35 when I joined in 2003 and stayed that way for many years...if my memory on that is correct, how long do you intend to turn back the clock? Costs increase, so if there is a lifetime membership, the dollar figure tied to it would need to be assessed and other questions answered, such as whether or not there is spousal right of survivorship (Suzanne is listed on our mailing label and has the right to vote as a BCA member, so it is something that would need to be addressed). Here's the rub though. If the club makes a lifetime membership available again and sets the dues too low, the club will be in a worse financial position in a short matter of time. If the value is set too high, older members won't participate because of uncertainty over whether it would be worthwhile for them...that could lead to only members in their 30s/40s taking advantage - if they live to their 80s, then we have to cover potentially 40-50 years worth of costs with how many years worth of income (i.e. how many times the annual cost is the lifetime membership offered for?). I'll give my fingers a rest with these last few thoughts.... What is the definition of a successful National? Is it about numbers? Is it about cars? Is it about judging? Is it about tours and how many participate in them? My argument is it is ultimately about people and relationships - the Buick brand is what brings us together and the people is what keeps us coming back. Similarly, how do we define success as a club? Remaining solvent? Some particular membership target? Increasing membership? I don't have a crystal ball to look to the year 2025, but I do know things will change, since that is the only constant. What if gasoline becomes scarce and shoots to $10/gallon? What would happen to the hobby? What would happen to meet attendance? Perhaps success then would be smaller meets with fewer cars, but managing to get out a few of the gas guzzlers. Heck, perhaps ICEs will be banned, relegating our Buicks to nostalgia pieces for museums. I don't expect that to happen any time soon, but my point is that I don't even know if I'll be around in 15 years, so I can't speak for the club. Most businesses don't plan that far in advance, and those that do remain pretty vague. Governments don't plan beyond the next election.

I think there was some discussion recently on this issue. You may want to search the Buick forums here (either Post War Technical, or Buick Club General). There is also the possibility of multiple problems. A vacuum leak can cause an issue with the switch on the carb and an electrical issue (starter relay perhaps?) could combine to defeat the safeguards against the condition you have. Note that vacuum hoses also can deteriorate with storage as well as electrical issues. Good luck.

There were some for sale here a while ago - the ones for sale were a different size than the "spare" that came with my '52 Roadmaster when I bought it, so there may have been different sizes, possibly for the different engine sizes. If that is the case, then measurements on the one I have wouldn't work for you.

Right on. In spite of the detuning, the 455 still has enough get up and go. While not a convertible, the Electra can chirp the tires easily and I'm told by the driver was quite content at 80-85 on the highway. Now you can get sunburn and windburn on your forehead all at the same time....

Shopping locally saves shipping costs, which have to be built in. As well, if something goes wrong, they know that a local is more likely to be able to raise a ruckus, potentially costing them more business. Personally, I try to deal locally first before looking at a distance. Of course part of that is issues involved with shipping over the border - Canada Customs wants to collect their taxes and don't do as well with me already having the parts and having services performed.

Well, his real name is Speedo....

Which four door sedan is it? There were 2 in '41 - one based on a Chevrolet chassis (series A, model 47) with a 118" wheelbase, or the original B series on a 121" wheelbase (model 41, 41SE). The latter is what I have with the Jetback or sloping rear like a sedanette. Both used the 248 cid straight 8. From the August edition of Old Cars Report Price Guide, value estimates are as follows: Series A #5 - $3230 #4 - $5380 #3 - $12110 #2 - $18830 Series B #5 - $3600 #4 - $6000 #3 - $13500 #2 - $21000 vmrintl.com and nadaguides.com are other alternatives to try to get an estimated value. I prefer to use at least 2 or 3 sources to come to my own estimate. Based on the description provided in the magazine, a #3 is a "20 footer", but is essentially fully functional, so that is probably a starting point to work from with respect to your car.

He didn't like GyPSy telling him where to go? I guess some among us are just too used to a woman's voice giving directions....

Congrats on the acquisition. I can't wait for photos. I'm afraid I can't help on the transmission - I have '61 information and the Dynaflow was standard on the LeSabre...it was the only transmission available in the full size cars according to the Preliminary Chassis service manual.

What's that like? What is this fun of which you speak?

Grin. I have to be careful looking at photos like that...Vicky is probably grumpy enough with me for not doing anything with her for a while. She's been patient though thus far. I need to get serious about the '29 so that I can deal with the bulk of that and get going on the Invicta.

Good call on the mirror Roy, but on a full size wagon, it may simply be an aftermarket mirror intended to give a better view. On a car of that length, with a mirror that small, I could see wanting to get it out a bit wider, although a tent trailer or a Boler wouldn't be out of the question at all.

Cool to be a part of that. Um, not to be disparaging, but it is Iowa, right? Do you know what the other four are?

That's at least two days for a government worker, if not a week...and I ought to know

Yes.

Well, you have good taste. Good luck in the search.

I dunno Bill...it's a post-war If things work out, the more the merrier I'm sure. Now I have the song Convoy in my head....

Looks to be the same colour as the one from Alberta that got an archival award in Ames. Nice car. Whimper.

You are probably not off base. The one thing the 70s full size cars have going for them is sheer comfort and power. Now, it isn't power compared to a GS, but my '75 Electra is comfortable and seems to be pretty content at 80-85 on the highway (my wife did that this summer to catch up to me with the truck and trailer after being separated in a single lane construction zone). Similarly, my father had bought a '77 Mercury Marquis demonstrator - we had this car when I got my license. As a teenager, I found it to be happier on the highway at 85 than 65. So, in my opinion, they are great highway cruisers. Sure the 455 gets 15-18 mpg depending on speed, but I'd rather get there with a bit of class and comfort that in many of the cars that have been built since. The 70s and 80s will be sort of niche markets based primarily on models. The Regals from the 80s will be big (whether as Regals, T-types, GNs, or GNX). Rivieras always have some collectibility. The key in my mind right now is that most of them are available inexpensively. If there is a model you want, try to get it relatively soon. Sure, the value won't skyrocket, but there are some great deals to be had (my Electra is a reasonable example). Get them while they are cheap and still available. The other thing they have going for them is some of the more modern amenities. You are more likely to find power windows, cruise control, and A/C on the cars of the 70s and 80s which make touring / driving more pleasant. Just some thoughts.....

Fatsco Transmission (you could search for them online) have rebuild kits for the automatic in these cars. They would be a good bet for parts. Which body style is your grandfather's car? These are great "little" cars.

NTX...that makes me wonder how a thin pinstripe would look on the Lucerne and Regal with their body contours.