imported_buick5563

I dropped off the bombsight with my other stuff. The shop owner said he would do his best and charged me an additional 10 bucks since all the other stuff I dropped off hit the 1k mark. If it doesn't look good I didn't really lose anything, I'll just find another one(mmhmm). Who knows? Maybe it'll work out. He did say there was no way for him to do the inner chrome on the portholes and since the outer part of the housing isn't exactly seen, I'll get some repops for those. Interestingly enough there was actually another batch of 55 parts in a box that had come in yesterday. What are the odds? Who says Texas is Ford country? Thanks guys Mike

Oh yeah, what about the buy new vs. restore for the portholes and bombsight? Thanks Mike

Thanks guys, No Bill, I didn't send them to Superior, but thanks for the heads up. I've heard about both of the places you guys mentioned, just wanted references, thanks. Mike

Hi there, I just recently took all the chrome off of my 55 and am sending the bumpers to have them replated. Has anyone ever found a chrome shop that did a good job on pot metal? There seems to be more pot metal on this car than steel, when you count the taillight housings, grille surrounds, portholes,etc. Should I buy new portholes and bombsight? I just know that the last time I bought chrome pieces (mirrors) they showed bumps two minutes after putting them on. Is it better to just rechrome my originals?

Congratulations Michael, My son Woody just turned one yesterday. I have already strapped him in my 63 Wildcat and driven around the block. Have fun! Mike

I got my Bugle yesterday and I was thinking the same thing. It seems closer to a "real" magazine. It took me longer than 20 minutes to read ,as well. Keep up the good work Buglers. Mike

Hi Lamar, Go to quietride.com. All the contact info is there. Tim hasn't emailed back his price yet since it is a new pattern. The firewall insulators are under 200 bucks. I had my steering wheel out (with column) and I just cut around wires to fit it in, since it's meant to be installed during a full restoration. See ya... Mike

I guess I should have kept my mouth shut about the wheels (oops). Next year hopefully I will be bringing the 55 so there is no problem there. Thanks Pat, great job.

Hi there, I have a question too. My Wildcat convertible got a driven award which, after hanging out near the judges for a couple of cars, I didn't think I was going to get. My car has ralley wheels from later (maybe 66) and they "failed" a car for having ralleys on his Skylark. They were "big and littles" but I'm not sure if that was the reason. Mr. Brooks, is that why? Don't get me wrong, I am honored to receive an award at my first national, just curious. The lead judge, I believe Pat, asked me why I didn't sign up for the actual judging, yet another honor. thanks- Mike

Hi Lamar, I just sent in my panels (from my 55 Special) for patterns to Tim Cox at QuietRide Solutions. He is the guy who makes those reproduction firewall insulators. He made kick panels for me a few years ago, which given the fact that these are plastic instead of cardboard they will stand the weather (and big feet) better. They are not the correct material but they are really unobtrusive as far as their appearance. Only one person has ever busted me for not having the cardboard. I will keep you guys posted as to what Tim charges me for the trunk "cardboard", I would imagine it is the same from 55-56. Someone else can verify this. I will probably paint them with tan vinyl paint to more closely resemble the color they were originally. I suppose they could also be covered with the same trunk fabric that you use for the rest of the trunk. If you would prefer the DIY approach, I can send you my patterns when I get them back, assuming I get them back. The cool thing about this system is that QuietRide cuts them neatly and creases them properly. Yeah I know its cheating but the durability factor appeals to me. One other thing. I wanted to meet you in Plano but a) I didn't know what you looked like, the rains came when I was in full socialization mode c) you weren't a car I was ogling. I had the burgundy 63 Wildcat convertible with the crazy interior (with the driven class) in case you were wondering. Talk to you soon, Mike

I just got finished changing the fluids in my 63 Wildcat for the brutal 200 mile trip to Plano on Friday and I got off my butt to do some other things that had been pestering me for a while. I changed the 63 power steering pump bracket to a 64 so it would be lower and so the belt wouldn't be all akimbo as most 63 bracketed pumps seem to be. This sounds easier than it actually is. The pulley wouldn't come loose with gentle persuasion(penetrating oil and hands) I then tried a puller-obviously the wrong type, and I started to bend the metal of the pulley. So I stopped (smart move number one, thus cancelling out dumb move number one which was doing anything to my perfectly running car other than changing the stinkin' oil.) I took it to a machine shop to have them get it off for me thinking: A)press pulley puller C) something other than what I was trying. I get it back. Clean it up. Paint it. Put it on. Fire up the 401. NO FREAKIN' POWER! Argh. Well at this point I figure it's too late for anything as unnecessary as P.S. on this extraordinarily light front end, so I will start to detail it. The short question after this long intro is: What went wrong? I can think of two things: I read AFTERWARDS to use ATF instead of power steering fluid. OOPS. Or did the guy bash the pulley off? What is, in the words of the Buick manual, a suitable puller? For my future reference. I have needed pullers several times to remove frozen pulleys and I have never had any luck with the "Sears Craftsperson" variety. How many jaws do I need. How do you guys unstick the miserably stuck? Why I ask so many questions? Oh yeah. One of the other things I did was the easiest leaky dynaflow fix yet....I changed the busted pan gasket. I really need to have a National to work for more often. See ya this weekend- Mike

Greetings from Austin. I wouldn't think with the driving you expect to do that you need a lead additive. The worst you will do is need a valve job down the line, at which point you can have hardened seats put in. BTW I played drums with Gatton a couple of times when I was growing up in DC. He was the greatest. Welcome aboard, Mike

Willie, Did you run off with my Buick instead or are you just trying to get off political discussions? Those are the two problems I experienced after rebuilding my engine in your shop. Maybe gremlins. I'll be back soon to help. See ya. Mike

Dan, that wasn't violence, it was plastic surgery (cologen)(er...sp?) Mike

I agree with the fact that society has an extreme fascination with "counter-point" and confrontation but I actually think Jesse James might be a good thing. Look at all the kids watching that show. It's about thinking through problems. Maybe dopey problems, but Mr. James is a serious metal worker. If ten kids grew up to be able to use an english wheel because they saw Jesse do it, the world will be a better place. Mike

Hi there. I sent in a question recently about the modified vs. driven awards. Due to my understanding I will be showing my 63 Wildcat convertible in the Plano Nationals as a driven car. I bought it off ebay for three grand. It was a #4- car. When it showed up in my driveway my wife almost killed me. I knew what a "project car" was and don't regret buying it, but it was a high school shop project at some point and the kids had attempted to low ride it. They removed all the "Kitty" badges and had put gallons of bondo on a smooshed rear quarter, covered it with an atrocious '70's Dodge van blue paint job, awful upholstery and "misplaced" most of the mechanism for the top. I originally bought it with the theory that I would have a convertible that I could have year round fun in. (For three grand how bad can that be?) Besides, I had no intention of ever showing it. Once I got into it, I realized that all of the embem shaving fun that the class had was gonna annoy me all to be damned. (That and the fact that they had replaced the 8 foot rear quarter trim with drywall screws through the trim.) Two years later I finally got it back together the way I wanted it. I used a Mitsubishi candy red color on the outside and sparkly silver on the seat inserts. I installed the top myself. I got it running great. I did everything in my power using every bit of automotive knowledge that my self taught mechanic (me) could muster, while learning knew techniques along the way. I drive it every chance I get. I entered the car in a custom car show in Austin last month and in a rather large field (post war convertibles) I won first place. I think the guy with the forty thousand dollar Mustang was pretty bummed. My point is that Buicks are unique and people,even non-Buick folks can appreciate that uniqueness. All the guys who put Chevy engines in their cars for "reliability" are cheating themselves when they don't drive them. Who needs reliability pulling their cars off the trailer? However, in another point, I appreciate anyone who does a great job with great workmanship. I am currently restoring my 55 Special to show at Buick shows in an attempt to remain original and possibly be judged in the 400 point system. This would make me equally as proud as the winning Wildcat but in a different way. Oh, and I have a leftover 55 nailhead that I will be eventually putting in a Model a Ford coupe as a 50's period hot rod. Then I will be in a three nailhead-powered family in three entirely different cars.Why? Cuz I love Buicks. Drive em' Mike Middleton p.s. Willis, thanks for the kind words on seeing my car in S.A. at the regional.

Bueller...Anyone? Anyone?

Hi there. I am planning on taking my 63 Wildcat convertible to the Nationals in Plano in June. I want to participate but I'm not sure which category to register for. The car is slightly modified: with non-original paint, upholstery, and ralley wheels. The original 401/ dynaflow combo is retained. I showed the car in San Antonio as modified (in a Buick meet) and original( in a custom car show) in Austin. The color is close to original color and the seat pattern is correct with different colors ( think 60's Kustom) . Just wondering. Thanks, Mike

I can only tell you who not to buy from. Do not order carpet from CARS. I got a 55 set from them with the back carpet cut upside down (the heater hole was on the wrong side.) I also got carpet for my Wildcat that was cut for a bench seat car instead of console. They wanted me to deal with the carpet company instead of returning it to them. I don't think it was necessarily their fault, but their supplier is giving them a bad product. Think about getting an upholsterer do the whole job (that's how I fixed my Wildcat problem). It will cost more but they will be able to do kick panels and anything else you may need. I do think that Daytona weave is correct for your car.

Let me add that the reason Willie used the string on the side seals was that the seals that came with the kit didn't actually seal. It was really tight on one side and just flopping around on the other. Watching Willie stuff 20 feet of goopy string into this opening was pretty hilarious and darn near classic. Another thing, referring to his comment on Buick World. BW please get your stuff together. You had competitive prices and good products but you were reeeeeeeally slow, and I still don't know if I got the refund on the stuff you guys didn't send. I know it's hard to run a small business, I used to run one. If you can't do it right don't do it at all. BTW my dynaflow leak finally subsided with a metric ton of leak sealer (Lucas) thus bypassing the gnarly rebuild of my tranny. Later, Mike

Hi there, I need a two groove pulley for the generator on an air-conditioned car. Please give me a hollar. Mike Middleton buick5563@grandecom.net

Hi Mr. Steve, Read my post in general. "350 in a 55" Willie has a lot of info in his reply. You will be very pleasantly surprised. Mike

Bryan, I just took the dash out of my 63 Wildcat and they are the same as far as mounting. The chrome trim painted black (with the ignition / wiper / vent / etc. ) in the middle holds the dash parts on. I believe they are 3/8 speed nuts. My advantage is mine were messed up and I bought replacements before taking the dash out, therefore knowing where the nuts were located. You have to take the ashtray out first. Also the rheostat on the knob is the fader wire. Mine didn't have that, it had already been rigged by a high school shop class. Gimme a hollar if you need more info. Mike

Naw, just wanted to get your attention. With the help of Old Tank Pittman, I just put a rebuilt 322 in my 55 Special. For those of you wanting to plop a 350 into your car for speed sake let me tell you, this 322 smokes my tires. Yeah it took me at least ten trips to the machine shop to make sure they were doing things right ( They weren't) and cost about 2 grand but I have a two barrel carb on this thing and, did I mention peeled out in drive (with a Dynaflow). Personally the thought of putting a crate motor in my car never crossed my mind, nor did using an alternator, or any of the other "updates". I assure you it doesn't. This is the first car I ever owned (since '85) and used to take me to work landscaping with shovels and day labor in the back seat (She's much more pampered now). These cars were really well engineered and can and should be driven often. So please, enough with the "reliability of a Chevy" thing. Drive 'em. Keep 'em Buick. Thanks a bunch Willie. Mike Middleton

Ya know, I was talking to a friend of mine who was talking about the" Harley Earl was here" commercials. The reason he left his hat on the hood of the SUV was because he (Earl) was disgusted at the fact that Buick was putting all their design in a Pontiac Aztec looking SUV instead of a Blackhawk type car with soul. Where was the Buick 100th anniversary hype? You couldn't turn on the TV without seeing a Ford commercial with a model a, Thunderbird, Mustang, etc. when it was their anniversary. I am a pesky young person with a pair of nailhead powered Buicks. It just bums me out to see Buick blowing it by not competing with a TT roadster or Mitsubishi Eclipse. I don't want no stinkin' SUV!