chub chub

hey jyrki, i think my beliefs are similar to yours. you make some good points. as far as i am concerned, anyone can do what they want with their car. you can restore, chop, channel, section, hot rod, rat rod, slam your car or put the shell on a 2004 volvo frame. i am going to have some opinions and so are others. if you don't want feedback, keep your car in your garage. if you display your car to others in any forum you have to expect good and bad feedback. accept and relish both positive and negative feedback. we learn from both. we are adults here. if someone hates what i am doing to my car they can let me know. i will consider their opinion and make my own decision.

i'm not too fond of the stop leak. aside from stopping leaks, the rest of it doesn't belong in the engine. i like the expandable freeze plug shoved into the existing freeze plug for a temporary fix idea. has anyone else had good results with this?

i can't give you a value, but i'm sure you could sell them for more by piecing them out than a package deal. however if you just want to get rid of them, do a package deal. if you want them to go to go to someone who will appreciate them, you should post them on this site.

looks pretty, but can you attach a larger pic to a post so we can really see it? i just got some digital pics of my '52 today so i have to try to learn how to post them myself. good luck to us both!

hello all, about 2.5 months ago i pulled the radiator from my '52 buick. prior to this i had no coolant leaks, just a clogged radiator. i had it re-cored and installed it last weekend. after a test drive i noticed it started leaking from the 2 inches of hose between the water pump and the housing below the thermostat. today i went back to replace the hose (which appeared to be 52 years old) and discovered a new leak! there is a tiny tiny hole/crack in one of my freeze plugs. i replaced the hose and took a drive. everything is good now except for the tiny hole on the interior of the freeze plug. i tried a couple temporary fixes but the trickle of coolant was enough to push them out before they could set up. any ideas on the causes of my problem or ideas for a temp fix until i can replace the freeze plug? thanks in advance.

the '52 grille is the best. but that is only because i own a '52.

so now we aren't supposed to criticize cars? we can only speak positively of them? i spent a lot of time in college to get a B.F.A. in studio art. criticism is what makes you think. it's what inspires you to say... "what can i do next? what did i do right? what needs improving?". believe me, negative criticism gets the creative juices flowing much more than saying..." hey, great car". i want everyone to feel free to build their cars the way they want, but don't cry if someone hates it! there is room for all of our tastes. at least that's what i thought. don't tell people it's not appropriate to voice their opinions. sure, they could be more "delicate" about it, but not everyone is P.C. when i get a digital camera, i'll post some pics of my car and i'll welcome all feedback, even if you tell me it's the biggest pile of s**t you've ever seen. just don't tell people they shouldn't express their opinion.

more photos PLEASE! looks great and congrats on the find. what are your plans for it?

any cars hidden in that barn?

post if it still overheats after fixing the hose. post if it doesn't. we can take it frome there. best of luck.

hey, we're supposed to be a buick lover orginization, right? that doesn't mean we love every buick. there are things i like about that buick and things i would never do to mine. if one guy thinks it's "crap-tactular", fine with me. i hate how some people modernize cars from the 30's - 60's. to me they have ruined them. i should feel free to say so. i'm not saying they should not do it, just not my taste. build it the way you want it, accept the praise, accept the criticism, and most importantly, just keep working until YOU are happy. my preferance is cars from the early 30's to the very early 60's. if someone shows a buick from '84 i don't have to appreciate it just because it is 20 years old. i should be able to tell them "i don't care about, or like your car". they can tell me "so what, i love it and i've worked really hard to make it what it is". my response would be "good for you". don't dismiss harsh criticism, relish it. if you're not pissing someone off, you're not doing anything interesting.

hey ken, just wanted to let you know that the link is no good. try again if you could. i'd like to check it out.

maybe we're supposed to read it backwards and look for hidden messages.

if you get desperate enough, you can buy the smaller plug and take it to a hardware/plumbing store and get an adaptor.

actually... i may want those scripts. my 52 was "mostly shaved" when i bought it. i'll see if they're the same scripts as the 52 if you don't want them. pics. would help. even if i don't put them on the car, they would be nice to have. let me know if you really want to get rid of them. thanks, scott

fr. buick is right on. regarding recore, $500 does sound too high. i just had the radiator for my 52 special recored. it cost me $380 with tax, and i live in san francisco where you pay too much for everything. shop around some more, and good luck. scott

also, make sure everything is properly grounded. a little rust or corrosion around assemblys can prevent grounding and prevent bulbs from flashing. if that's the case, you can replace assemblys or clean with sandpaper.

check where the wires run through the body. if the wires are exposed there, they will rub the body causing an erratic signal.

i have a price guide from 1996. according to it a 53 4 door is worth $1900 in a number 4 condition. 4 means good. here is the description of a #4 car..."good: a drivable vehicle needing no or only minor work to be functional. also, a deteriorated restoration or a very poor amature restoration. all components may need restoration to be 'excellent,' but the car is mostly useable 'as is'". older cars are going up in value so keep in mind this quote is from '96. in 1996 a #5 condition was worth $1140, a #3 was worth $3800. ultimately the question is how much is the car worth to you. in may i paid too much for a '52 special 2door hardtop. i am still doing work to get it on the road for more than 10 miles. even though i paid too much, i don't regret it because i love the style of it so much that it is only a matter of time (and money) before i make it into what i want it to be. hope this helps a little.

i've decided to have chub chubs' radiator re-cored. it will use the original tanks and should be done next week. does $350 sound about fair for this? i guess it doesn't matter too much, it's got to be done and i'm told the guy is good. i'd rather have my car than $350 bucks and i can't re-core it myself (yet!). thanks as always, chub chub.

sounds like it could be a '52 or '53. if it is a '53 it should have two separate lenses on each side of the trunk for turn signals and brake lights. on the '52 and (somewhat earlier) the lights were combined, two bulbs but one shared lense on each side. i believe this is true of all '52/'53 buicks. if anyone knows better i'd be glad to know. if you can post pics or any more info these guys can figure out anything for you. you can also see pics of '52 vs.'53 at www.hubcapcafe.com hope this helps, chub chub.

chub chub here. the radiator on my 52 special is clogged. i pulled it out and brought it with me to s.f. to get estimates to have it repaired. i am also considering getting a new high performance radiator instead since i plan to hot rod the straight 8 a bit. anyone have any suggestions on what fits or where to get it? thanks, chub chub

i haven't gotten to adjusting the lash on the buick yet. i did it on my 63 chevy last weekend along with other adjustments. it is running better but still has the hard rapping noise. i am trying to get it running as well as possible so i can sell it for buick money. it also has a history of carbon fouling plugs. i just want to be able to sell it knowing i did all i could to make it as reliable as is possible. then i can concentrate on chub chub. any other suggestions are welcome. thanks chub chub

hey, i have a question about oil and fuel additives. my 52 special straight 8 makes a hard rapping noise associated with lifters (so does my 63 chevy straight 6 and my friends 58 ford straight 6).i've read that this can also be caused by carbon buildup in the cylinders. there are a lot of products that claim to reduce these problems. some say oil additives are a waste since the ingredients are already added to most oils. some say oil and fuel additives which contain detergents are bad because they free up junk which gets lodged in other parts of the engine. what are the general feelings about adding these products to 40-50 year old engines. do they help or cause more problems down the line? thanks, chub chub

live and learn. sometimes the most obvious solution is overlooked. yes, the problem was gear oil. there was only about a shot glass full in the tranny. i drained and refilled it and it helped so much. i also replaced the shift linkage bushings but the problem was obviously no gear oil. now it shifts great, not fast but still much better. now my problem is overheating. at about 55mph (i don't know for sure, the spedo. doesn't work) it overheats after about 10 miles. it has a new water pump and hoses. i pulled the thermostat and tested it. it seems to work fine. i even tested the car without it. it still overheated. the radiator cap seems to hold proper pressure, but i get alot of draining out of the overflow.i think the timing is still off but from what i understand this only raises the temp a few degrees. i'm not sure what to check next.any ideas? thanks again chub chub