Dan O

Thanks for the information and recommendation, Pete!

Hello all - On my rebuilt 1949 Buick 320 we went to install the old temp sender unit back into the block and there is no brass tube on it to go into the head like I thought there should be - I saw some replacements online with the tube/sensor. The metal on the nut that screws into the head seems too soft as well and it just seems like it's not right. Any ideas on repairing or replacing these units before I spray water inside my nice new engine compartment and interior? I see Bob's has a rebuilding service for $190 which includes gauge. Seems high but what do I know.

If you have not already done so, shoot some motor oil in each cylinder to loosen the years of rust and gunk in there. Let it sit a couple of days. Install fresh plugs, wires, etc, two table spoons of gas in the carb and she should fire. Those were my instructions from an old mechanic years ago and it worked first try on my '49 Roadmaster years ago.

This solenoid is a very rare item indeed. I've been looking for one for months.

Check out this link from Long Island Buick Club for good photos of engine colors for the different years of Buick s. https://www.libuickclub.org/buick-engines

That's a nice original car in classic colors but it's still a loser on so many levels. I had 1 '58 4-door Citation many years ago. Black and silver. Folks would say, oh, so that's an Edsel! So cool. I bet it's worth a lot of money." To which I'd say, " Yes, it is! Wanna buy it?". Took a long time to sell but it went to New Zealand.

Guys, I am not asking you to buy these cars - just sharing some great looking Buicks for sale that I see. What's a '53 Buick worth? I would not buy it at any price as I think they are sort of boring. I'm finally in the middle of restoring my '49 Roadmaster after holding it for 30 years and know these might not be a deal for you but are way below their restoration costs and that's what I find interesting. I realize restoration is a labor of love and can also be just a waste of money. I do see the big gap on the hood but I think the gap you see on the gas door is some chrome trim. It was nice enuff for the grand poopahs to grant top honors at ACCA at one time. If you want to see crazy asking price look at the black '49 76c on eBay now.

Not my favorite Buick but certainly well restored for less that $56.5k. No buyers yet. I hate to see the market for old cars slammed but the pandemic seems to have taken a lot of play money off the table. https://www.ebay.com/itm/1953-Buick-Roadmaster-/174440570488?nma=true&si=BjsKpmS8V8RHLNoyC%2BMs%2Bgjd0Pk%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1949-Buick-Super/174441790368 Seems like a great Super with a lot of originality still. Restoration alone would cost this much or very close.

Looking for a turn signal lever for my '49 Roadmaster with nice chrome. I imagine they are common to other years and models. Also for '49 need a small underhood cable clamp that fits on air duct on drivers side and holds two cables in place. It's a tiny part but I lost mine and need a replacement. Could also use a trunk lid for '49 sedanette in rust and dent free condition as well as nice exterior chrome and stainless in dent-free condition to upgrade what I now have. Need decent rear seat ash trays and coat hooks with great chrome and grab straps as well.

Do yourself a favor and buy that special tool. The clips can be tricky but pop right off with a squeeze of the handles.

My 1949 Roadmaster has a terminal block on the passenger side of the radiator with 10 wires attaching to it. I have seen some new marine applications in black but does anyone know where I can get a new reproduction in brown, like the original? The driver's side block has only eight screws and is reproduced and sold by Bob's Automobilia - picture below:

Need a nice trunk lid for 1949 Buick sedanette if you have one.

Thanks for the PM but French Lake had none. I found them out west at High Desert Antique Auto. Glen Mott has a few '49's out in his lot in Idaho.

Also, you can find that patterened insulation or something that looks close above the headliner, fixed lightly to the roof, in 1949 Roadmasters. Might look in a parts car but it may be crispy by now. I have it in mine but have not had a chance to compare closely to what's in the trunk.

I was told by a body man that he would need to take the trunk skin off of the trunk frame, apply the deadener/insulation mat to skin and weld it back together.

Need 3-4 of these two-part clips for my 1949 Roadmaster sedanette. Not sure what other models and years use this same two-part clip but I would imagine any '49 would work. We got the windshields out and cannot proceed with the project until we find some replacement windshield clips.

I know this should go in WTB but I'll put it here first as it's such a small but hard to find item. Need 3-4 of them soon. Scott Farrington has some but poor guy was hit with a mighty windstorm.

Here's a bit of info for reference. At 2carb40's request, here are the results of a dynomoeter test I had performed on my rebuilt 1950 320 engine. I bought it untested from a fellow who bought it from an estate so it was a bit of a gamble if it actually ran properly. Rather than drop it in the 1949 76S and hope for the best we had Ted Eaton of Eaton Balancing in Lorena, Texas test it on his dynomometer. Ted commented one of the cylinders had lower compression than it should and the engine is starved for fuel with the single carb. I plan on trying out an Edmunds dual carb manifold I have later once the car gets back on the road but will need a header built. Ted worked thru the carb and changed the jets and adjusted the valves a little. It has a rebuilt distributor and was tested on Pertronix ignition with fresh plugs and wires. It maxed-out about 131.4 HP @ 3500 rpm which is less that the touted 150. Without much history on the rebuild I am not sure why it did not produce more. Ted is a Ford man and holds the world speed record for Y-block Fords with one of his engines - he guessed the low HP might be due to the thickness of the head gasket but had no other comments. Anyway, it runs smoothly and I look forward to taking her out for a drive this fall with a fresh dynaflow!

OK - I will make a new post with the results.

Bob's Automobilia? Then there's Fusick, Kanter, etc. Compare prices. It seems they all get their kits from the same place but I have never ordered a whole kit.

I shared the paint code numbers from paintref.com with the friendly folks at Scott-Day Paints in Houston. The Ditzler PPG number of 9100 for 1950 Buicks on that site is outdated still and does not match current codes. They called PPG and did find that those old numbers for Carlsbad Black match current PPG 9000. So, there ya go.

I did look there just now and see they have single stage paints available as well as BCCC paints and acrylic lacquer paints. They have some old paint chip images but no cross-reference to modern paints I could find. That did get me looking further and I found this site with cross-reference to PPG, etc: https://paintref.com/cgi-bin/colorcodedisplay.cgi?make=Buick&con=yk&year=1949&page=1&rows=50 Very useful paint resource site I think. They do not list Carlsbad Black for 1949 but do for 1950 - Ditzler PPG 9100, Acme Rogers 700. I imagine Carlsbad Black in 1949 is the same formula as 1950 Buicks, right?

Ha - nice idea. Expensive I am sure but nice. I might go with BMW's lights behind the grill idea though! I always wanted to light up the venta-ports like Ned Nickles did in 1948, so who knows.

I am sure this black paint has been sprayed on many a member's car over the years. Does anyone already have the source for the proper formula to replicate "correct" the factory Carlsbad Black? I am no paint pro but I would suppose it's different for two-stage paint from single stage? I know the gloss will be different. I am looking to apply this to just my firewall and steering column right now. The rest of the car will come later. It appears to me those engine compartment areas are the same as the exterior paint from factory.