dei
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Posts posted by dei
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Well.... I did get a bit of a chuckle from reading "another literary post". Having hated English class in both Grade School and High School seems foreign to be associated with anything so... LOL. When my wife read that however, she just had to say, "See, I told you. You have inherited your fathers penchant for story telling and detail!" So be it......
The one thing I have to admit here is this, a few have offered advice to new people in the hobby that it is better to own one car and concentrate on it than have too many and not accomplish much. Clearly I'm that example and with a recent issue this fall and with the help of one of my son's, plan on making some progress together concerning the Ford.
So...
The truck is stock to the brake drums. You can see from the previous pictures what appears to be chrome wheels and the front tires and back tires were different widths and radials. With all new brakes, new flex lines, two new rear steel lines, lightly turned drums, new clutch and pressure plate (in that box of goods), new cluster gear, four new tires (matching those on her) and a complete tune up (again found in the box of parts), with mechanics Safety in hand I was off to the license bureau.
Not a show queen but running and mine! All this in about 6 weeks.
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1920 Willys Overland Model 4 Touring (Made in Canada)
owned since 1966
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1928 Willys Overland Whippet Cabriolet
28 year amature restoration,
From this:
To this:
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1951 Nash Canadian Statesman
80% original paint and 100% original interior with 103,000 miles
NEVER WINTER DRIVEN SINCE NEW.
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For any of you that have read my threads, "Changing of Ownership" listed in this section and "Me and My 1958 Buicks", listed in the Me and My Buicks section of the BCA, understand my long interest in anything automotive. I have found it helpful and motivating to post about my cars and hope you will find this interesting.
My interest in owning a truck started when Dad paid for my membership in our local Car Club when I was 12. The Club had purchased an old Dairy Barn which used to house the horses and wagons and they rented space to members for their cars to help pay for the building which had a Club room up in the old hay loft renovated for meetings and functions. Dad kept his 1920 Overland there for a while and when he went down to work on it I would tag along and explore the three bays of cars there. As Dad trusted me, what a great time to be left alone taking in the vast collection of cars without adults around to watch you! A vehicle that caught my attention (among many others) was a fire engine red 1949 Ford F1 with a flat head V8! While not a 100 point truck it sure was something that stuck in my mind I'd like own some day.
Fast forward to the early 90's. While working in the suburb's I spot a white 48 to 52 Ford truck parked on the street near one of my jobs. Looking it over and seeing it was truly just a driver, decided to leave my card as no one seemed to be around, with a short note expressing my interest if he wanted to sell. Never heard anything from that effort but will come back to this later.
Move ahead to 2003. A group of fellow Car Club members and I are off early one morning to a swap meet and don't I spot a Ford truck parked on a lot near a Beer Store in town with a for sale sign on it. Man, couldn't get back soon enough to go look at it up close!
Being this was on Sunday the Awning business was closed so took down the phone number and waited till Monday. I spent some time looking this thing over and could tell it had been sitting outside for some time and had no current license plate on it. However.... it was white, had two flatheads sitting in the box under plastic and yet with a complete drive train in it. As faded as the paint was and the seat covers as ratted looking as they were, could this be the one I saw way back when?
It took a month of phone messages to the cell number on the truck and the Awning business before I finally met the owner and started to discuss price. In the mean time I started searching the net for similar truck pricing and looked at few listed locally before getting serious with this fellow. After a few conversations with my wife, I went back with a bottom line offer and he left me one of the spare engines (which turned out to be a boat anchor again due to bad storage) and the deal was done.
I did get three boxes of addition spare parts (mostly used) in the deal and while loading asked him about ever getting my card asking about selling it years ago. Being a bit of a character, he said no he did not remember anything like that but this was one of three trucks his dad had owned and he had grown up with. Oh well.
The truck started ok with a boost from a 12V battery but had it's original 6V positive ground system. Brakes worked OK but not strong and... as I was about to go up on the car dolly I had, doesn't he say that I should use 2nd gear as first had a few teeth missing and might break some more! OOHH K! Thank heavens the price was where it was as I suspected there would be a few hidden things to come!
So off to the shop we go and with the help of my mechanic the journey begins. This is September 2003 and since it has been 10 years I have decided to post what it has taken to get here today and what my plans are for the future.
As purchased condition. Note the spare (boat anchor) engine under the plastic.
More to come.
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My 1958 Buick Limited 2dr.... my 1st car when in High School .....
Waiting quietly for me and the sawsall ..... which I couldn't quite make myself get to this year .......
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I thought it was curious that the weather guru's have started to name winter storms. And even more curious when they named last nights Electra! It's no surpriuse I love Electra's, but this one could have passed me by and I would have been okay with it. Meanwhile, here's some photos of why we use an 11 horsepower snowblower for such a small driveway...
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But this is the coupe de grace!
BOY DID YOU EVER GET HIT!
We had 8 inches here (south of Detroit) in total. Being the first major snow fall of the season, way too many white knuckle drivers out there!
A friend of ours managed to drive his all wheel drive Lexus into a ditch head on thinking he was turning onto a road which actually was 100 yards further up. No one was hurt but he needs a new front tire and that fancy front bumper replaced.
I even had to tell my 86 year old mother to just stay home as there was nothing she needed that was that important.
Wishing everyone safe travels out there.
The beginning of the storm here.
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So here it is December 14, 2013 and our 1st MAJOR snow fall! (8 inches)
Not much accomplished as I'd hoped but..... 2014 resolution?
In the mean time, everyone have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!
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Truly enjoyed this video! Thanks for posting it!
I went to a Meet in Flint, Mi in 2009 and saw this.
At least four of those engines survive today.
It was great to see the Packard Plant in it's day and alive! A must see for everyone!
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Jim.
I'm thrilled for you! Yes, some cleaning will indeed make / help her look to her potential!
Even if you put a blanket on that front seat who knows / who cares. The paint (if it is original) might even clean up and give you that patina a black car of that age just needs!
KEEP US POSTED!
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Thought I'd chime in about Michelin tires, admittedly not about warrantee.
Dad bought a 1986 Volkswagen Westfalia (camper) only one year old that came from the factory with Michelin tires. He used it for vacations only with various highway and secondary road travel. I don't know the mileage but he needed to replace the front tires eventually as this vehicle does wear the fronts more than most apparently. He chose another brand tire not thinking about warrantee being purchased used (probably more due to cost). After some years, on a trip to Seattle, Wa he has a flat somewhere in Idaho. He had AAA who towed them to a tire shop. The tech noticed the flat tire brand and said he was familiar with these campers and recommended Dad go back to the recommended Michelin tire for this application. He explained that the less expensive tires did not have the design characteristics required for the unique handling and weight distribution of the camper. Kind of like a car tire on a 3/4 ton truck, will fit the rim but how safe is that? He paid the price, had two new Michelin's put on and made it out to Seattle & back plus many, many more miles after with no issues.
I'd like to think had Dad had any issues with a tire, given he put on the recommended tire size and brand, that Michelin would be as honorable as Bigdog's experience.
Dad finally sold the Camper just before he lost his license but has made it across the continent, coast to coast and north to south, mostly on correct sized Michelin's.
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The manual override valve was used for jacking up the car for tire changing or for negotiating a high curb or steep driveway.
When the valve was pulled, the air exhausting out of all 4 airbags was cut off thus inflating the bags and causing the car to rise. The bumper jack could be used normally then to continue to raise the side of the car needed to change the wheel and tire assembly. When the tire change was completed, the valve was pushed back in to cause the air to be slowly exhausted to bring the car back to normal height. The car was never to be driven with the valve pulled and the bags inflated to their full height. Compensation for a load was controlled mechanically by the leveling/height control valves.
THANKS DAVE for that clarification!
With a life time of ownership I know I still don't know everything about '58 Buicks but with the help of this Forums someday, who knows, I just might be able to say that.
The saying 'Your never too old to learn' applies here.
In the mean time, I sent you a PM.
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What was the purpose of the override?
It's my understanding (since mine never were working) that by pulling on the cable that it allowed more air to the rear bags and would therefore raise the car to compensate for varying loads.
It is actually called the Height Control Valve. A good idea in theory but the technology just wasn't there yet.
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The Whippet might be a '28. With that double bar bumper it could be a '27.
Mine is a '28.
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Hey Rusty,
Not to pick bones here OK, The Limited was a stand alone model by itself as published by George H. Dammann's book Seventy Years of BUICK. Somehow the "Riviera" name came into play with all the other models but the Limited was not known as the 'Roadmaster Limited'. As noted it did indeed use the Roadmaster's chassis BUT was extended at the rear to accommodate the longer body. (No criticism intended just clarification)
By the way tripingeorge3,
Your Century stats per George's book:
Century Riviera Model 63 (which is more desirable than the sedan/post Model 61)
Production/sales: 15,171
Cost New: $3,436.00
Weight: 4,267lbs
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Technically not an Old Gas Station as it it a recreated one but.... It has been shelved with a great collection of original auto parts, wood floor in the office and old time garage repair equipment let alone a restored gas pump.
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Dave,
If you come across that conversion kit Instruction sheet, I'd appreciate a copy if you wouldn't mind.
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I agree,Adam. That's why I noted in parentheses "unless the pump was replaced at some point". Usually you'll find air lines still resting in the frame rails, as well as the leveling valves and air tank still in place as you mentioned. Also the override valve under the instrument panel usually is still in place. Somewhere I may have the instruction sheet that came with the conversion kit detailing other changes.
Just to confirm what Dave is saying, My two Limited's have all the air ride parts on them BUT the air bags. Sadly, the lines and rear leveling mechanisms are rusted badly which means the system was converted a long time ago.
The inside over ride cable is located under the dash (glove box at the trany hump).
Sorry for the poor picture but it is where the bit of silver (bracket) shows through the steering wheel.
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Its a rust bucket but I can see its potential. It runs and moves but no brakes. Right now my biggest concern is fix the front fenders around the headlights. I've been trying to source fenders but they are $375 and up not including shipping. All I really need is the curved part around the headlights. Do you think its possible to remake that part? Would like to save the cash.
Congrats with your '58 Buick ownership!
Here is what someone else did on the fenders before I bought my car (Roadmaster).
While they looked OK (?) as a driver, I removed them as the inner panels were rusted to the point the fenders actually flexed some. I have found good fenders that will eventually go back on (when I have the money & time - sigh).
You have nothing to lose by trying your efforts at a repair. All depends on your ability.
Good luck with your project. Keep us posted (with pictures naturally).
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Hello Jim & Welcome!
Nice collection of 50's cars, especially the Limited!
If you don't find the missing hash (quarter panel) strips try Cars Inc (I think). They have reproduction sets and are a bit thicker than the originals but most people wouldn't notice that unless a 58 Limited guy.
Do you have the stainless rear window trim?
It would be great if you can get her running.
Keep us posted.
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I wanted to chime in on the In-Line Tube issue too.
My neighbour has been doing several cars in the last 15 years and while they look stock from the first on look, they have been updated mechanically (modified) but to a degree that you truly don't know it until you open the hood. He also used SS brake lines from In-Line and even though it was a 1969 Camero, just didn't quite fit. He did some tweaking to get there (which was difficult being SS) and from then on has purchased regular steel lines.
What I wanted to add here is that once he gets them to fit right, he takes them off and clear coats them. As he doesn't drive them in the winter but stores them, the thinking is that they will not start to flash rust even if getting caught out in the rain and parked. Just thought that makes some sense.
I have a set of In-Line brake lines for my '58 Special and even with laying them out under the car, will be expecting that they will have to be tweaked to fit after reading about yours and others experiences.
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As you've demonstrated on this Forum before, NICE WORK!
I'll guaranteed be in contact with you when I dig out my Limited quarter sweep!
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Thought I'd chime in..... my (Canadian) 2 cents worth.
I like what Jay has shown with Firstborn's suggestion!
My experience with paint/patina has been with an old car trunk. I started out just trying to polish the nickle plated hinges, clasps and corners which soon led to the faded/scratched paint. Using some 000 fine steel wool with metal polish resulted in this.
I know, it's not a Buick, but thought it might support what some time (albeit a lot) and effort might show.
Guess it all depends on what you want as a finished result.
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Brian,
Check out Ebay. There is a used one currently listed for Buy It Now @ 35.00 with pics in Minn. There is also a Ph# listed to RPM Motor Sports: 1-888-2231-1864 for any questions.
ME & MY '52 FORD F1
in Our Cars & Restoration Projects
Posted · Edited by dei
sp (see edit history)
Even though the truck was not a fine example of a well preserved vehicle and displayed signs of hard use I was a happy camper and was content to dive in and clean her up as best I could.
While pondering just where to start, after taking a few comments on the overall condition/look, decided to tackle the interior as my budget did not include a body & paint job just yet. First job was to take off those tattered looking seat covers and see what was underneath.
Note the red shag carpet oooooo....That definately had to go!
I could tell there was some red, what appeared to be vinyl from the torn sections but was surprised to see that it was the original material when new.
With not much effort out came the seat which needed to have two seat springs repaired before recovering.
Now to that shag carpet. Once pulled up imagine my surprise what I find near the drivers door?
Sure enough! This was the same truck I had seen on the road about 10 years earlier!