dei
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Posts posted by dei
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I need to pinstripe my 1930 Ford coupe. I've read posts on the Fordbarn about these two methods. Most of the opinions were to skip this and have it done by a professional. So, what say the AACA members about these two options?
Thought I'd throw my 2cents out there and show you what a taped pinstripe looks like.
Dad did this car mostly because he didn't find anyone locally that was 'good/professional' at painting them on. The car was completed in 1995 and the tape has held up well but I guess it comes down to what you want in the end.
I do think pin striping does set the car(s) off nicely. Could be I'm biased?
Notice he even did the wheels with tape.
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SORRY, somehow hit the submit button before I was finished.....
I messed with things while still hot, adding to my already scared hands as it is tight in there and finally had to park her for another day.
I found that a couter (sp?) pin was suggesting a bit of contact due to it's length, the block for the steering/gas control was very sloppy (worn) and the float is still sticking sometimes.
Did I say that the new gas shut off is working perfectly?????
The other good thing about adjusting the carb (a real learning curve here for me) is that I found that she has way more power than it used to have! I have an overpass (secondary road) near home and when I used it she would literally bog down to about 20 miles an hour with my foot to the boards! Now, it not only maintains 30 mph, it will actually feel like it would climb faster if pushed! And.. I have not checked the timing yet!
Sadly.... The motor is going to need a complete overhaul as not only are the gaskets leaking almost everywhere but the oil is blowing out the fill tube to the point with the coil right next to it, I have to wipe it off before each outing and yet she fires right away and while smoking, troupes on down the road! I'd sure hate to walk back from as far as she would take me before totally breaking down!
REALLY don't want to go there!
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My tweaking the existing carb proved both good & bad. I was able to get her to idle down respectably and with a short ride really happy how she was running. Then I went for a tour through the City and naturally had the odd idiot that just had to pass and then stop short because he found himself racing in front of me and closing in on the car ahead of me! This resulted with me trying to hit the brakes hard (twice) and as anyone with mechanical brakes knows, you had better have your hand on the emergency brake to get that hard brake action if things are not adjusted right up to snuff!
After those two incidents, it seemed that the car would not idle down and before I got home I found I had to reach down, grab to gas pedal and pull it up in order to keep the rpm's down. After more adjusting the carb (idle screw) and linkage I finally took out the carpet and floor boards to see what might be hanging up. At first I thought that the gas rod was hanging up in the hole through the wood floor board. Remember, this car was a 28 year restoration basket case project and Dad put things together back before the internet was something one could look up. He had somehow came up with an aluminum rod for the gas bending it to the various bends required to get to the carb. While it works under gentle conditions, I think with my #12's, the position it comes through the floor next to the brake pedal and the fact I had to jam on the brakes hard has bent the rod to the point things bind and the engine will race when shifting and adding a new adventure to driving an antique car!
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So...I couldn't rest till I figured out what was going on.
After taking off the shut off and the carb I decided to tighten (lightly) the few screws and bottom needle valve nut. I then put things back together, filled the vacuum tank with gas and opened the shutoff. Gas was flowing like a fountain up from the vent hole on the float plate! OK, after shutting off the gas, removed the plate and pushed the float (gently) down a few times and things seemed to be moving without any restriction and the float wasn't heavy (full of gas).
Question:
Should there be a gasket on that cover?
I replaced the cover, turn the gas back on and nothing was leaking. I left it open before trying to start her, decided to pull the plugs, which I found out later had not been looked at since about 1996. Here is what I found:
The gap was about 40 thousands each (give or take) but as I suspected, lots of oil up inside. I carefully wire wheeled each one (4) and rechecked the gap before putting them back in. With no leaking gas showing I hit the starter and off she went! Much to my disappointment it still had a bit of popping going on from the carb... especially when reving it up a bit but at least it was firing.
I'm not afraid to turn a few wrenches but I'm no carb guy but thought, it sounds like it's not getting enough gas so, started turning out the screw on the throat body. That made some difference but not enough. Then I turned out the T valve on the bottom and it acted like it wanted to stall so started to turn it in. After a bit things started to smooth out and after setting the idle I tweaked the mixture screws some more.
I then took it out for a ride and to my surprise it seemed to have a bit more power (with no popping sounds). With daylight growing short these days I drove her back for now but plan on spending time on Saturday to see if I can fine tune things a bit more and sort through the carbs I got from Dad.
Extra Tillotson's
Spare Zienoth's
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With work keeping me busy, the Whippet has been sitting since about the middle of August. Decided to take it to a Spring Shop to get a quote on rebuilding the fronts and rears. She started up fine but not long down the road it is popping through the carb a bit and when I got there (not too far a trip), it seemed there was more gas leaking somewhere than usual. I knew I needed to replace the gas shutoff for sure and the shop guys said that it would need to be fixed before they took it inside so... Managed to get home taking many back roads and decided to take out that shut off after things cooled down. Found another gas shutoff at a hardware store (identical) and decided to take off the carb to investigate.
It is a Tillotson unit and looks like Dad has some kind of sealant all over one end.
I'm off to his house to look through some more boxes he still has and look at some extra carbs he says he has collected over the years.
More later, Doug.
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While I believe I know where you are coming from, I can't say I have ever been teary-eyed because I just haven't sold anything I'm attached to yet. I still have my 1st, 2nd & 3rd cars.
2nd car
However I did almost go into cardiac arrest one time when after 10 years of marriage or so, my wife casually (in her mind) suggested that I should sell a few cars in order to have one really good one! Been married going on 34 years and still have those cars but...
believe I can feel your pain.
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Robert (& family),
Now that's what I'm talking about when it comes to my cars, being with the things you love. Family (foremost), friends and your favorite Buick all at the same time and on a road trip!
So glad your trip was trouble free. Your hard work (with family support) indeed paid off.
I love the story of your grandfather willing to almost 'sell the farm' to buy the Buick! He sounds like quite a guy and knows what he likes in car's.
Think of Michigan as yet another adventure and one hopefully you can share with all your family when they come up to visit.
Great job with your post. Thanks for sharing, Doug
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Ethanol raises the octane rating of any gasoline it is blended into. While it has a 63% lower heat content during combustion, it burns more slowly than gasoline (which is what an octane rating measures). Pure ethanol has an octane rating of roughly 110.
In North America (incl. Canada) 94 octane is pretty much the upper limit for road fuels. A legit 95 octane gasoline (not refined originally for off-road or racing) almost certainly is made from blending a premium grade of gas with ethanol.
Hey Dave,
Might have to head back and check if what I stated is accurate about the octane and as stated take a shot of the tank(s) for you all. I have been wrong before but as I have been told, I was mistaken...
We used have a high octane Sunoco station here years ago but.....
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Hey Robert,
It has indeed been a while.
Glad to to hear you are still working on your Buick!
I used a spray product on my heater box that was advertised as an undercoating quite a few years ago and it seams to match the texture of what was on there (maybe a bit thinner) but looks OK. Mine came in a rattle can and not that expensive for what I wanted to do.
Yours is looking good.
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Do the holes line up if you rotate it 90 degrees clockwise? I know it is counterintuitive that it should be that way.
Hi,
I get what you eluding to but between the outer holes, there is a solid formed bar under the plate to support (and raise) the space for making the plate flat.
My guess now is that what was put on this car before, came from another make which had a wider (bigger) step plate. Guess I will have to consider drilling new holes to completely bolt the plate on and have the fender repainted (holes repaired) to make it right.
Thanks for the reply.
Doug
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Any '58 Buick?
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Well you found one station that is close to me and I will use it. Thanks lordairgtar. Bobcanucks original observation though is not true. usually alcohol free gas is available at marinas and close to racetracks and has nothing to do with premium. I suspect that Canada has a lot less corn farmers than we do.
That's not true in Southern Ontario necessarily about the corn farmers part but....
Haven't paid attention to the pump stickers much. Will take a moment and post a shot of a pump here soon.
I know that I recently bought gas here with an octane rating of 95 which surprised me! Have to drive 10 miles to get there but.... the old Buick loves it!
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As this is about Robert's Winter Storage question up in Michigan (close to home)....and mice came up....
Bought this riding lawnmower last year from the original owner who washed and waxed it after every use since 1992, then put it in his wood floor shed...
I used it on a 3/4 acre yard soon after as it seemed to run great, finished and drove it on the trailer and when got back home smelled smoke! It seems the MICE had built a mobile home!
Being a twin cylinder both sides has to be completely cleaned out!
(notice the pile/home on the lower right after cleaning)
Soooooo glad this has never happened to one of my cars!
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Hey Scott,
Happy to offer help (or not) for fellow '58 Buick owners.
Here is a picture of my dash which is original to my car (excluding the red kick panels - although from my '58 Roadmaster):
As you can see my padded dash has collapsed from the foam they used back then withering away (think 50 plus years). This leads me to believe that there is a flat metal panel to which the formed foam was glued to and then covered by the vinyl and bolted to the dash panel as a unit. If yours has a metal pointed/rounded piece then it would be painted which I have seen before.
Again, if that is your case, it would be more desirable from a cost perspective as I have seen (awhile ago now) the price for a Roadmaster/Limited dash pad in the 1500.00 area! To add to that, the Special/Century series is narrower than the upper series and not sure they are even available?
What I have seen is some have re-foamed to the pointed shape, covered with similar grained material and stitched/sewn where the heat seams are but.... better than nothing if you need it padded right?
As to patching holes in the body let me guess;
under the headlights, rocker panels, doglegs before the rear wheels, small panel between the rear taillights and trunk, spare tire well, rear floor pan, front body floor mounts...
All typical '58 Buick issues.
Don't be afraid to start a thread on Me & My Buick. We all like pictures of everyone's car in progress or just out enjoying them....
Good luck with the progress,
Doug
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Do what you can and don't get hung up on the articles written in all the auto magazines each fall about storage. Yes it would be nice for everyone to have a heated/air conditioned storage for they collectables but the reality is we don't. On jacks/not on jacks...an ongoing discussion. Mice can be a problem so do what you can, If your storage is also your shop, maybe a rescue cat could handle the mice issue.
Last, we read almost monthly about barn finds that have been sitting for 20-30 year and they add gas and the car runs......with nothing done during that long storage.
Robert,
I know you are asking because of your impending move and.. all the things that come with that but.. I agree with what Barney has said. I put my Special in a drive shed at a farm with a dirt floor (after placing barn plank and plastic down first) about 1976. Back then no one thought of putting gas stablizer in the tank. I just made sure the rad antifreeze was about 50/50 and finally in 1983 went out with a new battery, topped off the tank, splashed some gas down the carb and after several times cranking, off she went! Drove it the 20 miles to home after checking to make sure she had brakes 1st and started looking after the necessary mechanical things so my wife and I could cruise with the gang dependably. Surely not everyone's experience but it did happen.
At the very worst, even if you had to park it in the driveway for your first winter, brush off the snow occasionally, keep the battery charged with a battery tender, fire it up occasionally as stated from others, using the brakes, keep it off the salted roads and with all you have accomplished mechanically, you should be good to go come spring time.
Oh and... all my cars have never been lucky enough to be housed in an insulated / heated garage.
Wishing you the best,
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Scott,
From what you are describing, I would guess that you have the paint only interior/dash. I have seen Specials optioned that way rather than the padding on the top (speaker area) and the padded front. Believe me, that would be much more reasonable to restore than the padded route if given the choice but it sounds like you are looking to be accurate with your car in the restoration process.
Just to put this out there, my Special has both the padded top and front padded cover, whereas my Limited's; one has the painted top with padded front and the other has the padded top with padded front yet both are identical down to options and body colour. Have not dug into what would be the difference in the trim code, just know they were original to the cars when I got them.
Not sure any of this helps and will defer to anyone that has access to those trim codes. Hopefully someone will chime in.
By the way, sounds like you have a great car! Any pictures of your progress?
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Cstang50,
CONGRATS on your purchase!
Should be a motivating resto for you. Get her running, drive it, enjoy the memories and make some more.
As stated, keep us posted.
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Can't confirm what would be correct but here is mine for you to consider how things look.
(Please ignore the red kick panels...)
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IF........
Most certainly would concentrate on restoring three of my 58 Buick's but.....
Would be on the lookout for a 58 Buick LIMITED convert!
Oh Ya, that would cap a lottery win for me.
Of course that would be AFTER I kept the home front water smooth first, otherwise it might be only HALF of that winnings! LOL
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Can they take their firearms with them if they happen to own any?
Good Lord DON'T TRY THAT at the Border! Canada Customs has NO sense of humor there. The last guy that tried that at the Detroit/Windsor border was charged big time and had to fight spending time in Jail with two shot guns and a hand gun.
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Wondering if anyone can offer what I might have here. Inherited Dad's 1928 Whippet Cabriolet Coupe with a rumble seat. During his restoration of this car, while transporting it to the body guy, looses the fender step plate for the rumble seat access. Somewhere down the road he buys another Whippet(?) step plate and it only lines up on the inside nearest the fender.
While it matches the pattern of the lower step plate, it does not line up with the holes that were in the fender with the old step plate.
I purchased another step plate from a fellow WOKR member who says it came from a Whippet and it isn't any larger than the one I have now so....
Any ideas what might be going on with this?
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Heck, if you guys want quiet and rustic (and polite), live in Canada! Sarnia, Ontario is only an hour from Pontiac. Imagine needing your passport to go to work everyday. Now that's exotic. Best of luck to the two of you.
LOL !
Rob, No offense fellow Canuck but please don't mislead our fellow Buick American friends with the passport/living in Canada thing. I have spent up to an hour and a half on the Ambassador Bridge on a busy Friday night going over to Mexican Town for dinner in Detroit (when there are sports events on in Detroit) and that does not figure in hump day (for trucks) on Wednesdays during the week.
Again, don`t want to shut you down as I was born in Chemical Valley (Sarnia) and encourage you guys to come over and explore Canada on your leisure since you are going to be so close but the hassle with commuting across the Border regularly, well, I have a brother-in-law who works for GM at the Tech Center in Detroit and it is really a grind for him so...
I also have cousins living in Waterford, Pontiac area and recently was up in the Grand Blanc area which is beautiful. You will find many choices to fit your needs so good luck!
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I wanted to thank you all you guys!
I'm very excited, nervous, and just about every other emotion you can think of, but I know that this opportunity will be worth it!
CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU BOTH!
AND WELCOME TO THE GREAT WHITE NORTH!
As.... technically anything north of Detroit is further north of where I live in (Windsor, Ontario) Canada!!!
Don't fret though as yes we do get a bit more snow than you are probably used to but both our Governments (Public Works/Road Departments) manage to put lots of salt on the roads to get us to work safely (sadly for our cars).
Looking forward to meeting you both some day and guess that the road trip up here with the Buick (Lucy) should be a fun adventure. Please take pictures and video when you come up with her!
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RHH,
Seeing that you are a recent new member to the Forums, I want to also suggest that pictures will help with your question about value.
If you consider a senario of someone calling you about a particular car that knew you were interested in and asked if you would pay X amount over the phone, wouldn't you want to see the car in person, test drive it or at the very least look at some pictures?
This is not to be critical of the way you posted your question, as you will find on this forum a great experience and many knowledgeable people will be willing to help you.
Sounds like a great car (we LOVE pictures here) and good luck.
Changing of Ownership
in Our Cars & Restoration Projects
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I have not spent much more time on the gas pedal issue as it has been too cold here the last few weeks plus I have no heat in the garage. Dad still wants me to go ahead and get the springs redone so will be making that arrangement for sometime next week (weather permitting).
In the mean time, I started going through the several boxes of literature, pictures and things that I tried to bury in the basement so as not to upset my wife with more car stuff......
I found an article published in our local paper about Dad and the Whippet that some of you might find interesting. It is dated: April 12, 1975 and captures him to a T.
(Guess you will have to click on it to get a larger version to read.)
Here is the picture taken of him for the article.
And here is how that dash looks today.
A post script to this:
Dad is still here at 89, has a pacemaker, has macular degeneration (slowly loosing his eyesight, a bit of arthritis and yet..... has talked my son into helping him completely strip the paint off his 1966 Corvair convert he is giving to my sister and then repaint it! Talk about the Energizer Bunny!!