Rooster

A lot depends on how long ( if ever ) the manifolds have been off. And if the previous mechanic put never seize or similar compound on the threads ---- I always do.

Cheers, thanks Raul. For those who don't know the history, Irene came Down Under from the Georgia Buick Farm residence of one Mr. Earl. I think it must be close to 5 years now.

The pump is still there and controlled by the switch. But I re-built the mechanical pump and use it for running. The electric is used for priming, same as the '29. Irene is running excellent. Developed an exhaust manifold gasket leak. I'm loathe to take off the manifolds for fear of shearing bolts. I'll have to figure out a way of plugging the area with Devcon or similar liquid metal.

When I re-built my 1929 all I ran was the stock diaphram type pump. Had all sorts of issues with vapour lock. Installed electric pump in conjunction with stock unit and to prime after sitting for long periods and to blow vapour lock through at any sign of it ( gets hot here Down Under ) Simply THE BEST thing I ever did to that car and I would advise owners of any Buick driven in hot weather to instal one. Take it off for when you want to win trophies then put it back on.

Stuart if you buy this 1968 I promise not to tell.

Unfortunately Irene won't be going on this trip.

Gas shocks are far superior in a heavy car. Any particular reason for not wanting them David ?

Maybe Irene has got her revenge !! :eek: >>>>>>>>>>

And I LUV the paint colour. :cool:

Everyone will probably have an opinion / method that they use. For me I would not attempt to start any engine that has been sitting for so long. Maybe unless you knew for certain that it ran OK 25 years ago and was using a good quality detergent oil. Even then I would pull the sump ( oil pan ) and clean it out as a minimum and put fresh oil in. It only takes a blocked oil gallery and your engine is rooted.

Lamar, are you talking about an engine that is still bolted together ---- or completely stripped ?

Mr Earl. Sir, we need a ruling. :confused:

You could join the exclusive 54 Club too Brian :cool: Wasn't there a 54 up for sale a while ago from one of your Vic. members ? I seem to recall seeing it somewhere. It was one of the few that I contacted the owner about selling before I bought Irene ( it wasn't for sale then, hence the Irene purchase )

Here's another rear end shot of that jetback I took at the Aussie 2006 Nationals.

As I speak there are serious bushfires surrounding Perth. Many homes have been lost. The winds are very high which are fueling the fire's intensity. No time to give more details, I'm off back to work to fight them. :eek: Cheers.

Yes, that was Jill. That Goodfellas is a very nice event. Great spot on the grass. Will look out for your stand at the next rod run. Does your husband still have the '55 sedan ?

Lovely looking '57 Sharon. Have you ever considered joining the local W.A. Buick Owner's Club ? We would love to see you and your car come along to a meeting / club run one day.

Try Bob's. A friend of mine got a NOS one for his 1946.

And they could look like this ( with the filler hole ) :cool:

To have a battery sit for most of it's life will kill it for sure. Batteries are like a racehorse , they need to be worked. That is----- discharged > charged > discharged > charged on a regular basis to prevent a build-up of sulphate on the plates which will render it useless. Buy a low cost trickle charger and leave it connected all the time while not in use.

Here's my truck and latest project. It's a 1934 sedan that was cut down into a farm ute ( that's what we Aussies call a pick-up ) Last used back in 1964, sat ever since. Not worthy of an original restoration I'm going to modify it run modern drive train yet still retain most of the authentic look externally. The back of the sedan has been chopped off at 90 degrees and looks horrible so I'm going to graft on a rear cab section off a Chev truck to give it more rounded appearance and build a nice tray.

Don't know if you can get it in North America, but I use a product called Hylomar. It's like a gel in a tube, blue in colour and is resistant to fuels. Use it with or without gasket paper. Comes in liquid form like a pipe cement and aerosol can also. It's non-hardening and very easy to pull apart. I use it on old head gaskets too. Rolls Royce are reputed to use it on their engines. I've used all sorts of gasket cements over the years and for me this is the best for everything (except maybe exhaust manifolds )

Fatsco Transmissions are good to deal with. Ken.

Yes, it's black top and bottom with Casino Beige in between. Ken.

If it's original, the ring gear will be bolted to the carrier in 1955. Up to 1954 they were rivetted. I'm sure the pinion / ring gear set up is the same size for all series. The axle housing will be longer for Super / Roadmaster and will not interchange with the smaller Special / Century wheelbase. Ratios will differ for the various series.