TG57Roadmaster

Hey, at least you're recycling! And I'm glad for your excitement over all that new-found <span style="font-style: italic">power</span>. I'm in the upstate off I-85. TG

Yes Lamar, thanks, that should be a good addition; just don't know how we'll find the time to get ANYTHING done with all these cool places to visit! This li'l station in the middle of Charleston would make a nifty garage, eh? TG

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> <span style="font-weight: bold">(to my eye)</span> </div></div> is really all that needs to be said, as we are all just caretakers of what we've amassed in life. In the Grand Scheme, we possess, for a time, but never truly "own" anything. Think of Harrah's Collection, Henry Austin Clark, Jr's. Library or Faberge Imperial Easter Eggs. It would be great if everyone had entered this hobby when there were distinct delineations; <span style="font-weight: bold">Antiques Classics Milestones Special Interest/Collectibles Muscle Cars Used Cars classics Rods/Customs</span> Put 'em in any order that suits you, as <span style="font-style: italic">you</span> <span style="font-weight: bold">alone</span> see them, want them, get them, and ultimately, lose them. Whenever this endless debate rages, I'm constantly reminded by, and take solace in, two points made by mentors early in life. My friend Stan in Florida once tried to start up a "Collector Car" lot. One day a tire-kicker was admiring one of his offerings and said, "My Daddy used to have one <span style="font-style: italic">just</span> like this, but it was <span style="font-style: italic">yellow</span> and it was a <span style="font-weight: bold">Ford</span>". All he saw was a car that reminded him of something from his past. <span style="font-style: italic">His</span> past. Should he be chastised for not knowing the difference? Another friend, Floyd, a psychiatrist, and I were on on interstate, when off in the distance I noticed a charming antebellum mansion. Remarking that I was incredulous that <span style="font-style: italic">he</span> hadn't noticed it, he told me, "Nobody sees the world or what's in it as <span style="font-style: italic">you</span> do". That he was paying attention to driving, and not the scenery, had a lot to do with it, too. I try to keep that in mind when discussing with (or wishing to admonish) others re: Life's Passions. Let's just hope that J. B. Nethercutt left a huge legacy (and an ironclad will) to sustain <span style="font-style: italic">his</span> vision of collecting. Drop in and see it sometime, on your next visit to Sylmar, CA. In the meantime, <span style="font-weight: bold">drive your old car</span>, it needs the exercise! TG

Here's the speedo diagram from the Master Chassis Parts Book. It's a very cool set up, what with the red incremental band heading crosswards as you acclelerate. The problem may be in gears, springs, what have you. Your Variable Pitch Dynaflow Drive has a "kickdown" feature, that when you trounce it, the stator vanes pitch, and you have what feels like a "passing" gear, which settles back to normal when your "mission" is accomplished. The most often seen leak appears at the rear main "ball" seal of the torque tube, a fix that we took care of in one afternoon. A <span style="font-style: italic">long</span> afternoon. Say what you will about the Dynaflow, it's a really smooth transmission of power, and will confound your friends when they're out riding with you, waiting for the usual upshifting "clunk". That it sounds like a turbine spooling up doesn't hurt one iota! Glad it's on its way to you. TG

The Serial # range for 1953 Plymouths is P24-1001 to 628721, so it appears you have a six-cylinder, 217.8ci, 100hp Plymouth engine. TG

It pays to be observant. The "basket handle" panel is common to all C body cars, on the 75's they're covered in a thinly padded vinyl (part of the upscale look). We lesser mortals have to make do with painted versions. On some, if not all Caddys, they're chromed. I guess the other numbers/letters will force me to study further, to become the "Super Sleuth" Rasputin of Roadmasters. Your car was built pretty late, and if you want to change the roofline, try: www.richardsclassiccars.com & ask him if he still has this carcass left. Or the trim that was in/on it. TG

Now wasn't that easy, not at all like pulling teeth...especially if they're from a <span style="font-weight: bold">'50</span> Buick! We know it's a Model 75. Body No: G(?) Trim:723 is Blue Nylon Cloth-Blue Leather. Paint: FF is a solid (top & bottom) Mariner Blue, the Spring Color. Acc. B1(?) 7D1141957 (What a cool number). Flint car, range is 1000989-1149460. <span style="font-style: italic">Generally</span>, RM 75's were solid, not two-tone, and for gosh sakes <span style="font-weight: bold">don't</span> quote me on that. In 18 years of observing/sniffing around every '57 I've run across, I've yet to find one that didn't have an issue or two. They couldn't <span style="font-weight: bold">all</span> have been built on Monday! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> TG

The Missing Link? TG

Sorry I don't have the chart for the Model 49...this will have to do. TG

The fog that surrounds "correctness" doesn't get any clearer than this page straight from "The Book." TG

Okay 65Riv, Let's test your "mettle"...Name the Buicks and what company made 'em, from, "Ride the Reindeer Lines," one of a series of six Christmas cards I produced back in the '90's. This image appeared on the covers of the BCA "Bugle" back in December, 2000. The series grew out of a desire to get the models out of their display case, and into the world's "collective" psyche; using 1/43rd scale cars was logisitcally a whole lot simpler than trying to herd a bunch of real autos, their owners and weather conditions! TG

May be 'cause it's a 1941 DeSoto Owner's Manual. Look at the grille, then look at a '40 DeSoto. You could spend a <span style="font-style: italic">lifetime</span> on ebay correcting seller's bloopers. TG

Wayne, What's this memo all about; what personal issues? Or is it a secret? TG A Beauty Day in the Carolinas, too! <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

If I had a nickel for every time folks walked past my car, admiring it, then saying, "Oh, Honey, look...it's a four door...," and scrambling away as if from some leper... I could buy <span style="font-style: italic">all</span> the tarted-up Packards, restore 'em, put 'em up for sale, and be out a [censored]-load of nickels! TG

Any trunk from a '57 Model 53, 73, 73A, or 75 will fit your car (<span style="text-decoration: underline">Group # 12.181</span>, Lid, Rear Compartment Less Paint, Trim and Hardware; Part # 4728434) . If you've seen RM 75's with the chrome strips, it's 'cause they either ordered the car that way, or "retrofitted" them later. Bear in mind that trunks from a 73/73A will have numerous holes to fill where the twin strips should go, and that the trunk "straps" differ from 73 & 73A. Take a look at the Data Plate from my 57 73. That tag (and <span style="font-style: italic">all</span> other references) clearly show it as a Model 57 73. So why then, does it bear the 57-4739X code of a Model 73A, when it <span style="font-style: italic">should</span> say 57-4739DX? The <span style="font-style: italic">Roadmistress</span> shows no signs of living in an "Altered State" all these years, so if you can answer that question, you win a kewpie doll! If you want to punch two rows of holes in your car from the leading edge of the roof, all the way to the trailing edge of the trunk, that's your call to make. Try to remember that you could get just about anything you wanted back then if you threw enough dough in a dealer's face. The "Tiara-Top" trim will fit your 75 perfectly...just don't come crying when your NOS headliner, interior and trunk get leaked-on from the mods you're contemplating. TG If Stu's car is the one that was in Roanoke a couple years ago, it's a real beauty. Maybe he'd post a couple of pix if we asked real nice.

THEM Christie's wieners done made me mad. After some rube from Punkin' Patch asked 'em, "Did ya build it?", they pulled Hitler's Rat Rod from yesterday's Paris auction. <span style="font-weight: bold">Dang!</span> Ostensibly to, "further check its race history/authenticity." Too bad, as I had a chilled bottle of Andre waiting in the icebox, to raise a toast and cheer the next "World's Most Expensive Car" when the roosters woke me up this morning. Good thing none of us had filled out a "Bidder's Dossier," 'cause it all would have been for <span style="font-weight: bold">NOT!</span> TG Gotta run, it's time to count my "chickens."

Bienvenue Bidders, The "experts" at Christies have taken a fresh approach to this "Forward Look" Imperial, held in conjunction at the annual Paris "Retromobile" Show, whose "Lot Description" loses a little <span style="font-style: italic">je ne sais quoi</span> in translation... "<span style="font-style: italic">Suddenly, it's</span> <span style="font-weight: bold">1955!</span>" TG

Woody, Can't help you out with Packards, but this 1937 Roadmaster 80C Convertible Sedan (one of 1,155) was a true, sad loss. To rodders. And not even "good" rodders. After discovering it some years ago in Pageland, SC, I tried for four years to get the over-the-road truck driver to part with it; notified <span style="font-style: italic">all</span> my well-heeled friends, to no avail. Sure it needed a everything, but was a <span style="font-weight: bold">complete</span> car and quite solid. It finally showed up at Charlotte AutoFair about three seasons ago, totally [censored] up, so much so that I couldn't even bear to take a picture of it. I didn't want my camera to self-immolate! TG

Okay kiddies, Today's the big day! WILL: This car live up to its hype and be the next "World's Most Expensive Car?"; Aliens abduct me in my sleep tonight?; Susan Lucci win another Emmy? Enquiring minds want to know! From the git-go on the reportage of this (yes) important car, I've thought perhaps it would be a "litmus test" to see exactly how far lunatics will go to be parted with their money. Back in the kinder, simpler days when the hobby was still just that, every podunk "museum" had a "Hitler Staff/Personal Car" & a "Bonnie & Clyde Car." They were the "Numbers-matching Lightweight (documented, natch) Red Hemi" of their day. It's gonna be a sleepness night! TG

These pix put a whole new <span style="font-style: italic">slant</span> on the oft-used, controversial phrase, "trailer queen." As with so many words added recently to our rich lexicon, these two in tandem have taken on a whole new meaning. And no, you're not looking at the "lost footage" of Lucy & Desi's "Long, Long Trailer," but rather my Uncle Warren's reassignment to California, with the family and all their worldly possessions in tow. <span style="font-style: italic">Literally</span>. The oldest of my dad's brothers, Warren had a distinguished career in the US Navy. In 1956, transferred to San Diego from the base near Moonachie, NJ, Uncle Warren and Aunt Eula decided to take the "wheel estate," their "relocatable domicile" westward, ho, behind a brand new Chrysler New Yorker. With kids Louis and Patricia, one can only imagine the incredible journey looming before them. On arrival in sunny CA, they hooked up with youngest brother Hank, his wife Elaine and their firstborn Lloyd, on Christmas Day, 1956. My dad Hank (with glasses, wife & child under the awning) had a good job in the booming aeronautical biz in SoCal, and within nine months and one week of that photo being snapped, yours truly would join the growing clan. Soooo, to make a not-so-long story short, consider these tips when buying your next DreamMobile<span style="font-weight: bold">*</span>: Just 'cause it's a "California Car" doesn't mean it started out that way; "Never driven in snow" is simply impossible to prove; Since it has a "Hemi" doesn't mean the only things it's ever "dragged" were stoplight cowboys. And lastly, perhaps the most important point...If it's a Super-Stock Dodge (shiny red) offered up by a Little Ol' Lady from Pasadena, ask if there are any old pictures that may come along with the car. Then, look <span style="font-style: italic">very carefully</span> for the Pretty Little Flower Bed of White Gardenias! TG <span style="font-weight: bold">*</span>Applies to everything from a Duesenberg to a Daihatsu.

Morning Don, Can't answer Part 1 of your question, but as to Part 2, when the time came to repaint the wheels & Sweepspear on the <span style="font-style: italic">Roadmistress</span>, my '57 Model 73, the closest we could come to the "proper" Tangerine color was a '90's GMC Truck color called "Orange Red" (or "Red Orange," can't remember). It was the nearest match to an NOS door trim bit I had, and still seems quite right; "Tangerine" is really just a red, ever so slightly tinged with orange. I would imagine "Buicks.net" may be able to point you in the right direction. TG (Don't forget to add "hardener" to your paint for the wheel redo.)

Hiya 42, The intro ads for the Roadmasters show the chromed rings that are common to 40, 50, 60 Series cars, but were used thruout the production run on <span style="font-style: italic">all</span> 70 Series. The only logical explanation is that at some point, the owner of your car decided he liked the chrome (one-piece, part # 1175781) versions better than the 2-piece painted & chrome (part # 5947833=door-in-prime; bezel=# 5947838) 70 bits. Thru the years, I've had "discussions" with owners of the lesser series, who "swear" that their cars came equipped with 70-type headlight rims. I then pull out the Buick Master Body Parts Book, prove them wrong, and they walk away, cussing me like some sailor on leave who's just banged their sister. TG (While we're on the subject, it appears that after the RM 75's March intro, all 76C's switched to the all-chrome, non-swirled dash panel trim. Can somebody please give me a pill...?)

Hiya Mac, You've been <span style="font-style: italic">busy</span>, and so have I, and I missed these till tonight. There's no doubt that the station you posted is a Sinclair..the one with the blue, peaked roof is Pure Oil. If y'all would go to the trouble of downloading & printing the Texas DOT doc first referred to at the top of this Thread, you'll be that much closer to ID'ing <span style="font-style: italic">many</span> of the stations you encounter. It's not going to contain Crown, Hess, or other regional stations in your area, but it'll give more info than you ever dreamed of... TG Just <span style="font-weight: bold">do</span> it!

Hiya, Sources indicate 10,916 Special DeLuxe Wagons were produced for 1968. Factory price was $3,001.00. TG