Brian_Heil

Send me an email (address below) and I will connect you with a fellow Model F owner. Thx Brian

Sounds like you need to either tighten the water pump packing gland nuts or better yet re-pack the glands on either side. Do a seach on this site for water pump packing. Lots of discussions.

http://lignum-vitae-bearings.com/ This site is for the company in Virginia who make the bearings. Worth visiting, very complete and facinating site. And since I am hosting a VMCCA Nickel Tour out of Orange, VA next year, I may have just found my missing tour venue for the open day I have. That is if they give tours. Stay tuned.

On a related topic. Are our spokes Hickory or what? I've heard lots of answers but does anyone know for certain? They are tough as heck and not getting any younger either.

I was told years ago by the retired Chief Engineer of Massey Ferguson - Lee Elfes, that they still used this wood as guide ways for chain/link belts in some combine type equipment as it gave the best service life over modern materials.

Well, the 'good news' is, I drive my cars enough that I wear the tires out and don't have to ever change them out due to age. The old car hobby is still cheaper than my freind who has horses. (I'm trying to make myself feel better here . . .plus I have more horsepower per $$ ha)

Just bought two new tires from Coker and he shaved my wallet. (check shock adjustment/links and anything loose in the system from the steering box to drag link to tie rods to king pins to wheel bearings to balance to roundness of tire.)

Good point. Anything 'loose' from the steering box to the tire could contribute. I most recently had it after 4 days of touring in the pouring rain in Ohio in June. I contributed it to the water finally working its way into the front leafs since everything is 'tight'.. Since everything dried out, have not had it since. And as stated, it only happens at a very low speed and in my case when you hit a bump on one side of the car and then the next side at just the right distance apart and speed and the leafs low on friction due to being wet too. As our old Physics teachers told us, everything has a natural frequency and in this case the energy input is the motion and mass of the vehicle 'driving' the response which is the side to side wobble oscillation of the complete front suspension system.

Lots of cardboard under my Buick. Works great. Never paid for a used, flattened cardboard box yet. Biggest issue is keeping the 135# Great Dane 10 month old pup from dragging them out into the yard when I pull the Buick out. He loves to go for a ride with Dad. Now, on the subject of Dr. Doo Dah in Kansas having a loose nut . . . . I will have to consult my co-pilot.

Death Wobble (undampened oscillation of the front suspension). I've had it on my '23 if you hit 2 bumps with both front tires about a 1 foot after the first side to side with something loose. I found the drag link too loose and took up the slack with the adjustment nut and cotter pin at both ends. My king pins and tie rod ends have been rebuilt. Fixed it. If this does not work, a set of period shocks (which were not standard equipment) is the real solution. You could add an inexpensive tie rod damper piston that are popular on early jeeps, etc.. I've also thought that lubing the leafs of the leaf springs could also be a contributor. You don't want to lube them. The friction of the leafs against one another is in fact dampening. Lube them and you lose this.

Everyone should have the pleasure of touring, as I have, with Bill McLaughlin. Stop at a reasonable time to check in, shower and change after a hot day on the road. Cocktails promptly at 5:00 with good conversation of the day's travels, Proper Dinner at 6:00 with more good conversation. A few still foresake the throng. (William Cowper)

Define long (ha). As recently as June, I drove my '23 on a 600 mile VMCCA week long hub tour, and then due to an illness of a closs friend, my wife and trailer had to head home in a huury and I drove the 293 miles home two days later, in pouring rain all the way. Lots of other trips at 250-300/day. Side roads at 40 MPH. Great fun. (Friend doing fine now BTW). For those not to sure about their car. Do 'circle tours' around home such that you are never too far from home as you shake down any issues. I was out for 60 miles just yesterday. Walk in the park. Brian

Agree that if the packing is doing its job there should be no leak at the thread. I also know that too tight and you will have too much friction and wear on the shaft. So if I get a weep ever so often at the shaft, I'm ok with that. All the rocker shaft lube leaks down the outside of the engine up until 1924 by design too. A couple of drips of coolant now and then aren't going to make any more mess than I already have. Having the correct graphite impregnated rope makes all the difference. Cut the rope ends at a 45 and have them match up. It will take several pieces cut and matched to fill the gland with these 'donuts'. I had an old leather shoe lace in one of mine when I dug it all out. Some old farmer got the Buick home or to the picnic before I was born but his boot was loose.

See how proud Larry is to show his. And it looks like his are already mounted on his truck. Well done. And the President of the AACA personally persented the one to Larry. I did get one email that suggests the award should allow the vehicle to park at any National Meet in any location the owner so desires. Sort of like a free parking pass. Nice to get/see some humor. I'm confident we will solve this parking issue. The jpg of the No Parking sign someone sent was pretty funny too. And an PM from a BOD member that was positive too. And that gets me to an important point. The BCA is alot of things, but one thing it has to maintain to grow is to be FUN.

Dave Send me an email to my address below. I believe I may be able to help with history on your car. Thx Brian

I attended South Bend (my most recent Nat. Meet to attend) with my 1923 Model 45 having driven it from 18 miles south of Flint (Fenton, MI) to the meet (~250 miles one way). I was less than pleased with being placed in a side lot behind a fence with no access to the main show field as a Driven Class when I arrived. Others there in the side lot, felt the same way. I spent about an hour over there in the side lot at the 'Kids Table' before I moved to the 'Adults Table' and the main lot where most of my Pre-War cars & pals were. I believe I had my partner-in-crime Mark Shaw with me when I moved my car as we honked the horn and gave the main show field gate the 'Bums Rush'. Others followed. I thought I was helping the Judges by not asking to have my car judged since it has been judged several time. By trying to 'help' and placing my car in the non-judged Driven Class, I got parked in a side lot away from all the other friends, cars and action. The whole hot potato of parking together has been discussed here on the forum at length and sadly I have heard the message did not get through to the Chief Judge who controls the parking at a meet and he again created different lots and did not let all cars/classes part together as many members have expressed a desire to do at subsequent meets. We have lost members and cars attending meets because of this. Rather sad as we constantly talk about how to improve and retain membership and something very simple is right in front of us and we seem to find 'reasons' as to why not to implement one lot with everyone parking together by years and only selecting venues that allow this. And, perhaps lets say a Class, say, Modified wants to park together and not by year. Fine, park them all together and do it right on the main field. With that said, the point I believe my good friend Larry Shramm is making is that if the BCA continues to place Pre-War and Driven Class vehicles (and other classes) in a lesser field position (or side lot) then a Century Award will not be enough to encourage the owner to attend a National Meet. I agree. Larry's other point (if I may Larry) is that he was told newer vehicle owners (non Pre War) were not happy where he parked his Truck at Springfield and too many Meet attendees were looking at Larry's truck and talking to him and taking pictures and not stopping to look at the newer cars and the non Pre War (newer) owners wanted the 'old truck' moved. I guess I never thought of it, but there would appear to be members who find Pre War vehicles a distraction. Personally when a 'wow' vehicle shows up at a meet, regardless of year, I think its great. Good for that guy or gal, they brought something really cool, maybe a brand new restoration or barn find or rare model and people love it. The Wildcat II at South Bend comes to mind. Very cool. Loved it. Never ocurred to me to ask that it be moved so more people would look at my illegally parked '23. Ha.

Thank you Lamar. Can we run it here on the Pre War site for awhile so it may be seen by the Pre War folks and gather Pre War comments and then move it? Say, a week? I for one read the Pre War site nearly every day but rarely do I venture to the General Forum. Nothing against the General Forum, I just get enough time read the Pre War if I'm lucky. There's some good stuff and people out there. I did get some private email traffic on the Century Award (I like that better than Centennial). I like hearing what people think. Thanks

We visited Lloyd and his wife as part of a VMCCA Nickel Tour out of Heath, OH (SE of Columbus) and their car collection / compound the third week of June this year. Great people. Not sure how many conversions Lloyd is doing, I got the impression he is semi retired and would like to train someone else to take over. He said he has done over 1500 overdrive conversions on older cars. Wonderful people who have been a very active part of the hobby for decades. They have a 1918 Model 45 that is near perfect along with a couple dozen other amazing cars in carpeted out buildings. Nice.

Larry Schramm made a good point on another chat string, so I will start a new one on the topic, and start it here on the Pre War Site. Are we missing an oportunity within the BCA by not offering some sort of Centennial Award for 'vehicles' (see Larry, that covers Trucks ) that are 100 years old? The HCCA and AACA have gotten alot (IMHO) out of this effort. Some will say we are too late, but the fact is, very few early Buicks attend the National Meets and this could get more of them out and I'd bet the total is ~30 we have missed so far and we could catch them up very quickly by sending them out and I'm certain those owners would agree and support the effort. I'm not suggesting sending an award to all, just those who take/make all the effort it takes to get a 100+ year old Buick to a National Meet. The whole Pre War Division was formed to be a catalyst to get the older cars to meets and to get us together and chatting just as we are. I believe this would be yet another way to do just the same thing. 'Grandfather' those who brought a 100 year old Buick to a National Meet since 2003, and start handing out the award to those who bring in the future. Has this been discussed?

Had a nice chat on the phone with Larry Schramm as I do most weeks. I missed this year's National due to a VMCCA commitment. Larry mentioned his antique gas can getting stollen. Boy that fries me. (and him too). I was amazed to hear the parking issue/message (still) did not get through to the right people. Glad to see and hear the posts of all the people having fun at the breakfast. Have to assume there was no assigned seating.

293 miles yesterday in my 1923 Model 45. Heath, OH to Fenton, MI. This, after 4 days of touring in the rain in SE Ohio on a VMCCA Nickel Tour. Did I mention it has been raining in Ohio? Took me three tries to find a non washed out route over the Scioto River to get past Columbus. I went thru some water even with the running boards on several occasions and those were the 'open' roads. The Buick never faultered even in biblical rain for hours.

Dandy Dave, Did you get a hold of Kevin? I work with him. Thx.

I thought for sure it was going to be that heat tube rusted out with holes. Since Mark Shaw changed his '24 out in front of us all at the Rochester National Meet (and being a 1923 guy, I had no idea there was that pipe in there on '24 up, since I don't have one) I've help two others with the same problem, where both were ready to sell the car since they could not get it to run. Both plugged it off and ran great. If I had to bet, I'd guess that 95% of all the main air spings in Marvels have been yanked out of shape over the years by someone at some point. My Marvel hates to go for a trailer ride. The bowl empties and the float bangs around on the trailer ride since there is no fuel to dampen it and finds a way to hang up while dry that never happens when sitting in the garage dry. Knocking on wood here as I have a 600 mile VMCCA Tour in 2 weeks.

The orange reflective vest I still have. I put it on when I walk the dog and keep it in the trunk otherwise in case I stop to help someone or need to change a tire and I put it in the Buick on tours The 2008 shirts we got two and since we were 'home' I had easy laundry access. I also give many of my Bugles away. Gave one to a nice guy while on vacation in South Carolina last week. He has a nice GS and had never heard of the BCA. He was impressed, as he should be, Pete does a great job.

I don't venture out to the General Comment Section that often, I pretty much stick to the Pre War Section. But I like this topic. Thoughts on National Meet. The first National Meet I attended was Columbus, OH in 1999. People could not have been nicer. My Buicktown Members knew it was my first meet and they introduced me and my Dad who was in tow, to all their non-Buicktown friends. We all need to remember to do that. Take the newer member under their wing and make the introductions, ask new members to join you, pull in extra chairs or stools, move your portable tent to allow more to join, open up your cooler, etc. Find that new person on the second day and make contact again. Not sure if we do this at all the meets, but at the Centennial in Flint, I had an orange vest on that said 'Security'. I had a section to keep my eye on. What I ended up being was The Answer Man for all the visitors. I did shew a few kids on bikes away but I found ladies the closest 'real bathroom', kids bandaids, bottled water, where is this located, what section is that, have you seen my husband, all sorts of questions. With each person, I introduced myself, welcomed them home to Flint, asked them who they were and where they were from, did they bring a car, how could I help them, were they having fun? Do we have some sort of Ambassadors at each National Meet out and about that are somehow identifiable doing just that? Host Committee with some sort of hat or vest and instruct them in how to greet and meet?. At the 2008 Flint Meet I had the Pre War Section and a special Host Committee Green shirt. Same results. Thanks