60FlatTop

I was responsible for the care and feeding of a 1967 convertible one summer. As a GM guy I was impressed with all the driving qualities. I only got stuck once with the top in its mid cycle position. I liked the car buy that laminated board with all the relays was a PIA before PIA was an acronym. Over the years I have thought about buying one (usually after I see a rerun of Green Acres). Today I would probably build a digital I/O board for the top. I am surprised some one hasn't. Bernie

Go to your local Buick/GM dealership with 35 crisp one hundred dollar bills, fan them out, and say "I've got cash to spend". Or a plain old second rate used car lot. There's the value thing. Buying a 50 year old car had one of two motivators; either it rings the bell for you and you have to have it, or you buy it to impress someone else. This one is an example of the former. And since you took the time to post to the Forum you are not suffering heart palpitations in fear of someone grabbing the car first. You can buy it and have a safe driver for about $7,000 after replacing the consumables. Fresh paint is going to get you well over 10 grand. If you wait until spring (it will still be there) the entry fee might be less, however all the other costs stay the same. If it was down the street from me I would have looked at it, figured I could pretty it up, and sell it for $4500. There are a lot easier ways to make a thousand bucks. I would have passed. Bernie

If the car is fully assembled and you use a two post lift, get it up, do the job, and get it down again. Don't leave it overnight. I replaced a few steering boxes in Buicks and Caddies using a floor jack. When we supported the frame rails in the area of the cowl the front bumper would continue down about 4" after the frame rested on the jackstands. I always try to use the A frame or rear axle for support or a four post lift. Cars do flex. You just be careful about leaving them bent. Look what happened to Bob Mackie's Caddy. Bernie

Back from about 150 miles of perfect top down weather in the Park Ave convert. I have been working, off and on, since 2011 to take that smooth reliable ride- with time out for a stroke and a heart attack. I let my wife out by the house and told her I was pleased with it, the white car can do the same, the black as well, and the Riviera. I told her the Packard was next and she gets to be test rider. I think she was speechless. She just got out and didn't say anything. Bernie

There is a fairly expensive car out there with a Heli-coiled block that I repaired over 20 years ago. It was fully restored and detailed when BoBo the mechanic burred a power steering pump bracket bolt and wound it back in with 150 PSI on the impact wrench. You really have to be accurate with the installation. I replaced the bolt with a stud and torqued the stud into the block tighter than I torqued the nut, hoping no one would remove the stud again. There is a notation. The job turned out very well. The customer picked up the car for a very special event on the hottest day of the year and was a complete success. If you asked him today, how much the job cost I am sure he wouldn't remember. If it hadn't worked he could tell you exactly, to the penny. I'm like that too. Bernie

It is probably a plug to keep birds from nestling in one of these: on the USS Stutz. Bernie

I took this picture today while juggling things around in the garage: It's the '48 Packard I bought on Craigslist last year from a guy who was celebrating the 30th anniversary of his 50th birthday. I had to do a little reassembly and put a new battery in it. He wanted $2,000 for it so I said "sure" and picked it up the next day. I know a lot of guys won't tell how much they pay for stuff. I think some figure if they told it would affect their selling. I've never suffered from that kind of inhibition. They always leave me much more reliable than they were when they came. Bernie

I ran over the end of the hose in my garage about a year ago; smashed the nozzle and flattened the threaded part. I have been using polishing cloths and detail spray for quite a few years. The hose was just for white walls anyway. It still rinses them. I got enough dust on the convertible from running across the muck land on Thursday that I had the tread of my shoes in the dirt I wiped off the car. I gave it two thorough wipe downs and a coat of detailer. It looks good. That's all I use; maybe a few dabs of wax after supper tonight if things are quiet. Original dirt could get kind of tricky for 400 point judging. If some got brushed off and one had to replace it for appearance sake. Imagine the situation if I had to match the original chassis dirt on my Packard AND get the correct shade of gray on the 288 engine Now, that's serious stuff. Bernie

You need to find someone in the AACA with a similar car and give him a chance to get familiar with it, maybe even a test drive. Test driving a 1929 Chrysler would surely make the error of his plan obvious. Bernie

My 1990 guess was closer than the 1964 story. It was an educated guess. I remember Hemmings Motor News creating Special Interest Auto magazine in 1970 to promote the "newer", sometimes overlooked cars. A '36 Special would have fit that group in 1970 and pretty much been invisible in 1964. We were driving field cars around the orchards of my Grandparents farm about that time and my Uncle bought a nice '34 Chevy coach from old Mr. Files, down the road, for about $35. My cousin came home on leave from the Air Force in a '54 Eldorado he paid about $400 for. And my Aunt really blew her cork when he contemplated buying a gull wing Mercedes for $3,000. He ended up with a 190SL for less. (Family banking does have its drawbacks.) A year and a half later I missed a '58 Limited convertible for $800. And bought a '60 Invicta for $600. Anyway, the story didn't follow logic. It would be interesting to find the origin of the Century designation. Most of the uninformed think all Buicks are Roadmasters. Anything under $10,000 is a good entry fee for a solid 1930's car. And there are some weary families out there today looking for the brass ring or the Do Re Mi. Some guys try to get the reality across: Bernie

That's almost cynical. My first thoughts were more festive....... like thinking about The Rodeo Song. (Bill the Butcher's version has Buster Keaton and old cars.) Bernie

Dirt holds moisture. If the car is ever parked where its metal temperature is below dew point moisture will condense. Air circulation will dry it but dirt will trap it and hold water on the car longer. I have kept my garage heated above the average dew point to keep the panels from being wet, particularly in spring and fall. Dirt in upholstery acts as an abrasive. It will wear the surfaces. I polish paint and wipe down unpainted areas like engine compartments with a light coat of WD-40 for protection. Works for me. Bernie

The Packard fits good. Bernie

Figure what you consider to be a fair market price that you could sell the car for if it didn't meet your expectations. Then, if you don't already know, figure the maximum you would be willing to lose. Add them together and you have your bid. Be sure to slip someone of authority a hundred dollar bill to keep you in the loop with the new buyer's contact information if you don't get it. The other buyers may be figuring a fair market price plus what they are willing to lose. If that becomes the case the phase "I'll just make it go away for you and $XXXX will be in your hand in an hour." Or be proactive and call the executor and say "I'm an adult with cash in hand. How much will it take to stop this circus and move on with your life?". Personally, I don't believe the story. It was a $200 car in '64, maybe $300 on a stretch. Realities and family memories don't always reflect each other. If the attorney is honest, at some point you may here him say "we have been a bit disingenuous in presenting the car." I'm smiling right now remembering the nephew who was selling his uncle's cherished Cadillac. He was really surprised at the handful of rusty steel wool. They just don't know. I bet someone paid $3,000 for it around 1990 and put it away. Bernie

Yep, brain fart, I was thinking of a friend's Diamond T pickup. Try marketing the cab through the Historical Truck Society. If it is solid you might do well. Then put the money in the Vicky and tell the wife it's not good to have too many projects going on........ at the moment. Bernie

This is a "do as I say, not as I do" thing. Writing to the Forum to ask kind of shows you aren't the experienced conniver it takes to come out with papers and a minimum of frustration. That's the legal side. On the pragmatic side, which wouldn't affect me, the car surely hasn't been licensed or driven by the potentially 90-100 year old owner, may not start, stop, steer, or cool; and it's a common car (being a Super Eight is nice). Prices are not high on a really good one that has been babied by a collector. A car without papers needs to be treated as a parts car. And a parts car is like buying work. Bernie

I remember a '63 or '64 that had the tail light bezels rechromed. The plater must have figured no one would notice a few pits on the upper inside. They sure reflected well once installed. Just a warning if you go for rechroming. Bernie

A lot depends if it is foot room or belly room. I had a customer tell me the seat on his '41 Cadillac was jammed and wouldn't move. He had owned the car for about 30 years at the time. It seemed fine, but I took it out and cleaned the tracks and made sure everything worked. He came to pick the car up and stormed into the garage; "you didn't do a damned thing!" he bellowed. I got in and showed him the full range. He always wore a white shirt and continued to put a folded towel between the shirt and the steering wheel. Bernie

It looks like a Ford. A Mack would have a split windshield. Years ago I bought my girlfriend a 1946 Dodge truck. She's my wife now. She was one of six. Only two of 'em stayed married. Sometimes they just stay wondering what will happen next. Bernie

I had a '68 Riviera in 1971 and a '66 in 1974. I didn't get my '64 until 1978 and I noticed the elbow room was a little short. I've been learning to live with it. I've found the best way to deal with it is to have more cars. Then you just appreciate the little nuances about each. I have too many now and that seems just about right..... well maybe one more. Bernie

Well, at least they didn't ruin an old Plymouth. At first glance I was reminded of Clark Kent's Kiaser. Was this one was Jimmy Olson's car? He (Jack Larson) did get into some weird stuff later in life. Bernie

Anyone remember the 2005 Buick Nationals in Batavia, New York? I took a ride over there for lunch today. And wadaya think, the guy from New York is on dirt roads again. The Muck Land really smells like unions and the dirt is fine silt this time of year; got a little detailer spritzing to do tonight. 300 miles east and hang a right for Metropolis. Yeah, one....lane is taken literally in these parts. Bernie

Wow! That is a lot of dis-assembly. It might be better to get the engine and tranny back in and operating with just the new seal. Then pull the axle for the cosmetic stuff next year. It is always best to complete a component or two at a time and always keep the car as close to fully operational as possible. Hundred dollar bills are the most common assembly lubricant. You need one for each task. "Component restoration" keeps things manageable and never takes so long you forget about the fun of driving the car. Bernie

Yeah, I have strands of Irish genes so the green makes my lil heart pound. The green and yellow make it match my lawn mower. Some had that '70's Buicks neutral brocade interior and it looked a bit like potato skin. That would be nice. My comment was inspired by the remark about ethnic groups. I was thinking of four that populate cities and wondering about more specifics. Bernie

I think the swing hose is interchangeable on '63-''65, but only on cars with a 1/4" mogus pin articulated rear differential brake fluid dividing block. AND, I am sure if it gets listed on Ebay it fits anything ever built. Web catalog builders and relational database PHP page programmers aren't usually cars guys. If fact, I'm having coffee tonight with a friend of 40 years. Last week we were talking about how there aren't many rea "car guys" at the cruise nights. Rubber swing hose.... humrrrmph! Sounds like something a girl would call it. Bernie