60FlatTop

I send mine to Company B. There's a boy there who likes them. Bernie

Just be sure someone doesn't slide the body back far enough to let the brushes slip off the ring. It won't charge after that. Bernie

Leave that locating pin until last and don't touch it if you don't have to at this point of your mechanic career. Be sure to research the brake lining thickness thoroughly before putting the new material on. I have a puller you can borrow. It just takes a couple of days to get there in the mail. You'll only need it for the first pull. After that it will go on and off pretty easy. Just PM your address, but you gotta send it back.

I am surprised at the rear seat configuration. There were two project level '39 Buick convertibles in my 10 miles social radius in my formative years and it seems like I would have had that etched in my mind. Price is pretty subjective; like my wife says "what difference does it make if you get a good deal, you are not going to sell it anyway." I guess it works both ways. Bernie

John, I have done repair work on restored cars, never restoration. A low valued car puts the risk of an automotive virgin being involved. Not interested and the other shops made sure I never got one of those- did they ever! Hey, how about another reality show "Virgin Car Restorer". Bernie

In the early 1990's a friend bought a 1958 Rolls-Royce That vandals had thrown a lit flare into, right on the front seat. Those cars have a charging plug on the dashboard that connects, unfused to the battery in the boot. When the insulation burned off the hot wire everything fused together, front to rear. I had to label and remove the burned harness, spread it out on a 4X8 table and start cutting wires apart and cataloging the length, terminal ends, gauge, and color. Now that's a mess! And no other options. Everything is still working. A couple of years later I disassembled my Riviera underhood harness to make a few repairs and tidy up the plugs, then rewrapped it. It is kind of fun once you get going.

They used to start wars so you only had 10 or 15 years worth of cars. Now there are 6 decades worth of post war cars; quite a range. How could we de-humanize the eras? Bernie

I have always had the idea that my '60 Electra Model 6739 should have been designated as a Super. It has the same wheel base as the 4839 but is 4 inches shorter in the quarter panels. Many want to call it a Deuce and a Quarter, a 225, but its really an Electra 221. At least they didn't call mine the Electra and the longer one an Electra Lux. That would suck. Bernie

In the mid 1990's when I was servicing collector cars we had a melt down of a '59 Caddy generator from a shorted armature. Luckily it only took out the regulator and the generator. I have been reading this forum since 2006 and more frequently think I should reopen those services. It looks like a lot of people are having work done in shops that don't understand their cars and are paying a pretty big penalty to train the "mechanics" while still ending up with poor results. I am in western New York, about 60 miles east of Buffalo. Maybe fixing your car would be a good return to the business job for me. Although it wouldn't be cheap the quality of the job would reflect the value of the car. PM me if you are interested. At least I am older than the car. Bernie

Ooops! I saw this too late. I could have huddled them together in the leaves, I will post a couple of pictures in the Autum/Fall Buick string. Bernie

Well, It is a nice sunny fall day here in the wilds of western New York and I'm thinking about shutting off the computer and pretending it is 1994. I didn't start using a home computer until about 1997, although they were part of my work from 1974. In 1994 I read Hemmings Motor News cover to cover every month. Sometimes I licked stamps and sent letters. A long distant phone call was a big deal and the only "E" anything was the Navy Battle Efficiency E. So I heading out to the garage and getting all the toys out (1994 is the newest old car, J. C. Taylor just made it official) The difference, 20 years later, it that the whole bunch can be started and driven. That's a sign of getting old. All the cars run! Its a camera day for sure. Bernie

I saw that only serious buyers are invited to inquire. The comments above appear non-serious, so - unqualified. Bernie

I took another look at that car and noticed the Opera Coupe seat in the rear. I would have thought a convertible would have a bench seat across the back. Bernie

I tool another look at that car and noticed the Opera Coupe seat in the rear. I would have thought a convertible would have a bench seat across the back. Bernie

Well, I had to check it out- The term "hoon" has obtained a semi-official use in Australia, with police and Governments referring to legislation targeting anti-social driving activity as "anti-hoon laws". The term has even begun to appear in the titles of legislation, for example the Transport Legislation Amendment (Hoon Boating and Other Amendments) Act 2009 of the State of Victoria. In the state of Victoria, hoon-related offences include burnouts, doughnuts, drag racing, repeated driving while disqualified and high-level speeding were added to Section 84C of the Road Safety Act 1986 in July 2006. Victoria Police have impounded an average of ten cars a day under the laws,[14] with over 5,000 vehicles confiscated and impounded two years after their introduction.[15] By contrast, the hoon boating laws of Victoria currently center on offences involving dangerous behaviour and do not yet reference offences relating to public order or amenity I am just left wondering if there is a natural propensity for doing donuts counter-clockwise in Sydney. I'm seem to be a natural clockwise donut doer (DeWar?) but that's at the 43th parallel North. Bernie

The owner of the yard probably knew they would make far more money selling the rear bumper, headlight rims, and hubcaps than selling the whole car. I have a 55 year old yard that I stop in regularly, just to hang out for a bit. Ever time I go there I offer $1,000 for all the loose hub caps and wheel covers. He is still holding out and in the 10 years I have been offering I bet he has sold 4 wheel covers. Maybe he just likes the company. Bernie

At least it won't join the thousands and thousands of Ebay "Reserve Not Met" cars. Actually, I think the car is more rare than it looks on the surface. Could that be the car they gave to the last Pony Express rider in Colorado when they transferred him to rural mail box delivery. I seem to remember rumors about that when the old guys were sitting around the cracker barrel. Bernie

I did my basic training at Great Lakes and a few months of Boilerman "A" school. Then they posted my orders to a ship named after a cemetery, the Arlington, in the Gulf of Tonkin. Now, I enjoy an ironic sense of humor, but that one was pushing it a little. Bernie

Damn, we didn't have these forums in 1980 when I put the maroon on. Here's the car last fall with the 32 year old paint I want to redo: I am painting it mainly because we used red oxide primer and the red highlights never met my expectations. Well, removing the vinyl top, as well. In the 1970's I used to search for red cars and buy them cheap. I made pretty good money after I made them shine again. Actually, the color might be a favorite because I cashed in on it. Bernie

My Father was in the Army Air Corps during WWII. He was shipped to England (claimed he made the trip by rail). The new guys arrived at their air base in buses. A huge field at the entrance of the base had rows of plywood troop transport gliders. Those were the ones there loaded with soldiers and towed into the air. Relatively inexperienced pilots tried to land them in France. The stories of the crashes and failed landings preceded their seeing the flying coffins. He told me the ride past them was the quietest time of his life. Bernie

On my car the timing chain cover gasket was blocking the passage. Once corrected it was verified, hot or cold: It is a pain, but you just have to be willing to get the tools out and go back over everything. The 50 PSIG is with stock parts of a freshly rebuilt engine, no aftermarket stuff needed. Bernie

I put a black headliner in my black interior when I did it up in the mid '90's. I knew it was supposed to be silver, but didn't like the idea. I just got silver samples from Clark's. I am thinking about a color change to Milano Maroon: with an all silver interior. I like the silver headliner and carpet but the silver vinyl looks like the skin from the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz and the silver leather is too gray. Maybe black seats, silver headliner, silver carpets, and lower door panels will ring the bell for me. Bernie

Some of these deals are good for dinner and a couple carry on into the week: http://themilitarywallet.com/veterans-day-free-meals-and-discounts/ That said, ever hear about the sailor and the marine who went out for a free lunch on Vet's Day? -> Madhouse! We backed out the door covering each other and headed for a little diner. Good luck. Bernie USN BT-3 Tonkin Gulf Canoe Club USS Arlington AGMR-2, still steamin'

This is not a trailer but it is a great way to get a car around in style. Also a rare sight: I sold that car a few years ago. It would have been a nice mate for the Riviera, but the previous owner had sanded the gelcoat off most of the car and let the rest weather off. The truck was a well maintained furniture van, nice rig. Bernie

I have three on my '60, as well. The rear hose was not available from any source when I did all the under body stuff a couple of years ago. I had one made here: http://www.empireradiator.com/ I think the BrakeQuip service might be a national franchise. They did a great job for about $35. Bernie