60FlatTop

Well, you might remember a post I made suggesting you consider collecting watches. I guess I can blame the two collectible watches I recently bought on you. Bernie

I just replaced the tires and put four NOS wheels on it. The rear struts are new and we checked all the subframe bushings when the engine and transmission were rebuilt. The car drives smooth and quiet. There is no cowl shudder like some convertibles I have had. The doors are long and feel quite heavy. They close fine and don't sag. The car shows 51,000 miles and I have no doubt it is correct. I would like to find more history. The car appeared about 5 years ago in Round Lake, Il. I know it went out the dealer's door as a lease and spent its life near Round Lake. Outside of a slow window I need to fix and some cosmetics I'm close to being happy. It is a good conversion and has a few niceties my Hess & Eisenhardt '82 Eldorado didn't have. Bernie

I dropped my convertible off for a little work today. Now, if you've read ANY of my stuff you know not just anyone gets to work on the cars. So here is my mechanic's daily driver: He knows I don't want my cars on two post lifts so the drive on gave me a good view of the stiffeners: That vertical one is a 3/4" plate. I figure John D will like seeing them. And the top up: So then, like any true car guy, I forced the family on a wind blown ride, but I fed them! Bernie

"Willis" is the correct pronunciation as I have known it since the late 1950's. And I live about 125 from Elmira, NY. Although I did take this picture of my chilly Willys once: Bernie

I always throw a folded sheet of #800 grit wet or dry paper in the bucket to use with the Westley's and the rinse water. Bernie

I like those cars. Here's the quick way to get to the SS Forum: Untitled Document Bernie

I bought mine from Metro years ago. I have a cut and splice above the window on each side because they were about a inch too long. When I called Metro to tell them about the problem a surly counter person told me my car had been in an accident and the roof was shorter by an inch on each side. Sounded pretty lame to me. The car is coming up for a full redo. I will use Steele rubber this time. Interesting about Metro's no questions asked policy. I wouldn't have told so many people if it had been in place when I called. Change happens for a reason doesn't it. Bernie

NAPA Echlin and their condenser, as well. NAPA's are something like $28. The others are $12 plus the flatbed ride. Bernie

Flack? Wait until you look at that body mount behind the wheel. You'll use the word the old lady in the Bingo Hall did.... when the other old lady won. Bernie

For the rubber washer, get a '55-'57 Chevy motor mount (I usually keep a few around). Run cold water over it to chill it a bit and carve your part with a shape knife. If carving rubber gets frustrating, take a break and go to Loew's. Find glazier points all by yourself. It will make cutting rubber seem easy. Tip: Don't even look near the window glass. Bernie

You are squatting a little, but not much: My car has recent suspension bushings, all new springs, gas shocks, and the correct 7.10 X 15 tires. The rocker panel is parallel to the garage floor on the level. I also have new body mounts. First check the body mounts at the high point of the frame above the rear axle. They tend to carry the most body weight and get compressed after 50 years. New, the mount is about 2". If it is original it is squashed down to about 1/2". Change that pair and it will make the most difference. Next is the springs. Don't skimp on price. I bought a cheap pair of rear springs in the '80's and rear seat passengers got nose bleeds. The ones on it now were about $200 or so for the pair, as I remember they came from New Jersey, a specialty company. The rear oval body mounts stay in good shape. The ones behind the rear wheels should be checked. You can also lose a 1/2" height on the rear control arm bushings. Over years the rubber can compress. Hmmmm, I could have made that shorter- check all the rubber that squashes from holding you car up for 50 years. Bernie

So he didn't slide a floor jack under the pumpkin and spin the wheels unloaded? Bernie

The pressure test noted way back there will guide you. If the specialist doesn't have the gauge set you will be in trouble. The pump can wear enough (in 55 years) the lose suction between the impeller and the case under deceleration. Although I'm not much for wrenches in a can you could get it use to operating temperature and put in a can of TransX from a place like Advance Auto. It is pretty good stuff. Bernie

"Hey wait a minute. That looks suspiciously similar to the pix my proctologist took.......................Bob" So maybe you are a Buick guy more than just "at heart". Bernie

King Spine is the right term. I've had trouble with the liner disengaging. The stiffener arches show good here. Decentrity is what you need to watch for. Here is a bore scope picture, the best way to check them:

With the valve cover off, you can turn the engine in the correct direction of rotation and watch the valves on #1. First watch the exhaust valve, watch it close, rotate until the intake opens, then turn and both intake and exhaust will be closed. Now you are on the compression stroke. Turn it a little and watch the damper marks or through the flywheel window, depending on what you have. Then slip the distributor in with #1 terminal where you want it and the rotor slightly before the terminal. You're pretty close and it should start. Bernie

A person walked into a showroom in 1954, tried out a new Buick and paid more than the cost of a Ford, Chevy, Pontiac, Plymouth, Dodge, and a whole host of lesser cars. They were smooth, quiet, and reliable. The term "driveability problems" didn't even surface until the government started writing the specs on cars. They started in the morning, ran smooth, and were good enough to command a premium price. While you are driving, ask yourself if you would spend the equivalent of $25,000 on it today. If you wouldn't something ain't right. Last time I was looking for a new "family" type car I was replacing my '94 Roadmaster. After trying out new cars in the $20,000 to $30,000 range I realized I was comparing a 15 year old $30,000 car to new $30,000 or less cars. Then I figured out why Tahoes are $50,000. The '55 Buick is just a good running car. In about 2 hours I am wrapping up work for the day, opening the garage, instantly starting a 50 year old 401, backing smoothly out and zoop; into town for coffee. No hiccups, no burps, no farting just like they did it 50 years ago. I know, I owned this one 47 years ago: Bernie

Wait! You forgot someone!

I used to help service 201RY, a '34 PII Continental, back in the 1990's. The rule for springtime start up was to crank the engine by hand until the oil pressure needle lifted off the peg. What a joyous annual event that little needle moving was. On that car lube and saving the starter were most important and cranking they engine took three of us in rotation. The method I mentioned above is the one I use. Disconnecting the fuel line at the carb and drawing from the tank usually gets stale fuel out of the line on cars that have set. It wets the fuel pump innards, and brings fuel to the carb. Oh, "201RY" in Google images brings the car right up. Bernie

You could be losing suction on the pump and re-establishing it when you feel the klunk. Needs some gauges installed. Bernie

On long term storage cars and dry systems I like to use a My-T-Vac pump with the brake bleed bottle attachment to draw fuel up to the carb. Then reconnect and the float bowls fill quickly. I have posted about this tool in the past and some were unfamiliar with it. I have that little Amazon store now so I just added the item to " Special Tools I Like To Use" The link is in my signature. Bernie

I had a nice black one like that around 1972 or '73, white interior, too. I paid $400 or $425 for it. Conditions are down, prices are up. Bernie

I actually threw that muffler away. A famous exhaust system maker apparently didn't know mufflers are supposed to muffle. I found an NOS one still in the Buick logo box, nice and shiny aluminized. Um..... The pipes are in my nephew's scrap pile, too. Poorly bent and misaligned, same vendor. I found NORS pipes, too. I think it took about $1400 to get the exhaust quiet. A diamond in a goat's butt, huh? Those Texas goats eat stuff with diamonds in it I hope. You don't, like put them there for decoration or security? Bernie

Names.... I have The White Car, The Riviera, The convertible, and the Black Chevy. Of course, the wife and the kids know I'm not much into names. Bernie

They don't all look like this? Just teasing. It left home looking like this: