unimogjohn

Roger, I would love to see pictures of your Avanti that you are building. Cannot find them on the WWW. It is Tuesday, March 9th. What a nice day, 66 degrees; and the weather folks now say that the temps will remain in the 50s and 60s for the next week, no more snow or freezing rain. However, rain is forecasted for Wednesday and Thursday. Today was a great day. Took the Avanti on long ride on the various country lanes around the farm. Went approximately 15 miles, and she ran great. Exercised all the gears and zoomed up to 50 mph once or twice. She handles great, no wobble at the steering wheel; and the engine just rumbles along without any hesitation or effort. She feels like she is ready for a cross country trip. After I got home I started cleaning the engine compartment and got a few things painted. Here are the pics. Tomorrow am going to do some more cleaning of the interior as it is still very dirty. And hopefully I will pull the battery and start work on the hood hinge pocket. Found all the parts in a couple of boxes, so I am ready to go. I would really like to get the hood back on.

It is Monday, March 8th. Another nice day, but farm chores had to be done for most of the day; fence repair, sawing down broken branches, cleaning the barns and giving shots to the llamas. But the Avanti is waiting. After talking to my favorite trimmer about fixing my seats to "make due" for a year or so. He said that it did not make much sense due to all the work making repairs, and I would still have old junkie seats. So I have put that task on the back burner for now and start saving my pennies for new seats next year. So what should I do now? Well the paint on the body has some major problems. It was painted in the early 70s. In a few areas large sections of paint are missing as the previous owner decided to do some repairs and gave up. I picked up some jade green metallic in a couple of shades from Duplicolor that looked close to what I have. All I want to do for right now is to have the car one color. This afternoon I decided to play with the paint in jut one area. This is a 2 inch by 10 inches of bare fiberglass on the driver's side front fender. My goal is just to see how close the paints are to the car's green. Figured that this was a good place to start. This is not going to be a professional job, but just a "lets see what happens" little project. So I sanded a bit, added primer, and then the body color. Will let everything dry over night and see what she looks like in the morning. So here are a few pics of what I did; and then pictures what I need to fix. The big thing is the door; and I want to paint the engine compartment where the red is showing through the flat black, and of course the vacuum booster needs a shot of semi-gloss black. So with is little cleaning and painting, the engine compartment will start to come back to life. I am also going to paint the engine block as I get it clean. It will not be perfect, but presentable.

Roger, re Glyptol. From the web: "It's supposed to do two things - help oil drainback, and encapsulate any casting sand or debris that might still be lurking in the block, so it doesn't get into circulation." It is expensive stuff and toxic. If you look it up on a search, you will see many pro and cons in regards to its use. The old school engine builders seem to use it a lot, not so the new kids coming up.

It is Sunday, March 7th. The glaciers in the front yard are finally melting, 50 degrees today, you can taste spring. Yesterday I pulled the Avanti out and figured that I would install the new coil. Started right up so I pulled it in front of the main garage to be closer to the tools. I had not touched the coil other than replace a couple of wires early on that were broken. So it still looked a little grungie, and the resistor on top was all corroded. So sprayed everything down with Kroil figuring that that would clean up everything. Turned out that it was a bad move on my part. I put in the new coil and hooked everything up. Went to start it and it would not not fire, in fact the resistor was blowing smoke out its metal sides. So turned it off to check things out. Everything was hooked up correctly so tried it again. No engine start and still smoke out of the resistor. I figured the new coil was bad so put in the old one. Still the same problem. Oh god, another issue, what have I done. Well, I figured the resistor was fried so just turned on the ignition and let it burn off the Kroil that I had sprayed on everything. When the smoke stopped from the resistor, the engine fired right up. I guess that the Kroil somehow reduced the voltage to the distributor. Oh well, live and learn. So now it is Sunday, I put in the new coil, again..... and she started right up. Took her for a five mile run, gosh she sure runs and drives nice. Took her up to about 45 or so, solid as a rock. Had a great run. Changed the oil now that the oil was nice and hot, and then put on the rear view mirror button. Let that sit all afternoon in the hot sun and put on mirror this afternoon, great to be able to look what is coming behind me. Tomorrow is going to be another nice day, before it turns cold again. Snow is coming back later in the week. So I hope to do some cleaning, washing and detailing for a couple of hours. Oh, Greg is working on the R3 Paxton engine. Here is what he said. "The Paxton block is back from having the main bearing caps re-linebored and the cam bearings installed to check the camshaft fit. It was again shot peened, so a coat of Glyptol to protect the interior. I guess I need to look into the sleeving of the one bore and resulting overbore to clean up the pitting in the rest". Attached are pics of the old and new coil; and Greg's engine.

It is Friday, March 5th. What a nice day for a long drive. York, PA ended up to be about a three and a half hour drive each way. Of course, we had to make stops for breakfast and then lunch, so figure about three hours each way. Wow! Were we surprised, the parking lot and the building were packed when we arrived at about 11:30 AM. It was so crowed with vendors and buyers you had to weave your way in and out of folks standing in the isles; excuse me, was the word of the day, it was the only way you could pass. The vendors were all there too with a couple of exceptions. I got an opportunity to talk to Jon and Betty Myer, Jim Turner of the disc brake kit, and Dave Tbo. We had a great time. But we did not buy a lot, Dave Tbo had a good deal on a Mallory coil for the Avanti, so decided to buy one as I am still running the original. We also talked a couple of upholstery vendors, and picked up their samples. Prices are all over the place for interior pieces. From a low of around $500 for vinyl, $900 for leather, to over $1500, which included the door panels. All were for the front and rear seats. The Phantom folks were not there so did not get to talk to them. We left home at 7:30 AM and were home by 4:30 PM. The weather was great, and the scenery was fantastic as we took the back roads for the most part. Here are some pics for your enjoyment.

Steve, did not get your email. Pls. send again. Email address is correct. TX.

Steve, I have a Marvel repair and tuning manual that I can email you. Sent me your email in the clear to unimogjohn@aol.com and I will be happy to send it to you. There are normally only two adjustments on these carbs. On the bottom do you have a wheel or T bar for an adjustment? If it is wheel bottom it out and turn until the notch on the wheel is in line with the stud on the base; if a T just barely crack it open. On the air valve, the start position is to make the top of the adjustment screw in line with the little adjustment arm. This is the start position. Drive the car a block or so, then move the knob a couple of clicks and drive it again. Keep doing this until you feel that the car is running good. It is a slow process, but it works.

Steve, what is wrong? They are simple machines and easy to work on. All you need is a manual or two, and some common tools. Are you having electrical/ignition issues? Describe what is going on, post a couple of pics, and lots of us will help you if you want to tackle the work yourself. You might also post over in the Buick section.

Roger, John Lee is in your area. He has a 24-45X. Here is a pic of his car.

It is Monday, March 1st. And they said the weather was going to break. It struggled to get to 40 degrees and the wind was whipping. Tough working outside; and now they are saying that it will be colder tomorrow with rain and snow on Wednesday. But I pulled the Avanti out of the garage and onto the ramps. Just had to fix that pesky fuel leak. So pulled and clamped the old line; and put Permatex 2 on the threads of the fitting. I also put in a new, longer line; and hooked everything back up. Boy, the fuel just pours out of the delivery line, you have to be prepared and move quick. I also took the time to replace the fuel filter again. There was some debris, but certainly not as much as before. The fuel now looks really go so I am not going to pull the tank at this point. I then pulled the driver's seat and crawled under the dash to see if I had left any wires off the fuel tank gauge. Nope, looked good. I checked all the fuses and they look fine also. So maybe the problem is with the sender in the tank. We will leave that for another day. The real reason I pulled the seat was to try to see if I could connect the seat at all four points. Before I could not find one of the nuts on the floor pan for one of the forward bolts. So I was running with only three attachments, one at the front and two at the rear. I fished around and found the nut. It was pushed out of position and hiding. It took a few tries, but I was able to get it back into position and get the bolt on it. So now the seat is on firm footing. Getting just too cold to do anything outside, even on the Avanti, so will probably call it quits until the weekend. We are going up to York, PA to a Studebaker swap meet on Friday. I really doubt that we will find much, but we will try it for one year anyway. I do plan to stop and talk to the upholstery folks at Phantom. I have heard good things about their work, and at least I will get an idea as to what it will cost if and when I decide to redo the interior. I am thinking about $5K. Then I will really be upside down in the car. I will report on the York show on the weekend.

It is Sunday, February 28th. It is a good day to go for a drive. Ready or not here she comes! Snow flurries this morning, but today is the day. Put in five more gallons of gas, checked everything, started her up, and we headed out the driveway to the open road. Everything went great. No issues or problems popped up, and we felt like happy parents. Our Avanti is back on the road after 30 years sitting in a garage. In total we probably went about ten miles. The car never missed a beat. What a great day! We made three videos for your enjoyment. They are: Just went back over the car, all the fluids are good. Still have a fuel leak out of one of the fuel pump fittings so will take that out tomorrow and put some sealer on the threads, and I think I will re-route the rubber hose to give it more of a rounded S shape rather than the almost straight one that I have on there now. Also plan to change the oil. And, we will probably take it for another spin. We are suppose to get snow again on Tues/Wed, so Monday will be another cold day. We are 15 to 20 degrees below average for the past couple of months; March is usually in the 60s, go figure. Now that it is running I have to figure out what is next to do. More on that later, while I bask in the glow of success.

BJ, Dave T. rebuilt my carb and distributor. I am very happy with his work. It is Saturday, February 27th. All ready for lift off. Tomorrow, if the weather holds and is above freezing as promised, we are going to take the Avanti on her first road trip off the farm. Remember, it has been at least twenty years since she has felt pavement under her wheels. I have done all I can do to make sure she will not end up sitting on the side of the road. The past couple of days were spent doing final adjustments on the choke, the engine starts and restarts every time now; the transmission shifts into R and D easily; the throttle linkages are now all free and not binding and have been adjusted to the factory specs; the fuel leakage has been found on the fuel pump and corrected; the emergency brake has been readjusted; and I put the factory sticker on the Paxton supercharger. The only thing we are going to do tomorrow is to put in another five gallons of fresh gas, I would hate to run out, for some reason the gauge has stopped reading. She will not have her hood, but who needs one....... we are throwing caution to the wind. So, thinking of nothing else that needs to be done, we will set out for a run. Will report how we did tomorrow PM.

Brian, are you saying that the engine is locked up, and the starter may not be the issue? My 1923 McLaughlin Buick's engine was locked tight, tried everything to break it loose to include dragging it through the pasture and stuff like Marvel Mystery Oil, ATF, Blaster, WD40, etc . Finally, tried Kroil and it finally released after a week of soaking. Turned out it was a pencil lead line of rust between the cylinder wall and the rings of just one cylinder. I would think that if you can hear humming coming from the starter it is working, but cannot spin. I think it would be worth it to take out the starter and bench test it.

Roberto, I have never failed to stop with the 4 wheel, external banded, mechanical brakes. You must have good lining material (NOS is still available) and have the rods/levers adjusted correctly. You can lock them up easily if you have to. But, still they are not the greatest and give myself lots of room to stop. If you get them wet by washing, they will slip badly until they get hot enough to dry off. I enjoy going 35 to 40 mph in my 28; I have had it up to 55 and did not like it.

Bernie, here a couple of pics of the engine just after I got her running. Disregard the plastic filter and the blue tie wraps and a couple of modern bits. These were on just to attempt to make her operational. The engine was froze and it took a good six months of fussing to get it unstuck. The engine was in storage for 18 years in a shed, and condensation over the years rusted the rings to the bores on two cylinders. Did not take much, only a pencil lead line of light rust held her solid. Tried to pull one of the offending pistons down through the crank, but it was a no go. Soaking in Kroil oil for a month did the trick, tried everything else. She is free now and runs like a top. 1923 was the last year Buick used the solid block (no removable head). The valves are in individual cages at the top of the engine and each cage screws out. The 45 is a master series car and has the 6 cylinder engine. The tire size is 33x4.5.

Keith, now for the big question. What are you going to do? Have any plans? The car does not need to be a lawn ornament, they beg to be driven.

Roberto, what a great looking car, and in Spain of all places. One of mine, the 1923 McLaughlin Buick was in Kent, England. Re your 28. The car is very reliable. I have not had anything break on my 1928 Town Brougham since I bought it in 1984. But, with everything good maintenance is the key. Get yourself an owners manual, they are on Ebay all the time. This will give you lots of information on what to do. Since the car is in such good condition you should concentrate on checking all the fluids, and changing those that are suspect. I would also take some time under the car and grease all those fitting on the springs, etc; and lube all the brake rod connections (I use a wood flat stick made with a point to get grease in the hinge points and not get grease all over the place); I would check the oil in the transmission and rear end. The rear end can take standard 80/90 gear oil, but the transmission likes 600 weight, which is available from a couple of US suppliers; Do you have a filter with the engine? Original or aftermarket? Anyway I change my oil every season or more often if we drive it on tour. I use a good quality 30 weight Diesel oil as it has more additives, a multigrade is OK too if you do not go too light, I have used 10/40 with no problems. Make sure that oil is hot when draining, you will notice that it will gush a bit of sludge at first, this is normal. Really, the old problems you will have is water leaking from the pump at the packing, usually just a drip, drip, drip; you can tighten the big nut, but not too tight. I just live with the dripping and carry extra water with me. The only other problem is with the carb. Not the carb itself, but it can get dirty inside with old gas and debris, they are easy to clean. How do they get dirt in? There is a needle valve that is actuated by a rod on the side of the carb. It is suppose to have a felt washer. This is often missing and so allows the dirt to enter. Over time it can just clog the jets. Good luck with the car, it is a beauty. Here is a pic of my 28, still original except for the black paint on the fenders and blue on the hood.

Old Car, Because of your work we have decided to take our nearly done 1923 McLaughlin Buick, model 45, to the show; so we will see you there and see Firefly in person. I still have some trim work to in the driver's compartment; and the replacement of a cracked exhaust down tube. But the top is all done and installed, and the old girl does run great. Look forward to meeting you in Louisville in early July.

BJ, great looking Avanti R2, and loved the video too. Is yours the original paint, Avanti Red? Can you post pics of the interior? Would love to see them. On your engine, the rear throttle rod to the carb needs to be attached under the throttle plate (the manual says that this is important). Who are you going to have rebuild your carb and distributor? Are you missing your air cleaner? Thanks for posting pics of your car. Really appreciate it.

Luvto: All those things you mentioned can be changed with out effecting the HPOF designation. In fact, I would change out those tire if James is going to drive it, which I assume he is. Correct tires are available from Coker or Universal, and are not that expensive. The rust is coming through the holes in the body where the fasteners for the strips are. You have to be very care in removing those strips or you will bend/damage them. Usually there is a spring clip to hold them on. You do have to remove the strips to treat the area. Treating usually involves cleaning, rust removal, coating, priming, and paint. It does not look like there has been any rust through yet, but it is getting close. The interior is going to need a good cleaning, and there may be great seats under the covers. A lot of the stain will come out with a good cleaning, and there are products that will remove some of the stains. Wish James good luck, he will have a great journey. And folks just love to see original cars. My 1928 Buick is still mostly original (only fenders and hood have been repainted) and people flock to it when we put it on display.

Question, I just joined the AACA today and plan on attending the meet in Louisville. Do I have to wait until I get my number and pin before I can register? Also, are the cars displayed inside the convention center? If yes, do you leave them there for all the days? Also called the host hotel and they are all booked, so called Springhill Marriott and got a room there. Will be bringing the 1923 McLaughlin Buick.

Tom, thanks and glad that you are enjoying it. BUT, wow! you have done a fantastic job on your 59 Buick. What an excellent job. I have just finished reading your blog. It was a great read, and just loved all those pictures. You must be really proud of what you have accomplished. Hope to meet up with you at a AACA event since we are relatively closed. I am planning to go to the meet in Louisville in late June with the 23 McLaughlin Buick. Hope to meet OldCar there also since I know he is trying to get his Dixie Flyer ready in time. I am sure that he will make it. It is Saturday, February 20th. Beginning of the gig thaw. It is 43 degrees today, the snow melt has finally started. But before I get too excited the weatherman says that we may get snow on Monday, or a least a mix. Oh well, at least I have a few hours. Pulled off both breather cap and washed them with solvent and with with dishwasher soap. They are nice and clean now, one is is clean it does not have any of the dirt catching mesh inside. It just broke apart and went down the drain. I will have to get some mesh and put it in from the inside and then down into the wall. Just another thing on my long list to do. I know I can get a new one, but $35 seems a bit seep. So the STP stickers are now on the engine. I also started the engine. A few days ago, when it was really cold, I tried to start the engine. It wanted to fire, but just would not catch. It did the same today. So I pulled off the carb cover and saw that the choke plate was completely closed. I took my handy screwdriver and used it to keep the plate open a bit, and the engine fired right off. I then adjusted the choke a couple of notches and will see if that makes a difference when I start it tomorrow. While it was running I adjusted the idle, but I noticed that every time I goosed the throttle it would not return to idle, but was still sticking. So I got out the Kroil spray can and put in about 25 shots on the throttle rod that goes down the firewall and connects to the transmission. This helped quite a bit. The rod is sticking inside its sleeve, and I hope that the Kroil will gradually make its way down the rod and free things up. I also noticed that the rod moves in the bushing so I now know that the assembly is probably close to worn out due to lack of lubrication. There are no provisions to lube this rod. So will look for this throttle control plate when we go to York, PA for a swap meet in early March. Am starting to get a list of things to look for. I also plan on talking to the Phantom Auto folks to get an idea about redoing the interior. I am probably looking at a $6K bill there, so I am trying not to get too excited about getting started. I do plan on getting the driver's seat fixed in the next few weeks as it as come apart at the top. I know that replacement vinyl is required so will do it in black. When I redo the interior it will go back to its original red color. Here are a couple of pics with the new STP stickers in place.

Old, I just took a look at the Restoration Supply catalog. MOU066 $42.00 is really close to what was on the car. This is aluminum, the original stuff was tin. I have the aluminum on my 23 and it looks great. Just one word of caution, it is un-drilled, so you you have to figure out the spacing and make sure the drill does not drift as you start. I used a punch to make marks to make sure everything lined up. I also put in a campfer (sp) on the top so the oval screw head when down inside the rail. Hope this helps. Oh, the original had both an inner and outer rail, I just put one on the outside, I think it looks better, but it is incorrect.

It is Friday, February 19th. Eye Candy. I guess I am finally getting to the end of rebuilding and fixing of the mechanical/running bits of the car for now, and am starting to get those little things that would/should be on the car. Most of the rubber on the car is either hard as a rock, falling apart or missing. So with the Studebaker Intl sale I bought a few parts. I have attached a pic. For sure I will put on the labels and brake pedal rubber, but will save the other bits when I get to those areas. Also Greg sent word that his R3 block has been repaired. Here are pics of the broken block and the repaired block. He has not let me know his plans for the engine yet, but I know he is interested in restoring one of his Avanti's to speed racing condition with all the correct period engine pieces. He has not been working on the Maroon Avanti that he just had painted as it is in an unheated barn with two to three feet of snow all around it.

All, looked back in the 70 Years book and 1924 had a 51 with the oval window, and it was called the model 24-51-A. Buick built only 24 51s for export, but turned out 4,991 of the model 51 and 2,295 of the 51-A. The only real difference between the two models was the oval window for the A, and a more modern D shaped one for the 51. The book only has a picture of the 51, but describes the oval window in the major write-up for 1924.