Bill - 29 Buick
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Posts posted by Bill - 29 Buick
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Day 11
Had nice dinner last night in the Fire Hall restaurant in Rapid City, SD with new friends from Chicago, Larry and Kim.
Spent the morning at a Goodyear Truck tire centre getting my wheel & tires sorted after the blowout yesterday.
Then, off to Mount Rushmore - the mountain is quite impressive, but not so much the town. Full of typical tourists trap attractions.
A bad selfie with the Prezs in background
Then, travelled though the Badlands of SD which were quite green and didn’t look too bad to me.
In the town of Wall there’s a store called Wall’s Drug Store which spreads down both sides of a city block or two, and sells everything - sort of like Honest Ed’s in TO.
Heat was a continuing problem today. When I stopped in Oacoma, SD at 7 PM it was 31C. Lots of vapour lock but ‘old faithful’ kept on motoring along.
It was interesting this morning as I didn’t get onto the hwy until about 9:30 but in the last couple of days, driving east and leaving at Sunrise, you literally can’t see when driving into the sun - and most of the roads are under construction which makes things worse.
Pressing on.
Billy
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Day 10 - What A Day !
My journey out of Cody, WY towards Sturgis and Mount Rushmore started off fabulously. At 5:15AM, I pulled out and began the 350 mile, 7&1/2 hour trip to Sturgis, ND. I expected to see the motorcycle museum and the town of Sturgis (home of the world’s biggest motorcycle rally each August) and then motor on to Mount Rushmore where I’d spend the night.
What I didn’t expect was the gradual climb up to 9,000+ feet in the colourful mountains of Wyoming.
Car didn’t enjoy it at all and thankfully there were no other cars on the road as I ascended at about 20MPH.
Finally got over the peak and descended to find lots of animals in the fields beside the road. First, 3 teenage moose, then baby deer, then a full grown moose, then another baby deer and not far away a wolf (hope she survived) and more deer and another very baby deer that did a hop skip and jump across the road in front of me and back again.
Going up the mountain, the car had heated up and the vapour lock was back. Now, I was shooting to get to the Sturgis museum, after all of this, at about 3 PM. Well on track with carb adjustments, etc., I was about 20 minutes away and BANG, a HUGE blow out. Front right tire went pop and the lock ring that secures the tire on the rim went shooting off into a field, never to be seen again.
Called CAA who transferred the problem to South Dakota’s AAA and they were there in under 1/2 hour (unlike another roadside service company who stranded us for 5&1/2 hours last fall and eventually didn’t come).
Will try to get wheel / tire fixed / adjusted tomorrow morning. If not, will motor home on the spare.
So, people are now starting to wonder if I’ll make it back home (about 2,000 km). The betting has started !
More tomorrow
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Day 9 - Old Faithful
Forgot to tell you that 6 motorcycle babes (inc. 3 Blonds) from Vancouver, BC were at my hotel last night. Marlene kept telling me to keep away from blond motorcycle chicks.
This morning, headed off for the 1 hour’ish hour drive from Ennis MT to see Yellowstone’s Old Faithful in WY (driving in, I guess, my old faithful 29 McL-Buick) which took almost 4&1/2 hours. Road construction and traffic. Car, of course, heated up but didn’t let me down.
Arrived at Old Faithful and parked behind a hotel that reminded me of The Seigniory Club / Chateau Montebello’s log construction.
I must admit, that the hours on the road weren’t really rewarded with a Cirque du Soleil experience.
Before the Geyser
During the Geyser
Lasted about 4&1/2 minutes. Fortunately, there was an old hotel transport bus around to rescue the situation.
And, the country side in WY was impressive. 
You can almost see the varmints hiding behind the rocks ready to pounce on the unsuspecting stagecoach (or 29 Buick) passengers.
And tomorrow, on to Sturgis (google it to see what it’s famous for) and Mount Rushmore, SD.
Oh, and sitting in a nice steakhouse in Cody, WY, I watched a Browning Shotgun commercial showing how their gun shoots cleaner and kills quicker. Wow !
More tomorrow.
Billy
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Day 8 - More
So, it started off wonderfully at 5 AM at 17C - the 29 was passing Mario Andretti.
But then, around 11 AM, the sun warmed things up to 36 and things started to go downhill.
Lots of vapour lock so I had the electric axillary fuel pump running, the heater fan on, the choke pulled 1/2 way out and one side of the hood was open and I was barely able to make it to Ennis, MT (390 miles), on the way to Old Faithful, by 5 PM.
The good news is the car found a nice old car Museum along the way.
And, as I strolled down the Main Street of Ennis, MT looking for a scuzzie bar for dinner, there was a junior deer crossing the road and wandering through town. Neat, not like the coyotes eating small dogs in the park behind our house, in downtown Toronto. 
More tomorrow.
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Day 8 - The Trip Home
Four days at the meet, 160 Buicks, 1 other 29, won the Pre-War Long Distance Award and Spokane is nice.
Now, the return trip. I’ve started out early today (5 AM) as Spokane’s expected high will be 38 and I know the 29 will grumble even when things get to 30.
Heading to Yellowstone to see Old Faithful.
Bill
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Day 7
After an oil change this morning, made it to Spokane and the car meet, mid-day.
Now 4 days of rest checking out things around Spokane and the parts flea market and seeing old car friends before I start the 6 or so day’s journey home.
And, Sunday, when I leave it’s supposed to get to 38 here. Sounds like an interesting day for riding in a 29 McL-Buick.
More if there are in things here. Otherwise, on the return trip.
Billy
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Day 5 & 6
First, a clarification on the tornado shot in my last email. I don’t know if it was a real tornado as I decided to give it a wide birth. But, I did see Dorothy hitchhiking at the side of the road.
Day 5: Yesterday started well but ended badly - which was the reason there wasn’t a report, yesterday. I was just too tired !
It was very hot (32+) and the car heated up massively - enough to cause it to vapour lock - making it run badly and backfire. So, from about 2 to 8PM, I struggled along before getting to Billings, MT.
Struggling means going 45MPH and 30 up hills while all the other traffic was going 80 - the legal max. in MT. Embarrassing !
Enjoyed some nice views as the great plains transitioned into a miniature Grand Canyon.
And there was wildlife around.
I pulled off and spent about 2 hours fiddling with things to try and improve the performance and also to let the car cool off, but everything I did, didn’t help much.
Finally got to Billings, MT and after about 12 hours in a hot, uncooperative car, just crashed.
Had a friend, Richard, advise that putting about 3% diesel into the gas will help lower the boiling point and help to prevent vapour lock. Who knew I could make my 29 Buick a hybrid.
Day 6: If yesterday was difficult, today was GREAT ! Temp. was cooler / about 23, tops and car decided to run properly - including climbing up the 6,000 ft Mullan Pass on the Continental Divide.
Didn’t stay in this rest stop long. 
One of many Funny signs here in MT.
I pulled into to Kellogg, ID tonight, a ski resort, and onto Spokane and tomorrow on the car show, about 60 miles from here.
Lots of old cars guys stopped to say hello at my many gas stops. Most of them unable to fathom an old guy in an older car cruising the continent. But many of them supplied names of reliable (?) old car repair guys in case had a problem - kinda nice.
More tomorrow’ish - after all it’s an old car meet and I’ll be kept busy with important stuff like talking about engines and searching for need parts + getting the car ready for the return trip home next week.
Enough for today.
Sunset at Kellogg, ID
Billy
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Day 4
Another good old car day (of course any day driving the 29 McL-Buick is good) ! Weather started off cool but warmed up quickly. Covered just under 400 miles, overnighting in Bismarck, ND. On to Montana, tomorrow.
Had a nice lunch, in Fargo, ND with Francis McDormand.
ND is flat - part of the Great Plains. You can almost see the Buffalo herds kicking up dust as they travel.
Ran into a bit of rain this aft - funny how storms here are different - they have things spinning in them.
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Sorry, didn’t get pictures in last posting.
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Day 2 - Toronto to Spokane
Waiting for the ferry to cross Lake Michigan - heading West
The 29 McL-Buick on the ferry
Onto the ferry this morning after discovering I have lost my ‘Enzo Ferrari’ sunglasses. Rats!
Parts that need fixing, so far: Turn signals, and emergency brake. Hopefully, this list won’t get too much bigger as I venture westward.
Arrived at my friends, Tony & Joyce Bult’s place in Whitewater, WI and Tony and I went to work in the car. Timing reset, handbrake fixed, some parts selected from Tony’s vast collection for pickup on my return.
Day 3
Go west young man !
Starting out on Day 3 - Headed West
Day 3: Pretty uneventful. Car ran well. Brake lights are staying on some of the time. Will have to investigate along with turn signals which don’t work at all now.
Spending the night in downtown St. Cloud, Minnesota tonight.
Shortly after arriving in MN, my WASE directions to the next turn showed this:
I guess I can just sit back and put the car in cruse control all the way to Spokane. We’ll see tomorrow.
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Took off today, from Toronto, in the 29 McL Buick to the BCA’s National meet in Spokane, WA.
My plans are to drive about 400 miles each day. This will take about 8 hours, as long as I don’t make eye contact with anyone in a gas station - which I have to stop at often, as the car only gets about 10 MPG.
Tonight in Muskegon, MI so I can get an early ferry tomorrow across Lake Michigan to Wisconsin and miss Downtown Chicago.
Car ran well with only a few vapour lock coughs - it was in the low 30’sC. Rain, at one point, cooled things down which was good - except when it rains the brakes don’t work too well.
Tomorrow, I go to ‘Old Schoolhouse Restorations’ in Wisconsin, which specializes in late 20’s Buicks, where I’ll pick up a few parts that may be necessary on the road and get a few repairs I made recently, checked out.
Stay tuned for more of Billy’s excellent (crazy, wife Marlene would say) adventure.
Billy
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I am planning on leaving Whitewater, WI on Sat. July 8 and drive I-94 and I-90 to Spokane arriving some time in PM on Tues. July 11.
Anyone else taking this route ?
Bill McLaughlin
1929 McLaughlin Buick Roadster
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Here's what I used in all my cars. It's Brad Penn 20w50 (with ZDDP) racing oil.
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Thanks. That was it.
Bill McL
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Recently, I saw a list of Pre-War suppliers but, of course, I can't find it when I need it.
Anyone know where this list was published (I think on the AACA site).
Thanks.
Bill McLaughlin
1929 Silver Anniversary Buick Club / Newsletter
1929 McLaughlin Buick Roadster
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On 4/22/2022 at 12:35 PM, Michael Villadsen said:
Hi, What about a cylinder head for Buick 29 for engien 257 do you have that ?
Send me an email (bill@29buick.ca) after Mar. 15 and I’ll send you some people who might have a 29 Standard cylinder head.
Bill McLaughlin
1929 Silver Anniversary Buick Club
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Hello:
Friend in South Africa is trying to ID his grandfather's car. Picture is from 1937 in Sumatra, Indonesia.
Bill McLaughlin
Toronto, Canada
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Alex:
Try Egge in California (Egge.com).
Bill McLaughlin
1929 McLaughlin Buick Roadster
1929 Silver Anniversary Buick Club
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Miguel:
We need to know what model your car is - as parts for the small (Standard) engine models (116") are different that parts for the big engine (Master) models (121" & 129").
See <https://www.29buickphotos.com/Information/Radiator-Radiator-Caps/i-DvPg7ss> and the next picture for the Master radiator thermostat housing. I believe the Standard is similar except the angle is greater.
There is also a radiator thermostat base which is inside the top radiator tank (same for both Standard and Master models). Here is a picture: <https://www.29buickphotos.com/Information/Engine-Information-inc-Colour/i-22P6Bhm> and picture before this one. (4 bolt holes need to be drilled in this reproduction.)
Bill McLaughlin
1929 Silver Anniversary Buick Club
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505Buick:
Send me an email with your contact info and I’ll send you a “Welcome Package” to the 1929 Silver Anniversary Buick Club which will start to answer some of your questions.
Bill McLaughlin
<Bill@29buick.ca>
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Hello:
One of our group on Orange field just announced he has Covid and isn't coming. So, I have an extra sticker and also a bed about 7-10 min. from field, if needed. Info, either PM or <Bill@29buick.ca>
Bill McLaughlin -
Hello:
One of our group on Orange field just announced he has Covid and isn't coming. So, I have an extra sticker and also a bed about 7-10 min. from field, if needed. Info, either PM or <Bill@29buick.ca>
Bill McLaughlin
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Before you start the car using the original fuel delivery system, I’d consider taking off the gas tank and having it cleaned out. After 22 years the gas will have gone bad and may have congealed. Try a radiator shop. Or, try Gas Tank Renu. And clean out the fuel line to the fuel pump and between the fuel pump and carb.
Bill McLaughlin
1929 McLaughlin Buick roadster
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Once you do everything the others above have suggested, your engine can be cranked over without the ignition on which will allow you to oil up things without having the engine run. You can crank it over until the oil pressure gauge starts to climb and then turn on the ignition. This is also good for when the car has sat for any length of time.,
Bill Mclaughlin
1929 McLaughlin Buick Roadster
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2023 BCA National Meet, Spokane Washington, July 11-15 2023
in Buick - General
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Mark:
Send me a diagram of how you’d set this up when you have a chance.
thanks.
Bill