JoelsBuicks

Located in Bartlesville OK - Craigslist ad for a 1954 Roadmaster Riviera with 50K miles. Not mine. Sometimes I wish the folks selling these cars would provide some more pics. But then again, I guess since this one is located in the city that I work, I could just go take a look. http://tulsa.craigslist.org/cto/5901295581.html

Tom, it has a lot to do with not being able to control drying and storing conditions very well. Like I mentioned before, I have a sawmill that I use to saw my own lumber. My kiln is solar with forced draft and will only heat to about 150F during daylight - probably not hot enough to kill larvae. The storage (after kiln drying) is not temperature or humidity controlled and so it's still subject to infestation. If I really had to preserve the Ash, I'd probably spray the boards with a borate solution. My fear is that I'd invest a great deal of my time and labor rewooding a car and be using Ash already infested. But there's more. To me, the rot resistant properties of White Oak and Cypress are attractive as long as everything else is about equal. Ash may offer a great balance of strength, flexibility, and workability but it offers no resistance to fungal decay or infestation. This may not be a fair comparison but if I were to cut 4x4 fence posts out of Ash, Cypress, and White Oak, and then bury one end of each in the ground, the Ash would be gone in a year and the others would be there for 20+ years. That example may be a stretch from the hinge side post in the rear door of a '31 Buick but is it really? Occasionally, the moisture will be there. Once you've pulled the rotted wood out of one of these cars, the culprit is obvious. Everywhere that water can be, the wood is gone. There's no question that a nicely restored and rewooded car will not see the conditions that it once did, including road conditions. Hopefully, it will be cared for and kept dry and its wood will remain structurally sound for well over a century, regardless of the species. For me, it's just a matter of "overdoing" something just because I can and at the same time, avoiding having to worry about the potential decay.

No drawings at all. I used the old rotted wood and where it didn't exist I made patterns according to the metal profiles and in some cases I just gave it my best guess.

I use a mix of White Oak and Cypress; mostly Cypress. Both of these woods are rot resistant and fairly stable when dried. They are also very different from each other and I favor the Cypress when possible because it's easier to work with. White Oak is very hard and has a tendency to split but structurally speaking, it's more than you'll ever need. To me, the Cypress very well mimics most of the original wood which looks to me to be either Poplar or Cottonwood. I've seen both Red Oak and White Oak used from the factory but have never been able to positively identify Ash, although many people report seeing it. I'm probably not giving the Ash a fair shake but I have a reason. Another hobby I have is operating a sawmill & kiln. Along with many other species, I've sawed ash and kiln dried it. I've stacked it in a barn and in a year there appeared many miniature piles of very fine dust within the stack. The next year it was a total loss. Another example was a table saw fence (jig) that I built out of Ash. I finished it with polyurethane and it is now a total loss. I've had the same experience with Pecan and even with the sapwood of black walnut. My stash of Cypress and White Oak is untouched. I know that I'm missing some sort of preservation method but the whole experience has me jaded on Ash. But, I have no doubt that it is being widely used and will probably last for many years. Here are a couple pics. The header above the windshield is White Oak and the rest is Cypress. The center posts are Cypress. I would never want to drive upholstery nails into White Oak which is yet another thing to consider. Joel

Use the dried Ash. It's not my wood of choice but many people here have used it successfully. It's strong and machines well and holds screws. My only issue with it is that the powder post beetle finds it irresistible.

Tom, Regarding the center post wood, think "shoehorn." Using stiff putty knives or margin trowels you pry the metal apart enough to remove the wood. You won't have to bend anything; there's enough spring in the metal to free the wood. Two people operating four "shoehorns" will make this task relatively easy. Just reverse the process to insert the new wood. I have some pics in my projects thread for my 1931 8-67. Good luck! -Joel

It sounds like he may be owning it for a while.

Tom, I'm pretty sure he wants more than $200; a price that he didn't entertain at all several months ago. I encouraged him to figure out how to do a compression test or do something to demonstrate that there's more there than just a boat anchor. And, that anyone wanting this would want some assurance of condition or be desperate enough to take a risk. Maybe I shouldn't say this but the '31 Buick that I purchased was being restored by his father in a manner and to a condition that few would find acceptable. Nevertheless, the gentleman wanting to sell this is confident that the motor is in good condition. To his credit, his father was still alive when he sold the cars and he was there and I'm sure heard his father vouch for the condition of the motor. By the way, I recall that front end of the Studebaker to which this engine belonged looked just like the one in your pic. I recall it being a two door with no sidemounts. It's a very classy look!

Robert, if I had a need for that 6 cyl Buick, I'd be trying to work something out. My oldest is '31; the first year of the straight eights. I'd guess however that it's only a matter of time til one comes along. I hope that someone can use the Studebaker engine. I did make a half-hearted stab, thinking he just was wanting it out of the way. I have no idea of the model it fits although I did briefly see its original car. I can't imagine there's too many of these just lying around nor can I imagine a bunch of people needing one. Again, I hope it finds a home. Thanks, Joel

Nearly five years ago, an elderly gentleman (now deceased) liquidated two project cars that were both in early progress of restoration. I ended up with the '31 Buick and the '34 Studebaker went to someone else who quickly flipped the car. Apparently no one wanted the straight eight engine because the flipper never returned to get it. The son of this gentleman is now trying to find a home for this engine but he knows almost nothing about it. As a courtesy toward him for searching for missing parts to my Buick, I told him I'd offer here on this forum. Although I have tried, he has not priced it, doesn't know if it turns, and only states that his father was just going to clean it up and paint it and put it back in the car. What you see in these pics is all that is left. It is located in Tahlequah, OK. His name is Mr. Frisby and he can be reached at (918) two four four-1307 and he will respond to texts. I will tell you that he is a very nice person but in no way followed in his father's interest of these old cars. Joel

Tom, I may be the lone contrarian here and while I believe that ash has the right qualities, I have found it to be terribly susceptible to the powder post beetle. I own and operate a sawmill that supported my furniture making hobby for twenty years. Ash was once plentiful here and I have sawed it and have had limited use of it for furniture. I kiln dried my wood in a solar kiln that would achieve around 150F during the day. I recall I made some plant stands for indoor use and I made a table saw jig and they were all coated with polyurethane. In a matter of months I began to notice the small piles of fine dust below the plant stands and around that wooden jig. My stockpile of kiln dried ash was in worse shape than that. Within a year, the wood stack was completely disintegrated. Others have had obvious success with using ash and I hope that you will as well. I just wanted you to hear another story. Of the three cars that I have (are) rewooding, (two 36 buicks and one 31 buick) I have not found any original ash wood. I have found poplar/cottonwood/gum, red oak, white oak and what I think is hard maple. I have also found what I think is spruce for some lighter components. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the species of choice originally used - I'm guessing availability. My experience is that poplar/cottonwood (I actually think it's cottonwood) is the most prevalent and then red oak a close second. I have also noticed that none of these woods are really stable; much if not most original wood is warped, bowed, or twisted. I use white oak and cypress. Both are known to be rot resistant but that's not a big deal because I don't think they'll be in the same environment. The white oak is strong but tough to work; cypress is lighter and easier to work but not as strong. I could have used red oak and walnut and hickory/pecan but each of these has its own faults. You suggested black locust and I have sawed some black locust. Once dried it is harder than Billy Hell and I cannot imagine trying to work it. But having said that, there is nothing I know that is stronger, harder, and more rot resistant than black locust. Still, I wouldn't even attempt it. Good luck with your project, Joel

Craigslist Ad, not mine but from the city where I work. I would be happy to check this out for any interested BCA member. It's listed as a 1926 Buick Sr. 60 frame. http://tulsa.craigslist.org/pts/5744189016.html Joel

I cleaned her up inside really well and got her dry and under cover. I found no rust-through of the floors, not even the trunk area. Beyond this cleanup, Miss Wanda has sat patiently waiting her turn. I've been tempted to start on the dismantling and starting the chroming process but I have resisted as my other cars that are in progress need to be finished. You may have seen my 1931 Buick thread where I'm getting close to having the wood work done for that car. Although I enjoy working on multiple car projects at one time, shop space is limited and I've learned that you need plenty of space to spread these parts out. To that end, I have started the construction of a new shop for my cars. It will be separate from my wood shop. I have a compacted gravel/clay pad awaiting concrete for the 96 x 69 shop. Doing some of the work myself has taken much time recently. Isn't there always something else competing for our time? Once I start on the wood work for Wanda, my plan is to make at least three sets of the wood parts as my 36 and 37 Series 90's will have many common parts - especially for the doors. My 36 series 40 needs wood but I don't think there's much in common with the larger cars. I do have another 36 Roadmaster that is in really tough shape. I'm debating whether or not to make the wood for her but if I don't, she's surely doomed. It's somewhat easier to make multiple duplicate pieces. My retirement plan is now set for July next year. Then, I hope that I have the time to make good progress. Thanks for asking, Joel

Bought these 19" Firestones last November for my '31 8-67. Look at the pics, that brown stuff doesn't come off. They were immediately mounted upon arrival and have zero miles. All five are like this and they are getting worse by the day. Trying to get them returned.

In 1984 while in college my very dear friend Bill loved his '66 7-litre coupe, as he called it. It was emberglo with a cream-white top. It had no rust but did have a few small dents and well weathered paint. Bill worked nights and weekends at a movie theater to help fund a paint job. Bill was a brilliant Engineering Physics major but he suffered greatly from cystic fibrosis. One summer, Bill went to do intern work in Flint MIchigan but he left the car in Oklahoma. Unbeknownst to Bill, his older brother and I began our work to straighten and repaint that car. With many paint jobs under my belt in my uncle's shop, we were easily able to finish it and surprised him upon his return that fall. That horrible disease soon took my friend away and I never knew the fate of that car. You never know who you are going to touch and in what way. Your project is special to me because it brings back memories of my friend and I love seeing this work done right. Thank you! Joel

Mine is a 31 Series 60 so I don't want to mislead you but I'm pretty certain that you have a rope seal that fits into a groove. I got mine from Bobs, it had a Teflon feel to it and it tightened right up. Although my tranny was already disconnected, I would think you could change that seal by unbolting that casting holding the seal and then pulling it back enough to peel out the old and put in the new.

You gotta wonder where the heck that washer came from! Also, noise didn't appreciably change when you removed the cover? I see periodic drips of oil but it is less than half of what I would expect see. Also, engine seems to be firing on all 8. I'm stumped at the moment.

Oops, looks like you posted while I was responding. After seeing this, I'm not sure about it being one knock per rotation. That video looks like it might be in time with the cam. Hard to tell.

I'll go out on a limb and predict that you have an exhaust valve that is broken and jammed in its guide. It is being hit by the piston. It's easy enough to take the valve cover off and look, even with it running. To me, the knock sounds like it is occurring with every rotation, a rate of about 320 knocks per minute. The cam would turn half that speed and so this might allow you to eliminate that part. The gen and water pump are turning about engine speed and could have a problem but I would expect you to be able to discern those. Although a video might be worth a thousand words, I'd like to hear more from you regarding the evolution of this noise. The idea of course is to do the easiest things first. Those include:. Pete's suggestion on listening, valve cover removal, compression test, and then oil pan removal. Good Luck and hopefully others will chime in.

There may be hope on this front. This is a bit off topic but I've been involved in a totally unrelated-to-car project in which a 3D scanner is used to scan a surface and then create a mathematical model of that surface. You can then mathematically enlarge the object if you so desire and then dump the 3D CAD file to a 3D printer and print the object in ABS plastic. The plastic version is then used to make a mold that allows for sand casting in your favorite metal. Why not for an old car part? So far, it appears to be highly accurate and you can just mathematically insert the expected shrinkage percentage and cast a duplicate part - or a hundred of them for that matter. Surely someone, somewhere is working on this for car parts. I'd be doing it if I had more time, the technology seems to be all there right now. Why can't I remove all of my car list from my signature? Something has changed. Thanks, Joel

I'm looking for a set of good usable lifters for a Buick 248. I'm reassembling a 1942 engine that was a replacement for a 1938 special. This engine had very little bottom wear but the previous owner took the head off because of burned valves. Over time, it ended up in the weather and I had to bore 0.030 and the lifters filled with water and are now badly pitted. PM me if you can help. Thank you, Joel

Bud, what kind of repair is needed? Back when I lived close to a plater in Houston, he would copper plate my pot metal after I had blasted and sanded it. I would then solder the pits and sand them smooth and then he would do the copper nickel chrome plating. When my pot metal needed repair for cracks, I used the Muggy Weld product. It's frustrating stuff but eventually you make it work. I would spend many hours working just one piece. Platers almost always try to grind away the problems with pot metal. I think you should first ask the plater how they deal with the pits and if they tell you that they grind them away you should find another until they describe a pit filling process that preserves the piece. Insist on this high-end treatment and expect to pay for it. Good luck, Joel

Leif, that was the measure I was wanting to get for him and then I would add about 16" for both bumpers thus making the overall length about 180" or 15 feet. Joel

Rats, I should have checked this post earlier before I left my shop. Tomorrow, I may be able to get you a measurement that would be + or - 4" as I would have to approximate bumper allowance because my bumpers are off. Have you tried contacting someone close to the car and have them lay a tape measure on the floor and get as close as possible? Seems like it ought to be a quick thing to do. Let me know if you need my measurement. I'll ask my Dad to do this tomorrow as I'll not be going to the shop. Good luck, Joel

Very interesting and helpful information. You can see the dipstick location in the pics and it is towards the rear. Thank you all very much, it's what I needed to know. Joel