-Rich

Hi all, My chapter of the BCA (Dixie Chapter) has been looking into this idea for a while now. We're considering taking on the project of having new frames made for us, and then selling to any Club members who may want them. We're currently talking with several vendors about price and material (metal, of course - not plastic), and hope to make a decision soon. Sounds like this discussion is a good gauge that there's some interest in having these available again. In the meantime, and likes or dislikes of the the old frames would be appreciated. We want to make sure people would be happy with the frames if we go forward and have them made again. Thoughts and ideas and welcome!!

Thanks for the ideas. There're no markings on it anywhere - no patent number, date, or anything at all. I was told by a guy in the Buick club that it could have been used to identify a vehicle as having access to a military base, but he wasn't sure. Still no idea what's supposed to go in the opening, but I appreciate y'alls comments. Thanks, and Merry Christmas everyone!!

I'm trying to gather some information about a license plate topper I have. It was in my dad's collection of automobilia, and so far I've been unable to find out anything about it, especially what's supposed to go in the middle opening. To me it looks like it might be roughly WWII vintage. It was suggested that it might have been some sort of military insignia, and that letters or numbers went in the middle as identification. While my dad was in his 20's during WWII, he was never in the service due to a physical handicap, so I don't know. Any ideas? Has anyone ever seen something similar? Is it military? Maybe used to display ration cards or info? Any help is appreciated! Thanks! -Rich

Don't know if this will help or not, but I've got an original 1926 Buick Six Reference Manual for sale. (I've got a 38-41, so I don't need this book at all) Let me know if you're interested. -Rich

Zonda - I've followed your posts with great interest. While I'm [mumble] years older than you, you've actually taught me a few things. Kinda cool! (and my dad bought my 38-41 back in 1973 - it came to me when he passed away in '07) I hit all the brackets with some PB Blaster, and will see if that buys me any movement. I'd rather not use a torch unless all else fails - just because with my luck, the results would be less-than-desired. I'm told that a 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF works wonders, so that might be my next step. How'd you make sure you had all the sludge out of the inside bore, and the oil holes on the brackets/rockers?

I'm in the process of disassembling the rocker arm assembly on my 38-41, to check for wear, see if I need to replace any parts, etc. But I've run into a couple things I'm not sure about.. First, I was able to remove the first 3 Support Brackets quite easily - they just slid right off, as did the rocker arms are springs. But the 4th bracket seems to be stuck pretty tight. Any suggestions for how to remove it (and any others that might be stuck too)? I don't want to damage anything, or risk scoring the Shaft by twisting it back and forth to see if I can eventually "walk" the bracket off the shaft. Second, the Shaft itself seems to have wear patterns, where it's highly polished in some areas, and rougher in others (like where the springs were). Once I remove everything and get down to just the bare shaft, what should I do? Just clean it up with wire wool and kerosene, or what? I'm still learning my away around these engines, so figured I'd ask before I make a terrible mistake. :-)

Tag Christian! Wie geht's? I just removed the radiator on my '38 about a month ago, and it was fairly simple. I removed the hood first, but left the grille and nose piece in place. Next I pulled the thermostat housing and radiator bypass, followed by the fan and water pump assembly. After getting those parts out of the way, I simply unbolted the radiator and pulled it out. (lift up, tilt towards engine, and lift out) When lifting the radiator out, use two people. My son helped me in guiding it, and it was quite easy. I had also covered the front of the engine with a thick towel to help reduce any damage to the fins in case one of us slipped. Good luck from a newbie!

Hey Pete, Good news about the judging! Yeah, it's currently Homer Gray, which was an original color. I've read (and heard) conflicting things about the wheels though. Some say they should be either read or body color, but I saw another chart that said blue was also an option for the Homer Gray. More research ahead for me. :-) Right now I have the engine torn down to the block, fenders off, interior out, etc. And all because I had to change a leaking manifold gasket! You know how it goes. "<span style="font-style: italic">Well, as long as I have this apart, I might as well go ahead and..</span>." :-) But I'm always happy to show off my mistress, so here's a couple of the "before" pictures..

Thanks again Dave! My dad had the car reupholstered in 1976, and it's now a gray mohair. Whether I repaint or not, I'll most likely keep the gray mohair, since having it redone it way outta my price range for a while. (my dad paid just over $3k for the new interior back in 1976!) I appreciate the input from everyone - eventually I hope to track the history of the car back to Flint, and have all the details of its long life. :-)

Dave, Thanks, that's just the info I was looking for. The data plate on the body shows: 1938 Mod: 41 Style: 38-4419 Trim: 401 Paint: 515 I know it was originally black, but my dad had it repainted Homer Gray. (he always said he didn't like black cars, but he was colorblind, so who knows what it looked like to him?) I might go back to the original black someday, but that ain't in the budget just yet. :-)

Thanks Brian - since Georgia doesn't issue titles on anything prior to 1963, I never thought of that route. Dave Corbin - Can you help me decode my frame and engine numbers? The more I dig into this project, the more I realize just how much I don't know! Thanks all!

Hi all, I'm trying to find out some basic information about my car, as well as trace the history if at all possible. Here are the numbers I could find on the car: Frame: 13327599 Engine: 43509625 data plate: Body 32524 What's the best way of tracing the car's history? My dad bought it in New Jersey in 1973, and a web search shows that the guy he bought it from passed away in 1986. My dad died 2 years ago, so I'm not sure how to begin. It's a '38 Special trunkback sedan (38-41), which seems to be pretty common. Thanks for any suggestions!

Joe, That worked perfectly, thanks. I knew the hookup would be simple, but I didn't want to risk doing anything backwards and shorting something out. Thanks again!

Hey Jeff, Thanks for the response. I just got out to try it today, and here's what I found: 1) I disconnected both wires from the terminals on the solenoid relay. (purple and white wires in the photo above) 2) Reconnected the battery, and tested each of the 2 terminals to ground. Neither showed 6V. Both were approx 0.5vdc. (battery is fully charged) BTW, the car was running back in January, so I know it all works. My electrical system in the car is very simple at this point. NEG battery cable goes to engine ground. POS battery cable goes to starter. That's it. Even the white/purple/red wires in the picture are disconnected - there's nothing on the other end. No regulator, ign switch, or anything. What am I missing here? Do I need to connect one of the solenoid terminals to +6V, and the other to ground to get it to turn? Or am I way off base? BTW - I've got the head removed and am having it machined, new valves put in, etc. I'm just trying to crank the engine enough so I can bring the pistons up to clean all the carbon and crap off of 'em. If I can figure out how to work the starter, that is! :-) Thanks,

Ok, this is probably a simple question, but I've been staring at the wiring diagram so long my vision is blurry.. I'm trying to hook up a remote starter switch (a pushbutton switch with 2 leads), so that I can turn the engine over while I'm under the hood. Most of my wiring harness is out, so I don't have the ignition switch, voltage regulator or vacuum start connected. My problem is that I'm not sure which terminals on the solenoid I need to connect the remote switch to. Do I just need to ground one of the smaller terminals near the top of the solenoid? That's what it looks like to me from the wiring diagram, but I'm not sure which one.. Thanks,