buick man

Funny no photos of the top up, nor under car frame area/suspension areas and overall interior photos. A drive video would be a big bonus for this kinda bucks being asked .... Kinda looks like a Craigslist listing.

Can you post the listing or a link from craigslist ?

Just my opinion and like noted above ... Use a proper method approach and patience. To prevent damage to moving components simply pour directly into the valve chambers accessed via the removed intake manifold some Marvel Mystery Oil and a little diluted phosphoric acid. Many a stuck engine short of a failed head gasket is due to the fact the 45 degree angle of the valve face and seat is an ideal location for atmospheric oxidation and setting the valve face to it's seat. This occurs more often then the occurrence of a ring set into the cylinder bore due to atmospheric surface oxidation from setting. As a bonus this solution will via gravity find it's way down onto the top of the piston and leach along at the proper angle to the portion of piston skirt and ring location where condensation via gravity has set the ring to the bore walls. Then wait with patience for a week or so then gently apply shock to the valve/crank train to coax movement. If no movement then add some more solution and wait. Repeat and wait as necessary until one gets slight movement then wait and repeat. Works every single time and no cowboy or gorilla damage to close tolerance components occurs rendering an otherwise good engine when parked into a basket case and many time negates the need to overhaul an otherwise sound engine simply due to atmospheric oxidation on components. Never neanderthal the engine with a one time make or break approach to free it.

Very nice car indeed is an understatement .... and ohh that yellow that just is just cheerful and lite ...and with an alternator already installed too. The first year of the Nailhead. This is the perfect car that anyone can take their time on and replace just simply what is needed like the headliner, upholstery and weather stripping on just a few Saturdays of dedication since all needed parts and materials are very accessible and easy to source. We assume by the surrounding vegetation in the photos you are either in Florida or perhaps California. How can anyone possibly go wrong at this price acquisition point and a Grand Roadmaster too .... GLWL - dave

Here are shots of my 57 Coupe from archived photos of the E Brake Mechanism consisting of spring, clamps, cables, cable stay, rubber rebound etc .... Hope this helps and is not too much - too late :

Really a nice find for a local. All this car really needs IF the engine is not frozen is a love affair with a new lacquer paint course, rubber seals and carpet. Speaking of lacquer paint, I love lacquer paint. Apply it in your driveway, garage, recreation room, etc or where ever. Use a Compliant needle and cap gun not a HVLP setup so it atomizes properly. Just a simple surface clean prep session and tape off of body panels and bright work; lightly scuff the old system up to 220, clean, tack then apply 2 coats of catalyzed epoxy primer over original properly prepped original and sound surfaces; wait 12 hours, then lay on first round of 2 coat layer of lacquer paint. Wait 2 days, then apply another 2 coats. Wait 1 week, lightly color sand with 400, then apply another 2 coats of lacquer, wait 2 days, color sand again then apply another 2 coats of lacquer, then wait 2 days color sand then apply another 2 coats but with the last coat 50% reduced with slow lacquer thinner. Then let it set outside for 1-month. Then color sand again with 1500 paper. Then wait another month, then lightly buff and wax. Each coat can be applied early morning or late evening. .... Oops, now I just went on another rant again ..... 😗

If anyone is listening and your OEM system is still tight and working but not all that cold because it never was .... A simple and ergonomic simple solution to consider is installing in series another second condenser and larger receiver/dryer pot if you have a thermal expansion valve. The condenser is easily accessible in front as is the dryer but unfortunately the evaporator is not so work with what's in front of you. That way you can keep your rebuilt stock seeds n stems compressor with so-so 134A modern coolant and at the same time increase the condensing rate since the condenser works to reduce the temperature and pressure of hot gasses coming from the refrigerant. In addition, the condenser is also responsible for moving the cooled liquid refrigerant to the receiver/dryer or accumulator. Electric pump driven A/C systems use this approach. That way one does not have to bring your barge into dry dock and recreate the wheel so to speak with a frankenstein hybrid or a complete makeover or spend deep pocket for an under dash unit .... just another of my $ 10 advice specials ..

Well how about David Edwards current inventory ... how does that unit look and is it fully vulcanized ... ?

It would be informative if we could see a fresh OEM Steele re-vulcanized unit compared side by side with the one offered on eBay and one of Edward's, set up in a group photo and a comparison review on each. If someone has recently received a Steele job they could submit a few photos and a summation review. Also, If someone has the one offered on eBay that is a repro or one from one of the usual suppliers perhaps they could include a few photos and a review as well. Same goes for the one offered by the NJ group. Just a few thoughts ....

I would have to check but I believe the one I received from David as a spare around 2011 was not vulcanized or had a separate cup ... but has been years since I checked it out. Either way, if yours is Sir Lance, perhaps applying some red rubber grease on the rubber lip upon installation would be a good idea .. and if you buy the one you listed above on line come back and let us know what you think of it quality wise. - Cheers

Not to bad anyone, but I have never honestly had a smooth straight experience with canvas or upholstery folks. Be it my boat or cars over the years. I mean there is just gonna be " something " that creeps up somewhere in the project and I do not mean unknowns creeping up. But it is on their side .... either things or materials get lost or the project time table to completion goes from a linear concept to something logarithmic and exponential to a shift in costs due to this or that, non returned calls to the point or you have to shadow them and camp out front of the shop to get their attention. Upholstery one would think would be pretty straight forward. Do the take offs and get to cutting and sewing. The opposite for example but very similar in complications setting in is the not so straight forward average plumbing project. Admittedly more complicated but regardless how many seemingly straight forward the number of turns, couplings and angles you anticipate, scale and draw out ... Something " always" results in more trips to the store, more turns, more couplings and less angles etc. That is why most plumbers drive van trucks I guess cause they need all those extra parts and fittings. Don here is what I would do and have done many times to avoid the above mentioned BS. Get yourself a good pair of hog wire pliers. Take the seats out complete and set them on a good adequately surface working bench and surgically remove the skins from the seat cushions. Then carefully as possible remove the cushions and put them is a container or make something that will safely contain them individually. Next remove the stitching from each of the pattern set blanks you remove that when sewn together make up your completed upholstery for that seat. When they redo your seats these steps is exactly what they have to do in order to use your old original sectional patterns as a template to trace out onto new material before cutting out. Different upholsters use various outside boundary hem / sew back lines. This means when they are tracing off your original individual patterns they allow an additional perimeter amount beyond the outer edge of original pattern piece and mark out these dimensions as such to allow for shrinkage, hem lines, seat cushion material, contouring etc. Either way, if you bring in your individual patterns as a number set over half the battle has been waged at this point. They can take from there and do their professional magic. In the meantime you can media blast your seat frames, springs etc and catalyze epoxy primer the whole works or get everything powder coated and make ready for the upholsterer. Or you can ... Do the frames/springs first and then bring the whole works over at the same time as your original patterns that way they have everything they need to start laying out, cutting and sewing. Since you have a Buick Roadmaster convertible go over to youtube and look at Jay Leno's R.M. convertible. He has a complete video show casing it. Take note of the factory original puffy contouring of the complete original leather seat, Notice the seat is not " Pan Cake Flat " but rather quite stuffed and where the piping meets the skins there is a definite raised radius contouring to allow for factory correct stuffing of foam and cotton. This is the correct look not flat lifeless " Slam it Out " upholstery work. It takes much more craftsmanship and time to do it correctly and that is why when you go and take a good look on many so called premiere restoration including frame off projects now days, the seats are pancake flat with little to no contouring. Tell tale evidence of a slam dunk out the door job ....... Oh .... Make sure to insist they use a special very strong non rotatable sewing hem threading called Gortex. It is made of a polypropylene material and boat upholstery and canvas folks use it. This polypropylene thread needs special sized needles for the particular and various Industrial Sewing Machines your upholsterer uses in their shop and Singer makes the various needles for their particular machine setup. Use this type of thread and you will never have a split seat due to thread rot failure again.

This fan clutch looks like a solid one. Is not a clutched assembly superior in over cooling functions ?

" ... I bought two kits of three and have these two left over to clutter the shop. . . " - Now that is just plain nutty ..... 🙃

Photo of spade clips used used to secure rubber fuel hose along frame and the type of clip used to secure at front frame cross member just before fuel pump.

Yeah Don there was no factory "T" connection off the tank. The new for 1957 rubber line replaced the previous years steel lines and ran from the center of the tank outlet over the top of the cross member over the axle to the passenger frame rail with factory spade clips located with factory milled holes made at about 4 foot intervals drilled into the frame rail to accept the rubber fuel line clips. The factory rubber fuel line continued up to the engine on the passenger side and was secured by clips located at the frame engine cradle area and there is one just before the fuel pump located on the top of cradle along the fender inner well skirt. The hose from the tank to the fuel pump is 1 continuous piece about 12 feet or so if memory serves me. From the fuel pump from the factory for 1957 it bypassed the previous years mounting at the thermostat goose neck as the factory eliminated the glass bulb configuration and instead used an additional rubber fuel hose which ran from the fuel pump to the front face of the carb be it the Carter or the Rochester being used by the factory. Therefore no fuel line on the driver's side nor coming up at or near the master brake component assemblies. Later during the model run, there was 2 different incarnations after the fuel pump. Both included ditching the In Tank fuel filter and instead incorporated either going back to previous model years glass bowl mounting arrangement or simple using a metal In-Line fuel filter. Factory clamps were of the simple screw less spring dog ear type clamp that one need only use a plies to install. As you can see in the photo from a October 1957 Test Drive report, the fuel line goes from the fuel pump via the rubber hose to the front of carb using no glass bowl filter setup. But notice at the thermostat goose neck the old bracket which was used in the previous model years using glass is still in place via the factory. The carb shown is the Carter 2507 4 barrel. Note too the master cylinder power plunger tank ( #6 location ) s not painted black but rather was rendered via the factory in silver cadmium plating and there is no fuel line anywhere near it. Excerpt from the test drive review regarding engine components for the new 1957 nailhead engine :

Cannot help you with Southern Cal Buck Nailhead experienced machine shops but make darn sure to ask when having nailhead "head work" performed and only by a shop that has the knowledge of actually working on Nail Head Engines and heads as you will not find many ... as they will know what to do to them and what not to do to them. Buick Nail Head engines are not a Chevy or Ford !! For example : You absolutely do not need to have them cut and insert hardened seats. The metal used on Cadillacs and Buicks heads of this Nail Head era was of extremely high quality metallurgical Boron content and hard. Also the port wall thickness jackets are extremely thin and close to the port and many Buick heads have been honed through the water jacket and ruined. There is a proper freezing process if you absolutely feel the need to insert hardened seats and theres a guy that does that in I believe South Dakota ... but then again why take the chance. From Russ at NailHead Buick . com : " ..... 15 PLUS Most common mistakes We get lots of phone calls and emails everyday, Here are the most common mistakes done by builders and machinists. Number one is valve guide clearance too tight, the new stainless valves require .002-.003 on intakes and .0025- .0035 on exhaust valves or you will have serious problems. " Number two, trying to install hardened seats and ruining the heads, Buick's don't need them .... " http://centervilleautorepair.com/tech-info/15-most-common-mistakes http://centervilleautorepair.com/tech-info/cylinder-head-info Call Russ and he will most likely know someone trust worthy to send them to in Southern Cal.

Thanks for posting ... and look at that upholstery and overall nice bright work. Edit: Oh, and if the factory brown lacquer primer is too much one can always very easily lacquer paint over it after painfully matching the factory lacquer blue top coat. Nice thing about lacquer is you can paint it in your driveway worst case scenario. You have to color sand every other coat anyway. A simple dimple job.

The only bolts I have found that had a factory black phosphate application are the large hex headed 4 bolts that secure the top of the power steering gear housing cover on Saginaw Unit .... But then again who's counting ;') Edit: Oh, for what it's worth I could be wrong and I was once back in 1971, but literally every non factory rebuilt Bendix or Moraine unit I have ever seen has been sprayed black without fail. Every factory original unit has been either silver cad or gold cad plated and the master cylinder reservoir was darkish battle ship gray with a silver cad fill cap. ;')

The stock setup had NO in-line filter. The filter was located in the tank as detailed and photographed above in my above post replies. The vent hose ran up and over the the top of the tank when mounted to the car and extended over the top and was exposed to the atmosphere. The photos above and explanations detail everything you need to know.

For what it's worth ... and I do not know what other GM factory plants around the country were putting out in 1957 but if my two one owner original non restored Roadmasters can be used as calibrators, the plants in California and Texas produced original tank straps as silver cad plated not simply factory black painted. Also original tank was galvanized metal treated not just raw pressed sheet metal.

As far as the two small barrel hex head plug bolts on the torque converter I do not find a specific torque spec. But if you look closely at the plug bolt itself the head & long treadless shaft meets with the fine threaded portion without interruption or or step. This would indicate the fine threads allows the plug bolt to seat and bottom out at end of the threading unlike the normal spiral cut on a regular bolt. I would simply apply a very light coat of thread lock compound made specially for fine threads to keep it in place as the plug bolt itself is designed to be leak proof once set into place and bottoms out. Regarding Type A transmission fluid, here is a link to a Texas Company that claims to have specifically compounded Type A spec fluid available for sale. It would be interesting to contact them and interview as to just how specific and correct to original specs there Type A fluid is. The original used whale oil to what specific qualities whale oil provided that now modern petroleum chemistry can mimic and or improve upon. https://www.warrenoil.com/site/warren-transmission-fluids/

Yeah thanks Don, but I vote for an all stainless tank. Takes the same time to punch out a stainless tank as punching out this one but just an adjusted increase in material costs for the stainless. Although the new replacement tank is a general outline of the factory tank shown above, there are a number of differences but overall nice that we at least have an available replacement tank to purchase. Let us know how it fits when you get the chance.

Perhaps I missed something here Don ... where did you get the replacement new tank from and how much. Looks like a very good copy and can one get it in stainless steel ? btw : The sending unit sits on the top of the tank in forward position as shown in your photographs. The nipple at the rear of the tank is a vent tube that a factory rubber tube attaches to and slings over the top of the tank. Edit: Correction - Here are a couple photos of original gas tank when taken off of my coupe. The first is the top of the tank which fits up against the body with the red plug where the sending units is installed and mounted toward the rear of tank where the fuel fill tube is located, the second photo shows the bottom of the tank facing toward the ground when mounted. The red cap is where the sending unit mounts. The third photo shows the tank as it would actually be mounted in the car showing the front of tank and top which goes against the floor pan. The vent tube is shown on the top and the delivery tube that fed the fuel pump can be seen on the bottom as shown which originally housed the factory in-line filter which is shown in the last photo. The factory for 1957 believed in this so much that they eliminated the glass/ceramic filter element up front and all steel fuel lines from tank to engine. Eliminated was the glass bowl A/C filter from what had in previous years been mounted near the goose neck thermostat housing. Metal lines were eliminated for 1957 and as noted all rubber lines ran up to the front of the engine along the passenger side of car frame rail. The last photo is of the factory tank mounted fuel filter that eventually was discarded and either an in line after market filter was installed near the carburetor or the previously noted glass filter housing was obtained and installed as servicing the factory fuel filter meant draining the fuel tank before the new filter could be installed which no doubt was a time consuming task.

Tanks a lot Sir Lance for that clarification. If it is just blush rust then use a catalyzed epoxy primer with a 2X reduction factor and use a Air Brush to finely apply as needed. The epoxy primer will always put to bed surface blush rust. I like using SPI ( Southern Polyurethanes Inc ) Epoxy Primer. Big work window and easy to apply. They are out of Georgia. Now I guess you will be demonized if you do not find some original hollow point aluminum rivets and replace like with like as they can be sourced unless you have some way of replacing the originals back into place. What always grates me is observing rusting Ace Hardware hex head screws in place of the original factory rivets someone felt a need to drill out and makes me wonder if someone just switched tags or made up their own to accommodate all the new accessories they added that was not factory original. I have seen that switcher dance on high dollar convertibles.