1940 81c convertible - what the Bell???

[Joe Cocuzza]

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies and answers to all of my questions.

Here is another "stumper" and keep in mind that as I have said before, EVERYTHING on this car looks as if it has been on the car for 70 years.

Okay, today I am under the car dropping the oil pan, which is a good thing because there was an inch of gooey sludge in it, and I decided to investigate this "strange", "odd" item in the car. On the drivers side floorboard about 1 inch away from the front seat, and more to the left, there is a "plunger" that sticks up. I cleaned around the base of the plunger and this is what is stamped on it - BEST SWEET TONED BELL / FOR HORSE CARRIAGE(S)!!!!!

While I was under the car I took a look and lo and behold - there is a bell, around 6 inches in diameter mounted to the underside of the floorboard. The bell is like the large bells used for boxing. Right now the mechanism is frozen but I am going to spray it tomorrow and see if I can get it to "ring".

Question - What the BELL is this????

I am making the assumption that wherever this car was bought new, there were horse drawn carriages around and the bell was there to be used as a warning to the horse and carriage driver that the car was approaching.

Why else would there be a bell on a car????

Question #2 -

Did Buick actually offer this as an accessory/option?

As I said, this car appears to have NEVER been altered - at least not in a very, very long time.

Which brings me back to the red beltline - again.

As you all know by now, I finally was able to open the trunk. In the trunk area is the "convertible top well" - where the top goes into when down - and the well is painted the same red as the beltline and the wheels.

Were all convertible top wells painted this red color?

If someone had the beltline/wheels painted after buying the car, why would they paint the top well, which is in the trunk and out of sight????

Thanks for reading this diatribe but I am trying to get some answers.

Can anyone tell me if there is a place/website where I can trace the vehicles history. I'd love to find out who first owned the car and where they lived.

Thanks again, Joe

[Guest WEB 38]

Joe the bell is an after market toy, called a Burmuta clanging bell. sold by j c witney western auto and others they come up on e bay occasionaly Have fun with it. Bill WEB 38 1920 K45 TOURING 1990 REATTA COUPE

[jscheib]

I doubt there were many horse carriages on the road in the 1940s, unless really remote. More likely with the open car, it may have been a novelty used around a college campus, or added much later. At least that would be my theory until you learn more.

John

[mrspeedyt]

oh yeah... the bermuda bell...back in the '60s my brother's 1940 studebaker had one... i've been looking for one for a while....

Edited April 11, 2010 by mrspeedyt (see edit history)

[trp3141592]

Hi,

A friend had one in his Model T when I was in high school in the 60's. We'd clang our way up and down Lovers Lane just to make the racket...

LOL

--Tom

[Joe Cocuzza]

Thanks for the info on the Bermuda bell.

I sprayed it today and got it to clang. Now I need to work on freeing the engine up.

Today a guy told me that some farmer in Pa. used Coca Cola to fill the cylinders and this would help free up the motor.

Anyone have any thoughts / criticisms about this "method"?

I know that Coke will eat the paint off your car and that it cleans up battery cable ends real good. Very caustic. I just don't want to pour something into the cylinders that I may find out later did more harm than good.

Joe

[trp3141592]

Hi,

I'd stay away from Coca-cola. Sugar and acid--Eeek! How about penetrating oil, WD-40, and/or MB Master-Blaster?

--Tom

[Thriller]

Coke will dissolve rust. In that sense it may be OK, but if you are hoping to run the car rather than rebuilding right away, I wouldn't do it.

Marvel Mystery Oil, diesel fuel (which is an oil) are two choices that I can think of for putting in the cylinders. Let soak for a few days, add some more, wait a few more days and give it a try.

[Joe Cocuzza]

Thanks.

That's what I figured and I asked my good friend (ex-mechanic) about the coke and he said no way.

I have been using WD-40, PB Blaster and Marvel.

I guess I will just have to be patient and keep spraying everything while I have the oil pan down. I cleaned the goo out of the pan today and I am going to spray paint it tomorrow. I am waiting on the gasket set for it.

I am about half way done cleaning and polishing the outside. It is 70 year old paint so it is coming out just okay. It has some shine to it.

I won a pair of horns on Ebay for the Buick. For whatever reason my car was missing one of the dual horns. I was hoping to find it in the trunk (along with the million dollars) but neither was in there when I finally got it opened.

The interior is almost cleaned up as best as it can be.

As I go along I will try to post some updated photos.

Thanks, Joe

[unimogjohn]

Joe, in a few forums the best for freeing up an engine is a 1/2 each mix of ATF and acetone. I use Kroil and it freed up my engine in the 23, but it took a couple of months of working to get a pencil lead width of rust to finally give up. Good luck.

[Larry Schramm]

One other thing that you might use to free up rusted parts is GM heat valve lubricant. GM part number #1052627. Works great on freeing up rusted parts.