Need advice - finally restoring 1957 Buick 46C

[SLP5357]

This is my very first post so I'm not sure what I'm doing - I'm planning to start restoring a 1957 Buick Special convertible I bought 35 years ago just after graduating from high school. Fortunately, the car has been garaged since 1963 with the exception of one summer spent outside in 1976. I rebuilt the 364 and had the Dynaflow trans rebuilt at the same time (1976). However, the car hasn't been started or driven since then. I'm praying that nothing has seized up from sitting all these years - (I did turn the crank by hand about 15 years ago and it seemed fairly loose - I'll keep my fingers crossed.) I'm seeking advice as far as where to find quality upholstery, carpeting, convertible top, etc. and also looking for front and rear bumpers (I made the mistake of taking them off the car and storing them under our front porch for many years where they thoroughly disintegrated) Any help would be appreciated - Thanks!

[Guest Rob McDonald]

SLP5357, you will not be able to believe your good luck, once this community gets a hold of this post. You have just entered 1957 Buick Nirvana.

I've got you beat by two years, for how long we've owned our Buicks. I too managed to rebuild the engine in those difficult days before the Internet. It is so incredibly much easier to restore a car, now that our brains are all electronically linked into one. My car has for twenty years been waiting patiently for me to resume work on it. Now I've got a great bunch of helpers, just a keyboard away. Welcome home, old friend.

[retirednow]

Welcome!! I've got a 1952 56C that I'm going to get started on in the fall

[SLP5357]

Thanks for the welcome! This forum stuff is new to me but I'm sure I'll catch on fairly quick. I'm hoping to get started on this restoration by mid-summer.

I have to do some renovation to the garage at the back of my building before I can bring my convertible from it's present storage space. I'll keep checking this forum as I can for additional feed-back - Once again, thanks for the welcome!

[1957buickjim]

SLP357, Welcome to the forum. Rob is right, you have hit the nerve center of 1957 Buick information. The guys on the forum are the best thing you could ever find for information that will help you in your restoration. I think I speak for most of them, so ask away!

Always a good idea to get the shop ready prior to the big operation. I look forward to exchanging advice and learning with you.

[Guest Rob McDonald]

SLP5357, I see you're not being swamped with posts, like I said you would be. Try putting up some photos, which always seems to get our attention. The procedure for doing that is a little hard to understand at first. We can walk you through it, though. Other than looking for some bumpers, what other issues do you face in getting your special Special roadworthy again?

[buick5563]

Sounds like a fun project, but if you want specific advice you need to ask a specific question.

[D Yaros]

This is my very first post so I'm not sure what I'm doing - I'm seeking advice as far as where to find quality upholstery, carpeting, convertible top, etc. Any help would be appreciated - Thanks!

Know very little about Buicks (I am an Olds man!), but were I looking for "quality upholstery" I would start by checking out SMS Fabrics and Legendary Auto Interior. I have used SMS for door panels and can attest to it being quality material and work. SMS Auto Fabrics

Edited April 17, 2011 by D Yaros (see edit history)

[Bhigdog]

Roger on SMS quality. Expect to wait a year for them. Not a critisism just a warning.............Bob

[SLP5357]

Rob - I think you're right about the photos - all I have at present are some pics taken in 1976 of my brother and I starting to take the convertible apart for restoration - (we didn't have a clue what we were doing). I have to dig through some boxes of pics to locate the pics, but if I'm able to, I'll post them. Getting pics of the car today won't be possible until I pull it out of the garage it's in - very little room to maneuver around it. I'll keep you posted!

Thanks!

Steve

[JohnD1956]

Hi Steve, Welcome to the forum. I had a 57 Special convertible about 38 years ago too. Never did get it on the road officially but it was a 55K car yellow with black top and interior. Great moonlight rider on the back roads of NY.

As to parts, I think you'll find 57 parts a bit of a challenge but they are out there. I recommend joining the BCA because the monthly magazine always has a good list of vendors and individual classifieds. Buick Club of America - BCA - Welcome

[Guest NikeAjax]

If it were mine, I pull the plugs and squirt some oil down the bores, and then take a big wrench and turn it over by hand a half dozen times before you try cranking it with a battery. Also you may want to prime the oil pump with a drill and a long screw diver blade that you've decided to sacrifice: take the handle off and stick it in the chuck. Pull the distributor out and put said drill/driver into the slot for the distributor shaft and crank away: you'll know it's primed when the drill slows way down. Prime it before you turn it over with a battery.

Oh um, yeah, welcome aboard mate!

Jaybird

[SLP5357]

Thanks Jaybird! I'm thinking of using penetrating oil in the cylinders and leaving it soak a couple days - My biggest concern is how much neoprene rubber was used in the 364 as far as valve seals, etc. - I know that the front and rear main oil seals were rope and therefore will be just fine once they get soaked with oil. Also, I'm not sure if there is much neoprene used in the Dynaflow transmission. I may be worrying about nothing, but I remember that neoprene doesn't do well once it dries out over time. Keep me posted!

Thanks Again!

Steve Poulos

[MrEarl]

If it were mine, I pull the plugs and squirt some oil down the bores, and then take a big wrench and turn it over by hand a half dozen times before you try cranking it with a battery. Also you may want to prime the oil pump with a drill and a long screw diver blade that you've decided to sacrifice: take the handle off and stick it in the chuck. Pull the distributor out and put said drill/driver into the slot for the distributor shaft and crank away: you'll know it's primed when the drill slows way down. Prime it before you turn it over with a battery.

Oh um, yeah, welcome aboard mate!

Jaybird

thanks for that fine bit of technical how to Jaybird

[Guest NikeAjax]

Steve-o, pull the valve covers and look at the, oh geez, now I can't remember if they used neoprene dinguses on the valves stems...

Hey, calling all Buick guys, we need some info here!

If they used neoprene on the valve stems I think that would be a good indicator as to the shape of the rest of the car.

Also drop the tranny pan and clean the filter and get the sludge-detritus out.

More later,

Jaybird

[Guest NikeAjax]

CHECK YOU MOTOR MOUNTS!!!!!!!!

If your mounts are bad they can make the car do all sort of satanic things you never thought possible.

[Guest NikeAjax]

I was just thinking about the time, before I realized I had bad mounts, I was at a record store and thought I had it in reverse... it was actually in low(AKA drag racing mode)... 255-Hp can do a lot of damage to a wooden fence when it's backed up by American steel. Well sir, that thing took off like a cat. I moved the fence about a foot or two, the word that came to mind rhymes with truck...

Jaybird

[buick5563]

Shucks.

[Guest NikeAjax]

Gee Mike, I didn't know you heard me!

[Guest Rob McDonald]

STEVE, I haven't been inside my Dynaflow yet, so I can't say if they have neoprene seals. I can confirm, though, that these transmissions are famous for leaking when they've been sitting around. I left my car in a storage barn for about three years at one point. The owner of the place would throw down another bag of sawdust every year or so, to mop up the red fluid that just kept leaking and leaking and leaking... Said he didn't mind, figured it would keep the mice away. Even now, when the car hasn't run for over ten years, I can still collect half a cup or so of tranny fluid over a winter.

[53buickconvert]

I am in the middle of restoring my '53 76C. It is a huge undertaking to say the least, but I can't think of anything I would rather be doing... There are many very helpful people on this board, good luck with your project.

[Guest SupRiv56R]

My '57 Super had sat for many years without being started as well. I think the best piece of advice I could give is buy a can of Marvel Mystery oil and a pump-type oil can (the ones with the trigger). Remove the plugs and squirt a generous amount of oil in each cylinder. I left the plugs a little loose and about a week later tried to turn it with the starter. It turned fine but I only let it go for a couple of cranks. I re-oiled all the cylinders again and let it sit for a few days, filled with fresh fuel with a quart of the Mystery Oil added to it and give it a try. It started right up with a wonderful smoke show of course! It settled right down and ran fine.

I was mainly concerned with sticking piston rings. I wanted to do everything I could to prevent having one stick and maybe break on the initial start. Mystery Oil has its critics, but this is one thing it is very good for. It is also excellent for quieting noisy hydraulic valve lifters.

Good luck!

[bhambulldog]

Know very little about Buicks (I am an Olds man!), but were I looking for "quality upholstery" I would start by checking out SMS Fabrics and Legendary Auto Interior. I have used SMS for door panels and can attest to it being quality material and work. SMS Auto Fabrics

Absolutely! Perfect match of the factory material. They sent swatches to be sure. We had ours done by SMS Auto Fabrics ten years ago. It looks like new today!

[bhambulldog]

My '57 Super had sat for many years without being started as well. I think the best piece of advice I could give is buy a can of Marvel Mystery oil and a pump-type oil can (the ones with the trigger). Remove the plugs and squirt a generous amount of oil in each cylinder. I left the plugs a little loose and about a week later tried to turn it with the starter. It turned fine but I only let it go for a couple of cranks. I re-oiled all the cylinders again and let it sit for a few days, filled with fresh fuel with a quart of the Mystery Oil added to it and give it a try. It started right up with a wonderful smoke show of course! It settled right down and ran fine.

I was mainly concerned with sticking piston rings. I wanted to do everything I could to prevent having one stick and maybe break on the initial start. Mystery Oil has its critics, but this is one thing it is very good for. It is also excellent for quieting noisy hydraulic valve lifters.

Good luck!

x2 on the marvel mystery oil!!

[retirednow]

Excellent!! My 1952 56c hasn't run in 10 years and would guess it hasn't been on the road since before JFK was shot. It turns over freely by hand, and the previous owner changed the oil and tranny fluid.

My '57 Super had sat for many years without being started as well. I think the best piece of advice I could give is buy a can of Marvel Mystery oil and a pump-type oil can (the ones with the trigger). Remove the plugs and squirt a generous amount of oil in each cylinder. I left the plugs a little loose and about a week later tried to turn it with the starter. It turned fine but I only let it go for a couple of cranks. I re-oiled all the cylinders again and let it sit for a few days, filled with fresh fuel with a quart of the Mystery Oil added to it and give it a try. It started right up with a wonderful smoke show of course! It settled right down and ran fine.

I was mainly concerned with sticking piston rings. I wanted to do everything I could to prevent having one stick and maybe break on the initial start. Mystery Oil has its critics, but this is one thing it is very good for. It is also excellent for quieting noisy hydraulic valve lifters.

Good luck!

[Guest Rob McDonald]

Good timing, guys, I'll be firing up my nailhead pretty soon, after a 15 year nap. Marvel Mystery Oil may not be available in Canada but doesn't automatic transmission fluid have all those same startup benefits (including the big blue cloud)?

[1957buickjim]

I knew that there was a reason I like Blue ( Blue Light as well). Hmmm....when you start it up will you have all the Buick Beauties like the Labatt's Blue commercials? I want to be there for that..How far from Detroit to Edmonton

[Guest Rob McDonald]

Dunno, but the stoney presidents are about halfway.

[bhambulldog]

Good timing, guys, I'll be firing up my nailhead pretty soon, after a 15 year nap. Marvel Mystery Oil may not be available in Canada but doesn't automatic transmission fluid have all those same startup benefits (including the big blue cloud)?

:rolleyes:Marvel Mystery oil has a better smell.

[Guest Rob McDonald]

Hey, smell is important, too. Does anyone have experience with pouring the red stuff into a freshly rebuilt or long-idle engine? I did use it to decarbonize the 428 in my '65 Cadillac and was very pleased with the results. Gee, I miss that car.

[bhambulldog]

Hey, smell is important, too. Does anyone have experience with pouring the red stuff into a freshly rebuilt or long-idle engine? I did use it to decarbonize the 428 in my '65 Cadillac and was very pleased with the results. Gee, I miss that car.

Over the years; I've used it on several long stored cars. Poured some down the open throttle. Squirt some into each spark plug hole. let sit several days. worked every time.. I had it to the oil shortly before each oil change. And to the fuel at each fillup.

[Guest SupRiv56R]

I have never had or heard of any problems using Mystery Oil for such things as these, although I wouldn't go overboard with the quantity in the crankcase or fuel tank. The one thing where it seems to do a perfect job is quieting dirty or sticky hydraulic lifters and preventing piston and ring problems when preparing to re-start an engine that has been sitting for a long time.

An personal example: One time I had a problem with a Volvo 240 I owned that sat in the yard over the winter without being started. When I finally ran it again, the oil light was on at idle and would even come on occasionally at speed! Not for the faint of heart! I suspected the oil pump, but pump failures in Volvos are almost unheard of, even in 200,000+ mile engines. I did some reading and found a paragraph in the service manual about a pressure relief valve (spring-and-ball-arrangement) on the oil pump and how it can stick open causing loss of, or low oil pressure. First thing that came to mind was Mystery Oil. I added about a quart and a half to the oil, let it slow idle for for about 30 minutes and the problem went away. (Never to return I might add!)

[Guest SupRiv56R]

Question for 1957 owners: The door panels on my car ('57 Super 2 dr) have what SMS calls "contoured" or "integrated" arm rests. They are not bolted onto the panels like every other Super or Roadmaster I have ever seen. This makes the door panels much more difficult to repair. Do any of you fellow '57 owners out there have door panels like this on your car? My panels are in fairly good shape except for the vinyl covering on the top of the driver's armrest and lower vinyl sections. I have seen many '57's over the years and checked many pictures on-line and have never seen another car with these integrated armrests. The woman at SMS checked her book and advised that it indicated these armrests were on -some- Roadmasters. I'm thinking perhaps a production change during the model year? Even the elegant interior on the Roadmaster 75's I have seen have the bolt-on type armrests.

On a related note: My car has the plain chrome dash panel around the instruments, radio, etc., but I have seen other Supers' (a 4 dr.) with the "engine-turned" chrome panel. I have also seen Centurys with the engine-turned panel. Any ideas as to why some cars have one or the other? There seems to be no pattern to it that I can determine.

[Guest Rob McDonald]

Your Super does sound rather rare. I've never seen arm rests built-into the door panels on a '57 Buick. Mine has the usual, rather flimsy plastic kind that screw into the door and include little upholstered elbow pads. I kind of like the sound of yours - please post some pictures. Likewise, I've only seen the all-chrome dashboard on Roadmaster 75s.

I'm sure that you're right - these cars were built in so many different plants, that "correctness" was a fluid state. The production planning guys of the day are probably chuckling in their graves at how diligently we pursue these details, fifty years later. These cars weren't meant to last more than about ten winters before they'd be scrapped and replaced with the flying jetmobiles that would surely be on the market by 1967.

[Caballero2]

Question for 1957 owners: The door panels on my car ('57 Super 2 dr) have what SMS calls "contoured" or "integrated" arm rests. They are not bolted onto the panels like every other Super or Roadmaster I have ever seen. This makes the door panels much more difficult to repair. Do any of you fellow '57 owners out there have door panels like this on your car? My panels are in fairly good shape except for the vinyl covering on the top of the driver's armrest and lower vinyl sections. I have seen many '57's over the years and checked many pictures on-line and have never seen another car with these integrated armrests. The woman at SMS checked her book and advised that it indicated these armrests were on -some- Roadmasters. I'm thinking perhaps a production change during the model year? Even the elegant interior on the Roadmaster 75's I have seen have the bolt-on type armrests.

On a related note: My car has the plain chrome dash panel around the instruments, radio, etc., but I have seen other Supers' (a 4 dr.) with the "engine-turned" chrome panel. I have also seen Centurys with the engine-turned panel. Any ideas as to why some cars have one or the other? There seems to be no pattern to it that I can determine.

My first restoration was a '57 Caballero that lived out its life in Simi Valley, CA.

I have forgotten the details on the assembly location, however I do remember it was built in September of 1957 just as the '58s were being introduced. The '58s had the contoured arm rest. My Caballero had them. See attached thumbnails.

Dan

'57-76C

'57-56R

[Guest SupRiv56R]

Rob and Dan: Thanks so much! This quirk about my car has been bugging me for years. I have even had people tell me they must have been swapped from some other car, but no one could tell me what; plus I am 99.999% certain this can't be the case since I bought the car from the original elderly owner. Now along comes a Caballero with these panels! Fantastic!

This is something I really love about the hobby: having something odd on a vehicle that has no real explanation. As another example, I have collected old Coleman items (lanterns, stoves, etc) for many years and once in a while we come across something that can't be explained: a lantern with the "wrong" ventilator, tank, paint color, whatever. The first reaction from the collector community is that someone swapped the part; only problem: the lantern shows no signs of ever being touched. Then another one shows up with the same variation. Eventually we find out that Coleman had a habit of using up "old" parts that were discovered somewhere in the corner of the factory...sometimes several years later! Puzzling for collectors to say the least, but a lot of fun proving the "experts" wrong!

[TG57Roadmaster]

SupRiv65,

In response to your question about your '57's dash fascia, are you sure that it's chrome

and not polished

aluminum? The following is lifted from a response I gave to another's query about dash removal...

"Be very careful when you remove the dash's aluminum fascia. The "engine-turning" is an applique,

rather than a pattern actually swirled in metal like the '40-'41's. Too many have tried cleaning the fascia's

surface, with even mild products, and watched that lovely finish disappear. After the 4 vertical cove zoomies

are removed, if the panel needs any cleaning, test the area under the zoomies first (it won't show if you

screw it up) before proceeding.

I think I might have used plain water/soft cloth to remove what little needed cleaning on mine; just be careful!"

The all chrome, non-applique type fascia appeared on RM 75's and all 76C converts in the spring of '57

when the 75's were intro'd. The only way to know for sure is to remove one of the verticle zoomies to see

if there's applique underneath.

TG

[Guest SupRiv56R]

Hi TG and thanks for the reply.

On your question about the dash facia: While I have never had the vertical pieces off the dash, but I am pretty certain the panel is indeed chrome-plated and not an applique. The reason I say this is because my car came from the factory without a radio and thus had the "radio-delete" panel in place. When I eventually removed the panel to install a radio, there were some minor areas where the plating was lost due to the panel rubbing the facia over the years. (mainly at each corner). You can see the less shiny base metal under the chrome plating.

That's a valuable piece of information about the possibility of the demacene being a decal or applique. I can't imagine being an owner with such a panel and ruining it through some innocent attempt to clean or restore it. I always assumed these panels had the swirls machined into them. (A very tedious and labor-intensive process in itself!)

I'll check it closer when I get a chance, but I can't imagine anything remaining this shiny after more than 50 years.

-_Chris

[Caballero2]

Hi TG and thanks for the reply.

On your question about the dash facia: While I have never had the vertical pieces off the dash, but I am pretty certain the panel is indeed chrome-plated and not an applique. The reason I say this is because my car came from the factory without a radio and thus had the "radio-delete" panel in place. When I eventually removed the panel to install a radio, there were some minor areas where the plating was lost due to the panel rubbing the facia over the years. (mainly at each corner). You can see the less shiny base metal under the chrome plating.

That's a valuable piece of information about the possibility of the demacene being a decal or applique. I can't imagine being an owner with such a panel and ruining it through some innocent attempt to clean or restore it. I always assumed these panels had the swirls machined into them. (A very tedious and labor-intensive process in itself!)

I'll check it closer when I get a chance, but I can't imagine anything remaining this shiny after more than 50 years.

SupRiv56R:

Guess what? I have seen the facia you speak of. Probably a late model year feature also. I have even seen it on a '58 Super. So after a miserable attempt to find a good original one with the applique, I found a chrome one one. It appears to be chrome plated Stainlesss Steel substrate. I used this one on my 76C restoration. See the attached thumbnail.

Dan

[Guest SupRiv56R]

Hi Dan,

That's my dash minus the A/C. (and different color: Black/Ivory). Yours sure looks beautiful in the red finish! Does your clock work? Mine didn't when I got it, but I found the service bulletin about the internal solder fuse, took it apart and soldered the wire back using the original blob on the wire, swapped the fuse in the block to 1 amp and it has been running fine

ever since for the last 36 years. Thanks for the reply and picture. I'll post a few of mine next time I take it out of the garage.