sebastienbuick Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 The u-joints you are looking for, are those of the transmission shaft / axles? If that's right, I had to change them on my Buick, it was complicated to find, but I found a model that was similar but I had to modify the new joints so that they correspond with the 'drive shaft . here are photos of the original u-joints and the new ones : the original one on the left and the new one on the right, you can see that the new one is different and I had it rectified so that it is like the original 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted March 14 Author Share Posted March 14 (edited) They look like the correct ones! The ones I need are for the rear most u-joint. This car (the '68 Wildcat) has the two piece driveshaft and the '69Electra has a single. I know you are a long way away, but where did you find them? Also you mentioned about modifying the straps or joints, what did you have to do? Edited March 14 by Buicknutty (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sebastienbuick Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 21 hours ago, Buicknutty said: They look like the correct ones! The ones I need are for the rear most u-joint. This car (the '68 Wildcat) has the two piece driveshaft and the '69Electra has a single. I know you are a long way away, but where did you find them? Also you mentioned about modifying the straps or joints, what did you have to do? Hello, I took my u-joints to a turner/miller (machinist) to rectify the "edge" that I circled in red, the arrows in red show what I had to remove for it to be like original The model of these u-joints are: Dorman 81002 You can find them here on this link : https://www.amazon.com/Dorman-HELP-81002-U-Joint-Repair/dp/B000CO7ED0 Or here https://www.dormanproducts.com/p-18591-81002.aspx Normally it's the same model as mine 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted March 21 Author Share Posted March 21 Well work does progress on a near daily basis though I don't always post. I finally did locate some correct u joint straps for the car, as pictured. These fit perfectly without modification, so now the driveshaft it properly secured, again! Then I picked up the restored dash pad a few days ago and it looks great! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sebastienbuick Posted March 21 Share Posted March 21 The dashboard is very nice, and it's good if you were able to find the right U-joints 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted March 23 Author Share Posted March 23 We are chugging along, and have the front brakes back together now and are put one of the axle shafts back in tonight. In Between doing a bit of sanding of the high build and a few other odds and ends on the car. When I pulled the diff cover off tonight there wasn't much oil left in it, but we did loose a bunch changing the pinion seal a couple of weeks ago. What was left had almost turned to grease! The good news is there's very little metallic sediment and the gears have a bit of normal wear, nothing out of the ordinary. Keith 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sebastienbuick Posted March 23 Share Posted March 23 Great work ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted March 28 Author Share Posted March 28 (edited) Once again progress is being made, albeit slowly and with hiccups. The steering is all back together, torqued to spec and pinned as required. New springs and shocks installed also. One wee thing which drove me crazy was finding the new tie rod ends I'd bought last year. I carefully put them on the shelf unit designated for Wildcat parts, but now couldn't find them. My son to the rescue. He carefully went through each and every box and container till he found them, in a Nissan brake pad box, which had my name in it. The seller shipped it to me in that box. My confusion stemmed from the fact I do have a Nissan (300ZX) that I did a brake upgrade on, and my daughter has a Nissan which I did a recent brake job on too. Silly me I guess. I received the other axle shaft for the rear axle from my friend who pressed the new bearing on for me. So it's back in place too. So here's the next hiccup. What I thought would be simple, the diff cover gasket seems not to be. The local parts stores asked if it's an 8.75 or a 9.375 ring gear, though the shop manual makes no reference to this, that I can find. The ring gear seems to be just under 9 in, so we ordered that one, but it was wrong, so they got the larger one in for me and it's still wrong. The other local parts stores seem to be the same thing, as do Rock Auto. I've verified that it's the correct axle on the car. Any thoughts or comments on this? Also I finished painting the underside of the trunk now and we are in the process of re installing the replacement stabilizer bars with new bushings installed. One of the originals was bent and they were all very rusty so I was able to get to replacements from Bud's in Oklahoma. Unfortunately they no longer want to ship to Canada so my good friend here John D agreed to have them shipped to his place then forwarded to me. Convoluted but it works. So right off of the bat today the rest of the rear suspension is going back on, new springs, shock and stab bars. Everything has been cleaned and painted satin black. However, due to the amount of rust there's pits almost everywhere, which we are just living with. Once again this brings the thought that perhaps this should have been a parts car for a better one. However we are where we are and at least this semi rare car is being saved. According to the production numbers I've found there were less than 3,600 made. Just a drop in the bucket in '68. Edited March 28 by Buicknutty (see edit history) 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted "Wildcat65" Nagel Posted March 28 Share Posted March 28 https://www.ebay.com/itm/334643695810?itmmeta=01HT2W8HECPJFYNWVX9B3X9YE9&hash=item4dea5190c2:g:wHsAAOSwg1pXMgym&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA0OBKMew8n9gbLEhpxWDpt3HI6isI1oGOZCzc2IC9bj7x7Sd7vPDeycg7E4T5hFZIk7irFmhIwBqHgochQnBiqsw1H3nB%2FaMm%2BztpnFLCNmDurZP12miGG00CRIaam1pKEQOLktbtJOdoOEXyY08IaQw%2BK5M%2B0HL8ICr7X16RZpoIjiyORzr8ohnPugI2suejxHu8eyARS%2B54Tyvxyaf6Ho3ZZWzglTr6%2BILgZkZngg8CJ1hfqXgpqJs8hMeQ3JY8uGkqiQYb2j6EVuA%2BsySMMTQ%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR6SXotzQYw 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sebastienbuick Posted March 29 Share Posted March 29 You did a good job on this beautiful Buick . The rust can be repaired and your Buick is in good condition Some people use the phrase " car for a parts " and I don't like that phrase, I like American cars, and I like to see people saved, they're beautiful cars that make us dream all over the world ! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted March 30 Share Posted March 30 (edited) On 3/28/2024 at 11:42 AM, Buicknutty said: The ring gear seems to be just under 9 in, so we ordered that one, but it was wrong, so they got the larger one in for me and it's still wrong. The other local parts stores seem to be the same thing, as do Rock Auto. I've verified that it's the correct axle on the car. Any thoughts or comments on this? I went through this same ordeal with my Riviera. Finally, after 3 incorrect gaskets I punted and went with Permatex gasketmaker with no paper gasket. Glad I did - worked great. If you do what I did, apply the sealer bead, let the cover stand for 5~10 minutes and then install the cover with bolts evenly finger tight. I let mine stand overnight, then tightened the cover in a criss-cross pattern. No leaks! Edited March 30 by EmTee (see edit history) 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted March 31 Author Share Posted March 31 On 3/30/2024 at 9:57 AM, EmTee said: I went through this same ordeal with my Riviera. Finally, after 3 incorrect gaskets I punted and went with Permatex gasketmaker with no paper gasket. Glad I did - worked great. If you do what I did, apply the sealer bead, let the cover stand for 5~10 minutes and then install the cover with bolts evenly finger tight. I let mine stand overnight, then tightened the cover in a criss-cross pattern. No leaks! Thanks! I ended up doing something similar, though I made one up out of sheet material and bolted it up with the barest amount of sealant. Strange how the mistakes for the parts are happening. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted March 31 Author Share Posted March 31 On 3/29/2024 at 1:50 PM, sebastienbuick said: You did a good job on this beautiful Buick . The rust can be repaired and your Buick is in good condition Some people use the phrase " car for a parts " and I don't like that phrase, I like American cars, and I like to see people saved, they're beautiful cars that make us dream all over the world ! Thanks you very much Sebastian! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted March 31 Author Share Posted March 31 On 3/28/2024 at 11:54 AM, Ted "Wildcat65" Nagel said: https://www.ebay.com/itm/334643695810?itmmeta=01HT2W8HECPJFYNWVX9B3X9YE9&hash=item4dea5190c2:g:wHsAAOSwg1pXMgym&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA0OBKMew8n9gbLEhpxWDpt3HI6isI1oGOZCzc2IC9bj7x7Sd7vPDeycg7E4T5hFZIk7irFmhIwBqHgochQnBiqsw1H3nB%2FaMm%2BztpnFLCNmDurZP12miGG00CRIaam1pKEQOLktbtJOdoOEXyY08IaQw%2BK5M%2B0HL8ICr7X16RZpoIjiyORzr8ohnPugI2suejxHu8eyARS%2B54Tyvxyaf6Ho3ZZWzglTr6%2BILgZkZngg8CJ1hfqXgpqJs8hMeQ3JY8uGkqiQYb2j6EVuA%2BsySMMTQ%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR6SXotzQYw That does look like the correct one, thanks. This is a part I never thought I'd have this kind of issue getting, but there you go. Keith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted April 9 Author Share Posted April 9 Well folks the work progresses. all of the brakes are back together on the wheels, though the new lines aren't yet run. Several other small things are back on, like the shift linkage, heater box and fan unit are ready to go on when we get the new heater core hopefully Wed. I sprayed a guide coat on the quarter panel and it looks quite good with a couple of small things we couldn't see with just the high build primer. Tomorrow or Wed I think we will try to fit the doors on again as we can now put the tires back on and let it off the lift to check the fit. If I can concentrate and get enough of the body work done hopefully I can get the car painted. At this point I really want to see the colour on it! For the spraying I used a more expensive gun I don't use often, and now I see why. It's toughie to get a nice job from it. Fiddled around with it quite a bit, but I cannot get it to spray as well as a much cheaper gun. This is done in the same colour as the final will be, but a single stage with no hardener in it. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sebastienbuick Posted April 9 Share Posted April 9 good job, this color is very beautiful ! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted April 9 Author Share Posted April 9 12 hours ago, sebastienbuick said: good job, this color is very beautiful ! Thank you! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted April 11 Author Share Posted April 11 I think the car will be very striking looking with the green paint white top, tonneau cover and interior. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted April 11 Share Posted April 11 (edited) 20 minutes ago, Buicknutty said: I think the car will be very striking looking with the green paint white top, tonneau cover and interior. I agree that the white will really pop against the dark green, however, what do you think about saddle, rather than white? I have always liked that combination. I think the tan pairs well with the green without being as stark as white is. I don't know whether that combination was offered originally, but it was certainly offered on other GM cars over the years. Edited April 11 by EmTee (see edit history) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted April 12 Share Posted April 12 That green also pairs well with a light green interior and top. A blend not often seen. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted April 13 Author Share Posted April 13 On 4/11/2024 at 5:01 PM, EmTee said: I agree that the white will really pop against the dark green, however, what do you think about saddle, rather than white? I have always liked that combination. I think the tan pairs well with the green without being as stark as white is. I don't know whether that combination was offered originally, but it was certainly offered on other GM cars over the years. I quite like that combo as well and for me I'd go with that, though my wife likes the white, and the seats are done as well. So white it will stay. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted April 13 Author Share Posted April 13 On 4/12/2024 at 6:28 AM, JohnD1956 said: That green also pairs well with a light green interior and top. A blend not often seen. Yes, that would be a neat look as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted April 13 Share Posted April 13 The white will certainly look great with that green. Sorry, I didn't realize that you already had some of the upholstery done or I wouldn't have brought up other options... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted April 15 Author Share Posted April 15 On 4/13/2024 at 1:42 PM, EmTee said: The white will certainly look great with that green. Sorry, I didn't realize that you already had some of the upholstery done or I wouldn't have brought up other options... That's cool, not to worry! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted April 15 Author Share Posted April 15 I have a question about how the front radio speaker mounts up under the dash. The original was removed long before we got the car and all that remains is one small bracket near the front under the dash panel, and there don't seem to be any other mounting points. Does anyone out there have better experience with this? I believe I must be missing something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmfconsult Posted April 15 Share Posted April 15 (edited) I have no idea if it's similar, but the front dash speaker on my 67 actually mounts directly to the bottom of the dash pad and comes out with it. I know there was a significant change of the dash for 68, but have you looked at the bottom of the dash pad for mounting locations? Edited April 15 by dmfconsult (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted April 16 Author Share Posted April 16 I'll try to get a picture, but there is a small bracket there right near where the grille is, but by itself it will not hold a speaker. There does not seem to be any actual mounting point on the underside of the dash for a speaker. Thanks for the reply! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted April 16 Share Posted April 16 12 hours ago, Buicknutty said: I have a question about how the front radio speaker mounts up under the dash. The original was removed long before we got the car and all that remains is one small bracket near the front under the dash panel, and there don't seem to be any other mounting points. Does anyone out there have better experience with this? I believe I must be missing something. The front speaker on the 69 is held in with one bracket which holds the magnet on the speaker and is bolted to the tab provided. Do you have a picture of what you found in the car? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sebastienbuick Posted April 16 Share Posted April 16 7 hours ago, JohnD1956 said: The front speaker on the 69 is held in with one bracket which holds the magnet on the speaker and is bolted to the tab provided. Do you have a picture of what you found in the car? Yes, the speaker support is made by the magnet, and finding a new speaker is not easy. Here are mine from my 1969 Electra 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted April 16 Author Share Posted April 16 12 hours ago, JohnD1956 said: The front speaker on the 69 is held in with one bracket which holds the magnet on the speaker and is bolted to the tab provided. Do you have a picture of what you found in the car? No, not yet as I forgot to take my phone to the garage earlier. Hopefully I can remember tonight! However, that is just about what it looks like just a bracket which of course is designed to hold the correct speaker which has now gone awol! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted April 17 Author Share Posted April 17 7 hours ago, sebastienbuick said: Yes, the speaker support is made by the magnet, and finding a new speaker is not easy. Here are mine from my 1969 Electra Thanks Sebastian! This makes more sense now, this is the piece which is still on the car. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted April 17 Author Share Posted April 17 This week we have been concentrating fitting the body panels back on making a few adjustments, then sanding and more high build. Including fudging the door gap on the driver's door similar to what I did on passenger side, adding a bit of material with the MIG and finishing it off. With only a bit more work the complete left side will ready for final paint. The truck lid is nearly ready to go as well, as is the hood. The one piece which will take a bit more fiddling with, is the right front fender. Way back in 2015 I combined two questionable ones into one decent fender, sandblasted and epoxy primed it, now however I have to get it all finished so we can make it look good! Keith 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted April 17 Share Posted April 17 Looking really good Keith -- what a transformation! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smartin Posted April 18 Share Posted April 18 When you're adjusting the panels, make sure the car is resting on the suspension, as if it was resting on the ground. It looks like you may be doing that already, but just FYI. Regarding the speaker... https://www.smelectrotech.com/product/4-x-10-special-rectangle-single-/13?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=10 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sebastienbuick Posted April 18 Share Posted April 18 4 hours ago, Smartin said: When you're adjusting the panels, make sure the car is resting on the suspension, as if it was resting on the ground. It looks like you may be doing that already, but just FYI. Regarding the speaker... https://www.smelectrotech.com/product/4-x-10-special-rectangle-single-/13?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=10 Thanks for the internet links ! I didn't know that they remanufactured the dashboard speaker . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted April 18 Author Share Posted April 18 7 hours ago, Smartin said: When you're adjusting the panels, make sure the car is resting on the suspension, as if it was resting on the ground. It looks like you may be doing that already, but just FYI. Regarding the speaker... https://www.smelectrotech.com/product/4-x-10-special-rectangle-single-/13?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=10 I do always have the car on the ground when adjusting and setting up the panels. Thanks for the link, though it is currently listed as out of stock. This at least helps me with some more info. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted Tuesday at 04:19 PM Author Share Posted Tuesday at 04:19 PM Just a bit on an update on the car. We decided to get a bit of the mechanical stuff done, like the brakes. As we will need to move the car from the lift over to a bay with better width in order to paint the car. But Oh my some things are a struggle! The new power steering lines for instance, one is just a bit short. It kind of fits but is awful close to the exhaust manifold to be safe, so that I have to sort out. Last night we got new brake lines installed and got some fluid back in it, and will start bleeding it today. New brake cables are also installed but need to be set up, though all the shoes have been adjusted, so we should have good brakes once all the rest gets done and set up. The gas tank was reconditioned a while back, and I have the new sending unit installed, so it's just about ready to go back into place. I have a good high density rad which is just a few years old but I had it cleaned and it's now ready to go back in. The heater core had been leaking since before we got the car so long ago I re routed a heater hose to by pass the heater unit. It was rather rusty inside, but it has now been cleaned, repaired as nec, painted and reinstalled with the new core. The blower motor was seized due to lack of use, but some cleaning and lube and it works fine and runs quietly from the dash control. The one thing we are having a struggle with is the fit of the right front fender, the door fit is good, but the fender is sitting too low and I have a lot of shims in the fender mount and it's still about 3/16's in low. Basically I got frustrated with this and decided to get onto some of the mechanical stuff which needs to be done as well. Sorry folks, no pictures today! All kind of boring stuff that seems to be taking far too long! I think some of this is me as after working on this car for so many years I just want to get it together and looking good. Part of my rush right now is there are changes to the certification standards for cars coming into effect early June and the gents I use to do safeties have decided they are going to retire from writing these, which here we call MTO safeties due to all the extra paperwork, computer documentation that will be required. Please make no mistake, under no circumstances do I want an incorrect safety! I want everything to be safe without exception!! If I've missed something, or screwed up somewhere I want to know about it and have it sorted out. I just don't want to show up at a shop who doesn't know me with this old car and get taken for a whole lot of money. That's it for now folks, thank you for reading! Keith 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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