1963 buick special wagon

[Guest ME Rude]

hello im new to this world and pretty new to my car. Ive Got a 1963 special wagon (6 cyl) and im looking to do three things to it and could use some advice. first and foremost after it sits for a day it doesn't like to start. my wife's cousin who did all the work on it to get it back to life says i just need to find out its system,which for the life of me i cant break the code. but once it does fire up its fine except for sluggish starts from a stop, i.e. if i give it to much gas it bogs down and sometimes stalls.

2nd it needs all new weather stripping and i cant seem to find a good source for the wagons

3rd the wiper motor is shot and the tank is gone and i would love to get that happening

thanks for your time and ill post pics once i figure out how to do it

Edited September 6, 2012 by ME Rude (see edit history)

[JohnD1956]

Welcome ME. a 63 Wagon is not a common Buick. Would love to see some pictures.

As for the weatherstriping, I would contact Steele Rubber in North Carolina. When we toured it at the National Meet this year they indicated they can make most any style striping needed. They have thousands of molds already made for creating different weatherstriping. You may be able to pick up what you need by specification ( ie: size and shape and length) as opposed to finding a pre-packaged kit based on your vehicle.

What color is your wagon?

[Guest COMPACTBC]

YOUR CARB NEEDS TO BE REBUILT BY A GOOD CARB SHOP. WHAT DO U MEAN "YOUR TANK IS SHOT"?

[Guest ME Rude]

Thanks for the response, by "tank is shot" i mean the resivior for wiper fluid is shot as in gone

Ill look into having my carb rebuilt, any ideas for a good place in LA area

[Paul Falabella]

Parts sources:

Old Buick Parts - CARS. Inc.

Classic Buick parts, high quality and exceptional value! Classic Buick parts, high quality and exceptional value!

Kanter

Steele as mentioned

[wmsue]

Be cautious with Kanter.

I just returned 2 lower ball joints to them last week (purchased them in 2009 and just installed them this April) and was told today that "they were within specs" and there was nothing wrong with them. I talked to 'Nick' in customer service. I witnessed the play in the balljoints with their product and then with the 2 Moog parts I ended up replacing them with. A difference of night and day. The car had less than 100 miles on it. I told Kanter to throw them away because I do not want them back.

I will never do business with them again. So much for the lifetime guarantee they advertise.

[Guest looselugnuts]

hello im new to this world and pretty new to my car. Ive Got a 1963 special wagon (6 cyl) and im looking to do three things to it and could use some advice. first and foremost after it sits for a day it doesn't like to start. my wife's cousin who did all the work on it to get it back to life says i just need to find out its system,which for the life of me i cant break the code. but once it does fire up its fine except for sluggish starts from a stop, i.e. if i give it to much gas it bogs down and sometimes stalls.

2nd it needs all new weather stripping and i cant seem to find a good source for the wagons

3rd the wiper motor is shot and the tank is gone and i would love to get that happening

thanks for your time and ill post pics once i figure out how to do it

I found "Rubber the Right Way" to be helpful w/my '63 wagon

[Guest looselugnuts]

Try 'Rubber The Right way". I got door mouldings and weatherstripping, fit well.

[NTX5467]

I know that, a lot of times, we can tend to normally gravitate toward "old car parts vendors" in search for things we might need . . . BUT we should also remember that THEY get them from "sources", typically, rather than have a manufacturer make a batch just for them.  This is why one of my FIRST stops in seeing what's out there for my cars is the www.rockauto.com online catalog.  For me, it's been a great research tool, too.  "Research" in that you can see what brands of parts can be had and then possibly procure them locally from an auto parts store.  You can also check pricing, too, plus seeing a listing of what other vehicles the particular part will fit.

 

I know that Steele makes a humongous amount of rubber items, many pre-moulded for particular applications, but they also have a LOT of "roll goods" that can cover many additional applications with some cutting, trimming, and gluing.

 

Unfortunately, ball joints can be a little problematic.  MANY ball joints have been replaced, over the years, which were completely "in spec", but looked otherwise due to the way the play was demonstrated by the mechanic.  Internal design differences/upgrades can make some visual differences of what's "right" and what appears to not be right.  Key thing, though, is that you now have something under the car you can feel good about and have confidence in.  Plus a fresh alignment to keep the tires "aimed" where they need to be.

 

As 5563 noted several years ago, it's one thing to find out how much the shipping charges will be, but a completely different thing to also inquire about the vendor's return policy prior to the purchase.  Additionally, it's helpful to ensure that the part's packaging is kept as pristine as possible . . . no ripping the box apart with greasy hands, for example, and then chunking it in the trash can used by a smokeless tobacco user.  IF the vendor is going to return the defective part to their supplier, box condition CAN be very important!

 

NTX5467