Raise your hand if you drove at least one old Buick this weekend

[Aaron65]

I drove the '53 in our local car cruise for charity, and spent a day wheeling out the old paint on the Riviera and giving it a coat of wax.  It will never be more than an old paint job, but it's good at 10 feet.  

[dship]

On Sunday (7/9/23), I attended the Endicott Estate annual car show in Dedham, MA with members of my BCA Minuteman Chapter.  We had 16 Buicks participate.  This car show attracts at least 1500 cars of all makes and models.  To my left is a '34 Model 60, and to my right is a '56 4 door hardtop.

 

[Guest]

I just returned from Highland Park (just north of Chicago) with my new prize.  The trade has been successful and while I "could" have tried to start it to pull it out of garage I decided to just push/winch it on instead.  Once home I decided to see how hard it might be to start (the fuel tank is out due to leaks) so I dropped a jerry can in and gave it a try knowing the battery hadnt been check/charged in over a year since I had it running for them last summer.  Slow at first but then picking up a little speed (starter) she cranked right up and I drove her off the trailer.  

[Brooklyn Beer]

1 hour ago, swab said:

I just returned from Highland Park (just north of Chicago) with my new prize.  The trade has been successful and while I "could" have tried to start it to pull it out of garage I decided to just push/winch it on instead.  Once home I decided to see how hard it might be to start (the fuel tank is out due to leaks) so I dropped a jerry can in and gave it a try knowing the battery hadnt been check/charged in over a year since I had it running for them last summer.  Slow at first but then picking up a little speed (starter) she cranked right up and I drove her off the trailer.  

What type of tire is that on the rear ?

[Brooklyn Beer]

On 7/10/2023 at 7:27 AM, Aaron65 said:

I drove the '53 in our local car cruise for charity, and spent a day wheeling out the old paint on the Riviera and giving it a coat of wax.  It will never be more than an old paint job, but it's good at 10 feet.  

There is something special OMO about the hood lines of this generation of Buick and how a good wax job just seems to make the paint look liquid in nature. Like nature itself is just sliding down off the center.   My 49 at the local 4th show.

[Guest]

19 minutes ago, Brooklyn Beer said:

What type of tire is that on the rear ?

The kind that looks like its going to blow out when you look away yet somehow stays inflated for a decade.  I think its for some military truck???  I have 4 new tires as part of the deal so she will be getting new shoes.

[Paul White]

Hi All,

Just returned from a trip out to the south-west New South Wales and a country town called Leeton (Picture 6). The town was founded rather more recently than I imagined (April 1912) which would seem to account for the large number of Art Deco buildings that make up most of the towns CBD and is the home of a number of iconic Art Deco water towers designed by an American architect, Walter Burley Griffin who is famous in Australia as the designer of our national capital, Canberra. This makes Leeton a great location for an Art Deco festival and the reason why my wife and I and eight other friends set off last Thursday for the 1000 mile round trip with me in the '36 and my friend Michael in a '41 Sedanette with others following in modern vehicles (Picture One). The trip took in as many small country towns as we could (Pictures 4 and 5). We broke the journey at the 320 mile point with a stay in a beautiful historic bed and breakfast in a little town called Grenfell which has a small Chrysler museum of all things. The following day we set off for the short 130 mile hop to Leeton. We spent the next few days attending activities around town and dinners and balls at night staying in an historic hotel (Picture 2) up on the hill in the centre of town. We ran into a local fellow who owned a 1934 convertible coupe he had found rusting in a paddock in 1981 and restored it as a restomod with Holden V8 and running gear and '36 Buick front suspension pulled from another paddock wreck. (Picture 3) Monday we set off further west to a small town call Whitton and a recently developed whiskey and gin distillery called the Whitton Malt House. The place processes grain for the attached restaurant and tasting business but also provides grain to most of Australia's beer production industries. We stayed in boutique cabins arrayed around a made-made lake and spend a relaxing evening chatting over drinks and cheese before setting off back to Grenfell again for the night, finding a 1927(?) Buick radiator cap in a local antique store, and then the long trip home on Tuesday.  Both Buicks ran well without any problems.  I used 90 gallons of fuel at the rate of 12 mpg at a cost of $400.00 USD, Cheers Paul    

[alsancle]

I hope you lectured him on the tires and the pilot rays.

[195354]

Here is a picture of my speedometer when l headed out to Spokane, long day on the road

The RM performed better than l could hope

No oil consumption or coolant just need to repeat the performance Sunday when l head home 

Steve

 

[edinmass]

5 hours ago, alsancle said:

I hope you lectured him on the tires and the pilot rays.

Yes, and I convinced him to toss the trunk in the trash. 

[Guest]

11 hours ago, alsancle said:

I hope you lectured him on the tires and the pilot rays.

?

[edinmass]

6 hours ago, swab said:

?

You are fairly new here. Welcome…….It’s common that many of the purists will post to remove accessories from the car as they ruin the lines and original designers intent. White walls, trunks, lights, mirrors, ect………..it’s sort of an inside joke amongst the old timers. Basically he was implying to install black wall tires, remove the pilot rays, and the trunk. I agree…….and had a laugh with the new owner because he quickly said to me…….I know I should remove all this stuff, but I like it. I think I actually convinced him to remove the trunk……..it’s the worst offender of the bunch.

 

[Guest]

I suppose I should have said a little more.  It was a question regarding the "pilot rays" I assume those are the amber driving lights installed as turn signals?  Or maybe the larger lower lights?  Maybe something else?  This may be my first old Buick but im not really "new" to the old cars (3rd gen) which is why I knew to get blackwalls instead of whitewalls and cringe every time I see whitewalls on a model T.  

[alsancle]

44 minutes ago, swab said:

I suppose I should have said a little more.  It was a question regarding the "pilot rays" I assume those are the amber driving lights installed as turn signals?  Or maybe the larger lower lights?  Maybe something else?  This may be my first old Buick but im not really "new" to the old cars (3rd gen) which is why I knew to get blackwalls instead of whitewalls and cringe every time I see whitewalls on a model T.  

What Ed said.    The accessories usually get in the way of seeing the beauty of the design.    Spot lights,  Pilot Rays (driving lights in front of the radiator),  curb feelers, lalique ornaments, sidemount mirrors,  etc.     I already like you because you knew on your own that whitewalls typically look horrible.

[alsancle]

1 hour ago, edinmass said:

You are fairly new here. Welcome…….It’s common that many of the purists will post to remove accessories from the car as they ruin the lines and original designers intent. White walls, trunks, lights, mirrors, ect………..it’s sort of an inside joke amongst the old timers. Basically he was implying to install black wall tires, remove the pilot rays, and the trunk. I agree…….and had a laugh with the new owner because he quickly said to me…….I know I should remove all this stuff, but I like it. I think I actually convinced him to remove the trunk……..it’s the worst offender of the bunch.

 

 

Old timer?

[alsancle]

I wish we had videotaped the battles I had with my dad on this car.   I won two battles:  no stupid light up Lalique ornament and no pilot rays.  But I lost the war.

[Guest]

On my new Buick there is a broken spotlight, one that goes thru the body and I wish it wasn't broken as it is the earliest I have seen and would have liked to see it complete.  Ill have to figure out how to patch the hole as there isn't a chance I would replace it with a more modern (40's and newer) one.  As far as the driving lights (pilot rays) I could see them and a trunk being useful but due to the fact that I intend to be driving long trips that would include night driving and would need the luggage space.  We used a luggage rack and trunk on the '28 roadster (model A), boy was that trunk useful.  I can remember driving my speedster into Yosemite for Christmas with a friend and having the luggage strapped and tied onto the car!  Personally one of my "yuck" is when you have a rear mounted tire AND luggage rack.  

[alsancle]

1 hour ago, swab said:

On my new Buick there is a broken spotlight, one that goes thru the body and I wish it wasn't broken as it is the earliest I have seen and would have liked to see it complete.  Ill have to figure out how to patch the hole as there isn't a chance I would replace it with a more modern (40's and newer) one.  As far as the driving lights (pilot rays) I could see them and a trunk being useful but due to the fact that I intend to be driving long trips that would include night driving and would need the luggage space.  We used a luggage rack and trunk on the '28 roadster (model A), boy was that trunk useful.  I can remember driving my speedster into Yosemite for Christmas with a friend and having the luggage strapped and tied onto the car!  Personally one of my "yuck" is when you have a rear mounted tire AND luggage rack.  

The trunks are ok for when you are touring and should be hidden in the attic when not.   As far as the pilot rays go,  just get the headlights dialed in correctly.  

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, alsancle said:

The trunks are ok for when you are touring and should be hidden in the attic when not.   As far as the pilot rays go,  just get the headlights dialed in correctly.  

I do get tired of casting a shadow whenever there is a car behind at night. My Zephyr is the best to date with 12v LED lights.  I know but I was driving it as primary transportation.  The Buick should replace it primarily because I am driving longer distances on hilly roads and I still need new tires for the back of the Zephyr.  Night driving in the hills with lots of deer around the more light the better.  This is the old spotlight remains, you can see the age in the design.  Yes, the knob is glass.

 

[JBP]

After a spin, took the car to its second-favourite place in the world. 
 

[JohnD1956]

On 7/15/2023 at 4:01 PM, 195354 said:

Here is a picture of my speedometer when l headed out to Spokane, long day on the road

The RM performed better than l could hope

No oil consumption or coolant just need to repeat the performance Sunday when l head home 

Steve

 

Cool shot Steve! Love those instruments and dashboard. 

[195354]

Thanks John 

When l headed out thought l would take a quick picture, never giving it much thought until l looked at it. I have under appreciated some of the styling these cars have until you take time to take it in.
RM is 70 years old and it cruises along at 70 with ease, even faster if you aren’t careful.  Not sure what the road speeds were in 53 back East but out west 55 and a two lane highway was standard fare. Buick was planning for the future apparently.
John I had a great time judging with the team.

Steve

[JohnD1956]

13 hours ago, 195354 said:

had a great time judging with the team.

Steve

It was fun. I like looking at the cars in detail like that. I think we treated each car fairly and the owners were aware of the potential shortcomings of their cars.  Look forward to doing it again sometime.

[Machine Gun]

I went to a local farm for a car show that was put on to benefit a volunteer fire company. It was their first attempt at this sort of thing and I think it was a success. They had live bands, food and beer trucks, a motorcycle section, and lots and lots of cars. Most of the cars though were hot rods and heavily modified cars, which is why I didn't take more photos. My car is nothing to brag about cosmetically, but I had the hood open just in case someone wanted to see a factory engine compartment. It was a very friendly atmosphere and there was no shortage of people who liked talking cars and bikes. I hope they make it an annual event.

 

[NTX5467]

(Lots of hands waving by those who drove to Spokane and back)

Edited July 23, 2023 by NTX5467 (see edit history)

[NC-car-guy]

Drove my 72 to work at the brewery Sunday.  This wildcat parked next to me as the husband and wife team came in for a drink.

[EmTee]

Nice pair!  That's a good looking Wildcat. 

[NC-car-guy]

14 hours ago, EmTee said:

Nice pair!  That's a good looking Wildcat. 

He told me 98k on original drive train.  He had it stripped to bare metal and painted, put all new gaskets and paint on the engine, rebuilt the carb, and has continued to cruise every weekend!

[Mark Shaw]

I made another modification to make the sector throttle lever work with the Zenith carb.  It started much easier with the throttle set to run at fast idle.  So, I took it for a short run in the neighborhood to warm-up the engine oil for a quick oil change.  Now it is about ready to load for the next car event.  

 

[dibarlaw]

Did a Prewar tour here in Central PA. We had about 30 cars registered. 160 mile round trip plus 10 miles driving the 275 acre estate's trails.

 

[Den41Buick]

We finally have a break from the hot and muggy weather. A storm came through last night and pushed the temperature and humidity down today. This morning felt like Fall. Great day for a ride in a black car with my buddy Teddy. Saw several antiques out for a ride as well including a 56 Roadmaster that went by.

 

 

Edited July 30, 2023 by Den41Buick
Add pics (see edit history)

[Brooklyn Beer]

fall?  I would be happy with mid 80's right now. That is 3 months away from North Texas.  I have to take the puppers out at 6am for our drives

[avgwarhawk]

Eastern shore of MD.

 

 

[NC-car-guy]

Love hanging out by the water. Had a close call last night, coming home from mom's at 1130 pm, all country roads, two healthy size doe stepped into the road and I stopped just short of a new hood ornament.  She's riding okay today so I guess I didn't put too bad a flat spot in the tires locking it down.

[JohnD1956]

36 miles today to meet @EmTeefor lunch in Saratoga Springs NY

 

[EmTee]

Great afternoon with John!  He gave me the Readers Digest Spokane summary debrief.  I was expecting to see John roll-up in 'The Queen' today, given the extended seat time he has had in the '56 for the last month.  But no - here comes Annie, showing no signs of fatigue! 

 

 

Approximately 300 miles for my round-trip today. 

 

 

Edited August 2, 2023 by EmTee (see edit history)

[dmfconsult]

56 minutes ago, EmTee said:

  But no - here comes Annie, showing no signs of fatigue! 

 

 

 

 

I would have guessed Annie would sit this one out as well... surprised at both the choice of car and the fact JD was willing to even drive a car today!  @JohnD1956 I also noticed the clean white walls!  No rust on you!

[Den41Buick]

Another unbelievable morning. Not quite 70 degrees and no humidity. Perfect morning for a ride in the 41 Special with Ted Ted. We went and did some banking and then out for an extended ride over and around the Scituate reservoir. I am trying to put off chores as long as possible.

 

 

[Edwin The Kid]

Had the opportunity to drive a 1906 Buick today! Was super cool! 

[tenugent]

2 hours ago, Edwin The Kid said:

Had the opportunity to drive a 1906 Buick today! Was super cool! 

As much as you get around you need to get your own syndicated show,you've already got the name