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Loaded and ready to hit the road to MO.


Pete Phillips

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Been working all weekend on details for the three cars I am bringing to Springfield. NO trailer queens here. I'll be driving the '48 Super (unrestored 60,000 miles, making its first appearance at a BCA meet) and my two helpers will drive the '48 Roadmaster (17,000 miles, making its first appearance at a BCA event) and the three-speed 1970 Wildcat. Tires are new, hoses are new, fan belts are new, brakes all redone, and I am carrying a couple of spare fuel pumps and water pumps. Wish me luck. Springfield, here we come! The two '48s will be in the Archival Class and the '70 will be in the 400-point judging, although it is far from being a 400-point car. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the meet.

 

Pete Phillips

Leonard, TX

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post-77451-0-87624700-1433905838_thumb.jThe two '48s made it to Springfield and so did the '70 Wildcat, hooray. But not until a 4-hour delay in McAlester, OK. at a gas station where we discovered a pool of oil under the '48 Super. Seems the oil change place over-tightened the drain plug before I left, destroyed the copper washer, and cracked my oil pan. Luckily, it was only 2-1/2 quarts low on oil, or they would be buying me a new engine when I get back. Drained the oil pan, made several gaskets out of what we could scrounge up, but in the end, the only thing that worked was an application of JBWeld to the crack, and then let it cure half a hour before continuing the trip. That fixed it enough to make it to Springfield. Here is a photo of the two '48s doing 70 mph down the interstate this afternoon. The engines ran beautifully, and the '70 Wildcat got an honest 20 mpg!

QUite a few parts vendors here already and some wonderful cars.

Pete Phillips

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Most people fret and worry over driving one old car to a meet. You took 3 which sets a great example for all! Glad the trio made it safely. 20mpg in a 1970 big heavy metal car! When looking at it solely in that context, one may think technology really hasn't came that far in 45 years.

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Nice!  On the way to Norwalk, OH last week, I consistently hit 18mpg with the 60.  I was floored!

 

On the way to Flint in 2003, there was a stretch of a zillion miles where we were all limited to about 50-55mph.  I hit 23mpg with the Centurion then.  I've never seen anything close to that since then, though,

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Pete, I would say lesson learned, "Change your own oil" but that too has it's pitfalls as evidenced by the scenario below.
 
 
Oil Change instructions for men with old Buicks :

1. Wait until Saturday, drive to auto parts store and buy a case of oil, filter, kitty litter, hand cleaner and a scented tree; use your debit card for $50.00.

2. Stop by Beer Store and buy a case of beer, (debit $24), drive home.

3. Open a beer and drink it.

4. Jack old Buick up. Spend 30 minutes looking for jack stands.

5. Find jack stands under kid's pedal car.

6. In frustration, open another beer and drink it.

7.. Place drain pan under engine.

8. Look for box end wrench.

9. Give up and use crescent wrench.

10. Unscrew drain plug.

11. Drop drain plug in pan of hot oil: splash hot oil on you in process. Cuss.

12. Crawl out from under old Buick to wipe hot oil off of face and arms.. Throw kitty litter on spilled oil.

13. Have another beer while watching oil drain.

14. Spend 30 minutes looking for oil filter wrench.

15. Give up; crawl under old Buick and hammer a screwdriver through oil filter and twist off..

16. Crawl out from under old Buick with dripping oil filter splashing oil everywhere from holes. Cleverly hide old oil filter among trash in trash can to avoid environmental penalties. Drink a beer.

17. Install new oil filter making sure to apply a thin coat of oil to gasket surface.

18. Dump first quart of fresh oil into engine.

19. Remember drain plug from step 11.

20. Hurry to find drain plug in drain pan.

21. Drink beer.

22. Discover that first quart of fresh oil is now on the floor. Throw kitty litter on oil spill.

23. Get drain plug back in with only a minor spill. Drink beer.

24. Crawl under old Buick getting kitty litter into eyes. Wipe eyes with oily rag used to clean drain plug, everything looks hazy now. Slip with stupid crescent wrench tightening drain plug and bang knuckles on frame removing skin down to bare knuckle bones.

25. Begin cussing fit.

26. Throw stupid crescent wrench.

27. Cuss for additional 5 minutes because wrench hit old Buick and left dent.

28. Beer.

29. Clean up hands and bandage as required to stop blood flow.

30. Beer.

31. Dump in five fresh quarts of oil and one half bottle of beer. Cuss.

32. Drink remaining half of beer.

33. Lower old Buick  from jack stands.

34. Move old Buick  back to apply more kitty litter to fresh oil spilled during any missed steps.

35. Beer.

36. Test drive old Buick.

37. Get pulled over: arrested for driving under the influence.

38. Old Buick gets impounded.

39. Call loving wife, make bail.

40. 12 hours later, get old Buick from impound yard and discover the newly chromed bumper is now located halfway into the newly chromed grille.
 
41. Impound attendant instructs you to read sign advising not responsible for damages caused by wrecker service
 
42. Punch Impound Attendant in the face and speed off in old Buick while Impound Attendant is on phone calling police to report an assault.
 
42. Discover old Buick can't outrun same police car that previously pulled you over and arrested you for DUI. Officer responds, says "You again" and off to jail you go.
 
43. Call loving wife: Click
 
44. Call old Buick buddy and offer old Buick if he will come get you out of jail.
 
 

Money spent :

Parts: $50.00

DUI: $2,500.00

Impound fee: $75.00

Bail: $1,500.00
 
Old Buick used for bail: $5,000

Beer: $20.00

TOTAL: $9,145.00


But hey,  you know the job was done right!
 
 

Just curious, are you scouring the swap meet for another oil pan or are you planning on just pinching the front seat all the way back home and hoping the JB Weld holds? 

Edited by MrEarl
added "old Buick" embellishments to original (see edit history)
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My two '48 Buicks made it home just fine. The '70 Wildcat's fuel pump decided to quit 10 miles from home and that's as far as it got. Changed the fuel pump yesterday and just got the car home this morning.

I think I have a photo of three 1948 Buicks in the Archival section at the meet--one of each series: Super; Special; and Roadmaster. How cool is that?!

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