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1931 Buick Phaeton .... I'm embarassed, but....


trimacar

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Last year, a nice 1931 Buick phaeton sold off the AACA forums, car was located in Vicksburg Miss. 

 

The new owner is, I believe, in Ohio.  He contacted me and we discussed the car, re: putting on a new top.

 

I carefully wrote his name and contact information down, in a very safe place.  So safe, in fact, that I can't for the life of me find it. My transition into senility will be a smooth one.

 

To new owner, I apologize.  If you get this, please contact me, I'd like to help you if I can, but even if not, at least close the loop on the discussion.

 

Humbly yours, David "Hat in Hand" Coco, Winchester Va.

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I have put things down in the shop and they develop legs and walk off. The wife says I suffer from CRS (can't remember stuff) and my good friend tells her

that I am in the early stages of 'old timers disease'. Been there Done that. Take notes of where you put things and try to remember where you put the

notes.

Terry Wiegand

Somewhere Out In Doo Dah

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I Don't understand it myself? What ever I put on top of my desk ends up on the bottom and gone. Especially  anything Important.. Just the way of things. All the sale papers, junk mail, and garbage remains. One important number is gone forever... Ththththththththhh. Dandy Dave!

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David,

It was me that actually bought the car, I live in New Palestine Indiana

I still do need your help putting a top on.

PM me.

post-139649-0-68531100-1437477583_thumb.

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My father used to tell me, as he got older, that his "forgetter was working overtime"................

It's all good, I forget a lot too, I'm not as young as I once was, but I have more fun now.

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I'm getting ready to shut this computer down for the day, stop work, and do a little drum brake job this evening......

Yesterday I couldn't find my brake spring tool. I have had it since the early '70's when the Snap On guy used to stop at the tire shop. I remember two things:

1, The last time I used it I was doing something not related to brakes with it.

2. I was doing something dangerous and was worried about getting hurt.

 

I don't remember getting hurt and it is not in the drawer where it always has been.     What the hell was I doing? If I can remember I know I'll find it.

 

Well, being Irish genetically:

Two Irish Catholic priests meet on the street, and Seamus says to Thomas, "Thomas, how are you this fine day." And Thomas says, "Oh Seamus, I think one of my parishoners has stolen my bicycle, and I don't know what to do!" And Seamus says, "Thomas, next Sunday, when you give your sermon, recite the 10 commandments. When you get to 'Thou shalt not steal', look you congregation in the eyes, and you'll know who stole your bicycle." Thomas thinks this is a good idea, and he says he'll try it.

The next week, Seamus and Thomas meet in the street again and Seamus asks Thomas if he tried his suggestion. And Thomas says, "Yes Seamus, I did just what you said. For my sermon I recited the 10 commandments. And you know, when I got to 'Thou shalt not commit adultery', I remembered where I left my bicycle!"

 

Bernie

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Wow, I never dreamed an innocent forgetful moment would lead to where this topic has gone.....

 

I have a coffee cup, got it at the ACD festival about 4 years ago from a restoration shop that was handing them out.  Their logo on the cup is long since washed off, but I've been using it every day, as it has a nice heft and holds just the right amount of coffee for the first cup.

 

Couldn't find it the last couple of days to save my life. Even asked the wife if it had been broken and thrown away.

 

My wife walks into one of the junk storage bedrooms in our house (uh, there are two of them) and says "here's your cup"....guess I'd been looking at parts with it in hand....

 

All is good now, reconnected with both cup and Buick owner!!!!

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I remembered where I used it last! Fixing the idler spring on my mower deck. Must have been a lingering thought of the job that reminded me of the bike story, but that's another (kind) of story.

Bernie

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Getting this back to car related, a lot of people take a car apart for restoration, thinking "oh, I'll remember where that part goes", and then when it's time for reassembly, heads are scratched.

 

As my friend Greg says, the trail grows cold, and three years or more after disassembly, no amount of remembering is sufficient to figure it all out.

 

The restorations shop where I spent a couple of years had a good system.  Each major area of the car had a number, thus 1 was the body, 2 was the engine, and so forth.  Then, as you took it apart, each part was sub-numbered.  Thus, the first part off the body, let's say a door handle, is bagged (paper or plastic bags) as "1-1", and so noted in a notebook.  The carburetor might be bagged "2-16", if it's the 16th item taken off the car.

 

Sounds simplistic, but it works.  That said, I have a car apart now, with parts just stacked willy-nilly on shelves, and I bet a lot of you do too!!

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I was rebuilding the engine in my 1967 Dodge A100 compact pickup a few years ago. At the same time I was rebuilding our back porch. As putting the engine together, I had a problem. I could not find the harmonic balancer. I looked EVERYWHERE! I finally figured out that I must have taken it to the wrecking yard as I did with a truckload of parts. I went out into the rear yard to tell my wife where I was going (back to the yard to look for the balancer). I glanced over to the corner of the porch where I had been working and got the surprise of my life. THERE was the harmonic balancer....I had used it as a solid "shim" to hold up the corner of the house where I had been working on it!! The lost was then found. You can see the red balancer on top of the jack in the photo....

post-81542-0-74064600-1437579098_thumb.j

Edited by keiser31 (see edit history)
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Yes, that's a great car....I remember when it came up for sale, and I was considering it, but my garage and warehouse just have too many cars now, and I can't take care of them all.....but it found a good home....."Coco's Tops Are Us" can sure fix the top issue, though!  (fictitious name of course, thought of "Top's on Me" but that doesn't work!)...

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Thanks for the compliments on the car,  It was a great buy, I gained a friend and car out of the deal and that's about all you can ask.  It will be neat to see the top on it.

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Roj:

 So nice to see the car out in the sunlight. It is good to know it went to a Buick loving home. The previous owner and I almost had a deal at a lower price until he got it running. Then it jumped out of my price range. Have you sourced out the front brakes yet?  I remember he said the fronts had been converted to hydraulics. Best of luck with the car. If it comes to Trimcar's place for a top I hope I can visit it there.

 Larry

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I actually have a guy who can do the brakes for me, Weatsell's In Greenfield Indiana.  He is very good and a very reasonable mechanic, he only works on cars from 1960 and before.  Last week he had a 34 Ford, a 38 Chevy truck, two 50's Chevy's and a Packard which was from the early 30's. 

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Roj:

 So nice to see the car out in the sunlight. It is good to know it went to a Buick loving home. The previous owner and I almost had a deal at a lower price until he got it running. Then it jumped out of my price range. Have you sourced out the front brakes yet?  I remember he said the fronts had been converted to hydraulics. Best of luck with the car. If it comes to Trimcar's place for a top I hope I can visit it there.

 Larry

And it will be out this fall for a top, I'm glad you didn't buy it, I am very happy with it, very neat car.

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