Guest RugerSlinger Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Hi Everyone, My first post here but wanted to share my find. I bought this off my buddy who had it for a day and wanted to flip it. I couldn't let it go to just anyone because it was so clean and complete for the age. It looks as some of it has had some paint but the majority of it looks to be original. I have 99% of the parts and almost everything works. When I bought it the carb was missing, It took me 2 months but I found one on Ebay that was rebuilt. I bought a new battery, put the carb on, and put some fresh gas in it. It turned over fine but didn't start on initial try. Found the points needed to be cleaned and she fired right up. I am not sure what the long term plans are for this but I want to drive it next spring, It does need floors and rockers but everything else is very solid. All gauges work, only the clock isn't working. Not a big deal as my father is a watchmaker so he said he can probably fix it.Here are some pictures, My bigest question is has anyone seen tail lights like this? I have looked at a bunch of other 46 buicks and never seen these tail lights. They seem to be original. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackofalltrades70 Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 The tail lights under the trunk lid are original. The others are someones addition and not original equipmentMattNice car by the way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlLaFong Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 (edited) The light on top of the fenders are not original. They look like 46 Cad Edited December 31, 2015 by CarlLaFong (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 That is a very odd sun visor. never saw one quite like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 The tail lights are 1949 Dodge. Nice car, flipping them ain't so bad when you are the recipient. And if the flipper made a couple of bucks he might find another one. You're lucky the flipper wasn't a TV personality. Be careful about those butterflies. They could be an invasive species that wasn't available in 1946. Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlLaFong Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 I love those old straight eight Buicks. Reminds me of my 47 Super Sedanette. I can still hear the sound that it made going through the gears. Music. That car is a good fixer upper. It looks like you have started to bring the paint back on the left fender. Keep it up and give it a good coat of wax. Fix the rust, throw on a set of seat covers and drive the wheels off of it. Pick up missing or better looking parts as they come along. You would go upsidedown in a hurry if you tried to restore it but by keeping it as a driver you will have a lot more fun and not go broke 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RugerSlinger Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 Haha, Thanks Bernie, I plan on making it a restro mod. I really enjoy sedans and I don't care about keeping it stock because the value of the car fully restored is not great. It rides very well and stops great, the radio works too. I think I am going to drive it for the summer next year and fix up the body. I want to put it on a different chassis that is more modern with a LS motor. I know its a big plan with zero return but I am planning on keeping this forever. I run a bodyshop so I have access to everything I need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlLaFong Posted December 31, 2015 Share Posted December 31, 2015 and another one bites the dust. Poor ol' Buick 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 (edited) That is a very odd sun visor. never saw one quite like it. I noticed that as well.It lets some light thru. I have seen plastic that lets light thru but not with that much surround. Edited January 1, 2016 by JACK M (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 and another one bites the dust. Poor ol' Buick And a Happy new year to you!!! Ben 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlLaFong Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 And a Happy new year to you!!! BenOdd reply.I assume you don't share my views on keeping these old cars original. I have no problem with a well built modified car as long as a good running original doesn't have to be sacrificed. It is his car and he is free to do whatever makes him happy. I have been around the block enough time to have seen these projects on eBay, Craigslist and the local newspapers. "1946 Buick. All original on a 95 Chevy pickup chassis. 350 with automatic. Doesn't run but all the hard work has been done. No time to finish. $10,000 or trade for guns or Harley." The photo generally reveals a miss match, hodge podge of parts. Wheelbase and track width are off, big holes hacked in the firewall and all of the stock running gear has been sold or junked. I'm not saying that this is what will happen to this car. It may win the Riddler Award next year. Who knows? For me and most of the members of BCA, when I was in the club in the early 70s, I'd rather see the old girl given some love, a nip and a tuck here and there and a bit of makeup.Oh, and a Happy New Year to you, as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesBulldogMiller55Buick Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 The car as it is now, would be a car that I would take a lot of time looking at at a car show. The modified cars are the cars I walk past with out stopping, 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vermontboy Posted January 1, 2016 Share Posted January 1, 2016 "The modified cars are the cars I walk past with out stopping," Yup, the last large car show I went to there were so few original or restored cars in attendance that I spent less than an hour and a half there - used to spend all day. Have they all been rodded or do people just not bother to bring them out? On the other hand I went to a weekly cruise night last summer and there was a local Pierce V-12 I hadn't seen before. Great car - my dad had an 836. You never know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesBulldogMiller55Buick Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 "The modified cars are the cars I walk past with out stopping," Yup, the last large car show I went to there were so few original or restored cars in attendance that I spent less than an hour and a half there - used to spend all day. Have they all been rodded or do people just not bother to bring them out? On the other hand I went to a weekly cruise night last summer and there was a local Pierce V-12 I hadn't seen before. Great car - my dad had an 836. You never know.I remember my Dad and I (at eight years old) visiting the fire station that where my Grandfather was Fire Chief. I wandered into the apparatus bay, where a fire engine was parked with its hood opened. I started counting spark plugs. I ran to my Dad and said "Dad that fire engine has 24 cylinders!". My Grandfather said, "No, it's , two plugs per cylinder. It's a Seagrave with a Pierce V-12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted January 3, 2016 Share Posted January 3, 2016 I've always liked modified cars, but I always bought Buicks or Cadillacs. Not the other brands that would need to be upgraded.Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 The guys that you are walking past probably don't want you stopping by to chat anyway as you would probably just pick him apart.If a man owns a car that he likes and wants to do what he likes its nobody else's business. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted January 4, 2016 Share Posted January 4, 2016 What kills me is he first comments on how nice the car runs then says he plans to gut it like a trout to make it run nice. For a few hundred bucks he could fix the brakes, tune up the engine and have it on the road. I guess he doesn't want to do that because if he knew how well it runs and how much fun it is to drive in stock condition he wouldn't have the heart to junk it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bkazmer Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 General rodding question - why is a pushrod Chevy V8 considered a "modern engine" when the design technology is far behind current design? Newer than a carbureted L-head,yes, but if I want current technology it ain't orange. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vermontboy Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 I would think it is because it, and other pushrod V-8's, can be made to run well by any shade tree mechanic. Tolerances aren't critical, basic tools can be used, it can be taken apart in your driveway and it doesn't require miles of control wiring and sensors. Cost is another factor - I can take a used engine, kit it, and drop it in a vehicle and have it running in a couple of long weekends for under $1000. Also the ready availability of thousands of cheap custom parts as near as your weekend flea market. A lot to like. Just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bkazmer Posted January 5, 2016 Share Posted January 5, 2016 I hear what you're saying. It seems like an argument for eating at McDonald's - it's not that good, but it's cheap and available Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RugerSlinger Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 What kills me is he first comments on how nice the car runs then says he plans to gut it like a trout to make it run nice. For a few hundred bucks he could fix the brakes, tune up the engine and have it on the road. I guess he doesn't want to do that because if he knew how well it runs and how much fun it is to drive in stock condition he wouldn't have the heart to junk it.I am planning on driving the vehicle the way that it sits right now, If i enjoy driving it all original then I will keep it that way. This is a long term plan but I want to have a car that I can drive on a regular basis and want it to be reliable. I don't know anything about these old buicks, so I don't know how reliable they are to drive everyday. I really enjoy everything about the car, the only thing that scares me is the motor, trans and rear end because they are forign to me. I have been a mechanic and body man for years I just have never worked on anything this old. I'm sorry that you feel like this is ruining the car but for me it is about having something that is familiar to me with parts I know I can source easily. I know its not like this is going to be my only car but I also hate having something that I know if I bring it out and something breaks, then I am going to be down and out for months because I cant find a part for it. I don't have a ton of money to put into this project, so I would rather put money in the right places and not have to fix it all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vermontboy Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I have had quite a few early 50's cars that were driven daily and not once were any of them ever towed (wish I could say the same about newer vehicles I've owned). Never had to wait for a part that any of them needed to run, either. Back in the late 60's I had a Model "A" Ford that saw daily use (only vehicle) for a couple of years and I drove it from Rochester to Utica almost every weekend when college was in session. That one never left me stranded, either. Here is a post from Tinindian on this forum in regards to daily drivers from October. Hope that it is OK to quote. "I believe that everyone's best will be different. My "best" and only daily driver for the last 56 years has been a 1930 Pontiac. In the 400,000 plus miles I have put on it I have been in every state west of the Mississippi and most everywhere in Canada west of Thunder Bay. I have overhauled the engine twice and the differential three times. All the repairs except for rebabbitting bearings and machining I have done myself. Total cost for repairs has been less than $7,000.00. Many guys here would not consider driving my car on the interstates or main highways, mostly because they wouldn't drive a vehicle like this at 55 mph all day." The car you have was made to drive 55 mph all day and then some (they didn't call them Buick "Centuries" for nothing). I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I just checked Ebay and there are 15,017 parts for a 1946 Buick. Kidding aside, you will find what you look for. Go into it with the attitude that this is a good old car and you'll bail out if it proves itself otherwise. You are right about it being foreign in today's world. It's so foreign most of the parts are identified by whole words. You won't find acronyms on that car. Well, the voltage regulator might have GEN, ARM, and FLD terminals, but those are really abbreviations. And the back wheels push, well, that's like my Chevy truck. I have an '86 Park ave. It's foreign to me. I thought about putting in a Camaro McPherson strut subframe, making it RWD, with a 455 Buick. That's all stuff I know about. Instead I got a prehistoric OTC 4000 and a few Kent-Moore items and made friends with it. Turns out to be a pretty nice driving 30 year old car, foreign as it is. They are all good cars. They wouldn't have made it out of the showroom if they weren't. Let the car be a statement of itself and your efforts, not a statement of your peer group.Bernie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AlCapone Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 The car as it is now, would be a car that I would take a lot of time looking at at a car show. The modified cars are the cars I walk past with out stopping,You and I and thousands f others, very disappointing as I see it. Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AlCapone Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I would think you would posted on The Hamb instead of on a site committed to the preservation of classic cars. Don't be surprised if most of the comments are negative. Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 I am planning on driving the vehicle the way that it sits right now, If i enjoy driving it all original then I will keep it that way. This is a long term plan but I want to have a car that I can drive on a regular basis and want it to be reliable. I don't know anything about these old buicks, so I don't know how reliable they are to drive everyday. I really enjoy everything about the car, the only thing that scares me is the motor, trans and rear end because they are forign to me. I have been a mechanic and body man for years I just have never worked on anything this old. I'm sorry that you feel like this is ruining the car but for me it is about having something that is familiar to me with parts I know I can source easily. I know its not like this is going to be my only car but I also hate having something that I know if I bring it out and something breaks, then I am going to be down and out for months because I cant find a part for it. I don't have a ton of money to put into this project, so I would rather put money in the right places and not have to fix it all the time.Buick was an expensive car in its day and was considered a very reliable, powerful car with a smooth comfortable ride. If you go through it and fix everything that is below par it should make a reliable driver. One caution, when you put an old car like that back in commission it seems to nickel and dime you to death with small repairs until you get the bugs worked out then it is reasonably reliable. You need to bear in mind that cars of that age require more frequent oil changes, grease jobs, tuneups etc than new cars but that the work is easier and cheaper too. If you want a car that you can use regularly the Buick is one of the best. But if you really want a Camaro buy a Camaro. Don't try to turn a 46 Buick into a Camaro by swapping in all the Camaro parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GARY F Posted January 7, 2016 Share Posted January 7, 2016 my thoughts exactly Rusty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BillP Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 Bernie, 60FlatTop said, "They are all good cars. They wouldn't have made it out of the showroom if they weren't. Let the car be a statement of itself and your efforts, not a statement of your peer group." Very well said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bob Call Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 The Buick straight eight and the first gen Chibbie V8 you are thinking about are the same technology, jut the Chibbie has a short stroke that allows for higher RPM. I'm like most of the other guys here, don't screw up a good old driver. If you want the look of the older Buick, find one that has no drive train but a fair body and put that on a Camero chassis. Sell the good Buick to someone who will appreciate it for what it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AlCapone Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 The Buick straight eight and the first gen Chibbie V8 you are thinking about are the same technology, jut the Chibbie has a short stroke that allows for higher RPM. I'm like most of the other guys here, don't screw up a good old driver. If you want the look of the older Buick, find one that has no drive train but a fair body and put that on a Camero chassis. Sell the good Buick to someone who will appreciate it for what it is.I am sure by now he has that message very loud and very clear! Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 Funny thing - if he did go on the HAMB he would find several Buick drivers with the original straight eight engine, and others with the original V8 engine, and still others building hot rods with Buick straight eight and V8 engines. Buick engines are still well thought of in hot rod circles. The HAMB would tell him to keep the stock engine if it was in decent shape. Some of them would want to hop it up, but if he threatened to throw a Chevy V8 in it they would gag and sneer same as here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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