Survivor, New Muffler? Or the Rusty one with a hole in it

[Guest Skeet67]

I just bought a 67 Buick Skylark with 51,000 miles. 

Since then I have read enough opinions on what a Survivor is. 

I now have my own opinion but struggle with parts that

interupt the drivability and the degree of safety. 

 

I have a hole in my muffler and Since I will only drive limited distances should

I just keep the old muffler on with a hole since it is original or just go ahead and 

replace it? 

 

What about steering components, rubber bushings etc? 

 

This car is 98% the way it was when the owner put in the garage, covered the floors, seats, roof, hood and trunk and turned the light off.

 

I respect all of your opinions otherwise I would not have asked. Plus my freinds are tired of hearing about this Buick. Ha Ha!

[46 woodie]

Skeet, anything I have read about "survivor" cars, allows the replacement of any items that are deemed safety items or parts that were expected to wear out and be replaced. I would think your muffler would fall into that category. Any chance of locating a NOS muffler? If I am not mistaken, the AACA has info on "survivor" cars.

[keiser31]

Just to inform....if you replace the front end bushings and other rubber parts, get the original style/material. That new poly(?) stuff rides REALLY stiff.

Edited June 5, 2016 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[Phillip Cole]

If you plan to show it, use NOS parts. NOS Buick parts are available.

HPOF, Historic Preservation of Features, are AACA survivors.

Edited June 5, 2016 by Phillip Cole
Additional info (see edit history)

[JFranklin]

You could patch the hole in your muffler till you find a good one.

 

[Guest]

Skeet67,

                  Congrats on the purchase! 67 Skylark is a great looking car. Post some pictures!

No question about it, replace the muffler. There is a safety issue involved here. One would not keep or expect to use a set of original tires that were 49 years old, or a battery, or windshield wiper blades, etc. There are some normal wear items that, no matter how original a car has been kept, just need to be replaced. These replacements WILL NOT hurt the value or survivor status of the car.

Good Luck (and post some pics!)

Greg

[capngrog]

As Greg pointed out, there is a safety problem associated with a hole in any part of an exhaust system, since a component of your engine's exhaust gases is a killer known as Carbon Monoxide (CO).  The problem would be the worst in stop-and-go traffic, but could also manifest itself at higher speeds.  As Philip pointed out, If at all possible, use New Old Stock (NOS) parts, but do not drive around with a leaky exhaust system.

 

Cheers,

Grog

[Chris Bamford]

I agree with JFranklin -- patch the hole, for now at least, and keep an eye out for an NOS muffler. In my (very probably minority) opinion, the more original stuff on a car, the better, and I personally prefer a tidy repair to a replacement. 

 

Beware of the slippery slope -- new muffler will likely mean new clamps, hangers, tailpipe... None of which will be quite like the originals. 

[misterc9]

You really can't enjoy your car while being overcome by carbon monoxide and noise . .  Get a new muffler or tail pipe or what ever. Repair any functional or safety item ASAP. Your car will still be a survivor.

[Bhigdog]

A good dose of CO and you won't be quite like the original.....................Bob

[Terry Bond]

Well, if the muffler has a hole in it, guess it hasn't really "survived" so you can either let it sit and enjoy looking at it while it continues to fall apart and rust away, or you can enjoy it - replace that muffler and anything else that might kill you, or fall off an kill someone else.  NOS always preferred of course.

[wmsue]

The man that taught me most of what I know, told me to always do the job right the first time and never try and save money on two things.....Brakes and Exhaust.  Those two can kill you.

Flat tire - pull off the side of the road.

Won't start - get it towed. No big deal.

But your brakes and exhaust can kill you when you least expect it.

 

 

[JFranklin]

WMSUE you forgot steering components!

[1937hd45]

At all cost rebuild the original, not many '67 Buicks out there with an original. Bob

[Guest Skeet67]

Well I appreciate all of the comments and suggestions. I will see if I can find a NOS muffler.

Safety is my main concern especially after it has sat so long.

 

I do plan on driving it up to Hammondsport New  York this summer to visit

Bully Hill Winery, have dinner and drive home. My first love and I visited there 32 years ago in my first "67" Buick Skylark.

 

I thought someone would have just said  "replace it with one that fits because mufflers are exempt from the survivor list"

 

Thanks for all of your replies.

 

Edited June 6, 2016 by Skeet67 (see edit history)

[padgett]

Or put the old muffler in a big baggie and fit an aftermarket while looking for an OEM.

[Guest]

Aftermarket will be fine.

[60FlatTop]

The car is supposed to be the survivor, not the driver. Mufflers and suspension parts are important life safety items.

 

Good advice on the poly suspension parts. Just read the first step of the installation: Using a torch, burn the original rubber out of the bushing.

Bernie

[Restorer32]

How do you know the muffler on the car is actually the original? With 51k on the clock there is an even chance it was replaced at least once.

[John348]

5 hours ago, Restorer32 said:

How do you know the muffler on the car is actually the original? With 51k on the clock there is an even chance it was replaced at least once.

 

I agree, when I restored my 62 Biscayne I installed a set of NOS resonators and mufflers (mufflers were in the GM box's and the resonator/tailpipes had the GM labels on them). They lasted about 7 years and 500 miles, stored in a controlled environment but the condensation from just starting it up moving it and out of the trailer on and off of the showfield they just blew out. Somebody told me about a local vendor who had a process to spray on an aluminum coating used in aircraft and marine applications, so I gave it a try. The parts and process were not cheap. The problem as we all know is that exhaust systems rust from the inside out from the condensation. It was great conversation because I knew not too many (if any), cars had the resonators installed as part of the restoration. The steel used for exhaust systems back then was far from the greatest, and combine with a carburated engine that very seldom got up to operating temp, it just did not work out. I had a lot of money tied up in trying to extend the life of a NOS exhaust system, but they looked nice and clean as I took them to the dump with a gaping hole in them. If you can find the original type muffler made with newer materials that are corrosion resistant go with it over anything you find NOS.

By the way that Buick cleaned up real nice! pretty car

[Guest Skeet67]

Thanks, I'm pretty excited about her. I decided to go the safety route. My mechanic does custom pipe bending and has a real close muffler. The y pipe had some holes and he will replace that too. He said the tailpipe is okay. He was very surprised how well everything kept after 25 years. We are changing all the fluids from the transmission, brakes and differential. The interior is Imaculant. The lady covered everything inside with blankets and newspapers. The newspapers had June 1989 dates on them. She must have known she wasn't going to drive it anymore. She passed in 2014

[mercer09]

I agree with JFranklin -- patch the hole, for now at least, and keep an eye out for an NOS muffler. In my (very probably minority) opinion, the more original stuff on a car, the better, and I personally prefer a tidy repair to a replacement. 

 

x 3 !

[Guest Skeet67]

Thanks for your input.

The question came up wether it was the original muffler that was still on the car. 

I will keep the old muffler and the pipe from the engine. However my guy cut and bent a new pipe and welded

on a new old muffler. 

I have to remember why I purchasd the car. And since I can't remember why I bought it. I have to be practical too!

These terms "Original" and "Survivor" need to be more defined. Maybe there are more specifics than what I have read anywhere but I feel common sense needs to prevail. When I read about a survivor car that is being advertised and i get to the part where it has been re-painted, I quit reading. 

Since I am in agriculture my new word to describe my car will be "NON GMO" or "gmo free"

Not genetically modified from its original. Which in my dictionary means a car that has all of its original parts

when it came off the line and delivered to the customer. Not modified from its original. 

 

I normally would have touched up the engine and made it made it real pretty but the beauty is it has remained natural all these years. 

Like that pretty girl you new one time and she wore no makeup. Just beautiful. 

 

Thanks for you input. 

[Larry Schramm]

On ‎6‎/‎5‎/‎2016 at 8:13 PM, wmsue said:

The man that taught me most of what I know, told me to always do the job right the first time and never try and save money on two things.....Brakes and Exhaust.  Those two can kill you.

Flat tire - pull off the side of the road.

Won't start - get it towed. No big deal.

But your brakes and exhaust can kill you when you least expect it.

 

 

 

 

My priority list is 1. Brakes, 2. Steering, 3. Almost everything else, and in last place is will it start.  Because if you can not start it you can not get in trouble, but if you can not stop or steer it you are in trouble,

[padgett]

Was it 68 that GM added ventilation you could not turn off to solve the leaky exhaust issue ?

[Guest ShadowES]

Very nice looking car, chances of that being the original muffler are pretty slim with that mileage on the car. 

[Amphicar BUYER]

The muffler is a wear part, Find a new one that sounds correct, replace it and the rusty pipes. That is not anything to play around with. I knew a guy many years ago who came VERY close to loosing his child. The exhaust was creeping into the back seat and he thought his kid was sleeping, she was VERY close to dead from the fumes. 

[capngrog]

On ‎6‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 7:05 PM, Skeet67 said:

 

I have to remember why I purchasd the car. And since I can't remember why I bought it. I have to be practical too!

 

Oh no, it sounds like the CO leak is already getting to you!  At least you have an excuse if you choose to use it.  I Can't Remember Stuff (CRS) as a matter of routine and can't remember whether or not I have an excuse.

 

Back to the original intent of your thread.  There are components on all old cars that must be considered "consumable" and which require periodic replacement.  Such things as radiator hoses, fan belts, air cleaner elements, tires, exhaust systems are all things that I'd consider "consumable".  Oh yeah, I forgot brake shoes, pads etc., and I'll bet that the members of this forum can come up with others that I've missed.  I'm not sure about door seals and such, so I'll defer to those who are more knowledgeable than myself (that includes almost everyone) on this matter.  I usually keep the old "consumables", if at all possible.

 

I share your concern when it comes to replacing parts on an original/survivor" vehicle.  I have a 1938 Chevrolet which is almost entirely original except for some of the mentioned consumables.  For example, I now have to replace the master brake cylinder.  I purchased a re-built unit which I'll install; however, I'll keep the original because it can be rebuilt.

 

Just my opinion,

Grog

[Guest Skeet67]

Thanks. That sounds like a very reasonable list. 

I called the garage today and talked to the secretary, which is really no secretary, she is more of an assistant mechanic because she knows what's going on. Anyway she realized what I was asking and told me they put the muffler out on the junk pile and if I want to stop and get it I'm more than welcome.

I guess that will make everyone happy that I at least put the effort into really seeing if it is the original muffler. I know there are doubts it is and I really don't know. The amount of time I had My first 67 Skylark I had to work on the mufflers twice. It took the first time for me to learn that unless you have a torch and the right tools you might as well have someone else do the work. Of course I put on dual exhaust with glass packs and it was the best sounding car in town. I can still remember it only cost me $100.00.