1937 Buick Model 48: RESTORATION HAS BEGUN! (Photo)

[dibarlaw]

Gary :

 My charge indicator does jump a bit also. It does not bother me as I have not had a low battery condition since I brought it home September 2012 from the "Restoration Shop"?.

 Since we have the same Marvel carb and Delco choke set up The starting issues are similar. I did not start the car for a month in storage. I usually  remove the brass screw on the left facing side of the carb and with a squirt oil can of gasoline to prime it. It still take a bit of cranking when it has been sitting that long.

[pont35cpe]

Gary, according to both clocks it took 3hr and 20 min to organize your garage.. Also your storage bin seat looks a little more stable than the 5gal bucket I`ve always used for a temporary seat..  Everything is "Looking Good"!!  Tom

[27donb]

I know nothing about these modern 37's and 38's...

 

But I will say on the 27's, with no voltage regulator, a generator and only a cutout relay, the ammeter can be jumpy around "0".  Low load at moderate road speed and the needle is a bit more steady at around 9 amps hot.  And with the 27 technology, that's what it charges regardless of battery voltage condition. 

 

Does the '37 have a voltage regulator, which would taper off the charge rate based in battery voltage condition?  And I assume it still uses a generator?

[Bloo]

1 hour ago, 27donb said:

Does the '37 have a voltage regulator, which would taper off the charge rate based in battery voltage condition?  And I assume it still uses a generator?

 

It has 1/2 the field running unregulated (for current) and the other half regulated by a non-adjustable third brush. The regulator contains a cutout and a voltage regulator. The generator is spun a little faster than a plain 3rd brush generator is.

 

This works better than you would imagine it could. It is good for about 25 amps, and will charge down a little lower in RPM than a plain third brush setup. Tapering off at higher rpm is minimized.

Edited December 11, 2017 by Bloo (see edit history)

[27donb]

8 minutes ago, Bloo said:

 

It has 1/2 the field running unregulated (for current) and the other half regulated by a non-adjustable third brush. The regulator contains a cutout and a voltage regulator. The generator is spun a little faster than a plain 3rd brush generator is.

 

This works better than you would imagine it could. It is good for about 25 amps, and will charge down a little lower in RPM than a plain third brush setup. Tapering off at higher rpm is minimized.

 

Interesting! 

[Gary W]

December 11, 2017:  11 months ago today I started the restoration.

 

Today marks 11 months since I first cleared the garage and removed the license plates and the bumpers from the car to start this fantastic journey.

 

I have nothing to report tonight except where I'm at today:

 

 

January 11, 2017:  Centered in the garage and ready to be restored.

 

 

 

December 11, 2017:  Although there is still a list of things that need to get accomplished, I feel like I'm in pretty good shape.  

I'm hopeful the interior kit will be delivered soon.  After that, it's bumpers, hood, trunk and doors.  (And everything related to those things)

I'm going to polish up the door sill plates, get the rest of the stainless polished and store it inside until ready.

Still need to finish wiring the heater/defroster, triple lamps and radio.

 

All in all, a very productive and rewarding 11 months.  A sincere "THANKS" to all the enthusiasts out there!  

For someone who was a "newbie" just a year ago, this forum has been priceless.

 

Have a great night out there!

Gary

[KongaMan]

I see that cooler hasn't moved.

[DonMicheletti]

To say that your rate of progress is remarkable would be a gross understatement!

[dibarlaw]

Looking better all the time Gary!! My car is stored 3 blocks away or I could get a better photo of the gas cap.

 The reason it sits so low was that my son decided to "help" me one day and take the gas tank out. We did not realize at the time that the filler neck unscrewed from the elbow. He tore the elbow off at the tank. When the radiator shop cleaned my tank they soldered it not quite back where it belongs. I had to cut down the original grommet for the cap to close and vent. Also I believe that the cars were assembled with the fuel tank in the frame before the body drop and fenders attached. My cap is painted body color. Chipped paint reveals the original CORRECT HAMPTON GREY..(Ok ...your car looks beautiful in BLACK!) I believe I do have a period correct locking gas cap chrome plated that is the same size.

 While I was looking at this photo reminded me to ask... do you have the sheet metal  gravel deflector that mounts on the rear bumper? I have one that still needs straightened to mount on mine.

Larry

[Gary W]

Larry..  

 

Three things I asked Santa for...  Rear Bumper Gravel Deflector, a nice set of Engine Pans and a properly working headlamp switch.

 

(If anyone out there is reading between the lines..... )

 

 

Was the gas cap originally painted body color?    I was going to buy the chrome plated locking one also, so maybe I'll just go that route.

[MCHinson]

Gary,

 

I have some extra sheet metal. Give me some time to look through it. I might have a decent set of 40 series engine pans. I also need to see if 1937 and 1938 are the same. If so and I decide to part out the chassis of the car I brought home yesterday, I might have a set there. 

 

The gas cap on a 1937 was originally chrome or stainless steel. It was not painted. I think that your current one might be a 1938 cap that would have been hidden. The 1937 cap looks much nicer because it is meant to be seen. 

 

I suspect Dave Tacheny would have all of these that you need. If not, the gravel guard is reproduced. 

[Randiego]

Gary,

 

I must have missed a step.  Did you change the original Tripp lights out for the ones that you have mounted on the bumper brackets in the second photo?  They look different than the ones in the pictures back in the beginning.  Did you replace the originals or did you rebuild them?  I noticed that they look "slimmer" than the originals and that the clear lenses have a blue "logo" (or the likes) in the middle.  I will have to be more observant in the future ! 

 

Great work and even though the holidays are upon us, I am sure that the Buick is still occupying your thoughts.  Sneaking away to do a little work here and there.   We were amazed when we saw you in your formal dress out in the garage (before you left for the party), hanging the fenders with your sons.  THAT IS DEDICATION ! !

 

Looking for the next post.

 

Randy

[pont35cpe]

Gary, `37 light switch on ebay item #232430925051   Tom

[MCHinson]

Gary, 

 

I know that the 1937 and 1938 switch have different part numbers. From my limited reading, I think that the theory of operation is identical on both switches. I suspect that they could be easily interchanged. I would think that Dave Tacheny could answer that question. I don't recall if you checked with Dave to see if he had a switch. If he does not have one and a 1938 switch would work for you, I think I should have a good extra one that you could certainly buy for less than the one on Ebay. It will take me a day or so to inventory everything that I just picked up. 

[Gary W]

Hi Matt.

I think we determined the difference is the overall length of the part.  

What I labelled "S" is for 1937

What I labelled "C" is for 1938

 

 

If I use the longer switch, I'll also need a longer pull rod to actuate it.

[KongaMan]

Is there anything under the dash that would argue for or against either switch?  Seems a peculiar change to make, unless they were just standardizing the switch across multiple marques or something.

[Gary W]

Tuesday December 12, 2017:  Fuel Cap and Air Cleaner

 

Little things but really nice before and after photos.

 

But First;

Randy: The lamps the car came with were non-functional decorative shells only.  No guts, no wires, no sockets and very rusty throughout.  So I got these with the Buick Logo in the center.

Matt:  If you decide to part out the car, keep me on your list for the pans and the light switch.  I really like the engine pans installed.

KongaMan:  I don't see anything under there that would necessitate the design change.  But I don't have a '38 to compare it to.

Tom:  Thanks for the heads up.  Do you think $150 is too much for that switch?  I don't know what they go for, or what is a fair price?

(I purchased a rebuilt one for only $30, but it doesn't work properly so maybe you get what you pay for??)

 

 

I swapped out that other gas cap for this chrome reproduction with the lock.  It really is a nice heavy part.  Looks soooo much better.

 

 

Air Cleaner BEFORE.

 

 

AFTER. Bob painted it base / clear to match the horns.

 

 

BEFORE photo of the air cleaner and the condition of the engine bay.

 

 

Tonight.  A year later.  Amazing transformation of the entire area.

 

 

Have a great night and keep the advice pouring in!

Gary

 

[DonMicheletti]

The '38 light switch is longer than the  '37 as you show. So they are different.  Is there anything under the dash on your '37 that might interfere with the longer '38 switch?  I know that the switches in my '38's bring the wiring very close to the dash, so I'm almost positive that a '37 switch wouldnt fit a  '38, however, the other way around may be OK.

 

Are you going to do the seat upholstery yourself too?

 

Don

[dibarlaw]

Gary:

 I thought I mentioned that I had a set of side pans for a 37 special. I will check as I remember degreasing them to take to Hershey.

[dibarlaw]

Gary:

 Your GM locking gas cap looks much better than what I have. What is the make and part # for your fan belt? I have tried several belts but none fit quite right.

Larry

[pont35cpe]

Gary, Yes, I think the switch is way too high, but it has a make offer. If it was NOS, maybe, but being used it may not be any better than the one you have.. seller does have a 30 day limit on refund.. I like the gas cap, got one for my `36..   Tom

[Gary W]

Larry;

I'm looking for a nice set of pans so if you have a set, let me know.

Also:

The gas cap is from CARS, Inc. here in NJ:  Part # GC346L.  It is a nice quality reproduction.

Fan Belt is NAPA, Part # 25 - 24457

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 13, 2017 by Gary W (see edit history)

[GARY F]

Gary, you are doing a great first class job. Car looks beautiful black.

[Gary W]

Wednesday December 13, 2017:  Door Sill Plates

 

Today I woke at 3:00 am.  Left the house at 4:00 am sharp and drove to Boston to pick up my oldest son from college.  

After packing the truck, (3 flights up!) then a quick run to see my daughter (also in college in Boston) I drove home.

I was tired after all that, but I did manage to take on a small Buick project when I got home:  The door sills.

 

 

 

Flashback to January, 2017:  Driver's side.   All the detail is pretty worn off from the driver entering and exiting for 80 years.

 

 

Passenger's side.  Hard to see, but the sill paint is all over the outer side of this door sill plate.

 

 

Tonight:  Condition of the underside of the sill plates. Close-up

 

 

Pulled back a little.  The side labelled is the passenger side, but after I cleaned them, I saw that they actually have two different part numbers stamped in.

 

 

The "up" side.  Driver's worn out (top photo).  The passenger's side still has some original paint in the grooves.

 

 

To clean the underside, I went out to the shed and used my trusty wire wheel.  Nice and easy here, light touch.

 

 

The up side required an hour of scrubbing with Bon-Ami, Cameo and Quick-Go right in the kitchen sink.

 

 

After cleaning and scrubbing.  I wasn't 100% satisfied with the edge that's going to show when the door is opened.

It is smooth, but 80 years of crud, rust, blemishes.... It doesn't show nice.

So, what I decided to do was wipe It down with acetone and.....

 

 

I used this "Aluminum" color paint and primer combo and gave them a quick coat.

I realize there are still a few dents, but this paint evened everything out.

 

 

They look so much more presentable now.

 

 

Installed.

I know I don't have the detail highlighted with black paint, but the detail is completely worn off the other side so I may just leave It like this.

 

 

Another view of the installed part.

 

 

Again...  a couple little dents remain but I think the end product came out nice.  Certainly an improvement.

 

 

 

I'm ready for bed!   Long Day

Have a great night out there

 

Gary

 

 

 

[KongaMan]

Three things:

- You shoulda let the kid drive you back from Boston.

- It's the silly things like the detail in the sill plates that make these cars so cool.  There's no reason to ever emboss that design rather than using a plain strip.  But they did.

- I used that very same paint for car roofs the on the Christmas train:

 

[39BuickEight]

My door sills are exactly the same design, and now they are just like yours (no black paint in the grooves) after I cleaned them up.  I’ve seen how you used your accent paint technique many times on other parts with black paint in the grooves, and I wondered if it would work on the sills.  It may, but it would also be much more tedious than anything else you have done.

[MCHinson]

Gary,

 

If you are interested, there is a guy who reproduces those sill plates. I have his card if you are interested in his information. He sells them for less direct than they are from the usual suppliers. 

[dibarlaw]

Gary:

 Yeah I found the side pans! PM sent.

Larry

Edited December 15, 2017 by dibarlaw (see edit history)

[Randiego]

Gary,

 

What is so nice is that the fellow Buick owners all pitch in to help with puzzling issues and make the restoration issues much less time consuming.  They all come together to help you in your quest for finding parts and help with questions regarding fitment and application. 

 

We are coming to an age where the elders will not be here in the distant future.  It is inspiring to see a "younger" individual going the distance and bringing this fine car back to excellence.  Your sons (and daughter) are lucky to have a talented dad that is passing on to them a passion that is shared by far fewer these days than a decade or two ago.   

 

The bulk of the younger generation do not have the resources (or interest in a lot of cases) to do this kind of work.  Restoring a Mazda Cosmo or a Toyota Cilica (in my mind) is testament to the fact that these older cars that littered the landscape a few decades back are not as abundant and are harder to find. 

 

You are a bonafide "keeper of the flame".  Excellent work to be proud of.  We all marvel at your perseverance and talent.  Keeping the flame burning bright for our hobby gives us all hope for the future.

 

Kudos to you.

 

Randy

[27donb]

13 hours ago, Randiego said:

 

We are coming to an age where the elders will not be here in the distant future.  It is inspiring to see a "younger" individual going the distance and bringing this fine car back to excellence.  Your sons (and daughter) are lucky to have a talented dad that is passing on to them a passion that is shared by far fewer these days than a decade or two ago.   

 

The bulk of the younger generation do not have the resources (or interest in a lot of cases) to do this kind of work.  

 

Randy

 

Very fine points to make, and great to see the family interest in the restoration. 

 

My interest in the Buicks I have came from my Grandfather, and I am very grateful! 

 

While this thread is about a vintage that is not my particular favorite, I can surely appreciate the work, skill and motivation.  I am thankful for the effort on making this thread so thorough, in addition to the restoration of the car itself.  I have learned a lot. 

[Gary W]

Wednesday, December 20. 2017:  Hood Update at Paint shop and at Home

 

 

I stopped by Bob's shop over the past few days and got some photos of the progress.  

Then I realized that the hood will be ready for installation next week, so I had to get home to get all the "hood related" parts restored and ready for that day.  

 

 

Tools of the Trade.  All the paint / primer / filler was sanded out.  There was only one small "bump-out" that required the hammer and dolly.

 

 

Passenger's side sanded clean.  Notice how little filler is actually on the hood panels!  The entire top surface is straight and smooth, no pits, no rust.  Very Happy!

 

 

Passenger's side in yellow self-etching prime.  It looks better already.

 

 

Driver's side.  Again, the metal is in amazingly good shape and there is only small areas of body filler fore and aft of the hood vent.

 

 

Top surfaces in yellow self-etch.  Today they will get a light sanding and two coats of the grey build up prime.  

Then it's to the underside to finish sanding smooth and a coat of SEM Trim Black.

 

 

HOOD VENT:

 

 

January 11, 2017:  You can see the silver color in between the chrome ribs.

 

 

 

Close-up  The paint has an "aluminum-like" color to it.

 

 

 

 

Hood vent just before restoration began.

 

 

Here are my hood vents from Paul's Chrome Plating.  They stripped off all the residual silver paint prior to chroming the ribs.

 

 

 

First, I cut a paint stirring stick so it had a little less than a 1/2" tongue.  I wrapped the tongue with a strip of 600 grit to roughen up the surface for paint.

The rubber band allowed me to rotate the sand paper around the tongue so I had a nice fresh area at the top.

This took a long time getting in and around the bends.

 

 

Get started, one by one, sand each area smooth.  I was careful not to hit the chrome strips so it took quite a while to finish this step.

 

 

Bob gave me the thicker green tape, and this really cool, thin blue tape that is actually kind of elastic. 

I had to cover each chromed rib twice as the tape wasn't wide enough to cover the chrome in one sweep.

 

 

Inch by inch, then roll the tape around the end curve.  Pinch it off so the spray paint doesn't get under the tape.

 

 

So here is a close-up of the masked off ribs.  Then I scrubbed each insert with acetone to be sure it was nice and clean.

Finally, I used my compressor to dry everything in and around and under.

I chose the same color that I used for the door sills (in the photo above) because it is almost a perfect match to the original silver color paint I got the car with.

 

 

This Rustoleum product is  "paint and primer" in one shot.  Here is the first coat.  

I am going to let it dry for a full week before attempting the final coat.

 

 

Here's a close-up photo of the silver paint in the recesses.

What do you think?  Will the rustoleum hold up to the engine heat?

(I guess I'll find out first!)

 

 

HOOD HOLD DOWN CLIPS:

 

 

These have been sitting in their bags since January.  Working my way into the bottom of the parts boxes.

 

 

One bolt was sheared off and completely rusted to the metal support, attachment bar.

 

 

A hacksaw, PB Blaster, vice and a small hammer.  It finally gave up.

 

 

Off to the bench grinder and my wire wheel.  Those other square parts are the hood hold down that slide inside the center stainless hood hinge.

The new shiny, stainless bolt is for the rear hold down, as the original was way too short to support the radio installation.

The "dome" of the new carriage bolt was a bit too tall, so........

 

 

I ground down the head so there was plenty of clearance under the stainless hinge.

 

 

So now it's ready to go through the heavy metal block and into the cowl of the car.

The other bolt is the replacement that replaced the rusted one.  I ground the new markings off the head so it looks correct.

 

 

Here you can see the the parts cleaning up after the wire wheel.

 

 

 

After wire-wheeling and an acetone scrub.

 

 

Sprayed gloss black.  Are these hood hold downs metal to metal on the fender, or should I cut a thin paper gasket under them?

 

 

STAINLESS HOOD HINGE AND STAINLESS HOOD MOLDINGS:

 

Here's the before photo.  I removed all the molding clips and scrubbed all three parts in the sink with Bon-Ami  90% of the rust and discoloration came out.

Next, I''ll use the cotton wheel with the jewler's rouge and finish with a hand polishing using Wicked Metal Polish or Simichrome.

I didn't get to the final finish yet.  But the Bon Ami was a great first start.

 

 

Next, I finished installing the hood bumpers into the front shroud.  There are six of these on my car.  Requires no tools.  Easy enough to bend with your fingers.

 

 

Here's a close-up shot of the radiator support irons and the shroud bar.

 

 

 

 I got the shroud bar installed using two spacer washers and these clips.  I know it'll need adjusting when the hood goes on to get things lined up so it's tight, but not too tight.

All the bars are powder coated "mirror black".  The clamp I cleaned with the wire wheel wheel and simply sprayed with self-etch primer and Rustoleum gloss black.

 

 

 

Shroud bar in place.

 (The paper towel is wrapped because I have a nagging slow leak up at the upper hose.  No matter how tight I tighten that clamp. it still drips!)

 

 

Have a great day today!

 

Gary

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 21, 2017 by Gary W (see edit history)

[cxgvd]

Glad to have you back posting on your wonderful job.  Try silicone gasket maker like Permatex ultra black on the inside of your rad hose to seal your seeping connection.  Also makes the hose slippery for easy assembly.  I usually put the parts together then let the silicone set up for a day before tightening the clamps.  Hope it works for you.

 

Regards, Gary

[dibarlaw]

Gary:

 The procedure documentation for restoring your hood louver hardware is much better than mine. I never thought anyone would be interested but I did essentially the same as you. I used small stainless screws and nuts to do the final mounting to the hood. I painted SPECIAL in red instead of Black. After I painted the letters I did several coats of clear.

Good to note that radiator /shroud bar has not been tightened. Once the hood arrives you will need at least 2 people to help in alignment adjustments. These front ends/hoods are a real BEAR to align.

Larry

 

Edited December 21, 2017 by dibarlaw
Added content (see edit history)

[smithbrother]

Maybe the clamp is so tight it has put the hose in a wrinkled position, thus causing it to leak thru the wrinkles.   Probably not, but maybe.

 

Dale in Indy

[Bloo]

When you get the hose off, look at the fitting, and make sure it is round. It is also possible that it isn't leaking from where you think it is. Look where that hose fitting solders in the radiator. Also look for a pinhole in the fitting dripping or seeping down on the hose joint.

 

There should be no need for sealer on something like that. Even on connections that have MAJOR pitting after cleaning it usually isn't necessary. Make sure it is round, and that there is not a shallow dent in the fitting that prevents the rubber from compressing.

 

Look at your clamp! If it is the common parts store "screw" type (I cant tell from the pics), those do not have a very round cross section, and that is why we never use them on fuel injection. They leak. Almost anything else is better. If you inspect it you may be able to massage it with a needle nose pliers to get it a bit rounder. The trouble is usually a couple of little triangular spots right where the screw holder transitions to the clamp band.

 

Does the hose stretch going over the fitting? It needs to. It doesn't need to stretch much, even the tiniest bit is ok, but it needs to stretch. If you are stuck reducing the hose diameter with the clamp to seal it to the fitting, you will probably be fighting it the rest of your life.

 

 

 

[KongaMan]

15 hours ago, Gary W said:

Bob gave me the thicker green tape, and this really cool, thin blue tape that is actually kind of elastic. 

I had to cover each chromed rib twice as the tape wasn't wide enough to cover the chrome in one sweep.

 

That looks like standard blue 3M trim tape.  For future reference, it comes in any number of widths.  You can usually find it on eBay if your local jobber or paint store doesn't have it.

 

Do those louvers come apart?  It looks to me like the ribs are held on with bent tabs.  Sure would make it a lot easier to clean and paint if they were apart, but I'd be scared to death of breaking off a bunch of those tabs.

[dibarlaw]

Yes the louver sections come apart. But.... just as you said I was scared to death to break them off! It was quite touchy cutting the rivets off to remove the louver sections. A lot of detail work to get into all the tight corners.

Larry

[DonMicheletti]

Mine came apart pretty easily and I didnt break anything.  Sure made the painting easy.  Also, my ribs (38) were stainless and I just polished them. It was easy with things apart.

[sligermachine]

If it was not for grand pa I would not be in to old cars for sure he gave me my 1929 when i was 13 birthday and my parents were man I remember now I know why It's because he did not know how long he would be around 

[FLYER15015]

Gary,

In your post #951 above, you show a picture of Rustoleum  "paint and primer" silver as your color for the "vents".

And you ask if it will take the heat ? Mine has for about 8K miles.

I did mine about 4 years ago almost the same way (masking the bars).

I put on 2 light coats of silver with 5 days in between, then a coat of clear Rustoleum enamel about 6 days later.

Came out looking like "epoxy". very thick and very deep.

 

I used polyurethane clear on my valve cover and now 4 years later it is showing "crackles" on top, and needs to be redone.

Won't be using urethane as a top coat again.

 

Just an FYI,

 

Mike in Colorado