My 1957 75R - Big Gray

[lancemb]

I finished the trim today, attached fuel door, and started on the trunk (more on trunk later).  I also have a list of things to tweak after it's all together this spring as time allows.

 

I am pretty happy with how it's shaping up!  I drove it around the block a couple days ago and am very happy with the power from the engine and transmission, and when the master/booster working really well.  There are very few things that are not new or rebuilt on this car so when all done I hope to have replicated as best as possible the experience of driving a new 1957 Roadmaster.

 

I couldn't get great pictures in my garage, and don't plan to take it out again until I am finished with the trunk and I pull it back in frontwards.

 

 

 

[364nailhead]

Man, that's really sharp looking!  

[avgwarhawk]

My heart be still.  Beautiful!  

[lancemb]

I spent part of the day doing a few odds and ends.  I applied the jack sticker (which I had to make as CARS just sent me an oversized print on cardstock instead of a decal as ordered).

 

 

I also applied the last piece of waffle paper in the rear of trunklid; the funny shape was modeled after the piece on my model 75, which is still in excellent original condition.

 

 

I then fished the trunk light wire back thorough and hooked it up to test, then unplugged it since I'll be having the trunk open a lot in the near future.

 

I then took the hardware off of the door that is needed to mount the Trailmaster spot light and have it soaking in Evaporust currently.

 

I got a better look at the upper door panels and discovered that they are rotted worse than I thought.  I don't think the area at top of door where the windows meet sealed very well and damage resulted.  I am getting a pair from Smartin from the 4 door we parted (same car dash came from), and will probably use those to make a good 2 door set.

 

Finally, I removed the service stickers from the original door.  The one on top is in decent condition and the service markings still legible so I wanted to transfer it for posterity.  The one on the bottom is not as good and has no visible markings remaining, but if I can flatten it out I may reapply it and use it to mark when the rebuilt engine was installed.  This car only traveled about 16k miles after it was serviced in 1962 per this sticker, until it was parked.  Using mileage through 1962 as a run rate, it was probably last on the road in 1964.

 

 

First, I applied clear packaging tape over the top label, then used a razor blade to carefully remove it.  I then used 3M trim adhesive (spray kind - awesome stuff) to reapply it in the exact same spot on the new door.

 

 

Things will slow down for a bit now as I'll have less time for awhile.

Edited November 27, 2021 by lancemb (see edit history)

[EmTee]

Beautiful!  I like that you restored and re-installed the original dealer badge on the trunk lid. 

[lancemb]

Well, I haven't had any more appreciable time to work on the car (hopefully will tomorrow), but I did manage to get it registered with a vintage plate and get it installed along with an original accessory license plate frame.

 

 

I also dug out all of the upholstery materials so I can work on the trunk and prepare to get the interior put together after the new year.

 

A few years ago while talking to a guy about other parts, more talking led to the discovery that he had several yards of NOS upholstery in his rafters from many moins prior that he no longer needed.  As it turned out, it was the exact material for this car.  I'd already purchased reproduction material, but couldn't pass it up as it's likely the last in existence.

 

Below is a comparison of the original (left) and reproduction (right).  The grey color is darker in the original, and the thicker portion of the pattern in the original is more like a very dark grey as opposed to black in new stuff, while the smaller portions in between are pure black. 

 

Also, the thread size in the underlying black is slightly different and woven a bit more crisply, but I had to look very, very closely to notice this. 

 

Overall, the reproduction looks very close and has the same feel.  In this age and for a pattern this complex, I really wouldn't be able to complain; it's very, very good.  Both have the chrome thread wiven throughout sparingly.

 

 

Here is a shot with original on top, showing the backside.

 

 

Finally, here is a close up of the two, with original on the left.

 

Edited December 3, 2021 by lancemb (see edit history)

[EmTee]

So which one are you going to use...?

[lancemb]

28 minutes ago, EmTee said:

So which one are you going to use...?

Oh, I'm going to definitely use the original stuff!

[lancemb]

Well, I almost got trunk done today but didn't get a many hours to work as I'd hoped.  Nonetheless it's almost there.  I got all the mats and fabric made, and got the rear speaker in.

 

I just need to install the cardboard panels and the trunk light.

 

[lancemb]

I am waiting on new print for the trunk panels, because after seeing them again against a better sample, I wasn't happy with the color.  So, I moved on to the interior.

 

First, I installed the package tray and speaker grille, which meant I had to take the speaker back out as the same bolts that hold it in go through the grille and package tray.

 

 

I then moved on to the floors.  I had to reinstall the wire covers that go on either side next to the door openings.  There is a funny little sheetmetal piece on each end I reinstalled on those, whose purpose I can't really figure out.

 

Next I dig out the original insulation/sound deadener from the floors I'd saved as it was in pretty good shape.  I laid it out, and using pictures from disassembly glued it back down just as it was from the factory.

 

 

 

It's difficult to comprehend until you do it, just how tedious it is trying to restore a car while trying to faithfully maintain originality.  A lot of things would have been quicker and easier if I just wanted to make everything "nice" and not worry about recreating everything to appear as original.  The only place I haven't taken this approach is with the appearance of the underside finishes, because those things were designed primarily for functionality, and weren't really part of the "design", so I don't get hung up on originality in that regard.

 

Next, I'm hoping that one of the 3 power seat frames I have (one being original to the car) work properly so I can reinstall the front seat properly in order to drive it to the upholstery shop (hopefully next month sometime).

[usnavystgc]

You're doing great work.  I know its hard to stay all original but, it will be worth it in the end.  

[lancemb]

7 hours ago, usnavystgc said:

You're doing great work.  I know its hard to stay all original but, it will be worth it in the end.  

Thank you!  It's nice to have the finish line in sight. 

[Idntknowpr]

On 11/22/2021 at 8:21 PM, lancemb said:

I can find no good reason at all for this.  I was studying this today while working on the car and there is nothing of consequence to be accessed there as far as I can tell!

I am glad to see that I’m not the only one scratching their head wondering why they are there.  Car look great by the way Lance

[lancemb]

23 minutes ago, Idntknowpr said:

I am glad to see that I’m not the only one scratching their head wondering why they are there.  Car look great by the way Lance

I believe Smartin is correct.  The hole in fender was probably stamped out when fender was stamped, with the hole then serving as a location reference in a jig to drill the holes for the porthole clips.  It could have even been stamped out when sheetmetal was flat and even used for locating the fender for stamping/forming as well.

Edited December 22, 2021 by lancemb (see edit history)

[lancemb]

Progress - getting closer to ready for upholstery shop.  I tested 3 power seat tracks that I have, and found the one original to this car to work best, so I installed it today.  Now I can drive the car at the appropriate height and actually see over the dash.

 

 

I also received yesterday a set of tires.  I'd previously ordered a set of 8.00-15 Coker Classics, but after cleaning up my spare (photo below) I really liked the look of it.  It's a BF Goodrich Silvertown 7.60-15, and since Coker had them in stock, I bought 4 more to match.  Something about the pie crust look that I really like, and I also like the profile of the sidewall.  It's a 2.5" whitewall just as the other ones.

 

 

I hope to get the new tires on the car next week some time.

Edited December 23, 2021 by lancemb (see edit history)

[Kosage Chavis]

I'm a sucker for gray tones on a car.  It's looking awesome.

[lancemb]

1 hour ago, Kosage Chavis said:

I'm a sucker for gray tones on a car.  It's looking awesome.

Thanks sir!  This color combo was definitely a bonus for me.

[EmTee]

22 hours ago, lancemb said:

It's a BF Goodrich Silvertown 7.60-15

Is that the standard size tire for the car?

[lancemb]

On 12/24/2021 at 3:57 PM, EmTee said:

Is that the standard size tire for the car?

Super came with this size.  Roadmaster came with 8.00-15.  I really like the tire though, and it's not much of a difference so in this case I'm choosing fashion over form i don't expect it will have any noticeable difference in driving experience except possibly better gas mileage.  There are pie-crust style tires that come in 8.00-15, but none with the 2.5" whitewall.

Edited December 26, 2021 by lancemb (see edit history)

[lancemb]

I found enough time today on my last day off work from my Christmas break to make some more progress.  First, I finally reinstalled the rear inner fenders, which needed to be off to install the fender trim. 

 

Then, I finally got the spotlight installed.  It's NOS and has some minor shelf wear, but all I did to it was polish it up as is.  It's too nice for me to bring myself to rechrome it.  The base is original one though which I'd had rechromed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 29, 2021 by lancemb (see edit history)

[usnavystgc]

Looks beautiful.

[Centurion]

Just spectacular, Lance!  Hoping we will see this beauty at the 2022 Buick Nationals!

[lancemb]

6 hours ago, Centurion said:

Just spectacular, Lance!  Hoping we will see this beauty at the 2022 Buick Nationals!

That's the plan!  It's only an hour away from me...

[lancemb]

Got Grey pulled out today for wheel and tire swap, since I needed to pull a flat tire off my truck for repair and already had the jack and lug wrench out, and it was clear and a balmy 29 degrees.  Finally got some full pictures as "almost done" too.

 

 

 

[38Buick 80C]

@lancemb great job, you should be proud, she looks amazing! Inspiring work!

[Kosage Chavis]

Art on wheels.  Absolutely gorgeous.

[EmTee]

Buick's a Beauty! 

[Smartin]

Looking really great!

[364nailhead]

Awesome! Looks fabulous!!

[usnavystgc]

Absolutely gorgeous

[lancemb]

A small victory today was had in getting the rear ashtrays assembled.  This is one of those details which took way more time than some might imagine.

 

The lids had to be drilled out to remove, as did the knobs.  To reinstall the knobs, I had to drill and tap a tiny hole in each knob and use a tiny screw with washers to affix it.  I then had to find tiny rivets to reattach the lids, which I found in AL.

 

When I first sent these out for rechrome I could only find the ones with the black plastic knob reproduced.  These ones are now available so I probably spent much more restoring these, but what the heck.  The chrome looks great, they are made in the USA, and are original to the car so I'm happy.

 

Edited January 11, 2022 by lancemb (see edit history)

[38Buick 80C]

2 hours ago, lancemb said:

 I then had to find tiny rivets to reattach the lids, which I found in AL.

a photo of the side showing the rivets please and the source if you don't mind. think I will need the same for the 38's ash trays.

[lancemb]

21 hours ago, 38Buick 80C said:

a photo of the side showing the rivets please and the source if you don't mind. think I will need the same for the 38's ash trays.

Brian, here are a few pics.  I got these rivets at a local hardware store (small one with good selection, not a big box store).  I'll be back there this week and double check the size.

 

If I did it again I'd cut the length down a bit on the spring side as they interfere with spring inside, although it doesn't really stop it from working okay.  I don't think these will get used anyway.

 

 

 

[lancemb]

We've got hub cap!

 

[38Buick 80C]

3 minutes ago, lancemb said:

Brian, here are a few pics.  I got these rivets at a local hardware store (small one with good selection, not a big box store).  I'll be back there this week and double check the size.

 

If I did it again I'd cut the length down a bit on the spring side as they interfere with spring inside, although it doesn't really stop it from working okay.  I don't think these will get used anyway.

 

 

 

Thanks, interesting, not what I was expecting.

[lancemb]

21 hours ago, 38Buick 80C said:

Thanks, interesting, not what I was expecting.

I guess they are actually steel not AL, but are small and malleable enough.  I just laid the ashtray on its side on top of the flat spot on top of my bench vise with the lip hanging over, and used a flat-nosed air hammer tool and a hammer to mushroom it out a bit.

 

Anyway, I got them at local hardware store but this should be the same thing: 

 

https://www.rivetsonline.com/10-oz-steel-tinners-rivets/tr-062s

[38Buick 80C]

51 minutes ago, lancemb said:

I guess they are actually steel not AL, but are small and malleable enough.  I just laid the ashtray on its side on top of the flat spot on top of my bench vise with the lip hanging over, and used a flat-nosed air hammer tool and a hammer to mushroom it out a bit.

 

Anyway, I got them at local hardware store but this should be the same thing: 

 

https://www.rivetsonline.com/10-oz-steel-tinners-rivets/tr-062s

Thank you!

[JohnD1956]

I got rivits at a local ACE hardware store. There were solid core ones and hollow core ones.  Solid core ones seem a bit overkill in this situation. 

 

[lancemb]

10 hours ago, JohnD1956 said:

I got rivits at a local ACE hardware store. There were solid core ones and hollow core ones.  Solid core ones seem a bit overkill in this situation. 

 

I got these at ACE too.  These were the only ones with the correct diameter at my store.

[lancemb]

Well it's been awhile and I've only had sporadic time during the week to work on this the past few weeks, but I've been keeping busy.

 

My upper door panels were in much worse shape than I thought originally, and thought long and hard about how to approach fixing them.  The challenge is that these are specific to 75R models only, and the couple I've ever known about being parted are probably worse than these.

 

I was able to get a pair from a 4 door, and originally thought I'd just slice them and add sheetmetal in the center, but then discovered that the contour on the end near the lock button was totally different.  So, I decided that with only very little time to get this car done and expecting a call from the upholsterer soon, I would make it work.  Here is one of my original panels stripped down next to the good one from a 4 door.  It's pretty rough.

 

 

I ended up bonding a portion of the 4 door panel to what was left of the 2 door panel and smoothing it out.  I then had to use epoxy to reform portions of the areas behind the lock button.  Here it is with the foam padding on, and the black vinyl also installed from the 4 door which was in nice shape.

 

The next challenge was the upholstery.  I would have stopped here, but the panels originally had heat-seared lines in them which the upholsterer could only duplicate with stitching or a tuck.  While it would have looked good, I thought I'd experiment with recreating the original look as best as I could on a piece of extra vinyl I had after cutting out pieces large enough for the panels. 

 

I achieved what I thought was a satisfactory result by heating up a piece of flat, clean sheetmetal and pressing it.  It took some practice to get it stamped enough in, but not too much to melt all the way through.   Having done that, I went ahead and decided to recover them myself.  A little scary, but I think it came out okay after a ton of effort.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 11, 2022 by lancemb (see edit history)