New Guy

[Guest Tyler M]

Hey there. New to the Buick world. Just picked up a 31 60 series. (I think). Doing a little resto work, changing the drive train etc. The car is in great shape, I love the way it looks so I'm just going to make it a driver. No cutting. I'm wondering what the best avenue for selling some parts would be? Classifieds on here? Or another site? Any input would be awesome. 

[Taylormade]

Changing the drivetrain will probably not make you very popular around here.  That looks like a nice car - consider keeping it original.

[Guest Tyler M]

It is nice. Just want to be able to drive it, and stop if I need to. I'm definitely looking at all my options at this time. 

[27donb]

What kind of drive train changes are you considering?

 

The car was originally designed to drive and stop, and will continue to do so if used in a reasonable fashion within its limits. 

 

Looks like a great car.  

 

 

[Hubert_25-25]

There is a separate section on the AACA forum for parts selling and buying.  Best to use the "Buick Buy and Sell" section.  That's a good looking car.  Hugh

[Guest]

A

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

[Mark Shaw]

Tyler,

     It is your car to do what you wish, but a properly tuned 1931 60 series original drive train will keep up with modern traffic and stop just fine with correctly adjusted mechanical brakes on all four wheels.  I suggest you restore it and drive it awhile before deciding to change the drive train.

Just my $0.02 

[Bob Engle]

If woven linings are used on the brakes they are quite adequate for highway driving. If you want disk brake performance,  then changes will be need to be done.  The drive trains are very reliable  and comparable with most cars into the late 40's.  

 

As said above, if you know what you want, go for it!  If in doubt, drive it as an original until you know what your expectations are.  It's your car make it what you want.

 

Bob Engle

[LAS VEGAS DAVE]

I see that the drivetrain is already out of it. Its going to be a complicated project if you want it to look original yet have a modern drivetrain. The cars of the late thirties and onward are a much easier project to add modern running gear to while still leaving it looking stock. 

[mcdarrunt]

There is a "Buick Modified" section on this site so you are not alone in choosing this route. The purist's cars are fine for parades and putting around but if you want to DRIVE it a lot then definitely up date it. I drove my 37 Special for a couple of years with a 4.44 rear end, vacuum wipers, drum brakes, etc, you get the picture and it was a great parade car but sucked as a 70mph driver. Now with a 1952 263 straight eight, 2004R overdrive automatic, 4.11 rear, electric wipers, p/s, p/b,  a/c, tube shocks, larger sway bars, it is a left lane cruiser that you can relax in rather than worry about some idiot coming up behind you doing 80 while your doing 50. Been coast to coast and border to border and usually clock around 8,000 miles a year. The only way a non expert can tell it is not a factory 37 Special without diving under it is the  sealed beam head lights and radial tires. Looks stock inside and out but is all modern underneath. Didn't want a "chopped and dropped" abortion but did want a COMFORTABLE driver. A heads up: a 30's car will always have wind noise at 70, it's unavoidable.

 

[Brian_Heil]

On ‎10‎/‎29‎/‎2017 at 4:17 PM, mcdarrunt said:

There is a "Buick Modified" section on this site so you are not alone in choosing this route. The purist's cars are fine for parades and putting around but if you want to DRIVE it a lot then definitely up date it. I drove my 37 Special for a couple of years with a 4.44 rear end, vacuum wipers, drum brakes, etc, you get the picture and it was a great parade car but sucked as a 70mph driver. Now with a 1952 263 straight eight, 2004R overdrive automatic, 4.11 rear, electric wipers, p/s, p/b,  a/c, tube shocks, larger sway bars, it is a left lane cruiser that you can relax in rather than worry about some idiot coming up behind you doing 80 while your doing 50. Been coast to coast and border to border and usually clock around 8,000 miles a year. The only way a non expert can tell it is not a factory 37 Special without diving under it is the  sealed beam head lights and radial tires. Looks stock inside and out but is all modern underneath. Didn't want a "chopped and dropped" abortion but did want a COMFORTABLE driver. A heads up: a 30's car will always have wind noise at 70, it's unavoidable.

 

 

Putt around or parades?  I'm not a Navy man, but me thinks I saw a shot across me bow?

 

Well we do, do some putting and parades but we also have a bunch of fun on the open road too in our stock Buicks and drive.  Nothing against Modified Buicks or Modifieds in general, heck I own one with a bow tie on the front . . . but I digress.

 

 

Well here are three stock Buicks in Baraboo, Wisconsin on the PWD After Tour this past summer. 

 

Each had a bunch of fun at the BCA National Meet along with a bunch of Buick cars and trucks and wonderful Buick Folks I don't have pictures of.

 

The 1937 is by my Google Maps calculation 825 miles away from home, did another 300 or so in Wisconsin so that's 825 + 825 +~300 = 1950 miles

 

The 1924 is from Rhinelander and did at least 300 miles of touring.

 

The 1923 circled Lake Michigan and did 1495 miles total.

 

Don't underestimate the road worthiness (and fun) of a well tuned stock Buick or the really nice people who drive them.  Fix up that '31 and come have some fun with us, stock or modified.

Edited October 31, 2017 by Brian_Heil (see edit history)

[Larry Schramm]

On ‎10‎/‎29‎/‎2017 at 4:17 PM, mcdarrunt said:

There is a "Buick Modified" section on this site so you are not alone in choosing this route. The purist's cars are fine for parades and putting around but if you want to DRIVE it a lot then definitely up date it. I drove my 37 Special for a couple of years with a 4.44 rear end, vacuum wipers, drum brakes, etc, you get the picture and it was a great parade car but sucked as a 70mph driver. Now with a 1952 263 straight eight, 2004R overdrive automatic, 4.11 rear, electric wipers, p/s, p/b,  a/c, tube shocks, larger sway bars, it is a left lane cruiser that you can relax in rather than worry about some idiot coming up behind you doing 80 while your doing 50. Been coast to coast and border to border and usually clock around 8,000 miles a year. The only way a non expert can tell it is not a factory 37 Special without diving under it is the  sealed beam head lights and radial tires. Looks stock inside and out but is all modern underneath. Didn't want a "chopped and dropped" abortion but did want a COMFORTABLE driver. A heads up: a 30's car will always have wind noise at 70, it's unavoidable.

 

 

I guess that it would depend on your definition of "The purist's cars are fine for parades and putting around".  Here is a picture of Joyce and I arriving at the hotel for the night after our last 110 mile "parades and putting around".  The last 40 miles was in the rain that went from a drizzle to a downpour buckets.  

 

By the way we were with a group of about 40 "purists" where we were the newest vehicle and only truck at 1915.  The oldest car on the "parade" was a 1904 curved dash Olds.  We all drove 110 miles on one day and another 110 miles the second day back to Greenfield Village for The Old Car Festival.  All of the vehicles were stock, no modifications necessary to drive the old vehicles.

 

PS: the white circle on the right front fender says " I drove this truck to a trailer show"

 

 

Edited November 1, 2017 by Larry Schramm (see edit history)

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Dang, Larry, you guys are tough!

 

  Ben

[27donb]

28 minutes ago, Larry Schramm said:

 

I guess that it would depend on your definition of "The purist's cars are fine for parades and putting around".  Here is a picture of Joyce and I arriving at the hotel for the night after our last 110 mile "parades and putting around".  The last 40 miles was in the rain that went from a drizzle to a downpour buckets.  

 

By the way we were with a group of about 40 "purists" where we were the newest vehicle and only truck at 1915.  The oldest car on the "parade" was a 1904 curved dash Olds.  We all drove 110 miles on one day and another 110 miles the second day back to Greenfield Village for The Old Car Festival.  All of the vehicles were stock, no modifications necessary to drive the old vehicles.

 

 

 

That's hardcore! 

 

I try to avoid rain if possible. 

 

Here was a nice ride up the mountain last weekend to get pre picked apples, even though the fall colors are not at peak.   Plus a stop at the country store for a block of cheese.  The "k" turn in the store parking lot was an adventure! 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 1, 2017 by 27donb (see edit history)

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

NICE!!   What mountain?

 

  Ben

[Larry Schramm]

We like to avoid rain, but when driving in a "parade" you take what is given to you for driving conditions. 

[27donb]

32 minutes ago, Ben Bruce aka First Born said:

NICE!!   What mountain?

 

  Ben

 

It's Prospect Mountain in Granville Mass, but I don't go all the way up, just to the center of Granville where all the apples and cheese is! 

[Brian_Heil]

1 hour ago, 27donb said:

 

That's hardcore! 

 

I try to avoid rain if possible. 

 

Here was a nice ride up the mountain last weekend to get pre picked apples, even though the fall colors are not at peak.   Plus a stop at the country store for a block of cheese.  The "k" turn in the store parking lot was an adventure! 

 

 

 

 

 

Don great Fall pics.  Love those kind.

 

Larry reminded me of some rain we had after, the PWD After Tour when we pulled into Rhinelander, WI.

 

Yes, "it did rain on our 1495 mile 'parade' "IMG-691714839.mp4.

[27donb]

On 11/1/2017 at 11:23 AM, Brian_Heil said:

 

Don great Fall pics.  Love those kind.

 

Larry reminded me of some rain we had after, the PWD After Tour when we pulled into Rhinelander, WI.

 

Yes, "it did rain on our 1495 mile 'parade' "IMG-691714839.mp4.

 

Wow!  I guess she needed a bath! 

 

How are 2 wheel brakes in the rain? 

[jscheib]

27donb,

 

I did not look to cold for an Ice Cream stop just down the road, at the Scoop.  Did you stop there also?  Stopped there myself on the way back from Clifton Park, but had the more modern Buick, my Reatta.

 

John Scheib

 

 

[27donb]

3 minutes ago, jscheib said:

27donb,

 

I did not look to cold for an Ice Cream stop just down the road, at the Scoop.  Did you stop there also?  Stopped there myself on the way back from Clifton Park, but had the more modern Buick, my Reatta.

 

John Scheib

 

 

 

We did not stop this time John, we were windows up and heat on! 

 

We have stopped there on occasion though. 

 

What year Reatta? 

[jscheib]

See Profile - that would be red '90 conv.

 

John

[Brian_Heil]

15 hours ago, 27donb said:

 

Wow!  I guess she needed a bath! 

 

How are 2 wheel brakes in the rain? 

 

You learn to pull the handle but before you hit the road, make sure your parking brakes are adjusted and working as well as your service brakes.  

[147 Franklin Airman]

I would be very mindful of what power you put through the wooden spoked wheels. 

[Fred Rawling]

https://www.google.com/search?q=yahoo+groups+1930+buicks&rlz=1CAACAP_enUS714US714&oq=yaho&aqs=chrome.5.69i57j0l3j35i39l2.4762j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

This link is to a yahoo group, 1930 Buicks.  

 

Don,   I hope to have mine looking that good.   The frame is primed, the front axle finished.  
Then I got sidetracked adding another 400 sq ft. to the 2nd floor of my garage.   I needed a place to sort my parts out.   

 

Fred

[27donb]

17 hours ago, Fred Rawling said:

https://www.google.com/search?q=yahoo+groups+1930+buicks&rlz=1CAACAP_enUS714US714&oq=yaho&aqs=chrome.5.69i57j0l3j35i39l2.4762j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

This link is to a yahoo group, 1930 Buicks.  

 

Don,   I hope to have mine looking that good.   The frame is primed, the front axle finished.  
Then I got sidetracked adding another 400 sq ft. to the 2nd floor of my garage.   I needed a place to sort my parts out.   

 

Fred

 

I wouldn't be back on the road without your long distance help with parts, experience and advice.

 

Thank you Fred!! 

 

I would like to hear and see more about your second floor addition space! 

[Morgan Wright]

On 10/29/2017 at 4:17 PM, mcdarrunt said:

There is a "Buick Modified" section on this site so you are not alone in choosing this route. The purist's cars are fine for parades and putting around but if you want to DRIVE it a lot then definitely up date it. I drove my 37 Special for a couple of years with a 4.44 rear end, vacuum wipers, drum brakes, etc, you get the picture and it was a great parade car but sucked as a 70mph driver. Now with a 1952 263 straight eight, 2004R overdrive automatic, 4.11 rear, electric wipers, p/s, p/b,  a/c, tube shocks, larger sway bars, it is a left lane cruiser that you can relax in rather than worry about some idiot coming up behind you doing 80 while your doing 50. Been coast to coast and border to border and usually clock around 8,000 miles a year. The only way a non expert can tell it is not a factory 37 Special without diving under it is the  sealed beam head lights and radial tires. Looks stock inside and out but is all modern underneath. Didn't want a "chopped and dropped" abortion but did want a COMFORTABLE driver. A heads up: a 30's car will always have wind noise at 70, it's unavoidable.

 

 

 

Hey that's what I got. My 1940 Special has a 1953 special engine, a 263. Sure is a good engine!!