Carolina Roadmasters: Collect all 4 - '38 Roadmaster Model 87

[38Buick 80C]

1 hour ago, EmTee said:

Where did you send your radio?

Family friend that I've known since I was 5 or 6. He has a 38 RM as well. Radio restoration is his hobby. He did my 80C, my dad's 81 and 81F, my '69 Charger and soon my '58.

[MCHinson]

10 minutes ago, 38Buick 80C said:

Family friend that I've known since I was 5 or 6. He has a 38 RM as well. Radio restoration is his hobby. He did my 80C, my dad's 81 and 81F, my '69 Charger and soon my '58.

I am guessing you must be talking about Pete DiPasquale. He also did two 1937 radios for me. He does great work at reasonable prices. 

[38Buick 80C]

9 hours ago, MCHinson said:

I am guessing you must be talking about Pete DiPasquale. He also did two 1937 radios for me. He does great work at reasonable prices. 

yep

[38Buick 80C]

I solved some needs at Hershey.

 

Tires and tubes were ordered and shipped and at my home before me... well done Coker!

 

I found the material for my assist straps on the c pillars and the rope rail. Restoration Specialties have what I need, but not at Hershey so that will be ordered Monday.

 

Really need the body to make some progress now.

[Matt Harwood]

Good to see you at the show, Brian. I regret that we didn't have more time to talk.

[38Buick 80C]

8 minutes ago, Matt Harwood said:

Good to see you at the show, Brian. I regret that we didn't have more time to talk.

My fault. I didn't get over to your spaces Thursday and then when I went to the Lincoln at the showfield you were out and about.

[38Buick 80C]

Been working on a handful of things recently.

 

I got my accessory speaker back (with new modem guts). It was just primed so need to get it brown wrinkle finished. No one makes brown wrinkle finish paint anymore, but I have a trick.

 

I use black wrinkle finish (apperently Krlyon doesn't make black anymore either but there are other brands that do) so I paint in that first and then bake it to get the wrinkles.

 

 

Then I overcoat with a satin (or flat) brown.

 

I did struggle a bit with old paint. New paint probably would have worked better as my nozzle kept getting jammed. But it came out well overall (Looks shinier in the picture than it is). I should mention with the struggle on the old paint I ended up using the scotch pad to even out things better in terms of the wrinkle and overall sheen.

 

Then I remembered seeing an article in the Torque Tube II about flocking the radio screen and realized the screen on this speaker would have been flocked so I bought a kit and did it this AM.

 

Need to see once it it dry and I can blow off the excess how it turned out but hopefully should make a nice detailed touch you don't see often.

 

I did the radio screen at the same time (in the background)

 

Then also this week I made a boot for the clutch fork clip thing I was missing and got from Tachney. It should be leather but like on my 80C I used a heavy weight canvas fabric type material (when I say like my 80C it is in fact the exact same material as I still had plenty).

 

 

Edited October 22, 2023 by 38Buick 80C (see edit history)

[38Buick 80C]

Debating on doing the electric fuel pump work now or waiting for the body to go on. I am fairly certain I can do it now and not have any issues and have everything way more accessible to work on initially.

 

But admittedly I have been procrastinating on it for several weeks.

 

I am using the same pump I have in my 80C and 30-61. Always good to have interchangeable items. I am going to Y the line and do a check valve bypass so the mechanical pump doesn't have to pull through the electrical and so that the electrical doesn't back flow by accident. Same setup on my 80C and realized I don't have it on my '30 and the mechanical pump never seems to be able to pull enough (perhaps because of the lack of bypass).

 

The brass Y's arrive today. Everything I have in hand including the fuel filter.

[38Buick 80C]

Also trying to get powder coat match to do wheels. Been a pain but got a test patch of paint for matching so fingers crossed.

 

Here is the test patch

[EmTee]

3 hours ago, 38Buick 80C said:

Debating on doing the electric fuel pump work now or waiting for the body to go on.

I would do it now.  It's much easier (I think) to work from above than to have to lay on the ground.  Access for routing and securing the wiring will be easier too.

[38Buick 80C]

1 hour ago, EmTee said:

I would do it now.  It's much easier (I think) to work from above than to have to lay on the ground.  Access for routing and securing the wiring will be easier too.

 

Worried about body or running board interference. I e. It's perfectly mounted and then I go to put the body on and it's in the way of that.

[38Buick 80C]

 

Not bad for something you can barely see under the dash

[38Buick 80C]

Got the fuel tank back a bit ago and finally installed it.

 

 

 

Need to put the sending unit in still.

[Fr. Buick]

Brian, what did you have done to the fuel tank, please, and by whom? 

 

Awesome work, by the way...

[38Buick 80C]

23 minutes ago, Fr. Buick said:

Brian, what did you have done to the fuel tank, please, and by whom? 

 

Awesome work, by the way...

So it was covered in undercoating and it was media blasted with the rest of the car.  I honestly didn't want to deal with it having done the work on my 80C and wanting to achieve a higher quality level than I did on that one, so the place that is doing the body I told them to clean it up and get it right and then I didn't ask questions, LOL.. I know they had a lot of trouble getting the undercoating off. Otherwise they fixed some pin holes and painted it. I'm not sure if they did a sealer on the inside or not. They have smoke tested it and no leaks.

[38Buick 80C]

It's been a minute but I have some progress to share.

 

I had the wheels powder coated.

 

Body color on the outside.

 

Black on the inside, which period photography shows is correct.

 

I still need to have them pinstriped which I struggled to get done properly on the 80C.

 

I also had the trunk hinges powder coated body color, here they are in the sun so you can see them.

 

And here is the chassis on all fours with the black wall tires that I will be using.

 

[38Buick 80C]

For giggles and perhaps some motivation I put the trim rings and hubcaps on the passenger side.

 

 

I'm very pleased with the look.

 

It's a sport sedan so it should look sporty and I think it does.

 

That said the wheels desperately need the pinstripes. I just don't think the car/wheels look at all right without them. I have some ideas I want to try on that.

[MCHinson]

3 hours ago, 38Buick 80C said:

For giggles and perhaps some motivation I put the trim rings and hubcaps on the passenger side.

 

 

That said the wheels desperately need the pinstripes. I just don't think the car/wheels look at all right without them. I have some ideas I want to try on that.

The best way to do it would probably start by visiting this website:  https://www.beugler.com/

 

I bought one, but to be honest, I included the tool with the purchase of my 1938 Century because I never got around to doing the pinstripes before I sold it. I am personallly a terrible painter and I just kept putting that job off.  

[38Buick 80C]

24 minutes ago, MCHinson said:

The best way to do it would probably start by visiting this website:  https://www.beugler.com/

 

I bought one, but to be honest, I included the tool with the purchase of my 1938 Century because I never got around to doing the pinstripes before I sold it. I am personallly a terrible painter and I just kept putting that job off.  

I have one...it's an evil contraption. 😆

[DonMicheletti]

With a lirtle practice, striping with a striping brush isnt that difficult. I did both my cars using one of the front hubs to spin the wheel as I applied the stripe.

I did one stripe at a time and let it dry, that way if I screwed up the next stripe, I could wipe it off wiothout ruining the prior stripe.

 

Without the rings and stripes, the blackwalls look pretty blah.

[38Buick 80C]

One little project I've been wanting to do is sanding and painting the top (very visible) portion of the steering column between the ignition switch and the steering wheel.   I did that today. First I sanded and primed the area and then did a few coats of brown. Then I installed the ignition switch knowing I would create some minor scratches. With switch install I have a final 500 grit sanding and put a final coat on. I am pleased and ready for my freshly recast steering wheel. Which should done soon right @61polara?

 

 

I am also going to fill the system bleed the brakes today. I am using DOT5 silicone fluid.

[Shootey]

Here’s a stupid question. How do you drop the body with the steering column in place? I imagine you need to thread it from the rear. Thanks. 

[38Buick 80C]

29 minutes ago, Shootey said:

Here’s a stupid question. How do you drop the body with the steering column in place? I imagine you need to thread it from the rear. Thanks. 

There is quite a large factory hole in the floor board at the pedals and that's how it was done originally.

 

That's said that means raising the body quite high. Practically speaking for this restoration the steering column will likely come out for body installation and then go back in nothing down there is all that tight.

 

For now it looks cool and let's me steer when moving the car around the garage.

[38Buick 80C]

Brake bleeding complete. Good strong pedal and all leaks tightened and no longer leaking.

[EmTee]

What kind of fluid did you use, DOT3/4 or DOT5?

[38Buick 80C]

23 minutes ago, EmTee said:

What kind of fluid did you use, DOT3/4 or DOT5?

 

5 hours ago, 38Buick 80C said:

I am also going to fill the system bleed the brakes today. I am using DOT5 silicone fluid.

 

[FireballV8]

Hi Brian

Great progress on the project, I really like the black wall look. 

 

For the DOT 5 fluid is there a specific brand you like? I want to use it as well in the 53 Buick I am restoring. I am tired of redoing the brakes 10 or 15 years down the road. Also is there a trick to bleeding the brakes with the Dot 5?

 

Thanks

Steve

[38Buick 80C]

43 minutes ago, FireballV8 said:

Hi Brian

Great progress on the project, I really like the black wall look. 

 

For the DOT 5 fluid is there a specific brand you like? I want to use it as well in the 53 Buick I am restoring. I am tired of redoing the brakes 10 or 15 years down the road. Also is there a trick to bleeding the brakes with the Dot 5?

 

Thanks

Steve

The brand I am using is.... Advance Auto Parts house brand... (which I think is CarQuest which owns AAP), not all their stores carry it on the shelf but its an easy search on their website to see which do or you can order it. But the more significant point is that it is nothing special.

 

As for bleeding, no not really. I used a vacuum bleeder initially. This is the second car I have used it on. I find it okay but not great, probably user error if I am honest. The benefit I saw was a quick fill of the system in total, but then I grabbed one of my boys (I mean that's why I had them) to facilitate a typical bleeding to get the system to full strength and the final bubbles out.

Edited January 3 by 38Buick 80C (see edit history)

[FireballV8]

Thanks Brian

It is funny about your son. I had my 8 year old helping me on Friday. His hands are the perfect size to work behind the dash and he helped a lot. 

I'll look for the brake fluid. 

 

[38Buick 80C]

Got some progress photos

[EmTee]

Driver's door?

[38Buick 80C]

1 hour ago, EmTee said:

Driver's door?

looks like it

[38Buick 80C]

Some more progress photos on the cancer replacement.

 

 

[38Buick 80C]

Some more progress on the cowl

 

And on the pedal surround