Plain City Harley Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 Hello All, Fairly new here but have been restoring or building performance cars and boats for 30 years. Always wanted to do a 1920's car and one found me in the fall. Spent today doing a full survey of what its going to take to get it done. A little backstory on the car. It was located in the middle of Kansas, in a little town in a little dirt floor garage. The 92 year old man that owned it had passed away and his daughter found me. The car had been in the little garage for about 50 years. She didn't know much about the car but wanted it to go to someone who would actually restore it. After looking at it and finding it was in very good condition, I went back to dig it out of the garage and haul it back to Ohio. I did not realize when I first started into the project that Kansas is a hotbed for Brown Recluse spiders....... and the garage and car were completely infested. With that as the backdrop I am going to post a bunch of pictures. I am sure along the way I will be looking for parts, advise and likely inspiration. I know there is a great bunch of enthusiast that likely have answers. If nothing else I hope you might enjoy the pictures. Thanks for reading! Lenny 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plain City Harley Posted December 29, 2017 Author Share Posted December 29, 2017 More Pics. All of the wood structure is incredible condition. Even the tin box under the front seat has only surface rust. If is fully intact. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 WOW! Good score. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgan Wright Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 I think your car was partially restored once. Maybe decades ago but: 1. The tires still have rubber on them 2. There is still paint on it. Old, but it still has an actual color in it. 3. The front seat still has cloth on it. 4. It still looks like a car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plain City Harley Posted December 29, 2017 Author Share Posted December 29, 2017 Love it Morgan! Incredible in the tear down I am finding all the original markings. Unless they stripped what little paint is left is at the metal. No matter I am doing a full frame off restoration and its a great starting point! A lot better than the last 60's mustang I finished!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgan Wright Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 I hope in Plain City you have a heated garage. My cold one only allows work in the spring through fall or else I'd be working on Sidney myself....it was -9 last night and -12 tomorrow. I call him Sidney because he sat in a barn in Sidney, Ohio for 80 years. But nobody ever did any of the attempted resto like yours had, he just sat. I have another one just like it, she's called Bethany because she sat in a field in Bethany, Illinois for 91 years. Here's Sidney. Bethany is a pile of pieces. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlzXoAZFRo0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROD W Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 Thanks for the photo,s. Love to see cars coming out of an old garages after a long period of hibernation . It looks like a lot of the wood is in good condition. Try and keep as much of the original wood in tact as possible. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubert_25-25 Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 Lenny, Photos of unrestored areas - especially behind seats and carpetting are like gold to me. The vinyl still attached under the seat spring area is a rare detail. I find that less goes wrong if I can duplicate the way they did things originally when I work on a restoration. You have a nice one there. Thanks for the documentation. If you get stuck in the process, don't hesitate to ask questions. A lot of help is available here. Hugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shaw Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 Lenny, Welcome to the Buick forum. It appears that you have an excellent candidate for restoration. I am sure this forum will be most helpful, especially the links you will find here: Be sure to scroll down to see it all.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Wiegand Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 And Mark, just think about this - he found this car out here in Doo Dah. Terry Wiegand South Hutchinson, Kansas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 What a great car! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dracenroc Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 Good to hear you'll save her Lenny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithbrother Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 Ben,,,,,,,LOOK what’s above the windshield, YOU got to love that, huh? Dale in Indy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Wiegand Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 Dale, I noticed that too - way cool. Have a Happy New Year out there in Indy. Terry Wiegand South Hutchinson, Kansas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 42 minutes ago, smithbrother said: Ben,,,,,,,LOOK what’s above the windshield, YOU got to love that, huh? Dale in Indy So, guess it is traditional! Just shows some discerning folks came along before me. Happy New Year, Dale! Ben 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pont35cpe Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 Is that visor OEM or an add-on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleach Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 What shape was the original interior? I see everything was removed. Anything salvageable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgan Wright Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 22 minutes ago, Bleach said: What shape was the original interior? I see everything was removed. Anything salvageable? He removed it himself, look at earlier pics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plain City Harley Posted December 30, 2017 Author Share Posted December 30, 2017 All Thanks for all the great comments. Much appreciated. There is actually no deteriorated wood in the entire car. Finished going through all of it and thought I would find something. The interior seat springs etc are in excellent condition. The upholstery coverings are as expected but most of the cardboard backings are mostly intact. Two issues I have found one I knew about. Something in the rear axle broke when the car was parked but they guy who had it bought a used rear axle 50 years ago but never fixed it. I found out that was why it was parked in the first place. The second issue I found while bore scoping the engine. There is some minor rusting on small areas in 3 cylinders. They we're cylinders with valves open and it looks like it was from condensation. The engine turns over freely the oil isn't tar and when I scoped the bottom end all looks great. The visor. Is that stock? I thought it was. It appears to be leather and it is still intact. I will be carefully removing and having it preserved.... Any tips? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithbrother Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 Regarding the VISOR, if you google, IMAGES OF 1927 BUICKS you will see lots of the 27’s had visors. That’s where Ben got his idea, right Ben? It’s fun to GOOGLE images of anything you want to see many of, . Dale in Indy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plain City Harley Posted December 30, 2017 Author Share Posted December 30, 2017 I love the Google's....but sometimes it leaves more questions than answers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plain City Harley Posted December 31, 2017 Author Share Posted December 31, 2017 Terry I have to ask... Why do you refer to Kansas as do dah? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Wiegand Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 Lenny, it is a long story that goes back to about late 1963. The editor of The Hutchinson News Herald newspaper retired about that time. The new editor came from up around Kansas City. I went to high school with the new editor's oldest son. The new guy wrote quite a few columns introducing himself and his family to the readers. In one of those columns he told the readership that his wife felt like she was stuck out somewhere in Doo Dah. This newspaper covered all of western Kansas clear out to the coast of Colorado and then some. The readers just howled with laughter over his writings. He was a very good newspaperman and in short order won the readers over. He also had an ongoing feature column called 'Out Doo Dah Way' that highlighted local and regional goings on. From that time on it has always been Doo Dah to a lot of us long time residents. We have another Buick forums lurker on here that grew up in a small town up the road apiece from Hutchinson at just about the same time as myself. So, Ed, if you're watching, chime in here and give these readers a little glimpse of Doo Dah as you remember it. Happy New Year to all of our Buick enthusiasts out there. Terry Wiegand A COLD Doo Dah 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff_a Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 (edited) Terry, are you talking about Stuart Aubry? My Mom used to work for Stu when he was Editor at The News. I didn´t spend my whole life in Hutchinson, but did finish 6th, 12th and 14th grade in Doo Dah. I spent a night there last fall when I drove over to a high school reunion...camped out at the fairgrounds. You said you remember the Kansas Centennial Parade my 100-year-old great-grandfather and Governor Avery were in. Were they in Glenn D.´s red Buick, or something else? ---Jeff Edited December 31, 2017 by jeff_a (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Wiegand Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 Jeff, no, I am talking about John McCormally. I'm not real sure how long he stayed in Hutchinson. I DO remember the Kansas Centennial Parade. I was 13 at that time and I do remember your great-granddad. I went with my Dad quite a few times to his implement building down on south Main Street. I do remember that Governor Avery was with Mr. Brown in the parade but the details just aren't there for me. I got to ride in Vaden Stroud's 1923 Buick Touring after the parade was over though. Terry Wiegand South Hutchinson, Kansas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgan Wright Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 Doo Dah is Camptown, Pennsylvania. Don't know if the racetrack is still there, or if it was 5 miles long. Don't know if anybody bet on the bay or whether that raised or lowered the odds on the bobtail nag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smithbrother Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 Every time I see Ben’s VISOR, I say, “OH, DOO DAH”, Dale in Indy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian_Heil Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=doo-dah https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doodah Yes, Virginia, there really is a Doo Dah and it's in Kansas. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
critterpainter Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 Looks like an order needs to be placed to Bobs Automobilia to get new levers for the Delco Combination switch or send them your switch to get it restored.!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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