highcking Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 A couple of years ago I took off quite a bit of chrome from my '58 Roadmaster and gradually got it redone. I am now putting things back together, but I am stumped by one task. I took apart the elaborate rear bumper assembly including the fuel filler door, which is now nicely shiny. I had the bracket and spring for the filler door stripped and powdercoated. The problem is that I can't recall how these various pieces attach to the car and to each other. There's the door itself, the hinged bracket, and the spring. It's a five minute task ... if you recall how it goes together! Can anyone post a few closeup flash pics that show, on a Roadmaster or Limited, how these parts assemble and attach? Thanks. Bill in Virginia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dei Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 Bill, I can take shots of my '58 Special for you this weekend if that will help you out. The gas tank door would be the same on all models and suspect the brackets (bumper to frame) would be also but will compare my Limited (currently apart) with the Special for you and see. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highcking Posted March 13, 2020 Author Share Posted March 13, 2020 That would be really helpful, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dei Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 Bill, Took these shots today and hope they are what you need. If you need more let me know. Clearly my car is not restored so can testify this is the original set up. Care to share pictures of your car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highcking Posted March 15, 2020 Author Share Posted March 15, 2020 Doug - great closeups! That will make the job very easy. Many thanks. I'm attaching some photos of the car as I bought it back in 2014. Pictures aren't great and the car needed a lot of attention. The job proved to be far bigger than I expected even though I am hardly doing a frame-off resto. This is my third 1958 Buick. The first was a green Roadmaster with a pleated vinyl interior. This was around 1980 when I got the car for $1,000 or so. The second was an all-original, garage kept white and pink Century. Should never have parted with it, but at the time if I wanted something new I had to sell something. In this case I bought a 1940 Limited Series 80 thinking I could always get another '58. Great car, the black Limited, but needed a repaint over the original lacquer. ("Needed" as I understood it then -- today I would have just polished it up.) I used a paint and resto shop that had always done gone work for me - they put on a scandalous paint job and I had to sue the guy for a refund. Sold the car and moved on. The current car requires a longer story. I hope to have it on the road as a decent driver this summer. Bill 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dei Posted March 15, 2020 Share Posted March 15, 2020 Beautiful looking Roadmaster Bill! So you have been bitten by the 58 bug too. 🙂 It sure looks like the one Smartin (Adam) used to have. I saw his car at the National Meet in South Bend which he drove from St Charles, Mo and back. A couple of questions: 1- I noticed you have (or did have) the clear plastic seat covers on the car. Did it come to you that way or did you put them on? 2- Would you by any chance have an extra spring for the fuel door? In looking at my Limited fuel door noticed it is missing and not sure why I would take it off... let alone put my hands on it now. Wishing you a good summer driving her around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highcking Posted March 15, 2020 Author Share Posted March 15, 2020 Doug - these pictures were actually the seller's in the eBay listing, years back. I bought it out of upstate New York as I recall. The interior was a decent replacement but the colors were off and the installation not great. I think it was quite a rusty car when someone years ago started restoring it. To me it feels like there were two restorers, the first who made a serious attempt at body and paint work, the second who tried to dress the car up a bit and took a lot of shortcuts. Needless to say, the car will never be a show vehicle as the cost of a total resto would be astronomical. I don't have an extra spring. I do have some assorted Roadmaster trim, inside and out, mostly restorable, that you would be most welcome to have free of charge. Likewise some other doodads I've been collecting over the past five years. Let me know what you might need. My car is missing one piece of trim on both sides. It's a little stainless piece called an "extension" that fits on at the front lower part of the rear wheel wells. It's purpose is to cover a bare spot where all the other trim pieces come together. It's unique to Roadmasters and Limiteds. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NailheadBob Posted March 16, 2020 Share Posted March 16, 2020 Bill, Can you send me a photo of they area that you need trim for? There is a 1958 Buick Roadmaster 75 in a junkyard about 20 miles from my house. I was out their last October and the stainless on the left rear quarter is almost perfect. I could also see if there is a gas lid door spring when I return. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highcking Posted March 16, 2020 Author Share Posted March 16, 2020 Doug - your pics did it. Ten minutes to install the filler door! Bob - yes, see the attachments. In three of the pictures, you'll see a small piece of trim just in front of the rear wheel. It should be held in place by one screw but in one pic it looks like there are two screws. The piece joins the wheel well trim to the rocker panel trim. (Hence only on Roadmaster and Limited.) In the other two pics, you'll see both sides of my car with paint showing in that location. Needless to say, the wheel wells look very odd with the two pieces of trim just ending like that. It must be one of these odd, twisty stainless pieces that you find all over the Roadmaster and Limited bodies. Needless to say, I will meet any reasonable price for these pieces if they're on the car you mentioned. These pieces are in Part Group 8.217, and are described as (take a breath) "Rear Fender Wheel Opening Moulding Extension." Many thanks for offering to help out! Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NailheadBob Posted March 16, 2020 Share Posted March 16, 2020 Bill, Thanks for the photos. I will try to get out to the junkyard next weekend weather permitting, as I am located 20 miles southwest of Chicago.I will update you after I get out there.I also have a 1958 Buick Special 4 door sedan. I made up a homemade cowl nut wrench for 1957 and 1958 Buick's for removal of cowl nut for brake master cylinders/boosters that is in the Buick Bugle January 2020 on page 38. Also do you need the molding just above it? (looks damaged in the second to last photo). I will also see if spring is there for fuel door for Doug. Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highcking Posted March 16, 2020 Author Share Posted March 16, 2020 Bob - yes, that moulding is damaged, as is the one on the rear door next to it. If you saw nice pieces on the parts car, I'd be interested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dei Posted March 16, 2020 Share Posted March 16, 2020 27 minutes ago, NailheadBob said: Bill, Thanks for the photos. I will try to get out to the junkyard next weekend weather permitting, as I am located 20 miles southwest of Chicago.I will update you after I get out there.I also have a 1958 Buick Special 4 door sedan. I made up a homemade cowl nut wrench for 1957 and 1958 Buick's for removal of cowl nut for brake master cylinders/boosters that is in the Buick Bugle January 2020 on page 38. Also do you need the molding just above it? (looks damaged in the second to last photo). I will also see if spring is there for fuel door for Doug. Bob Thanks Bob for checking on the fuel door spring. If the actual door (chrome) is half decent I might be interested in the whole thing too. Now Bill, If you are not interested in Bob's wrench for the brake booster cowl nut, I might be. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highcking Posted March 16, 2020 Author Share Posted March 16, 2020 Doug - feel free. I don't anticipate pulling off the booster in the next decade! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NailheadBob Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 Bill, I went to the junkyard and the left extension was missing, the right extension I removed and took photo as it is bent, the left Moulding, rear fender wheel opening front I took off it looks really good BUT does have some slight scratches. He quoted me $30.00 for the wheel opening moulding. and $15.00 for the extension moulding. The Chicagoland Buick club had outing with the Eastwood Company in Alsip Illinois and they did a seminar for us on stainless moldings using 4000 grit sand paper to sand down moldings and using a stainless cleaner/polish to luster them back. NO molding on left rear door. I will try to send photos to you, it said my file type max out? Doug, the rear bumper was missing, NO FUEL DOOR or SPRING, the fuel lid door group # 8.208 part # 1182572 fits all series 1958 Buick spring, fuel lid door group# 8.209 part # 1185044 fits all series 1958 Buick Hinge, fuel lid door group # 8.209 part # 1180280 fits all series 1958 Buick I did e-mail Frank Lyle to see if he had any of the parts, waiting for reply. Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highcking Posted March 19, 2020 Author Share Posted March 19, 2020 Bob - you can send the photos directly to highc.king@verizon.net. Thanks for taking the time to check out these items! Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NailheadBob Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 Bill, I will send remainder of photos to your e-mail address. Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smartin Posted March 21, 2020 Share Posted March 21, 2020 Those wheel well photos look familiar 😎 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highcking Posted March 22, 2020 Author Share Posted March 22, 2020 Adam - I bought this Roadmaster via eBay around 2014. Came from upstate New York, Rochester or Buffalo. Originally an air suspension car but no AC. Mileage in the 60s I believe. One scratch in the paint on the passenger side, lower part of front fender. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smartin Posted March 22, 2020 Share Posted March 22, 2020 Those wheel well photos are from my ebay auction when I sold (my) Laurel in 2014. The shots of your car make me miss it very much! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highcking Posted March 22, 2020 Author Share Posted March 22, 2020 Adam - so it's the same car you owned? Or just similar cars sold around the same time? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smartin Posted March 22, 2020 Share Posted March 22, 2020 These photos are of my car when I was selling it on ebay... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highcking Posted March 22, 2020 Author Share Posted March 22, 2020 Ok, not the same then, because the car I bought was missing those little chrome extensions I'm hunting for! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NailheadBob Posted March 28, 2020 Share Posted March 28, 2020 Doug, I found several photo's of my 1958 Buick Special, I will attach them. I have a cute story, my youngest daughter was getting married and she wanted to use my 1958 Buick as a driver for the bride and groom. I agreed, and we used my 1958 Buick, and my 1962 Electra 225 (I do not have the 1962 anymore), and borrowed a friends (and BCA member) 1979 Electra Park Avenue to use for the bridal party. I drove the 1958, my brother n law drove the 1962, and my father n law drove the 1979, I had the 1950's, 1960's, and 1970's cars covered in the wedding parade of cars, that was pretty cool. My daughter told me after the wedding that her close friend (brides mate) thought it was so cool that I purchased and installed chrome letters on the trunk of my 1958 Buick"SPECIAL" because it was my daughter's "SPECIAL DAY".😂😂 Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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