1925-25X Downunder

[Buick Downunder]

HI All

Having originally purchased my unrestored 1925-25X from the second owner in 2009, after he had owned it for 50+ years and had had it sitting for many decades.  At the ripe old age of 86 years I was fortunate enough to get it back up and running and road registered soon after and enjoyed discussions on this forum whilst I tinkered.  My car was featured in the September 2010 Buick Bugle Magazine for the 1925 Models, which tells the story of the car from that time.

 

in 2015, I was forced to change jobs unexpectedly and I decided to put the car on the market - before telling my family what I had done. I was contacted by the children (now in their 40s) of the previous owner who had since passed away, who bought it from me the next weekend.  

 

Seven years later (late last year) the second owner's family contacted me to see if I was interested in purchasing the car back, as they were looking to sell the car - to which I immediately said 'yes!'  The car was still in the spot I parked it on delivery 7 years before, but fortunately kept out of the weather for the duration in their care.  I managed to get it up and running over a day or two on its return - now 96 years old and whilst showing its battle scars in places - it remains largely intact with original timber, mechanicals and original black duco (underneath the two coats of brush painting and a 1960s vacuum cleaner spray job!), which I am certain will make it to 100 without a pull down restoration.

 

The Buick is parked back at our home in the same parking spot it used to reside in and in some respects it doesn't feel like it ever left.  Some of you may remember the car?  Funny enough I am using some of my old posts to remind me how to do things that I have forgotten in this time - showing how great a resource this forum is and incredibly useful.

 

I look forward to catching up with fellow vintage owners again and certainly expect to have some silly questions as I embark on getting the car ready for rallying again.

Edited April 13, 2022 by Buick Downunder
typo (see edit history)

[dibarlaw]

Ben:

 I did not realize you sold the car after we began corresponding after I had bought my 25-25 in 2011.

 As always, we are ready to help.

Good luck in the "refreshing" of your car! 

[Oldtech]

Nice. We have the same car (Canadian McLaughlin) version at our local museum. I get to drive it and maintain it. 

[Buick Downunder]

8 hours ago, dibarlaw said:

Ben:

 I did not realize you sold the car after we began corresponding after I had bought my 25-25 in 2011.

 As always, we are ready to help.

Good luck in the "refreshing" of your car! 

Yes unfortunately it all happened quickly and glad it’s back I think I’m currently refreshing my memory on Delco S/G which is now providing a dead short through the commentator to the generator side (A).  Great way to cause a fire under the dash and melt the ignition switch!   I am suspecting brush insulators may be the culprit as everything else tests ok until the bottom brush goes on.  
 

 

[Oregon Desert model 45]

Inside the S-G unit are 2 insulated rollers mounted on the brush lift arm that break apart and cause a short.  Replacing both of these rollers at the same time would prevent a short.  The big roller looked like it was made from hard rubber and the small one from bakelite.  I machined new rollers from nylon for my S-G unit.  

Kevin 

[Hubert_25-25]

Hi Ben, 

    You have a solid looking Buick.  I always get excited when I see another 1925-25 as there are really not very many of them out there.

A lot has happened since 2015 as that is when I bought my 1925-25.  Complete now, but it has been a full 7 years to complete the restoration.  I have a lot of technical documents that you can benefit from.  Besides all the mechanical and electrical stuff, several people have been using them to restore their tops and interiors as a guide.   You can follow them and won't need to deviate.  In fact I am noticing that your top frame is the same as mine, and many export models had a different configuration in the last top socket.  I have all the dimensions for side curtains as well, so there will be no stopping you from going on a long tour one day even if the weather turns sour.  Not suggesting that you need to do a full restoration either, but I do find when putting these cars back together, that it is much easier if you know exactly how the manufacturer did it.  I have all the drawings for anything that will make your car as watertight as it was in 1925.       Hugh   

 

Edited April 14, 2022 by Hubert_25-25 (see edit history)

[Buick Downunder]

11 hours ago, Hubert_25-25 said:

Hi Ben, 

    You have a solid looking Buick.  I always get excited when I see another 1925-25 as there are really not very many of them out there.

A lot has happened since 2015 as that is when I bought my 1925-25.  Complete now, but it has been a full 7 years to complete the restoration.  I have a lot of technical documents that you can benefit from.  Besides all the mechanical and electrical stuff, several people have been using them to restore their tops and interiors as a guide.   You can follow them and won't need to deviate.  In fact I am noticing that your top frame is the same as mine, and many export models had a different configuration in the last top socket.  I have all the dimensions for side curtains as well, so there will be no stopping you from going on a long tour one day even if the weather turns sour.  Not suggesting that you need to do a full restoration either, but I do find when putting these cars back together, that it is much easier if you know exactly how the manufacturer did it.  I have all the drawings for anything that will make your car as watertight as it was in 1925.       Hugh   

 

Thanks very much Hugh. I found the details on upholstery last night and very good. The hood on my car has not been serviceable for many many years and I started out in 2009 to get this fixed - but the local person here who does hood bows convinced me to change the dimensions and made a set of totally useless bows - which when I look back was probably the reason I sold it!  Any information on this aspect would be appreciated as it is a bit tricky to take it out without a top as it either rains here or you get fried by the sun (or both)!  Your car looks the treat and I am sure the time spent assured you have a good reliable car for many years.  Mine was black all over originally and one day I’ll put it back. I agree keeping them as close to factory spec is the best approach and great to know this documentation has need written. 

[Buick Downunder]

13 hours ago, Oregon Desert model 45 said:

Inside the S-G unit are 2 insulated rollers mounted on the brush lift arm that break apart and cause a short.  Replacing both of these rollers at the same time would prevent a short.  The big roller looked like it was made from hard rubber and the small one from bakelite.  I machined new rollers from nylon for my S-G unit.  

Kevin 

Thanks Kevin. This is what I was thinking might be the problem.  I’ve got the SG on its way out of the car again and will look closely at these insulators.

[hidden_hunter]

Holden body?

[Morgan Wright]

5 hours ago, hidden_hunter said:

Holden body?

 

Yeah, is it an FJ?

 

 

[Hubert_25-25]

Ben, 

   I have made full size drawings of nearly all the wood on the 1925-25.  I had this digitized so that you can print 8 1/2 x 11, or can have them printed globally at any large office supply chain.  This will allow you to either verify what you have or have someone make the bows per the drawings.  There is also a metal plate that attaches to the front bow that provides the water tight seal between the top and the windshield.  I have drawings of this sheetmetal and how to install it as well.  Hugh

[dibarlaw]

Hugh:

 I see that you added the durable dot snaps the visor drawing. Now that makes more sense on how that was done.

[Hubert_25-25]

For the touring cars (I do not know about the roadsters), inside the Buick boot cover are 2 straps that hold the top fabric and more inmportantly keep the rear window from bouncing on the rear tire.  The back of the car has 2 "lift the dot" pins with screw threads on the back side.  A good place to allow water thru to the wood, so probably one of the first fasteners to fall off the car.   Also a little tricky to put these in the middle of the hidem and get them to look good.  The lift the dot fasterner with the hole in it on the straps here only works one way.  If you get it wrong it will not hold the strap in place.  You can tell the correct orientation by looking at the wire in the snap itself and see how it grabs the pin. 

On the visor are 2 durable dot studs and the durable dot buttons are on the straps.  Again the durable dot stud is exposed to the elements with top material underneath it.  Another candidate for falling off.        

Even if a person does not have the boot cover, they should at least have the straps.     Hugh

[Buick Downunder]

On 4/15/2022 at 8:12 AM, hidden_hunter said:

Holden body?

Yes Holden body - Woodville plant I assume.

[Buick Downunder]

Thanks for this information.  I will be needing this very soon - once I solve this SG!

[hidden_hunter]

2 minutes ago, Buick Downunder said:

Yes Holden body - Woodville plant I assume.

I don’t know if that makes any of difference or not, whether holden changed it anything 

[Buick Downunder]

8 hours ago, hidden_hunter said:

I don’t know if that makes any of difference or not, whether holden changed it anything 

Holden started making local changes in 1934 for tourer such as a trunk addition and then the sloper but the 1925 Buick was the same as fisher bodied US versions. This is my twin brothers Holden bodied 1934 Oldsmobile which isn’t found anywhere else in the world. 1 of 4 known to survive. 

Edited April 16, 2022 by Buick Downunder (see edit history)

[hidden_hunter]

27 minutes ago, Buick Downunder said:

Holden started making local changes in 1934 for tourer such as a trunk addition and then the sloper but the 1925 Buick was the same as fisher bodied US versions. This is my twin brothers Holden bodied 1934 Oldsmobile which isn’t found anywhere else in the world. 1 of 4 known to survive. 

 

 

They deviated with bodies in 34, but I'm not sure that their parts are all interchangable with the fisher versions on the earlier ones 

[michael.stumpf]

I just purchased a 25/25 chassis and running gear .... well most of it .... from a farm in Stanthorpe, Qld ..... rescued it from the top of a granite boulder where it looks like it sat for the last 50 years. Engine is still in the chassis but most of it is toast.... the engine is 90% complete but the bearing support near the water pump/magneto is broken off. The head may be good and the intake and exhaust manifolds and rocker cover are still fitted; I will offer these for sale at some point. and the rest will probably go for scrap.

[michael.stumpf]

The rear axle and diff is pretty well much toast some internal gears are cracked in the diff and a key was driven in between the axle and hub that must have been 1.5x the size it should have been and split the hub; can any of the inside bits and axles be swapped out from a later model (I have a 47 rear axle with all internals sitting at home)? I want to/need to keep the rear housing as the springs are cantilevered and the axle pivots on the spring hangers.

 

Also, has anyone used a T5 transmission behind their straight 8 (320ci)?

Edited February 22 by michael.stumpf (see edit history)

[Oldtech]

To the rear axle question. No. The rear in the 25 is a smaller version with Hyatt roller bearings in the wheels, and a 2 gear diff. It was discontinued  after 28?? maybe.  

[Leif Holmberg]

michael.stumpf. Try to find a 1926-1927 Std.model comlet rear axle that will fit on your 1925-25.The differens is that it has axle splines instead of square axle as on the 1925 and earlier rear axles.But not sure if the wheel axle  hub are the same dimention on 1925 Std as on the later ones?

[michael.stumpf]

On 2/5/2024 at 1:51 PM, michael.stumpf said:

I just purchased a 25/25 chassis and running gear .... well most of it .... from a farm in Stanthorpe, Qld ..... rescued it from the top of a granite boulder where it looks like it sat for the last 50 years. Engine is still in the chassis but most of it is toast.... the engine is 90% complete but the bearing support near the water pump/magneto is broken off. The head may be good and the intake and exhaust manifolds and rocker cover are still fitted; I will offer these for sale at some point. and the rest will probably go for scrap.

I gave the engine to a guy in Toowoomba and bought a few things from him - 5 wire wheels and two front hubs for the wire wheels with the retaining rings and lock caps included.  So now I'm still chasing the rear retaining hubs and rings and caps. Also chasing front springs as what a local seller thought were front springs turned out to be rear springs. And thanks to Leif, I'll see if I can track down a 26/27 rear axle for the better splined axles.

Edited February 24 by michael.stumpf (see edit history)