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1916 D-45 BUICK START-UP


Terry Wiegand

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There is Great News this evening!  We put about 4 miles on the car early this evening in our neighborhood.  Went through all the gears and had it up to about 25 MPH for a short stretch.  The next thing is to get the brakes adjusted properly.  I am going to adjust the rods via the turnbuckles first because the foot pedal is going almost to the floorboard before things take a hold.  I knew that this was going to have to be done.  Once that is done then the fine adjustment on the brake bands will come into play.  There is a huge learning curve to get things like they need to be when all is said and done.  I had one instance of some gear clash when going from second to high.  The boss said HEY! what's going on here.  I told her it's called learning to drive this car all over again.  It sure was a fun drive for a while.  That engine runs so smooth and the throttle response is better than I ever remember it being almost 50 years ago.  We are going to do some video in the morning.

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas  aka  Way Out in Doo Dah

AACA Life Member #947918

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Our daughter and son-in-law were here this morning and they got their first rides.  Mary created two videos with the car.  The first one is a walk around of the car with the engine running and then I go into some detail about who did what on the car for us.  The second one has her in the front passenger seat and we take about a two mile drive.  She got some good shots of the speedometer, ammeter, and the rest of the dashboard.  She is going to do what has to be done so that the videos can be shared on here.  We have over 10 miles on the clock right now and that is just in our neighborhood.  I have to get to work now and get the car really cleaned up and detailed out so that we can get the video done on the Douglas Photographic turntable.  East Moline is now less than a month away.

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

AACA Life Member #947918

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This is what everyone has been waiting for.  Two videos were done on Saturday (07/16) and they were put on YouTube this afternoon.  We are very new to this so please bear with us and everyone will get to see the results of what has been going on with this car for the last few years.  What you will see in these videos is a car that has not been detailed out because it is very dusty and in some places just plain dirty.  We hope that you will enjoy watching what we had a lot of fun putting together.  It was 46 years and 11 days since the last time that I drove this car.  I am finding out that I am having to learn to drive it all over again.  The steering is very tight, the cone clutch operation is very smooth.  The transmission shifts very smooth with the flaked graphite added to the gear oil.  I know that I will be going over things every time that it is driven for quite a while.  Mark Shaw has given me good information about how to get the brakes adjusted properly.  I am working on that and I'm not quite there just yet, but I'm closer than I was.  Here is what you need to do to see the videos.  Get on YouTube website.  Type in my name, TERRY WIEGAND, in the search box.  It will bring up the 4 videos that I have on YouTube.  The two that you will want to watch are 1916 BUICK WALK AROUND and 1916 BUICK LOCAL DRIVE.  Thanks for your patience with this.  We have a lot to learn here.

 

Terry and Barbara Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

AACA Life Members #947918

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Neil,

Thank you for posting the videos on the Forum.  As I said earlier, this is all brand new to me.  I'm just a lowly toolmaker who loves old Buicks.

 

Rock,

I told my daughter that she did a very good job on these videos.  She will enjoy your comment.

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

AACA Life Member #947918

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19 minutes ago, Terry Wiegand said:

Neil,

Thank you for posting the videos on the Forum.  As I said earlier, this is all brand new to me.  I'm just a lowly toolmaker who loves old Buicks.

 

Magnificent job, Terry!  I'm happy to have helped make sure that as many people see your videos as possible.

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Congratulations Terry!  Something to be very proud of!  How quickly we forget all the setbacks, and the busted knuckles once we are sitting behind that wheel cruising along!!

She sounds solid and strong..  Many many happy miles!

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Glad to see it going down the road. Looks and sounds great. One suggestion…….drive it EVERY day from now till your tour……….there will be a bunch of small sorting issues. If the car will go 1000 miles, it will go 10,000.

push through and get the sorting done…………too any people just stop at this point. Sorting it is difficult work, but when finished you should have a lifetime of enjoyment with just basic service left to do. Congratulations on a successful long and hard slog to cross the finish line. 

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Ed is absolutely right on with his comments.  I went over all of the wheel rim wedge nuts this morning.  Found only two that needed a little bit more tightening.  The two oil lines that feed the sight gauge on the dash need a little snugging up on the fittings up under the dash - had a little bit of seepage onto the top toe board.  It will be things like this for a while.  Every thing seems tight for the time being.  The thing that just blows me away is how sweet that engine runs.  The folks at Abrahams Machine did an excellent job with the rebuild.  The thing now is to get the miles on it before The Red Flag Tour.  Thank You to everyone for the encouragement along the way and the good words about things now.  I'm heading out now for a ride.

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

AACA Life Member #947918

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I am really wanting to get the car out and drive it for awhile.  It was 108 degrees in the shade here this afternoon and that really puts a skid on just about everything that goes on outside.  We really appreciate all of the comments that have been sent our way with regard to this restoration.  I am looking forward to taking the car to East Moline next month.  I am experiencing first hand just how my Dad felt when he finished the restoration on one of his many 2-Cylinder John Deere Tractors.

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

AACA Life Member #947918

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Terry:

Well it was only 92 here in PA. I did about 17 miles in Beulah. Up and down some hills checking on power. After the run, using my laser thermometer, the radiator was only about at 155 degrees. Motometer showing not more than COOL MOTOR line. After a hot day run I still check the waterpump packing nuts and shaft for temp. and they were about 148 degrees as was the shaft at both ends. Looking for hot spots as I had to redo my pump after the front bearing seized up the shaft and took out the timing gear.

 So far so very good.

It was a joy to ride along with you and Mary in your videos.

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1 hour ago, dibarlaw said:

Terry:

Well it was only 92 here in PA. I did about 17 miles in Beulah. Up and down some hills checking on power. After the run, using my laser thermometer, the radiator was only about at 155 degrees. Motometer showing not more than COOL MOTOR line. After a hot day run I still check the waterpump packing nuts and shaft for temp. and they were about 148 degrees as was the shaft at both ends. Looking for hot spots as I had to redo my pump after the front bearing seized up the shaft and took out the timing gear.

 So far so very good.

It was a joy to ride along with you and Mary in your videos.

 

That is certainly a good way to test the car....92 degrees, pull some hills, but make the trip short and stay close to home.  Sounds like your car is dialed in Larry. 👍

 

Short trips build confidence in the car being reliable enough to take longer trips. 

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19 hours ago, Terry Wiegand said:

I am really wanting to get the car out and drive it for awhile.  It was 108 degrees in the shade here this afternoon and that really puts a skid on just about everything that goes on outside.  We really appreciate all of the comments that have been sent our way with regard to this restoration.  I am looking forward to taking the car to East Moline next month.  I am experiencing first hand just how my Dad felt when he finished the restoration on one of his many 2-Cylinder John Deere Tractors.

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

AACA Life Member #947918


108 in the shade….. what’s the problem? Just drive it in the sun! 😂

 

I know this sounds crazy.  Here in Florida it’s so hot in the summer I drive a lot of my own cars at 10 pm. I bought a half a dozen Snap-On magnetic LED flashlights and stick them on the front bumper. They work great. Probably put 50 miles on the 1917 before I had the headlights working. 
 

Remember….. you need to thermal cycle that engine bunch of times. A short 1 mile ride at 10 PM won’t hurt anything and it should be comfortable enough that it’s healthy for you. 

Edited by edinmass (see edit history)
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21 hours ago, Terry Wiegand said:

I am really wanting to get the car out and drive it for awhile.  It was 108 degrees in the shade here this afternoon and that really puts a skid on just about everything that goes on outside.  We really appreciate all of the comments that have been sent our way with regard to this restoration.  I am looking forward to taking the car to East Moline next month.  I am experiencing first hand just how my Dad felt when he finished the restoration on one of his many 2-Cylinder John Deere Tractors.

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

AACA Life Member #947918

Unless they imported some hills to your part of Kansas, you aren’t going to tax that Buick or hurt anything.  Get out and put some miles on it and get it sorted out. Better now, than on a tour with 100 ‘experts’ passing you by as you sit on the side of the road or on the back of a flat bed. 
 

Where’s a copy of that article where they used Buicks to run the Baghdad Express back in the day?

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The advice is well taken.  After our evening meal we put almost 10 miles on the car right in our local neighborhood.  I have a little bit left to do with the brake adjustment, but they stop the car in good order.  I can see right now with this drive that the clutch is going to need a little adjustment.  The clutch cone is very smooth but I feel like the cone is not coming back out of the flywheel as far as it should.  This car has a clutch brake so a person has to be careful not to push the pedal all the way down or everything comes to a complete stop and this is not what a person wants to happen.  I checked temperatures right after we pulled into the shop and shut it off.  The inside top tank on the radiator checked right on 187 degrees.  The front side of the water pump (packing nut) checked at 150 degrees.  The back packing nut checked 146 degrees.  Between #'s 5 and 6 cylinder on the block the temperature was 191 degrees.  Between #'s 1 and 2 cylinder on the block the temperature was 192 degrees.  I feel like the cooling system is operating as it should.  When we pulled back into the shop the outside air temperature was 91 degrees.  Maybe this has some effect on heat dissipation?  I'm sure that we would have had slightly lower operating temps if it was 60 degrees outside.  It's crawl under and check the clutch adjustment in the morning.

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas  Doo Dah

AACA Life Member #947918

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1 hour ago, Terry Wiegand said:

This car has a clutch brake so a person has to be careful not to push the pedal all the way down or everything comes to a complete stop and this is not what a person wants to happen

My 1918 Pierce has a clutch brake and it's the hardest thing to get used to after I've been driving another crashbox car--put the clutch all the way to the floor ONLY when at rest (going to reverse or first or other starting gear).  The only solution is mental....

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George,

It has been over 46 years since I drove this car and as I said before, it is learn to drive it all over again.  I do truly believe that the clutch needs some adjustment and I am going to play around with that in the morning.  That newly lined leather cone sure is smooth.  Bob Knaack did a great job with that.  Will keep everyone advised with the progress.

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

AACA Life Member #947918

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46 years?  Terry, you'll re-learn the cone clutch technique in 46 minutes, which should be close at hand now!  The car is an absolute beauty, and we all have been admiring your attention to detail and suffered with you when you experienced a glitch on the first start.  Very best wishes for success at East Moline!

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I got out there first thing this morning to see what could be done about the clutch adjustment.  Before I started I was looking at this ol'gal and I thought this would make a pretty decent photograph.  So, here it is.  I got under on the creeper and wouldn't you just know it, I went the wrong way on the adjustment threads and that didn't work well at all.  Went back under and hopefully got things right this time.  Sometimes laying on your back and trying to get it right with the threads will mess your thinking up a little bit.  I'd bet my last dollar that the old leather on the cone was what left on the car from Flint.  Bob Knaack relined the cone for me and I am thinking that the new leather changed the adjustment a little bit.  When the transmission was removed from the engine and cleaned up I did not do anything with the adjustments.  My thinking was and still is, I'm going to have to do it now after everything is all back together and seated in place.  A little bit of trial and try again is what it is gonna take to get this just right.  Ain't we having fun!

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

AACA Life Member #947918

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Dave,

Our friend, Mr. DiBarry, taught me the importance of keeping a very close eye on the water pump packing nuts area.  I went through that miserable mess one time and that was more than enough for me.  That poor fellow had multiple doses of misery in that area.  Things seem to be working out real swell for my water pump.  I'll do what it takes to keep things that way.  We're going to take the car for a ride this evening and see how the latest clutch adjustment is going to work.  We are supposed to be getting a cool-down from this blasted heat at the end of next week.  Will keep everyone up to date on the sorting.

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas

AACA Life Member #947918

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Gee……..George driving a car admitting he’s a mental case………… to be fair, all of his close friends such as myself and other Pierce Arrow Society members have known this for years. It’s not the voices in his head that he answers to that bother me. It’s when he jumps on the brakes……trying to stop for a hallucination! 🫣

 

 

Somehow when I see him early next month for lunch, I have an inkling he’s gonna remind me about this post and make me buy lunch! I think we’ll go to the In-N-Out Burger. 😎

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56 minutes ago, edinmass said:

Gee……..George driving a car admitting he’s a mental case………… to be fair, all of his close friends such as myself and other Pierce Arrow Society members have known this for years. It’s not the voices in his head that he answers to that bother me. It’s when he jumps on the brakes……trying to stop for a hallucination! 🫣

 

 

Somehow when I see him early next month for lunch, I have an inkling he’s gonna remind me about this post and make me buy lunch! I think we’ll go to the In-N-Out Burger. 😎

Didn't affect me, though.....didn't affect me, though......didn't affect me, though......didn't affect me, though...

 

Ed, you'll have to meet my friend Tim (who's not on the forum) who has a T-shirt reading "I do whatever the voices in my wife's head tell me to do."  She doesn't care to be seen with him when he's wearing that shirt....

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After you get the clutch adjusted and I assume have the service brakes already adjusted, next is the parking brake. 
 

It needs to work and be as effective as the service brake.  The first time you get caught in the rain and find out the external bands are worthless wet, you will thank me. This includes washing the car and backing down the driveway and being able to stop for the oncoming car or kid on a bike. 

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I think I have the clutch cone disengagement set about right.  It only took three tries to get to this point.  The first attempt was totally off the wall because I went the wrong way with the adjustment screw.  I got the oil line seepage up under the dash on the firewall taken care of last evening.  With regard to oil seepage, the only thing left (that I know about now) is the sight gauge proper in the dash panel.  The knurled ferrule that holds the glass is brass and it needs to be tightened just a bit to shut everything from seeping.  I'm thinking Hobby Lobby might have a small piece of leather that I could use with my Channellock's to gently tighten the ring.  Ed, what was that you were saying about the sorting things out?🤪  The engine sure runs smooth.  Maybe it's just my imagination but it seems like it gets a little better every time it is driven.

 

Terry Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas  bka  Doo Dah

AACA Life Member #947918

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21 hours ago, Terry Wiegand said:

Maybe it's just my imagination but it seems like it gets a little better every time it is driven.

Based on my experience, it's not your imagination -- if something is wrong the car will not hesitate to let you know...  ;)

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Plus……sorting your own car means roadside adjustments and issues are a familiar territory……….nothing better than knowing your car so there is no mystery……….drive on!

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And drive this car we are!  We drove it over to Buhler, Kansas which is about 15 miles from home.  We met up with Luke Chennell for lunch.  He drove his '23 Model 41 Buick down from McPherson.  Buhler is about half way between Hutchinson and McPherson.  It is windier here today than we would like, but we want to get the miles on the clock.  When we pulled back in the drive there is almost 53 miles on the odometer since last Friday.  I'm getting the shifting technique down pretty good.  And one other thing that I am really happy about on this little jaunt - absolutely no tools of any kind were taken along.  The car seems really happy cruising along between 25 and 30 miles per hour.  With the larger wheels and the rear axle gearing, I'm thinking that this would have been about right for back in the day given road conditions at that time.  We're going for Ice Cream tomorrow afternoon.  Any reason at all to get the car out and drive it is just fine with us.

 

Terry and Barbara Wiegand

South Hutchinson, Kansas 

AACA Life Members #947918

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