1957 Special Four Door Hardtop, or at least most of the parts needed to make one.

[JohnD1956]

That line from the choke housing on the carb should go to a port on the lower inside of the right side exhaust manifold.

 

The alignment of the starter switch looks correct and just checking it was put together dry, no lubricant. At least the 56 manual indicates no lube is used there.

[NC-car-guy]

On 7/28/2023 at 8:15 PM, Angelfish said:

I got the exhaust run to the rear axle so there goes my excuse for not trying to start this thing.   I'll get the oil primed and review the break in information.  

 

Which position is PARK, referring to the shift lever visible in the center of the transmission.

 

And a little but of information on plumbing the top end.  I've looked at many nailheads but wasn't able to find everything I needed.  

 

Carter WDG (wgd?) 2 barrel carburetor.  There is an inlet in the automatic choke housing that connects to a line that runs toward the firewall.   Where does this line connect?  The oil pressure takeoff is back there but that's all I've found. 

As @JohnD1956 said. On the manifold.

What thread is the fuel inlet on the bowl?

 

What is the correct fuel line diameter?

 

Second picture is the brass 90* fitting on the intake.  Where does this connect? Vacuum for wipers along with a fitting coming out of your oil pan unless you deleted the vacuum/oil pump combo.

 

Third picture, outlet on the firewall side of the carb.  I'm guessing this is where you would connect the vacuum for the wipers? Distributor advance

 

Fourth, this is my best guess for the pedal start mechanism. 

Looks right. This can be found on hometown Buick or in your service manual i believe.

Fifth, I'm assuming the two smaller outlets near the water pump are for the heater lines.  I was just going to jump these with a short piece the the initial testing.   Yes

 

[Angelfish]

Thank you gentlemen.

 

And I had a little bit of luck today digging through boxes and sheds.  I found the line for the automatic choke and some fittings for the carburetor.   And Lance, if you happen to see this, I found a very nice rust free fan shroud.  You get first dibs if you find yourself needing another one.  

 

I should be very close to turning over the engine under its own power.  I was planning to hook up the original wire harness in a mad scientist sort of way.  I put power to the small pink and the green wire on the starter relay and got continuity to the large pink and black wires.

 

There is a scary thread from a few months ago about a rebuilt Buick engine that tore itself apart, so I'll be looking at that.

 

 

Edited July 30, 2023 by Angelfish (see edit history)

[Angelfish]

And about this vacuum nipple on the distributor advance.  That would appear to be 5/16 machine thread.  Where do I chase down one of those?

Edited July 30, 2023 by Angelfish (see edit history)

[NC-car-guy]

1 hour ago, Angelfish said:

And about this vacuum nipple on the distributor advance.  That would appear to be 5/16 machine thread.  Where do I chase down one of those?

I think Fusick has them

[Angelfish]

I guess tomorrow is the big day.  Our wire harness is working, at least for the time being.  The engine turned over under its own power for the first time in, I suspect, decades.  

 

So I'll fit the radiator and get some fuel to it and see if it will light.  

[Angelfish]

Notice anything? 

 

Hint: No oil pressure with the distributor installed.

 

Also, the vacuum nipple is custom made, which is why it's crooked.  I drilled out a 5/16 bolt and then tapped threads in side the brass fitting.  Should work for now.  

 

 

 

Edited August 7, 2023 by Angelfish (see edit history)

[Angelfish]

Ready to give it a try.

[Angelfish]

IT'S ALIVE!

 

My 5 second video was too large so it wouldn't post.

 

We preset the timing and plugged in the wires.  Fuel was supplied by the pump fed from a can on the floor by the front wheel.   I shot of few tablespoons of fuel into the carburetor.    It cranked for 15-20 seconds and tried to fire.  It took a few tries and some smoke and it would start and die, and then it fired and ran.  Turned the distributor and it smoothed out.  The smoke eventually subsided and it was running very nicely.

 

The Good:

It ran well but not perfectly, there's still a few things to sort it (as the saying goes).

 

Oil pressure was 25 - 45 psi, but I didn't have a tach on it. 

 

Valve train tappity tap got quieter and subsided altogether after a few minutes.  The lifters had spent a month soaking in oil before installation.

 

The Dynaflow will not accept its full ration of fluid until it has been run for while.  I had about 2 gallons in it and almost forgot to check and get it topped off.   But I was able to get a reading on the dipstick and get it filled within range. 

 

It would stay running if I kept the rpm above idle. 

 

The Bad

My water crossover is leaking at the O ring.

 

Seemed to run hot, even for a stationary engine.  I had a box fan up against the radiator so there was plenty of air flow.   After about 10 minutes I had your classic old movie steaming radiator.  

 

How can I tell if I have water circulating? 

 

There was an occasional squeal from the water pump.  I released the belt and spun the fan, it was smooth and free like it should be.  I reconnected the belt not as tight as before and didn't have the squeal.   *Edit - squeal started again, stethoscope says it's not the water pump, maybe just the new belt on new paint?

 

Doesn't look like the battery is charging while running.  I consider this minor right now so we'll see how it goes.  

 

But this has been a very good day.  

 

 

Edited August 8, 2023 by Angelfish (see edit history)

[JohnD1956]

How long was the thermostat sitting in the coolant? If for a year or more it may be stuck closed. That would lead to excessive pressure at the crossover area as the hot engine coolant eventually tries to get out by returning through your lower radiator hose while the pump is trying to suck coolant at the same time.  If you had left the radiator cap off you would have a geyser flowing from the opening. 

Sometimes when a thermostat sticks if you massage the upper hose you may get it to work. Other times it will open on the next run by itself. Just stand back if you leave that radiator cap off. Use a mirror over it to see if the coolant flows once the engine is warmed up. 

[Angelfish]

1 hour ago, JohnD1956 said:

How long was the thermostat sitting in the coolant? ...

The engine had no coolant until this morning, the thermostat has been in the housing for about 3 years.  The stuck thermostat seems possible.  While still hot I did crack the radiator cap and it would have geysered if I had taken it all the way off.   Engine oil does not show signs of water. 

[JohnD1956]

It still might work right at this point. I would try it again before taking anything apart. 

[NC-car-guy]

I always use some blue RTV on that crossover o-ring.  At 60+ years the metal on the nipple is rarely perfect and o-ring cant always compensate for the imperfections.  As far as charging, it's been a while since I messed with the old generators, but don't they have to be polarized after rebuild or extended disconnection? 

[Smartin]

Nice distributor gear!  LOL

 

The o-ring needs to be gooped up a LOT in order for that thing to seal.  And sometimes it still won't seal without a couple tries.  The thing that really sucks is that it's hard to access once installed and all the accessories are on it.

[old-tank]

Grooped up a lot but don't plug the hole in the nipple.  And put the o-ring in the timing cover and then install the crossover.

[Angelfish]

21 hours ago, Smartin said:

The o-ring needs to be gooped up a LOT in order for that thing to seal.  And sometimes it still won't seal without a couple tries.  

 

13 hours ago, old-tank said:

Grooped up a lot but don't plug the hole in the nipple.  And put the o-ring in the timing cover and then install the crossover.

I'm finding that some guys recommend two O rings, any thoughts on that?

[Smartin]

https://www.nailheadbuick.com/post/water-manifold-gasket-replacement

[Angelfish]

Well enough of the fun stuff.  The paint shop called and said they should be able to start on the car in September.   So today I pulled the passenger side windows, taking notes, drawing diagrams, sorting parts, all the while knowing that when the time comes I'll have not the slightest chance of remembering how they go back together.  The rear passenger window on a hard top is quite a piece of engineering.   But that's for another day.   I need to ask the shop if I can leave the wire harness in place.  And I also pulled the dash, or what was left of it.   With any luck the driver side windows will be out by the end of the week.  

 

Can anyone point to a wiper nut socket?  I haven't found them sold by size, just application.  

 

And thank you, each of you who has helped me along the way.

[JohnD1956]

Wishing you complete success! Its got to be exciting!

[EmTee]

Looks like there are several sources:

 

https://hhclassic.com/i-13874899-wiper-escutcheon-nut-tool.html

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/201099677708?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=201099677708&targetid=1645685073328&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9005075&poi=&campaignid=20382335946&mkgroupid=149914365045&rlsatarget=pla-1645685073328&abcId=9316952&merchantid=8123274

 

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/dck-912?seid=srese1&ppckw=pmax-tools

 

https://www.muttonhollowchevys.com/1953-1954-1955-1956-1957-1958-Chevy-Wiper-Escutcheon-Nut-Tool_p_258.html

[old-tank]

1 hour ago, EmTee said:

Looks like there are several sources:

 

https://hhclassic.com/i-13874899-wiper-escutcheon-nut-tool.html

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/201099677708?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&mkscid=101&itemid=201099677708&targetid=1645685073328&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9005075&poi=&campaignid=20382335946&mkgroupid=149914365045&rlsatarget=pla-1645685073328&abcId=9316952&merchantid=8123274

 

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/dck-912?seid=srese1&ppckw=pmax-tools

 

https://www.muttonhollowchevys.com/1953-1954-1955-1956-1957-1958-Chevy-Wiper-Escutcheon-Nut-Tool_p_258.html

Or if you don't want to pay or wait for it make one.

[Angelfish]

9 hours ago, EmTee said:

Looks like there are several sources:...

Thank you, makes sense that a Chevy tool would work.

[Angelfish]

Put the body back on the frame, as per paint shop instructions.  Just a few little things to finish up and it should be on its way.  My help showed up before I had the engine out so I did it after, but things are moving along.  

 

In the paint shop for a year, that's what he said to plan on.  Not a full time job for him, just a guy that paints cars for some walking around money.    That will give me some time and shop space for a few other things that need attention.  

 

And anyone who wants to post pictures of their Starlight Blue, Kearney Green or Belmont Green Buicks, I'd like to see them.  Especially the interiors.   Original color was shell beige, commonly known as pink.  Not even two tone, just pink, so I'm afraid the car will not be returned to factory color.   The red you see was added sometime along the way, they kept the pink roof and shot it red underneath.

 

I also did a compression test before the engine came out, 85-90 cold all the way across.  I thought that was pretty good for an engine that's been run for less than hour. 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 10, 2023 by Angelfish (see edit history)

[Angelfish]

Off to the paint shop, I'll be without most of Buick for several months.  I called the old gentleman that I bought it from 4 years ago and left a message.   He did not want to sell the car but time was catching up to him and he was unable to do the work, so I've been giving him periodic updates.  I'd really like to drive it back down to Denver and take him out to lunch, I hope I can finish it while he's still able to get out.  My Dad has also been following closely, a college friend had a similar car and they would use it for double dates.  

 

Its mate at the paint shop is a 1963 Corvette, completely stripped to bare glass.  The owner was thinking about getting it painted but it needed some transmission work so he took it in to get that done.  While at the shop, they managed to back it off the lift with the drivers' door open and peeled the door off.   Yikes. 

 

I need the steering wheel restored and there's countless small parts that came along in coffee cans and boxes, I'll be making an attempt at identifying them.   I don't even want to talk about the window regulators, I'll be asking for help when those go back in.  

 

A few months back my son bought a 1995 LeBaron out of a junkyard for $600.  All we knew was that we could turn the engine with a wrench and the interior was pretty good, and it had a title, but he liked the car so we decided to take a chance on it.  There's some rattley noises out of the top end of the engine but he's been driving it to school and doing a little bit of work on it.   We'll be able to spend some time getting it cleaned up.  

 

The Mercedes Benz 380SL has been a jewel but needs the AC compressor replaced, not a small job from all accounts, and a few vacuum leaks chased down.  

 

The 1949 Ford Truck needs the carburetor rebuilt in time for my nephew's home coming parade in a dusty little cow town 200 miles from here, so that's at the top of the list.  

 

The boat needs the outdrive seal replaced.

 

And there's the 1958 Jaguar inline 6.  Seized up and neglected, it's a sad story of a beautiful car left to rot by someone who refused to sell.  Most of it ended up in the scrap yard, but I was able to spirit away the engine and transmission (4 speed with overdrive).  I'll get them rebuilt and look for a car to put them in.  

 

So not to worry, plenty to do around here. 

 

 

 

Edited September 16, 2023 by Angelfish (see edit history)

[EmTee]

12 hours ago, Angelfish said:

So not to worry, plenty to do around here. 

Ha - I know the feeling! 

[lancemb]

@Angelfish you said you were thinking of painting the car green?  If so would you do the interior in green?  If so I've got a nearly perfect green steering wheel. 

[Angelfish]

12 hours ago, lancemb said:

@Angelfish you said you were thinking of painting the car green?  If so would you do the interior in green?  If so I've got a nearly perfect green steering wheel. 

Starlight Blue is high in the list, and I think Belmont Green or Kearney Green would look sharp.

 

I need to talk to you guys about the interior, ideally the interior would be color matched and from what I can tell the possibilities were nearly endless.    I'll to get some pictures to show you, the seats have already been recovered and new door panels were included, black and gray.  In my experience, finishing the seats before the mechanicals is a sign that a car will never be finished. 

 

So I have perfectly good seats and door panels in a color combination that I don't especially like, and I'm not sure of the quality.  Ideally I'd trade them for something I could use, but that seems like a long shot.  I'll get some pictures and we can start to figure out the best solution.

 

And thank you, I'd be happy to look at the steering wheel.  The more I get into this car the more I like it.

[demco32]

On 9/16/2023 at 1:58 AM, Angelfish said:

Off to the paint shop, I'll be without most of Buick for several months.  I called the old gentleman that I bought it from 4 years ago and left a message.   He did not want to sell the car but time was catching up to him and he was unable to do the work, so I've been giving him periodic updates.  I'd really like to drive it back down to Denver and take him out to lunch, I hope I can finish it while he's still able to get out.  My Dad has also been following closely, a college friend had a similar car and they would use it for double dates.  

 

Its mate at the paint shop is a 1963 Corvette, completely stripped to bare glass.  The owner was thinking about getting it painted but it needed some transmission work so he took it in to get that done.  While at the shop, they managed to back it off the lift with the drivers' door open and peeled the door off.   Yikes. 

 

I need the steering wheel restored and there's countless small parts that came along in coffee cans and boxes, I'll be making an attempt at identifying them.   I don't even want to talk about the window regulators, I'll be asking for help when those go back in.  

 

A few months back my son bought a 1995 LeBaron out of a junkyard for $600.  All we knew was that we could turn the engine with a wrench and the interior was pretty good, and it had a title, but he liked the car so we decided to take a chance on it.  There's some rattley noises out of the top end of the engine but he's been driving it to school and doing a little bit of work on it.   We'll be able to spend some time getting it cleaned up.  

 

The Mercedes Benz 380SL has been a jewel but needs the AC compressor replaced, not a small job from all accounts, and a few vacuum leaks chased down.  

 

The 1949 Ford Truck needs the carburetor rebuilt in time for my nephew's home coming parade in a dusty little cow town 200 miles from here, so that's at the top of the list.  

 

The boat needs the outdrive seal replaced.

 

And there's the 1958 Jaguar inline 6.  Seized up and neglected, it's a sad story of a beautiful car left to rot by someone who refused to sell.  Most of it ended up in the scrap yard, but I was able to spirit away the engine and transmission (4 speed with overdrive).  I'll get them rebuilt and look for a car to put them in.  

 

So not to worry, plenty to do around here. 

 

 

 

which Jaguar? it look like a mark 1 engine

[Angelfish]

1 hour ago, demco32 said:

which Jaguar? it look like a mark 1 engine

Indeed, 1958 Mark I.   Beautiful car even in this condition.  My Dad had been trying to buy the car since 1970.  The owner finally let it go last year after letting it sit outside in a damp climate.   It was sunk into the ground and the floor and subframe were pretty much absent from the car.   I saved the engine, transmission, instruments and some small parts.

 

I know it doesn't look too bad here but it was a rusted out hulk.  We weren't sure it wouldn't break in half on the tow over.  If we could have saved it we would have.  The leaping jaguar on the hood was intact, so not a total loss.

 

[EmTee]

9 hours ago, Angelfish said:

I need to talk to you guys about the interior, ideally the interior would be color matched and from what I can tell the possibilities were nearly endless

Check the information at Hometown Buick: https://www.hometownbuick.com/portfolio/1957-buick-special-riviera-sedan-model-43/

[57Century]

Hi, have you decided on the color or colors?

[Angelfish]

22 hours ago, 57Century said:

Hi, have you decided on the color or colors?

We were talking about that again over Christmas.  It will be two tone, probably white top (no air conditioning) and under the trim line.

 

Color, I keep coming back to starlight blue.  What's really holding me back from a blue/white combination is that's so ordinary.   I'll admit it's crossed my mind to copy your colors, less common and looks really nice.  But that seems like cheating.

 

Did you have a second choice for your car that you didn't use?  You might be better at choosing combinations than I am.  I'm open to ideas, just no yellow or black.

[JohnD1956]

9 hours ago, Angelfish said:

I'm open to ideas, just no yellow or black.

WTH?!?!
 🤔  😄

[Angelfish]

1 hour ago, JohnD1956 said:

WTH?!?!
 🤔  😄

I'm allergic to bees.

[lancemb]

On 12/31/2023 at 12:51 PM, Angelfish said:

We were talking about that again over Christmas.  It will be two tone, probably white top (no air conditioning) and under the trim line.

 

Color, I keep coming back to starlight blue.  What's really holding me back from a blue/white combination is that's so ordinary.   I'll admit it's crossed my mind to copy your colors, less common and looks really nice.  But that seems like cheating.

 

Did you have a second choice for your car that you didn't use?  You might be better at choosing combinations than I am.  I'm open to ideas, just no yellow or black.

It's your choice of course, but these never came from the factory with "sandwiched" colors.  On small body Buicks in 57, they were only two-toned with a second color below the sweepspear.

[Angelfish]

On 1/9/2024 at 1:00 PM, lancemb said:

… two-toned with a second color below the sweepspear.

Thank you Lance that’s good to know.  Doesn’t seem right to just paint it the same as 57Century, but it’s a beautiful combination.  It is unlikely we’d ever end up parked next to each other in the Walmart parking lot.  
 

Edited January 12 by Angelfish (see edit history)

[Angelfish]