Niels Posted October 7 Share Posted October 7 while starting to document the story of my car i came across some old negative's of my car when it was collected by my grandfather so i digitalised them. Hopefully you guys enjoy them as i do as i continue to post my 55 buick and the shenanigans i get up with. it did not fit in the first garage apparently 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted October 7 Author Share Posted October 7 So another one feom the old archive is somewhere in the 90's when my grandfather owned the car ge drove it around being part of a 40's&50's american enthousiast club in Belgium. These are some old scanned negative's from then 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil morse Posted October 7 Share Posted October 7 Welcome to the forum, Niels! We almost have the same name. It's great that you have those old photos of your Buick. I look forward to learning more about you and your car. Neil 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted October 8 Author Share Posted October 8 8 hours ago, neil morse said: Welcome to the forum, Niels! We almost have the same name. It's great that you have those old photos of your Buick. I look forward to learning more about you and your car. Neil Yeah i like the history part behind it. Would love to 1 day figure out its old american history from when it was new/what type of plates where on it and where it all drove around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted October 8 Author Share Posted October 8 To continue the foto yourney in 2012 my grandfather sadly passed away and with that the car was sold. At the time i was to young to be able to buy the car. It was taken from it storage place for 1 last ride to a garage where it would be picked up by the buyer. I still rember that dreadfull drive like it was yesterday. (From here on out the quality of the pictures gets beter) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drhach Posted October 8 Share Posted October 8 Welcome Niels, I really like the color of that car. Hopefully the story ends with you getting it back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted October 9 Author Share Posted October 9 so from 2012 we take a leap forward to late summer of 2022 while out and about to a big meeting with my 1969 opel kadet B fastback at the time where i stumble upon a familiar looking car. after reconnecting with the owner (had some contact with him over the years) it was a pleasant moment being eye to eye with the car again. the bells in my head started spinning and before i knew it on the 5th of October 2022 i was reunited with the buick and could finally call it my own. that evening i had the pleasure of driving the car home 80 kilometres (50 miles+-) in heavy chaotic evening traffic. this being my first time driving that car and a car of that size on drum brakes it was a experience to say the least. but wouldn't trade it for anything This is the short version of the story. i will use this page to share foto's and struggles from 2022 on out and forward 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fr. Buick Posted October 10 Share Posted October 10 Niels, welcome! You have a very cool car there, and a great story. Where in Belgium are you? I spent five happy years in school at KUL in Leuven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted October 10 Author Share Posted October 10 1 hour ago, Fr. Buick said: Niels, welcome! You have a very cool car there, and a great story. Where in Belgium are you? I spent five happy years in school at KUL in Leuven. I am based around antwerp but i go anywhere and everywhere with my cars. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted October 10 Share Posted October 10 18 hours ago, Niels said: This is the short version of the story. i will use this page to share foto's and struggles from 2022 on out and forward Create a thread in the "Me and My Buick" forum: https://forums.aaca.org/forum/58-me-and-my-buick/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil morse Posted October 10 Share Posted October 10 Hey @EmTee , Did you skip your morning coffee again? 😜 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted October 10 Share Posted October 10 Great story Neils, and great car too. Reading through the thread and when I got to the point where your granddad was gone and the car sold it honestly brought tears to my eyes! It was because of a '56 Roadmaster my grandfather owned I got into these great cars! So I have a '56 Roadmaster and my son has a '55 Special and welcome to the forum. Fabulous that you got it back! Keith 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted October 10 Author Share Posted October 10 8 minutes ago, Buicknutty said: Great story Neils, and great car too. Reading through the thread and when I got to the point where your granddad was gone and the car sold it honestly brought tears to my eyes! It was because of a '56 Roadmaster my grandfather owned I got into these great cars! So I have a '56 Roadmaster and my son has a '55 Special and welcome to the forum. Fabulous that you got it back! Keith yeah the connection with the car is what does it for me dont get me wrong i love the looks of the car. but sentimental value exceeds everything. like a good 56's roadmaster would love one day but have my eyes set on a 55 station or cabrio first. but with now doing extensive work on my 55 century, completing a Opel project car and starting a Nash metropolitan restauration for my girlfriend the next Buick has been pushed down the line a bit. but hey i am still young so have plenty of years to get the next one and i am sure it wont stop after that 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted October 10 Author Share Posted October 10 was doing some digging of pictures of meetings/drives i went on in 2023 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil morse Posted October 10 Share Posted October 10 Great photos, thanks for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted October 10 Share Posted October 10 Fabulous pics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted October 13 Author Share Posted October 13 So in late 2023 i had the frivolous joy of discovering a coolant leak under my car. at first i thought it was a simple hose that punctured but it turned out to the freeze plugs in the engine. so with that the engine needed to come out and a whole lot of stuff i was putting off was now time to do. the engine was checked and got a good clean with a lot of new seals and hoses etc. from the documents that i have this was the first engine out since 1974(before that i don't know). it took some time but well worth it for the long term. 1 week after the install 1 of the only hoses not replaced (going to the interior heater) snapped and had to be replaced. and well that took me some time to get due to having no lift and it being in a awkward position to get to but hey you learn something new about your car on how to do things. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAD36 Posted October 13 Share Posted October 13 (edited) Good job. Makes me reach for my pills every time I see someone have to take an engine out of a 55. 🤣. Mine was also my grandfathers so can appreciate your attachment. Nice car - hope you have many safe happy miles with it. You know, since you’re already doing one and the engines out might want to poke at the rest....🙃 Edited October 13 by KAD36 (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted October 13 Author Share Posted October 13 3 hours ago, KAD36 said: Good job. Makes me reach for my pills every time I see someone have to take an engine out of a 55. 🤣. Mine was also my grandfathers so can appreciate your attachment. Nice car - hope you have many safe happy miles with it. You know, since you’re already doing one and the engines out might want to poke at the rest....🙃 I defintly needed some pills doing the engine out. My luck is i had a verry good mechanic with a lot of good advice to guide me true it all. But boy was i in over my head without realising it. But with some blood sweat and a lot of cash it was alright in the end. Once i get my photo's on my pc i will show the rest. Because 2024 has been a real shitshow to say the least it has turned my car hobby upside down and i cant wait for it to be 2025 and be done with 2024. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted October 14 Share Posted October 14 Niels, did you detail the engine compartment while the engine was out? What is the current status; is the engine back in the car now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted October 14 Author Share Posted October 14 7 hours ago, EmTee said: Niels, did you detail the engine compartment while the engine was out? What is the current status; is the engine back in the car now? Hey, the engine went back in and is curently in yes. I did a lot of cleaning before the engine got pulled and everything was made as clean without spending to much money on it. My plan is this winter to do a fresh undercoat protection on the car and with that i might refresh the paint around the engine bay/in front of the radiator. Currently the car is without its gearbox and missing a lot of chrome due to a accident i wasnt at fault with but am now stuck with the cost of it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted October 15 Author Share Posted October 15 beginning of may 2024 was the worst day i could have ever imaged. while on my way to help setup a big expo and put my car on display i was involved in a accident. 2 cars in front of me did a weird move causing the car in front of me doing a full emergency stop. while i gave everything i could braking i had the unlucky luck of going over a oil spot on the road. causing me to slide right in the behind of a brand new bmw totalling that car right on the spot. (by bending his frame upwards on top of my chrome bumper) My buick took the impact front on hard. causing my chrome bumper to twist in ways i didnt know was possible underneath the bumper some paint work was ruined but to my biggest surprise nothing under was twisted or hit. even the bumper mounting supports where still sitting straight. after the shock settled and insurance paperwork was filed i got in the car and discovered to my horror the dynaflow transmission decided to only go in low gear and reverse with a big shock. i could drive it but not well it improved a bit and i was able to just shift in to drive because i had no choice then drive it the remaining 10 kilometres. but it did not sound happy. after a weekend of expo shenanigans with friends and trying to put my mind on something else. i contacted my insurance who i filed a claim with on the car right after the accident to figure out what next. Then i got sucked in the pain of going back and fort with expert from the insurance gathering quote's for repairs etc. I had all the quote's by the end of may it took them till the end of august just to figure out what they where going to propose me at the end of it they came back with a offer paying 65% of the cost of repair otherwise they where writing of the car. after a good consulting with a lawyer i accepted the offer because otherwise the car would go to auction and i might lose it. it has been a mental destroying road but the car is being repaired at the moment. due to good contacts i bought a full new front bumper from Amerika and got it shipped i found a new grill and upper lip in Canada and got that shipped. i had the rest re chromed due to scratches and dents in it. currently the dynaflow transmission is getting a rebuild and varia of other stuff is being sourced or fixed next op is the paint touch up to prevent rust and then its time to put the car back together for the first time since may 2024. its been a tough road and this whole process did mentally destroy me but the love for that car is so big i couldn't picture living without it. but if it wasnt for fellow Buick owners/enthusiast i might have sold the car i found myself close a couple of times giving it all up and listing the car for sale because i felt like it was no longer meant to be for me. but for now we keep chugging along and hope these repairs get finished as long as i dont look at the total cost that i am ending up paying i guesse i am going to be fine. (tnx for whoever reads this fully it feels good getting this rant out of me i will be looking at other insurance because i was supposed to be fully covered for everything until you actually need them and then you find out the dont cover certain things.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machine Gun Posted October 16 Share Posted October 16 I'm very sorry to learn of your ordeal. Thankfully you were not injured, and you can keep the car for what will be many years of future enjoyment. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted October 16 Share Posted October 16 I am glad you were not physically hurt in the crash. But I am sure the mental pain has been overbearing. It is difficult to keep enough stopping distance in front of us while driving a 50s car. And I am sorry your insurance company was inadequate. Without naming the insurance company may I ask if you had a policy for a classic car? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted October 16 Author Share Posted October 16 4 hours ago, JohnD1956 said: I am glad you were not physically hurt in the crash. But I am sure the mental pain has been overbearing. It is difficult to keep enough stopping distance in front of us while driving a 50s car. And I am sorry your insurance company was inadequate. Without naming the insurance company may I ask if you had a policy for a classic car? physically i stepped out of the car with a hurt wrist but that's about it. mentally it has been a whole road. i always keep enough distance but this being busy rush hour traffic i mind the distance but everybody else on the road doesn't and they just cut right in front of you because you leave enough space. i have a speciale "full coverage" classic car insurance with a expert evaluation paper and everything. in terms of insurance type its best you can get in Belgium you just have different insurance companies offering it and apparently they each interpret the set rules differently. have talked and got quote's but due to my age (being verry young) its difficult to find a good place and not having to sell a kidney. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted October 17 Share Posted October 17 21 hours ago, Niels said: ...i mind the distance but everybody else on the road doesn't and they just cut right in front of you because you leave enough space. I experience the same problem here. I think the brakes on modern cars work too well! Drivers get a false sense of security and do not consider that classic cars do not have four-wheel power ABS disc brakes. The best you can do is remain vigilant and drive defensively. I do try to avoid rush hour traffic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fr. Buick Posted October 17 Share Posted October 17 Sorry for the grief, it is heartbreaking! Have you adjusted your brakes? This has to be done manually per the Buick manual, and makes a big difference. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted October 17 Author Share Posted October 17 4 hours ago, EmTee said: I experience the same problem here. I think the brakes on modern cars work too well! Drivers get a false sense of security and do not consider that classic cars do not have four-wheel power ABS disc brakes. The best you can do is remain vigilant and drive defensively. I do try to avoid rush hour traffic. I agree with that 100% its no driver skill they all rely on the abs etc. I always try to avoid rush hour that was the rare miment due to a classic car expo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted October 17 Author Share Posted October 17 2 hours ago, Fr. Buick said: Sorry for the grief, it is heartbreaking! Have you adjusted your brakes? This has to be done manually per the Buick manual, and makes a big difference. They where set perfect about 6 months. I gave the brakes everything they had. And she did brake well if it wasnt for the oil residue i would have been able to stop on time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted Thursday at 08:07 PM Author Share Posted Thursday at 08:07 PM While i am still waiting for my dynaflow transmission to be rebuild i was digging to more old pictures to keep me occupied. And I found a picture from when my grandfather owned the car and for the winter holidays he had a mural made on the window of his ice cream parlour (as a cabrio for artistic purposes). thought this was a fun one to share 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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