1960 Electra 225 Convertible R&R

[imported_buick5563]

After pulling the p.s. pump about four times and replacing it oh, say, four times, you can get it down to under ten minutes to replace it.

Looking real good Adam.

Mike

[Smartin]

The pump itself is ok, but the steering box is leaking .....badly.

Got the carb back on tonight, but it's raining again...so no driving. It sounds good, and the throttle response is much better so far.

[JohnD1956]

Adam, Nicely done. That is beautiful.

I noticed several people mentioning that Buick stumble. I believe on my 56 cranking down the carb mounting bolts seemed to eliminate the problem.

JD

[Smartin]

The carb bolts are pretty tight....to the point that I would feel like I could damage something if I go any tighter. I know what happens to quadrajets when they are tightened too much! WAARRRRPPP

I think I'll avoid the trick-or-treaters and hide in the garage under the car for a while.

[Smartin]

Apparently, the solvent(s) I used to clean up the frame and power steering gear box were too much for the shaft seals. Another order and another $64 to Classic Buicks.. I was hoping I was done with the engine compartment.

I was under there a few minutes ago trying to find the source of the steering fluid RIVER, and I wiped the boxx clean, and could easily see it seeping out of the shaft seal. It dripped on the floor about 6 times in the 5 minutes I was on the floor. It's almost like the seal is completely gone. No wonder the steering wheel felt weird when I was driving it. I kept sucking air through the seal!

[Centurion]

Adam, after admiring your excellent work, I keep thinking that I wish you lived nearby. Would love to hire you to make the engine compartment in my Buicks look this nice! Thanks for the regular updates.

[Smartin]

Brian, I know of some good transporters

So, who knew that you had to have a pitman arm puller to pull the pitman arm off??

Another tool, another day delayed.

[Smartin]

Oh yeah, the oil pan gasket needs replacing now. Anyone have a Napa/ZONE part number for it? (Possibly OReilly?)

[imported_buick5563]

I don't have the number for the part, but O'Reilly sells fel pro sets for 401's. I had mine two days later.

Mike

[Guest sixpack2639]

Adam, I posted the fel-pro number over on the buick-59 site for you, don't remember what it is without looking it up again. Carl

[Guest Madeleine1959]

Adam:

I know you from the buick-59 website. I am curious as I have read through your meticulous detailing of your 1960 Electra 225 Cvt (stunning btw), I wonder if the exterior coloring is Pearl Fawn or not. My 1959 Electra is Pearl Fawn. Just curious... Keep up the good work (I too might learn something!)

[Smartin]

Hi Patrick:

Yes, it is Pearl Fawn

Oil pan gasket is on order and waiting on the seal kit from Classic Buicks. The hood insulation came yesterday. I also ordered it for my car. When I opened the box, it nearly exploded, it was packed in there so tight.

[Guest invicta592]

Sounds like everything is coming together nicely

I may even send you my car for detailing.. lol

[Smartin]

I need a bigger garage

[Smartin]

How about some more pictures?

The BOX. I guess this will give me a reason to make it look good now. The seal kit came to the office a 3:30 today, but the USPS didn't leave it. Someone should've been there to take the package. Oh well....maybe tomorrow!!!

[Smartin]

I got it all put back together tonight. The car drives again

I suppose it takes a while for the steering box to fully prime itself. There seems to be a LOT of air inside still.

Also, I was going to pull the oil pan to change the gasket, but it appears as if the front bolts may be tough to reach...so I will hold off on that until I HAVE to do it.

Things left to do:

-Paint bottom half of air cleaner

-Repair drivers side window wiring short

-Paint underside of trunk lid

-Complete detail job over the whole car

I'm getting close! Another few weekends of work and I'll be good to go.

[Smartin]

Bonehead move of the day -

I noticed quite a noise coming from the generator since I have gotten it back together, so I decided to take if off tonight and see if I could idagnose the problem. Well, I found it. I had forgotten to tighten the pulley nut all the way when I reassembled it So I tightened it back up and reinstalled the generator....VOILA! No more noise.

[55PackardGuy]

Adam,

Thanks for posting all these in-progress pics. I can't wait to see the final shots of the engine bay. Then I'll know what a new 1960 Buick looked like under the hood. Although yours will probably be even cleaner than a new one!

[Smartin]

On the engine compartment, I have just the lower air cleaner housing to strip and paint, but I will leave that for another day. The underside of the trunk lid is getting tackled before it gets bitter cold, and I can still paint worth a damn. I prepped the lid today to get stripped, but ran out of time...due to an unforseen visitor and a trip out shopping.

[55PackardGuy]

So you're doing all this in an unheated garage? You the Man!

[Smartin]

I have a kerosene space heater to get me through the winter, but yeah...it might as well be unheated. Last year was a nightmare when I had my convertible up on jacks and doing the brakes. WOW that was some cold weather.

My sub-sero temperature brake job:

http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=63895&highlight=brakes

[55PackardGuy]

Adam,

Thanks for the link to the V8 Buick thread. That looks like a really nice site! Now, all I need is a V8 Buick. I tried fairly hard to get a look at a '67 Riv "for sale" locally here this summer, but suddenly the fella got very scarce when it came down to actually parting with it. All of a sudden, he couldn't get it started and he was just really busy and etc. etc. Can't say I blame him, as he had a very reasonable price on it and I wouldn't have wanted to part with a clean '67 Riv either! Of course, it may have had a lot more problems than I knew about, but in my dreams it was a perfect steal.

I suppose a '60s Buick will remain in my dreams, for now. November is not a good month to start car-shopping in Minnesota, unless it's for a 4-wheel drive, and I've already got one of those. Guess what? It needs brakes! I hope I get to that before it's below zero. As usual, I did the easy part first with new pads and rotors on the front. They're still not quite right, though. I think it has major clearance problems that are kind of factory-standard. On one side, the metal lip on the high side of the outside pad was wearing a groove on the inside of the wheel! It's that close to hitting, even when everything is perfectly aligned. Thank you Chrysler Corp! (it's a '96 Dakota--and overall a really good vehicle).

The "slider bolt" caliper pins are prone to stripping, too. One was actually missing when I took it apart. It had been broken off and then slapped together with just one pin. A GOOD example of why having your brakes done at a shop isn't always the best idea. Anyway, you can get self-tapping replacement pins if that ever happens (OK, that was ONE thing you may have gotten out of reading this post, and it could save you buying a whole steering knuckle).

Woe is me! And that's only the fronts. The rears have some wear left in the shoes, but I can't stop halfway. Problem is I have NO indoor shop space at all. I'm doing my work mostly in a dirt driveway. My garage is too small, has no power, and oh yes, has an '89 IROC sitting in it. Otherwise, it's the perfect shop!

Sorry to go on and on. I just felt the need to vent. Deeeeep breath...

[Smartin]

Ahhhhhh progress again....finally.

Trunklid is finished, with the exception of the matting that is inside the lid itself. I'm unsure of if I want to rip that old stuff out or not. It looks like more of a chore than it's worth. I may just leave it int there until a judge tells me to rip it out and replace it I think the paint turned out a SMIDGE darker than the rest of the car, but It looks like it'll be ok, since it's separated from the rest of the car. (I hope so, anyway.) I figured this would be the hardest thing to do, since the paint is 12 years old....and lacquer.

I got the air cleaner base painted, also. Hood insulation is installed, too.

There are a couple shots of the finished engine bay, just for $#!+$ and giggles.

[Smartin]

Welp, it's done.

I did a claybar treatment on the paint to remove any dust or overspray I got on the car while I was working on it. Those claybars do wonders on paint!! It's slick as snot now....and a little show car glaze on top of that does a paint job good.

There is a small vibration in the steering, but it feels like there is still air in the pump/box, and or the new seals are still a little dry. I may end up getting the car back in it does not quit. The passenger side windshield fogged up when I fired it up this morning, but it quit after a minute or two. I pulled off the cover under the dash, and saw where coolant was coming out. It was at the heater control valve. I watched it to see if it would continue to leak, and I saw nothing. I ran the car a few more times after that and looked every time, and didn't see any more seepage. Maybe it sealed itself back up? I would really hate to have to pull that whole mess out again. Talk about a pain in the butt!!

Just a few pictures for an overview:

This is really a pretty car.

[Guest ewing]

That car is just beautiful.

Thanks for the great pictures.

[JohnD1956]

Adam... Looking absolutely fantastic.

JD

[55PackardGuy]

Adam,

It looks brand new! Not familiar with "claybar" or "show car glaze" but would like to know about them.

As for the coolant leak, even new cars have some stop-leak additive in the cooling system these days to prevent little "accidents" like that. I wish I could remember the name of the stuff I bought but it's just a small bottle of dark liquid. The label said it was the kind most manufacturers use--whatever--but it cured a slow leak that was absolutely impossible to trace in my old Camaro with 5.7 litre engine--they're notorious for mysterious disappearing coolant. A little bit of that in your customer's radiator might give you some extra insurance against a come-back!

[Guest invicta592]

Wow.. she's beautiful

Congratulations Adam on a job well done

[Smartin]

Thanks guys!

I will take a look at the stop leak deal. I never thought about it.

[Guest ewing]

I've used something called Bars Leaks.

It works like magic on small leakers in rad and heater cores.

[JohnD1956]

I would not put in any stop leak. My experience is it will eventually block the radiator causing it to backup and overflow and antifreeze always seems to stain new paint.. That would be a real shame considering how this job came out.

JD

[Smartin]

Welp, the 60 is gone. I do have to replace the custom power steering hose with one from CARS, which I'm not too happy about, but that's a 15 minute job.

And a new project comes in! This one is easy, though. Regular maintenance items like fluids and such, and all the rubber on the car is getting replaced. It has a nice new white top though! I will have to adjust the front bumper - every time he drives this car behind me, it crawls under my skin....the driver side is cocked up about an inch.

No engine work on this car....except the power steering pump is making noise....bearings?

My LeSabre is jealous of all the attention the other cars are getting. You can actually see it pouting.

I got to visit my convertible today...I miss the power!! and the stereo...

[page2171]

Adam, looking forward to pictures of the work on the 62. That 62 looks much better than mine, though.

[Smartin]

The funny thing about that is, the paint on Hank's 62 is almost 25 years old!!!

[Guest my3buicks]

if you take care of a paint job, it should last as long as it needs to, my paint on the 67 is 21 years old and it still to this day looses no points at a show in that catagory.

[Smartin]

Yep..

Gene Reynolds restored this car before Hank bought it. I am very impressed by the condition of the paint.

The interior color is Camelot Rose (PINK!) and draws a crowd everywhere it goes. Hank has modified the car by putting buckets and a console with floor shifter in, and 15" chrome wheels. It's a sharp car, for sure.

[Guest my3buicks]

I remember when Gene owned the car, have always loved the car, especially the Rose interior. I first saw the car at the Great Lakes REgional in 1982 in Bethlehem, PA.

[Guest 63riviera]

Adam, you are one Buick perfectionist!! Your parts reflect your labor of love. Not having anywhere near the level of skill you do, I do know sometimes how hard some of these tasks are (e.g., rusted nuts and bolts, heater cores in '63 Riv consoles, cutting a DIN hole in cast-iron radio face plate--look at my '63Riv)

I have another unrelated question, my cater 625cfm is beyond rebuilding (it's been rebuilt by so many bozos who have lost most of the smaller parts; and the choke is non adjustable anymore and way too rich, and i want a new replacement. An square-bore Edlebrock is similar, but doesn't have the trans kick down linkage tab. What would you suggest?

[Smartin]

Thanks for the compliments! It's nothing but lots of time and patience. Skill is something that comes from taking your time.

Advice for the carb: find another stock carb. There's nothing easier than a bolt-on replacement. I understand these can be hard to find, but be patient and look everywhere. eBay, these forums, v8buick.com, etc

Good luck!

[Guest 63riviera]

That picture of the interior was enticing. Show us some more.

Everything is drop-dead gorgeous on the '60. Your work is clearly exemplified in the quality of its appearance.

Another extraneous question: Who still does work on Dynaflows? 1963 was the last year, and even though the nailheads were produced through 1966, they have different bolt patterns for the THM-400. Any transformation to modern transmission would require major work: driveline stortening, different U-joints, different flywheel bolt holes, adapters, speedo adjustment, possible starter changes, etc.