well i figured since spring is coming and progress will be starting soon again i should start my progress thread.
this is my 1941 buick special 8 sedan.
it is equipped with a standard transmission.
it is powered by the original powerplant which is a 248 ci straight 8 .it has dual exhaust and dual rochester 2 bbl carbs.
the interior well what is left is very rough.
all the glass except the back window is broke.which is alright because the back is the only curved piece of glass.the rest is flat glass which can be easily cut.
all chrome is there and intact but some is badly pitted and will either be replaced or restored.
it has no floors as rust has taken them but the rest of the body is fairly solid.lots of surface rust but no major holes some but not many for a 67 year old car.
the engine does not run as it has stuck from sitting for the last couple years.also mud wasps had formed a nest in one of the carbs.
my intentions for this car are a resto mod.
i want the original look but upgraded suspension and drive train.
i purchased this car 3 years ago for $500 so it's time to get this project started.
this picture was taken the first time i saw her.resting on her trailer near the last owners house.he was an elderly man who had been approached many times about selling it.he said he wasn't sure what he wanted to do.he asked me of my intentions for it and i told him.he made sure i had no intentions of scrapping it.which i did not.so he said he would let it go for $500.as i was only working part time on weekends as was still in school.i purchased her on payments.
we towed her home on a flatbed tow truck.we arrived at my parents house where she is currently stored at 10 at night.my neighbor from across the road came over to help us push her off the truck.which was a large taks with all the brakes stuck.he asked me what my intentions were with it after a 2 hour conversation he shook his head walked awa laughing and said good luck you'll need it.
i took these pictures shortly after.
the fuel door and all missing chrome was discovered in the trunk
the front carb was taken off for cleaning and i covered the intake and remaining carb with rags and plastic bags.
the interior is rough but is all there.the window knobs all knobs on dash,steering wheels,and many other interior trim pieces are made of ivory
later on in the summer we removed the entire front clip .but it was many months before i took progress pictures.
outdoor storage is horrible but the snow hit before i could arrange long term storage.
here is a better pic of the ivory interior knobs.they are rough but i was offered $500 for the 4 of them by a fellow restoring a 1940 buick.
also the ivory steering wheel and a nice shot of the dash.
the first pics i have of her with the front end removed.
a close shot of that original dynaflash eight
this past summer i took no pictures of her as a whole but i did get her some newer shoes.i was supposed to borrow these wheels from a guy my dad knows just for transporting her.as the original rims required tubes which.of course all the originals were blown.so when time came to borrow these he was visiting and asked about a 3 inch exhaust i had left over from a previous car.we talked and traded my 3 inch chevelle exhaust pipes for his 4 chrome reverse rims with centers .also had 4 tires which hold air.but as he had to have 2 tires still mounted i had to wait.i have now finally recieved the other 2 rims and tires.but the snow flew so we decided to leave her safely nestled behind my parents garage until spring of 08.so i took some pics of her new shoes mounted and packed her up for a long cold winter.
i still have some cragar 50 spoke wire wheels stashed away for this project.but i love the smoothies. although wheels are the last on my list as there is lots of work ahead.
so that is my project to date so any questions or comments feel free to share
thanks for looking and expect updates soon
And I thought I had alot of work ahead of me...
Reminds me of my friend Jeffs 48 Olds. Its actually got about a weekends worth of work to get the engine started but he has a 52 Ford he spends most time with now.
Heres the olds
How many steps to heaven, Doc?
...Ah, metaphysics.
ya it's lots of work but worth it in the end.that olds will be sweet when done.is it a 4 dr?.
what does he have planned for it.
hell of a task ahead of you, good luck with it. should look pretty hot if you get it done.
koolkustoms wrote:ya it's lots of work but worth it in the end.that olds will be sweet when done.is it a 4 dr?.
what does he have planned for it.
Yeah its a sedan but I really dont see it going anywhere. Hes got the 52 now and intends on finding a 59-60 Caddy.
How many steps to heaven, Doc?
...Ah, metaphysics.
well geez if he don't want it i will gladly tow it to my home lol jk.ya it's pretty solid looking.bur a caddy would be sweet.i am now realizing though that just because buick was made by chev doesn't measn parts are easy to find.if it was a 41 chev i would just about have her beat.but no buick parts are like impossible to find.anyway.it snowed lke 3 freaking feet today so progress will be delayed that much longer.next time i am up at my parents place i will get a pic of the mound of snow i call my buick
Looks like a lot of fun. Gonna be a lot of work and money to restore it though, but it will definitely be unique.
definitely looks like a fun project... always wanted to start something like that... i just dont have the fabrication skills or know anyone that does... have fun with it...
Well all the work will pay off once u get the hard stuff started.U may want to remove the spark plugs and pour marvel mysteryoil in each hole and try and turn the crank with a Large rachet 1/2 inch to see if its literally froze.It may or may not work but for say 15 min of easy work it would be interesting to see if it would.I would prolly remove the valve cover and spray it down with liquid wrench or bp blaster and let it sit a day or two and do the marvel to see if it would free up the internals even tho u will tear it all down regardless. Neat car tho.
marvel mystery oil ftw
i always have a hefty supply on hand
Very nice. Resto mods are alot of work. Im 3 years into my 69' 1/2 ton chevy and im just starting reassembly.
"Project 69'"
1969 Chevrolet C/10, 1/2 ton, 2wd
-Boosted LS1?
-Richmond ROD 6-speed(will get sometime)
-Posi 12-bolt(built w/eaton posi unit and richmond 3.73 gears)
-Disc brake and 5 lug swap
+little extras
wow, nice find and good luck with the project. candy apple red, dechromed, and lowered to the height of a pack of cigarettes
People say that what doesn't kill you in this life
will make you stronger. I'm not sure if that is true
or not, but i do know one thing-You have to learn from
it and it has to make you better.......it has to.......
strohlly7 wrote:wow, nice find and good luck with the project. candy apple red, dechromed, and lowered to the height of a pack of Lucky Strikes
Fixed it for you
How many steps to heaven, Doc?
...Ah, metaphysics.
ya is deff gonna be low real low.my fiance's father wants me to chopit up and make it a 2 door but i just love it being as long as it is
well i am getting married in august so progress is gonna be slow this summer.my machinist buddy is going to turn down my stock spindles to accept 88 style monte carlo bearing and rotors .we will also be making a new caliper bracket.this is if i am able to rebuild me knee action shocks.we can always use the front clip froma 79-81 camaro but i like the idea of using the original frame.and boxing it.i'll post more soon
