2013-02-05 56X Buick

Subject: 56X BUICK SESSION Feb 5 2013

VOLUNTEERS – Al Batts, Jerry Bush, Del Carpenter, Connie DeJong, Don Mayton, Art Meidema, Dick Saddler, Chuck Snow.

Photo 1 shows two distributors. When we were test driving the 1929 Buick 55X we noticed that the distributor had a lot of play in it. So I went searching for another distributor. My shelf of 1929 Buick spare parts produced another distributor but it was well worn. I took it to a local engine shop and they fixed that problem and generally made an overhaul of the distributor. But the driven spiral gear at the bottom had teeth almost worn through. A 1929 Buick spare engine produced another distributor with a perfect driven spiral gear.

Photo 2 shows Del and Jerry removing the pin that holds the spiral gear in place - being hammered out so they thought. They ended up having to drill out this pin. When they moved the gear to the restored distributor they made sure they used a spring roll pin. The rebuilt distributor will be installed once the car comes back from the upholster.

Photos 3 & 4 shows another-one-of-a-kind detail on this car as it was modified at GM’s Styling Studio. Because the newly styled arm rests for the two front doors, the 4 bank window switch on the driver’s door as well as the single bank window switch on the passenger door were moved to the top upper of these doors. You can see that the original holes for these switches was cut with a torch. The ragged cuts were not even ground smooth. Since it would end up being covered with upholstery I guess it did not matter.

Photos 5, 6 & 7 shows chromed trim that was just picked up from the chrome plate shop. The very long pieces are the 65” rear 1/4 panel right and left pieces. The shorter but long pieces are for the right and left doors. The round piece that has 1956X at the top and Century at the bottom is for the center of the grill. The small rectangle piece is for the instrument panel cluster. These pieces represent many hours of preparing the metal for chrome plating.

Photo 8 shows the final welding work on the seat bottom.

Photos 9 & 10 show the work that Chuck Snow has been doing at home. He is mocking up in wood the consoles that go between in the two sets of bucket seats. He has spent many hours in both designing and fabricating these and other ideas. We have no photographs of this area of the car. There are mounting places where consoles once resided. We have the guidance of a retired GM Stylist that worked on interiors for VP Bill Mitchell. The consoles will be created from the mockups.

Photos 11 & 12 show Art and Dick Saddler doing the final preparation of the inner trunk.

Photos 13, 14, 15 & 16 show the bumper as it came back from having the chrome stripped. This one of a kind rear bumper had numerous rusted holes as large as golf balls. The process then proceeded of cutting away the thin metal, then welding up all the holes and in some cases welding reinforcement plates on the back, then brazing areas and then finally grinding all the reworked areas smooth. Connie did the welding and brazing. Both Connie, Dick, and Chuck worked with the grinders.

Don