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FIRST I WANT TO WISH EACH OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR. GOD HAS BEEN GOOD TO US EVEN THROUGH SOME HEALTH ISSUES WITH MANY ANSWERED PRAYERS. THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR WE CELEBRATE THE ONE WHO HAS COME TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS. PRAISE THE LORD.
Subject: 56 X BUICK SESSION DEC 17 2013 Last session for 2013. Our next work session is Tuesday, January 7, 2014.
VOLUNTEERS - Jim Baker, Dennis Baker (Guest and volunteer for the day), Al Batts, Bob Boorsma, Jerry Bush, Del Carpenter, Dick Chambers, Connie DeJong, Ron Elzinga, Don Feutz, Don Mayton, Art Miedema, Dick Saddler, Chuck Snow.
Al Batts continues to add a great assortment of photos for our historical record.
Photo #1 shows the window frame that Don Feutz is preparing for the chrome plating operation. We will be going to the Kalamazoo swap meet February and all the parts that have to be chromed and are ready for this operation will be delivered to Craig Riker. We will also pick up the pieces that he has completed chroming. This saves the shipping expense as well as a round trip to Toledo, Ohio and back.
Photo #2 shows Dick Saddler doing the same operation on a pair of upper grill ends again to be taken to the chrome plater. Dick, Don F., and Dick Chambers have done most of the preparation of trim pieces for chrome plating. Others have also contributed to this operation.
Photo #3 shows Ron Elzinga preparing probably the largest single piece that has to be chrome plating. Ron discovered what he first thought was the pot metal casting starting to disintegrate only on the edges. However upon further investigation what he saw was small metal flash caused by the original casting operation. He counted the occurrence of these and there is over a 1,000 to be cleaned up. Go to it Ron!
Photo #4 shows Bob Boorsma's bench. All these small piece are from the instrument panel and the switches that operate the powered swivel seats. Bob is cleaning up each piece and making sure it is operational. Bob had to combine two light switch parts to get one light switch functional in all areas. He had to repair the dimmer portion of this same switch.
Photo #5 & #6 shows Art, Connie, and Chuck who have been repairing and altering the standard power seat surrounds to be used on the two front powered bucket seats. In addition to repairing some cracks reinforcements had to be made as each of these surrounds had to be reinforced as all were broken in the identical spots. Due to the location of the swivel seat controls modifications had to be make to each of the surrounds to add these control buttons.
Photo #7 shows guest Dennis Baker stripping off the covering on one of the seat frames. This frame will be used for the right front bucket seat.
Photo #8 reveals the swivel and 6 way mechanism that Jim Baker has been working on to accommodate all the required movements of these front powered swivel seats. Jim has made many modifications to package the mechanism in a small enough package to do the job as well as be authentic as it was built at the GM Styling Studio in 1956.
Del and Jerry Bush continue to work on the 1917 Buick to get it to run finding new problems but making progress. They have determined that the carburetor has a bad leak at the throttle shaft. They did make a test by adding "O" rings to the shaft to see if that allowed the vacuum to improve. Although there was an improvement and the throttle shaft wear must be corrected, no one felt that the leak was so bad that it would not allow the car to run. We will continue until the "17" is running like a Buick should run.
GREAT NEWS. The steering wheel is done and once it is shipped and arrives I will make a special report on that operation. The old original 1956X steering wheel is back and we will have photos of each side by side.
YH CARTER carburetor restoration is going on in North Carolina by Dean Tryon as I have mentioned before. I will make a separate report as I want to include some photographs that Dean has sent me.
Major work for 2014 will include:
1) Continuing to prepare parts for chrome plating.
2) Assembly of the convertible roof structure and tryout.
3) Pre-fitting all returned chrome pieces. Although these pieces have been fitted prior to sending to the chrome plater we must re-fit to insure there will be no paint chips when doing the final fitting.
4) Complete the swivel seat mechanism.
5) Build the power head rests for all four of the bucket seats.
6) Complete all the components that border the seats like consoles and the rear of the rear bucket seats. Items 4 & 5 must be done prior to this item.
7) Instrument panel completed.
8) Control design and build for power seats. We already have the basic Buick Century Convertible wiring harness.
9) Obtain a vendor to make the special one of a kind tires.
10) Order all the rubber and weather seals.
There are probably items I forgot but I will add them as those working on the car will remind me.
Don
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