2014-04-29 56X Buick

Subject: 56 X BUICK SESSION APRIL 29 2014

VOLUNTEERS Jim Baker, Al Batts, Bob Boorsma, Jerry Bush, Del Carpenter, Connie DeJong, Ryan DeVries, Ron Elzinga, Don Feutz, Don Mayton, Art Meidema, Dick Saddler, Chuck Snow

As usual our faithful photographer, Al, is recording all the work going on in the barn on Tuesdays. This has been an unusual work session as three different cars were being worked on trying to tie up things for the summer months. We always shut down just prior to Memorial Day so we do not interfere with family plans, high school and college graduations of grandchildren, our spring and summer car shows and tours, hosting the Futurliner at various venues and this summer even hosting a TV show that wants videos of the Futurliner.

The Futurliner along with the Buick 1929-55X restored by this same group of folks will be at the NATIONAL AACA show in Auburn, Indiana this next week. We have had the Futurliner at the AACA Fall show in Hershey a few years ago. This will be the first AACA show that the Buick has participated in.

BUICK 1929-55X is a Sport Touring and the "X" signifies that it is an export version with right hand steering. It was built in Flint but shipped to South America. I just picked it up from the upholstery shop that just completed its side curtains as you can see in photos # 1, 2, & 3. The upholster did an outstanding job. I will be doing some detailing prior to the show.

I have only been able to locate a total of 6 of this model Buick in the world, all but this one outside the USA.

FUTURLINER - The new fabricated and painted hatch, thanks to Ryan, Art and Connie, has now been delivered to Ryan DeVries shop where it will have the upholstery installed and then the entire hatch installed. Again a "just in time" effort by the volunteers.

BUICK 1917 D-45 now that it is running good the oil gauge leak problem has run into the problem as we cannot locate the correct size tubing ferrules. We can find a source for the brass tubing but cannot locate the ferrules. Photos #4 through #9 show all the components of the gauge along with the disassembled gauge. The tubing that must be replaced is also shown. Del and Jerry are working on this project.

There are two steering wheel shafts shown in the last two photos. The red steering wheel shaft has sacrificed itself for parts for the blue steering wheel shaft that will be going into the 1956X Bill Mitchell Buick. Actually the blue shaft is the 56X's original steering wheel shaft. However, there were a lot of components that needed replaced plus the red steering shaft became the source of figuring out how these things are assembled and disassembled. It sure helps to have a parts car to experiment on when the Buick shop manual does not give enough detail for assembly or disassembly. Bob has patiently been working on this and has cataloged everything.

The process of fitting the parts into the powered head rest continues by Jim Baker.

 It it seems we have 1/2 the shop working on preparing parts for the chrome plater including Ron, Don F., Dick Saddler, Art and Connie continue find parts that need painting.

Chuck not only is working on his job, but is the guy using the internet to find sources to repair items like the 56X's clock. It is now packaged and off to the clock re-builder. Ken continues to give us advice on the electrical.

We have two more work sessions before we close down for the summer. We will continue to update on any developments during the summer and of course the two remaining work sessions.

Don