2011-04-12 56X BUICK

Post date: Apr 16, 2011 3:24:04 PM

VOLUNTEERS - Jim Baker, Mike Ball, Al Batts, Bob Boorsma, Jerry Bush, Del Carpenter, Dick Chambers, Conrad DeJong, Les Dewey, Ron Elzinga, Don Feutz, Ron Mortenson, Don Mayton, Art Meidema, Dick Saddler, Chuck Snow, Phil Zuidema.

Attached are the photographs that Al Batts took. They are in two sets this being the first 6 of the 12.

BuickX Century Colors. The colors are this car are unique. The body is two toned in a very unusual way with special trim down both the deck lid and hood separating the two blue colors. The fire wall (cowl) on the engine side is black. From the GM Media Archives photos we can see that the wheel side of both the inner fenders are bright red. Also the frame is red. I climbed under the body and the entire under body is also painted the bright red. The separation of the outer body blues occurs at the rear of the hood where the weather seal is located and on the side where the pinch wheel is behind where the front of the door and the rear of the

front fenders meet.

As you can see in the photos lots of work is being done on the body. A crew of Connie, Art, Dick C. and others are working here.

Jim Baker has been doing the engineering to design the powered swivel front seats. When Bill Mitchell had this car built the two front bucket seats were powered to swivel. The driver's seat was designed to turn 90 degrees while the passenger front seat was designed to turn 180 degrees. When I purchased the car all the bucket seats were missing.

Don Feutz, Jerry Bush and Dick Saddler is preparing the wire wheel spinners for chrome plating. These wire wheel spinners are not the same as the wire wheel spinners found on the Buick wire wheels of 1953 through 1957. These spinners are 1/3 larger with a center emblem that simply says; "BUICK".

Del, Les, Phil, and Ron worked on the assembly of the front suspension. This assembly is coming very good.

Bob and Chuck worked at the removal of the instrument panel. They are noting the differences of this instrument panel from a production 1956 Buick Century instrument panel which is many. Lot so photographs have been taken here to document the details.

Ron Mortenson and Jerry Bush repaired a trailer belonging to a local business. We repaired the trailer and the business provided a $200 donation to our Futurliner project.

Don