InitialDave posted:

What's the optimum ratio for the Buick, then? Something in the high threes?

blindjoe posted:

Is the 48 before dynaflow? The dynaflow is a 1 speed transmission, which is 1:1 that uses a torque converter to slip its way to accelleration. I think a 48 buick has that, but I am not sure.

So its probably fairly important to get the final drive low enough that it can start moving, since there is not really a 1st gear.

LobsterboyX posted:

blindjoe posted:

My dad always carried 4 gallons of transmission fluid in the trunk of his buick, the dynaflow always leaked, but was probably a bent pan or something.

LobsterboyX posted:

I saw that the other day at my old workplace... I guess it came with a film as well. I wish someone would digitize poo poo like that...

djhaloeight posted:

This is an awesome thread.

Here's my very clean 88 Cutlass Supreme Classic I picked up last week and plan to restore.

Frosty- posted:

Hey man; you've got a great thread with the Tome. I wasn't expecting it to delve into radios and TVs and refrigerators but that only makes it more gratifying to read.

I'm PMing because I wanted to ask you if you knew any tips or tricks, so to speak, when it comes to locating and acquiring a nice, still-usable piece of automotive history. I've always liked Exner's designs at Chrysler, and I wanted to attempt to pick up a Forward Look car to use in the summertime when my Mazda just isn't rad enough. I realize these can be incredibly expensive cars, and that's why I'm hoping for your advice.

I don't seem to have the skills or tools necessary to really dig around and find what I'm looking for. I constantly scan eBay and Hemmings for listings, but I don't know if there's any other way to keep an eye out, and I hit the book sales and I've searched Amazon, but I'm having a hard time finding any literature aside from a Virgil Exner biography I already have.

With the exposition out of the way, my questions to you are these:

I want to read up all I can about the Forward Look cars, and really anything else interesting from the immediate post-war period to ~1962. Know any good books?

An early 300 isn't going to happen unless I win the lottery, but there are a lot of lesser cars out there I find almost as charming. How can I get a sense of fair pricing for something like a 2-door Coronet that's usable in an everyday context?

LobsterboyX posted:

I should start by saying that forward look cars are probably harder to find than anything else because for some reason they rust to bits very easily, ive talked to people that think its the paint, or the metal they used or the undercoating - poo poo like that. they always seem to command high dollars but dont be discouraged by that, ive found some amazing examples for under 4k. books on them, cant really tell you a whole lot of them, my library mostly consists of buick books that ive sought out over the years. Depending on where you live, there might be an automotive book store that you can browse around and find something that looks. there is a place called autobooks here in burbank ca that im sure would be more than happy to talk to you about lit. http://www.autobooks-aerobooks.com/ on saturday mornings, you can find jay leno there picking up magazines or showing off some amazing car that should be in a museum.

I live in LA which is basically the heart of the classic car culture. the photos i posted of all those cars was one of the bigger shows i like to go to, and some of the stuff these people are pulling out of garages and backyards is truly astounding. the problem with ebay and hemmings is that is where everyone expects to find classic cars, again depending on where you live, craigslist is an invaluable tool. id say out of all the cars ive had, 80% of them have been craigslist finds, including my 58 caddy. another great site to look at would be the hamb http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/ - dont let the hot rod/greaser bravado bullshit get in the way of some amazing articles and cool finds. the classified section is really quite amazing. there are also a lot of guys on there who own shops or deliver cars across country, so its almost like a one stop shop when it comes to finding and having fun with a car. also, if you are in a big city, you can just look around, my friends and i constantly find amazing things tucked back in driveways, in alleys, under covers, anywhere. also you can try to get a hold of your local recycler or classifieds - a lot of people that have cars like these arent really the internet types and will turn to the paper before they have someone put it on the internet for them. also, dont be opposed to shipping a car either, but its kind of a buyer beware sort of thing when you are looking at classics through pictures. like mrsaturns 54 chev, theres always bound to be some kind of disappointment.


as far as the cars themselves - i dont think there is anything cooler, my girlfriend has a 56 dodge that she had long before i met her, another friend had a 60 chrysler wagon that was just amazing for road trips, another friend has a 61 dart sennica... the list goes on. heres where it gets somewhat complex, the fancier the car was originally, the more of a pain in the rear end it will be to maintain it now... not impossible, but a pain in the rear end. i know a lot of those cars have dual piston drum brakes in the front. there is a lot of valving, leaking and lines to run to the them correct. also, as you probably already know, that was the golden age of the hemi, which to hot rodders and customizers is the ultimate in engines, so expect to be paying that premium. the low priced cars like dodge and some plymouths do not suffer from as much anxiety as the chryslers. like i said, dont be turned off by stuff like this, everything is fixable, its just a matter of how much you want to spend. id say the simplest and easiest classics to own and maintain is the 48-54 chevy. ive lived in denial of their ease for a long time, i happen to love cadillacs and buicks, which for their time, they were regarded as highly technological cars, so i run in to problems with solenoids, relays, connectors, closed drivelines, one year only brake drums, one year only wheels and hubcaps, 3 different brake light swiches for the same year, depending on the options - it gives me a headache when my friends say "hey i ordered a new stop light switch from __________ for 10 bucks" to that i say "ive been looking for the correct one for 3 years and one finally popped up on ebay for 50 bucks!!!!@!@!@!@!@ "

I forgot to add that http://www.crazedlist.org/ is great for searching a lot at once.

djhaloeight posted:

This is an awesome thread.

Here's my very clean 88 Cutlass Supreme Classic I picked up last week and plan to restore.

Fleetwood75 posted:

You might be interested in one of my previous threads if you didn't see it:

http://forums.somethingawful.com/sh...hreadid=3369158

LobsterboyX posted:

LobsterboyX posted:

LobsterboyX posted:

This thing was also there, I'm guessing it belonged to one of the party guests in attendance.

PainterofCrap posted:

Damned nice Craftsman