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Projects another Buick barn find and build...we hope

Discussion in 'Traditional Customs' started by IROC100, May 17, 2015.

  1. IROC100
    Joined: Nov 1, 2010
    Posts: 39

    IROC100
    Member
    from NY

    I'm not new, been a member for sometime just never posted, so I figured I should show what I,ve got going, so here goes. Please bare with me while I try to do this.
    Three -four years ago I heard about this 53 buick roadmaster that was in a barn, so I decided to go find it and see for myself it was still there, well a long story short, it was, so I talked to the owner and we made a deal and a couple of weeks later it was in my driveway. I got to looking it over and thought , what did I get myself into. As you can see in pictures this thing was all apart and with parts inside the car and the rest of them scattered in different locations in a five mile radis. The good thing about it is that it sits on a 77 Caddy chassis and it is a hardtop. someone had started to build this car but for what reason gave up and the guy I got the car from had bought it the way I got it and just never did anything with it. So now I start my journey. IMG_0324.JPG IMG_0325.JPG IMG_0326.JPG IMG_0327.JPG
     
    kiwijeff and Model T1 like this.
  2. Wow,any running gear?
     
  3. wvenfield
    Joined: Nov 23, 2006
    Posts: 5,580

    wvenfield
    Member

    Sitting on a 77 Cadillac being a good thing is certainly dependent on your perspective, but it's certainly a cool car worthy of the time to get it back together.
     
    CowboyTed likes this.
  4. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,222

    F&J
    Member

    "I got to looking it over and thought , what did I get myself into."


    I guess you must have washed it and taken the parts out by now? maybe it won't look so rough

    .
     

  5. IROC100
    Joined: Nov 1, 2010
    Posts: 39

    IROC100
    Member
    from NY

    No running gear. The good thing about the chassis is for me, is updated brakes and suspension with little work. This car will be for my daughter and I wanted something that is save the drive and easy to get parts for. I'm not a big fan of tork tubes. I've been trying to add more pics but I guess the files are all be big so I will have to reduce them all.
    My plan for the car is to chop it and change the tail lights, the grill and my daughter wants to try to do the interior. I also want to change the dash and am hoping I can replace the stock one with a 57 Olds dash . When it gets chopped I will keep the stock back window since I feel this is what makes the roof line so nice.
     
  6. Nice! Let me know how much BEER it takes to get it together, bet as much as my 56 buick wagon did.LOL. Bruce. 013.JPG
     
  7. Model T1
    Joined: May 11, 2012
    Posts: 3,309

    Model T1
    Member

    Had a couple 53 Buick 2-door posts. Nice body style. I'd keep the dash basically stock and maybe change gauges only.
    I'd say a couple truck loads of beer will get it on the road.
     
  8. Agreed! lol.Bruce.
     
  9. 'Mo
    Joined: Sep 26, 2007
    Posts: 7,432

    'Mo
    Member

    From the look of your avatar, you're up to task.
    I love the Buick hardtops. Rod Powell's '53 has but a few body changes, but is still one of my favorite customs.
    Such class!

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: May 21, 2015
  10. IROC100
    Joined: Nov 1, 2010
    Posts: 39

    IROC100
    Member
    from NY

    GEDC0040 (800x600) (640x480).jpg GEDC0059 (800x600) (640x480) (640x480).jpg GEDC0038 (800x600) (640x480).jpg I have been working on the car off and on for a couple of years now, so yes the car has been cleaned out and it turned out not to be so bad. I've been trying to reduce the size of pictures so I could post and got some done so here are some after it was cleaned out
     
    Model T1 and hacknwhack like this.
  11. IROC100
    Joined: Nov 1, 2010
    Posts: 39

    IROC100
    Member
    from NY

    after getting it all cleaned out and looking at it I decided before I got to far into the mechanics of it I would try my hand at chopping it. I was told that I would have a hard time with it because I wanted to keep the stock back window, so when ever anyone tells me I can't do something, my aim is to prove them wrong. So I went ahead and put the saw to it. I didn't take a lot out, 2 3/4 out of the front to start with and trimmed some more off to get it to where I thought it looked ok. Don't ask what came out of the back, because I never put a tape on it ,I just keep adjusting it till I got the flow to where it looked good to me. The front ended up just a bit over 3",here are some pics. GEDC0061 (800x600) (640x480).jpg GEDC0073 (640x480).jpg GEDC0088 (800x600) (640x480).jpg GEDC0096 (800x600) (640x480).jpg
     
    rytang, Model T1 and volvobrynk like this.
  12. IROC100
    Joined: Nov 1, 2010
    Posts: 39

    IROC100
    Member
    from NY

    Bruce, I like your wagon, several years ago I had an chance to get a 57 hardtop wagon and I was young a foolish and didn't want an old mans car, now I'm an old man.
    Mo, thanks for noticing my 55, not HAMB friendly but it took me 3 years to built it after being away from cars for nearly 25 years and since I got it done I haven't stopped working on them. As for the beer, I will never know I don't drink anymore, use to drink all the time, one beer two yukons, never had a hangover or got sick, then one day after drinking 4-5 on a 98 degree day I got sick and the got the dry heves and said that if that's is what it is like I am done drinking and haven't had one since. Does sound good though, maybe after 20 years I might have one.
     
  13. I hate to be criticle here but I fail to see any bracing inside the car or even the doors welded shut,,,Have fun and Rots a Ruck..you gonna need it
     
  14. IROC100
    Joined: Nov 1, 2010
    Posts: 39

    IROC100
    Member
    from NY

    I knew that was coming. If this was a sedan I would have braced all over the place, but believe me when I say I didn't see any need for it since there is good bracing in the b pillers behind the door, you can not move those sides they are braced so good.
    Here are some more pics. GEDC0100 (640x480).jpg GEDC0101 (640x480).jpg GEDC0139 (640x480).jpg GEDC0148 (640x480).jpg
     
    Last edited: May 19, 2015
  15. IROC100
    Joined: Nov 1, 2010
    Posts: 39

    IROC100
    Member
    from NY

  16. 40fordtudor
    Joined: Jan 3, 2010
    Posts: 2,503

    40fordtudor
    Member

    Can't wait til I can see this finished.
     
  17. CowboyTed
    Joined: Apr 27, 2015
    Posts: 343

    CowboyTed
    Member

    Me too!
     
  18. rocketsled59
    Joined: Mar 14, 2010
    Posts: 811

    rocketsled59
    Member

    Mmm beeruick !! Hang those doors just so you can see if anything moves with no bracing. Best to know before it's too late! Is it bolted tight to frame? Doors fit good before ya started? Just friendly advise!!'n I dig it!!! RS59
     
  19. hacknwhack
    Joined: Jan 25, 2006
    Posts: 481

    hacknwhack
    Member
    from mass

    Looking good.
    Subscribed!
     
  20. U-235
    Joined: Dec 18, 2010
    Posts: 452

    U-235
    Member

    Please tell me that your going to modify and keep the stainless on the rear pillar...
     
  21. raidmagic
    Joined: Dec 10, 2007
    Posts: 1,440

    raidmagic
    Member

    Chop looks good. Nice job.
     
  22. IROC100
    Joined: Nov 1, 2010
    Posts: 39

    IROC100
    Member
    from NY

    Thanks guys. To answer the questions, yes the body is bolted down nice and tight and the doors fit almost perfect so I'm good to go there. The stainless is a must, however I am trying to figure it out or find someone that can modify it for me. to me the back window and the stainless is what makes this car and to do one without either one would not do the car justice. I am also stuck on what to do about the vent windows, I didn't know that they are pot medal and I'm at a loss on how to cut them and put them back together since you can't weld it, any suggestions would be appreciated.
     
  23. 'Mo
    Joined: Sep 26, 2007
    Posts: 7,432

    'Mo
    Member

    Rod Powell, who built the '53 shown above, is a HAMB'er. Find out his user name (?), and shoot him a PM.
     
    volvobrynk likes this.
  24. hacknwhack
    Joined: Jan 25, 2006
    Posts: 481

    hacknwhack
    Member
    from mass

    Tough one. Really tricky, spent months trying, on my 51 Buick special.
    I assume yours are similar.
    Other gm cars of the era were potmetal too. Chevy and olds for sure.
    I had limited success using Allumaweld and propane. I would not recommend this process for pot metal.

    Look into Muggyweld they have a product for pot metal.
    Get a practice piece. Or a professional
    I can say you need the chrome removed from the entire workpiece. It holds the heat unevenly makes it unstable to weld.
     
  25. LONG
    Joined: Aug 20, 2011
    Posts: 292

    LONG
    Member

  26. dgnj
    Joined: Mar 30, 2015
    Posts: 12

    dgnj
    Member
    from Central NJ

    good luck with it, looks like you're off to a great start.
     
  27. mgtstumpy
    Joined: Jul 20, 2006
    Posts: 9,214

    mgtstumpy
    Member

    Great score, looking good.
     
  28. IROC100
    Joined: Nov 1, 2010
    Posts: 39

    IROC100
    Member
    from NY

    After the roof got chopped the car had to go into storage since I had to make some money and I only have one bay in my garage. I had to redo a 1949 Ford f1 for a friend, which was suppose to be just a color change, yea right once I started breaking it down I found patch panels that liked like they were put in by a 5 year old. well that took longer then I had planned but I got it done just in time for his daughters wedding, which he didn't tell me about, his daughter wanted it for the wedding so that put me under some pressure, but it got down aweek before so they were all happy. Here are a couple of pics of it.
     

    Attached Files:

    LONG, kiwijeff, leadfootloon and 3 others like this.
  29. IROC100
    Joined: Nov 1, 2010
    Posts: 39

    IROC100
    Member
    from NY

    As soon as I got that done the 53 came back in and I sat there from aboat a month trying to figure out what I was going to do to the rear of the car, I like the 53 but I just never have like the taillights and besides I was building a custom so what to do. Well after awhile I kind of decided that I was going to use 54 merc tail lights. I have some 51 merc quarter sections that I thought about grafting on to the Buick. So I did some drawings and I just didn't like that either. After a lot searching on the internet for different ideas and looking at a whole bunch of cars. I saw what I thought would work, for me at least. What I saw was a 55 Plymouth driving down the road one day so I followed it just so I could see how it looked from the back to see if it might work on the Buick. I thought it might, so after searching for one that I could cut up I found one way back off in the woods way up on top of a mountain in the Catskills. So off my buddy and I go carrying all the tools needed and 3hrs later out we come with my parts. Here are some pictures of Plymouth before and after and then some of the Buick being worked on.
     

    Attached Files:

  30. gatz
    Joined: Jun 2, 2011
    Posts: 1,817

    gatz
    Member

    wow, that sure changes the looks of the rear-end.....for the better !
    better than the Buick & better than the Ply
     

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