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Thread: New Buick owner

  1. #1
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    New Buick owner

    Greetings everyone from the middle of nowhere in California.
    Over the past month, I picked up two of my favorite Buicks.
    One’s a long way down on the project list, so just keeping eyes open for deals on the parts it needs (which is everything). But, I have an actual 1950 Roadmaster Sedanette... that spent way too long in a Montana junkyard.
    Still. Love the sedanettes, and in 1950, there weren’t a lot of the Roadmaster.

    And then I found a 71 Riviera Boattail. This one runs and drives, so I’m hoping to start cruising it soon while I work on it, but I’m having trouble finding some necessary pieces. In particular, the driver’s side outside door handle, and a thing the fisher body manual calls a “guide assembly, lower sash upper.” And the chrome piece that attaches to the front of the quarter window between the quarter and front windows.

    Thank you in advance

    The obligatory project car pics.




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  2. #2
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    Nice find, those are both great cars! I picked up both of my Buicks from middle of nowhere California too.

    What are your plans for that Roadmaster? Those Inline 8s are neat

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by jacob View Post
    Nice find, those are both great cars! I picked up both of my Buicks from middle of nowhere California too.

    What are your plans for that Roadmaster? Those Inline 8s are neat

    Unfortunately the Roadmaster came from Montana. There’s one straight panel on it, and that one is rusted. My son and I are looking to see what we can fix. The straight 8 has been exposed to the elements forever.
    If and when I source a hood I can afford, I’ll be ready to figure out what way to go with it.


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  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Memrys View Post
    Unfortunately the Roadmaster came from Montana. There’s one straight panel on it, and that one is rusted. My son and I are looking to see what we can fix. The straight 8 has been exposed to the elements forever.
    If and when I source a hood I can afford, I’ll be ready to figure out what way to go with it.


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    rust is certainly the enemy with these cars. There's nothing as good as replacing rusty panels with new, fresh metal, but in the past I've used rust doctor (similar to POR15) and then a fiberglass reinforced body filler called Kitty hair over top of that, on the inside of body panel, and then regular body filler on the exterior of the panel with good results. If you do good prep work it should last several years.

    The issue with a motor swap in those is that you have to replace the transmission, and then the torque tube and rear end. It's very doable, but its no easy task.

  5. #5
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    If I were to replace the motor, I’d want to swap the drivetrain anyway. I haven’t looked, but I think it’s a leaf spring rear, so pretty simple to drop it all out and stuff something else in (Buick 455 maybe, 700r4 ford 9”)
    But for now, maybe the stock motor can be salvaged, or maybe another comes along. The big straight 8 would have a cool factor the later v8 would lack.


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  6. #6
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    1971 Riviera Parts

    The door handle assembly is a part no 9835145 Handle, front door, outside, left side (right side is a different no). It was used on the '71-73 Rivera and '71-78 Olds Toronado. GM discontinued it in 7/96. The number 9834745 appears on one of the pieces of the assembly.

    No one seems to be reproducing this item. A NOS handle of this number comes up for sale on the Web on rare occasions. Finding one in a salvage yard may be the best bet. It cost 2-3X more than other handles when it was available in the dealerships and will likely be pricey when one turns up.

    ---------------

    Buick did not sell the plastic upper guide as a separate piece on this model. The tube, upper guide, and lower guide were sold as part no 9886668 Guide assembly, front door window. Left and right side are the same part number. This assembly was used on numerous GM B and C body 2 doors from '71-76 and the E body cars from '71-78.

    The part number changed to 9669422 in 11/73. It was superceded again by 1710847 by 11/79. There is a NOS 9669422 on eBay now, shown for use on '71-75 Impalas.

    Impala Bob's www.Impalas.com shows to have a reproduction upper guide for the '71-76 Impala available if the whole assembly is not needed.

    ---------------

    The chrome piece on the quarter window, less weatherstrips, is a part number 9832049 Channel, rear quarter window front sash, left side (right side is a different no). This part was used on the '71-73 Riviera, '71-74 Toronado, and '74-75 Impala sport coupe.

    The part number changed to 9738999 in 10/74. This one does not appear to be available in reproduction. None could be located for sale on the Web using the part numbers. The parts list does note a longer channel from some different model of this era can be cut down to size as long as the rubber protrudes 3/16" on each end. A salvage yard find may be the answer on this one.

    The weatherstrips for the leading edge of the quarter windows are available in reproduction from Steele Rubber Products. The part numbers are 9829542 Weatherstrip, rear quarter window frame (front - vertical) right side. The left is a 9829543.

    ----------------

    You picked up a couple of nice cars. Hope this helps get the Riviera going.
    Last edited by TODD; 01-24-2018 at 02:50 AM. Reason: correct errors
    What has been, can be again. (Bob Wills, 1942)

  7. #7
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    Thanks Todd.. that’s a lot of really great info!


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  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Memrys View Post
    If I were to replace the motor, I’d want to swap the drivetrain anyway. I haven’t looked, but I think it’s a leaf spring rear, so pretty simple to drop it all out and stuff something else in (Buick 455 maybe, 700r4 ford 9”)
    But for now, maybe the stock motor can be salvaged, or maybe another comes along. The big straight 8 would have a cool factor the later v8 would lack.


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    Take a closer look under the 1950, I'm pretty sure you've got a torque tube and coil springs back there. I've done several classic buick drivetrain conversions and its not as simple as most other cars. If youre talking about the 71 then I'm not sure whats under there.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by jacob View Post
    Take a closer look under the 1950, I'm pretty sure you've got a torque tube and coil springs back there. I've done several classic buick drivetrain conversions and its not as simple as most other cars. If youre talking about the 71 then I'm not sure whats under there.
    Ok. I had figured back to 1950, it would have a leaf spring rear, in which case, I just pull it and torque tube and replace. Coil springs will be tougher.


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  10. #10

    1950 Roadmaster springs

    [QUOTE

    I haven’t looked, but I think it’s a leaf spring rear, so pretty simple to drop it all out and stuff something else in (Buick 455 maybe, 700r4 ford 9”


    Nope. All Buicks had coil springs from 1938.

    Ben

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