My new Roadmaster 4 Door

[Smartin]

I was NOT in the market for another car, but I couldn't pass this one up. It's only money, Right? I'll make more!

90% original paint (top of pass fender and bottom half or front pass door were painted at one point)
59xxx miles
Nearly mint interior
Mint trunk compartment
Engine never been apart, but appears to have been sprayed at some point, same with some of the black in the engine compartment
Rust free, except under headlights where it is perforating
Chrome is in excellent condition
Stainless is excellent, couple dents here and there
Originally an Air Poise car, but was converted at some point. Few bits still remain, but I may pluck them off an sell to raise $$ for the Limited.

It appears to have been a Kansas car its whole life. I have the original owner's title, that is dated 1976 because they had applied for a new title at that point. The mileage on the 1976 title is 54xxx! So in the last 34 years, it has been driven 5000 miles.

It needs a few things...

Front trans cooler lines are leaking pretty badly
Paint needs buffed (I know a guy who can do this)
Dash pad is sagging (surprise!)
Interior chrome needs detailing
Instrument cluster lights do not work
Couple dents need repair in the stainless trim
Engine runs a touch rough, might be a carb issue...appears to have most of its original ignition equipment too.
Minor coolant leak at thermostat housing


















I started polishing the chrome on the dashboard this evening, and it is coming out REALLY nice. I had to take some time to replace bulbs in the dash and roof courtesy lights so I could see when I was working, though. They really put out some good light when they're all working!

[Boots43]

Congratulations!! That is a great looking car. Don't get to preoccupied and forget your other car. Boots43

[Smartin]

The Limited is going to have to take a seat for a couple months while I work my magic on this one. I really like this car!!

[58limited]

That is gorgeous!

[dvonk]

wow, adam! what a beauty. i love seeing thing in such nice, original condition. im totally jealous!!

[Dynastar]

And, in my opinion, THE best colour for a 58 Buick. What a beauty!

[Smartin]

I need to figure out how to reinflate that dash pad without spending $800

[Dynastar]

Hi Adam,
The dash pad on my 58 Special needed doing too - pretty much all the foam that was in there had crumbled away, and ended up on the floor when ever anyone touched the pad. I took the pad off, used my angle grinder to cut several slots in the metal support at the rear of the pad, got out as much of the old crumbly foam as I could. I then got a can of expanding foam, the same stuff that builders use, and squirted it through the slots into the cavity. As the foam expanded it came out of the slots, which I removed as and when needed. I also made sure the pad retained it's shape while the foam was expanding and oozing out of the slots, massaging the pad to retain the shape. It takes a while, and was pretty messy to do, but the end result was worth it - before I did the job I was worried a front seat passenger would put their fingers through the empty, floppy dashpad and ruin any chance of restoring it. It is now back in the car, quite firm when you squeeze it, and looking great, all for about £7. The only let down was I stopped making sure the pad retained it's shape before the foam had finished expanding completely so it is slightly out of shape, but it is 10 times better than before. I know what to do now when I do the one in my Roadmaster!
I was looking at your car on ebay earlier, I wish I had an extra garage space...!
All the best
Kerry

[Smartin]

Hi Kerry,

That is my initial idea, to fill it with expanding foam. I listed it on ebay primarily to gauge the value, since it's rare to see a car if this quality in original condition. I have a pretty hefty reserve on ebay, so I don't really anticipate it selling on the auction. I will always entertain offers, though

[dvonk]

from the results of the auction, i must say, well done sir.

[Smartin]

The auction was a no-sale, but I have someone who is very interested.

[dvonk]

such a pristine example i would buy in a heartbeat... but looking at what others are willing to pay on ebay, anything i could offer would just be an insult!

definitely a hard decision though--your Limited is really coming together after alot of hard work, and this Roadmaster is in amazing shape too.

hm, decisions, decisions! best of luck...

[Resurrector]

What a sweetheart of a car, good find! Love it! And the best body style too in my opinion, the 4 door hardtop
I wish the Specials had that chrome on dash, just beautiful.

[Smartin]

Ok, dash pad is off to Mr. Upholstery to have the padding rebuilt. Meanwhile, I have redyed the top of the dash pad and repainted the trim pieces that frame it. I feel like I did a bunch more work than that, but now that I look back at it...that's all I have done The pad should be finished before the Easter show on March 31. I guess I need to redye the small padded bits on the glove box and the face of the dash, too. "While I'm at it...." Redye the carpet black, paint the package shelf...

Doesn't look like the paint will get buffed before the show, though. I'll have to save that fun little project for later, along with the engine compartment and chassis detail.

[Smartin]

Well, the Roadmaster made it to the Easter show, but not without a fight.

I took it on a drive the day before the show to make sure it would make the 40 minute drive the next morning. Well, it overheated. I made it home and replaced the radiator cap, hoses, and thermostat. I also flushed it, thinking I could get by with just that. I didn't have time to test it again before the morning, so I was crossing my fingers that it would be fine.

The next morning, I got up a couple hours early...anticipating problems. Of course on the test drive it overheated...the entire center section of the radiator was ice cold. There are no stores open on Easter Sunday morning at 7am...except Walmart. I got online searching for radiator flush remedies with common home products. I found one that said to use Muriatic acid with a 50/50 water mix. I ran to Walmart and got a gallon...got home and ripped the radiator out of the car in record time. Before I even flushed it out, there was some nasty scaly stuff coming out of it already.

After I let the mix sit in the radiator for 15 minutes at a time, I would shake/agitate it to loosen up the crap inside it. It sounded like I was shaking a can full of sand. No wonder it was overheating. Another 30 minutes of flushing with water, I got it installed again.

With no time to test drive, I just hopped in the car to drive to the show. The temperature gauge never went above the 1/3 mark until I slowed down for the show traffic to get in the gate. It made it to just above the halfway point and didn't go any higher. Success!!!! I just needed to get home, and that was not an issue.

So now I am disassembling the engine compartment for a full detail. Radiator and heater core will get refurbished, heads rebuilt, everything else painted and cleaned up.

BTW, the dash pad was reinstalled, but I want to try to make it look a bit better...it still sags some.