Hey everybody, my name is Jeff LaDuke and I am 21, going to turn 22 this weekend. I have the space to work on cars, and love it. I was given a 40 Buick Roadmaster 4dr 71 series from my cousin. He didn't have time to enjoy it anymore, so he gave it to me. I really love cars, I have two chevy pickups right now, a 94 (c1500 Turbo diesel-rare)with 167,000 miles and a 92 4.3L 5-speed with 299,500 miles on it. I am going to run the diesel on veggie oil (canola from the cafeteria) and going to drop a 383/t-56 6-speed in my 92 soon. I am a college student, so my budget is semi-limited, I do work at McLaren Performance in Livonia for my Co-op job. Very Cool, so I do have some money coming in. I have rebuilt suspensions before, and a 2.8 liter v-6 for my s-10 I used to have. I would like make my buick into something I can really enjoy. I want to convert to 12V, and update the ignition. I like the straight 8 and the sound. I do have one opening question, I just would like to know where to spend my money. So, should a FOUR DOOR roadmaster be kept stock, and not rodded? Usually only 2drs are rodded, and if I get the car to Concors quality, the value is only $18,000 because there were so many produced, and its value right now is about $8,000. It runs and drives pretty well for 60 yrs old, and I just want to make it more fun to drive, cause I think it is pretty cool.
I have been reading for a while around here, and it seems like a great place with lots of knowledge and with people who are really interested in helping. I hope I can help too, with my experiences and knowledge, what little I have.
Wow, Jeff, that sounds like a really neat car. There are a lot of four-door owners here. I'm only 23, so maybe I'm too young to be giving advice, but I'd say only to hold onto the Buick if it's something you like. Otherwise, put it on the market and use the $8000 toward something you'll really enjoy. Were it my car, I'd probably leave it largely stock. I'd be looking at updating the stopping power and possibly swapping in a modern overdrive-equipped manual trans and open-drive rear, simply to increase the driveability. Good on you for wanting to keep the I-8. Some people here are gonna advise you to chop, channel and section it - maybe even convert it to two doors and/or a convertible. It's your car, but IMO it appears maybe too nice for that sort of rough treatment. The only exception I might make is if my bodyworking skills were up to the level where I could replicate the coachbuilders of old and possibly produce a custom-bodied creation appropriate to 1940. A dual-cowl phaeton or two-seat convertible come to mind. Alas, I'm more mechanic than I am metalworker, so it would probably remain a four door sedan in my possession. In any case, welcome to the HAMB. I think you'll enjoy it here.
Nice score for free! Welcome! I used to live in Roseville, MI, and there was a LaDuke family down the street from us (Hennigan), lotsa kids. The one my age was named Jimmy LaDuke, any relation?
4t64dr:Thanks, I think I will like it here too. There might be some relation down in Roseville, I have family in Flint and Fenton, MI. Thats where my Dad is from. It could be a relative, I will ask when I go home for my birthday tomorrow. I agree with you too, bigcheese327. I was thinking (and would really like to) put a 80's to 90's cadillac brougham or chevy caprice frame under it, so It would handle great, and I could bag it easier, but the people my cousin bought the buick from put about 7,000 dollars into it to have the clutch and plressure plate redone, new brakes and wheel cylinders, new fuel lines, rebuilt shocks, some new seals... I can't believe a shop would work on an old car like that. It was probably a pleasure for them though The car still steers kinda quirky, maybe that is normal for a 40, I don't know. Being a 4dr sort of bothered me, but then, the 94-96 chevy impala was a four door, and it is a pretty cool car, so I am going to keep the body the way it is for now. A chop would be nice, but I would like to get this baby on the road. I was searching for a topic to do with bagging a coiled spring car with a torque tube rear end and knee action shocks, but I guess I will have to start a thread. I heard something about the torque tube having to be at a certain angle when underway?? And I would like to know the travel range of the stock lever shocks, I don't want to stress them. I would like to make the car into a reliable driver, something that would be great to cruise in with my buddies and their cars when we drive around town. I don't know if I should paint it glossy, or like a suede or flat black. Any suggestions? I was going to probably keep the hub caps on there, but paint the wheels red, just to show my buddies for thier opinion. Your opinions are welcomed to . I love the work-in-progress look of cars, so I will be driving it while working on it. I went to the autorama, and took about 100 pictures, with my girlfriend. She likes cars too, and helps me with the buick sometimes. Tires: Wide Whites are very expensive, like $180 a tire, for a silly standard size of 235/75R15 (about $70 dollars for a black wall) and I need new tires because the ones on there are weather checked bias ply (L78's i think). So I am undecided about wheels and tires too. The bolt pattern is 5 on 5, so my wheels off one of my chevy 1/2 tons would work for a while, I guess.
Oh yeah, I just remembered the first time I took it to church. You should have seen the people in thier 60's, 70's and 80's Jump when they saw it in the front parking lot! They couldn't stop asking me questions about the "OLD CAR" I was happy to explain to them whatever they asked. At the end of the church time, they all were out by the car when I cranked the 6V car to life. rur..ruur.. ruur.. It started perfectly, and I pulled away just like back in the 40's. I actually took it on a rainy day, and had to drive down two miles of dirt road. I was in first gear, with that 3.90 rear, going about 5 or 6 miles an hour. I took my little brother (age 10 right now) with me on the way home, and we blew the horns at everything, haha. Good times. I want to keep those horns when I convert to 12 V. Is that possible? I will have to start a thread on that too. I have so many questions, and I hope I can be of help to others too.
Jeff, you have one of the finest Buicks ever built ... '41 dual carb/dual exhaust manifolds are a direct bolt-on (have to be for a 60 series or larger engine) and will up the gas mileage as well. The car deserves a set of GOOD 15" wheels and tires, and a tube shock conversion will help the roadability. I'd love to see it lowered 4-5", with '55-'56 Buick wheel covers and you sitting behind the wheel grinning. Welcome to the HAMB-I'm new here, too ! 302
Cool, that sounds very reasonable, I might be able to find a setup like that at a swap meet, or in Hemmings, hehe. The tube shock conversion should be an easy search on HAMB, away, and then I could bag it, or static drop it. You are talking about new whites, right? My grandfather had a 56 buick! We have a few pictures of it in the old picture album. It was yellow and white i think.
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