Customs The Adventures of Bob the Big Ol’ Buick

My buddy Jimmy thought it should maybe have a different name.

 

Nice pickup, really nice patina, perfect too haul stuff with

 

Is "James" too formal?

 

How about Aloysius P. Galazkiewicz?

You've gotta admit, that's a different name!

 

Put the car up on the lift Sunday evening and changed out the fuel filter by the tank. I shook quite a bit of junk out of the old filter (which I just put on a few weeks ago). I should probably drain the tank since it has a drain plug, but just put a new filter on for now since the tank was full and I was messing with it pretty late in the evening before driving it to work again yesterday. Anyway, it made it back and forth to work again with no issue. Getting more confident in it all the time (which is when it will break down)...

Had to help interview a guy yesterday for a co-worker looking to hire and gave them both a ride across campus in the Buick to go do a plant tour since my co-worker couldn’t haul us all in his 911 Porche. Pretty sure neither of them had ridden in an old Buick before. They got the executive treatment.

 

As a quick follow-up...heard yesterday afternoon that the guy that my co-worker was trying to hire was offered the job and accepted. I’m betting the ride in the Buick is what convinced him to move from Utah to Oklahoma.

Oh, and I received my replacement door glass from Owen’s Salvage. Maybe I can get it installed later this week or this weekend.

 

My boss when we towed cars did a lot of junk cars too. One yard we dropped cars at crushed them and they stacked the gas tanks on the side. We got permission to use the old gas for the tow trucks, I know... insane.

Give the old tanks the sniff test and pour the good stuff into the truck. Strained through a shop rag to keep the big pieces out. In each truck we carried 3 or 4 cheap gas filters and a small screw driver.

 

With the price of gas anymore, that can make a lot of sense now.

 

Silas was out in the shop tonight polishing bumpers, trim, etc. on pinky, so I decided to give Bob a teeth cleaning. Looks much better!

Half way there...

Done!

 

Shiny grin

 

That grille is looking magnificent!

 

Now is the time to put in that one gold tooth!


(Don't forget to floss.)

 

Believe me, I had thought about it. I’ve been driving around this whole time with just one shiney tooth before now.

 

Bob would make a GR8 candidate for a tooth paste commercial >>>>brush your teeth with - - - - -
Keep smilin !

 

"Brusha brusha brusha with the new Ipanna..."

 

Nice work, such a difference, compared before/after it looks like rechromed, atleast at the photos

 

One thing I was reminded of last night is that arthritis doesn't work well with intricate work like flossing Bob's teeth. I was glad to finally get it all polished. Back when I started polishing it in June, it was over 100 degrees in the shop and it didn't take long to decide I would wait until fall to finish. I was going to also change out the drivers door glass last night, but didn't get to that being distracted by helping Silas polish Pinky's bumpers as well as fixing a couple other little things on it and changing oil. Planning to drive Bob to a men's breakfast at church tomorrow morning now that his teeth are clean. They did turn out pretty nice actually. The "mustache" over the teeth is broken on the passenger's side in a couple spots from some accident, but it isn't real noticeable. I do think I will pull the front tag and bracket off. I think it can look more balanced in the front without that as long as the bumper looks decent where the bracket is bolted on.

 

That mustache is scarce and pricy. North of $300, usually. They tend to crack at the center vertical crease.

Ben

 

Sounds like I should be very thankful for how nice mine is Ben. The cracks are barely noticeable.

 

While I am playing around with polishing, decided to see if the hubcaps would polish up. Much better! Not sure why they were so bad, but they did polish up pretty decent even though they put up a fight. I do plan to also change over to full caps soon as well.

 

Finally got to them.

 

Bob says, " my teeth are clean & my dog dishes are clean, all is well". What's for dinner .... milkshakes & ???

 

Went down to the men’s breakfast at church this morning and both my boys came along. Silas drove Pinky and Samuel rode with me in Bob. Considering this was a gathering of probably 150-200 guys (mostly old guys that like cars like Bob), I figured someone else might drive something old or cool. There were two old cars in the parking lot. It was also in the high-30’s this morning and my drivers window now won’t go up after a chunk of glass fell out. I guess I better get that new glass in soon if I want to stay warm...or if I want to wash Bob.

 

The polishing looks great! What are you using for polish besides elbow grease?

 

Thanks! Still just using 3M rubbing compound and a rag. I tried using a couple other things mentioned here in this thread earlier, but still have the best luck with compound. I did use my buffer to speed up the process on the hubcaps since whatever oxidation was on them sure was tough. I also took the hubcaps over to a buffing wheel with fast cut rouge to do the edges since my paint buffer wouldn’t get them very good.

 

The chrome on Bob looks great. I also like the 3M products. Along with the rubbing compound I use their Hand Glaze and wax as well. Does wonders for black paint.

 

After getting everything polished up, the tag on the front bothered me more and we don’t have to run them in Oklahoma. So, I took it off and like it better. Maybe I will make a little bracket to bolt to the holes in the bumper and put my club plaque on since I have never run one. That’s if I get ambitious...

Oh, and I almost have the late model back together that I have been dreading. So, I can get it out of the shop and have more time on this or the new GMC.

 

The newly polished grille looks great ,reminds me of the cover of Stephen King's From a Buick 8!

 

Just remember if you ever take the teeth out to get them plated to mark them. They are all different. Please don’t ask me how I know.

 

The teeths are already stamped with numbers from the factory, probably to make the assembly smoother on the line.
All 9 teeths are different, the bumper are curved and the teeths are all pointing straight forward, the middle tooth is the only one sitting straight.
I read somewhere that this grille were too expensive and complex too mount, sadly thats why they only used it one year, both before and after 1950 they used the "cd stack" grille.
No idea if the storys true but it sounds like it could be