69 Motion Equipped Resto

Discussion in 'The Bench' started by Duane, May 25, 2018.

  1. Mike Trom

    Mike Trom Platinum Level Contributor

    This is the wire clip used in 68. Pretty fragile so you can see why they did not last.
    clip.jpg
     
  2. dl7265

    dl7265 No car then Mopar

    Nah , ‘68 uses a clear plastic clips . They broke easily and are rarely seen . Not sure on ‘69 . Don’t have that assembly manual .

    DL
     
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  3. dl7265

    dl7265 No car then Mopar

    I bought the last nos set of those :D . Only will be installed for judging . o_O
     
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  4. Duane

    Duane Member

    Latest update,
    Here are some pics of another couple of pieces.
    The power steering pump started leaking so Nick took it apart and found the shaft was pitted right where the seal was, so it came apart. Parts were taken from another pump, a seal kit was installed, and it was re-painted. The hood latch-center grill mount was also found to be bent so another was located, blasted and painted, and the last two body colored pieces were painted. They are the parts that fit on the ends of the front grille.
    Duane


    IMG_7284.JPG IMG_7286.JPG IMG_7288.JPG
     
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  5. George D.

    George D. Platinum Level Contributor

    Duane, I have to throw this at the naysayers/ nit pickers.. When this was dropped off at Motion, how many "factory" parts- clips, nuts, bolts, fasteners, etc were removed by the Motion employees to gain easier access to the bits they were wrenching on? I can say that allows you a pretty large swath of "gray" area where you could go with anything during that year... Including (gulp) Chevy bits and pieces... :)
     
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  6. Duane

    Duane Member

    George,
    I have no information as to exactly what was done at Motion to this car. We have a letter from Joel Rosen letting us know it was done at the Motion shop, and let me make this clear, it is a "shop car", a Motion Car, and not a Baldwin Motion car. It was not a new car sold by the Baldwin dealership. In conversations Jim had with Joel, he remembered at least 2 Buicks going through his shop. He said one was Blue and was either a 69 or 70 car, and the other was a 70-72 car and was either Yellow or Brown. He didn't remember which color it was. This would account for this car and the Motion GSX, which was also a "shop car". This car was brought to the Motion shop and the modifications were done to a specific customers requirements.

    When Jimmy found the car it had certain pieces on it, like the dash emblems, special striping, exterior Hurst Equipped emblem, chrome valve covers, Mickey Thompson long tube headers, Hurst Wheels, a rusted fly eye air cleaner, along with the 4-speed trans that was in the trunk, etc. It had also been taken apart and was getting ready to be repainted and made into a race car. Parts had been sold off it, like the intake and carb. The heads that were supposedly on the car were a set of 69 BBB heads that had what looked like BB Chevy valves in them. They were both cracked but Jimmy took them anyway. He took anything that was Buick when he picked up the car. This was sometime in 78 or so, and at that time the car was simply a beat up old used race car.

    We have been able to piece certain things together but again do not know exactly what was done. This is often the case with old "race cars". It's hard to tell what was done, I mean how many times do guys change things on their cars to make them launch better or make better times.

    We know certain things, and yes there were some "Chevy" parts stuck on it, like sticking an 8 grand tach in the consolette. That certainly was not a Buick part............and yes there is a "gray area" , but this also allows us to build it the way we want, that is within certain parameters. The info we have was that it was done over sometime in 1970. That designates what parts we can and cannot use.


    As far as the "naysayers", have at it. This is not a $250,000 car. It is not a Baldwin Motion Car. We have been able to prove certain things. I even found a vintage pic of a 67 GS that was worked on there, the pic is posted somewhere on this thread.

    The bottom line is this, we are going to build it and it is going to get done to the best of our abilities...............and the other thing is this, it really doesn't matter what it's worth as I have no intention of selling it as long as it is in my power to do so. That is unless Jimmy wants it back after it's done.
    Duane
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2019
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  7. bignastyGS

    bignastyGS Maggot pilot

    Pat wants it after it's done...lol:D:D
     
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  8. Mike Trom

    Mike Trom Platinum Level Contributor

    I'm not "not nit picking", I am asking questions and learning. There is a difference:)
     
  9. Duane

    Duane Member

    Mike,
    I don't think George was referring to anyone or anything in particular, but was trying to figure out/understand how the car differed from the factory. Basically we are approaching this by building the car to the way it left the factory with all the options it had at that time, and then changing out the factory parts to include the aftermarket/Motion pieces that would have been installed.

    Case in point, using the Fly Eye air cleaner (as it was one of the parts that came with the car) would force us to remove the GS air cleaner bracket and the rubber hose that would go from the passenger side valve cover up to the air cleaner. This would mean some type of breather would have been installed in the valve cover. We know the types they were using at the time, so the appropriate style breather was installed. (I will post some pics of this below, as it just got installed today.)

    This same thing was done for the exhaust. The car had headers and the soup can "Thrush" Mufflers, so this meant the exhaust was cut/fabricated for these parts.

    The stripes/emblems will also be done with this same type of thinking. We know the car left the factory with the GS stripe package, and know it was an early car. Therefore all the original early style stripes will be put on and then the special "Motion" stripes and emblems will be added. You could tell by looking at the paint on the original hood that the 400 emblems were still on the hood, even after the raised section of the hood was painted white, so the 400 emblems will be going back on, not Stage 1 or Stage 2 emblems.

    This same type of thinking is how we are approaching everything. Jimmy did a bunch of research on this and I have done a ton more. Again we don't know exactly how the car was modified but it should end up looking as correct as we can make it with the parts that we have.
    Duane
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2019
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  10. George D.

    George D. Platinum Level Contributor

    Duane,
    I was making a point that with this particular car, and the history it has, it should be recognized that you have the latitude/ gray area that I spoke of.. That was all. Maybe not be surprised to see the incorrect piece, part, plating, etc.. And as you have pointed out a bunch of times, that this car is being built as you wanted it to be built.. But at the same time, as close to the time it was a Motion "tuned" car... :)
     
  11. Duane

    Duane Member

    Yep. We are trying to build the car as Jimmy saw it and still be time/period correct.

    Here are a few pics from today. Nick still has to put the heater hose clip on the inner fender, but you can now see that the hoses were cut just long enough to fit.
    Enjoy.
    Duane


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  12. bignastyGS

    bignastyGS Maggot pilot

    Where did you source the Tee in the oil line and the temperature sending unit for the water temperature gauge?
     
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  13. Ryans-GSX

    Ryans-GSX Have fun, life is short.

    Everyone that has done anything to this car or for this car should be proud fo the job they have done. The car looks outstanding and I am impressed with the attention to detail. Of course I kind of expect this type of detail from Duane and Nick both are over the top with the things they do. Great job guys and thank you for posting pics and information. Many of us are really enjoying seeing this amazing car come back to life again.
     
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  14. Buicksky

    Buicksky Gold Level Contributor

    Duane,
    I am very pleased you are showing us all the progress and the many unique touches that were Day 2 type parts and painting. I also enjoy seeing the previous owner is getting to see progress made on a car he saw value in when it was "just a old racecar" I cant imagine what the look on his face will be when he gets to go on a first ride in a car he bought back in 1978. Thanks again for letting us in on the restoration and the hiccups that many of us have faced over a much longer restoration timeline. Tony
     
  15. Duane

    Duane Member

    Pat,
    I don't know where Nick sourced the tee and sending unit but I will ask him. I do know that Nick has an incredible amount of obscure accessory items in his parts boxes and some of those pieces may have come from there. I would bet some of them go all the way back to his friend Whitey. Whitey had a 69 Stage 1 convertible and passed away several years ago. I met him at my first GS Nats in 88 or 89, and he was actually my first upholstery sale there.

    Thanks Ryan, can't wait to see some pics of your car as work progresses.

    Tony,
    My friend Jimmy, that was the previous owner of this car, is not a computer guy and has not seen any pics of the car since it left his garage. He still has a lot on his plate so we are not going to add anything more to that right now.

    We have told him we are working on it, and it is coming out nice, but we are purposely not showing him any pics until he sees it in person. Once it's done he will see it and at least get him a ride.

    I am also working on another "present" for Jimmy. I have been contacted by a magazine photographer and he is interested in doing a spread. I know they often do not include pics of the owners in their articles but I have asked for a pic of the 3 of us, Jimmy, Billy, and I to be included as this car's restoration is all about friendship. We will have to see how everything goes.

    I also want to thank everyone again that has helped locate/sell/donate parts to this build. There is no way it could have been done to this level without all of your help.
    Duane
     
    Last edited: Jan 16, 2019
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  16. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

  17. bignastyGS

    bignastyGS Maggot pilot

    The normal tee's we have in parts stores here are just a plain block that really look bad. I like how his has the rounded piece on the ends.The Sun gauges take a special(kind of their own) sender.People who have the Sun ones for sale ask $150-$250 for them...Seriously..
     
    Last edited: Jan 17, 2019
  18. Duane

    Duane Member

    Pat,
    He ordered the "tee" from Parker Fluids and Hydraulics. He said they have all kinds of different brass fittings, and the water temp sending unit was ordered from his jobber. He said it was a standard AC-Delco unit.

    If this is for the Sun Gauge I think he was going to see how it read against another gauge and go from there.
    Duane
     
  19. Duane

    Duane Member

    Nick just got the radiator back from getting it re-cored and is getting ready to paint it.

    The last pic shows a close up of the original tag and hose clip. A pair of original trans cooler "plugs" will also be installed.
    Duane


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  20. mrolds69

    mrolds69 "The Cure"

    Oh...good move soldering the tag and clip on it, Duane! I knew there was good stuff in those boxes of Nick's. I'm surprised Jason couldn't smell that stuff from LI.
     

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