07/01/2009 is the day my old '61 Buick Electra came back to life after a quarter century of being parked. After all the prep work and mounting a 1 Gallon Briggs fuel tank I finally fired the old Buick up. She started up after a few revolutions and is purring soundly with out smoke, clicks or clacks or any knocks at all. There are some seals and gaskets that have dried out some though. The water pump is drooling some and there was a small puddle of transmission fluid found after moving it back and forth some and then parking. Also, the brake pedal was wanting to suck down to the floorboard when the engine was running so I temporarily disconnected the vacuum line to resolve the problem. The master cylinder was found to be dry when first opened a few days ago and the brakes need to be bled. I'm hoping to not need a new master cylinder right off... I'm so happy to have her going! :laugh:
lrflegel, You are where I was about 9 months ago. I got the car running and am slowly eliminating the various leaks and oozes. Went through the brakes, water pump, steering pump and box, freeze plugs, transmission filter and pan, and more stuff that I have forgotten about. What a blast to drive around though. Get the Electra out as much as you can this summer and take things one at a time. Enjoy!
Encouraging words! Sweet sounds of a leaking muffler and good engine, My day could not be any better! Thanks to you all!
I drove the Electra out of the shop into the light and gave her a bath. Oh boy did the wash help! :TU: I'll post images soon! I'll need to get some brakes working before I drive again. Coasting to a stop is iffy at best! ray: FYI: Shouting, "Please stop!" does not stop a Buick! So, I pulled her back into the shop and started to bleed the brakes, but ran out of brake fluid. I could have gone to the store and purchased some more brake fluid and finished the job today, but didn't. It's a 40 minute drive to town! Instead, I broke out my special Chrome Cleaner and polished some chrome! I'll need to get serious on finishing the brakes, tomorrow!
Progress & Photograph Re: '61 Buick Electra springs back to life! :kodak: Just a bit more work on the Electra today and have posted an update image for you all to see. I finished the bleeding of the brakes and then waxed the flat surfaces (Hood, Trunk and door and fender ledges) to prevent any bat droppings from adhering to these surfaces. I also vacuumed out the interior eliminating some mouse droppings and years of dust. Looking better all the time although I have noticed some defects I had not made a good mental note of previously. Some rust visible behind the rear wheels Both front fenders have the "noses" dented some. The Artic white top has aparently been repainted and has some severe staining. Perhaps rubbing compound will help resolve this. Chrome Brow areound the left rear turn signal lens has chrome bubble issues. In the big picture these issues are minor and I am really super happy with my find and purchase of the Electra and with the progress I've made so far! After elbow grease and cleaning: Before doing anything but lookin':
Wow, That's a good looking car! Pretty minor body problems too...Well worth just preserving and keeping it original!
Thanks Marc & Louie, I'm quite happy with my purchase and the progress. I do plan to keep everything original. I do need a rear bumper and re-chroming of the left taillight lens brow, but most everything else on the exterior brings a smile to my face. The interior has yet to be worked on with the exception of vacuuming the mouse droppings out... Steam cleaning the upholstery is next. The front seat needs new fabric, the headliner needs a repair or replacement due to a small hole and the carpeting at the upper edge under the front doors has worn through but time will bring it all around eventually. Thanks for taking a look and for your comments! :TU:
Rick, She's lookin purty snazzy!! Try the clay bar on the top. Might get out a lot of that staining. If not go for the compound. You sure are bringing that baby back to life!!!:TU:
Rick Good looking Boat. That was a very nice find. Keep her original:TU: Half the fun is to clean up an oldie and see the finished product. Looks like a keeper.:beers2: My Sister and neice both have weekend places in Colony Surf in Lilliwup, a nice getaway area. Gary
Thanks for the complement! What is this clay bar you mention? Found in auto parts or auto body supply stores? Sounds maybe less aggressive than rubbing compound and would be worth a try. Thanks again!
Thanks for the reply! We're just north of Colony Surf at Jorsted Creek, FS 24. Nice getaway or a very nice place to call home, if you overlook occasional mudslides!
Rick you can find it at Fred Meyers in the Auto Section. It's Maguire's. Comes in a kit, for about $20.
Saaaaawwweeeeeeeeet!!!!! Glad to hear it's coming along. Sorry For my absence, I was at the BCA nat'l meet in CO. Springs, CO. I love the color on a '61. My friend has a LeSabre to match your Electra:
