Lord Vader - An Unknown Buick Returns

Discussion in 'Members Rides' started by Brett Slater, Sep 16, 2017.

  1. BYoung

    BYoung Stage me

    Don't want to derail this thread, but betting on the dogs was something my Father loved to do and he passed it along to me.
     
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  2. Brett Slater

    Brett Slater Super Moderator Staff Member

    It's my thread. It'll come back around again after this weekend.
     
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  3. Brett Slater

    Brett Slater Super Moderator Staff Member

    I shook the car down this morning and decided to take it out to run some errands.

    It started great, hot started better than it has since the new build and overall, ran flawless for a good 40 miles.

    I'll be doing the same early tomorrow for a cruise-in about 30 miles away. Oh - and I also stopped to grab some groceries. :D:D

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  4. BYoung

    BYoung Stage me

    I hope all the gremlins are gone!
     
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  5. Electra Bob

    Electra Bob Well-Known Member

    Looking good!

    Curious as to where the cruise in is tomorrow. Outside chance I may be let off the leash long enough to go :)

    Took the Electra out for a warm up, dust off run today and it started up right away and ran smooth. Warm enough to have the windows down!

    Got to make the most of it while we can.

    Bob
     
  6. Brett Slater

    Brett Slater Super Moderator Staff Member

    Me too!
     
  7. Brett Slater

    Brett Slater Super Moderator Staff Member


    Down my way in Plymouth. America's hometown. :D
     
  8. Brett Slater

    Brett Slater Super Moderator Staff Member

    I hope everyone had a nice Christmas.

    During a recent conversation with @Rob Ross, he asked if I still had my OEM shroud - which I do, in basically perfect condition - and suggested grabbing one of TPP pieces.

    After some thought, it made total sense. Why risk ruining a $1000 plus part when adequate repros are readily available? With a little massaging - especially around the area of the provision for the upper radiator hose hook - this will be more than sufficient for me and I can shelve the original.

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    I'd also be half heartedly looking for one of these vanity mirrors for a while and found one for $20 shipped on eBay. At some point in its life, someone had installed one, so there's already remnants of the brackets on the sun visor.

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  9. BYoung

    BYoung Stage me

    Makes sense to use the repop and store the original. The 71's aren't nearly as expensive but I had the chance to buy a very nice original a couple years back and have it set aside.
     
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  10. Brett Slater

    Brett Slater Super Moderator Staff Member

    I've got extra of most of all the front end parts because it seems no one pays attention when they're driving these days.
     
  11. Dano

    Dano Platinum Level Contributor

    That shroud that came in your car is as close to NOS as one could want. Don't think I've ever seen a nicer one.
     
  12. Brett Slater

    Brett Slater Super Moderator Staff Member

    Which is why I'm shelving it. :D:D
     
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  13. Brett Slater

    Brett Slater Super Moderator Staff Member

    Speaking of shelving, I paid Mr. Cook a visit last weekend and grabbed some goodies from his collection of Buick stuff.

    I'll be freshening up this '70 M21 and swapping out the original once the weather breaks. It's going to my transmission guy this week.

    I also grabbed a set of 14" inch steelies that will get a new set of Firestone Wide Oval radials after they're blasted and painted. That will complete the transformation back to day 1. The rebuilt shifter will also nicely complement the fresh Muncie.

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    I found a gentleman named Brad Barrie on Facebook, who runs the page Old School Automotive License Plate Frames. He filled a void and crafted me up some dealership swag after my 4 year search was fruitless.

    I've looked high and low for basically anything from this former Buick dealer and these are the next best things. I also turned the sticker into a magnet, for obvious reasons.

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  14. Brett Slater

    Brett Slater Super Moderator Staff Member

    The '70 M21 is freshened up and ready for installation once it rains here a few more times and I can drive the car to my buddy's shop.

    The rebuild was done by a transmission shop (somewhat) local to me that's been in business for over 30 years, so I'm confident it'll perform as new. I'm into a (basically) new M21 for under $1400 bucks and from what I've seen online, it looks like I'm ahead of the game in that respect.

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    Tomorrow, I'm taking the old Polyglas tires off the 14" steelies and dropping them off at the blaster. I think the radial Wide Ovals will really "finish off" the car's look.

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    Stay tuned...
     
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  15. Brett Slater

    Brett Slater Super Moderator Staff Member

    As long as I've owned the car, the hood latch has been "difficult", for lack of a better word.

    Turns out it was cracked - which makes sense - so I swapped it out with a replated one Dave Johnson sold me last year. The hood pops open much easier now.

    I picked up the 14" steelies from the blaster last week and dropped them off to my paint guy. They came out very nice.

    The Wide Ovals should be here this week or early next week.

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  16. Brett Slater

    Brett Slater Super Moderator Staff Member

    Almost 4 years to the day it was delivered up here, it's finally back to how it looked when new.

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  17. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    Those are the same exact wheels the the beater wore when it was in muscle car review. After that, I upgraded to 15" steelies
     
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  18. Brett Slater

    Brett Slater Super Moderator Staff Member

    Maybe I'll carry on the tradition and they'll end up in Hemmings Muscle Machines.
     
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  19. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    They carry the Jay Cook luck with them! So yeah, I forsee your GS in muscle car review this year
     
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  20. Dano

    Dano Platinum Level Contributor

    That looks awesome. Can't wait to get a set for my car. Just need to find (and maybe re-chrome) some more '70 14" Chrome wheels.
    Not "same exact" as in just like, but so ppl understand, they are the actual wheels from the beater:).
     

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