Anyone on here owned this Buick?

Anyone on here owned this Buick?

Author
Discussion

AdeTuono

Original Poster:

7,367 posts

232 months

Tuesday 2nd July
quotequote all
I've just bought a rather lovely old Buick RoadMaster 75, and noticed this...



...on the rear bumper. Anyone of this parish?

I'm hoping this is a long-term keeper, having gone through dozens of old motors over the last few years. It needs some TLC in places, but seems pretty solid where it matters. We'll see.


jr6yam

1,312 posts

188 months

Wednesday 3rd July
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Is that Henry Cole's old motor?

AdeTuono

Original Poster:

7,367 posts

232 months

Wednesday 3rd July
quotequote all
He had it briefly, though I didn't buy from him. I did a 4 mile drive today and the rad blew. Parked up, there was a loud 'pop' and all the coolant dropped. Header tank had been bodged (badly) with filler. Not a great start. Now need to either repair it, or get one custom built.

hidetheelephants

27,286 posts

198 months

Wednesday 3rd July
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Bodgetastic. Is the tank brass? Easy enough repair for a radiator shop, or even the keen amateur.

SRT Hellcat

7,088 posts

222 months

Thursday 4th July
quotequote all
AdeTuono said:
He had it briefly, though I didn't buy from him. I did a 4 mile drive today and the rad blew. Parked up, there was a loud 'pop' and all the coolant dropped. Header tank had been bodged (badly) with filler. Not a great start. Now need to either repair it, or get one custom built.
That is a pain Ade. You should be able to have that professionally repaired by a radiator specialist. Get them to flush the rad as well while they are in there

roscobbc

3,581 posts

247 months

Thursday 4th July
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That was really an 'off' thing to have done.........had you not said it was the rad 'repair' I would have aske "why has someone stuck a chicken carcass to the car"?

AdeTuono

Original Poster:

7,367 posts

232 months

Thursday 4th July
quotequote all
It's in good hands. They say that it won't be a problem.

But it's a hell of a split, as you can see. No idea how that much pressure can build up in the cooling system. I figured maybe a head gasket, but there's no evidence of water in the oil, or oil in the water. Any ideas? 364 Nailhead.




roscobbc

3,581 posts

247 months

Thursday 4th July
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That fan won't be too efficient - only 'drawing' air through a third or so of the radiator surface area.

AdeTuono

Original Poster:

7,367 posts

232 months

Thursday 4th July
quotequote all
roscobbc said:
That fan won't be too efficient - only 'drawing' air through a third or so of the radiator surface area.
Good point. Looks like I'll need to source an original one to bolt to the pulley on the water pump.

16v stretch

983 posts

162 months

Wednesday 10th July
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AdeTuono said:
Good point. Looks like I'll need to source an original one to bolt to the pulley on the water pump.
Whichever you keep, get a shroud, that's where the real gains come from.

Personally, I'd have a flat shroud made with a cutout for the electric fan and a few bypass flaps. Wire it in with a thermostatic switch and an over-ride and it should see you good.

AdeTuono

Original Poster:

7,367 posts

232 months

Thursday 11th July
quotequote all
Just as an update;

I found a contact for the original owner, who imported the car to the UK in 2016, and sold it a couple of years ago. We had a long chat, during which he mentioned a Davies-Craig electric water pump he'd installed. This is no longer fitted.

Part of the process of fitting this pump (into the lower radiator hose) is to remove the impeller from the standard water pump. Whoever removed the EWP (for whatever reason) obviously wasn't aware of this. So, during my 4 mile drive, I was running around in a giant kettle, as there was no way for the coolant to circulate. Pressure built up, and popped the rad.

I have a new EWP with uprated controller....

https://www.demon-tweeks.com/davies-craig-ewp150-a...

...we'll see if this cures the issue.

hidetheelephants

27,286 posts

198 months

Thursday 11th July
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The radiator cap must be defective, it should have been squirting like a geyser long before enough pressure built up to pop it like that.

AdeTuono

Original Poster:

7,367 posts

232 months

Thursday 11th July
quotequote all
hidetheelephants said:
The radiator cap must be defective, it should have been squirting like a geyser long before enough pressure built up to pop it like that.
It may well have been venting. When I stopped, I heard a hissing, accompanied by steam, just before the 'pop'. The header was plainly weakened, as evidenced by the piss-poor 'repair' so burst before all the excessive pressure reduced. It's a fairly new 16psi cap like this...

https://www.demon-tweeks.com/stant-motorad-racing-...



roscobbc

3,581 posts

247 months

Thursday 11th July
quotequote all
AdeTuono said:
hidetheelephants said:
The radiator cap must be defective, it should have been squirting like a geyser long before enough pressure built up to pop it like that.
It may well have been venting. When I stopped, I heard a hissing, accompanied by steam, just before the 'pop'. The header was plainly weakened, as evidenced by the piss-poor 'repair' so burst before all the excessive pressure reduced. It's a fairly new 16psi cap like this...

https://www.demon-tweeks.com/stant-motorad-racing-...
Odd perhaps why a previous owner hasn't rebuilt or replaced the OEM water pump. Guessing parts are still available. Problem with any car that has an uncertain history is that you can't be sure about historic coolant 'regimes', especially if the car originated from a hot climate. If run for years without antifreeze the resultant rust build-up (coupled with other crud) will tend to fall and collect into an impenetrable solid mass at the base of the engine water galleries (as with radiator). yes, the answer is a proffesional high pressure chemical flush-out........but that can create all other sorts of issues like leaks from radiator gills, and even worse, potentially far worse leaks from corroded core/freeze plugs that perhaps can only be addressed by stripping the engine down........and why people try other 'solutions'. I've 'been there' myself !

hidetheelephants

27,286 posts

198 months

Thursday 11th July
quotequote all
AdeTuono said:
hidetheelephants said:
The radiator cap must be defective, it should have been squirting like a geyser long before enough pressure built up to pop it like that.
It may well have been venting. When I stopped, I heard a hissing, accompanied by steam, just before the 'pop'. The header was plainly weakened, as evidenced by the piss-poor 'repair' so burst before all the excessive pressure reduced. It's a fairly new 16psi cap like this...

https://www.demon-tweeks.com/stant-motorad-racing-...
That is quite a high pressure cap, most run much less than that, although you're probably right that the radiator had been strained before plus its age added up to make your short journey the last straw.

ratrod 2

1,284 posts

14 months

Thursday 11th July
quotequote all
AdeTuono said:
I've just bought a rather lovely old Buick RoadMaster 75, and noticed this...



...on the rear bumper. Anyone of this parish?

I'm hoping this is a long-term keeper, having gone through dozens of old motors over the last few years. It needs some TLC in places, but seems pretty solid where it matters. We'll see.

Maybe wrong but i think the car was on a stand up for sale at the NEC ,can't remember whether it was at the Restoration show or the Classic Car Show

just before or just after Covid , thought it looked cool then.

AdeTuono

Original Poster:

7,367 posts

232 months

Friday 12th July
quotequote all
ratrod 2 said:
Maybe wrong but i think the car was on a stand up for sale at the NEC ,can't remember whether it was at the Restoration show or the Classic Car Show

just before or just after Covid , thought it looked cool then.
Would it have been this show? The original UK owner (not the one I bought it from) sent me this photo from his files.


ratrod 2

1,284 posts

14 months

Friday 12th July
quotequote all
AdeTuono said:
ratrod 2 said:
Maybe wrong but i think the car was on a stand up for sale at the NEC ,can't remember whether it was at the Restoration show or the Classic Car Show

just before or just after Covid , thought it looked cool then.
Would it have been this show? The original UK owner (not the one I bought it from) sent me this photo from his files.

That's the one, thumbup