Author Topic: FYI: I'm getting one assertive billy-goat station wagon!!  (Read 129008 times)

Blicj11

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Re: FYI: I'm getting one assertive billy-goat station wagon!!
« Reply #165 on: September 10, 2016, 11:12:19 PM »
Good luck, and don't forget to tell us about your personalised license plates.
Blick


elagache

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Attracted a crowd!! (Re: Billy-goat station wagon!!)
« Reply #166 on: September 11, 2016, 11:47:38 PM »
Dear Blick and WeatherCat automotive enthusiasts, . . .

Good luck

I definitely needed that.  I had added so many posters that it took me over 45 minutes to put them all up!  I was still desperately setting up when the show got started.

don't forget to tell us about your personalised license plates.

And the answer is !!! . . . .



Steve gets the credit for the closest guess.  Honestly, I was surprised that he didn't try dropping the 'u'.  It is the closest you can get to Biquette's name in 7 characters.

I'm not sure if it was the personalized license plate, the new light to illuminate the engine bay, or the additional posters, but all of sudden, the crowds were really taking a liking to my trusty wagon!  I was mobbed even before I had finished putting up the posters!  For once, the snide comments comparing my wagon to a beached whale disappeared and people seemed genuinely impressed at how she had been restored and upgraded.  Here are a few more pictures of my wagon in the limelight:



Here is one showing my last minute addition to jazz up the tailgate area:



Buick didn't use as much chrome on the tail end of the wagons as they did on the sedans and coupes.  So I thought a tasteful hitch receiver cover might look very nice.  Since my wagon had the the nickname of the Divemobile when I was working on my PhD, a scuba diver's flag as the cover seemed perfect.  I'm pleased with how it turned out.

There were over 190 cars at the show and I had very little time to enjoy the show myself.  However, I have two cars that perhaps have some general interest.  The first is a 1941 Pontiac Deluxe Custom Torpedo 8.  Clearly it must have been one of the last cars built before the switch to wartime production:



The other is for those on "da' other side of the pond."  Here is a 1968 Morgan Plus 4 Roadster:



There were quite a few British sports cars at the show, but knowing very little about them, I wasn't sure what would be most appealing to photograph.

After the show, I managed to get home, take a shower, and still managed to cook dinner on time!

Nonetheless, it was a very  L O N G  day!

Time to recoup!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Blicj11

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Re: FYI: I'm getting one assertive billy-goat station wagon!!
« Reply #167 on: September 12, 2016, 02:33:43 PM »
Glad it turned out so well for you. The Buick looks great. I am also impressed with how clean the shop floor is.
Blick


elagache

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Both took a lot of effort! (Re: Billy-goat station wagon!!)
« Reply #168 on: September 12, 2016, 11:23:49 PM »
Dear Blick and WeatherCat automotive enthusiasts,

Glad it turned out so well for you. The Buick looks great.

Well, this was a bit of a struggle.  I had to wash and wax her while the road in front of our street was still dirt!  Fortunately, there wasn't a lot of traffic on Labor day and the garage is some distance away from the street.

I am also impressed with how clean the shop floor is.

Well, the crew at Orinda Motors spends most of the afternoon before the show cleaning the floor.  While they claim to be a "green business," what they use to clean the floor is sufficiently nasty that they keep us customers away from the show while they are doing it! 

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

elagache

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A pair of wagons! (Re: Billy-goat station wagon!!)
« Reply #169 on: October 22, 2016, 10:59:06 PM »
Dear mid-60s Buick fans of trusty wagons,

My wagon headed back over to Orinda Motors to make another attempt to replace the fuel pressure regulator and try to fix two oil leaks.  Over the past year or so, Orinda Motors has acquired a wagon of their own.  They will use it to shuttle car owners as they use their van now.  However, the wagon is also an advertising tool for their growing classic car work.  When I arrived at Orinda Motors I was able to park right next to their wagon:



Here is what the two wagons looked like from the back:



Note the respective personalized license plates!

In the meantime, my wagon will have plenty of classic company.  Right now Orinda motors has 2 Ford Mustangs, 2 Ford pickup trucks (one from the 1930s,) a Ford Thunderbird, a Corvette, and one other car that I didn't get a good look at.  There were more classics in the service bay than modern cars!

Looks like she'll be in good hands!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

elagache

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Biquette comes home - da' HARD way! (Re: Billy-goat station wagon!!)
« Reply #170 on: November 12, 2016, 10:43:15 PM »
Dear WeatherCat automotive enthusiasts,

One of my ongoing struggles in my three ringed circus life of mine was trying to solve a strange hot-starting problem my trusty wagon was having.  After a moderate run on the freeway and having her sit on the driveway to unload, she would turn over but not start.  The first time this happened to me, I opened the hood hoping it was some sort of overheating issue, and sure enough, after 15-30 minutes she was back to normal.

All this started back in the Spring but this problem had gone to back burner because of oil leaks and other issues.  With the leaks fixed, yesterday I took her out on an extended freeway run to get the engine good and hot before trying to capture the hot start problem on my laptop when I got home.

Well, I finally did get home all right, but by then there was no need for logging.  About 1 mile from home the engine abruptly - quit!   I was on a busy access road at the time and just barely was able to make it onto a side street before rolling to a halt.  Up went the hood and the emergency flashers were turned on.

It was a strange experience!  All of a sudden a number of people stopped and offered to help.  Normally suburbia is so impersonal.  It was an excuse for people to admire my wagon and she got a lot of complements.  Still she was a very difficult spot on a side road with some traffic.  As soon as I could I managed to start her again, but she only was able to travel about a 1/4 mile before stalling again.  This wasn't a good spot either, but I managed to get to street with even less traffic.  So there she sat for another 20 minutes:



Finally the faulty part appears to have cooled off enough that I was able to drive the rest of the way home.  I posted a question about the incident on the technical support forum and the only replies thus far suggest that the ignition controller box is faulty and will have to be replaced.  Fortunately, it should still be under warranty.

Never a dull moment when you own a classic car!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Blicj11

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Re: FYI: I'm getting one assertive billy-goat station wagon!!
« Reply #171 on: November 14, 2016, 04:35:13 PM »
For some reason, I find this Buick's story fascinating. Thanks for keeping us posted.
Blick


elagache

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Malfunctioning box or starter coil (Re: Billy-goat station wagon!!)
« Reply #172 on: November 14, 2016, 11:43:12 PM »
Dear Blick and WeatherCat fans of da' trusty wagon,

For some reason, I find this Buick's story fascinating. Thanks for keeping us posted.

Well for a quick update the most likely hypothesis is either the ignition controller box or the starter coil are defective and overheating.  As soon as I can spare the time, I need to use a hair dryer to warm up one and then the other and see if I can reproduce the turning over without starting symptoms . . . .

Stay tuned!

Cheers, Edouard

elagache

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And da' answer . . . . isn't! (Re: Billy-goat station wagon!!)
« Reply #173 on: November 25, 2016, 12:22:11 AM »
Dear WeatherCat automotive enthusiasts,

The weather was dry and mild so it was a good time to attempt this troubleshooting exercise involving a blow hair dryer.  So I took my trusty wagon on a quick outing to get the engine warmed up.  While I was at it, I took this photo next to a nearby ranch were some of the buildings have been restored:



When I have a little time, I'll try to digitally age the photo so it looks like it was taken in the 1960s.

When I got home heated up both suspect parts until they were so hot that they almost burned my hands and . . . . . engine just kept idling without any problems.

Me thinks I'm going to have to go back to the troubleshooting drawing board!! 

Oh well, as I said - owning a classic car is always an adventure!! . . . .

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Blicj11

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Re: FYI: I'm getting one assertive billy-goat station wagon!!
« Reply #174 on: November 25, 2016, 08:23:23 PM »
Keep 'em coming. You'll get there eventually.
Blick


elagache

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Preview of Spring. (Re: Da' trusty billy-goat wagon! )
« Reply #175 on: January 17, 2017, 11:33:53 PM »
Dear WeatherCat sufferers from too much harsh weather,

If you guys can get so excited about Rain-X, maybe you need a preview of Spring!

It hasn't been very classic car friendly weather here either. My trusty wagon hasn't been out since December 21st!  That definitely not typical California weather.  We have two days before the next round of wet weather so it was definitely time for my wagon to get a bit of exercise.  I stopped by a local church that was built in the 1950s and took a few pictures.  First, the bell tower:



Here is a second view where Biquette is a bit more visible:



Finally one last view against the trees to the West:



Just a quick reminder that no matter how nasty winter can get  [freeze], spring is never too far away!  [sun2]

Cheers, Edouard   [cheers1]

P.S.  ;) . .  Did you know that big-block Buick engines also make for excellent space heaters?  When I put Biquette back in the garage the temperature was 61˚.  A few hours later it was 67˚ !!

Blicj11

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Re: FYI: I'm getting one assertive billy-goat station wagon!!
« Reply #176 on: January 18, 2017, 06:56:48 PM »
Nice photos. Thanks for sharing.
Blick


Steve

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Re: FYI: I'm getting one assertive billy-goat station wagon!!
« Reply #177 on: January 19, 2017, 03:15:29 PM »

When I have a little time, I'll try to digitally age the photo so it looks like it was taken in the 1960s.

Two clicks with Luminar. The wagon is looking great, Edouard.

Oops, too big. I'm sending via email.
Steve - Avon, Ohio, USA


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elagache

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Old school aging . . . (Re: Billy-goat station wagon!!)
« Reply #178 on: January 20, 2017, 12:03:38 AM »
Dear Steve and WeatherCat retro shutterbugs,

Two clicks with Luminar. The wagon is looking great, Edouard.

Oops, too big. I'm sending via email.

I just checked my email, it doesn't seem to have been delivered yet.  However, I prefer to age photos "da' ol' fashioned way."   Since I have photos taken of Biquette as far back as 1968, I know what these photos should look like.  Most "canned" aging programs aren't sophisticated enough to be able to reproduce the effect of prints or slides from a particular period.

I'll be interested to see what Luminar can do though.  If you can't send it, perhaps you should simply post it!

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

jace

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Now this is a proper V8 Edouard !
« Reply #179 on: January 20, 2017, 05:06:52 PM »
This car belongs to a young lad in our village, at the moment it has disappeared somewhere for a engine rebuild.











JC