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I've always opened them manually first. More out of curiosity than otherwise. Funny, I never thought of using wire or string on thermostats even though I use it at work on embossing heaters! If I got a slippery one, I usually put a real light coat of silicone to hold it long enough. I had 2 choices of thermostats for this job: a later single-spring type and a double spring trap-door type. I'm currently using the trap-door unit.

There's a 55 Patrician for sale in local paper here for a few years. No price listed. Says it runs.

The air cleaner base is a stock wire/mesh base and I'm using a FRAM CA 3647 filter element. The diameters are near perfect but the height is a little tall. Top of filter would've been 1/4 to 3/8 above top of stud. I didn't have an original cover to try so I made one and just dished in the center with a large socket to reach the stud.Quote:

The parrot was a Severe McCaw. Technically, he should've outlived me but he had a hard life. He was a "rescue bird" that no one wanted anymore. That's how I got him. I like to think I gave him some good years at the end.

I've been looking into buying Battery Tenders for use when I store my antiques during winter. If what I've read is true, you can just hook them up and they'll be ready to go in spring. My previous method was to fill them with fresh gas and stabilizer, also a fresh oil change and start them every other week, letting them run at least 5 to 10 minutes. Doing that isn't good for exhaust systems and a few other things.

Good news and bad news. The good is that my homemade air cleaner assembly does the job. Car starts right up on one crank and maintains a good idle with temps staying right on the 3/4 mark on guage. Also cools down faster than before. I used it for 2 days of errands this week with no troubles and it even attracted it's first crowd (more than one person) Although they mostly wanted to know what year Buick it was...
Another good was that I've gotten the basic history of this car. There were 2 brothers in Old Forge who ran a trucking company. They also hated or feuded with each other. One of them used to deliver products from Proctor & Gamble to Canada. On one of his trips in the late 70's he bought this car and trailered it home. He restored it somewhat and antique plated it in the early 80's. Later on, he killed himself for some reason and the car sat since then. At least he didn't do it in the car.
The bad is that my longtime friend and pet parrot Beaky died Tuesday. He was 27

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I may have solved the fuel draining problem without adding or replacing a flow-valve. There is some weeping from the carb, but I don't think it's enough to dry out overnight. I've found a conventional air filter that will fit inside the stock air cleaner base. Just had to fabricate a lid for it since I didn't have an original and didn't want to alter one. The filter I found is the right diameter but just a bit high. After install, I started the car and let it run then shut it down for the night. I went out this afternoon and tried it and the car fired right up. Also took it for a good ride through town and temps stay right on the 3/4 mark on the guage. They only get hotter if I idle it for an extended time.

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That's the odd part since I just had the fuel pump rebuilt by Then & Now a couple weeks ago. That's on pg. 4. Either it evaporates or leaks back down through pump. Currently, I keep a few cans of starting fluid in trunk and just give it a few shots for its' first start up of the day.

Now that's some good info to know! So far, I've found evidence of at least 3 different colors on the car. So it's had many faces over time.
As long as the water neck I have will work, then it can stay. It's very solid with no internal pitting.
Got the car to start again yesterday and again today. Starter cranks normally only if clutch pressed, that's easy to live with. Next, I'm thinking of installing a one-way flow valve in the fuel line to carb since it loses it's prime in one day.

That answered one of them. The FAHD is most likely fresh air heater/ defroster which I do have. I thought this might have been the build sheet but wasn't sure. Cool to find, but kind of unimpressive looking.

Another good one is telling them you have to refill the horn every so often or it won't work.

Now that my little battle with the bees is over with, I got the thermostat installed with a homemade sleeve retainer from exhaust pipe which should do just fine. I'll find out later when (if) it starts how the temps run. Also found a little piece of printed paper above glovebox. It can't be read from the pic below but it has the following codes/numbers on it: 2262 A 32674 FSE FRCP FAHD BL WR 66..
Also handwritten are 233 at the bottom and DL13 on the far right. Anyone know what these codes mean? I figure it pertains to this car as the first 2 sections of numbers match my cars ID numbers.

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