Post coupe final assembly....

[option B9]

   After years of fabricating & welding my post coupe is coming together. This "forever project" That I purchased from Sandy Shuman back in 2003 and drove until 2009 (that's when i retired) may actually get into the paint shop this fall. I don't think I ever posted any photos of the work, but I do have plenty of them!!!!!
    I installed the left fender today, had to tweek the new power brake lines to get the inner fender to sit properly but it all worked out. In the photo you can see the new red paint on the fender. it's a color that I picked out at the New York Auto Show, a 2019 Buick non metallic red that was on a new Regal. It's brighter than the stock flame red.
   A few upgrades will be Front power disc brakes, 15 inch American Racing torque thrust wheels, a full set of Auto Meter gauges, Stereo with CD changer, Electronic Ignition, rear sway bar with boxed control arms and a full set of red seat belts for safety...   
                                                                       
                                                                                                                                              Tony
                                                                                                                   

[option B9]

  Sorry for the upside down photo, I'm better at Buicks than computers.... Tony
                                                                                                   

[GS66]

Looks great and the photo is fine when I clicked on it. That will be a very sharp car with the color you picked and the wheels. Thank you for the update.

[dsags]

Didn’t even know that Shuman owned a post car. Hope it gets to the paint shop soon.
BTW your still years ahead of another restoration I’m aware of.  That one turned out extremely nice as I’m sure yours will.
Thanks for the update.

Dan

[GS66]

Seat belts are a good idea. We installed longer ones to accommodate the grandkids car seats, what a great investment that was. They love riding in the GS!

[elagache]

Dear Tony, Jim, Dan, mid-60s Buick caregivers with a few too many projects to handle,

   After years of fabricating & welding my post coupe is coming together.
. . . . .

Glad that you are finally bringing this one back to life!  Looks good thus far!

A few upgrades will be Front power disc brakes, 15 inch American Racing torque thrust wheels, a full set of Auto Meter gauges, Stereo with CD changer, Electronic Ignition, rear sway bar with boxed control arms and a full set of red seat belts for safety...   

Sounds like a nice set of add-ons!  Biquette and I certainly won't disagree!  Out of curiosity, have you decided where you get the stereo?

Cheers, Edouard 

[option B9]

  Thanks everyone, When I saw this GS in Sandy Shuman's  where house back in 2000 I remembered that Steve told me about it many years earlier and said that it was the next GS that was going to restore because it was a post coupe and he already had a convertible and hardtop. Unfortunately he did not live long enough to complete his dream of having all three body styles.
   The post coupe GS was complete, but was very rusty, but I just could not stand the idea of someone else buying it and parting it out so I bought it. I went back with a trailer picked it up on May 17th 2003, I got it running and stopping and drove it on non rainy days because the rot was so bad that the GS would fill up with water if I drove it in a rainstorm. In 2009 I retired from NYPD and decided it was time to take the GS off the road and start disassembly, after I took the GS apart I found that the body rot was much worse than expected !! I started in the back and worked my way forward taking my time replacing all the rot with clean metal. I purchased several Skylark parts cars so I could have a fresh supply of clean metal for fabrication. Parts that were needed and not reproduced buy the big supply companies I made by hand, a slow process but a very rewarding one. I installed the Right fender today, so it's coming together slowly, but it's been so hot here in NYC that slow and steady is about as fast as I can go until the weather cools off.
   To answer Edouard's question. I purchased the stereo over 10 years ago. It's a Quality unit Sony or Pioneer that I got on sale, and I installed into a Skylark bezel that I picked up at a swap meet, someone had already cut it to fit a stereo so I did not have to cut any of the stock units that I have. I just made some minor adjustments and the sleeve fit right in... And the gauges are going right above it in that space that the non AC Skylarks have. all the accessories are boxed up waiting for the new interior to go back in..  This GS was in the July 1985 Volume 20 Number 3 issue of the Buick Bugle, the story is Steve's own words.  My son Mike scanned it for me and it should be attached to this post. Not upside down I hope.. Enjoy
                               Tony

[cwmcobra]

Great story Tony!  I hadn't seen the Bugle issue with Steve's post car in it.  Good to be part of the "family" of Steve's cars!

 

Chuck

[gssizzler]

Looking good! Steve would be so happy that this car is being cared for! Also the convertible!

[option B9]

  Thanks, When I get the GS finished I promised Sandy that I would send her photos. and if I ever travel up her way I would stop buy and show her the GS.....
 I was actually going to buy two GS's that day when I was in the where-house (Karen) my Wife said I could, but I did not have the garage space for both. My other choice was going to be the white hardtop since Sandy would not sell the red convertible !!! But I came to my senses and took the red one and saved my money since I had a 2 year old daughter waiting at home.
   Chuck now has the red convertible, but whatever happened to the white hardtop & the green hardtop ??? he also had a Grand National and a 73 2dr Regal ???
                     
                                                                                            Tony

[option B9]

  Final assembly-update:"In the one thing leads to another department" I had installed front power disc brakes early last year. So the portioning valve was in the way of the horn relay so I removed the horn relay and was going to deal with that another day. well that day came early last week !! I moved up the relay forward on the inner fender to clear the valve. Problem # 1) The heavy cable that goes down to the starter, now does not reach the relay. Problem #2) The two horn wires and the two red wires do not reach the horn relay. Solution, order a new correct heavy duty cable from M & H wires in CA. Darren at extension 205 was really a big help. And since I would have to remove the big heavy stock starter to change the cable I gave Tom Telesco a call and ordered a mini starter for ease of installation. And today I extended the four wires to the relay, taking my time using the correct gauge and color... All because I moved it 8 inches !!!  A quote from my 14 year old son James as he looked underneath the GS as I was installing the mini starter yesterday "Dad, you really must like what you do"

                                             Tony