What are friends for?

Hi All,

Both of my Buicks wer purchased after a friend had told me about them. My 68 Skylark convertible was sitting on a used car lot back in 1979. A friend was telling me about this great Buick he had test driven earlier that day but didn't have the money to buy. He coaxed me into going by the dealer and looking at the car. I did so, went back the next day to test drive, and the rest is history. A long history because I still own the car 25 years later.

My other old car has a similar history. In October, 1991 a friend I worked with knew I loved old Buicks and especially 1948's because I had owned one previously but had to sell it to buy my house. Tony saw the ad in the Pittsburgh newpaper want ads and came to my cube at work and waved it under my nose saying looky here!!! Well, I had to call right then, went to look at the car the next day and was driving it home by the weekend. I knew I had to buy it before I got engaged to the girl I was dating at the time, otherwise the monies would get tied up in wedding funds. Well, the engagement came and went, the wedding never did take place, the girl is long gone, but the car rests comfortably in my garage for the winter 13 years later!!

I couldn't figue how to include both pictures in the original post so here is the other pic.

Tom, great stories and two very beautiful Buicks. I am glad that you did not pass up either of these cars when friends made you aware of them!

Thanks for adding to the Buick stories on this new forum. I see that both you and I joined the BCA in 1975. It's been a great ride for me; I still look forward to that Bugle every month.

Hi Brian,

Thanks for the kind words. I know I still anticipate the Bugle arrivial every month. I still have every issue I received over the years. My wife thinks I'm crazy for hanging on to them, but it must be a guy thing, I know a lot of other Buick guys do the same thing.

I come from a family that allways drove Buicks. My grandfather, my dad and now me. I have a 1955 picture of my grandparents standing in their drive way with 3 Buicks my grand dad purchased for himself and his 2 sons (my dad being one). I also have the original invoice for all 3 of those cars in the picture, he purchase them all at one time - must have had a good year in the clothing store he owned. I'll try and get the pic and invoice scaned to show everyone. Now if I only still had all 3 cars to go with the invoice......

Tom, I really look forward to seeing those scans. What a great story!

Like you, I've kept every issue of the Bugle. They will be among the very last things that will go when the time comes to start downsizing. Hopefully, that will be at least thirty years away.

I bought my first Buick in 1969 because my boys wanted to use my 29 F**d roadster pickup with a 427 chevy engine, and I was not too accepting of this idea. I bought a 37 Chevy 2 door to get in the antique club in the area, and found that my family wouldn't fit, in the car, not the club. We had 6 children and a mother-in law in the family. Denny Manner ( Buick engineer and fellow Hot Rodder) showed me a picture of a 1932 Model 97 for sale in Missouri. I bought it sight unseen, and that started my involvement with the BCA. My wife and I have since found that the BCA membership has the nicest people on th planet. We make as many meets as we can, and look on them as reunions.

Our present fleet :

37 Special coupe ( modified with a 455 Buick engine and all the latest toys)

40 Super Convert (restored to original and driven over 100,000 miles)

63 Electra 2 dr hard top ( 26,000 mile original)

69 Sport Wagon ( Our Travelling car-original except for 200-4R overdrive)

72 GS 455 convert ( used to harrass Mustang owners and drag race)

91 Park Avenue Ultra ( my daily driver)

04 Rendezvous ( Mama's car)

Joe I see your list of cars and one of my favorite traveling cars you had is missing. Who ended up with your slightly modified 57 Special. I would have love to have been able to buy that for the BDE tours.

My 57 model 49D was sold to a customizer. I had it on display at the Sloan Museum, and they wanted to buy it, but didn't have the funds available. Dan Webb, a custom car builder bought it and he put air suspension and 18 inch wheel on it and it garnered many awards. It was a center spread in Custom Rodder, and was best in show at the St Ignace meet. I enjoyed driving it and seeing the faces on people as we drove by hauling our 1954 Airstream .We found that it is much easier to stay in motels,and we actually see more country as driving a back road with a trailer is sometimes a little tricky.

Joe I think we are talking about 2 different cars. I was referring to the 57 Special two door hardtop with the Boattail Riviera frame and 455 that you drove to Deadwood SD and Galena Il.