Bob Beck (bhigdog) and his 55 and 57

During another thread about fender ornaments, Bob Beck emailed me this message after he had emailed me these photos of his awesome 55 and 57 Buick and I had encouraged him to post them here. <span style="font-style: italic">"Go ahead and post them,Lamar. I'm a computer dummy. The 55 ended up getting a BCA Senior Gold, AACA Grand National Senior, and was invited to be part of the AACA museum muscle car display until April 30........Bob"</span>

These cars and his beautiful job of restoring them deserve as much recognition as possible.

BEFORE

and AFTER

and some of you may recognize this car. I did. It was in last months issue of Antique Automobile.

So here ya go. Now let us here more.

BTW Bob, why didn't you paint one of them red?

Wow...just a bit of a change from before to after Well, if nothing else, that is inspiration to get basket case #2 on the road....

I spent some time talking to Bob at the Buick Centennial show in Flint. His restoration on the 55 was a real interesting story. He had a book of photos he had taken during that time. It was a job I don't think I would have tackeled. Bob did an outstanding job on his Century...........

I need help. I just got a 1957 roadmaster 75 and it need a radiator. Where can i go for parts. thanks.

Sorry, I just junked one. Try Hemmings and/or local junk yards. My sugesstion would be to buy the cheapest one you can find and have it recored. Don't bother screwing around with flushing, boiling, rodding, etc. Bite the bullet, cough up $350 and you won't have to even look at your temp gauge again....Bob

Thanks bhigdog, I'm taking the one i got out of it to the shop today. Thanks for the advice.

Can anyone help me with this plate and decode it. Click on attachment.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Can anyone help me with this plate and decode it. Click on attachment. </div></div>

l2111

You may want to post this as something like "Need Help Decoding Plate for 1957" in the Collectible Tech and Restoration forum for better chances of being seen as well as being able to search it later.

Thanks MrEarl.

Heres what Bob had to say about the restoration of his beautiful 55. Hopefully hewill post some more narrative on these pictures. If not I guess the pictures will do the talking.

I had been looking for a heavy 50's convertible when this one appeared in Hemmings. The owner described it as an ambitious project and it came with a 2 door parts car. It was 5 hours away but my wife and I took a drive. When we were taken behind a shed to see the Century we were shocked at it's condition. All that was left of the top were the rusted bows, every panel on the body was shot , and the bottom 6 inches of the car was literally rotted away. The floors, rockers, and quarters were just gone from the firewall to the trunk. I explained to the seller that I was just a hobbyist and a project of this magnitude was WAY over my head. Besides I only had a garage to work in and this would take a complete shop. We declined the sale and drove home.

All the next week I could not get the Century out of my mind. The more I thought about it the more I wanted it. Finally I told my wife we would take another drive just to be sure I didn't want it. Well I ended up buying the Century and parts car.

Now I had my project but no shop. So, both cars sat under blue tarps for 6 months while I had a 32 X 48 foot shop built. Finally, Thanksgiving 1998 saw both cars pushed into the shop.

First I removed the bumpers and front sheet metal. Then removed the engine and trans. I determined to spend as little as possible until I was sure of saving the body so the engine, trans, rechroming, etc. was put off while I tackled the body. I left the body bolted to the frame to preserve dimensions and braced and cross braced the body. I had to build a frame to support the cowl since I had to literally cut the bottom out from under it. After noting measurements and making templates of critical sections like the hinge pillars I started replacing the floor in sections. I started in the middle and worked outwards to the firewall, then skipped to the trunk floor, then filled in the back floor. The floor was replaced in 12 sections, all butt welded. I then welded in new inner rockers. The rear quarters were shot so I replaced them with the hard top's which I had to modify into convertible ones. The outer rockers were then matched up and welded on. The body was now structurally done. And could be removed from the frame.

Up till now my only real expenditure was labor, but I now knew the project would be a success so I started spending money. All the chrome was sent for replateing, and the engine block and heads sent for machine work. I took a break from body work and rebuilt the trans, starter, generator, carb, etc., disassembled and rebuilt all the window and heater blower motors, rebuilt the trunk hinges, window regulators, etc. etc. etc. Basically if it moved it was disassembled, repaired, cleaned and painted. By then the engine block and heads were back and I assembled the engine. All the finish body work was now completed on the body itself and all the other panels. The dash was completely disassembled, all instruments refurbished, the radio worked (believe it or not and just needed a new speaker). The wiring was a mass of spaghetti behind the dash with a lot of homemade modifications done so I had to make a new harness. I used the wires from the parts car but had to add to it to account for the power windows, seats, top motor etc. When done the harness had all the proper wires in the correct colors in the right places. The 55 century has a aluminum engine turned insert in the dash, and mine was shot. I made new inserts from .025 aluminum (as original) built fixtures and did the engine turning on my drill press.

I then painted and buffed the car in pieces and assembled it with no major mishaps. Jenkins interior provided a kit which I installed. The last item was the top frame and top. The top irons needed to be rechromed so I had to drill out all the rivets to disassemble the frame. I then made new stainless rivets and reassembled. A local shop installed the top, I didn't have the guts to try that job.

I never kept track of my hours but I estimate I spent about 3000 hours and two years on the project.

Since it's completion it has been awarded a BCA Senior Gold, AACA Grand National Senior, Bethlehem Concours Star Award winner, and has been invited for a 4 month display at the AACA Museum.

The whole journey has been immensely interesting, educational, and rewarding, I've since restored a 1957 Buick Special convert. that got a first junior at Hershey this last Fall, and which I plan to bring to Batavia this July. Hope to see you there........Bob Beck.

Wow! That was quite the undertaking. Great story and photos to go along with. You are an inspiration for those of us with projects that are nearly basket cases.

It's sure been an inspriation to me. Like Bob though, I've got to finish converting my pole barn into a working shop.

Maybe if we give Bob a big hand he'll send a story and some pictures of that 57...

I know of another 55 vertable that received about this same treatment when it was restored and it too won a Senior Gold. I wonder if this will inspire him to post in Me and My Buicks. umphh, umphhh, umpehhhh you there Willie?...