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Export numbers of 1937 Model 47 cars? re ebay 110242044636


Guest 1937RHDNZ

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Guest 1937RHDNZ

This auction popped up and the car looks great. My question is somebody has quoted that there were (22,312 + 205 for export produced), I suspect Jim might be 'one of you guys'.

I have never seen the number for export quoted before. Can someone tell me if this export number is correct, and can they also advise me how many LHD & RHD make up this number.

I would be most interested, seeing as I have one.

Regards Neil

New Zealand

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A quote from the e-bay discription, " The Original Paint is very good, but is shallow looking in a few spots."

Look at the rt. rear fender and raise the viewing screen to 400%,

The paint is bubbling badly around the fenders and trunk lid.

Buyer beware!

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Guest ewing

I've got to agree with the buyer beware. The paint is not likely original as the firewall is black and the inside lower edge of the rear door looks black too. The underside of the hood is black, and my 38 has original paint under the hood and it is the same colour as the car. The rad top tank appears green, like the car colour repaint.

The wood graining looks redone too. And original wood? What part of a 37 Buick was wood?

Not being picky, but it just seems that sellers may want to play dumb to get away with incorrectly describing a car.

I just don't think anyone is that dumb.

Nice style car though and definitly worth a few bucks.

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Guest DaveCorbin

Dear Neal:

The figures you have of 22,312 plus 205 for export is correct for 1937 model 47 and 47X. My source is a Buick engineering drawing on 3 sheets covering the years 1903 thru 1963 which is actual factory information which I compiled into an excel spreadsheet so I can answer that question for ALL 1904 thru 1958 Buicks. No, it isn't broken down for RHD/LHD.

Regards, Dave Corbin

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Guest 1937RHDNZ

Thanks Dave,

A while ago I noted some " Form 4570-2" being a Monthly Report of Finished Buick cars from certain plants on certain months. They were being sold by Autolit on eBay. I copied the images but did not manage to get a complete set. Does anybody also have copies of these production sheets. The sheets I have copies of, make up a total of 165 1937 Model 47 export cars, 118 being LHD and 47 being RHD. If anybody else made copies of these sheets I would be most interested. I am missing Jan, Feb and June 1937 plus maybe some California and Linden.

Heres hoping

Regards Neil NZ

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Guest DaveCorbin

Dear Neil:

It happens that I have the 4570's for the months in question. There were 2 RHD Model 47X's built in June. All the rest are LHD, which would make a total production of 49 RHD 1937 Model 47X, leaving 156 LHD Model 47X.

It's obviously a rare car. So far as I know, virtually all export cars were built at Flint.

Regards, Dave Corbin

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Guest 1937RHDNZ

Wow!

Thanks Dave I was hoping you might be able to fill in the gaps. I had guestimated about 55 maybe 60, so wasn't too far off the mark. I'm not sure where these 47X's went, would it just be British Isles, South Africa and New Zealand? Australia and Canada did their own thing I believe. American cars were very heavily taxed here in the early days, as you were expected to tow the line and purchase British manufactured cars. So any American cars I guess were only purchased by people with a few extra bucks to spend. Thanks again.

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Guest DaveCorbin

Dear Neil:

What you forget is that Japan and Sweden were RHD countries then. Sweden is now LHD but Japan is RHD yet. In 1907, Buick built 543 cars at Jackson Michigan in their plant there. Among the cars, there were cars produced for 9 foreign countries on 4 continents. Remember Buick was only 2 1/2 years old at that point. By 1937, they sent cars everywhere. Only Canada and GB were supplied out of Canada, the rest were exports from the USA. I'm aware of a 1936 Buick that was sent to Kazakstan, where it survives today. India was a common destination for RHD cars also.

Regads, Dave Corbin

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I seem to remember Argentina was RHD prior to WW2

My 3 1939 series 40's in NZ do not have a chassis numbers or body plate with numbers. Same on other NZ assembled pre war Buicks I have seen. Is that common for exports ?

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Guest DaveCorbin

Dear Neil:

ALL Buicks from the beginning have frame numbers, as they can't go thru Buick without them. This is true even for CKD cars and chassis sent to Holden. On USA 1937 Buicks, it's a small plate on top of the frame rail just behind the battery and tough to see. On a RHD car it may be in a different location becaus of the steering box being near there. You can be sure it has a frame number. It will also have an engine number stamped on the engine, which will be helpful.

Regards, Dave Corbin

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  • 4 months later...
  • 5 months later...

Hello Neil We are Cliff and Doreen Humphries ex Orewa and Whangarei N.Z now living in Surfers Paradise Did you realise virtually all pre war Buicks were C.K.D. and put together in Petone Wellington. Hence no data plates on firewall. The odd ones with data plates did come in from overseas like our 37 model 46 S In storage in Orewea. Also had a model 41 that a firewall plate that was supposed to go to South Afrika ex Eric Bodley Rotorua but finished up in N.Z. We also had a model 47 same as yours I used to use it for work daily Now owned by Rob ----- lives in Maunatapere out of Whangarei. He is a reg. drainlayer

How come you were on the Reatta website? We have a 91 Reatta Conv. We converted to Right drive Cliff

E.Mail us at linmar@xtra.co.nz

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