king ranch edition 1949 buick

this is sure a strange 1949 buick, out fitted to go hunting.

this is sure a strange 1949 buick, out fitted to go hunting.

1950

Ben

There was a big write-up on this car with color pictures and all some time ago. Maybe here or maybe in the BCA Bugle magazine. I love the car and especially the cool jump seat and rifle scabbards. As I recall there were many mods made to suit its intended purpose.

I did an article on that car a few years ago in the Buick Bugle magazine. The car still exists, and sits in the King Ranch Museum in south Texas. Ben is right, it is a modified 1950 model.

Pete Phillips, BCA #7338

Leonard, TX

In Central KS, the farm boys would bolt an old steel tractor seat and a seat belt to the passenger fender of their farm trucks, just as shown on the King Ranch Buick's front passenger fender, and go coyote hunting on the farms. Quite a ride. Impossible to move and aim at the same time. Almost impossible to hold on and not drop your rifle.

Ed

I get the holsters and the seat. What is the "horseshoe" on the driver's fender?

Ok, I should say I know what they are, I don't "get them".

Mike, we need to post some of the modern hunting rigs that are common here in Texas. My local Buick dealer has a late model Chevy P/U set up for hunting.

2 seats on the front, a deer stand mounted in the bed. Of course they are not Buicks

Down here different ballgame, different rules.

If you own a ranch, depending on the size, you can buy game tags (from the state wildlife people) then you can shoot them (during season)

If you don't own a ranch, the owners often "sell" hunting rights and you can go hunt on the land you paid to hunt on..... what a scheme..

Like toll roads.

Rigs outfitted like the Buick are used to hunt with a shotgun: rabbits or quail. A deer stand on a pickup bed would be parked to gain elevation over the brush...you cannot easily ride up there with the exaggerated movement and trees. The Buick could have been used by hunters who paid for the privilege, but being the King Ranch, it was more likely used by guests....fat old men who couldn't or wouldn't walk with the hunting dogs.

Willie

I get the holsters and the seat. What is the "horseshoe" on the driver's fender?

Ok, I should say I know what they are, I don't "get them".

The horseshoe is to hold the deer carcass.

On 3/12/2015 at 6:10 PM, RivNut said:

In Central KS, the farm boys would bolt an old steel tractor seat and a seat belt to the passenger fender of their farm trucks, just as shown on the King Ranch Buick's front passenger fender, and go coyote hunting on the farms. Quite a ride. Impossible to move and aim at the same time. Almost impossible to hold on and not drop your rifle.

Ed

Theses seats were for Quail hunting.

On 3/12/2015 at 6:10 PM, RivNut said:

I

 

Double tap

On 3/13/2015 at 0:53 PM, old-tank said:

Rigs outfitted like the Buick are used to hunt with a shotgun: rabbits or quail. A deer stand on a pickup bed would be parked to gain elevation over the brush...you cannot easily ride up there with the exaggerated movement and trees. The Buick could have been used by hunters who paid for the privilege, but being the King Ranch, it was more likely used by guests....fat old men who couldn't or wouldn't walk with the hunting dogs.

Willie

You are absolutely correct.

Back in the day, hunts could not be bought, only invited guest of the Ranch family.

They only started selling hunts sometime around the 80s.

My Father was 1 of 3 hunting guides during deer season for the Ranch.

He managed the Kingsville Lumber Company & the Running W Saddle shop (both owned by the King Ranch)

as his Day time Job.

He often brought the cars home, although that one was before he started.

ETA: I just stumbled upon this Forum/topic by accident.

The ranch mechanics "created" vehicles using many diffent types of cars.

Several Buicks, jeeps of course, even one out of a Toronado, hoping that the front wheel drive would help off road.

They occaisonally used the old Ford Broncos without body modifications, but they were looking

for comfortable vehicles for the guests.

In TX, "hunting wagons" can take many a somewhat worthless vehicle and make then "special purpose off-road" for much more than they might be worth.  Sometimes a "junker", sometimes something that really had some value.

Once, we got a Plymouth Volare sedan on trade.  The doors were welded shut and the top cut off.  A common park bench was bolted to the deck lid.  Instant "Safari Volare"!  It was  still street legal reliable transportation when that happened!

Others went to the trouble to cut a chunk out of the front of a pickup bed quarter panel for access to the seats elevated above the bed.  Quite some nice welding took place before the camo paint was applied.

NTX5467

I call back seat. 

Interesting glass work for the windshield and especially the side glass!  And the special convertible top give it a more European look (with the top up).  Possibly for added "top up" headroom for cowboy hats and such?  I guess Mr. Earl missed that cowhide carpet?

Great pictures!  Thanks for posting.

NTX5467

Interesting glass work for the windshield and especially the side glass!  And the special convertible top give it a more European look (with the top up).  Possibly for added "top up" headroom for cowboy hats and such?  I guess Mr. Earl missed that cowhide carpet?

Great pictures!  Thanks for posting.

NTX5467

I like the kid on the front fender. We live about 5 miles from the county line. And over on the other side there seem to be quite a few feral children.

10 hours ago, NTX5467 said:

In TX, "hunting wagons" can take many a somewhat worthless vehicle and make then "special purpose off-road" for much more than they might be worth.  Sometimes a "junker", sometimes something that really had some value.

 

Once, we got a Plymouth Volare sedan on trade.  The doors were welded shut and the top cut off.  A common park bench was bolted to the deck lid.  Instant "Safari Volare"!  It was  still street legal reliable transportation when that happened!

 

Others went to the trouble to cut a chunk out of the front of a pickup bed quarter panel for access to the seats elevated above the bed.  Quite some nice welding took place before the camo paint was applied.

 

NTX5467

This of course could happen.

The Ranch, however would buy basically new cars to modify for hunting.

Of course, not many of the hunting fleet were decked out like the ones shown by Mr. Earl (great photos by the way).

Only a few of the family had their personal vehicles decked out like that, the bar I am refering to.

ETA: the majority of the vehicles would have the doors comepletely removed.

There is mention of a deer stand in one of the earlier posts.

All hunting was done out of the vehicle, as the guest were being driven around looking for animals.

There would typically be 2, sometimes 3 hunters at a time.

My Father would take guests out 2-3 times a week during deer season.

It would not be uncommon for one (or more) of the hunters to show up with a gun that was borrowed from a friend (for example)

the night before, or mere days before, and having never fired the gun before to see if the scope was sighted in.

My Father always took the same Winchester model 70 .270 to let them use after they missed with their borrowed gun.

He said that gun had killed over 300 Deer.

I was fortunate enough to kill my first Deer at the age of 8.

I also hope that my "reminiscing" in this thread is not too out of line, and I apologize if it is.

Not at all Cam. You are adding welcome flavour to the photos. 

I grew up around a Winchester 70 .270 - I'm left handed, so it's a bit of a challenge for me to use. Just need to make the first shot count, which typically didn't happen in deer season, but that's another story. 

You have to get out of the vehicle to hunt. A deer slug can penetrate the floor of a full size '69 Chevy and still have enough power to crack a turbo tranny case so it bleeds to death. The hard part is not being able to talk about it until your hearing comes back.

Oh, blowing up batteries is pretty close but your hearing comes back sooner.

Bernie

7 minutes ago, 60FlatTop said:

You have to get out of the vehicle to hunt. A deer slug can penetrate the floor of a full size '69 Chevy and still have enough power to crack a turbo tranny case so it bleeds to death. The hard part is not being able to talk about it until your hearing comes back.

 

Oh, blowing up batteries is pretty close but your hearing comes back sooner.

Bernie

Not sure if this was directed towards me as a correction to what I have stated, but that is not the case on private property.

I have been in a station wagon in the front passenger seat when the individual behind me fired off a .243 through the floorboard.

It was quite unsettling, you are correct.

33 minutes ago, Cam M said:

Not sure if this was directed towards me as a correction to what I have stated, but that is not the case on private property.

 

I have been in a station wagon in the front passenger seat when the individual behind me fired off a .243 through the floorboard.

It was quite unsettling, you are correct.

 Cam, stick around long enough and you might understand Bernie..  He is harmless, though.

  Ben

Yep ! And every now and again , 'round the campfire here ,  Bernie gets to reminiscing about his family. Great , great stuff.  - Carl

2 hours ago, First Born said:

 

 Cam, stick around long enough and you might understand Bernie..  He is harmless, though.

 

  Ben

The only thing you have to know about Bernie is never read his posts with a mouth full of beer.

From Popular Science, I would not have figured these were Ranch vehicles.

I have not been to the Museum in Kingsville in 35+ years.

4 hours ago, 60FlatTop said:

Oh, blowing up batteries is pretty close but your hearing comes back sooner.

What about your eyesight?

A Houston car dealer has a collection and some of his cars are in a small town (Round Top)

When I was there several years back, he had a Jeepster that was one of several special built for the King Ranch.

The main differences were...they were 4 wheel drive and according to the placard, Jeepsters were only made in 2 wheel drive.

In addition it had a custom front bumper made of "diamond plate" winch built into bumper and storage compartments on the sides .

The rear had a custom built "chuckwagon" that opened and had storage for cooking items.  There may have been other unique features that I don't recall.

14 minutes ago, EmTee said:

 

What about your eyesight?

Or underwear...

If you Google 'King Ranch Buick' and click on the images tab, you can see the winch on the Buick and some of the other modifications.  

https://www.google.com/search?q=King+Ranch+Buick&client=tablet-android-samsung&prmd=simvn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjguZDf94vSAhWEOSYKHXU_Bb4Q_AUICCgC&biw=1024&bih=768#imgrc=nt0IW0B6DuXZGM:

I respect Bernie's orientation, but I have seen far too many "hunting wagons" that are designed and built to hunt from, rather than "on foot".  In many of the fields where bird or small animal hunts are held, the vegetation is somewhat taller than the animal being hunted.  That makes it hard to traverse on foot, not to mention the distance to travel factor.

Considering the population of "slithering creatures" in some hunting areas, being in a vehicle is much safer, as far as that hazard goes.

Personally, I'm not a hunter of game, but I know many who are.

NTX5467

50 minutes ago, RivNut said:

If you Google 'King Ranch Buick' and click on the images tab, you can see the winch on the Buick and some of the other modifications.  

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=King+Ranch+Buick&client=tablet-android-samsung&prmd=simvn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjguZDf94vSAhWEOSYKHXU_Bb4Q_AUICCgC&biw=1024&bih=768#imgrc=nt0IW0B6DuXZGM:

Thanks for the link. I hope you read the story beside it.

I am really surprised as I can't recall ever seeing this, or hearing the story about it either.

I have seen Ford F150 King Ranch editions before, but until I read the article I had not tied the two together. 

12 hours ago, old-tank said:

The only thing you have to know about Bernie is never read his posts with a mouth full of beer.

 Dang, Willie! Had a mouth full of coffee. Missed the keyboard.

  Ben

12 hours ago, RivNut said:

I have seen Ford F150 King Ranch editions before, but until I read the article I had not tied the two together. 

As a kid growing up, I had just assumed the guys in the mechanic shop I would see working on the cars had built them as well.

It never crossed my mind that they wouldn't have the skill to produce them there.

I have to imagine all of the vehicles were sent off & customized elsewhere, & when I saw them working on them it was just

mechanical/maintenance issues.

There's a big difference between the King Ranch and the O'Brien Farm.

So I told my Nephew to just slam the door a couple of times and I'd shoot the bumble bees that came out.