1941 Buick Century 66S in Phoenix AZ

[Lawrence Helfand]

A rare 66S for sale in Arizona, not mine.     http://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/cto/5424083874.html

 

 

 

 

[MrEarl]

Rare indeed and would compliment my '54 Century nicely, ohhh, if I was a young man.....  (seem to be saying that more and more lately)

Talk about a car that looks like it is haulin ass while sittin still, these do!!! thanks for posting the pictures Lawrence

 

and here is the text

**Rare** 1941 Buick Century 2 Door Straight 8 - $13000

This is a super rare car and it is in good complete restorable condition. This beautiful Buick Century 2 door sedanette which is a slant, or torpedo back, came from the factory with a 320 cubic inch, valve-in-head straight 8 cylinder engine with the rare factory "Compound Carburetion" dual carb setup. 3 on the tree manual transmission. Both carbs have just been rebuilt with high quality Carburetor Shop gasket sets. New brake lines and wheel cylinders. Drums cleaned up and turned. New Optima red top 6v battery. Car runs and drives around the block. Clean Arizona Title. I have over $2k in new parts that will come with the car including all new glass, new ignition components, belts and hoses and more. This car is not missing any major components and anybody that has restored an older Buick knows that complete cars save you money down the road. The carburetors alone are $600 each just for cores. Car needs sheet metal work but almost all of the chrome has just been redone. Wide whitewall tires are in good condition. They only built 5,524 of these back in 194, so it's very rare to find one this complete that isn't already fully restored and carrying a $100k price tag. There was not a single 1941 or 1942 Buick listed for sale at this years Barrett Jackson. For more info please call or text Justin at 6o2-481-7122

 

and considering what all comes with and the work already done, probably not a bad price.
 

[jeff_a]

I bet Matt Harwood would tap on the brakes if he saw this car for sale on the street corner. At least to take a picture for the office that says "Dry Western Car". I think he likes Centuries with dual carbs.

[smithbrother]

Who doesn't like Century's with dual carbs?

Dale in Indy

[Guest]

Rare indeed and would compliment my '54 Century nicely, ohhh, if I was a young man.....  (seem to be saying that more and more lately)

Talk about a car that looks like it is haulin ass while sittin still, these do!!! thanks for posting the pictures Lawrence

 

and here is the text

**Rare** 1941 Buick Century 2 Door Straight 8 - $13000

This is a super rare car and it is in good complete restorable condition. This beautiful Buick Century 2 door sedanette which is a slant, or torpedo back, came from the factory with a 320 cubic inch, valve-in-head straight 8 cylinder engine with the rare factory "Compound Carburetion" dual carb setup. 3 on the tree manual transmission. Both carbs have just been rebuilt with high quality Carburetor Shop gasket sets. New brake lines and wheel cylinders. Drums cleaned up and turned. New Optima red top 6v battery. Car runs and drives around the block. Clean Arizona Title. I have over $2k in new parts that will come with the car including all new glass, new ignition components, belts and hoses and more. This car is not missing any major components and anybody that has restored an older Buick knows that complete cars save you money down the road. The carburetors alone are $600 each just for cores. Car needs sheet metal work but almost all of the chrome has just been redone. Wide whitewall tires are in good condition. They only built 5,524 of these back in 194, so it's very rare to find one this complete that isn't already fully restored and carrying a $100k price tag. There was not a single 1941 or 1942 Buick listed for sale at this years Barrett Jackson. For more info please call or text Justin at 6o2-481-7122

 

and considering what all comes with and the work already done, probably not a bad price.

Interesting wording, "Needs sheet metal work"? 100k restored? Hmmmm.I guess I'm gonna halfta treat mine alot nicer now!

[smithbrother]

Personally speaking, having done several ground up restores, I can say that it is nearly impossible to recover your expenses IF you hire the work done.

Even when you are able to do 90 percent of the work yourself, it is still tough to stay above water.

Now if you take this neat car and make it a good driver, safe, and don't get carried away with high end interior/ paint, well it can be a great driver/show piece as a survivor, IMO

Dale in Indy

[Guest]

Personally speaking, having done several ground up restores, I can say that it is nearly impossible to recover your expenses IF you hire the work done.

Even when you are able to do 90 percent of the work yourself, it is still tough to stay above water.

Now if you take this neat car and make it a good driver, safe, and don't get carried away with high end interior/ paint, well it can be a great driver/show piece as a survivor, IMO

Dale in Indy

Nail on the head! About ten years ago it was amazing to see prices on TV those rich guys with drinks in hand were paying for just about anything rolling thru. Like the real estate bubble, I think it's back to a bit more conservative car buying market. Also an opinion.

[95Cardinal]

Nail on the head! About ten years ago it was amazing to see prices on TV those rich guys with drinks in hand were paying for just about anything rolling thru. Like the real estate bubble, I think it's back to a bit more conservative car buying market. Also an opinion.

X3!

[JohnO]

There was one that was featured as a restoration project on Fantomworks - the TV show. They ended up having to buy a donor car. I do remember that the bill totaled $116K to restore it. This one looks far better than the one on the show. 

[Matt Harwood]

The car on Fantomworks was a Special. They acted like every part was unobtainium and needed manifolds, which they gave the impression that they were impossible to find. There are two sets on eBay right now. You need small series stuff, it can be had easily and at reasonable cost.There was a very long list of things wrong with the Special they restored on that show--wrong colors, wrong interior fabric, wrong fender skirts, some of the chrome was deleted, wrong air cleaner, 12-volt electricals, etc. I watched with great interest but was ultimately disappointed that after all their talk of "authenticity" and getting the car "right," they actually got a lot of big stuff wrong. If the owner was happy, great, but when he goes to sell his "professionally restored, show-quality" 1941 Buick Special and finds that it's just another nice $17,000 Buick, he's going to be pretty bitter...

 

This big series Century, however, is going to need manifolds, which is going to be expensive (I just paid $1500 for a questionable set that took me months to find). A Century is a much more worthy car to restore, although, admittedly, I'm biased. This would be a great project with a decent result (I bet a top-quality Century sedanette is a $75,000 car), but I have to admit that if I were looking for my Century project today, I'd probably be scared away from this one by the lack of manifolds given how hard they are to find, how fragile they are (any you find are likely cracked), and how much even the junk parts cost.

[smithbrother]

If showing ISN't In your plans, then stainless steel fabricated manifolds are certainly a method to consider.

They can and have been produced over the years with good results, and appearance. IMO

Dale in Indy

[Eric W]

This big series Century, however, is going to need manifolds, which is going to be expensive

Ad says car runs & drives a little. If it needs manifolds, the wording is sure the opposite of that...

[Matt Harwood]

Ad says car runs & drives a little. If it needs manifolds, the wording is sure the opposite of that...

 

You're right, my mistake. I must have gotten this car confused with the one on Ebay. Sorry!

[Lawrence Helfand]

If I had not already found a nice 66S for about this same amount I would have likely tried to buy it and I bet 10/11k might do it . An Arizona car can be quite solid and it is a running car that yard drives with fresh carbs and what looks to be it's original interior. Given how rare they are I think it's a winner and a good investment as opposed to the 46S model where production was 16 to 1 compared to the amount of Century's made. Centurys got trashed in stock car and drag racing as they were fast and Specials were loved and cared for which is why there are so many reasonably priced original examples but they will not go anywhere, just too many out there. I do like to buy cars that are a personal turn on for what ever reason but I like to come out ahead when I am ready for something new. This car as Matt indicated has a future in the marketplace. I have heard many Buick experts put the known amount to about thirty left on the planet not counting the rusting hulks in high desert junkyards I have seen. Would truly hate to see it fall into the wrong hands and end up being chopped slammed bagged and painted yellow and purple. Parts are really easy to find and I had no trouble at all getting every so called rare and unobtainable part I needed for mine and without breaking the bank. Having the fastest car made in America in 1941 is quite nice as is knowing my 41 Century was built by the same hands that built the machines that saved the world from a terrible fate. Somebody save this car! 

[Hans1965]

Hi all, I wonder about the 75-100k price tag for a restored example. When you look into the Nada price guide it tells you 13000 as 'low retail' price,'average retail' at 23600 and 'high' at 33400. A number of 5524 built really sounds low, but only 30 left is like nothing. But the car offered here seems to be still available. Is the market still not there for such cars? Or the number of Buick fanatics so low?

It would be really nice to start a register for such low volume cars here, wouldn't it? I always wonder how many of my 53 Roadmaster Rivieras are still alive...

[Guest]

Hi all, I wonder about the 75-100k price tag for a restored example. When you look into the Nada price guide it tells you 13000 as 'low retail' price,'average retail' at 23600 and 'high' at 33400. A number of 5524 built really sounds low, but only 30 left is like nothing. But the car offered here seems to be still available. Is the market still not there for such cars? Or the number of Buick fanatics so low?

It would be really nice to start a register for such low volume cars here, wouldn't it? I always wonder how many of my 53 Roadmaster Rivieras are still alive...

Greetings

I learned a couple lessons the hard way! I bought a 1945 Chev 1/2 ton short box stepside pickup. Didn't know total production, but conceivably very low, art deco style, 1940 Buick Super Convertible production just under 5000. 75.00 for the pickup at the time, nobody wanted them. Demographics and popularity need to be considered. Rare is not an = to valuable. Back in the day, I was told by older than me, Buick convertibles were parts cars for Cadds. Bought my 41 Century very reasonably because it wouldn't sell in Hemmings. It's a very solid example. I DONT CARE! People ask me how valuable is the car. How much will it sell for done. It's worth what one or two are willing to pay is my usual answer. I buy what I like and that motivates me to keep working on them and if they are not worth a lot of dough, I still have something I can enjoy, market value be damned! Smarter folks than me have lost thousands thinking they will flip these cars for profit. At 100.00 to 125.00 an hour shop charges I have to do what I can and live with the rest in most cases, but I love fixing these things, its a rewarding experience to bring them back and that's the valuable part for me! Just my 25 cents worth, oops maybe 25 bucks in today's market. Don't stop havin' fun!

[Matt Harwood]

It's not rarity alone that makes a car valuable, but desirability. There are plenty of low-production, rare cars that are also turds nobody wants. In the case of the Century, when was the last time an exceptional, high-quality, restored example hit the market? I can't recall ever seeing one for sale that wasn't a project, and I've been paying attention for the better part of 20 years. I have seen three or four restored ones at shows, but of those, none were what I would call authentic or perfect. I expect that when mine is finished, it will be the nicest one in the world simply because there won't be any others restored to that level. I'll be upside-down by a factor of two, but profit isn't the purpose of the restoration.

 

So at that point, you have one of the most desirable pre-war cars with avant-garde styling, the most powerful engine available, and a first-class frame-off restoration. On the other hand, it's not a Full Classic. So what's it worth? Throw out your price guides, which use auction results and insured values to calculate values, because such a car has never been on the market before. It's desirable not because it's rare but because it's got a combination of features that are very appealing. However, it's desirable to a smaller portion of the hobby--a group with a lot of money but not necessarily looking for a Packard or Cadillac, so the market is necessarily small.

 

I'll stand by my statement that a 380-400 point 1941 Century sedanette is a $75,000 car. Not that I plan on selling mine, but that's where I'd start. If Seybold-restored Roadmaster convertible coupes and convertible sedans are $100-125,000, I don't think that's crazy.

 

Nevertheless, don't do it for profit. Do it for fun. If you love the car, that's all that really matters. Too many people get so hung up on values and price guides and what the next guy might pay that they totally forget to enjoy their cars.

Edited February 10, 2016 by Matt Harwood (see edit history)

[Guest]

I would like to see some really good pix of the floors and trunk on the car. I have heard that this may have been purchased in a three car package from SE part of the country. Those cars were rusty. Body work is something most folks farm out. Just a caveat to potential buyers on this car as Matt showed on his pictorial of his 41 these cars can look nicer than they are when you pull back the floormats! Hope it's a really nice one for someone.I would also be thrilled if your assessment of value on 41 66S cars proves to be accurate if I can't be buried in mine or send it ahead when that time comes. It prolley wouldn't take the heat where I'm goin'! They say go to heaven for the weather and the other place for the company of my friends!

[Eric W]

I was in Phoenix this weekend, and I was able to arrange to meet Justin about this car. He's a nice young man with too many projects. He got this one about a year ago, but it sounded like he's got maybe 3 more that he'd rather do more with than this one.

 

No, this isn't a SE car. It's from Nebraska. Not sure when it got to Phoenix, but Justin said he got it from another guy locally who again had another project he needed more than this one. He said the Nebraska situation was that it was abandoned at some sort of impound yard, and when it was sold off from there, a new (incorrect) Nebraska title was issued - incorrect in that it listed the car as 1940 instead of 1941. Justin got that corrected to '41 on the clean AZ title (that he showed me).

 

Here's some photos of maybe what's not obvious in the c-list ad. A big one is a roof impact on the right side. The right door just opens, but it's creaky. The trunk floor is gone. Justin said he has the gas tank and some other parts. He did rebuild the carbs, but doesn't have them attached. If you look close on the engine, the fuel line to the rear carb is capped off, and there's a plate on the intake manifold where the rear carb attaches - so the car was rigged to run only on the front carb. (Someone may have been trying to save gas...)

 

One part I forgot to ask about that I didn't see is the air cleaner. He does have the hood ornament. The grille and bumpers looked pretty nice. Not show quality, but I wouldn't bother re-chroming them unless doing a super high-end restoration.

 

As for sheet metal, the rockers have some rot on both sides. The rear fenders and body near the back of the rear fenders has some rot. Floor is fairly solid - I only found 1 hole near the driver's door opening, but the hidden running boards will likely need all new metal. Front fenders & inner front fenders looked pretty solid. Bottom of the doors seemed to be surface rust only - no rust thru. The rocker trim and front fender side trim is missing (Justin doesn't have it).

 

So it's not "drivable" right now today, but the parts are there to make it run enough to get it onto a trailer...

 

Anyone ever straighten a roof like that, or is it a "donor car" situation?

 

[Hans1965]

Thanks for the pictures. From what I see it is more a 5 grand car and not a 13 one. At least to me. Needs a lot of dedication and craftmanship to make it nice again. Good chrome is always appreciated, but this level of rust and deterioration is a challenge to phrase it nicely. Best, Hans

[Eric W]

Same car, same seller, 1 year later. In case anyone would like more details...

 

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/nph/cto/5986395260.html