1948 Buick Super 8 Series 50

[Digger914]

Not my car and guessing that it will have about a 6500 reserve, I wont have close to enough cash by next Wednesday to think seriously of making it mine, so I thought I would share this cranckyape.com auction listing.

http://www.crankyape.com/MRCPhotoFlipper.asp?ItemNumber=61774&NumImages=37&CurrentItem=1
1948 Buick Super 8 Series 50 Sedanet powered by a 4.1L/248ci Fireball I8 engine and a 3-speed on the tree manual transmission. Unfortunately, it sustained damage from an engine fire. Take a look at the photos for cosmetic and engine/wiring damage.

[jackofalltrades70]

Nice looking car, but that is pretty steep for a reserve with the damage it has. Under the dash looks to be cooked by looks of the radio. And the fire was pretty hot.

[Digger914]

That is just a guess at the reserve from what I have seen of the very few good collectibles the first time they run through this auction. When the auction ends and the reserve isn't met, the reserve amount will be posted and the car can be bought for the reserve price. It's an open online auction, no dealer license required and I will be looking Wednesday afternoon to se what the reserve is.

[Pete Phillips]

After looking at the photos, are there any educated guesses as to what started this fire? I have a car just like this and would love to avoid such a disaster.

I'm looking at the break in the metal fuel line just before it curves back to the carburetor, and am thinking maybe someone had one of those clear plastic in-line filters installed there. I have seen the damage from one of those plastic fuel filters cracking and starting a fire. This one could have happened while the car was moving down the highway, and worked its way into the dashboard and over the cowl to the windshield. Or, I suppose it could have been an electrical fire that started at the point where all of the wires go into the firewall, given all of the wiring damage right there.

Pete Phillips

Leonard, TX.

[Digger914]

Hello Pete,

 

I have spent a couple hours looking at the pictures guess-timating what the cost will be to repair and I think I can answer your question.

 

Back in the late 70's early 80's I was a volunteer fireman and I've seen my fair share of car fires. Can't say for sure if this was caused by a cracked plastic fuel filter or a  loose fuel line clamp. I have looked at the pics at max magnification and do not see any line flaring that would have held a clamped line in place  Can say from the burn pattern that the car was being driven at some speed that will vary by so many miles per hour depending on head or tail wind direction. That spray from the initial leak coated the side of the engine until ignited; that from the look of fire travel this probably fully opened the fuel line and if plastic blew or melted the fuel filter; that the car would have continued to run until the carburetor went empty and during that period of time the open fuel line worked like a flame thrower. For the dash to be as badly blistered as it is, where it is, at least one window had to be open at the time. If this car had been built with a plastic dash or had an electric fuel pump it would now be a burned out rusting hulk.

 

Best way to avoid such a disaster is to avoid splicing a steel fuel line and should you need to use rubber line to splice a steel line, bubble flair the steel line to help hold your clamped line in place, especially when splicing above a hot manifold.

 

Larry

Edited February 7, 2016 by Digger914 (see edit history)

[Pete Phillips]

Larry,

Nice analysis, many thanks. I agree, they shouldn't have cut that steel line.

Here's a photo of my two '48 sedanets on the road. Both are unrestored cars and I would hate to have something like that happen.

Pete Phillips

[Steve-V]

These 48 Buick Sedanettes are great cars.  Shame about the fire.  

 

I let this one go recently....

 

[Digger914]

It is  a shame that someone lost their beautiful old car to a fire, but it's those kind of things that give a guy like me a chance to own something that old and that nice. The present bid is $4,800, the reserve is met and the car will sell today.

 

And it did sell today for $8,950,

Edited February 10, 2016 by Digger914 (see edit history)