Is this car worth something.

[Joeyrock516]

Is this car worth something 

[K8096]

Short answer to your question is no.   Any car can be restored, but when you can buy a nice running, driving 1937 Buick sedan for under 20K, to try to resurrect this one seems like a loosing proposition. 

 

What’s sad is that it appears a prior owner had it as a collector car.    The one dash plaque is from 1978.   Another one is from an AACA Region meet. Hard to believe that was 40 years ago.  

Edited August 9, 2018 by K8096 (see edit history)

[intimeold]

Sad to see a car, that was at least presentable in 1978 ( the  dash plaques, pop riveted to the cowl); to look like this today.

 

Of course it is worth something; probably a 1937 Buick  owner, out there needs a parts car.

 

To restore this car today; the restoration $$$ costs would far exceed the finished value. 

 

intimeold 

 

  

Edited August 9, 2018 by intimeold (see edit history)

[1937hd45]

That is sad to see, I may have been at that Mahwah, N.J. show in 1978, one of the better meets at the time. Bob

[mercer09]

500-1000 in parts..............

[39BuickEight]

As a project, not really unless you just want to spend money that you will never get back to learn about it.  However, it is worth something as awesome yard art or other outside the box use.

[Rusty_OToole]

As others have said not a good candidate for a proper restoration, might be best used as a parts supply for better Buicks. Or, if someone wanted a cheap project with no intention of keeping it stock this looks like a good one to start with. The body is not too rotten from the looks of ot.

 

We don't know the whole story here. If it was stripped for a paint job and the seller has all the missing parts carefully stored away that would make a big difference.

 

If you could afford a $500 - $1000 buy in, and it came with all the missing trim, and you could afford to spend a couple of hundred a month and do your own work you might have a nice cheap driver in 2 or 3 years. There are guys who could afford that but couldn't afford to lay out $25000 all in one lump.

[Paul Dobbin]

Looks to me to be a once restored car to #3 condition then neglected outside for 40 years.

I'd love it for yard art in our lower pasture,  if local I would offer $200.

[Rusty_OToole]

The more I look at the pictures the solider the body looks. If the trim was there it might not be that hard to put it back in commission.

[John348]

Was it a "Sandy" car? Looks like salt water damage

[capngrog]

I agree that it might have been in salt water at some point.  Judging by the degree of rust on a relatively new component, the hose clamp, the rust process was very aggressive.  That is just speculation on my part, and without more photographs, it's tough to tell one way or another.  With all that said, it is interesting and hopefully the Original Poster,  Joey Rock, will give us some more information.  Whatever its condition, all of us on this forum enjoy looking at photos of another old car that might be rescued.

 

Oh, by the way, Joeyrock 516, welcome to the forum. 

 

Cheers,

Grog

[auburnseeker]

Saltwater or stored snuggly under a few tarps for 30 years.  Really eats them up when stored in a greenhouse. 

[kgreen]

I find it odd that the dash plaques are mounted on the car in a location that is not visible when the car is fully assembled.  This location on the side of the firewall is below the A pillar and concealed when the front fenders are mounted.  

[CarlLaFong]

The fenders are on. They would show when the hood up

14 minutes ago, kgreen said:

I find it odd that the dash plaques are mounted on the car in a location that is not visible when the car is fully assembled.  This location on the side of the firewall is below the A pillar and concealed when the front fenders are mounted.  

 

[Restorer32]

Title?

[John348]

10 hours ago, capngrog said:

I agree that it might have been in salt water at some point.  Judging by the degree of rust on a relatively new component, the hose clamp, the rust process was very aggressive.  That is just speculation on my part, and without more photographs, it's tough to tell one way or another.  With all that said, it is interesting and hopefully the Original Poster,  Joey Rock, will give us some more information.  Whatever its condition, all of us on this forum enjoy looking at photos of another old car that might be rescued.

 

Oh, by the way, Joeyrock 516, welcome to the forum. 

 

Cheers,

Grog

 

Looking at the locations of where the plaques were given out it was a northeast car at one point. As far as the mounting location of the plaques it was quite common here in the northeast to mount them under the hood. Growing up in the early 70's this car was a typical example of restorations around here of that era. The car was only a little older than 30 years old and did not warrant a high dollar restoration at the time. There were a lot of cars that got wiped out by Hurricane Sandy, many were cars that were off the road for some reason and did not have insurance. So the owners still are trying to find homes for these projects. 

Many are turning up as rat rods in the area, and at least they are going to some use

Edited August 9, 2018 by John348 (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

And 30 years ago the family members said "Thank you for that offer, but we know the car is worth much more than that. We certainly aren't going to give it away at that price!"

[Dandy Dave]

No matter what the car needs a frame off restoration to make it right. That fact along with the pieces missing I would also say it is cost prohibitive if you are looking for profit in the end. Best to sell it the way it is to someone who need the parts or just wants that particular car because gramps had one back in the day. My 2 cents worth. Dandy Dave!   

[DB26]

I don't think "cost prohibitive" is an allowable excuse when restoring a car. I mean. You gotta be in it for the car and not the $ right? 

[39BuickEight]

I will have less than $10k in my car when I am done with my frame off restoration.  I am the 1% that has the time, budget, space, personality, patience, free help, creativity, interest, resources, and I am not in it for the money.  If you have all of that, it can be done.  Sure mine won’t have concours quality chrome or other finishes—those would make it cost prohibitive for me, and would make no sense to do on my car- but it will be an incredibly nice car.  

 

If a person has all of that, this car would be a great learning experience.

[MCHinson]

Welcome to the AACA Discussion Forum. I have moved your post to the Pre-War Buick Forum where you will be more likely to find the best information on the 1937 Buick Model 41. The short answer to your question is yes, but not nearly as much as you are probably hoping. If you can post some additional information on the car and some additional photos, as well as your general location, you will find more detailed answers. 

 

I am also the editor of the newsletter and webmaster for the 36-38 Buick Club. Based on what I have seen so far, I would say that the car is probably worth a little bit more as a parts car that its scrap value. The condition of the interior items such as the steering wheel will make a lot of difference in the value. 

[Dynaflash8]

Matt is this the one you had crushed today?  I still think that flatback Century needs to be saved.

[Matt Harwood]

2 hours ago, DB26 said:

I don't think "cost prohibitive" is an allowable excuse when restoring a car. I mean. You gotta be in it for the car and not the $ right? 

 

While doing it for love rather than money or profit is usually my argument, there's just no way restoring this car makes any sense at any level at all. These cars are plentiful and inexpensive in finished condition--if you're looking to lose money, you could buy a nice one and make it perfect and still spend less than it would cost to make this one merely decent. No matter if you're doing it for love or money, there's no way this car computes. It's a shame, but it's reality.

[MCHinson]

1 hour ago, Dynaflash8 said:

Matt is this the one you had crushed today?  I still think that flatback Century needs to be saved.

 

While I apologize for continuing in the hijacking of this discussion, 

 

Earl, I am selling the 1938 Model 67 to Dave Tacheny. He will be able to sell it to someone who will save it, or if nobody wants to buy it to restore, it will end up parted out and helping to save a lot of other cars with parts. 

 

As for the 1937 Model 41 in this discussion, it probably has some parts that will help keep other cars on the road. It is not worth restoring, but is worth more as a parts car than the scrap value.  The remains of the 1938 Model 41 that I scrapped yesterday brought 5 cents per pound. It was not too heavy due to basically every part of any value being removed to go to Dave Tacheny to help keep other cars on the road. I would really like to see some photos of the 1937 Model 41 interior. If, for example, it had a decent recast steering wheel, the steering wheel alone would probably be worth more than the scrap value of the rest of the car.    

[MrEarl]

I would like to offer a final resting place for this poor ol girl here beside Buick Sales and Service Garage in Athens,  Georgia. Assuming the car is somewhere up north I’d be willing to drive up after it and pay a small sum for it. Along with displaying it I would offer her usable  parts up to others in hopes of helping save other ‘37’s. Please private message me if interested in selling. 

 

[Morgan Wright]

When people start picking parts off a car, they have decided before you that it's a parts car.

 

Surprised all the glass is still good, that right there is worth a lot.

[Dynaflash8]

2 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

 

While doing it for love rather than money or profit is usually my argument, there's just no way restoring this car makes any sense at any level at all. These cars are plentiful and inexpensive in finished condition--if you're looking to lose money, you could buy a nice one and make it perfect and still spend less than it would cost to make this one merely decent. No matter if you're doing it for love or money, there's no way this car computes. It's a shame, but it's reality.

Matt there ain't no way you can buy a nice car and make it perfect, or even near perfect, without diving in upside down.....that is unless you can do all the work yourself....and even then with the cost of plating or nos chrome, cost of just the paint today and other mechanical parts, tires and more I don't believe you can come out and I'm here to prove it.  Heck, you lose thousands on a new car if you buy one.  If you can afford it, you might as well live your dream.

[Dynaflash8]

32 minutes ago, MrEarl said:

I would like to offer a final resting place for this poor ol girl here beside Buick Sales and Service Garage in Athens,  Georgia. Assuming the car is somewhere up north I’d be willing to drive up after it and pay a small sum for it. Along with displaying it I would offer her usable  parts up to others in hopes of helping save other ‘37’s. Please private message me if interested in selling. 

 

 

[Dynaflash8]

Lamar, I simply love your garage.  That was a great idea.  If I had any '38 parts left around here I'd give them to you for display.  Only parts I have now are what's been left over or purchased or saved for my '39 Buick and the '41 Buick and a few for this '64 Wildcat.  I've sold a little bit of '39 stuff recently wherever I had more than two of something.  I mean, I'll be 80 in October, how many more '39 parts am I going to wear out before I die.

 

[Matt Harwood]

2 hours ago, Dynaflash8 said:

Matt there ain't no way you can buy a nice car and make it perfect, or even near perfect, without diving in upside down.....that is unless you can do all the work yourself....and even then with the cost of plating or nos chrome, cost of just the paint today and other mechanical parts, tires and more I don't believe you can come out and I'm here to prove it.  Heck, you lose thousands on a new car if you buy one.  If you can afford it, you might as well live your dream.

 

 

You have made my point for me. Buying a nice car like you did and adding some money to make it better is both cheaper and gives better results than bringing that particular Special back from the dead. Do it for love, but sometimes even love isn't enough.

[Dynaflash8]

21 minutes ago, Matt Harwood said:

 

 

You have made my point for me. Buying a nice car like you did and adding some money to make it better is both cheaper and gives better results than bringing that particular Special back from the dead. Do it for love, but sometimes even love isn't enough.

Of course you're right about that Matt, of course.  But just to bring this car up to an acceptable standard (for me) has cost more than what I paid for it and I paid a bundle (way too much for the car in my personal opinion).  Now I might have a "back in the day" opinion of what an old car is worth, especially a good original car, but its my opinion.  I just felt it was time to step out and step up to today's numbers.  At least when it is done, it will be done to my standard, not somebody else's.  From 25 feet it paint and chrome looked good, but up close it was all scratched up, chrome pitted lightly and rusted some, engine all greasy and oily and the chassis was an absolute oily, greasy mess.  The engine leaked oil and the torque tube torque ball was bleeding oil.  That's just about what I expect to see in an original car, never touched, just driven 59,000 miles, some of it over dirt and muddy roads, obviously.  This is a before picture to show what I'm saying.  But there was no rust anywhere.  The wiring harness was still perfect (until they moved it around to detail the engine and the insulation cracked all up -- so now it'll be safer with a new front harness I hadn't expected).  So, I accept being into it upside down, feet up.  I probably didn't realize what it would cost me in today's labor and parts market to do this, but I still have no regrets.......except one.  If I knew these people were good enough to paint the door jams and not mess up the perfect upholstery, I'd have changed the color and painted it French Silver Gray over Lancaster Gray like I did my Limited back in the 1970s.  I could have never touched it and people would have commented, "nice car for its age", but it wasn't good enough for me.  And I don't plan to try and win any big prizes, but at least if I go I will show it in the judged classes and let the chips fall where they may.  As the old used to say, "it's too late now, you can't pull your toe out of the water and not find it wet!"  Haha, my Daddy used to say "A Fool and His Money are Soon Parted".

?

Edited August 10, 2018 by Dynaflash8 (see edit history)

[8E45E]

On ‎8‎/‎8‎/‎2018 at 6:03 PM, intimeold said:

Sad to see a car, that was at least presentable in 1978 ( the  dash plaques, pop riveted to the cowl); to look like this today.

  

There was a thread about some Studebakers that when through that 'boom-to-bust' cycle here:  http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?56482-Studes-that-quot-made-it-quot-but-were-nonetheless-lost&highlight=daytona+plaque

 

Craig

[Morgan Wright]

If the frame is solid the rat rodders can take this '37 and create a monster out of it. Put in a Cummins engine and some stacks, and there you go.

[Dynaflash8]

13 hours ago, Dynaflash8 said:

Of course you're right about that Matt, of course.  But just to bring this car up to an acceptable standard (for me) has cost more than what I paid for it and I paid a bundle (way too much for the car in my personal opinion).  Now I might have a "back in the day" opinion of what an old car is worth, especially a good original car, but its my opinion.  I just felt it was time to step out and step up to today's numbers.  At least when it is done, it will be done to my standard, not somebody else's.  From 25 feet it paint and chrome looked good, but up close it was all scratched up, chrome pitted lightly and rusted some, engine all greasy and oily and the chassis was an absolute oily, greasy mess.  The engine leaked oil and the torque tube torque ball was bleeding oil.  That's just about what I expect to see in an original car, never touched, just driven 59,000 miles, some of it over dirt and muddy roads, obviously.  This is a before picture to show what I'm saying.  But there was no rust anywhere.  The wiring harness was still perfect (until they moved it around to detail the engine and the insulation cracked all up -- so now it'll be safer with a new front harness I hadn't expected).  So, I accept being into it upside down, feet up.  I probably didn't realize what it would cost me in today's labor and parts market to do this, but I still have no regrets.......except one.  If I knew these people were good enough to paint the door jams and not mess up the perfect upholstery, I'd have changed the color and painted it French Silver Gray over Lancaster Gray like I did my Limited back in the 1970s.  I could have never touched it and people would have commented, "nice car for its age", but it wasn't good enough for me.  And I don't plan to try and win any big prizes, but at least if I go I will show it in the judged classes and let the chips fall where they may.  As the old used to say, "it's too late now, you can't pull your toe out of the water and not find it wet!"  Haha, my Daddy used to say "A Fool and His Money are Soon Parted".

?

I don't know if everybody realized it, but this is my car BEFORE I put it in for a cosmetic restoration and a new clutch.