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'41 Buick Limited on Ebay


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Dynaflash,  if you buy it,  send me the brake linings I'll take care of you.  I have an old brake lining machine but I don't advertise it.    It would be a snap to rivet those pads onto the shoes.   I've been buying the Kanter complete brakes for most everything but my 42' wasn't listed.   I'm not exactly sure the chassis differences between our cars.  I know the frame is the same and I have open driveshaft with leaf springs.  I don't know if the axles back then are different or the front brakes.   They are big brakes though.  

 

Really to do a proper job you should turn the drums and arch the shoes.  Or brake doktor them.  That's been my favorite tool of the summer.  

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Janousek,  I have probably a dozen boxes of genuine Buick brake linings but no more than a dozen rivits.  They came in little bags, fell out of the boxes and were lost forever.  Unfortunately, they only fit the 40-50-60-70 models.  The 90 brake linings were bigger.  I guess White Post of some truck place has bigger linings.  I don't know how that works.  When I lived in Baltimore there was a truck place that could do all brakes and clutch disk linings.  I doubt they are even in business anymore, plus I don't remember the name.

 

All this talk about deathbeds and nursing homes.  I've seen some people in nursing homes and assisted care facilities paid for by the government, oh yeah.  And being in such a place in such a condition is worse than being dead.  My parents saved their money and paid their own way in a good place when that time came.  Some others in my family did not and the suffering was great.  Talk is cheap when you're young enough not to think it's only a short time off.

 

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Earl, I remember Al Newman's 41 very well from the first CHVA meets in Overlea. That dates me too, I'll be 77 in January. I remember driving your Limited around Severn, looking in the rear view mirror and wondering where the rear window was! I also remember driving my 35 to Hershey up I-83 and thinking nothing off it. I wouldn't dream of it now. We now have 4 Franklins in the family, plus 2 model T Fords, the 35 Ford , a 54 Citroen and a 50 Hudson. Dave

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10 hours ago, olympic said:

Earl, I remember Al Newman's 41 very well from the first CHVA meets in Overlea. That dates me too, I'll be 77 in January. I remember driving your Limited around Severn, looking in the rear view mirror and wondering where the rear window was! I also remember driving my 35 to Hershey up I-83 and thinking nothing off it. I wouldn't dream of it now. We now have 4 Franklins in the family, plus 2 model T Fords, the 35 Ford , a 54 Citroen and a 50 Hudson. Dave

Dave, how could I have forgotten the co-founder of CHVA!  I was just with Bob Trueax last week, and talked to Charlie Smith the week before that about the car.  Al had this car at both Overlea in '67 and Bonnie Blink in '71.  The Chairman of the 2017 AACA Grand National in Kansas City is going to actually review the car at my request.  The cost of Florida sales tax and shipping would be collossal but it is the same car....tired...but the same.  I've never seen you on here before.  There was once a member of Chesapeake Region who owned a fleet of Franklin's.  I think the founder of the Region in 1955 had a Franklin.  Bill Bond had a Franklin that belonged to former AACA National President Frank Tucker.  Do you have any of those cars?  Good to hear from you....been a long time.  Also,  you're 3 years younger than me.  There is a lot of history of the car in the old CHVA magazines and I still have them all.  Trueax and Smith said I should let the car pass on by as a memory.  Don Barlup told me I should buy it.  What do you think?

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3 minutes ago, Janousek said:

I know were off topic but linings are sold by the foot and are of different thickness and width.  The rivets are a few bucks a 100 at mcmaster carr.  Brakes are the easy part of a car like this.  

 

 

That is good information Jan; something I've never heard before

 

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Mecum has a beautifully restored 1941 Model 91 Limited in their Las Vegas auction that is going on now. The car will be auctioned tomorrow. It is Lot F90.1 and the estimate is $60-80K. Plenty of pictures on mecum.com and you can also watch the auction live there. I realize that the car that is the subject of the original post has sentimental value for some here, but I trust that the same aficionados will enjoy viewing this fine example. Also, I realize it is a fair amount of money, but the $20K car could never be made to match the Mecum car for the estimated sale price. Aw heck, here's the link. Enjoy.

 

 

https://www.mecum.com/lots/LN1118-361275/1941-buick-model-91-limited-sedan/

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The rear stone pad moldings are wrong on the Mecum car for starters. They is from a Special and the rocker panel molding has somehow been modified.  They are correct on the eBay car and impossible to find.  The main thing is that I'm not in the market for just any 41 Limited......I'm only interested in this particular 41 Limited.  And yes, it is sentimental, but I'm not sure sentimental is worth as much as  $20,000 for that car in its condition at this stage of my life.  That said, I am serious about it if everything works out.

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I hope things work out for you as they should, and particularly your wife's surgery. Also, I know zilch about these cars, and am not interested in owning one. However, your comments about the stone guards on the Mecum car illustrate the importance of having someone who IS knowledgeable on a specific make and model examine it before one makes an expensive mistake. If you are so inclined, I think it would be a fun exercise to have the Buick experts on this forum chime in on what's right and whats wrong on the Mecum car. 

 Hopefully, this is not considered as thread " hijacking," since the ebay car doesn't belong to the OP. I hope that the Mecum car and the $6K car in the Antique Automobile are useful to compare the relative value of the ebay car.

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I noticed the stone guard moldings on the Mecum car right away, particularly since I need a set. Fortunately, I know a fellow who is gearing up to make some fresh ones and I've placed an order for two sets (you know, just in case). I've seen the prototypes and they're quite accurately done. I think I'll end up paying $400/pair for them and worth every penny to get the correct look for a Limited. Of course, I'll have to make a set of rocker panel moldings for my car since those, too, are unobtainium, but that's easier than the stone guard piece.

 

Other stuff on the Mecum car? It looks pretty good and I don't really have a lot of complaints. I suppose if it was right in front of me, I could pick it apart, but I don't see any glaring faults and the stone guard molding being incorrect is more a function of necessity than laziness or ignorance. I think the woodgrain pattern on the rear garnish moldings is pretty awful but beyond that, nothing jumps out as being totally wrong or hacked up. The engine bay isn't as crisply detailed as it could be, the air cleaner decal isn't right, the steering column and hand brake handle should be brown or gray (depending on interior), the plastic escutcheons around the door handles and window cranks are wrong, and I'll bet $50 that it has an exhaust leak. The fender skirt ornament appears to be the 19-inch version rather than the 21, but that's a debatable detail. I don't like the silver exhaust manifolds, but they were probably raw cast iron when they were new so I understand why they did it.

 

I do see lots of correct details that most restorers miss, including the horns with satin trumpets and gloss domes, the flutes in the headlight ornaments, bumper ends, and hood ornament are painted black, the interior plastics are the right color, there's an air snorkel for the air cleaner, the use of acorn nuts on the engine covers, and the color combination is excellent. It's a pretty car--I like the blue and it's appropriate on a big car like this. I sort of wish mine wasn't plain old black.

 

I like it a lot and think it's an excellent car for someone who wants a high-quality Limited. Nevertheless, I think they're wildly optimistic on the price--I bet bidding stops at $35,000 or so, but I sure hope I'm wrong!

 

PS: I stand by my statement that it would not be a mistake to buy the Ebay car at $20K if it has clean title.

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Matt you know more about the old Limited's than I've forgotten.  It was a good review.  The blue & gray interior is gorgeous like your car and the Landow car in D.C.  I think I mostly would like to try and recapture a memory from 51 years ago when I first saw the car.  Nobody else who might buy the eBay car will care about it's extroadinary historical past.   The '41 Limited looks like a space ship or bullet train next to the previous Limited's to me.  There were 1223 1941 Buick Series 91 Limiteds built.  This one has survived hard driving, long storage, and repossesion.  But it has still survived and would be an excellent HPOF car in AACA.  As old Al Newman would have said in his own words, "that's not too shabby".

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Earl, That would be a very tough decision to make on Al's Limited.  I think back to the 40 Continental that   I had and would like to know what happened to that car. Also I miss the 55 Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire that I had. That was a real performer, with a Rolls Royce automatic and a Hemi 6 cylinder.  I drove that car to Hershey several times and it  was featured on a Hershey video once.  It was a beautiful car, right hand drive and it was alwauys an experience trying to pay the toll on the Pa. Turnpike! I had to go  look up former Chesapeake Region members who had Franklins. I think  Ed Hook was one and, definately, Willard Prentice had a Franklin. Right now,Eddie and I are the only Franklin owners who have Franklins. Fran Werneth always calls me Mr. Franklin! Bill Bond's Franklin is now in California and the new owner is delighted wth it. Dave 

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42 minutes ago, olympic said:

Earl, That would be a very tough decision to make on Al's Limited.  I think back to the 40 Continental that   I had and would like to know what happened to that car. Also I miss the 55 Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire that I had. That was a real performer, with a Rolls Royce automatic and a Hemi 6 cylinder.  I drove that car to Hershey several times and it  was featured on a Hershey video once.  It was a beautiful car, right hand drive and it was alwauys an experience trying to pay the toll on the Pa. Turnpike! I had to go  look up former Chesapeake Region members who had Franklins. I think  Ed Hook was one and, definately, Willard Prentice had a Franklin. Right now,Eddie and I are the only Franklin owners who have Franklins. Fran Werneth always calls me Mr. Franklin! Bill Bond's Franklin is now in California and the new owner is delighted wth it. Dave 

Dave, the Chesapeake Region name comes to me as Karl Feather who had one or many Franklins.  There was another elderly gentleman during the mid-late 1960s who had three or four of them, one was an Olympic I recall.  I also recall he worked for the Core of Engineers as did Mr. Prentice, but I can't remember is name.  Dave, it has been a tough decision for me, but I think the owner helped me make a decision tonight.  But, I'm just not going to make it final until after Judy's surgery on Monday.  I never owned or drove Al's car....I admired him as being almost supernatural doing feats I just wanted to do.  I don't think driving his car will make that transcend to me, especially at 80.  There's not even anybody here in this town to "play cars" with.  You'll see what I decided next week.  Gettin' old ain't for sissies my Dad always used to say.

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I decided to be smart for once in my life and not bite off more than I could chew.  I decided I would not by the car.  Happy Motoring. 

 

Don't forget, my '39 Buick Special 41-C 4-door convertible is for sale.  It sat on the same showfield in 1971 as this fabled 41 Buick Limited.  I need to move the other way in my life at my age.

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Hi Earl ! I am quite relieved to see you have made a very wise choice in the face of temptation. I have been concerned, but bit my tongue, not wanting to interfere with another old man's late in life love affair.    -   From a beat-up mid 70s guy in the body of a 90 year old,    Cadillac Carl  

 

  (It is impossible to REALLY know what it is like to be old until you have actually done so. For most old folk, today is likely to be the healthiest day for the rest of their lives. Make the most you can of it. Any "long range" planning must realistically take in to account how you will actually feel about things in two years, or five years ...........................)

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My hard estimate for a whole new (cloth) interior just came in.  Had it arrived last night, who knows?  Any it is $8885 in wool as original (two-tone tan).  Then you have all that wood graining, the $925 engine turned dash panels, and probably some chrome plating.  I didn't care about loss or profit, but more the actual spending of money I wouldn't have time, most likely, to recoup that I may need immediately.  I've just been through this with my 41 Roadmaster that needed nothing inside and I have more in it than I can insure it for with J.C. Taylor.  This is my 41 Roadmaster fully finished.  Although my car is a recognized CCCA Full Classic car (a/o August 2017) I'm the first to admit it is not as Classic in style as the Limited.  But, it has the same motor and running gear and will go as far and fast as a Limited.  Needless to say, had I been able to get a clear California title in May-June 2017 that Limited would have been mine.  When I couldn't I bought a much better car in the Roadmaster and restored it.  I couldn't justify two 41 Buicks that could do the same things, at my age.  Old cars are too hard to sell.

 

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LOOK AT THIS:  Now the guy has dropped the price to $19,500 after telling me he'd never go below the $20K. ?  I wanted an acquaintance to look at it and drive it.  I don't know the game.  So, "I ain't playing no more".   //shrug// 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1941-Buick-Series-90-Limited/273557320764?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

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No trimmer around here would work that cheap.  Proper materials are gonna run a couple grand. 

 

 Depends on the job though.  I always make sure and have the seat coils repocketed and all of the original fabric and stuffing replaced and any wood needs to be sealed and painted.  That is half the labor right there but the smell is permanetly gone and the seats sit proper.     

 

Your roadmaster is sharp but it doesn't quite have the stance as the big limited.  

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43 minutes ago, Janousek said:

No trimmer around here would work that cheap.  Proper materials are gonna run a couple grand. 

 

 Depends on the job though.  I always make sure and have the seat coils repocketed and all of the original fabric and stuffing replaced and any wood needs to be sealed and painted.  That is half the labor right there but the smell is permanetly gone and the seats sit proper.     

 

Your roadmaster is sharp but it doesn't quite have the stance as the big limited.  

Didn't I say that first?  It is still a Full Cadillac, same as a 1941 Cadillac 62.  Same engine, transmission and 165 hp dual carb setup.  As for my trimmer....he's done several for me now, and every one is exactly what he quotes.  And, the work is better than excellent.  Maybe it depends on where you live or work.  Another guy I know quoted me about $15,000.  I am not made of money.  I won an AACA National Award (first issuance of the Buick Alliance Award) with a convertible car he did for me that didn't even have enough top for a pattern.  He worked from pictures.  The car was pulled off of eBay this morning.  Maybe it sold for the $19,500, or maybe he pulled it off towards the end as he's done three 2 or 3 times before.

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It was last listed at $19,500. The seller apparently sold it outside of ebay, since the listing shows as ended because of an error in the listing. As such, there is no way to know what it sold for but clearly it was not over $19,500 since that the last price listed. 

 

This listing was ended by the seller because there was an error in the listing.
 
 
 
 
 
 
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On 11/17/2018 at 9:54 AM, Dynaflash8 said:

Didn't I say that first?  It is still a Full Cadillac, same as a 1941 Cadillac 62.  Same engine, transmission and 165 hp dual carb setup.  As for my trimmer....he's done several for me now, and every one is exactly what he quotes.  And, the work is better than excellent.  Maybe it depends on where you live or work.  Another guy I know quoted me about $15,000.  I am not made of money.  I won an AACA National Award (first issuance of the Buick Alliance Award) with a convertible car he did for me that didn't even have enough top for a pattern.  He worked from pictures.  The car was pulled off of eBay this morning.  Maybe it sold for the $19,500, or maybe he pulled it off towards the end as he's done three 2 or 3 times before.

Dynaflash,  did I miss something?   I was stating that no one around here would work that cheap.  I priced up the materials for our 67 series Cadillac with the same body as this limited and it was over 2 grand for the materials.  

 

 

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Janousek, what I was replying to was your comment about my Roadmaster being nice but not stacking up to the Limited in style and presense.  I had said the same thing.  As for my trimmer, he's a proven commodity to many around here, and to me as well.  That is his price and if I'd bought the Limited he would have stuck to that down to the last dollar.  Guess I'd be lucky if I had another car to do. 🙂

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He's at least a day late and a dollar short.  I threw out a price several times, and he absolutely refused.  He's almost down to the price I had in mind and I believe will get there before he ever sells that car.  Off and on he said he'd decided to keep the car.  Last correspondence he said he was going to try and reupholster it himself............on and on....nice guy, friendly to talk to......but, once again I wasn't supposed to have that car.......ever.  So, anyway, last night I bought a 1991 Buick Park Avenue with only 3,061 miles on it.....virtually a new car for AACA touring.  So, there's no place for another pre-War car here, and no more money to spend on one.  The 1991 Park Avenue was on eBay and I had a friend go look at it and drive it yesterday.  He said it's like driving a brand new car.....always stored in a heated building, the original tires and they're nice.  That said, I think I'll get new tires before any long trips.  I'll use the R-12 until the A/C needs something.  With old cars when do you ever know who to believe and when to jump.  Meanwhile my '64 Wildcat hasn't sold and I'm getting no emails on my '39 Special convertible sedan.....not even a ridiculous offer.

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https://www.ebay.com/itm/1941-Buick-Series-90-Limited/273571149062?hash=item3fb21c7506:g:wj4AAOSw-pNb64Xl:rk:3:pf:0

 

His text has changed a bit, but he is still trying for the same price. I am almost amused by some of his new text, " I feel the price is fair, you may not agree and you are certainly entitled to your opinion. The market will dictate the price."  It sort of seems to me that by the third time you list a car at a particular car without a sale, the market might be dictating a lower price.  If I was not in the process of restoring my 1938 Century, I might consider this car. I have no need for it and no space currently, and don't have that amount of spare cash lying around. He should have taken your offer when you  made it Earl. 

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Matt,  I didn't exactly make the offer.  I was being careful while out the tour.  I said, if I were to offer you $xxxxxxx would you........?  Answer was "never".

I was, in my opinion, close to what he is asking.  But, I moved on the '91 Park Avenue last night, so it's over.  As you can imagine, a 3,000 mile car wasn't in the $800 category.  I paid what I consider a real premium, but a little less than he was asking.  But, I repeated this several times in course of conversation to see if this 41 Buick owner would say yes.  Finally I moved on.

 

Edited by Dynaflash8 (see edit history)
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I think the price for that car is very fair. A rare car that there are few and far between of.

with that said, Im into brass and not these behemoths!  still, doesn mean I dont enjoy looking at them at a show and admiring them.

 

everyone has there own wish list.............

 

think the guys ad is reasonable. The car is what it is and nothing more..............

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5 hours ago, mercer09 said:

I think the price for that car is very fair. A rare car that there are few and far between of.

with that said, Im into brass and not these behemoths!  still, doesn mean I dont enjoy looking at them at a show and admiring them.

 

everyone has there own wish list.............

 

think the guys ad is reasonable. The car is what it is and nothing more..............

While he was trying for the last dollar and playing with the pricing, he knew I was a fish.  He missed the boat though and I got off the line.  Too late now, while nibbling at the line, a bigger fish popped up out of nowhere.  I just bought a 91 Buick Park Avenue with 3,061 actual miles on it.  Absolutely like new.  I felt that was a chance of a lifetime, but paid about 10 times more than "Charlie's Used Cars" would have wanted for a 26 year old car.  With them, it's all about age.

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He dropped the price $1,000 to $18,500 before the latest Ebay auction ended. It still ended without a purchase. It will be interesting to see if he relists it again, and if so, at what price. 

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11 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

That makes me sad.

I agree. It would be nice to see this car go into caring, knowledgeable hands.

Earl, glad to hear about the 91 Park Avenue! Is that the one you were considering when you called me?

I have mentioned your 39 to a few buick lovers here in NC.

 

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11 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

That makes me sad.

 

I agree but I think this car is in that awkward place because it is too nice to justify a total restoration, but it is too rough for most people to enjoy as is. If the interior was in better shape, it would have sold long ago. The cost to do the interior hurts it's value. If you put a new interior kit in it, you would then want to freshen up the rest of the car. If you are going to have to do a fairly extensive restoration, then that price seems too high as a starting point for most people. I don't have the money or space to justify buying it but I am tempted. The one that recently sold at auction would be a better deal than buying this car and restoring it to the condition of the car that sold at auction.  

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Well, unfortunately, that's about $2900 away from being a parts car for me. At $15,000 I'll buy it, pull the driveline, cut up the torque tube for an overdrive, put the rear end in my car to replace mine with the one-off bearing caps, maybe paint the wheels red for my car (or sell them--Limited wheels are unique and rather valuable and I know the owner of Bob's wants at least one), put the engine on a shelf, put the dual carb setup on the shelf, put the front carburetor on the rear slot of my car, take the rocker moldings for my car, and sell the rest using no-reserve auctions. Cut out the spare tire well and weld it into my car. Sell all the chrome and trim. Sell dashboard, gauges, wheel, radio, knobs, etc. Skirts are worth $1000 all by themselves. Bumper ends are another grand. I figure I can make $5-7000 on the selling of parts and that gives me a full supply of replacements for anything else I need in the future for less than it would cost me to buy it all later.

 

Sad, but if it's not viable as a car, may as well put it to work.

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1 hour ago, Matt Harwood said:

 

Sad, but if it's not viable as a car, may as well put it to work.

 

I don't think I would say that it is not viable as a car. It is just at that awkward condition where most people would not want to use it with the current interior condition, and replacing the interior would likely start someone on the road to make everything else better, at significant cost. If someone could live with the interior condition, it would be a great car to drive and enjoy. Any similar year Buick in driving condition is probably worth more as parts if you wanted to take it apart and sell it by the piece. That does not mean it is the best or logical use for the car.    

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