suchan

The '38 Specials with the semi-automatic transmissions had 3.6 gears. Scarce as hen's teeth, though. I'm surprised no one's repro'd them.

Wash it and get it running. Originality is valued, but not dirt and raccoon crap. "Barn find" is sometime used as a euphemism for yard art, and I always assume that to be so unless pictures show otherwise. No notion of the value restored, but I'm guessing it's south of $100K. Auction results are easy to google. Good luck with the sale.

I had a 38-41 I bought from a mechanic who was noted for taking the car on long trips, and driving it at 60-65 MPH, including a meandering 6000 mile trip to the St Louis BCA national in the '90's. Those are definitely slow-lane speeds on the freeway, but I can't see the point of driving an old car on the freeway if you can avoid it. Some Buicks sound like they're about to fly apart at those speeds, but this one seemed to settle into a groove at around 60, and actually got quieter. But as mentioned above, it's not just the engine that's stressed by high speeds (the engine might be your least concern), so let common sense determine your cruising speed.

Looks like the perfect car for the OP. The owner can decide exactly how each nut and bolt will be treated, and anything less wouldn't do. Then all that's to be done is find a restorer who works for free.

My '38 Special has the same problem. The previous owner, a mechanic, told me the motor was fine, something done in the rebuild (bearings set a little loose, whatever, I can't recall the exact wording) was the reason for the oil pressure. Not satisfied, I took it to another mechanic, who told me to stop stressing, that as long as the pressure increases with rpm, it's OK.

Sounds like a great topic for another thread, "pimped" straight 8! Multiple carbs, hot cam, high compression head, it shouldn't be that tough getting to 141 HP (or more).

Gorgeous car at a fair price. A great alternative to the '56 T-Bird for those blessed with a family and/or above-average height. Good luck with the sale.

Your car isn't necessarily overpriced. This, frankly, can be a tough place to sell a car. You might have a better chance at getting your investment back with craigslist, or spend a bit and advertise on Autotrader, Cars Online, etc. Placing the car on eBay with a reserve will tell you what the market will bear. Good luck.

She might ask $5K and should be willing to take $3500 or so. Hard to say if she'll get offers. Restoration would cost far more than the car would ever be worth, and it's not the most desirable body style.

Sorry, no leads, but I hope you post photos of the project when it's finished. A hot-rodded Ford flathead six would definitely stand out in a crowd!

It's best to negotiate by personal message, especially if making an offer that could well be considered a lowball.

320 won't fit in a Special. The Century is basically a Special with 4" added to the engine compartment and a longer hood to cover it. Not sure what is entailed with a rear end swap. Maybe someone can chime in? A friend has a 38-46c with the post-war rear end. If no one comments, I'll ask him.

Good call on the sedan. If I recall correctly, the 320's have a head 34" 1/2 long, the 248 heads 3" shorter.

That's interesting, but I've never heard of Buick choosing which rear end to install in the '37-'38's according to body style. Even if they did, the coupes sell for more more money, all things being equal, and you'd probably spend less putting a high-speed rear end in a sedan. Which brings up the topic of which body style looks the best. While all of the '37-'38's are handsome cars, I've always been partial to '37 coupes and convertibles, and think the '38 front end looks better on a sedan.

Another popular rear-end swap is early-mid 50's Buick. Ratio is 3.4-1, I think. Likely a lot easier to find than a '30's Century rear end, and keep in mind, the Century rear end isn't just a bolt-in. Drivetrain-wise, Centurys are basically short-wheelbase Roadmasters. Special brakes are more than sufficient if in good adjustment. The Specials with the semi-automatic tranny came with 3.6 gears, but good luck finding one of those.

With the low rear end ratio, Specials have plenty of hill-climbing power. When \we lived in the Sierra Nevada foothills, our '38 Special was just the ticket, and very comfortable to drive. We bought it with radial tires equivalent to 7:00x16 bias plys, which lowered the engine speed a bit and provided great ride and handling. Special motors sound busy at 55 mph due to both the rear end ratio and the lack of insulation. If you plan to regularly go faster than that, you would do better to look for a car like Mark's with a different rear end at a sacrifice of power, or go for a Century. Roadmasters are nice cars, but they are BIG, and the '37 Roadmasters still had the '36-style body with lots of wood in the framing.

Nice car at a fair asking price. Good luck with the sale, and our condolences.

Bet it's a pretty exciting ride down the road, what, with all that vibrating and body torquing.

Soooo...what's the 1 percent that isn't done? Give the car a wash and polish, post more (and better) photos, including the engine, a more detailed description of the car's condition, and you'll have a better chance to get your price. Good luck.

Ouch! There's so much good about the car, with a little negotiating, it could be a smart buy.

Looks like the seller went through maybe a gallon of Armorall on that engine detail. I like shiny things, but...

After the new software was installed, most my posts were apparently deleted, and the remainder were tagged with a screen name I've never used on the AACA forum. Not that my posts were all pearls of wisdom, but there were a few I was proud of...

Not sure if this is related, but my screen name has changed to one I used for eBay and Yahoo years ago, have NEVER used on this forum, and all my previous comments and posts, valuable or not, are gone.