1953mack

Judging from just this one picture, it appears that you might have a set of the early-1953 Kelsey-Hayes 40-spoke wire wheels that do not have the hole for the locator pin that helps when mounting the tire/wheel assembly to the brake drum. Not a big deal though. Knowledgeable restorers look for a straight rim without pits and bent flanges and hubs without pits and wallowed-out bolt holes. It's cheaper to replace the 200 spokes and nipples with new ones rather than re-plating the originals. Buying new chrome-plated diecast hub caps and stainless steel gold-plated, tri-color painted hub cap emblems are also cheaper than restoring originals. Restoring, crating and shipping them both ways . . . if you don't live across the street from a reliable/good wheel restoration shop . . . could run you close to $1,000 each nowadays. Are guys willing to spend close to $6,000 plus what you are asking for the cores? The street rodder crowd might be more interested in sandblasting them if they are not deeply pitted and then painting/powder coating them. Either way IMO, good cores could fetch around $75 each nowadays. Good luck.

The OP is looking for a LH ventilator.

Cheaper than 25 years ago . . . from a different vendor.

Prices most likely have gone up.

Estate Wagon door vent-windows (ventilators) are interchangeable with some other models since your 1950 Super Model 59 Estate Wagon, along with other 1950-1953 Super/Roadmaster Buick Estate Wagons (and some other years), rolled off the Flint-Michigan assembly line as four-door sedans (with the respective wheelbase) and were then shipped to the Ionia Manufacturing Company in Ionia, Michigan for the wooden body conversions. Note that ventilator windows from the longer wheelbase 1950 Super four-door sedans are not interchangeable with the shorter 1950 wheelbase four-door sedans . . . or ventilators from hardtops or convertibles. There should be plenty of other years, models, and some Oldsmobile vent windows to look for out there. Good luck. Al Malachowski BCA #8965 "500 Miles West of Flint"

1950-1953 Buick Super/Roadmaster Estate Wagons started life as four-door sedans from Buick in Flint, Michigan and were then shipped to Ionia Manufacturing Company in Ionia, Michigan for the wooden body conversions. Rocker panels and floor boards should be interchangeable for those years. Al Malachowski BCA #8965 "500 Miles West of Flint"

All four center hubcap inserts are repainted incorrectly and two of them are installed wrong.

1955 . . . but . . . note that tubes were still provided when you bought the optional 40-spoke Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels on Buick 50-60-70 series models. Al Malachowski BCA #8965 "500 Miles West of Flint"

▲ That published article is incorrect and was corrected in a later BUGLE. The correct numbering sequence is . . . PASSENGER SIDE 420879135 DRIVER SIDE Al Malachowski BCA #8965 "500 Miles West of Flint"

- Here's what your Body by Fisher Number Plate would look like . . . minus the unknown sequential build number (???), the unknown interior TRIM code number (??) and the unknown accessories. - BL = built at the Linden, New Jersey BOP assembly plant. - PAINT code 44 = two-tone, Beach White top and Teal Blue below the belt line. Good luck. Al Malachowski BCA #8965 "500 Miles West of Flint"

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/407437-1953-special-convertible-top-motor-location/#comment-2616244

- The OEM 6-volt Hydro-Lectric motor/pump assembly on a 1953 Buick SPECIAL Model 46C is not located under the hood. - From a 1953 Buick Shop Manual . . . look in the right side of the rear compartment lower division panel under the folding top compartment fabric bag . . . the assembly is installed vertically, with the motor on the bottom and the reservoir on top . . . the motor/pump assembly does not power your windows nor your front seat. Al Malachowski BCA #8965 "500 Miles West of Flint"

Buick reference books list three 2-tone standard combinations with a White Top and a Blue/Green Lower panel for the 1952 Buick production run. Do any of these colors look familiar? Thanks. Al Malachowski BCA #8965 "500 Miles West of Flint"

● From your posted Car and Engine Serial Numbers, you are looking for a 1952 Buick SUPER 56R two-door hardtop model (3 portholes on each of the front fenders) that was built at the BUICK-OLDSMOBILE-PONTIAC assembly plant in Linden, New Jersey. ● According to reference media, you are looking for 1 of a total 55,400 built. ● According to the latest BCA Membership Roster dated 2020/2021, there are 66 listed 1952 Buick Model 56R owners. Post the original exterior paint color, original interior trim color and known accessories and I will post a picture of what the Body by Fisher Number Plate would look like. Don’t give up yet. Al Malachowski BCA #8965 “500 Miles West of Flint”

I recall that Firestone was a popular brand for these airbags that was often mentioned in the 1950-1960s Rod & Custom magazine era. https://www.firestoneairide.com/

Is this what you're looking for?

Is it a bird or is it a plane? Try J.B. Donaldson in AZ at six zero two, two seven eight, four five zero five. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtLiI-8vhCA&list=PL2kqZl8PBGM-eBl4Y7wMBecVF7zeNDz8q&index=2&pp=iAQB The video doesn't mention whether he repops the triangular base though. The 1954 Buick Skylark hood and hood emblem are different than the 1954 Buick Roadmaster. Al Malachowski BCA #8965 "500 Miles West of Flint"

For the front fender?

These pics should give you a good idea of what you're looking for. Buick parts books called them front seat side panels. The OEM 1954 Buick Skylark 4-way front seat was hydraulic/electric powered and the control switch was a joystick-type momentary switch located on the front-return of the Driver's side seat panel. Good luck on hunting them down with the unique tiger's-eye medallion. ▲ video screen shot of Art Lostumo's 1954 Buick Lido Green Skylark with TRIM code #66 interior Al Malachowski BCA #8965 "500 Miles West of Flint"

Hans, Good for you. Hands down, the 1948-1949 Cadillac fastbacks are far-superior in overall design than the Buicks of those years. You got a good start with what appears to be solid sheet metal. Nothing wrong with keeping the exterior bone stock and updating the engine nowadays. This 1949 belongs to Jack K. and is the best I've seen and shows up every June at the Minnesota Street Rod Association's Back to the Fifties Show. It has all the right looks: lowered stance, Black paint, windshield visor, custom wheels and the door/window vent shades. Good luck on your project and keep us posted. Al Malachowski BCA #8965 "500 Miles West of Flint"

It's not a mis-stamping. On 1953 Buicks (and some other years), Fisher Body installed their Number Plate to the top of the cowl with two Phillip head screws before the body was painted the final top-coat color. In your case, the Number Plate and two screws were painted Matador Red, paint code 62. The thickness of the paint fills in the space somewhat, between the serif of the six and the lower rounded-part of that numeral, and might distort the clarity . . . until you scrape away all the paint on the topside or look on the backside of the Number Plate that didn't get any paint . . . then it becomes obvious to tell if it's a "6" or an "8." That's my story and I'm sticking to it. A picture of the backside of your Number Plate would put this topic to bed. As far as a value, send me a PM with more pics and I'll respond. Thanks.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion . . . but . . . Fisher Body designated the 1953 Buick Roadmaster Skylark convertible as MODEL NUMBER 53-76X and STYLE NUMBER 53-4767SX . . . not 53-78X and/or 53-4787SX. Remove the number plate from the cowl and look on the backside to get a better picture of your stamped numbers. Extra credit: I haven't seen this 'Lark around since the 1990s Iola shows.

- Casting number 1165752 = 1954-1955 Buick SPECIAL 40-series V-8 264 c.i. engine blocks. - Your Engine Serial Number 1431171 (4) is a late-1955 Buick SPECIAL number and is close to the last Buick 264 c.i. engine built. - The range for 1954 Buick E.S.Ns. = 273956 thru 720079. - The range for 1955 Buick E.S.Ns. = 720080 thru 1460022. - The "V" prefix was not used after E.S.N. 999999.

- Your Engine Serial Number (V) 158774 (7) is a June-1953 production number. NOTE: Buick did not build 7 million Buicks in June-1953 as Team Buick claims. https://www.teambuick.com/reference/years/53.php - 1954-1956 Buick V-8 322 cubic inch engines had the same casting number 1165165. Team Buick again, incorrectly lists that casting number to include 1953 322 cubic inch engines. - Your Engine Serial Number (V) 798515 (6) is an early-1955 model production number built in late 1954. The suffix "6" denotes that the engine was originally installed in a 1955 Buick 60-series Century model.

Eric, Thanks for confirming. - You have a late-1953 Buick 322 cubic inch V-8 engine block casting number denoted by the "-3" after the original casting number of 1343388. The higher the number after the original casting number (-1, -2, -3, etc.), the more changes were incorporated since the first one for the year was cast. The 1"x1" access hole for the flywheel's yellow tooth used for ignition timing purposes was a one-year wonder for 1953-1956 Buick V-8 engines. - The range for 1953 Buick V-8 Engine Serial Numbers ended close to (V) 274xxx (with either a "5" for SUPER or "7" for ROADMASTER suffix). Would you be willing to share your Engine Serial Number? Thanks. FYI: Team Buick is a major contributor to my top-100 ugliest rumor's list when it comes to 1953-1954 Buick Skylarks and 1953-1956 Buick V-8 nailhead engines. Al Malachowski BCA #8965 "500 Miles West of Flint"