TG57Roadmaster
-
Posts
4,521 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
3
Content Type
Forums
Gallery
Events
Posts posted by TG57Roadmaster
-
-
Thanks Stuart,
I agree about about the 4-door C-Series '57 Buicks. The Model 73 was what I found in a shed in 1989, bought in '92, and I've never regretted it. The additional length of the greenhouse (compared to the coupes) gives it a balance that's missing in the 2-doors, at least to my eye.
It's a damned shame that hardtop sedans are often overlooked from the exact bias you described, especially since they were the Flagships of the Fleet!
I never tire of looking at it.
Good luck again with the sale,
TG
-
" My understanding was always that this customized Buick was designed, commissioned, and paid for by Buick but modified for Buick by an independent 'coachbuilder'.....similar to Brunn years ago, and nowadays, Advanced Automotive Technologies out of Rochester, Michigan, who built the 2000 Buick Blackhawk for Buick. "
Al,
You are correct that the Curtice Limousine did not roll off the Flint assembly line as we see it today. But let's settle this once and for all with a comparison of two executive customs built, designed and crafted by General Motors.
Albert Bradley, executive vice president and chairman of the Finance Policy Committee for General Motors, became GM Chairman after Alfred Sloan, when Harlow Curtice was GM President. Bradley was a quiet GM lifer and not a lot is known about him, except that he had tremendous power and ran GM's New York HQ.
Bradley and Curtice, circa 1954-55.
Every year, the top execs had custom-built cars made for them by the GM Styling Section, cars that were pulled from assembly lines, then sent to the Styling Section in the Argonaut Building (across the street from GM's Detroit HQ) where they received special fitments and trim.
For 1951, Bradley had this Cadillac Limousine (a car with a divider window) built. They started with a 1950 60-Special, created the unique rear roofline, window trim, and rear passenger compartment. It was '51 before the car was ready, so they added '51 front trim. Mr. Christo Datini, the Lead Archivist at GM's Heritage Center shared with me the micro-filmed build card for Bradley's Caddy, showing it went directly from assembly line to the Styling Section to the New York offices on Columbus Square.
From Christo Datini..."As ordered, the car was a 1950 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special Sedan. It was painted black (1) with a blue broadcloth interior (63). Extra equipment included: windshield washers, license plate frames, four wheel discs and passenger side mirror (Accessory Group; Radio - Sycro-matic with antenna and speakers (JU); Heater (and royal white wall tires (RW). The car was sent to Styling Section for enhancements after assembly. Please find the build sheet attached. It is for your personal research use only."
Note the same rear window treatment as on the Curtice Buick, below.
When Curtice wanted a new company car, he insisted it be a Buick, and the Styling Section began with a '50 or '51 Roadmaster sedan, used exactly the same rear greenhouse treatment as on Bradley's Cadillac, and delivered the Limousine to Curtice. Again, the lag time for the build meant using current model year trim on the finished car; the Buick also incorporated power vent windows and the slider interior door handles that appeared on later production cars.
I was fortunate to get a private tour of Mr. Dick Kughn's collection a couple of years ago to personally inspect the Buick. We couldn't find a Data Plate anywhere, so, in all likelihood the Buick may well have begun life as a '50 (didn't have time to find the Serial Number on the front frame rail) as stated in RM's 2015 St. John's catalog.
BTW, at $44K, the Curtice Limousine was a GREAT deal!
TG
-
1
-
-
Stuart,
Up close, the grain on Buick's Cordaveen is very deceiving...looks like leather, but I can assure you it isn't. Take out the back seat bottom and you'll see it's all vinyl.
It tends to discolor unevenly, as well, as you can see on the front seat backs in your pics. Mine looked just like that before it was replaced, but your covers are in waaaay better shape than mine were.
Not only is the '57 well-optioned, but it's the 76R with those beautiful chrome zoomies down the roof. It's a feature I love on my Model 73 (wouldn't have it any other way) and reminds me of a railroad Domeliner Observation Car!
TG
-
Great, now we know the AC was factory! The "S" indicates the 6-way Power Seat adjuster (two-way was standard on Roadies).
Trim 721 doesn't have leather.
There's much to learn from the '57 Factory Order Form posted by Sean1997...
http://www.teambuick.com/reference/years/57/order_form.php
TG
-
All is not lost...this chart from one of my 1954 Red Books (Nat'l Used Car Market Report) shows the locations of Serial Numbers for your '50 Buick. What's missing from the door frame is also shown on the frame at position # 3.
If DMV has any doubt to its authenticity, go on ebay and buy a Red Book (1950-1956) to place in their hands as they evaluate your car.
Good luck!
TG
-
Nice car, and I'm glad the top of the engine has been done already. For the record, power windows and padded dash were standard on all Roadmasters for '57, not factory options. The interior is Medium Blue Cloth and Medium Blue Cordaveen (probably 721 on the Data Plate), not leather and cloth. Can't see the Data Plate well enough.
It's an early, Flint-built car, and my guess is the AC may have been added later (dealer or owner), given it has the replaced dash center vent screen (BPS 2.424, April 1957) but the regular fan shroud; all factory-AC cars have the fan shroud upgrade. (Not that it matters much, but AC Code "N" should be on the Data Plate following "ACC"). Maybe the radiator was replaced over the years, as Stuart mentioned above. No glove box door stop (BPS 2.427, July 1957).
It's going to make someone a fine project!
TG
-
Taking the seller at his word, would you prefer this number's matching 340/-4speed car with build sheet and fender tag and a good original color to a absolutely beautiful lime green slant 6 auto on the column car?
Agreed it is a rot box, but it ticks all the other boxes off.
It's fine if you like Mussel Cars, but I'll take the gold '72 sedan with AC.
Al, it has a mint, green interior!
TG
-
Matt,
Please remind me to give your three-year-old a big hug when we finally meet.
The boy has taste and, better yet, chutzpah!
TG
-
SOLD to a Forum and Olds Club Member.
Thanks!
TG
-
SOLD to a Forum and Olds Club Member.
Thanks!
TG
-
Luckily the number and title match, but it's a cautionary tale in the making to always, always perform your due diligence before, during and after the sale regarding what your state will accept for titling a purchase.
Glad your crapping bricks episode didn't last long!
TG
-
1
-
-
Loads of great items there, will be watching for further listings.
Thanks for letting us know!
TG
-
Wow! A dream come true for you, and hope for the rest of us that our dream cars are out there, too.
The Fates must have intervened with the color, and now you have bookends!
TG
-
1
-
-
Clean up would be a breeze. For starters, you can sweep the leaves out quickly, right through the floorboards.
Also, it starts making you money the minute you start selling the mice under the back seat to your local mad scientist.
It's a no-brainer!
TG
-
1
-
-
Phillip, on the drop-down box, you clicked on My Profile instead of My Settings.
Left click on your name Upper Right,
Select My Settings in the right column (My Profile is top left, My Settings is top right),
Scroll down to Profile Info and you'll see it.
TG
-
Phillip,
Left click on your name Upper Right,
Select My Settings,
Scroll down to Profile Info and you'll see it.
I did mine the other day. Was thinking of "Member Extra'ordinaire",
but settled on the safe "Senior Member".
Sorry I missed you and Cheryl at the last HNR din-din, got there late.
TG
-
Forgot to add the mileage, it's 113K. I like that the Cutlass S uses the 4-4-2 hood and wheel lip trim.
Though it doesn't have the buckets and console option, the bench seat lets you get close to your honey!
Again, any reasonable offer will be considered.
Thanks,
TG
-
Late to post, but the Roadmistress was invited to the Ferrari Club's SC Chapter Memorial Day Weekend Concorso last Saturday. She mingled with Ferraris and other foreign exotics, plus a handful of American Iron, and acquitted herself quite well.
65 cars were scattered on the park-like grounds of a nearby private residence, with a very pleasant, low-key crowd.
What fun!
TG
-
2
-
-
"VERY few insurance companies will cover an antique fully (real collision and comprehensive coverage) when driven daily."
Dave, I've had regular insurance (State Farm) on the '57 Buick for some years now, so I can have the option of driving it without antique policy restrictions. Agreed value, comp, collision. Maybe it's a state-by-state thing?
TG
-
When will the issues of the Gallery be addressed?
On the right of the screen..."Other images by 'random name' ", shows an album I made, plus images from others. The World won't stop spinning because of this, but it's not right.
If the "A-Z, Z-A" sort function has a purpose, I fail to see its purpose.
In the main Gallery page, on the right are new comments. There's an image of the big clock (mine) in the Philly Sheraton, clicked on it to answer the question, and got this message...
"Sorry, but you do not have permission to use this feature. If you are not logged in, you may do so using the form below if available."
I could access the other comments, but not this one. Why?
In an album I just created, http://forums.aaca.org/gallery/album/123-1969-olds-cutlass-s/
There's a duplicate that I can't delete without notifying a Moderator. Why bother a Mod for a simple correction?
Still only one Category to put pics in..."General Meets. Tours and Shows", from my first post a 10 days ago.
TG
-
Assembled in Lansing, MI, one of 13,498 Cutlass S Model 33667 Convertibles produced, this Topaz Poly's modern history begins in New Jersey, in 2007. Treated to a cosmetic frame-on resto, the owner paid the pre-crash premium for a pretty convertible on which a lot of work had been done, and always kept it garaged. In 2009 the family moved to South Carolina and continued the car's pampered life, until the owner's unexpected passing in early-2014. I'm helping his young widow sell the car.
I got the car out of its latest garage this Memorial Day weekend (it hasn't been licensed since May, 2013), and today put the top up for the first time in years. The Cutlass had been started fairly regularly during its slumber, and fired right up after a battery charge and some fresh gas. The 250 hp, 350 cid Olds Rocket V-8 sounds good, it started and stopped in the neighborhood and drove onto the trailer, but it's not been on the road yet. PS, PB, and AT all performed well.
The Topaz paint is still fresh, with small flaws here and there evident after its washing. The power top fits well, works perfectly and looks almost as good as the day it was installed, presumably around '07. The chrome and stainless are better than very good, very presentable. It has a new windshield, some of the best side glass I've ever seen, and all the body rubber is still fresh and pliable. Again, I assume much of this was done in '07, but have no way of knowing.
Some effort was made on the chassis and engine compartment, but they're now DPC driver-quality. The Gold interior is a combination of original and new, with an excellent dash pad. The door panel bottoms were dyed, and the back quarters may have new vinyl on the armrest portion. Kick panels and belt retractors have been dyed, too. The seat facings were probably redone, but appear to have original headrests and bolsters. The driver's seat has issues, but the rest is fine. The top boot fits well.
The original steering wheel has been replaced by a Grant walnut unit, and the AM radio by an AM/FM cassette that can be used with an ipod or phone via a cassette tape adapter (original AM radio is in the trunk). Glove box, trunk, interior and exterior lights all work fine; the factory AC blows, but not cold. The wipers work but the blades need to be replaced.
The American Racing wheels have mismatched but serviceable radials, sorry, the originals are long gone. The Cutlass has a big crease (no paint loss or cracks) in the right rear fender that may be fixed by the dentless repair route; there's no evidence of the bumper being smacked. As a former Northern car, expect some body filler from the 2007 refresher. Also, the outboard left headlight bezel has a small chip.
That said, this "S" still presents itself very well and will make a fine cruiser for the new owner to enjoy while deciding on upgrades.
The VIN is 336679M241436, and it's priced at $12,500 with any reasonable offer considered. The Cutlass is in Anderson, SC (I-85 between Charlotte and Atlanta) for inspection. Please send me a PM for phone, email, and any additional info.
There are 55 more images in this Gallery Album, and Owner's, Chassis and Body Manuals are included in the sale.
Thanks for looking!
Tom Gibson
AACA Life Member 100691
-
Assembled in Lansing, MI, one of 13,498 Cutlass S Model 33667 Convertibles produced, this Topaz Poly's modern history begins in New Jersey, in 2007. Treated to a cosmetic frame-on resto, the owner paid the pre-crash premium for a pretty convertible on which a lot of work had been done, and always kept it garaged. In 2009 the family moved to South Carolina and continued the car's pampered life, until the owner's unexpected passing in early-2014. I'm helping his young widow sell the car.
I got the car out of its latest garage this Memorial Day weekend (it hasn't been licensed since May, 2013), and today put the top up for the first time in years. The Cutlass had been started fairly regularly during its slumber, and fired right up after a battery charge and some fresh gas. The 250 hp, 350 cid Olds Rocket V-8 sounds good, it started and stopped in the neighborhood and drove onto the trailer, but it's not been on the road yet. PS, PB, and AT all performed well.
The Topaz paint is still fresh, with small flaws here and there evident after its washing. The power top fits well, works perfectly and looks almost as good as the day it was installed, presumably around '07. The chrome and stainless are better than very good, very presentable. It has a new windshield, some of the best side glass I've ever seen, and all the body rubber is still fresh and pliable. Again, I assume much of this was done in '07, but have no way of knowing.
Some effort was made on the chassis and engine compartment, but they're now DPC driver-quality. The Gold interior is a combination of original and new, with an excellent dash pad. The door panel bottoms were dyed, and the back quarters may have new vinyl on the armrest portion. Kick panels and belt retractors have been dyed, too. The seat facings were probably redone, but appear to have original headrests and bolsters. The driver's seat has issues, but the rest is fine. The top boot fits well.
The original steering wheel has been replaced by a Grant walnut unit, and the AM radio by an AM/FM cassette that can be used with an ipod or phone via a cassette tape adapter (original AM radio is in the trunk). Glove box, trunk, interior and exterior lights all work fine; the factory AC blows, but not cold. The wipers work but the blades need to be replaced.
The American Racing wheels have mismatched but serviceable radials, sorry, the originals are long gone. The Cutlass has a big crease (no paint loss or cracks) in the right rear fender that may be fixed by the dentless repair route; there's no evidence of the bumper being smacked. As a former Northern car, expect some body filler from the 2007 refresher. Also, the outboard left headlight bezel has a small chip.
That said, this "S" still presents itself very well and will make a fine cruiser for the new owner to enjoy while deciding on upgrades.
The VIN is 336679M241436, and it's priced at $12,500 with any reasonable offer considered. The Cutlass is in Anderson, SC (I-85 between Charlotte and Atlanta) for inspection. Please send me a PM for phone, email, and any additional info.
There are 55 more images in this Gallery Album, and Owner's, Chassis and Body Manuals are included in the sale.
Thanks for looking!
Tom Gibson
AACA Life Member 100691
-
Matt,
It's not that high a priority, and I'm sure Peter is still way slammed with other issues.
In the meantime, I'll use other ways to post pics. The Gallery is an excellent resource,
the contents of which I wish more people would mine in search of answers to questions.
I'm sure it will be better than ever, hopefully soon.
Thanks,
TG
-
Thanks Ronnie,
I don't want to create albums, just post pics in appropriate categories, a function that doesn't seem to work now. I'm sure it will be corrected.
TG
Inherited 1976 Buick Electra Limited - What to do?
in Buick - General
Posted
Sitting in a garage since the '90's can mean many things. A clean garage? Is the car a 20-year repository of of old newspapers? The range is somewhere between a car sitting on four flat tires that's covered in crud and old cat litter bags (varmint droppings optional), to a pristine, pampered example that someone would love to own.
First, tell us where the car is. There are people in this hobby willing to help, like going to look at and photograph it to assess its condition. You're flying blind until this is done, so tell us more if you want our help. To start, there has to be a live person with a camera phone near that garage now, right? Get 4 or 5 pictures (front, side, underhood, front seat/dashboard, rear) even if they're cruddy ones, then post them here.
The advice so far comes from experts, but we're all shooting blanks without more info.
Good luck with it,,
TG