TG57Roadmaster

Page two of the Proving Ground piece. TG

What the hey, let's "Shoot the Works". Enquiring Minds need to have this info anyway. TG

Will you be passing thru Independence, MO? The G.W. Bradley Motor Car Company promises they'll keep your "<span style="font-style: italic">Chassis Sassy</span>-without charge"! At least that's what they said in the July, '49 "Buick Magazine". TG

Thanks James, she was a very "young" 73, and now she'll remain that way forever. On the bright side, you'll be the <span style="font-style: italic">star</span> of the KOA Kampground! And if it's a sunny day on your arrival, stop off at the Dollar Store & stock up on some cheap sunglasses to pass out to all your admirers. Preferably Polaroids, to ward off the harmful rays reflecting from your grille... So why do I have visions of little kids clinging to their mother's skirts, peering out at <span style="font-style: italic">that</span> <span style="font-weight: bold">face</span>?! (The small dogs will have already hidden under picnic tables). Reassuringly, as only moms can be, she'll likely reply; "Don't worry Janey, that Big, Bad, Bold Buick won't <span style="font-style: italic">bite you</span>!" Your Kamp-mates will never forget you <span style="font-style: italic">or</span> your Jetback. TG

Okay MrEarl, I'm stumped...would Jack Bower be the newest High Honcho at Buick? 'Cause my "Memorize the GM Hierarchy Game" ended when the Brand-Management Wienies took over. You know, when our beloved Marques went from being Motor Divisions to <span style="font-style: italic">Brands</span>, like Pampers, Ho-Ho's and Summer's Eve Douchebags. Last I recall the Buick General Manager was named Fred Mertz, or Ned Gertz, or Jeezit Hertz... something like that. Clueless in Carolina, TG

Alrights guys, I have to fess up; ten minutes was all it took to view the tiny interior of FLW, and the rest of the time I spent outside taking a total of 3 pictures. It reminded me of the "Chorus Line" number, "<span style="font-style: italic">Dance Ten, Looks Three</span>". Last summer my mom passed away very suddenly, and I borrowed a friend's Jeep to go from SC to Michigan's U.P. to load up a small U-Haul. The only bright note was that my return coincided with an already-planned family reunion outside Lapeer, 40 miles north of Detroit. After spending one night in a gruesome "Bates Motel", I beat feet to Walmart, bought a tent and sleeping bag and had a blast camping out. Since I had a trailer (there's that <span style="font-style: italic">word</span> again) full of "accessories", I decorated my mobile digs accordingly. Think Phyllis Diller meets Paul Bunyan; my own take on "Cathouse <span style="font-style: italic">Moderne</span>". And the <span style="font-style: italic">interior</span>...it was a tour de force de trash, fit for a (Paris) Hilton! Most of the rest of the family were "roughing it" in motorhomes, but I'm gonna take that tent along on every future trip! TG

Bob And James, <span style="font-style: italic">Gentlemen</span>, The point of the detour story was that we were driving our car and, on a back road, ran across something that appealed to us. You don't see much of Vanishing America when you're trolling the Interstates dragging a trailer queen behind an F-350 Diesel Quad-cab Dually. Unless, of course, you appreciate the unique design contributions of Mickey-D's plasticized Golden Arches. A case study is attached; two Buicks, both 8-passenger models, one a '36, the other a '63, with two relocatable domiciles crafted from aluminum. The one on the left was driven (by its owner) to the BCA Nat'l. at Columbus in 1999, the pix on the right were spied on my way there. One set was restored at great expense, the others are obviously original and unrelated. Whether they appeal to you or me or anyone else isn't important. They surely mean a great deal to their owners, so why gripe about either; they didn't make 'em for you. If you prefer Internationally Recognized Important Architectural Icons versus The House Of The Seventeen Gables Palladian Window Riddled Cluster Mansion School of Design, so be it. In time they all leak like sieves, only some (like FLW), are worthy of preservation. The former, out in the woods, a secluded National Treasure, will be around longer than any of us. The latter, right there by the side of the road, practically on Public Property, displaying its ersatz architectural accessories, will only last until the land value goes up. Then the site will morph into another oh-so-necessary Strip Mall, replete with a Jiffy Lube, a Nail Salon and a Photomat. I neither meant to imply that my "pitcher" was worthy of Ansel Adams, nor do I ever equate Photo Op with Money Shot. Both these car-trailer combos were cute as can be, and I liked 'em both. One has stowaway awnings (tasteful & practical), the other a big ol' honkin' A/C unit tacked on top (practical & tacky). Would you trash both of them 'cause they don't have roll-outs to accommodate a Barcalounger, or satellite dishes so you can watch endless reruns of "Emeril's Ten Takes on Mac & Cheese"? And, speaking of running across something appealing, there are people who enjoy a Triple Whopper Super Duper-Sized Happy Mega Meal just as much as Fresh Roadkill Heated up on a Hibachi (mind you, don't melt the pink flamingos!). It is, as are all things in life, a matter of personal taste. That, and the depth of your pockets. Gotta run now, my wabbit stew is boiling over. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> TG And please, no offense to the folks who trailer their treasured cars cross-country; like the jingle says... "Have It <span style="font-style: italic">Your</span> Way!"

MrEarl, On the left, 1914 (sorry to comment on the obvious). The right, 1926. That printer's block is Beeee-youtiful! Do two things for me, OK? One, you'll need to have your minions supply the circle, as Buick only used a rectangle. Two, post my bail when the Trademark Police drag me away in chains to the hoosegow. Much obliged, TG Seriously, as a registered trademark, the use of the Buick name and/or logos for commercial purposes without written permission is strictly <span style="font-style: italic">verboten</span>, by order of the High Command..."May I zee your paperz, pleaze?"

pakkrat, The U.P. is the "Dog", while Michigan's Lower Peninsula is the "Mitten". It's one of the most pristine places left, east of the Mississippi River, with plenty to do in all four seasons; June, July, August, and Winter. It's my mom's family's homeplace, sparsely populated by Finns, Swedes, Native Americans (and their casinos), and myriad other misfits, and I'm the luckiest guy on the planet to have a connection with it. Grampa had a Standard Oil gas station & body shop, and, as a kid, my playground was all the rusting hulks of old cars strewn about the fields and woods. My only worries back then were to be mindful of bee's nests. People who live there are disparagingly referred to by down-staters as Youpers (as if the folks in <span style="font-style: italic">Dee</span>-troit have anything to crow about!). It has about 5 miles of Interstate 75, then it's all woods, deer, bars, snowmobile trails, and the Michigan Air Force (aka Deerflies & Mosquitoes). Truly a Sportsman's Paradise. This map, produced by the Canadian Department of the Interior in 1930, shows the main roads, and it really hasn't changed a whole lot since then. At the lower right you'll find St. Ignace, now home to a couple of hugely famous car shows; to the left, at the bottom of the dog's "ear" is Keweenaw Bay, and what remains of my family live west of L'Anse. U.S. 41 begins in Copper Harbor, ends in Miami, and until the Mackinac Bridge opened in 1957, you had to take car-ferries across the Straits at St. Ignace to Mackinaw City. All the "cars in the woods" pix that I post came from there. Thanks for asking, and go there sometime, eh? Eino & Toivo would love to see ya'; don't forget to save the empties, 'cause theres a 10-cent deposit on 'em. Alas, don't despair...for the <span style="font-style: italic">Old Swill-waukee</span> cans you turn in today will become part of <span style="font-style: italic">tomorrow's</span> Toyota! TG Daddy was a Rocket Scientist, Momma was a Youper

West, This doesn't really apply here, but it's something I'd never seen or even heard about till yesterday. A 1938 Willys pickup...it goes hand-in-hand with <span style="font-style: italic">learning something new every day</span>. TG Daddy was a Rocket Scientist, Momma was a Youper.

One of the joys of driving your car great distances, especially if you can take some old U.S Hwys, is that when you get lost, it's like the proverbial "Box of Chocolates". On the way back from a car show in Chicago 15 years ago, we made a wrong turn on one of the Interstates, and some time passed before we realized the mistake. Pulling out the trusty atlas, plotting a way to get back on track, I noticed one of those red listings (touristy stuff) about 25 <span style="font-style: italic">more</span> miles out of our way, in the wrong direction. But this red listing was "<span style="font-weight: bold">Fallingwater</span>", Wright's Masterpiece for the Kaufman Family, and something I'd wanted to see all my life. On arrival, the path down to <span style="font-weight: bold">the</span> photo op was clearly marked, "No Visitors Past This Point!". Feigning illiteracy, I ambled down and got my shot. What's the worst that could happen; being arrested by the <span style="font-style: italic">Keystone Kops</span>, torture by <span style="font-style: italic">Fallingwaterboarding</span>? Darned glad I did, too, 'cause within months they'd shored up the whole thing with wretched I-beams for its multi-year restoration (now complete). You never know what you're gonna get, TG

This may help all you <span style="font-weight: bold">Wildcatters</span>... TG

An old lady friend of mine told me that she'd had to go pick up her 2 grandkids from school the other day in her S-10 Chevy truck. On the way home, one of 'em said, "Granny, put my window down, it's hot in here", to which she replied, "Roll it down yourself if you're so warm." The boy looked around on the door, then quizzically back at her, and asked, "Where's the button?" Laughing, she replied, "See that handle with the circle and a knob on it? It's call a window crank." TG <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

The first car I got to drive was a '62 Mercury Monterey 2-door sedan. Since I was just nine, mom would sit between the door and with me behind the wheel, she'd let me steer and use the accelerator. Never the brakes. We lived on a dirt road, so the only danger was winding up in a ditch. First car, though not street legal was a '65 Opel Rekord 2-door wagon I'd bought (age 14, for $35) with paper route money. It had a 4-on-the-tree, so I'd scoot up and down the fields, learning how to shift, raising clouds of dust. My mom got quite a few nasty phone calls from ladies on my route; the dust was messing with their clotheslines! TG

I tend to go in for really big cars (like Roadmasters), or really small ones (my Dauphine project car) but without a doubt, my baby is the <span style="font-style: italic">Roadmistress</span>, a Model 73 Riviera Sedan. She's still a work in progress, half original, half maintained. By maintained I mean new interior, re-chromed rear bumper, and the expected tires, hoses, belts, etc. Driving a car that when introduced was Buick's Flagship (next up the GM food chain was Caddy's Series 62), I'm proud of its near-luxury position in the industry. Heck, they even touted it in their brochures. Then in March, 1957, the Roadmaster 75 debuted, stealing the 73's claim as the <span style="font-style: italic">"Master Worth in the Fine Car Field"</span>. At some point you have, as have I, had to explain many times to neophytes that, yes, Buicks are big cars, but some Buicks are bigger than other Buicks. Typically, their eyes glaze over and they turn away muttering, "That guy's lost his <span style="font-style: italic">pocket protector</span>, Mommer'n'em's fi'ty-four <span style="font-style: italic">Spacial</span> was <span style="font-style: italic">huge</span> ." Since acquiring this Dresden Blue & Dover White beauty, we've been all over the Eastern U.S. (on bias-ply tires) and she's logged thousands of miles and hundreds of photo ops. That's one reason I don't do caravanning too well, 'cause if there's a shot to be had, I turn around and take it. Experience taught me that it might not be there the next time I pass by. This is one of my all-time favorites that <span style="text-decoration: underline">had</span> to be taken; it's unaltered in any way, no PhotoShop, no nothin', just the way I saw it that sunny summer day. You can read the details in the Photo Galley Link above. I think I'll get some business card pix of it, so the next time one of those tire-kicking conversations occurs, I'll just reach into my pocket, hold out my hand, and say, <span style="font-weight: bold">"My car..."</span> Happily humbled, TG Photo in attachment taken by John Norton, at AACA SE Division National Spring Meet, Roanoke, VA, 2005

Back in 1986 I lived in NYC, and in the summer we'd tour L.I. and elsewhere to escape the city's heat. One of our treks was to Centerville, L.I., to William K. Vanderbilt's "Eagle's Nest", at the time (and still) a House Museum. Imagine my surprize to find this 1937 Chrysler Imperial Custom Town Car, languishing outdoors in the courtyard of the Estate. Even then, it was looking fairly tattered, and the metal cover over the chauffeur's compartment looked odd, as if a later addition. Still, even in my 29-year-old eyes, it was a very impressive and important automobile. I'd read that it was built by LeBaron for Mrs. Walter P. Chrysler, and recall seeing or reading about it a few years ago. If memory serves, it had been restored, and the metal cover replaced with a proper canvas or naugahyde collapsible cover. Was the tacked-on roof metal original to the car, removable for the change of season? So, my query is this, where's the car now? Hopefully in a better place than sitting outside, suffering the indignities of the Long Island elements. Curious in Carolina, TG

Ed Here's proof that even some Classics (those recognized by the CCCA) wore blackwalls. This 1941 Lincoln Custom, 7-pasenger Sedan, 138" WB is owned by a friend in Tennessee. It's completely original, bought from the estate of one of the Singer sewing machine heirs; low mileage, and if memory serves, the tires are original, too. TG

Here's the second page of the NYC to Chicago trip...Please realize that these publications were, shall we say, slanted towards sales. Take heed from all that's been suggested...the most important thing, a fully-charged fire-extiguisher! The decision is yours, And happy motoring, TG

What's the fuss, you'll be driving a straight-8 Buick. All kinds of things can happen to you on such a trip, but when will you ever have another opportunity to see America (and share it with folks who'll be thrilled to see you driving, cross country) in your old car? Since you've studied the map re grades, elevations and mountain ranges you'll cross, plan accordingly. The above replies have given you all the best recommendations, but from my own experience, how cool does your radiator run? We know it <span style="font-style: italic">looks</span> cool, but does it overheat in Kentucky pulling up steep grades? After some years of worry & frequent over-heating, I had my radiator re-cored from standard to a three baffle system. Since then, my '57 runs cooler than a cucumber; but again, what heights will you be reaching if you take I-90 much of the way? What is the Bitterroot Range like? You do need to plan that, should a breakdown occur, what have you allotted for downtime. As for spares, listen to your friends that know you, your car, and your mechanical ability. Do you have AAA Plus, the Lord's Gift to travellers? It'll provide you with many free items: 100 mile tow; unlock your car when you left the keys in it in your rush to eat at that neat '50's Diner; 3 gallons of gas, and a host of other services. A basic toolbox wouldn't hurt, either...but with all that stuff, where will you put your luggage? You can't control bugs, rock chips or tire punctures, so fashion a tasteful brassiere for your (car's) front end. As for stupid, inattentive motorists? If you're that worried about fate, I suggest you never leave your house again, trailer or no trailer! You'll be driving a two-ton Buick and your (imaginary) foes will likely be in Camrys and Cavaliers. In case of a fender bender: I'll lay odds right now; Big ol' Buick, 10; Li'l crapbox, zilch. The attached is from "Buick Magazine", March-April, 1957...the next page will follow. TG

Greetings, Back in about 1986 I lived in NYC, and in the summer we'd tour Long Island and elsewhere to escape the city's heat. One of our treks was to Centerville, L.I., to William. K. Vanderbilt's "Eagle's Nest", at the time (and still) a House Museum. Imagine my surprize to find this 1937 Chrysler Imperial Town Car, languishing outdoors in the courtyard of the Estate. Even then, it was looking fairly tattered, and the metal cover over for the chauffeur's compartment looked odd, as if a later addition. Still, a very impressive, and important automobile. I'd read it was custom-built by LeBaron for Mrs. Walter P. Chrysler, and recall seeing or reading about it a few years ago. By then, thankfully, it had been restored, and the metal cover replaced with a canvas or naugahyde collapsible cover. Was that metal roof original to the car, removable for the change of seasons? So, where is the Imperial now? No doubt in a better place than sitting outdoors, suffering the indignities of the Long Island elements. Curious in Carolina, TG

Looks like Paul & Robert win the Kewpie Doll Prize, The Skylark looks to be 2-piece, but brochure art can be deceiving. The '65 Jetstar I, the poor man's Starfire, has trim above the bumper & below the trunklid, but it looks to be concave. I bet it's the "finisher" between the upper & lower. TG

Maybe from a '65 Skylark? How's about measuring LOA and the length of the outer "wings"? I can go from the widths of fullsize vs. intermediates from my 65-66 <span style="font-style: italic">Automotive News Almanac</span>, which provides widths of all cars for that year. TG

Let's get back on track, sorry for my diversion. Tho' I do think <span style="font-weight: bold">Buicks Gone Global</span> would be a pretty cool thread..."Here's my Riviera <span style="font-style: italic">on</span> the Riviera", "My LeSabre at the Leaning Tower of Pisa", or "My Apollo on the Moon"... While you ponder your next road trip, pick the appropriate caption for the attached: "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Buick."; "And just <span style="font-style: italic">who's</span> the Black Sheep in the family?"; Glinda, the Good Witch of the North to Dorothy (Toto, too), "Are you a <span style="font-style: italic">Good</span> witch or a <span style="font-style: italic">Bad</span> witch?" Feel free to supply your own. Same cars, same day, not from the Land of Oz, but the Charlotte AutoFair Car Corral. TG

Brian, I was beginning to think the thread was going to die a slow, painful Howard Hughes-style death. Kudos for coming to the rescue. When I worked for Anderson County a few years ago, one of my more joyous duties was to coordinate a couple of WW II layovers at the airport. The first was a B-17 and Heinkel He-111, the latter having been Generalissimo Franco's personal transport plane. Though built in 1947 for the Spanish Air Force and, as the world's last airworthy He-111, had recently been painted for Luftwaffe service. Larger To me, it's one of the most fleet (for a tail-gragger) of all twin-engine bombers of the entire war. Tragically, a year later it crashed on approach to a mid-western airfield for a scheduled appearance, killing the 2 volunteer pilots with a total loss of the plane. I treasure the pix I took of it. Larger Here's Daves '47 71 between the two on the tarmac; its Seine Blue color changes a lot depending on the light. I love your '59 Electra roofline shot and remember replying to threads on it when I first jumped on the Forums...you have a rare large Jap tin car like it, right? TG