TG57Roadmaster

January 17, 2007

I prefer "full-blown Classic"; much more respectful, but I don't think it'll pass Spellcheck. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

TG

"Wouldn't You Really Rather Buy a Buick...?

January 17, 2007

We see 'em evey day, in all media, these confusingly comical Pariahs of Print. Where's does one place such a rare, one-off ownership opportunity: BCA Prewar; WPC; the circular file? The seller would like to see it go straight to the CCCA Forum. Know why? "'Cause...it's a Classic!" (And if we had a nickel for every time we'd heard that much-maligned moniker, we could buy this baby and build a Garage Mahal around it.)

None of my references list this unique Buick, and even the Dynamic Duo of Dunham & Gustin would likely be stumped. Perhaps it's a Roadmaster New Yorker 'cause it was poichased in Poughkeepsie?

Confounded in Carolina,

TG

January 17, 2007

"Holy David Dunbar Batman! A signal from Commissioner Gordon!...

To the Buickmobile!"

TG

January 17, 2007

Here's the back page of the '34 Series 40 intro brochure.

The front page is a wee more colorful, and will follow.

TG

January 17, 2007

Post deleted by TG57Roadmaster

January 17, 2007

The ICMDB is really going to be a good thing, but they're going to need alot of our help for the "old" Black & White films. What's cool is that they're posting from all over the world; a truly global perspective.

My personal peeves;

When the '41 Buick Limited Limousine goes over the cliff, they usually cut to a clapped-out '37 Chevy Sedan bursting into flames on the way down. (Studios work on budgets too, and, especially during WWII, they weren't going to trash a big expensive car; who's gonna notice? The audience was too busy necking or eating popcorn and Goobers).

When the interior buck they're using for close-ups doesn't match the exterior shots (Hitchcock's Marnie, 1963; Wealthy Sean Connery & frigid, thieving Tippi Hedren star with '63 Lincoln Sedan & Convertible).

When there's an exterior road shot of the stars driving a '57 DeSoto, and they arrive and get out of a '54 Plymouth. (This applies to most, if not all '50's B-Flicks).

TCM is God's (& Ted Turner's) Gift to old movie lovers. Who cares if the storyline may be corny and out of date...why waste time following plots when there are all those cool cars to scope out!

My all time fave? Sunset Boulevard, 1950: Fading silver-screen legend Gloria Swanson to her out of work screenwriter kept-man William Holden, as his '46 Plymouth drop-top is being towed away by the repo man;

"You don't need a car, we have a car, and not one of those new, cheap things

made of chromium and spit. An Isotta-Fraschini; have you ever heard of Isotta-Fraschini's? All hand made! Cost me twenty-eight thousand dollars."

TG

Flash...This just in...After screening Casablanca (on TCM last night) for the zillionth time; When, in the closing scene, the evil Major Strasser arrives at the airstrip to stop our hero & heroine from flying off to Lisbon and Freedom, he arrives in an open '40 Buick Convertible Sedan. Moments later, he's shot by Bogey, but the car behind him has its top up, and doesn't even arrive on scene till after he's shot. That's when one of Hollywood's most immortal lines is tossed off by Captain Reynaud, "Major Strasser's been shot...

round up the usual suspects!" Maybe Bogart should have been aiming at the Continuity Director.

I've been watching and loving this flic for decades, and till last night had never noticed!

Life doesn't get any better than this, except when I'm behind the wheel of my '57 Buick.

January 16, 2007

Here's page 2 of the cutaway. We had Fords in our family in the mid-sixties, and right now, I'm working on a Tahoe Turquoise & Wimbledon White 2-seat '66 Country Sedan, loaded with power windows, AC, AM/FM, and the Country Squire upgrade interior, but no roof rack. It's gonna be a purty car!

TG

January 16, 2007

Greetings "Lifeguard Design" Ford Fans,

My buddy Dave cleaned out his atttic, and gave me about 40 old SatEvePosts, Collier's, Look, Life and Holiday mags to troll for ads. I'm about 1/3rd of the way thru, have found some real nice ones, but this is one of the more unusual finds so far. It's a great cutaway of the '56 Fairlane 4-door Sedan, from Life, July 2, 1956, and worth sharing.

My scanner isn't big enough to capture the whole page, so I've cut just the illustration in half, overlapped for cropping. I think it would look pretty cool spray-mounted onto foamcore or illustration board. Carry it to your next show and let the owners of the other "Low-priced Two" why they shoulda bought a Ford!

TG

January 16, 2007

Thanks Brian,

Yeah, she has what I refer to as the "Tiara-Top" (for lack of a better term), which the 73A and 75 lacked. It makes all the difference in the world, but most folks don't realize that the backlight is one-piece of glass, and the chrome is "sandwiched" inside and out with rubber gaskets. It interchanges with all C-body Buick & Cadillac four door hardtops. That trim reminds me of the famous Domeliner Observation railroad cars.

The story goes that when the GM B-body cars came out, with true 3-piece rear windows, the wags decried, "Suddenly, it's 1949!", a dig at the rakish '57 Mopars whose slogan was, "Suddenly, it's 1960!"

Buick Management loved the '57's, most dealers hated 'em, and the public turned away in droves.

Odd thing though, her body data plate (Model 73; Body 57-4739X) codes her as a 73A, but I find it hard to believe someone would've changed her after she left the Atlanta Plant. It proves again that there were always little goofs (especially on Monday cars!) at the factories, and judges should be aware that there really is no "Gospel According To..."

For me, it was "love at first sight", and here's the way I found her in 1989, showing 102K miles on the odo. Can't make it to Seattle, but I know you'll have an awesome show!

January 16, 2007

Rumors are flying from Fullerton to Fresno that Jack Bauer was adopted, and is actually the long-lost

love-child of Bill O'Reilly & The Bionic Woman.

I've sent this along to Blogs4Bauer, so thanks for setting me straight!

TG

January 15, 2007

Wonder what happened to mike3121?

Well, one more shot can't hurt. It's the new chassis for the 1950 Buick Special, the one with the underbite grille...

It's a really neat illustration.

TG

January 15, 2007

Derek,

This won't replace your lost moment in time, but I'm "Optimistic" that you'll enjoy it just the same.

It's a "staged shot", from Laurinburg, SC some years ago, before the Roadmistress went back to her original Tangerine (a fancy name for red) Wheel color. What a difference that little improvement made!

TG

January 15, 2007

Page 2 of the New, Improved Buick Main, 9/49.

We lived in Flint for a couple of years, and one right of passage was the annual Field Trip to Buick Main. In 1970, at the end of the tour, they had a rack of postcards of all the Buick models offered, from the lowly Opel Kadett L to the Riviera. I scarfed up every one of them, and like a dope, gave 'em to a (now-ex) BCA'er back in about 1982. I guess I could try to reassemble that little bit o' history, but it wouldn't be quite the same.

One of Life's Lessons Learned. Have a Great Adventure on your trip Way Out West!

TG

January 15, 2007

The new, improved, expanded Buick Main, September 1949. This, too applies to all of us Buick folk.

TG

January 15, 2007

Page two of the Proving Ground piece.

TG

January 15, 2007

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

TG

January 15, 2007

Will you be passing thru Independence, MO? The G.W. Bradley Motor Car Company promises they'll keep your

"Chassis Sassy-without charge"! At least that's what they said in the July, '49 "Buick Magazine".

TG

January 15, 2007

Thanks James, she was a very "young" 73, and now she'll remain that way forever.

On the bright side, you'll be the star 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 that face?! (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 bite you!"

Your Kamp-mates will never forget you or your Jetback.

TG

January 15, 2007

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 Brands, 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

January 15, 2007

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, "Dance Ten, Looks Three".

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 word again) full of "accessories", I decorated my mobile digs accordingly. Think Phyllis Diller meets Paul Bunyan; my own take on "Cathouse Moderne".

And the interior...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

January 15, 2007

Bob And James, Gentlemen,

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 Your Way!"

January 15, 2007

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 verboten, by order of the High Command..."May I zee your paperz, pleaze?"

January 14, 2007

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 Dee-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 Old Swill-waukee cans you turn in today will become part of tomorrow's Toyota!

TG

Daddy was a Rocket Scientist,

Momma was a Youper

January 14, 2007

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 learning something new every day.

TG

Daddy was a Rocket Scientist,

Momma was a Youper.

January 14, 2007

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 more miles out of our way, in the wrong direction. But this red listing was "Fallingwater", Wright's Masterpiece for the Kaufman Family, and something I'd wanted to see all my life.

On arrival, the path down to the 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 Keystone Kops, torture by Fallingwaterboarding? 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

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TG57Roadmaster

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Stupid Auto Ads

Stupid Auto Ads

BUICK FONT

BUICK FONT

BUICK FONT

Cars in the movies....

1956 Ford Fairlane Cutaway

1956 Ford Fairlane Cutaway

My "Big Ol' Buick"

BUICK FONT

Looking for antique car frame/suspension photos

Poll: Drive or Haul

Poll: Drive or Haul

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Poll: Drive or Haul

Poll: Drive or Haul

Poll: Drive or Haul

Poll: Drive or Haul

BUICK FONT

Poll: Drive or Haul

Poll: Drive or Haul

BUICK FONT

Bowdlerized Buicks

1940 Willys Americar Coupe

Poll: Drive or Haul

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