Prospective Buick Owner

[25Rich]

Hi Guys! I am a "prospective" pre-WWII Buick owner. I say prospective because I am putting the finishing touches on a 1925 Model T Roadster, and am looking down the road to my next project.

I really like the look of the old Buicks and recently found a 1918 Touring Car that was for sale, but in need of major restoration. Before I make the leap and start thinking about restoring a Buick, I have a couple of questions for you:

1) How easy is it to find parts for the late teens/ early 20's Buicks? Can you find reproduction parts very easily?

2) The Model T Club of America has step-by-step restoration books for the tranny, engine, electrical, etc.

Are there books like this out there for Buicks?

3) Are there any years/ Models of Buicks that one should stay away from in trying to do a restoration?

4) What is the value of a fully restored Buick? Model T Fords run from $6000-12,000. Are Buicks higher in value because of the difficulty in finding them?

If you could help with any of these question, it would give me a frame of reference to start searching.

Thanks so much!

Rich Buchholz

[Bill Stoneberg]

Hi,

I am afraid I cant answer your questions but the folks in the prewar forum sure can.

Look on down the page and you should see it.

I kow from catalog reading that parts are being repeoduced for some things on that era car.

Good lick and you will love driving a Buick.

[Mark Shaw]

Rich,

In comparison to Fords, the answers to 1-3 are no. You will need to frequent Ebay, this forum, and prewar swap meets to find parts and help in restoring a Buick. Buicks do have higher value when completed, but you really need to decide what you want to do with the car. If you want a show car, a Buick will most likely be among the few you will see at typical (non-BCA) car shows. If you want a driver, Buicks are more robust cars that ride better and have more power than the typical Ford.

I admit to being biased, and I really don't mean to knock Ford or other makes, but there is a major difference in how these older cars were built. GM used wood frame bodies through the mid 30s that didn't survive like steel framed cars. So, not only are they are more rare, they are bigger, heavier, and ride a bit better than the lighter cars. Because they were heavier, they typically had more power to move the extra weight. And, even the older Buicks have overhead valve engines that are known to run more reliably than most T-head or L-head engines of the day.

For my money, restoring a Buick is more rewarding, and a much better investment of time and money. Besides, who needs to see another Ford made with 50% reproduction parts? Where is the challenge in that? I told you I was biased!