lancemb Posted June 5, 2008 Share Posted June 5, 2008 I know the large series is wider, but I thought the difference was made up in the fenders. Is this so, and is it only the fenders that are different or hood too? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Phillips Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 If you are speaking of the 1957s, I believe that is correct; the fenders are wider on the big series cars, the hoods are the same on all series.Pete Phillips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominic_Martinelli Posted June 7, 2008 Share Posted June 7, 2008 According to the Buick Master Chassis Parts Book of 1957 there are two different part numbers for the hoods of the 40-60 Series and the 50-70 Series. The part number for the small series cars is 1174731 and the part number for the large series cars is 1174732. I'm pretty certain that the Roadmaster/Super hood is wider than the Century/Special hood. The hood to my '57 Century measures just over 41" at the leading edge of the hood and about 42 1/2" at the cowl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Phillips Posted June 8, 2008 Share Posted June 8, 2008 Since the part numbers are different, I must be wrong, and I stand corrected.Pete Phillips Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 57Roadmaster75 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 OK, does that mean the fenders are all the same? I've got an extra set that I never bothered to check the part numbers or measure. They came with the car when I bought it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancemb Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 I am wondering the same thing on the fenders. Can anybody check the part numbers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
progoofoff Posted April 25, 2009 Share Posted April 25, 2009 1957 Buick front fenders:Series40 1174804 R; 805 L60 1174806 R; 807 L50-70 1174812 R 813 L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gofasttoday Posted April 29, 2009 Share Posted April 29, 2009 The part numbers being different doesn't mean the parts will not fit . It could be some little thing different . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
progoofoff Posted April 30, 2009 Share Posted April 30, 2009 "It could be some little thing different" is 2+ inches.Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancemb Posted May 1, 2009 Author Share Posted May 1, 2009 1) I can understand 40/60 series being different from 50/70, but why do 40 and 60 have different part numbers? Those should be the same body.2) Earlier in the thread, it was verified that the hood has different part numbers and was therefore assumed different widths. If they are both (fenders and hood) wider on large series, it is not by 2" each on fenders and hood, as the entire car is only about 2" wider. It would be about 2" on hood, or about 1" on each fender, or something less than that on fenders and hood, which would surprise me. Somebody above posted hood measurements from a Century; I'll verify width on my Roadmaster if someone doesn't beat me to it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dominic_Martinelli Posted May 1, 2009 Share Posted May 1, 2009 My half-educated guess would be that the Series 40 fenders had 6 holes drilled in them for the 3 portholes to be mounted whereas the Series 60 fenders had 8. I'm thinking Buick did this to minimize time in the body shops and errors (aligning the holes and drilling them) when these cars were on the road and being bonked into on a fairly regular basis.For my '57, a Special fender was used and 2 more holes were added to it for the 4th Ventiport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gofasttoday Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Well that's what I meant by (The part numbers being different doesn't mean the parts will not fit . It could be some little thing different .)but we still got 2" to make up somewhere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Buick Bonery Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 I had an experience a few months ago where a customer mistakenly bought Roadmaster fenders and hood for his Century off of Craigslist. I let him trade them in and we decided to try to determine how they were different. The hood was definitely wider. The fenders were different with respect to the shape where the fender met the windshield trim. Lengthwise, they appeared to be the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancemb Posted May 30, 2009 Author Share Posted May 30, 2009 Well thanks for clearing things up - I think that Buick Bonery's experience seems to confirm things - the only question is now - for those of us with 4-holed fenders sitting around, how can we easily tell which they go to? Are the part numbers stamped in them somewhere? I would have to see one for the 60 side by side with the 50/70 to see the difference in the curvature in the back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Buick Bonery Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 In the interest of science, I will take pictures of them side by side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Buick Bonery Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Well, I have pictures, but I have no way of loading them onto this site. But here is an easy test to determine if the fender is large or small series. If you measure the small edge near the windshield, before the fender dips down into a gully where it meets the cowl grate, the Roadmaster fender will be slightly less than three inches. On the Special and Century, it is exactly 2.5 inches. This size difference is minor, but measureable (and crucial!). What is more important, but less obvious, is the shape of the Roadmaster fender as it curves around the windshield; it has a much higher sweep than the Special. But this is really hard to capture in a photograph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Buick Bonery Posted June 7, 2009 Share Posted June 7, 2009 Test for adding photos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancemb Posted June 7, 2009 Author Share Posted June 7, 2009 Much thanks for clearing that up! Now I can finally ID the extra set of fenders I have, and I think at least 1 other person in this thread as well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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