1936 Trim colour

[50jetback]

ID plate on a 1936 Buick lists paint as 421 and this is listed in the BCA judging notes as Musketeer Blue.

The listed trim number is 270, the judging manual doesn't seem to list trim codes and all my reference material omits 1936.

Can anyone advise me what trim number 270 is?

Edited August 1, 2009 by 50jetback
Add photo (see edit history)

[Seldenguy]

Hi-In my reference book it shows the trim number 270 on the model 46C as .LEATHER,TAN with TAN TOP 10X. And on the model 66C it is just LEATHER, TAN. I have no idea what the description 10X means, perhaps some one whom works as a trimmer could explain. Also if you need any other color or trim info such as door saddles,pin stripes etc. Please ask-Bob

[Seldenguy]

I just noticed your data plate and it is a 66C, it should have Carteret Red door saddles, and Musketeer Blue wheele with Carteret Red pinstripe sunbursts. All '36 dashs are Chancellor Gray Metallic. Hope this assists you. Bob

Edited August 1, 2009 by Seldenguy
change 46C to 66C (see edit history)

[Seldenguy]

I apologize for not getting this all together in one post. At the bottom of my trim combinations page it say's TOPS, 11X Tan-Plain, 12X Blue Gray-Extra Cost,13X Black-Extra Cost. There is no mention of 10X except under the Model 46C, which was just"Tan top 10X".To clarify it I don't know where to send you. Bob

Edited August 1, 2009 by Seldenguy
change model number 66C to 46C (see edit history)

[50jetback]

Thanks Bob, much appreciated.

I would think 10X 11X 12X would refer to thickness or thread count of the material, will check further.

Not sure what area is the door saddle?

Regards

[Seldenguy]

Stuart-- I dug a little deeper into my files (been raining here,can't drive my cars) and am able to clarify (partially) the 10X question. The numbers relate to the top color when the dealer orders your car from the factory.He used numbers instead of words. Following is the top info from the brochure titled "Prices,Colors, Equipment,Acessories, Terms."

Top material convertible

Models 40 Series:

Tan Teal plain No. 10X standard only

60 and 80 Series:

Tan Teal No.11X standard only

Blue-grey No. 12X or Black material No.13X at extra cost.

The door saddle is the area between the side windows and the belt line. It starts near the windshield post and runs to a point under the top material on the rear quarter. Is your car a right hand drive? Does it have an X after the data plate model number? You have a very desirable car with production at 717 here stateside and 49 built for export.--Bob

[50jetback]

The door saddle is the area between the side windows and the belt line. It starts near the windshield post and runs to a point under the top material on the rear quarter. Is your car a right hand drive? Does it have an X after the data plate model number? You have a very desirable car with production at 717 here stateside and 49 built for export.--Bob

Bob,

You're a wealth of knowledge, thanks.

The car is a 1936 Century Convertible Coupe factory RHD for export and stamped on the Fisher body tag as 66C X .

Your explaination of door saddle explains an old photo I have of the car before it had a colour change. I had thought it had been painted black but looking at it now it was probably Musketeer Blue ( in real bad shape ) and I can see the red in the area you describe.

I have only recently acquired the car and am intending to return it to original colour and trim, Attached are some photos showing it in original condition and another as it stands today.

Maybe Dave Corbin can give me some details for Frame number 2850633

Edited August 3, 2009 by 50jetback (see edit history)

[Seldenguy]

Stuart-- Thanks for the pix, a great looking car!!

[Guest DaveCorbin]

Dear Stuart:

I can tell you that 2,850,633 is a car built at Flint around October 10, 1935 and is a 1936 model year car. Starting with the beginning of the 1932 model year, Buick went to a system of issuing frame numbers to each car as the order came in. Previously, Buick had assigned frame numbers in groups or blocks, and then matched the order to a previously assigned frame number. The record of those block assignments survived to be checked and edited for errors in my computer programs, of which there were some 290 typo errors, which I found, researched and corrected.

However, starting with the 1932's, I can't tell what frame number got assigned to a specific car and can't tell what model that frame number represents.

What did survive was the quantity of cars built each month. From that, and assuming that the cars are built in approximately frame number order, I can estimate fairly accurately when the car was built.

Terry Dunham previously had done the same thing for body numbers and quantities. The two groups of estimates normally give "build date" estimates that are within a week or so of each other, so the assumptions are relatively accurate.

Regards, Dave Corbin

[50jetback]

Dear Stuart:

I can tell you that 2,850,633 is a car built at Flint around October 10, 1935 and is a 1936 model year car. Starting with the beginning of the 1932 model year, Buick went to a system of issuing frame numbers to each car as the order came in. Previously, Buick had assigned frame numbers in groups or blocks, and then matched the order to a previously assigned frame number. The record of those block assignments survived to be checked and edited for errors in my computer programs, of which there were some 290 typo errors, which I found, researched and corrected.

However, starting with the 1932's, I can't tell what frame number got assigned to a specific car and can't tell what model that frame number represents.

What did survive was the quantity of cars built each month. From that, and assuming that the cars are built in approximately frame number order, I can estimate fairly accurately when the car was built.

Terry Dunham previously had done the same thing for body numbers and quantities. The two groups of estimates normally give "build date" estimates that are within a week or so of each other, so the assumptions are relatively accurate.

Regards, Dave Corbin

Dave,

Thanks for the info. I have finally located the engine number. After searching in all the normal places another Century owner advised it runs vertically at the front of the block alongside the front of the engine side-cover plate. After trimming back some side-cover gasket there it was!!

The number is 3001693, there appears to be another number at the front but seems not to be part of the same sequence. It is indistinct but may be a 6 but is not on the same line or spacing as the main number.

So, how do we go with the numbers?

Frame 2,850,633

Engine ( 6? ) 3001693

Fisher Body Plate BODY NUMBER 2

Are these probable all matching numbers?

Regards