Vette58 Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 Dear Forum,is there any "official" top speed for this model written somewhere? I checked the english sales brochure and a german brochure printed by GM in Switzerland but couldn't get any information regarding top speed.Can u help?Uli Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Stock Posted February 8, 2011 Share Posted February 8, 2011 The 1939 manuals and handbooks do not claim a maximum speed. The handbook charts indicating fuel consumption have 70 mph in the upper range."Buick Cars 1929-1939" published by Brooklands Books, Walton on Thames, Surrey, England contains a reprint from "The Motor" July 18 1939.The reprint is a review of "The Buick Straight 8 Viceroy Saloon." The Viceroy was the Buick Special as marketed in Great Britain.When discussing headlights they say: "... provide first-class illumination for driving at speeds of 60-70 m.p.h."It also has a "performance" table.It claims 82 mph max in top gear and 50 in 2nd.It claims 0-70 mph in 26.2 secsIt also includes the following: "The smoothness of the engine and general quietness of running encourage high cruising speeds and we found that the car willl quite naturally settle down to a genuine velocity of 65-68 m.p.h."That's all a bit too fast for me in a 71 year old car. I'm happy to drive at 55 mph on a good road. I want to be able to pass some petrol stations! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vette58 Posted February 8, 2011 Author Share Posted February 8, 2011 Wow!Do you have this book? and if yes, can you scan that article and send it by email? If not I'll try to get a copy somewhere.Uli Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vette58 Posted February 8, 2011 Author Share Posted February 8, 2011 I found it online : Thx to Buick Car Club of Australia Inc. in N.S.W. - Home PageUli Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Grant Magrath Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 I had the same book for Dodges when we were working on our 1935 Dodge back in the late 70's. Gave it to the upholsterer to use as a guide and never got it back!CheersGrant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1939_Buick Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Wow!Do you have this book? and if yes, can you scan that article and send it by email? If not I'll try to get a copy somewhere.UliNot hard to getBuick cars, 1929-1939 (Open Library) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jscheib Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Do I see this correctly? The reprint of the data for the Buick Viceroy shows the number of cylinders as 6, I think all US Buicks, including the Special were 8???? Is that a misprint or perhaps a less powerful engine inthe English market cars.John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Stock Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 John has sharp eyes & it's something I missed.It's a 1939 typo. The heading to the story is "The Buick Straight 8."The engine capacity of 4065 cc translates to the well known 248 cubic inches.The tank capacity "13.5 galls" is in imperial gallons (although I would have estimated the 18 US gallons at 14.4 imperial). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vette58 Posted February 9, 2011 Author Share Posted February 9, 2011 I saw that typo as well and modified the picture slightly to prevent "missunderstandings" during the technical inspection procedure Uli Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jscheib Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Thanks all.When I saw it I was too busy (or too lazy) to do the conversion from cc to inches. Shame on me. I used to be able to know those without calculating. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzcarnerd Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 You can calculate the academic top speed of any car as long as you know the overall final drive ratio and the outside diameter of the rear wheels. In this case the info is given (engine speed at 50mph is 2550rpm). From this we can work out that it does 510 rpm per 10 mph. At 3400 rpm which is its realistic maximum it is doing about 67mph. Any more than the for an extended period is hard work for the babbit rod bearings. I recall here in NZ there was a 1939 Buick owner who firmly believed his 1939 Special would do 100mph and would not listen to reason - the engine would have to exceed 5000 rpm to do it - an impossibilty! There have been several threads on this site from people looking to raise the axle ratio - not easy with torque tube drive. I think it can be done with 1937(?) and later cars with hypoid drive but more difficult with the earlier ones. One problem with gearing the car up is that they do not have that much power and you can lose hill climbing ability. I know of a 1941 car here that had its rear end gears replaced with something from the 1950s. It would be nice to be able to add an overdrive as can be done with open drive shaft cars. I drove a 1920 Briscoe which had a 1960s British overdrive unit in it and it made a big difference. Even though it only cruised at about 40 mph in overdrive it was much more relaxed that in normal top gear.Regarding sidemounts - they were always an option in the US I believe, but in NZ our Buicks came standard with "six wheel equipment". Only about 200 1939 Buicks were sold here. I agree that because they need to be mounted high because of the short front end, they look odd on the 1939 Specials. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidAU Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 nzcarnerd, regarding the installation of overdrive units in torque tube drive lines. Overdrive units are avalible for Model A Fords and pre 1949 V8 Fords which are fitted with torque tubes so they may be adaptable to Buicks..Model A and Auto AccessoriesDavid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shaw Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I question if a Mitchell overdrive made for a 4 cyl Ford would work for an 8 cyl Buick... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Stock Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 I have seen many 1937 & 1938 Buick Specials here in New Zealand with sidemounts. But I only recall seeing one 1939 Special with sidemounts. They do look a bit different on the 1939 Special which had a different arrangement to the larger series.Can't say if this was typical of the as-sold sidemounted ratio but at Napier for the 2003 Buick North Island centennial the numbers were:1937 with: 4 without: 31938 with: 6 without: 51939 with: 0 without: 5Dammann's "Seventy Years of Buick" comments in respect to the 1939: "Sidemounts were still available, but were decreasing in popularity." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Grant Magrath Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 Add our 38 Special to the "without" list Terry. Although someone has put a well in on the passenger side, and we have two sidemount covers, and the hardware to do one side, and some to do the other. The plan was to convert it, but we lost enthusiasm. And today, I lost the water pump bearing on the way to work! Damn!CheersGrant Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzcarnerd Posted February 10, 2011 Share Posted February 10, 2011 At the last Christchurch swapmeet (or maybe it was 2009?) there was a guy from Hawke's Bay who was making overdrives for Model As. Whether they were specific to Fords or adaptable to other cars I don't know.Re sidemounts; maybe the later thirties models were not all six wheel equipped, but the earlier ones were. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest soldier Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I had a 1940 Buick Roadmaster back in the day(1953). I was able to get it to 98 mph on a long flat stretch of lonely road late at night. Back then we had no speed limit in Iowa except a reasonable and proper clause. I'm not sure if I had been detected by the Highway Patrol that they would have thought that to be proper. I was a little disappointed, as a thought the old girl shoud have made the 100 mark. Soldier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEW1966 Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 All of our 39 Century Models topped out "on the Speedometer" @ 99 miles per hour. The Special Models were about 10 miles per hour less. At that speed, the Speedometer Needle was trying to bounce all over the place, but once in a while it would hold firm for a few seconds. Over the years, our family had #19 1939 Buicks. I have personally driven thousands of miles in a 39 Buick. What a joy, especially at top speed.Greg ThomasBCA # 11974AACA Member Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Julian Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 (Corvette 1958)..how fast will the 58 vette go???? 283? 2-4s?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Julian Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 my 40 chevrolet would run 60+ mph. but it was gear with an original 4-11 and the ole 216 would sound like it was going to fly apart... which it never did.. I cruised her at 50-55. She seemed to like that better... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g-g-g0 Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 It has been a long time (sold in 1958) since I owned my '39 Buick business coupe. I was in high school and young and foolish! If memory serves me correctly the speedometer went to 120 MPH. Many a time I would bury the speedometer on the way home from a date. It was one of the fastest cars top end in our area at the time. Just needed 3 or 4 miles to get it up to speed!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 In my experience, most of these old speedometers weren't too accurate, esp. at higher speeds, so if it reads 110, chances are you're doing "only" 90-95 mph. Plenty fast in these old girls, fun though it may be at times. There are one or two vendors in the US that sell overdrive units that go into/onto the torque tube, with modification. I'd love one for my '41, but the cost is around $4,000. or so. The axle gears will interchange from '40-'55, I have acquired a 3.4 ratio from a '55 Century which will be going into my '41 Roadmaster which currently has the standard 3.9. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 I question if a Mitchell overdrive made for a 4 cyl Ford would work for an 8 cyl Buick...I put a Borg-Warner overdrive in the torque tube of my 1929 Cadillac and it works superbly. I'm seriously considering doing the same for my '41 Buick (which has 3.90 gears already) while it's apart.Here's more info:http://forums.aaca.org/f169/vintage-cars-overdrive-308008.htmlBest thing I ever did on an old car. Totally relaxed cruising, even in the '29, and the effect should be magnified by the much more highly polished late-30s Buick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted February 19, 2012 Share Posted February 19, 2012 That sounds like a great set up, Matt. Something I'd like to do on my '41 at some point. I'm planning to give the 3.4 gears a try (since I have them sitting in my garage) and see how it runs with them installed. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted November 12, 2017 Share Posted November 12, 2017 (edited) When I was ten years old, my father got into a race with a hoped up 37-38 Chevy hotrod. The speedometer on my parents' '39 Buick Special was bouncing between 100 and 105. He finally let off and let the Chevy go. A friend of theirs was following in a 1939 Packard 120 and couldn't keep up. This is one of my memories that is etched into my mind. The fastest I ever drove the blue car at left is around 75 mph, but I have a 3.9-1 optional rear from a Century in this car. This is not a faulty childhood memory, but just one of my memories that served to make me love 1939 Buick Special's. I've had 11 Specials and 1 Century in my life. I will also add that a 1939 Buick Century coupe won the first-ever recognized stock car race held at Langhorne Speedway outside of Philadelphia in 1939. The driver was Mark Light, of Reading, PA, who ran out of gas on the final lap. At first they said he didn't finish the race and it was won by Bill Swope of York, PA driving a 1939 Buick Special convertible. Later they recalculated the laps and found that Light had, in fact, finished. In that same race was Ted Nugent who later owned the car that won the 1950 Indianapolis race. He was driving an Oldsmobile. Joey Chitwood finished way back, driving a Ford, and Henry Banks also finished way back in a 1938 Buick. See the story in Special Interest Autos magazine #2. I wrote it the article, and I'm quoting particulars from distant memory. Edited November 12, 2017 by Dynaflash8 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted November 12, 2017 Share Posted November 12, 2017 What the heck was under the chevy hood? Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimy Posted November 12, 2017 Share Posted November 12, 2017 On 2/9/2011 at 4:23 PM, Mark Shaw said: question if a Mitchell overdrive made for a 4 cyl Ford would work for an 8 cyl Buick... I have a Mitchell in my 1925 Pierce 80 (70 bhp) and have one in stock for future installation in my 1934 Pierce 8 (140 bhp). Friends have successfully used them in a 1933 Pierce 12, a 1937 Packard 12, and a 1939 Cadillac Series 75 V-8. The late Mr. Mitchell beta-tested his OD in a Chevy 454 dual rear wheel pickup, and couldn't break it. The unit is certainly robust enough! I have no connection with Mitchell Manufacturing other than as a VERY satisfied customer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAS VEGAS DAVE Posted November 12, 2017 Share Posted November 12, 2017 (edited) We have a Borg Warner overdrive in our 38 Buick Special. It requires modification of the torque tube but is a worthwhile upgrade. Lloyd Young in Ohio did the torque tube modification and I did the install back in Las Vegas, best thing I ever did for the Buick. I had to ship the torque tube to Lloyd and he shipped it back with a Borg Warner overdrive bolted to it. Our car cruises along at 65 or 70 at the same speed the engine would be turning at 45 to 50 without the overdrive. As far as keeping the car original with modifications that were available when the car was manufactured the Borg Warner overdrive was available in 38 and could have been installed by an independent shop or even a Buick dealer if the customer wanted it. In those days it was rare to have that done as the roads were not like today and most cars rarely went faster than 45 or 50 mph. The good thing about an overdrive is the car can be used just like a late model car and driven daily if wanted and on hi ways and freeways for long distances without hurting the engine life or being a hazard to others on the road. The car still has enough power to climb long grades or steep hills and the motor loafs along in overdrive on the flats and the more normal grades. We only have a Special, it would be even better for a Century. We use our car weekly at the minimum and almost daily in the winters here in Vegas. We have driven about 6000 miles since I installed the overdrive with no mechanical problems, we did have to replace an electrical 6 volt overdrive relay with a brand new one about two weeks after the initial installation, since then it has been flawless. The Buick motors of 38 and 39 had babbit rod bearings and the motors have a long stroke with high piston speed, they are torque motors and should not be driven at high rpm's for any extended period of time. In my opinion the motors should stay under 2700 rpms at cruising speeds. Perfect for their day but not so good for today. Edited November 12, 2017 by LAS VEGAS DAVE (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted November 13, 2017 Share Posted November 13, 2017 On 11/12/2017 at 8:35 AM, Ben Bruce aka First Born said: What the heck was under the chevy hood? Ben Who knows. I do remember the hood was off and two boys were in it. It couldn't pass us. My Dad finally gave into my Mom's loud demands to "quit it, Earl, have you lost your mind?" haha 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted November 13, 2017 Share Posted November 13, 2017 I have some factory documentation somewhere that says the top speed of a '41 Century with 3.60 gears is 108 MPH, and that car was about 60 horsepower stronger than a stock '39 Special and the Special probably has 4.10 gears. I don't know the official figures, but I think getting a '39 Special to run faster than about 85-90 MPH would be a real feat and its longevity at that speed could probably be measured in minutes... I'd also like to amend my earlier post in this topic and say that if I were doing an overdrive in an old car again, I would go with Gear Vendors instead of trying to make the Borg-Warner unit work. Many others have had success with the B-W unit (sadly, the one in my '29 Cadillac has proven to be problematic), but for about the same money, I'd much rather have the modern unit that doesn't have free-wheeling or finicky electrics. I'm strongly considering installing one in the Limited while I've got the rear end out of it for a rebuild. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAS VEGAS DAVE Posted November 13, 2017 Share Posted November 13, 2017 Matt, be aware that the gear vendor overdrive does not raise the ratio nearly as much as the borg warner. I have one in a 78 Ford pick up truck. The finicky electrics you refer to are not finicky at all if you have the new overdrive relay that is now being made and is available in 6 volt or 12 volt and your wiring is correct and proper size with good connections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted November 15, 2017 Share Posted November 15, 2017 On 11/13/2017 at 1:50 PM, Matt Harwood said: I have some factory documentation somewhere that says the top speed of a '41 Century with 3.60 gears is 108 MPH, and that car was about 60 horsepower stronger than a stock '39 Special and the Special probably has 4.10 gears. I don't know the official figures, but I think getting a '39 Special to run faster than about 85-90 MPH would be a real feat and its longevity at that speed could probably be measured in minutes... I'd also like to amend my earlier post in this topic and say that if I were doing an overdrive in an old car again, I would go with Gear Vendors instead of trying to make the Borg-Warner unit work. Many others have had success with the B-W unit (sadly, the one in my '29 Cadillac has proven to be problematic), but for about the same money, I'd much rather have the modern unit that doesn't have free-wheeling or finicky electrics. I'm strongly considering installing one in the Limited while I've got the rear end out of it for a rebuild. Well Matt, it sounds like you questioning my verascity (spelling). I know what I saw. Of course, the speedometer may have been off, and too, I was seeing it from the far right seat. Even as a kid in 1947 I never forgot the experience. It was burned into my memory. The car did throw a rod, but that was in 1952-53 after Dad turned it in on a 1951 Plymouth. I learned to drive in that Plymouth...ugh! By the way, my blue '39 sedan has the optional 3.9-1 gears and I've had it at 80 more than once I think. The speedometer needle hangs up at just over 70 and I have to tap on the glass to get it to drop back to zero. Needless to say, not often, but I have run it 70 many times. This car also has insert rod bearings since I rebuilt it in '65. We were on a tour to Williams Grove 10-15 years ago with the yellow four-door convertible. On the track I got it up to 85 for a very short time, and I think it has the 4.44 to 1 gears, but I really don't know. I backed it off immediately because it still has babbitt bearings. Typically I run the yellow car 55-60. Again, who knows if the speedometer is right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Harwood Posted November 15, 2017 Share Posted November 15, 2017 The speedometer in my Limited is accurate at 10 MPH, off by 2 MPH by 20 MPH and reads 60 when I'm going 52 MPH. I cruise on the highway with it indicating 70 MPH which is about 58 MPH road speed and it's happy enough there. Extrapolating from that, an indicated 100 MPH would be going about 82 MPH road speed. If I wanted to abuse the car, I bet I could get that speedo to start a second rotation around the dial by running it flat-out. However, that doesn't mean it's going 130 MPH. It's probably going about 93. I'm not questioning what you saw and I'm certainly not suggesting that you're lying, I'm just trying to help the OP by telling him that the factory listed the top speed of the 1941 Century with 3.60 gears at 108 MPH. Getting a '39 Special to go 98% of that speed with 60 fewer horsepower and 30% shorter gears is extremely unlikely, and that was the question--how fast is a '39 Special? I can guarantee it's not as fast as a '41 Century and +60 horsepower is almost 50% in terms of these cars. Speedometer error is real, and it was real when these cars were new. I don't trust them a bit so I verify with my GPS just so I know how far off they are at various speeds. That's how I know how inaccurate the Limited's speedo is and that it's not a straight X MPH off at all speeds but rather a multiplier; that's why it's pretty accurate at low speeds and gets less accurate the faster it goes. I suspect the engine/transmission are out of a 1941 Roadmaster, which would explain why it is off by almost 20% at 60 MPH. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LAS VEGAS DAVE Posted November 15, 2017 Share Posted November 15, 2017 (edited) Top speeds mean little as it can only be for a short time whatever it is. Cruising speed which is the speed a car can be driven for hours at a time with no damage to the motor is what interests me and is what normally matters in the real usefulness of a car. Edited November 15, 2017 by LAS VEGAS DAVE (see edit history) 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dynaflash8 Posted November 15, 2017 Share Posted November 15, 2017 Okay, agree with all. By the way Matt, that test '41 Century probably had the all-metal high compression head gasket too. Most of those are long gone now and replaced by the .050 head gasket, and that reduces compression. A late friend of mine, a retired line mechanic, was always wanting those metal head gaskets for his '41 Century just in case he needed one to boost the umpf of his car. He liked fast Buicks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgan Wright Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 On 2/10/2011 at 9:30 PM, soldier said: I had a 1940 Buick Roadmaster back in the day(1953). I was able to get it to 98 mph on a long flat stretch of lonely road late at night. Back then we had no speed limit in Iowa except a reasonable and proper clause. I'm not sure if I had been detected by the Highway Patrol that they would have thought that to be proper. I was a little disappointed, as a thought the old girl shoud have made the 100 mark. Soldier No the Roadmaster could not do 100, that was saved for the Century and is the reason they called it the Century. The only Buick that could do 100 (the century) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Draper Posted July 31, 2021 Share Posted July 31, 2021 20 hours ago, 1939_Buick said: Welcome to the world of 1939 Buick's. Did see it on the auction site. In USA its a model 41 - Special Canadian built 1939 have a different numbering system for chassis and engine. Some small differences from USA models. Wheels will be 6 stud if Canadian (USA 5 stud). Interior is different Photo of the data plate in the cowl & engine serial number will help it more. As you probably know the paint scheme is not original. Side mount spare wheels and side lights are an uncommon option. 1939 series 40 Special & 60 Century Buick's have a lot of 1 year only parts. The drive line is 1 year only design I maintain a list of RHD 1939 Buick's. Link--->https://forums.aaca.org/topic/207201-39-buick-team-membership/ You could join the Buick Club of America-->https://www.buickclub.org/ Edit From other info I have on this car has a Canadian chassis number and a 342xxxx engine number (like other UK 1939's) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Draper Posted July 31, 2021 Share Posted July 31, 2021 Yes, my engine starts with those numbers. I will join US Buick Club and mention your name - where do I see it ? I hope it take the Warner overdrive as I need to increase top speed - it’s straining at 40mph at the moment thanks for any advice Kev Draper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1939_Buick Posted July 31, 2021 Share Posted July 31, 2021 (edited) 13 minutes ago, Kev Draper said: Yes, my engine starts with those numbers. I will join US Buick Club and mention your name - where do I see it ? I hope it take the Warner overdrive as I need to increase top speed - it’s straining at 40mph at the moment thanks for any advice Kev Draper Fitting an overdrive to a 1939 Buick is a lot of engineering work and cost. Standard 1939 series 40 diff ratio is 4:44. It should cruise at 50mph OK, but will sound busy compared to modern cars An option ratio is 3:9, buy extremely hard to find. Is a 1 year only part. The diff design changed in 1940, so installing late ratio's is lot easier for 1940 and later owners. Diff's 1940 to mid 1950's are a common design/parts At this time may be better to keep questions in the other thread https://forums.aaca.org/topic/366273-new-member-owner-buick-1939-series-40-from-uk/ Edited July 31, 2021 by 1939_Buick (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted July 31, 2021 Share Posted July 31, 2021 2 hours ago, Kev Draper said: Yes, my engine starts with those numbers. I will join US Buick Club and mention your name - where do I see it ? I hope it take the Warner overdrive as I need to increase top speed - it’s straining at 40mph at the moment thanks for any advice Kev Draper Goodness. I can PROMISE we, my Dad, brother and I would not have driven our '39 Buicks if that was as fast as they would run. 60+ all day. Invest in some good ear muffs.😁 Ben 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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