1937 Buick Special or 1930 Ford Model A

[Guest car_savant48]

Hey guys, I've been looking to buy a car to restore, but I absolutely cannot decide! Here's the catch: They're both piles. 1937 Buick, a.k.a. Hackjob

1930 Ford, a.k.a. Doodlebug

Both have engines P.S. I really wanted both A "bugs" but the far one sold first, that one had good parts

[MCHinson]

Welcome to the AACA Discussion Forum.

I suggest you keep looking. I would avoid both of those. Decide what you want and then look until you find the right one.

[Bleach]

Who does horrible things like this to a car? A HAMBer?

[1937hd45]

Doodle bugs were built by people in the 1930's-1950's to maintain their yards, the Buick looks like a parts car, both predate the HAMB. By the way there are 156,000 + member of the HAMB website, do you have any idea how many people read this Forum? :confused:

Who does horrible things like this to a car? A HAMBer?

[Bleach]

I only meant the HAMB as a joke. I'm a member there too.

[Guest prs519]

I think the doodle bug has class! Makes me smile; it looks like something that escaped out of a cartoon! Imagine what a ridiculous color scheme would do for it!

[Dandy Dave]

LOL... That Doodle Bug reminds me of the guy with the little fire car that was in the funny papers in the 60's and 70's. can't quite remember his name.

I agree, unless you need the parts, leave those heaps behind. they would cost you more time and money to put back together than they will ever be worth. Dandy Dave!

[MrEarl]

i know someone who may have fenders for that 37 though.....

[MrEarl]

I only meant the HAMB as a joke. I'm a member there too.

I thought I'd seen that handsome face somewhere before.

[MrEarl]

Doodle bugs were built by people in the 1930's-1950's to maintain their yards, the Buick looks like a parts car, both predate the HAMB. By the way there are 156,000 + member of the HAMB website, do you have any idea how many people read this Forum? :confused:

Members: 47,444, Active Members: 2,762

it's not the quantity but rather the...oh never mind....

[Guest Dave Boyer]

Keep looking......

[Bleach]

I thought I'd seen that handsome face somewhere before.

Yeah a face only a mother could love. I wish I had a mug half as good looking as my avatar.

Actually I use different avatar on the HAMB.

[CarlLaFong]

LOL... That Doodle Bug reminds me of the guy with the little fire car that was in the funny papers in the 60's and 70's. can't quite remember his name.

Smokey Stover.

Notary Sojac

Foo

[rhb1999]

Welcome to the AACA Discussion Forum.

I suggest you keep looking. I would avoid both of those. Decide what you want and then look until you find the right one.

Parts cars. !937 Buick Special BUSINESS coupe? Jump seats?

[Guest Barry B.]

If you're just getting into it stick with a Model A but not that one. It doesn't even have an original frame. I've restored 16 Model A's and they can be bought right, especially now. My latest was a 30 Std roadster and I started with a frame and misc. parts. Not bad and easy to understand. Good luck.

[Dandy Dave]

Smokey Stover.

Notary Sojac

Foo

Yeah! That's it! Yeah!

Smokey Stover Online!

[auburnseeker]

I just bought a pair of rechromed bumpers for a 1937 Buick yesterday. I don't think they will help it any though as someone will buy it for the bumpers and scrap the rest.

[junkyardjeff]

If I had a doodlebug I would find uses for it around the yard and would putt around the neighborhood in it too.

[old car fan]

if its a 37 buick or a 30 a,nothing cheap to restore correctfind a good solid car to start with

[38Buick 80C]

car_savant48,

Greetings. You need a Buick!! OK I'm biased. As the saying goes "I'm not only a member, I'm also the President."

We have a '36-'38 Buick Division in the BCA. I am a member and it is a great club lots of tech tips and parts for sale. got to Buick Club of America - BCA - Welcome and click on our Chapters and Divisions to find their info. They don't have a website.

There is website however with lots of info on 1937 and 1938 Buicks. Appropriately enough it is www.1937and1938buick.com There is a ton of technical info from 25 plus years of the now defunct '37-'38 Buick Club newsletter. Use the tech index to find specific information you want. I highly recommended this site to educate yourself on the cars so you buy a good one. They have a forum too, but sometimes they have a bit more off topic stuff and if you join I recommend the daily digest not individual email delivery method as it can get overwhelming with the latter.

Also we are hosting the 75th Anniversary of 1936-1938 Buicks at the 2012 BCA National meet in Concord, NC (Charlotte). You may want to come to this if you get one or if you are still looking. For more info 2012 Buick Club of America 500 at Concord, NC National Meet

There are good parts suppliers for these cars very popular Buicks. Bob's Automobilia has lots of repro stuff and Dave Tachney in MN has lots of used parts especially for the small series cars. He may even have a car for sale.

You are welcome to contact me. My contact info is on the BCA website under officers or something like that, not putting it here to avoid spam. I know a bit more about the large series '38 (I have one as you can see below), but i can probably help a bit on the 37's or small series too. Also that invitation is open to anyone reading this post. I am glad to help all 37-38 Buick owners. I;m glad to help all Buick Owner I just can be more help to the ones with 37-38's. If you join the BCA please feel free to put my name in the sponsoring member section of the application.

Hope this helps.

[Pontiac59]

It never ceases to amaze me the guys who see a car beyond their skills and call it junk.

The '37 looks pretty decent and parts are not that terrible to find for them. One four-door sedan away from being a complete car, other than the top, if the parts not on it don't come with it. Does it have a roof? You can go two ways if it doesn't. Try to find any of the GM coupes those years and transplant - or just whip up a windshield frame and build it as a convertible. You can certainly find donors for the top mechanism and so forth - I have a '40 Chevy convertible basket case I haven't been able to give away that has all the top stuff with it. Or you could hit the junkyards for the late model stuff and see if there's a top that will work for you. It all depends on your skill level.

Now the A on the other hand... there's not enough there to restore a car with. By the time you bought all the parts you needed, you would have bought a whole car. But you could certainly get it going as a tractor again.

I'm not sure who restores old cars to make money, you do it for the love of the car, not to get rich quick. Otherwise the only things that would get restored are 30's Ford coupes and roadsters, and a handful of other cars, that sell for a lot more than what the labor costs to redo one.

[auburnseeker]

I think the point being made is that there is alot of skill involved in restoring especially the Buick unless you swap the entire body out. Besides the fact that who would want to buy and restore a 4 door parts car when you have to buy a fairly complete running car to part out.

I restored wooden boats for a time and usually people would buy a $2000 thompson or Chris Craft sea skiff, or Lyman and then ask for a quote to restore the woodwork. Usually the boats were rotten to begin with and needed a new bottom Keel and Transom not to mention most of the deck and seating. Then you would give them a 20,000 quote to basically build a brand new boat. I would then proceed to tell them that unless it was a family boat sell it and buy a done boat for 10,000 that they could use tommorrow. Sweat equity is one thing but alot of people just don't have the ability or place to do comprehensive rebuilds of anything. I think way too many people get way over their head on their first project and get burnt out then have to sell their unfinished pile of parts for less than they paid for it forever leaving a bad taste in their mouth.

[Guest De Soto Frank]

It never ceases to amaze me the guys who see a car beyond their skills and call it junk.

The '37 looks pretty decent and parts are not that terrible to find for them. One four-door sedan away from being a complete car, other than the top, if the parts not on it don't come with it. Does it have a roof? You can go two ways if it doesn't. Try to find any of the GM coupes those years and transplant - or just whip up a windshield frame and build it as a convertible. You can certainly find donors for the top mechanism and so forth - I have a '40 Chevy convertible basket case I haven't been able to give away that has all the top stuff with it. Or you could hit the junkyards for the late model stuff and see if there's a top that will work for you. It all depends on your skill level.

Now the A on the other hand... there's not enough there to restore a car with. By the time you bought all the parts you needed, you would have bought a whole car. But you could certainly get it going as a tractor again.

I'm not sure who restores old cars to make money, you do it for the love of the car, not to get rich quick. Otherwise the only things that would get restored are 30's Ford coupes and roadsters, and a handful of other cars, that sell for a lot more than what the labor costs to redo one.

If the vehicle in question IS beyond someone's skills, then it IS junk, as far as that individual is concerned.

Unless someone is a MASTER body-man / fabricator, with tons of time, loads of cash, and a fully equipped shop, that Buick is a parts donor, at best.

It's certainly not a resto candidate in my mind...

I'm not suggesting that Buick is only good for scrap, that would be a crime, from what I can see in the photo...

( Then again, chopping the roof off was a crime too...)

But I've brought home enough piles of junk over the years, thinking they were restoreable, to know now that there are limits... and the limitations involve a man's time, talent, and pocket-book.

And that A doodle-bug is a pretty sad example... more "doodle" than Ford...

There's better stuff out there.

Just my two-cents.

[Guest Barry B.]

Actually the doodlebug looks like a Worthington tractor to me. They used some Model A components and their own frames, assembled by Worthington primarily to use on golf courses

[Dandy Dave]

Actually the doodlebug looks like a Worthington tractor to me. They used some Model A components and their own frames, assembled by Worthington primarily to use on golf courses

If it is a true "Toro" or "Worthington" golf course tractor, it will have some value as a tractor. It should have a plate on it somewhere. Also, it should have a badge on the radiator shell. Looks like a model T gas tank mounted to the dash. ??? Hard to say from the few photos on the link. I've seen some very well built Doodle Bugs though the years. Also, accessory rear ends were made by a variety of companys to turn a Model T, or A, into a Tractor. Dandy Dave!

[Guest Barry B.]

Yes Dandy Dave, I forgot Toro made those too. Worthingtons based on Model A were made from 1929-1933 I understand. I have a great Model A doodle-bug that has a full Model A frame(car), two three speed transmissions, worm drive "TT" rear end , AA truck wheels on the back with new crosslink chains and a "T" pickup wood bed. It will go almost anywhere especially when both transmissions are in low.