1949 thru 1952 Buicks in local salvage yard

[Pete Phillips]

I went and looked at six Buicks that have just turned up at a salvage yard some 35 miles west of here this morning. The yellow 1950 56-R (Super 2-dr. hardtop) is restorable and also the 1950 43-D (Special 4-dr. fastback) if you want to spend a LOT of money. The other four are parts cars. The guy is not easy to deal with and of course he threatens to crush them soon if he doesn't get his price. Best quote I could get was $4000 for all six cars. I tried to buy the yellow 56-R alone (was told by someone else that he would sell any one car for $1000 each), but when I got there and expressed interest in the '50 56-R, the price for it went up to $2,250. It's all there except the air cleaner and maybe the radiator, can't remember now--I looked at so many different ones in a short time. It's wiring is frayed and there are a couple of small holes in the floor but not too bad. Dynaflow transmission; rust hole in spare tire well, decent sheet metal panels, good rear b-u light housings.

The 43-D has no engine and is a standard shift car. It's parking light housings are badly dented and its upper grille bar is broken and its backglass is gone. Rear b-u light housings are solid but need rechroming. All grille teeth are there but half of them have dents; parking light housings are crushed or dented towards the bottom. Pretty straight body and mouldings on this car. The owner will not sell individual parts, it's all or nothing.

The 1951 76-C (Roadmaster convertible) is the rarest car but also in the roughest condition. It came from a heavy salt area and floors are completely, totally gone. In fact, all around the car, the bottom 12 inches of the car are gone--quarters, fenders, doors, all no good. THe 320 block is there but manifolds are gone. Radiator is gone. Rear parking light housings are no good. Grille is nice but upper grille bar is gone. The top mechanism is there but header bow is very, very badly rusted out. Very rusty seat springs are there. Stainless around the top well and doors is very nice but is about the only good part of the car. I think $1000 is too much for this--opinions? Passenger door won't even close because the body has sunk towards the center of the car, with no floor present. All body panels, including trunk lid, are dented and have very bad rust-through.

1951 56-R (the one with rear quarter panel partly removed) is pretty rusty; rockers rusted out, floors badly rusted, hood and part of front clip missing; a few parts inside the car; parking light housings are restorable but not great. Rear quarter panels, glass, trunk lid, and doors are in nice shape.

1952 56-R has front clip completely missing, seats inside car are gone, rear axles and differential are gone, so it would be hard to move. Glass is good, doors decent, 263 engine probably stuck and its manifolds are gone. The rear fender chrome fins for '52 are in the trunk but need replating. Front parking light housings are in the trunk and are nice.

The blue 1949 model 51 (Super sedan) is fairly complete, Dynaflow and 248 engine are in place and complete but probably stuck. Car has rust holes in the rockers and a lot of dented mouldings and doors on driver's side pretty badly dented. Floors are very solid and most of the glass is good. Good upper grille bar, grille is broken.

$4000 for everything. Still seems too high to me. I would be willing to buy these if I knew someone would take one or two of them off my hands right away, pro-rated for the amount I paid, so I don't have to find storage. I'd like to keep the 1950 56-R myself, but I don't need the others. There are some very sought-after parts on the others, but unless I'm mistaken, not $1000 worth of parts on each one. I'm not looking for a profit, just cover my gas and time for going to get them.

Thoughts? Discussion? Proposals? Are they over-priced? These are body styles that are not often found, and I am willing to bet that they will be crushed within the next 30 days.

Pete Phillips, BCA #7338

Leonard, Texas

Edited September 29, 2011 by Pete Phillips
clarity (see edit history)

[Pete Phillips]

More photos

[Guest huskerman]

Wondered if you ever had any luck purchasing these cars?

[Pete Phillips]

No luck. The salvage yard owner had unreasonable prices on all of them. And when I offered to purchase the yellow 2-dr. hardtop at a price he had mentioned half an hour before, he raised the price. You cannot deal with people who are like that. I'm sure the cars are all gone now.

Pete Phillips

[Guest huskerman]

Had a feeling; real shame. Appreciate your response.

[buick man]

Was that his side kick with the pot belly and red hat? I get the vibes that the cars were never crushed as that would of put an end to his gaming and that guy is a player.

[michaelod]

Was that his side kick with the pot belly and red hat? I get the vibes that the cars were never crushed as that would of put an end to his gaming and that guy is a player.

I always find it interesting when the seller claims they will crush a car if they don't get their asking price, especially when the crush value is considerably less than what is being offered by potential buyers.

[Model56s]

Interesting. I've never seen a 4 door Buick Sedanette and there appears to be a '50 there. Chevrolet made a 4 door Fleetline, but this is the first Buick 4 door I've seen.

[NC-car-guy]

I always find it interesting when the seller claims they will crush a car if they don't get their asking price, especially when the crush value is considerably less than what is being offered by potential buyers.

There's a guy here in Charlotte that is that way. He and I have "run in" more than once over things since he always advertised under "by owner". He is a damn grouch and a half and every time I call an ad on CL now I cringe thinking it will be his.

[5219]

All of this have run into people like this.

There is a kind of high that they get from being in control of a situation where they have something that somebody else wants. They enjoy having people come around and offer them money for something that they have no intention of selling. It makes them the center of attention.

In their little pea brains, it reinforces their ideas of their own importance.

[NC-car-guy]

Hmmm never thought of it that way....interesting point

[60FlatTop]

I have run into people who get a similar high when they HAVE to reduce the price you ask. It doesn't matter how fair your price may be, it has to be reduced to help them feel they have demeaned what you have in some way. My personal experience leads me to believe it is genetic since most I have encountered have ancestry ties with a group that wanted to conquer the world.

Any of you who get together for coffee know this guy. Someone says "I saw a nice XXX advertised for $4,000." He is the first one to say "Oh, I bet they will take $2500." You know him now, I bet. And this is the person who never lost a nickle on any car he ever owned. They pick up the phone to call about an advertised car and make a low offer over the phone without ever seeing it.

It really is their own high.

A couple of years go I sold a car on CL. It was a good deal. The buyer came asked if I would take a deposit. I did and he left. He called back 20 minutes later and told me he forgot the total and wanted to confirm what he needed to bring back. Now, you KNOW who I told that story to first!

Bernie