Guest rscott773 Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 My dad just bought a 55 buick century 2 door and we were wondering what the difference between the 2 door coupe and sedan is? Thanks for any help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jscheib Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 I do not think there is a Century 2 door coupe. They were all called 2 door sedans. It should say Model 68.On the other hand, you could have a 2 door hardtop, or Riviera, Model 66R.John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billbuickgs Posted June 24, 2012 Share Posted June 24, 2012 Got any pictures? Alway interested in pictures!!!!!Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 4 bufords Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 what about the california hiway patrol cars used by dan mathews in the 50s tv show. they were 55 centurys as i recall.4 bufords from ct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 what about the california hiway patrol cars used by dan mathews in the 50s tv show. they were 55 centurys as i recall.4 bufords from ctYes, but 55 sedans. I think the difference is: a coupe is designed with one seat in the front. May be bucket seats but it's really intended for front seat passengers only, while a sedan would have both front and rear seats for everyday use. Note, Coupes may have rear seat area and jumper seats. But these are not intended to be used as passenger seats on a regular everyday basis. I know my Dad would drive a 55 Chevy from his job on occasion, with one front seat and a platform for the rear seat area. But I don't know if that was a user enginered product or a factory thing. And I don't think Buick had/offered anything comparable in 55. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buick5563 Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Y'all are gonna confuse a brother.A sedan has a post between the front side window and the rear side window whether two or four doors.A hardtop has no post i.e. the windows seal against each other. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sintid58 Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 If I remember right the Century's used by the CHP were built just for that purpose and not offered to the general public for sale. They were essentially a Special 2 door sedan with the big motor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonahboo Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 there is a cool "swirl" detail only on hardtop models at start of 1/4 panel right after door - this doesn't appear on sedan cars (just above emblem) - fun fact Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1953mack Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 (edited) 06.25.12There are a lot of confused people on this topic. They are mentioned in the subject magazine article. :confused: #1. Re the current BUICK BUGLE 2011 MEMBERSHIP ROSTER, Volume 41, page 216: lists a CENTURY MODEL 68, as a 2-dr Tourback Sedan, with a total production number of 270 (incorrect?, read on). #2. Re Thumbnail pics: taken from CARS & PARTS, November 1989, Volume 32, Number 11 issue:A four-page article with some notable excerpts....."the unique patrol cars were hybrids, combining a Century (four-holer) and a Special (three-holer) in a single unit.....the body was from a Buick Special, but from the cowl forward it was a Century, which was enough to qualify it to wear the Century script on its rear quarters.....per an article in the April 1955 issue of the HIGHWAY PATROL MAGAZINE, CHP's house organ, the California Highway Patrol purchased 270 very 'special' Buicks in March 1955.....the cars are being processed in equal numbers in Los Angeles and Sacramento.....transmissions on the new cars will be divided equally, 135 conventional and 135 Dynaflow....."#3. The magazine article goes on to clarify that "upon further investigation, Jim Ashworth found that the actual number of cars delivered to the Patrol was 268. Evidently the journal's editors had simply rounded off the figure. And the preliminary report notwithstanding, all of them appear to have been fitted with the 'three on the tree' manual transmission....."All of these Centurys were to have the four-barreled 322 cubic inch engine rated at 236 horsepower @ 4,600 rpm (gross). Do you have one of these with the manual transmission?Al MackBCA #8965"500 Miles West of Flint" Edited June 25, 2012 by 1953mack (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bhambulldog Posted July 1, 2012 Share Posted July 1, 2012 06.25.12#3. The magazine article goes on to clarify that "upon further investigation, Jim Ashworth found that the actual number of cars delivered to the Patrol was 268. Evidently the journal's editors had simply rounded off the figure. And the preliminary report notwithstanding, all of them appear to have been fitted with the 'three on the tree' manual transmission....."All of these Centurys were to have the four-barreled 322 cubic inch engine rated at 236 horsepower @ 4,600 rpm (gross). Do you have one of these with the manual transmission?Al MackBCA #8965"500 Miles West of Flint"[ATTACH=CONFIG]143104[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]143105[/ATTACH]270 is the correct production number268 to the California Highway Patrolthe remaining two went to the Broderick Crawford's Highway Patrol television show Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rob McDonald Posted July 2, 2012 Share Posted July 2, 2012 Starting with a simple but technically incomplete question, this thread got confused with definitions of Business Coupes (with no back seat) and Hardtops/Rivieras (with no B pillar). There were both 2-door Sport Coupes and 2-door Deluxe Sedans in the Special lineup up until 1952, but the coupes ended there.The Century formula - big engine, "small" body - was dropped after 1942 but returned in 1954. They were rarely ordered without Dynaflow but I'm guessing the exceptions must be really nice to drive. The current conversation took a really interesting turn toward CHP special-order Centurys, the first I've ever read about these unique cars.It's now up to rscott773 to let us know what his dad really has. As billbuickgs says - pictures, please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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