'49 Roadmaster Sedanet Trim Code 70

[Peter JL Rickinson]

Hi guys!

I posted a little while back about having purchased a '49 Sedanet which is already hall way thru' restoration, which is being continued by professionals here in the UK.

Trying to get exactly how Trim Code 70 should be (the original interior having been completely destroyed) is problematic because of there being nothing original to see here in England, and pictures on the Internet of original or good authentic restorations being few and far between, and often with many conflicting details. In other words: what exactly is original?

I know there are people in the States with original Sedanets; I'd really appreciate feedback...photos of everything, all the little details...if anybody would be good enough to email me directly. So far I'm indulging in educated guesswork...but I'd like to get closer than that if I can.

Please send pics to me at:

pisosecondo@hotmail.co.uk

Thanks in advance!

Peter

Edited February 9, 2016 by Peter JL Rickinson (see edit history)

[oldstyle]

I would like to see the pics posted here as well. 

[SBRMD]

Hi Guys,

 

Peter, congrats on your acquisition. 

 

Are you aware of another one, in London?  Saw pictures of it in a book once, owned by the Rt. Honorable Somebody.  This isn't the one, is it?  I think that one had a slightly different interior.

 

I have a '49 RM Sedanet with an original code 70 interior (supposed to be gray), two-tone dash with dark on the top; it's black outside.  I have a few pics in my home computer, happy to upload when home from work. Just a few though; in order to take more, will have to go to where the car is in winter storage; that could happen in a few days.

 

My interior is intact but needs to be redone for sure.  I want to caution you in your later perusal of my pictures that most all the fabric components have become quite discolored with time.  The headliner looks brown now, the upholstery darkish/greenish, the carpet kickpads greenish.  So I too am in somewhat of a quandary about what the exact right colors of everything should be.  It's hard to find exacting specs, and looking at restored cars introduces uncertainty, while practically every original/survivor car is discolored somewhat with time. 

 

Stay tuned.

 

-Steve in Mpls., MN

[Peter JL Rickinson]

Hi SBRMD!!

I saw your name on an earlier thread on this same topic, and was hoping you would reply! So many thanks for responding.

I'd love to have any photos you've got, more later as and when it's convenient. As I said before, email me directly if you can please, at:

pisosecondo@hormail.co.uk

I've no real idea where my RM Sedanet came from except that it was imported in 1999, and judging by its condition now, it was a good solid car. They're rare in the UK: we have plenty of American cars given that they were rarely ever imported when new, but I've never seen another Sedanet yet.

I'm not so concerned about colours: I'm going to use nice warm grey tones as similar as I can to photos. The object is to get it close if not exact. But other details are tantalisingly few: seam lines on the seat backs and seats, exactly which parts were done in Bedford Cord and others in Broadcloth, the layout of the carpets, access to the Dynaflow thru' the transmission tunnel under the carpets, and so forth...

So *all* information gratefully received, before the upholsterers start their work in just a few weeks time...

Many thanks.

Cheers,

Peter Rickinson

[SBRMD]

You bet Peter; I'll try to bring my camera over to storage in the next few days and image the interior.  The ones I have are really not much.

 

My guess on the material: Bedford cord on the seat upholstery, broadcloth on the door panels and seat backs.  My car also has the "early" transmission dipstick under the passenger-side front floor mat, although I am loath to manipulate the mostly-dried-out-hard-rubber mat.  I understand that later '49's had a trans dipstick under the hood, which I would love to retrofit if that's ever possible, because the floor mat arrangement is a PITA.  While the original floor mat is rubber with carpet inserts, my plan ultimately is to do the floor all-carpet.  Most of the restored cars I've seen are this way, and I think it's much preferable, although not accurate.

 

Post some pictures of your car!

Edited February 10, 2016 by SBRMD (see edit history)

[Peter JL Rickinson]

I read somewhere else that it's quite possible to retrofit the later under-hood transmission dipstick, but you have to change the oil pan under the gearbox too, tho' don't quote me.

I'm also having full carpets (and over mats in the same carpet) which is much more luxurious, but I'm already worried by garage mechanics and other enthusiasts for their dirty hands and dirtier shoes, on both upholstery and carpets.

Not just for me but for others in the future: you should record every detail of your current interior if you're going to restore it: a valuable resource for others in the future when accurate information is currently so sparse.

Cheers for now,

Peter

[SBRMD]

Finally at the right computer:

Edited February 13, 2016 by SBRMD (see edit history)

[SBRMD]

Unfortunately those are the only two I have of the interior. May be able to shoot more tomorrow.

Post whatever you have of your car!

[Peter JL Rickinson]

Thanks so much: those pictures are very helpful indeed! I'll post some pics. soon

Peter

[Peter JL Rickinson]

Edited February 14, 2016 by Peter JL Rickinson (see edit history)

[Peter JL Rickinson]

Hi Steve and anybody else following this topic,

I've posted two pictures of my Sedanet above; sorry they appear sideways!

As you can see, the body shell is looking good, but there's loads more work to do....

I earnestly await more pictures from you Steve, if you can, particularly to show the arrangement of pleats and buttons on the seat backs, where so far I've only seen conflicting arrangements, none of which I can prove to be original...and how the rear armrests and the part under them on the side panels is treated...

Cheers for now!

Peter

[oldstyle]

It's coming out nice.

[SBRMD]

Peter: here goes.....

[Peter JL Rickinson]

Hey Steve...

I can't even begin to thank you enough for these fantastic photos! They show everything I need to know, and reveal a lot I'd been simply guessing about. They also suggest to me how I can safely stray from original whilst remaining in good taste, and what to avoid.

I think you are very lucky to have such an extraordinarily original car; it's an amazing survivor for around 67 years, and a testament to the quality of the original. It must have been very luxurious when new.

In a sense it would be a shame to destroy it to do a full restoration...I wonder how many others still exist like this? But I appreciate that it's very well worn; you have everything there to ensure that you get it exactly right!

My only problem now is getting the right materials. With all due respect to the American suppliers from whom I've sourced samples, I can immediately tell that they are not the exact copies they claim to be, and in fact I can get as good and much more cheaply here in the UK, and without the shipping costs and inevitable delay. But getting those warm grey colours just right will be a job, so maybe a best approximation will be my best hope.

I'll post here as my project proceeds, and when it's finished...it may be a few months!

Thanks again!

Best wishes from England!

Peter

[SBRMD]

Peter: My Pleasure!

A few observations on these photos may be helpful to you - I would have done this immediately upon posting them, but "the dinner bell rang".

1. The car is in a fairly dark garage, and doesn't have functioning interior lights, so I had to do all these with the flash. As a result, the photos generally look brighter/lighter/crisper than the real thing. Everything's really a bit dingier than it appears here.

2. You may notice a sort-of seat-shaped shadow on each door panel; that's for real. And I honestly can't say whether the part describing the seat (darker) or the part above it (lighter) is the more accurate color.

3. There's a pretty great variation in the colors of things. I assume when the interior was factory-fresh, everything was gray in varying but close tones. Now, the headliner is frankly beige, and the gray tones of the upholstery, seat backs, carpet strips at the bottom of the doors, and even the lower color of the paint on the dash all have varying greenish overtones. I have never been able to find an authoritative source to tell me what these colors are all actually supposed to be. The greenish paint on the dash makes me suspect that grrenish tones elsewhere may be according to plan.

4. While the interior almost seems like it could be saved in some respects, it really can't. The fabrics actually feel to fragile, that you think you're going to poke a finger through them. Also, the foam rubber under the upholstery is so dried-out and crumbly that you can hear it "crunch" a little when you sit on it.

5. I don't know what those small pieces of brown fabric are at the attachments of the robe rail on the back of the passenger seat. They were there from the prior owner, and I have not disturbed them.

6. The top of the rear seat back cushion is some sort of vinyl; I suppose it could be leather, but I doubt it. Tried to capture that for you.

7. FYI, the car is a Flint-built, original colors car. It was in Hopkinsville Kentucky from new; first owner to 1954, second owner there until I bought it in August, 2002; he was almost 100 years old! I am the third owner. Odometer showed about 37,000 miles when I bought it, and could be actual, but really no way of knowing. In any event, the interior shows no evidence of ever being redone. It's absolutely road-worthy, although the dash lights and radio don't work, and the shocks are a little bouncy!

Best regards,

Steve.

[SBRMD]

And...don't pay any attention to those little white strings that are hanging from the leading edge of the rear seat bottom cushion; they are from under the seat, and I wasn't careful enough to tuck them back under when the cushion went back in place; gotta fix that!

[buick man]

Here are some of the most original Roadmaster 49 Buick photos you are gonna find.  Car had been sitting at the same location since reportedly the mid 60's or there about.

Though this is a 4-door I have seen the Sedanette with the same correct interior back in the day.  Please note a few of the now rare hard to find period items.  The period treatment for the vent-ports as this was a popular after item add-on. The rear raised bumper guard protector and the front raised bumper guard protector.  Note how the Roadmaster Only Interior Treatment except for convertibles, had the upper Leather top leading edged shoulder rider all blend stitched into the correct broad stripped wool cloth material seats. Note too, the rear seat has the correct leather covered elbow rest seat divider.  The garment rope attached to the rear of the seat for the convenience of rear passengers found in all R.M. had a leather covered garment rope.

 

Edited February 15, 2016 by buick man (see edit history)

[Peter JL Rickinson]

Hi Buick Man,

Thanks for your input here. However the pictures you show are most certainly of 1949 Trim Code 71, with the striped Broadcloth and black leather interior. Whilst this is of great interest, we are actually discussing the alternative Trim Code 70, which is grey Bedford Cord to the seats and without leather. Also I should point out that every investigation shows that the central armrest to the rear seat was provided in Roadmaster 4 door Sedans only; the central armrest for the rear seat otherwise only appeared in Cadillac Sedanets, never Buicks.

Interesting pictures; thanks!

Peter

[Peter JL Rickinson]

Hi Steve SBRMD,

Thanks for your additional comments. The clue to your greenish interior paint may be given by the original Paint Code, which appears along with the Trim Code (which in your case will say 70, surely) What outside colour is the car? Is it really black, or is it Verde Green, which is so dark as to be nearly black? You'll see (and I don't want to point out the obvious to guys with much more experience than I have!) that not just with Buicks, but very often with other makes in the period, the interior paintwork is different and/or contrasting with the exterior, and often two tone:in the case of the Buicks we're discussing for example, a dark colour on the top of the dash and metal window sill cappings, a second lighter colour below. I wonder how many permutations of this there were?

However, as far as the Trim Codes are concerned, all is much simpler: it's quite clear that in 1949 only two were offered, irrespective of the exterior colour: either 70 (Bedford Cord and no leather) or 71 (striped Broadcloth and black leather) it also seems that Code 70 was offered as standard with every exterior colour, whilst Code 71 was an across the board extra cost option.

Thanks for pointing out those extra little details too.

I'm on holiday in Spain. It's pouring with rain: "the rain in Spain..."

Peter

[SBRMD]

Hi Peter,

Good thought RE the greens; however, the car is a black car for sure. The data plate shows the appropriate code for black. I don't remember right off hand, but I think it's code 1.

I have seen a verde green '49 RM Sedanet; while a handsome midnight shade, there's no mistaking that it's green when you see it. Also, The upper dash color in that car was a matching verde green, and the upholstery was the same pattern as the code 70, but beige. I've also seen the two-tone dash with verde green on top in an aqua-colored Sedanet. My upper dash color is a dark charcoal, not greenish at all. I suppose one could call in a semi-flat black, but I think it's really a charcoal.

I wish there were some authoritative source for this! Those nice trim books unfortunately came along later.

Best regards,

Steve.

[Peter JL Rickinson]

Hello again Steve SBRMD,

Sorry to bother you again! A couple of observations and a few further questions:

Observations:

1) My restorers have already ordered a new headlining from a company in the USA; I'm hoping the kit comes with recovering for the sunvizors, or I can see they're going to give me a headache.

2) I'm not sure whether my door pillar grab handles are even in existence. Yours are beautifully decorative originals and unless I can source NOS parts I'm not sure how I can reproduce these. If I've got the old ones, I may as an interim cover the grab handles, and the back of rear seat ropes and sunvizors with grey vinyl.

Questions:

1) I've taken on board that the front seat base, and the back of the top of the rear seat backrest roll are both in grey vinyl. Is it the same vinyl for both? And is it plain, or imitation leather textured?

2) The tops of the front door armrests are also covered in vinyl. Is that the same vinyl as the front seat base?

3) I can't work out out what the panel below the rear seat cushion, which follows the shape of the transmission tunnel, is finished in. Is it also vinyl as above?

4) What are the side panels of the front footwells (ie., the sides forward of the front doors) covered with?

5) Are the door bottoms, and the bottoms of the rear compartment side panels, below the chrome embellishment strips, carpeted or in yet another fabric? And are they matched to the footwell sides? (see 4) above)

6) What is the rear parcel shelf covered with? Headlining or yet another fabric? I may carpet this anyway for durability.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly:

7) Your photos, which are so revealing, show perfectly that the rear seat cushion has one single pleat across the centre (and certainly not three equally spaced pleats as I've seen in one beautiful but clearly inaccurate restoration!) But what about the front seat cushion? Does that have a single central pleat, or is it in one piece across the entire width of the seat? (I'm not sure the fabric roll width available would permit a single piece...)

You see, the more information you get, the more you need! I hope you can answer these queries which will make such a difference to the finished result.

With best wishes,

Peter (from a cold and wet London)

[SBRMD]

Hi Peter,

 

Very good questions.

 

I will be where the car is on Friday; will inspect and report back.

 

Best regards,

Steve.

[Peter JL Rickinson]

Thanks Steve,

One last question. You've noted how all the different fabrics have faded and stained, but in your opinion, do you think the Bedford Cord of the seats and the Broadcloth of the seat backs and doors started out the same grey, or was there a deliberate difference in tone? I've argued this point for ages with another enthusiast, and, as with so many other things, the evidence is conflicting!

By the way, the remains of a pink fabric attached around the grab ropes of the front seat backs in your car... Do you think maybe they're the remains of permanently attached seat covers? And that might explain why the fabric on the seat backs remains in comparatively good condition? Just a thought...

Kind regards from a sunny but freezing London,

Peter

[SBRMD]

Hi Peter,

 

I want to thank you for asking me all these specific questions, because you have caused me to study my interior much more closely than I ever have before, and my perspective on what I have is changing.  It's truly hard to distinguish between "dirty", "faded" and "discolored"!  I am starting to wonder if I can just get away with a good cleaning of some items....you may be doing me a big favor here!

 

Specific answers:  Caveat - observations in semi-dark garage with a flashlight may be subject to color inaccuracy!

 

1.  The front seat base vinyl is a fine, crosshatched/pebbled texture, not unlike the grain of leather you find in a pair of nice blucher-style wingtips.  The material used is sort of hard/thick, almost like molded plastic, but I still think it's vinyl over some base.  It reminds one of a padded dash covering in vinyl in a 1960's era car.  The vinyl at the top edge of the rear seat back is similar in grain (maybe a touch coarser) and color, but it is clearly a fabric-weight vinyl.  I do not think it is leather.

 

2.  The vinyl on the door armrests is a slightly darker color and more striated in pattern, but still pretty subtle.  I think it is in common with other GM cars of the same vintage.

 

3.  The panel below the leading edge of the rear seat base, notched for the driveline hump, is vinyl and essentially identical to the front seat base in texture, color and fortitude.

 

4.  The side panels of the front foot wells (aka "kick panels") are again vinyl and identical in color and texture to the front seat base.  These panels are a little less solid than the others, could be just molded plastic, or some sort of base with vinyl covering bonded on, hard to tell.

 

5.  The bottom of the door panels, below the chrome strip, are carpeted in what looks like a short cut-pile style.  Color seems to match the bottom of the broadcloth on the door panel, but hard to judge due to fade, dirt, etc; carpet color may be more similar to the vinyl of the front seat base.  The rear compartment side panels from the armrest itself down to where they meet the seat bottom are completely Bedford Cord, exactly matching the seat upholstery.  They are not similar to the front foot wells (see above).  I would add here that the part of the front seat base (the back of it) that faces the rear seat passenger and is immediately beneath the front seat back when the back is in it's normal position is wrapped with a carpet that's similar to the bottoms of the front door panels, but may be a little darker.  Also, the underside on the same piece (under which the rear seat passenger would be tucking their toes) is similarly carpeted.

 

6.  The package shelf is covered with a very thin, paper-like smooth fabric.  Hard to describe mine otherwise, it's pretty water damaged and discolored/faded.  The package shelf itself seems to be made of a very hard cardboard of some kind, maybe even wood, can't really tell.

 

7.  I do not believe that any of the seats actually are "pleated".  It appears to me that the "four-square" pattern you see represents vertical and horizontal seams between separate pieces of fabric.  Hence, the back of either front seat looks like i's made with four pieces of fabric seamed together, with a button in the center.  Similarly, the rear seat back has the same pattern/construction, with the addition of a center vertical seam that holds the two side together, with a third button to make the pattern consistent.

 

8.  Between dirt, fade and discoloration, it's really hard to say whether the Bedford Cord and the broadcloth are supposed to start out as the same color.  But if I had to guess (and I do), I think they are supposed to be the same, or as close as their differing patterns allow.

 

Interesting idea you have about the possibility of front seat covers; hard to know.

 

As I looked at all this stuff, I was amazed at the actually good condition everything in the rear compartment.  The rear seat doesn't go "crunch" when you sit on it.  While the front seat upholstery, headliner and floor carpet clearly have to be replaced, you just may have saved me a lot of money!

 

Best regards,

Steve.

Edited February 19, 2016 by SBRMD (see edit history)

[Peter JL Rickinson]

Well Steve,

If I've saved you money that's great! But you've helped me clarify so many details...my Sedanet will look a great deal more like an original when it's finished, rather than some half baked approximation. I'm still going to take liberties with the carpets however!

It's amazing what professional valeting can do, but you may then find that getting new materials to anywhere match the old makes your restoration job harder. I'll be interested to see how you do it.

I'll keep in touch on here.

Many thanks and best wishes,

Peter

[Paul Traub]

Peter, I have a 1949 Buick Roadmaster (Black) the same as yours. I am trying to source some replacement cord also. Can you please tell me where you got yours from? It would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks and Regards,

 

Paul

[SBRMD]

Hi Paul,

 

Post up some pics of your car.  What is it's story?

[Paul Traub]

It was imported from California about 2 years ago. I have had it about 18 months. It is unrestored but in good condition. It has black body work with a light green interior. Some of the cording has frayed and ripped and it needs replacing. I will post some pictures, but the car is in storage so no interior photos for know. I can post some external phots if this will help? The lining around the doors is apparently Bedford cord.

 

Thanks,

 

Paul

[Dan O]

On 6/5/2020 at 4:54 AM, Paul Traub said:

Peter, I have a 1949 Buick Roadmaster (Black) the same as yours. I am trying to source some replacement cord also. Can you please tell me where you got yours from? It would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks and Regards,

 

Paul

 

Bedford cord - try SMS Auto Fabrics in Washington State.  https://smsautofabrics.com/

 

FYI - They will make the grab-straps or pull handles that mount on the vertical pillars.

Edited June 8, 2020 by Dan O (see edit history)

[Paul Traub]

Dan, many thanks it is much appreciated. I am also posting some pictures of the car.

 

Paul