1953 Roadmaster Wichita CL

[RivNut]

I found this while perusing some local CL ads.  Not mine.

 

https://wichita.craigslist.org/ctd/d/1953-buick-roadmaster-riviera/6463559850.html

 

Edited January 25, 2018 by RivNut (see edit history)

[Pete Phillips]

That is a beautiful '53! Looks like it needs a heater core, vent ducts, and a good engine compartment detailing; repaint the colors in the hood emblem--easy stuff to do. Has too many doors, but gee, I really like this car! Don't need it, shouldn't even be thinking about it....

Edited January 26, 2018 by Pete Phillips (see edit history)

[RivNut]

Pleasant dreams:  "Red Roadmaster, Red Roadmaster, Red Roadmaster"  ?????

[billbuickgs]

Late 55 and 56 valve covers ???????????????????????

Bill

[RiKi5156B]

Funny,when I tell myself I shouldn’t be thinking about a car, subliminally I already have made up my mind and it’s time to fess up and go get it.

[old-tank]

1 hour ago, billbuickgs said:

Late 55 and 56 valve covers ???????????????????????

Bill

...and valley cover, and carburetor.  Probably a later engine (that appears to have lived there a long time) that fits and functions.  Wonder what happened to the 53 unique items?

[buick man]

FROM THE AD SELLER SAYS :

 

" Two owner, 1953 Buick Roadmaster 4 door sedan equipped with power steering, power brakes, radio, heater and auxiliary under seat heater. Original paper work includes new car purchase order, Owner's manual, antifreeze card and other purchaser literature. Odometer shows 64k miles which is believed to be correct due to documentation which comes with purchase. First year for Buicks "nail head" 322 V8 with original Rochester 4 barrel carburetor, oil bath air cleaner and original engine paint color. Brakes were completely redone approximately 4 years ago to include power booster unit. We relined front brake shoes and rebuilt wheel cylinders after we put it in stock. Car was completely stripped to metal and painted Matador Red approximately 12 years ago. Interior completely replaced! Beautiful 50's Buick. At D&P Sales LLC in Goddard, KS. (316).305.2180) "  … and asking $ 12,500.00 .

 

Edit:  Oh and it appears the chrome and stainless is worth more than half the asking price alone … and whom ever buys this beauty please refrain from rattle canning those original factory colored & patina valve covers by using someone's idea of what so called Buick green or blue should or should not be …. which is usually wrong.

 

 

… and the engine with the right valve covers and engine valley cover installed :  

 

… and a couple photos with the new for 53 optional air conditioning and with power steering …..

 

 

… and so the question remains … which one has the correct air cleaner for 53 … ?

 

 

Edited January 27, 2018 by buick man (see edit history)

[RiKi5156B]

I think at the least it’s worth negotiating over. Engine detailing I like to do and it’s one of the cheapest areas of a car to do. It does require partial disassembly such as remove radiator and accessories but not difficult just a little time. A refreshed engine compartment adds tremendously to the look. 

[RiKi5156B]

Is anyone in the area that can go look at it and report back? I’m interested and have 10k of dedicated Buick money availabile. Just in case I really need it.

Edited January 28, 2018 by RiKi5156B (see edit history)

[buick man]

8 hours ago, RiKi5156B said:

…  I think at the least it’s worth negotiating over. Engine detailing I like to do and it’s one of the cheapest areas of a car to do. It does require partial disassembly such as remove radiator and accessories but not difficult just a little time. A refreshed engine compartment adds tremendously to the look. 

… I don't care for the content of the additional comments. I would restore visually that engine compartment, there is nothing to be gained by leaving it original, in my opinion.  I would chip away at it with fresh paint, fresh stickers from Bob's on the Power Steering, etc, and it would be much better to live with and show.

 

 

… yeah no bad and everyone has a take on this ….  but IMO and the point I make will it be correct and look as correct after detailing and repainting … and if that really matters then very doubtful … and what if every twitchy fingered back yard canner jumped onto repainting everything what would we have in the end to compare and contrast what is proper original to  ? … and if this engine paint is original then there goes another calibrator for others to use and these covers look way o.k. just the way they are … the new owner can just wash clean then clear coat them if they desire and the rest of the engine will clean up just fine as well  … Just a perspective for the preservation of proper correctness … 

[RiKi5156B]

It’s not hard to duplicate the original colors and finish on just about any engine today. Manufacturers used basic black or semigloss, engine colors are available that are very correct, steel parts were often cad plate,in short all the finishes can be restored. As nice as the rest of this Buick is I think it deserves a proper engine compartment detailing. I look at the pics and see opportunity.

[RiKi5156B]

Speaking of original engines I bought a 64 Corvette convertible in 1975 that was a 327/365hp motor from a local specialty dealer. I didn’t know anything about numbers matching at that time and was told it had a replacement block. Even though it was not the original block I detailed the engine compartment the best I could for being an unknowledgeable 24 year old. As years went past I realize how important numbers are to the Corvette market and I started researching the paperwork for this car. Much research and many phone calls later I found the second owner about 20 miles from me who had the original block sitting in his garage. Had a flat cam which is why it was replaced. So I went through the detail process again after rebuild and it turned out spectacular. My wife couldn’t understand why I pulled a perfectly good engine out to replace it with one that looked identical. To her numbers other than escalating costs didn’t mean a thing.

[RiKi5156B]

Also without doing a numbers check how is one to know it’s not the original engine? Tin can be changed or lost over the years but for a nice driver that won’t be judged except by the adoring public I say it’s a good one.

[RiKi5156B]

Yep,might just do that.

[buick man]

… well actually-  no it is not easy to duplicate the original colors and no the paints that are available today are kinda close sometimes but most of the time not correct and I have tried most of them at one time or another and is why now I tint and flatten my paints myself … It kinda goes likes this'  someone had to tint that paint your conveniently using and what did they use as a calibrator … ?  a pristine original engine or more likely one sitting around that looked sort of good or was copied from an older restoration that was copied from someone else's interpretation of " aqua blue " or whatever factory color … Regarding engine paints …. all those older original engine paints however had the paint turn a hue on the greenish side due to years and years off leaded gas fumes permeating the surface  or the black that seems to always again be someones interpretation of what the fender skirt paint sheen was at the factory until you remove a part that has covered factory paint  for decades and then you discover that new paint is way more flat and most likely was blended for a one size fits all to meet realistic marketing parameters … 40's & 50's enamel flats were of a different hue and amount of flattening agent used then the more flat used from 61 onward thru 67 and then these paints got way way flat into the 70's …. 80's … ]

 

Of course we realize that convenience and necessity dictates one's choices but let's not rectify and standardize mediocrity as a replacement for correctness and based standards … that is if all this really matters to one or not ...

[RivNut]

10 minutes ago, Imperial62 said:

 You can do what you want, but to the naked eye at a show n' shine, nobody is 

 

Besides, from the factory I suspect "Buick Green" looked different from week to week as well.  Spraying the Black on the air cleaner housing - I would use either satin or gloss black and if a sticker was meant to be there - get it from Bob's in orange or red and put it on there. Marked improvement for under $20.   Ditto the PS pump reservoir and so on. 

X2 ?

[RiKi5156B]

However this engine is not pristine original paint. Your scenario would be to leave it as is for what purpose? This particular car will probably never compete for points at a high level and in my opinion an amateur but comprehensive  refinish on the engine compartment is necessary to bring it up to the quality of the rest of the car. I’ve done many Mopar and GM cars with commercially available current products and have done well in judged competition. It’s not just paint,there are also metal finishes such as cad, cast iron, bare aluminum etc. If a car looks nice on the outside but the engine compartment looks like this car it would be an embarrassment to me. I can’t imagine any judge carrying a spectrometer to see if the correct amount of flattener is on an air cleaner or radiator. The only time I’ve ever seen a car that has the correct finishes on everything under the hood was a 69 Superbee with 126 miles that was stored since new.Spectacular. Still looked aged compared to my freshly restored 70 Superbee with 70,000 miles. Which was more correct? His of course but mine scored higher. Use the best materials and practices you can and be happy with it.