Old Buick’s You Like Now That You Initially Did Not

[B Jake Moran]

I think we all come to enjoy most Buick’s over time but at 1st we are usually drawn to a particular year or model. I think of Mr Earl and the 54 Buick or Ted Nagel and 4 speed full size mid 60’s Buick’s or Willie and the 55 Buick.  
 

But what Buick did you come to love that you did not think you would ?   
 

For me I have constantly swung back and forth but I would have to go with a 64 Riviera. (I have owned a barely driving 64, I’m talking about a nice one).  In the last 3 years my wife and I watched all seasons of Mad Men.  Set in the 60s, the Riviera fit right in to the upwardly mobile conservatism of suburban life.  
 

I passed initially on liking the 64 Riviera because it had received so much “best of” coverage in coffee table books and magazine articles when I started in the hobby in 1979.   But now there are fewer around and not as much featured on them.  
 

I prefer 1964 because of the transmission.  I am not a fan of the 1965 tweaks to the front and rear styling.  But I understand them.  Give me a Tuxedo Black 1964 with black, blue fabric and vinyl interior.  
 

Where did the journey with Buick take you that you did not see happening when you started?  

Edited April 5, 2020 by B Jake Moran (see edit history)

[JohnD1956]

'61-'63 Special Wagons.  A friend's father would give us a ride to school often. I always thought that was a sub par Buick.  But I would add one to my stable if I could.   

[Y-JobFan]

70 Riviera's 

 

[Matt Harwood]

I spent much of my life thinking the 1941 Buick Limited looked frumpy and I hated the fender skirts.

 

Yet here I am...

[dship]

For me, Rivieras and Reattas.  Of the seven Buicks I've owned, five were Rivieras and two were Reattas.  But, I do still miss my first car...a '56 Mercury... and another one I had...a '68 Cougar XR7.

[avgwarhawk]

1958.  Just did not look like a nice car. Grew on me over time. 

[EmTee]

Boat-tail Rivieras.  The original owner of the gold '67 that inspired me to find the one I currently have sold it to my best-friend's father when he bought a brand-new '71 Riviera.  I remember at the time thinking it was the ugliest car I'd ever seen -- today I could imagine having one in my garage next to Goldie...

[Kevin M]

Park avenues. The flat ass I didn’t like but once I found out they were supercharged that help start swaying my opinion. 

[TxBuicks]

1939, because of the funny looking grille.  I still can't get past it.  1950, for the buck-tooth grille.  Although, I have since accepted them for what they are and appreciate their uniqueness.

[B Jake Moran]

3 hours ago, TxBuicks said:

1939, because of the funny looking grille.  I still can't get past it.  1950, for the buck-tooth grille.  Although, I have since accepted them for what they are and appreciate their uniqueness.

Roy - exactly!  I still don't care for the 1939 grille and it would not be on the list of Buicks I now love that I did not before. But the 1950 I do like, now and would love to own a nice example. 

[Fr. Buick]

I hated the 1950. Then a friend got one, and I got to work on it and drive a bit.  Nice ride, fun personality, and got lots of attention.  Now I love'm.

[DAVES89]

1991-1996 Buick Roadmaster. I thought it was a revived Nash when I first saw it when my father in law bought one. But a few years later I bought it from him. A great running, driving and a most comfortable car. And the styling grew on me to. Enough that I owned 3 of them over the years.

[8E45E]

Buicks I loved when new, I still love, which includes most of the full size 1960's models and Rivs.

 

The Buicks I thought were ugly when new are uglier now.  The 1974-76 Riviera comes to mind.  It was no wonder it got downsized in 1977 while the Eldorado and Toronado did not until 1979.

 

Craig

[Gene Brink]

Oh gosh! I've found that cars of zero interest to me when new and now quite appealing when one sees a well maintained (or restored) example. Funny how "old" makes a car much more appealing.

 

To answer the question, when I returned from "an all expense paid trip to Southeast Asia" in March 1968 a replacement for the '54 Cadillac limousine I was driving before I was drafted was on my shortlist of what to do. Wound up with a '60 MGA 😢 and after a few months of paying more than a new car payment to keep it running decided I would be better off with a brand new Buick. Wanted a GS but did not like the 68-9 because of the side-sweep body design (so wound up with a '69 Opel Rallye which was a great little car). Still not my favorite look but do now like (not quite love - save that for a '65) and a nice looking '68-9 GS and would be a pleasure to own.

[old-tank]

Old Buick’s You Like Now That You Initially Did Not:  1955 Buick

I started out driving a 51 Plymouth "sick cylinder" 3-speed, which was more fun than the other family car a 57 Ford wagon with 272 & Fordomatic (the Foromatic starts in second gear and was much more sluggish than a Dynaflow).  Anyhow the Plymouth was worn out:  smoking, slipping clutch and my father's Air Force assignment necessitated a family move from central Texas to the UP of Michigan.  So the Plymouth needed to be replaced.  Father came home with a 55 Dodge V-8 with 3-speed.  WhoooHooo, chirp the tires in second...life is good!  Left it back at the dealer for service and father came back with a 55 Buick Special (66R).  Turned out that the low mileage Dodge odometer had turned over and had more wear than first inspection. I nearly cried remembering my aunt's 52 Super with dynaflow that sounded like it was struggling uphill while driving on level ground.  Back at the dealer I begged for them to sell us the Dodge, so the salesman (wise man) said that he would give me the Dodge if I could beat him driving the Buick in a drag race.  First run he left the Buick in drive and used only the switch pitch and won by a fender; next run he used Low and shifted at 50 mph and all I saw were Buick tail lights!

OK, that Buick is looking better, after all is it a 2dr hardtop, has an under dash A/C, great ventilation without that primitive cowl vent that we always forgot to close before rain.

On the trip to Michigan it averaged 19 mpg...better than the 6-cylinder Dodges and Plymouths the family had in the past (the Ford averaged 14 mpg on the same trip)

That Buick was driven hard and lasted for 20 years and 365,000 miles, with the only service being brakes, valve jobs, and maybe a few starters and generators.  I knew next to nothing about fixing since nothing broke.  Only later restoration project gave me a chance to learn and appreciate everything about 55's.