B Jake Moran Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 1937 Buick Model 47 Special, in Art Deco Glory - $16,500 https://springfield.craigslist.org/cto/d/el-dorado-springs-1937-buick-model-47/7201835311.html 1937 Buick Model 47 Special, in Art Deco Glory This Buick is 83 years old, it has 30,889 miles, it has never been wrecked or rusted. It has it’s original straight 8 drivetrain and chassis. It still operates on 6 volts. The car has had some rubbers and seals replaced when it was refinished. The car wears Bruce Blue lacquer paint so that dates the refinish back to the 1960’s I bought this a year and a half ago at a charity auction for the VFW. The old man that had this was a WWII vet that found this for sale in Hemmings about 1971 or 1972. He drove out with his wife to the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania, called the seller on a pay phone, then they met up and he bought the car. He drove it all the way back to Kansas. It has been a parade car and driven just a few times a year ever since. This car has ever nut, bolt, washer, and part on it exactly as it left the factory. The underside of this car as shown in the video is 100% untouched and original. The car has had a 6 volt electric fan and a 6 volt electric helper fuel pump installed on the radiator for parades by the previous owner. I have had the starter fully rebuilt and rewound as needed yet keeping the case as original, and it has had a torque tube seal replaced. The cars starts and drives fine with the exception being if the brakes are used quite a bit the left front wants to grab before the others, and the carburetor does not give it enough fuel to go up long hills 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibarlaw Posted October 19, 2020 Share Posted October 19, 2020 Jake: Nice looking car. Much better in appearance than my 37-41. It still has the rear leaf spring "gaiters". I see it has a radio delete plate, the "miserable Marvel Carb"(as does mine). Also the Delco automatic choke. Which has been disconnected and manual choke cable installed. Price seems about right. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 And the all-important contact information, copied from the ad, is: "Contact Name: John Call: (417) 201-4805" 11 hours ago, dibarlaw said: I see it has a radio delete plate, the "miserable Marvel Carb" (as does mine). Also the Delco automatic choke. Which has been disconnected and manual choke cable installed. Larry, can you share a bit of your expertise so I and others can learn? Is that carburetor problematic? Do people replace it with another? Is the automatic choke a problem too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Jake Moran Posted October 20, 2020 Author Share Posted October 20, 2020 This is in my opinion an amazing find. I lust after Brian Ds Roadmaster but those are rare. And for whatever reason ive come to favor the 248 smaller straight 8 because parts are much more available and its more than an adequate motor. I've been looking at ads a long time and it matters to me what is behind the car. This seller has a nice property and I believe that is an indication of the cars care. Recently a couple of the forums 37-38 guys commented on a couple of cars I posted and indicsted the high teens were a bit high for those cars. There does seem to be a fair amount of 37s recently. I found one of the previous cars still for sale in my search. And yes I limit my Buick search to pre war only as those PW guys have had an influence on me. Although the numbers of for sale cars in the driver class is down from the glory years of the hobby its still fun to find some. As with all things I want 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 Love these slant backs and the color. Can't believe it's still available after 27 days being posted and the reasonable asking price.With the description and these videos all that's needed is a short phone conversation, hooking up the trailer and stopping by the bank on the way for cash. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 "Love these slant backs and the color. Can't believe it's still available after 27 days being posted and the reasonable asking price.With the description and these videos all that's needed is a short phone conversation, hooking up the trailer and stopping by the bank on the way for cash." I agree, and its a very nice car............so what can you read about this inbetween the lines..............🤔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Jake Moran Posted October 20, 2020 Author Share Posted October 20, 2020 I cant stop at the bank yet. I'm still a few years away from that but if i was recently retired. I would. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dibarlaw Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 11 hours ago, John_S_in_Penna said: And the all-important contact information, copied from the ad, is: "Contact Name: John Call: (417) 201-4805" Larry, can you share a bit of your expertise so I and others can learn? Is that carburetor problematic? Do people replace it with another? Is the automatic choke a problem too? John: Not to disparage the car itself as I have the BD-1 Marvel on my car. Original spec is for a Stromberg. Because of the industry wide labor strikes of 1936-37. Buick had to outsource another supply of carbs and went back to Marvel for a short time to fill the gap. I knew this early on with my car and had the carb rebuilt back in 1988. No big deal. Then I had my spare rebuilt before the car went back on the road . Only this time for 6 times the price I had the one done for in 1988! And twice the estimate of the latter now no longer in business shop. Not until the forum enlightenment of "carbking" did I understand that the Marvel was lowest rated carb available for the car. Unfortunately the manifolds and linkages are specific to this carb. Stating this after the money spent on rebuilds I was not going to find a better carb only to also have to change linkages, manifolds, choke etc. As far as I know the carb works fine. (I would like to drive a 37 with the "better carb" for a comparison) It had lived on that engine since new. The Delco automatic choke was known to be somewhat problematic but it has worked well for me. Following Gary Wheelers rebuilding procedure on the unit it seems to work fine. (Gary has since changed over to a "better carb and choke unit"). See Gary's thread on his car's restoration. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John_S_in_Penna Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 31 minutes ago, MrEarl said: Can't believe it's still available after 27 days being posted and the reasonable asking price. 28 minutes ago, edinmass said: I agree, and its a very nice car............so what can you read about this in between the lines... What can we read between the lines? That for this era of car, nearly everyone who wants one already has one or more, and that with many owners being older, the supply now exceeds the demand? I notice, too, that the vast majority of 1936-38 Buicks for sale now are Specials, the least expensive models. Are the Centuries, Roadmasters, and Limiteds, though produced in smaller numbers, all tied up in older collections? Ed, please tell us your impressions, as I'm hypothesizing and you may be seeing this era from a closer standpoint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 On 10/19/2020 at 11:00 AM, B Jake Moran said: and the carburetor does not give it enough fuel to go up long hills I take it that this comment in the sellers description sums up the Marvel carb concerns? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 48 minutes ago, B Jake Moran said: I cant stop at the bank yet. I'm still a few years away from that but if i was recently retired. I would. Oh, you've got this all wrong. After retirement, there's nothing in the bank to stop for. 😩 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Jake Moran Posted October 20, 2020 Author Share Posted October 20, 2020 1 hour ago, MrEarl said: I take it that this comment in the sellers description sums up the Marvel carb concerns? But even with an electrical fuel pump? Thats a curiosity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted October 20, 2020 Share Posted October 20, 2020 I clicked on the CL link so as to copy and post some of the outstanding pictures but alas..... This posting has been deleted by its author. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937-44 Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 Mr Earl you snooze you lose you should have hooked up the trailer and gone down with some money in hand. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrEarl Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 43 minutes ago, 1937-44 said: Mr Earl you snooze you lose you should have hooked up the trailer and gone down with some money in hand. Had it been a Sport Coupe in that condition and price I might have had to done that 😉 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B Jake Moran Posted October 21, 2020 Author Share Posted October 21, 2020 Since it was on for 27 days, maybe someone here saw it and bought it. It was priced right and the mileage and condition warranted it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937McBuick Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 I seriously wonder why I resurrected my in depth restoration project when people can buy cars for a fraction of what this restoration is going to cost me. The thing about 80 plus year old cars is.... no matter what shape the original "well kept" car is in.....everything on it is still 80 plus years old. Some things don't matter as much as others but some stuff just doesn't age well. Labour of love.... can be a love-hate relationship with the project. Alot of stuff goes through a cycle of want. Bought new people wanted it Then after years and years no one wants it Then if some "desirable" items survive that stage interest can be renewed and people want them again. My biggest fear is there will be another "nobody wants it" stage again.... maybe ever. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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