George Smolinski Posted July 24, 2021 Share Posted July 24, 2021 About This Vehicle Driven 8,926 miles Manual transmission Exterior color: Gray · Interior color: Tan VIN: 43923214 Fuel type: Gasoline Seller's Description https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/4451541194879580/ 1940 Buick Special Eight 4-Door Sedan 1940 40 Buick Eight 8 Cylinder * Model 41 * Survivor * Rat Rod * Hot Rod This car was stored in a dry garage for 30+ years. We installed a new battery, primed the carburetor, hit the starter, and it fired right up. Other than that, we did not do anything mechanically or cosmetically to the car from the time of purchase. After taking it on a mile test drive, the motor was whisper quiet, and the transmission shifted perfectly with no clutch chatter. The brakes work, which should be serviced if you plan on driving it. The previous owner replaced all four shocks with tube shocks but left the lever shocks installed. The speedometer is not operational, and the spare tire is missing. As you can see the interior is mostly original but quite tattered. The paint appears to be original. We can’t find where any paint or body work has been done. Other than surface rust, it appears to be a rust-free car and close to being dent-free. Underneath, we don’t see any problems with the floor or the frame. Please see pictures. This Buick is an excellent original example of an 81-year-old car. Odometer reads: 8926 Cannot verify the accuracy of the mileage. Clean Wisconsin Title. VIN on Title: 43923214 VIN Tag on Frame: 13676765 VIN on Engine Block: 20064 *** NOTE: TITLE VIN DISCREPANCY *** *** The VIN on car does NOT match the title. *** This car is sold as is. No warranty. If you have any questions, please contact: Larry Fisette Phone: [hidden information] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supercub Posted July 24, 2021 Share Posted July 24, 2021 (edited) Pretty cool. I would have put penetrating oil in the cylinders and let it sit to soak in, lube the top end, pull the oil pan, etc before starting it but that was the flipper's decision. And no title. Edited July 24, 2021 by supercub (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryB Posted July 24, 2021 Share Posted July 24, 2021 The wonky title situation is going to be a problem. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil morse Posted July 25, 2021 Share Posted July 25, 2021 Apart from the title problem, this appears to be a solid car at a reasonable price. Is it possible that there's some other number (on the frame?) that matches the number on the title? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted July 25, 2021 Share Posted July 25, 2021 The number on the title is in the correct range to be the engine number on a 1940 Buick Special. The number they have listed as the engine number is likely a casting number... it is not the engine number. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Smolinski Posted July 25, 2021 Author Share Posted July 25, 2021 1 hour ago, MCHinson said: The number on the title is in the correct range to be the engine number on a 1940 Buick Special. The number they have listed as the engine number is likely a casting number... it is not the engine number. I've got a hunch that this flipper has zero to no experience with cars, let alone older cars, and he/she wouldn't know a VIN from a banana. This - (VIN on Title: 43923214) may very well be the title number. One thing he/she did get right is he/she didn't call it a VIN NUMBER - THERE'S NO SUCH THING!!!! - It's either a VIN or a vehicle identification number. Get it right! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCHinson Posted July 25, 2021 Share Posted July 25, 2021 I am relatively sure that the number listed on the Title is the engine number. It is not at all unusual to find an engine number listed as the "VIN" or "Serial Number" on cars of this era. It is unlikely to be the Title number since it is in the correct range for an engine number on a 1940 40 series Buick. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Perkins / Mn Posted July 25, 2021 Share Posted July 25, 2021 George, google his name, he is a well known hunter of barnfind and hidden cars. Doesn’t mean he is by any means an expert. 47 minutes ago, George Smolinski said: I've got a hunch that this flipper has zero to no experience with cars, let alone older cars, and he/she wouldn't know a VIN from a banana. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingrudy Posted July 25, 2021 Share Posted July 25, 2021 (edited) From 1940 to the mid 50s many states used the engine number as the identification number on a car. My car had an RE number on the block which the state of California used as the ID. As the car never left California this was not a problem as there never was a vehicle inspection. Moved to North Carolina and things changed. I had to get the vehicle inspected and initially there was a concern about the ID number which did not match the frame number. DMV ran the number and it came back clear, so they changed my title to read the frame as the vin. The process took about 9 months. Edited July 25, 2021 by kingrudy Clarity (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingrudy Posted July 25, 2021 Share Posted July 25, 2021 (edited) 3 minutes ago, kingrudy said: Edited July 25, 2021 by kingrudy redundant (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The 55er Posted July 25, 2021 Share Posted July 25, 2021 Whether the sell has any experience with antique cars or not, making ridiculous statements like "After 30 years storage we installed a new battery in the car, primed the carb, hit the starter and it fired right up" is total BS (no mention of the 30 year crud that was in the gas tank). I think the seller's goal is to find some uninformed inexperienced dimbulb idiot that's in the market for an old car to sell it to. You can bet that's a lot more than 108,926 miles with the non-operational odometer as well. This is likely just another overpriced worn out old car in need of a lot of restoration work. Caveat Emptor! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supercub Posted July 25, 2021 Share Posted July 25, 2021 With any old car and motorcycle as well, it's a game of crap that you play with the seller. You have to basically disregard all that is said or typed in a listing and draw your own conclusions with a thorough inspection, and knowledge of workarounds for getting it plated, and offer accordingly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Smolinski Posted July 25, 2021 Author Share Posted July 25, 2021 57 minutes ago, The 55er said: Whether the sell has any experience with antique cars or not, making ridiculous statements like "After 30 years storage we installed a new battery in the car, primed the carb, hit the starter and it fired right up" is total BS (no mention of the 30 year crud that was in the gas tank). I think the seller's goal is to find some uninformed inexperienced dimbulb idiot that's in the market for an old car to sell it to. You can bet that's a lot more than 108,926 miles with the non-operational odometer as well. This is likely just another overpriced worn out old car in need of a lot of restoration work. Caveat Emptor! 2 minutes ago, supercub said: With any old car and motorcycle as well, it's a game of crap that you play with the seller. You have to basically disregard all that is said or typed in a listing and draw your own conclusions with a thorough inspection, and knowledge of workarounds for getting it plated, and offer accordingly. I agree with both of you. However the condition in photos & price would make me want to go look it over if I was in the market for such a vehicle. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supercub Posted July 25, 2021 Share Posted July 25, 2021 Sometimes you get lucky and find an old registration form tucked away. That's all you would need in a no title state. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now