port holes in buicks - history

[JUSTIN]

Why were the holes there? how many? when did they start/end? did any other makes have them?..... General buick history. THanks.

[The Old Guy]

They were first used in 1949, and rumor has it that one of the designers installed some on his 48 and they had lights in them . The general manager of buick at the tome ( I don't remember his name )saw them and had them put on the 49s. The first few had ducting for cooling, but that was soon dropped. They were part of the design for quite a few years, but I am not sure when they stopped. The 53 Skylark was the only Buick without them for a long time.

[Guest 70 Electra]

I'm a relative newbie to Buick history, so I could be full of CR*P, but here's my thoughts.....

I believe 49 was the first year. They were on hiatus for 1958-59, and returned again in 1960. That's the easy part.

Now, when did they end? I guess it depends whether you mean when was the last individual use of them, or when was the last year they were used on the complete product lineup.

They were certainly carried on up through the seventies and eighties on most models---at least on the full size cars. I don't know what the very last useage was, but I'm GUESSING it may have been the 1996 Roadmaster. I think the front drive top car (Electra/Park Ave) gave up on them with the redesign of the C-body in about 1992? (again, just an off the cuff guess)

If the question was what was the first year (after they were re-instituted in 1960) where the FULL product lineup did not use portholes, I think the answer would be 1975. I say that because I don't think the new-for-1975 Skyhawk used portholes. Up to that point I believe all models (compact up through full size) used portholes.

Three vs. Four? I'll let the experts go through that. All I know is that the top of the line always got FOUR, the bottom of the line always got THREE. The confusion is the in-between models like Super, Century/Invicta/Wildcat.

I know that in some years the Century used FOUR, although eventually the Century/Invicta/Wildcat model settled down to using THREE. Not sure about Supers. I think they most often used THREE? I dunno.

It's interesting to note that while Buick has brought back the porthole for the new ParkAve, it only uses THREE.....the first time the top-of-the-line Buick used three instead of four. Just shows how little the product planners know or understand about the division's heritage!

[Guest Reatta1]

Another question regarding portholes is when did they become decorative instead of functional. On my 66 LeSabre they are just decorative. Also I know the 66 Wildcat didn't have portholes, it had a large single insert in the lower part of the fender behind the wheel well and doesn't look like portholes. The LeSabre has a long insert in the upper part of the fender behind the wheel well. Any Buick history buffs out there with the info?

[Guest AWBE]

I think some late 48 Roadmasters had 4 holes.

[Guest]

Just to add a little more confusion... One of the noticeable differences between the LeSabre and the Centurion, was the Centurion (theoretically a high performance car) did not have the porthole strip on the hood.

[Philippe Racicot]

According to "The Buick, A Complete History", the portholes were inspired to Ned Nickles by WW2 fighter planes and he installed them on his 48 Roadmaster convertible. He also connected amber lights attached to the distributor to suggest fire coming out of the portholes. Harlow Curtice (Buick's general manager) liked them and he asked for them (without lights!) on 49 Supers and Roadmasters (there were no 49 Specials). The early 49 models had hoses attached to them to cool the engine but after that they were decorative. From 1949 to 1957, all production models exept 53-54 Skylarks had them. All Roadmasters counted four each side and 55-57 Centurys and Supers also had four. 49-54 Supers, 50-57 Specials and 54 Centurys had 3 portholes. They were absent on 58-59 models but were reintrocuced on 60 Buicks. Le Sabres had 3 from 60 to 79 (exept the 78-79 turbos). 60-63 Invictas, 62-63 Wildcats and 61-69 Specials and Sportwagons also had 3. 61-65, 75-79 Skylarks and 73-75 Appolos also had 3 portholes. The 70 to 74? Estate Wagons had 4 and the 75-76 had 3. The 60-80 Electras had 4 portholes and the 81-84 Park Avenue models only also had 4. the 87 Regal GNX had 4 the 2003 Park Avenue Ultra has 3. 63 and on Rivieras, 64-70 Wildcats, Centurions, 73 and newer Centurys, Skyhawks, Reattas, 91-96 Roadmasters and Regals (save for the 87 GNX and a 97 or 98 prototype) did not have portholes.

[palbuick]

HI All

Way BACK IN 1973 at the BcA National show, BMD had placed 40 or more factory pictures on the walls at the banquet hall. There were pictures from the 20's through the late 60's. A certain young man (them) started taking them down, especially the ones of the 1955 era. Later on in the evening he gave me one. A factory picture of my 1949 Super Woody wagon. The picture was taken in a fenced in parking lot, the license plate was a Mfg. plate dated 1948. The front fender

had NO port holes and the chrome trim from the parking light to the back fender was absent.

Jim Schilf / palbuick@aol.com <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

[Philippe Racicot]

Jim, I guess the reason why the car on the factory picture you have seen had no portholes was that Harlow Curtice asked for them only 7 months before production 49 models went out (again from: The Buick, A Complete History). That would explain why some pre-production 49's could have lacked them.

[Guest Parm]

I may have missed it. When was the last year for the "actual" portholes (ie., not the cosmetic trim variety).

Thanks.

[Guest Parm]

THOUGHT I'D POST THIS AGAIN. PERHAPS KNOWS THE ANSWER?

I may have missed it. When was the last year for the "actual" portholes (ie., not the cosmetic trim variety).

[Stu Allen]

The only functional portholes were on the early 1949 cars. My 49 Super has them and they are connected to fabric hoses which go underhood. They were replaced in mid year by the non-functional "cosmetic" type.

[AK Buickman]

Jim (palbuick),

What a coincidence! That same evening in Flint, 1973, I acquired a black & white

8 X 10 glossy photo of an early (1963) Riviera that had very obvious LaSalle emblems on the taillights. The photo must have been taken when GM was considering the car for Cadillac. (Thank you, Cadillac!)

After 30 years, I don't remember that photo of the '49 wagon without portholes. Just how many cold beers were you pouring in my glass that evening?

Gary

[Philippe Racicot]

I think the 87 GNX also had functional portholes.

[palbuick]

Hi Gary

I don't think you had too many. You had a busy day, climbing flagpoles, and collecting pictures. Do you remember the TOLLs with their 49 RM Convt, when they got second place to my 49 Woody. Never saw that car again. Hope to make flint this year and bring some pictures from 71-72-73, only have a few left.

JIm keenan is planing to attend, Jerry Bodden and a few other old timers will be there too.

Stay warm.

Jim Schilf

[AK Buickman]

Jim,

A correction; I climbed up on the roof of Buick's Administration Building in 1971, until a guard chased me off--the view was great up there while it lasted. Then in 1978, I acquired my souvenirs by climbing a few flagpoles in the parking lot of the Administration Building. Do you remember there were almost some fist fights by our guys over those souvenirs?

Winning the trophy with your Woody must have been a high point of your life. I remember that you were quite excited to win over that Roadmaster!!

Jim, we need to get a group photo of any surviving members of the original members of the

Chicagoland Chapter while we are in Flint.

Gary......