Pre-War Specifications

[alextheantiqueautoguy]

When I become interested in a Car, I often start by making a spreadsheet of the specifications. I am in the habit of including all cars made from the founding until the start of WW2. That's been easy with Peerless, Hupmobile, Franklin and others because their firm ending date is in the 1930's.

I started a chart for Buick and hit a wall where I have been unable to get factory based information from 1940, '41 and '42. Is there an online source for that information?

To give you an idea of the information I put together, I am including a jpg of one page from the Buick spreadsheet. I am happy to have your comments and corrections on that as well, though it's fair to say I used either factory sources or from a trade magazine of the day, but I can make mistakes. So comment away!

Don't forget the specifications from the 40's! I'm stuck.

Thanks for any help.
 

Edited November 15, 2021 by alextheantiqueautoguy
clarity (see edit history)

[Mark Shaw]

The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942 is an excellent resource. 

You can usually find a copy at your local public library.

 

The Buick A Complete History also lists the info you seek and it goes beyond 1942.

Edited November 15, 2021 by Mark Shaw (see edit history)

[Morgan Wright]

http://www.carnut.com/specs/gen/buick40.html

 

 

 

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Edited November 23, 2021 by Morgan Wright (see edit history)

[alextheantiqueautoguy]

21 hours ago, Morgan Wright said:

http://web.archive.org/web/20201128103053/http://www.carnut.com/specs/gen/buick40.html

 

Save the above link, or print it out. It looks like carnut.com is discontinued and this is from the Wayback machine.

Thanks, this is a great source. It does close up some gaps in some data, though. It doesn't include all of the auto models Buick offered and I prefer a "factory" source or at least data published at the same time the model was introduced.  That does limit my sources.

 

Edited November 16, 2021 by alextheantiqueautoguy (see edit history)

[alextheantiqueautoguy]

22 hours ago, Mark Shaw said:

The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942 is an excellent resource. 

You can usually find a copy at your local public library.

 

The Buick A Complete History also lists the info you seek and it goes beyond 1942.

I appreciate the Standard Catalogue but, in spite of the fact that it is a monumental work, I found the data incomplete and in some cases inaccurate. Plugging those gaps with factory based data is my goal. If you know of an online source for "Buick A Complete History" please send it along.

 

[Mark Shaw]

1 hour ago, alextheantiqueautoguy said:

I appreciate the Standard Catalogue but, in spite of the fact that it is a monumental work, I found the data incomplete and in some cases inaccurate. Plugging those gaps with factory based data is my goal. If you know of an online source for "Buick A Complete History" please send it along.

 

It would be helpful if you posted which car you are investigating...

[alextheantiqueautoguy]

On 11/16/2021 at 11:26 AM, Mark Shaw said:

It would be helpful if you posted which car you are investigating...

I am not researching one car in this post. I am collecting specifications for all models manufactured by Buick from the beginning of the world until the end of production 1942. 

I have the Standard Catalogue of American Cars but it is often loose with it's data. I try to reference factory sources or sources that have used the factory data as their source.

[2carb40]

A guy named Walter Brugger(spg?), Has published 'facts' books about the Buicks of the '39-'41 era your inquiring about, also William (Bill, I presume), Anderson has written as well. I supplement parts research in the Buick factory parts manuals with service bulletin books of the period and the 'Bible of parts' book, Hollander Interchange Manual(various years),(printed in Mpls,MN no less!), The go to application book for junkyards back in the day. The Society of Automotive Engineers, also did their own tests and published detailed mechanical specs for autos, although I don't know how early that started, they still sponsor completive college level engineering students clubs that compete by building 'Formula SAE' cars, new every year. My oldest started a club at UMD-Duluth,MN and competed in MI. They do run on a track, but one at a time against each other's measured different categories. Safest way! I would hazard a guess archives are available as far back as they began, aided by having switched from paper to electronic at some point. Good Luck! Hope that rambling helps!

Edited November 23, 2021 by 2carb40 (see edit history)