1911 Buick advice

[Mick0502]

I have access to this 1911 Buick.  I know nothing about antique cars or cars in general (I just drive one 🙂) but i was hoping someone could provide advice.

The end goal would be to sell this vehicle. 
How difficult would it be to find someone fix and restore this car? I live in New Jersey.

An estimate of the amount needed to repair? (I realize that’s not easy considering the condition is unknown) From the pictures, it looks like the axle is bent, but overall aesthetically, the vehicle is in good condition. It does not start.

I know there’s a buyer for anything, but is there an interest for this type of car among antique enthusiasts?
I need to have it transported to NJ and I am just trying to understand if it’s worth investing in the transportation to get it here and overall investing in the vehicle.

Any advice or thoughts are welcome and appreciated. 
thank you!

 

Edited February 11, 2023 by Mick0502 (see edit history)

[dibarlaw]

PM sent..

[JV Puleo]

Yes, there is certainly an interest. It looks to be reasonably sound. BUT...A brass era car that doesn't run is not likely to be easy to sort out. Provided nothing is wrong (which is a huge proviso) it could still cost several thousand dollars to get it running provided you could find someone to do it. I'd guess that not more than one in a thousand professed "mechanics" have any brass car experience and pre-WWI cars are a whole world in themselves. Unless you are getting it for free the chances of flipping it for even a modest profit are, at best, a roll of the dice.

Edited February 11, 2023 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[oldcarfudd]

The car appears to be a Buick Model 26 runabout.  Well sorted, it would be an excellent car for week-long HCCA tours, of which there are many in the northeast.  It would also be a hoot for trips to the bank, the barber, the ice creamery and your favorite pizza joint as long as you don't live in a traffic-clogged city.  I have a 1912 Buick Model 35 touring car, mechanically quite similar, which I enjoy in all of the above uses.  I have the mechanical skills of the average American earthworm, so I hire the skills of a very good brass car guy in Pennsylvania.  Yes, they exist.  If you're interested, PM me and we can talk.  No, I'm not a candidate for ownership; at age 86 and counting, I'm cutting back.  Where in NJ are you?

 

Gil Fitzhugh, Morristown, NJ

[pre10]

Sell it like it is, remember the law of diminishing returns. It is a common enough car to come up with a value for. Check Hagerty.

[g-g-g0]

I would recommend you drop down to the Buick forums and pose your questions in the Pre-war forum. Lots of Buick eyeballs.

[trimacar]

Buying a car you’re not familiar with for resale is rarely a profitable endeavor.

 

If the car is very inexpensive, let’s say $10K or less, you can probably make money on it.  Above that price, diminishing returns as mentioned is more applicable.

[wayne sheldon]

Having any sort of work done on really antique automobiles is a matter of love for the cars, the history surrounding them, and the hobby! ANY work you pay someone that should be even allowed to TOUCH such a car will cost two to ten times any amount said work will increase the value of said antique automobile! Hiring anyone not truly familiar with working on these cars can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars to end up with something you cannot even get your original purchase price in return! (Seen it-DOZENS-of times!) Seriously! Anyone not in the hobby and truly familiar with pre 1930 automobiles usually does far more harm than good when tampering with them.

 

I like a lot of people on this website have been in this hobby for a long time. For many years, my advice to people asking about getting into the hobby has been to join a couple local clubs. Go to their meetings. Go to their tours, and other events. Get to know some of the people. Get to know some of the cars. ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS!

Then you might be able to figure out what you want for an antique automobile. What kind of car, what era car. You need to understand what YOU want from the car and the hobby!

If all you want is to fix it and flip it for a quick profit? Antique automobiles are one of the very WORST ways to go! Antique automobiles chew people up and spit them out! They break down. If you don't KNOW how to fix it yourself? Oldcarfudd aside (I have known him as a dedicated hobbyist through the HCCA for many years!), you are going to pay a bunch of money just to get back to where you were!

 

IF (big huge IF) you are given the car? There are several very good shops in the Northeast that are capable of sorting it out. A few of them are regulars on this forum. You MIGHT be able to get it fixed enough and running enough to make a tidy little profit. On the other hand? It is a crapshoot. If it turns out that the engine and driveline need to be fully rebuilt? THAT could cost twice what you would be able to sell it for once finished!

[Mick0502]

On 2/11/2023 at 8:08 PM, oldcarfudd said:

The car appears to be a Buick Model 26 runabout.  Well sorted, it would be an excellent car for week-long HCCA tours, of which there are many in the northeast.  It would also be a hoot for trips to the bank, the barber, the ice creamery and your favorite pizza joint as long as you don't live in a traffic-clogged city.  I have a 1912 Buick Model 35 touring car, mechanically quite similar, which I enjoy in all of the above uses.  I have the mechanical skills of the average American earthworm, so I hire the skills of a very good brass car guy in Pennsylvania.  Yes, they exist.  If you're interested, PM me and we can talk.  No, I'm not a candidate for ownership; at age 86 and counting, I'm cutting back.  Where in NJ are you?

 

Gil Fitzhugh, Morristown, NJ

 

[Mick0502]

@oldcarfudd I live 10 minutes you 🙂 thank you for response!  Agree - it would be fun to drive it around those places.  I would love to speak live— I don’t have the access on this forum  to send you a private message. I hope i am not breaking the rules by providing my email — ctinalee0502@gmail.com

[kings32]

I may like to that car and sort it out , Like itis 

[oldcarfudd]

On 2/13/2023 at 8:58 AM, Mick0502 said:

@oldcarfudd I live 10 minutes you 🙂 thank you for response!  Agree - it would be fun to drive it around those places.  I would love to speak live— I don’t have the access on this forum  to send you a private message. I hope i am not breaking the rules by providing my email — ctinalee0502@gmail.com

I sent you an email with my cell phone number.

 

Gil Fitzhugh

[Mark Shaw]

I suggest you sell it as-is to someone with the interest and skills to restore it.

 

[kings32]

I woIuld be instered  for the right price  I would keep it to do the early tours  I would rather talk to you on the phone if that is possible  . Thankyou Howard