1939 Buick Sedan - $18,500 OBO

[Leif in Calif]

Wish the pictures were better....

https://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/d/galt-1939-buick/7590242539.html

 Series 60. Straight 8. Runs. Clean Title. Located in Galt, Ca. $18,500 obo Contact Using Email  1ff5939a070a3c6c9334d351d34bbf15@sale.craigslist.org

[AdamInNH]

I’ve never been able to get past the aesthetic of the ‘39 Buick grille. Before or after, sure. ‘39, not so much. 😖

[Hudsy Wudsy]

Adam, I agree completely. I can make allowance for the fact that this was a very transitional period style wise, from vertical to horizontal, but geez '39 Buicks have ugly grilles. It's such a shame, because a lot of folks see these as Buick's glory years.

[AdamInNH]

The grille is too small and dainty looking. It’s as if the grille belongs on a much smaller car. How it ever made it past the drawing board is a mystery to me. 

[suchan]

The '39's had a number of issues,  a frame that ended short of the rear of the body, shift linkage, early models had the grill bars too close together (as this one appears to) and resultant overheating. I kind of like the grill, but IMHO it suffers in comparison with the great designs of the years before and after. 

It's a Century, but condition looks like a #3 minus/4 plus. Hope the seller is real flexible on that OBO.

[Crusty Trucker]

I guess I'm the odd man out. Always liked the '39 Buick grille. They were very popular with customizers in the '40's and '50's. Here is a '39 Mercury with a '39 Buick grille. '39 and '40 Fords and Mercs were the most popular adaptations, but many other similarly styled cars got the treatment, too. 

(Note: chopped, padded "carson" top, '37 Desoto bumpers, and "flipper" hub caps - very popular modifications.)

 

 

 

 

Edited February 18, 2023 by Crusty Trucker (see edit history)

[Marty Roth]

15 hours ago, Crusty Trucker said:

I guess I'm the odd man out. Always liked the '39 Buick grille. They were very popular with customizers in the '40's and '50's. Here is a '39 Mercury with a '39 Buick grille. '39 and '40 Fords and Mercs were the most popular adaptations, but many other similarly styled cars got the treatment, too. 

(Note: chopped, padded "carson" top, '37 Desoto bumpers, and "flipper" hub caps - very popular modifications.) 

... as were (1949?) Plymouth 3-Ribbed bumpers,

and later on, stretching the rear fenders to adapt a 1956 Packard, Buick, or Lincoln tail light assembly, among others...

and then mechanically, a CROWN adapter kit to match the Mercury/Ford transmission with a Cadillac 331 ci V-8 to make it a Ford-illac/Merc-illac

[Crusty Trucker]

1 hour ago, Marty Roth said:

... as were (1949?) Plymouth 3-Ribbed bumpers,

and later on, stretching the rear fenders to adapt a 1956 Packard, Buick, or Lincoln tail light assembly, among others...

and then mechanically, a CROWN adapter kit to match the Mercury/Ford transmission with a Cadillac 331 ci V-8 to make it a Ford-illac/Merc-illac

 

Don't forget the Lincoln transmission gears behind a hot flathead, Lincoln door buttons (before solenoids) and the use of Packard or Cadillac 3-speeds behind Olds or Cad overheads in early Ford conversions.. The list goes on, but the memory fades. Such is life.

PS  My high school  ride had a "custom" length of bailing wire connected to the inside trunk latch  on the smoothed off deck lid. Not hi-tech, but it worked, after a fashion.

 

Honest Charlie's speed shop supplied whatever else you needed that you couldn't find in the junk yard.

Edited February 18, 2023 by Crusty Trucker (see edit history)

[Marty Roth]

On 2/18/2023 at 5:29 PM, Crusty Trucker said:

 

Don't forget the Lincoln transmission gears behind a hot flathead, Lincoln door buttons (before solenoids) and the use of Packard or Cadillac 3-speeds behind Olds or Cad overheads in early Ford conversions.. The list goes on, but the memory fades. Such is life.

PS  My high school  ride had a "custom" length of bailing wire connected to the inside trunk latch  on the smoothed off deck lid. Not hi-tech, but it worked, after a fashion.

 

Honest Charlie's speed shop supplied whatever else you needed that you couldn't find in the junk yard.

Honest Charlie's speed shop later became a segment of Coker Tire, if my memory is still reasonably intact

[deac]

Well it is a series 60 and a few years back something around 18 might have bought this Buick but the current market is just not there. I had a 39 Special coupe a few years ago and it performed well for me. The grill is acceptable to me. On the early 39's the grill bars were too to tight but I believe Buick had a campaign that replaced those grills. Moreover Buick decided to nix the rear part of the frame which was not a good idea. Lastly the torque ball leaks and that I don't care to fix it. The repair doesn't sound fun!

 

If you're looking for a 39 and the speedometer shows the the numbers ending in 5's: 5 - 15 - 25 that indicates an early build date. So look at the grill and rear frame on those!

Edited February 21, 2023 by deac (see edit history)