J Rod Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Rod Posted December 30, 2023 Author Share Posted December 30, 2023 I’m looking for any info on my 79 Electra. There is a plaque on the glove box and a badge by the door vin that says number 5 of 6, but can’t find any further info on the net about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Rod Posted December 30, 2023 Author Share Posted December 30, 2023 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 Sharp looking Electra 'vert! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Rod Posted December 30, 2023 Author Share Posted December 30, 2023 Thanks. It was my grand fathers. I know minimum about it and can’t find anything about it really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1939_Buick Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 Suggest also post in Buick subforum https://forums.aaca.org/forum/57-buick-post-war/ Family going to keep it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1939_Buick Posted December 30, 2023 Share Posted December 30, 2023 (edited) 36 minutes ago, J Rod said: I’m looking for any info on my 79 Electra. There is a plaque on the glove box and a badge by the door vin that says number 5 of 6, but can’t find any further info on the net about it. Suggest also post in Buick subforum https://forums.aaca.org/forum/57-buick-post-war/ Family going to keep it? Edit A thread in this forum. Due to software changes over the years images are gone. Edited December 30, 2023 by 1939_Buick (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Rod Posted December 30, 2023 Author Share Posted December 30, 2023 Yea. I’m gonna keep it for a while. Drive it around maybe take it to some car shows like my grandpa used to. He knew more about it than me. I’m new to the game so I wasn’t sure if there was an audience for it or anyone that had heard of them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1939_Buick Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 51 minutes ago, J Rod said: Yea. I’m gonna keep it for a while. Drive it around maybe take it to some car shows like my grandpa used to. He knew more about it than me. I’m new to the game so I wasn’t sure if there was an audience for it or anyone that had heard of them Where are you? Join the Buick Club of America. May be a local chapter near you. https://www.buickclub.org/ https://www.buickclub.org/regionschapters-divisions/ Maybe your grandfather was a member 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Phillips Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 There's an article about the after-market Buick convertibles of the 1970s and 1980s in the works by George Toth. Will be in the Feb. or the March issue. Pete 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Rod Posted December 31, 2023 Author Share Posted December 31, 2023 Awesome!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Rod Posted December 31, 2023 Author Share Posted December 31, 2023 I’m in Texas. That’s a good idea. I’ll look into those clubs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Phillips Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 (edited) I'm in Texas also. We have a chapter of the Buick Club of America in the Dallas area. Usually meets in Arlington on the second Saturday of the month, 12 noon. There's also an Alamo Chapter In the San Antorio area and the Lone Star chapter is in the Houston area. Edited December 31, 2023 by Pete Phillips (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Bruce aka First Born Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 15 minutes ago, J Rod said: I’m in Texas. That’s a good idea. I’ll look into those clubs Well, shucks, that narrows it down a bit!😄 We would LIKE to see that car. Ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Rod Posted December 31, 2023 Author Share Posted December 31, 2023 Lol I’m Houston. The car is currently in Indiana. I want to give it a time up and once over before I bring it down. It sat in my grandfathers building for years before I got it. It’s surprising in incredible shape and runs well. But it does need new fluid and tune up 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Eaton Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 I'm also in Texas and would love to see it at a show here sometime. There are three Buick clubs in Texas... Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio Before Covid we usually had a joint meet in the spring and another in the fall. I believe they are working on a spring show at this time. That is an outstanding car.... gather all the info you can and if you were to enter it in a BCA, AACA show you might need some documentation verifying the modification that were done. One last suggestion.... contact the main Cincinnati library and they might have some history or they may know of someone in the area that has accumulated information on the company. Also check with the Professional car club, someone there may have info on the company. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Rod Posted December 31, 2023 Author Share Posted December 31, 2023 That’s awesome info thank you!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtjr Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 Definitely looks like one of a few built by Hess&Eisenhardt. Very rare, H&E built c body, Electra, 98, Deville converts in 78-79 time frame. They also converted FWD a body, Ciera ,century, not sure if they did any Pontiac or chevys. Price was hefty so they did not sell many. H&E was primarily a funeral coach builder, they were located around Cincinnati Ohio. They went through a number of buyouts/mergers and ultimately disappeared in the early 90’s. My father had an 81 Riviera converted by them. Stellar quality, we also had one of the century’s, it was a sharp convert too. Definitely a slick ride that you probably will not see at any car shows. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Rod Posted December 31, 2023 Author Share Posted December 31, 2023 Thank you. That is very helpful!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtjr Posted January 1 Share Posted January 1 Jrod, i am currently doing an article on Buick convertibles and would like to talk/message with you about using your pictures. You can contact me at getoth@gmail.com or 9195384042. I look forward to hearing from you. George Toth 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 Hess & Eisenhart also did a lot of security armoring of vehicles. I visited their facility in Cincinnati in the 80's to help them fix an electrical problem on a vehicle. For you car, does it have standard thickness window glass? If not it could be an armored vehicle. At the time I visited them they had a large number of different vehicles from almost every manufacturer in the world that they were armoring. Very interesting operation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 I always wanted to convert an early 1980s Buick Park Ave myself. H&E was located in Lima, Ohio. I had a 1982 Eldorado Baritz convertible conversion by them. Similar hardware and inner headliner as shown om yours. About 1984-85 the company changed to Car Craft and continued with the convertible conversions as they developed the armored car business. I have a 1986 Buick Park Avenue FWD convertible conversion built by Car Craft that is very similar to the jobs H&E did. A difference I like is a stainless cap across the windshield header in place of the H&E cloth, looks more finished. My Buick is the second generation GM H body. Significant body and structural work was done to make it a convertible. When new the 1986 Park Avenue coupe cost in the $15,000 range. The conversion was between $10,000 and $15,000 making it a pricey car at the time. Mine was leased by the original owner in Round Lake, IL., probably to hide the cost from his wife. My conversion number is 0001. I know of two others. It is hard to find online information of Car Craft because of the similar magazine name. I have been gathering scraps of information on mine since I bought it in 2011 and have been in all the nooks and crannies to see the modifications. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt G Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 Best thing to do is JOIN the Buick Club of America!!! the publication is worth the cost of the dues alone even if you do nothing else. A full color magazine once a month that the Editor who is a great guy, works his axx off to produce at a high level of quality and information with a great mixture of eras, years, models etc. The regions and chapters are wonderful , at least the one here near me is that I belong to. couldn't be better. I have belonged to antique car clubs since 1964 long before I could drive, and the BCA "Bugle" magazine is one of the best single make car magazine I have ever seen. I have experience in Editing, and writing for car magazines - both club and commercial , national and local level. BCA is GREAT. You will have a great car and can share your joy if you belong to a club and go to meetings. Walt PS If you can connect with Pete Phillips you will never regret his friendship and vast knowledge and enthusiasm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95Cardinal Posted January 5 Share Posted January 5 @J Rod Welcome to the forums. What a GREAT car you've got there. I did not know that H&E made convertible conversions of those "C" body vehicles. I bet it's a great touring car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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