Why I picked MY Buick

[Guest imported_MrEarl]

John, aka JSCHEIB just expressed some interesting thoughts in another post relative to why he owns his Buicks. I thought it would be good to expand it into its own post in the General discussion forum. Hopefully others will agree and will respond.

Here's mine...

Although my father owned a 48 or 49 Special back when I was just a little squirt of 4-5 years old I can't really say that had much to do with my initial purchase of a Buick. My first Buick purchase happened when I got out of the Marines back in '72. I got to know my neighbor of where I was renting and he had two old Buicks. A 54 Buick 2 door post Special and a gangster style 36 or 37 Special. He had had to stop driving them due to his age a couple of years earlier. At the time all I had was a Volkswagon Bus that I had just returned from a long,long road "trip" to California in and it was on it's last leg. Well one day while I was at home due to the ol "bus" not being able to get me to work the old gentleman offered me my choice of his old Buicks for $250.00 and payments of $50 a month. I was elated to say the least and jumped on the 54 Special. It was emerald green and totally original. I installed my 8 track in it and off I went... sewing my wild oats all over northeast Georgia.The auto pilot never worked very well in that ol Special and I ended up cleaning out one to many ditches. Well a couple of years later I had to sell it (minus the muffler)to buy my new wifey a washing machine (by that time I also had a Fiat 240.) But need I say why I gained such a fond affection for that big old green Buick and why upon selling my herd of internationally known Red Boer goats 27 years later I bought me another big old Buick. A 54 Roadmaster this time.

So there you go. That's why I own MY Buick(s).

[The Old Guy]

I bought my first Buick in 1948. It was a 1931 model 57 ,and the head ,pan, and piston and rod assemblies were in the back seat. I drove it for a year ,and then bought a 1937 century 4 dr with sidemounts. It was almost the fastest car at school.( the only thing faster was a 1949 Olds Rocketwhich was brand new) I have had many different cars through the years, but I have had mostly Buicks, and it seems even today, that Buick still is the car of choice.

The present fleet

37 Special coupe modified with 455 power

40 Super convert restored

63 Electra 2dr hard top 26K original

69 Sport Wagon restored

72 GS455 convert restored

91 Park Ave Ultra my beater

04 Rendezvous Mama's car

[JohnD1956]

What a challenge, describing why one chose their year Buick. Since I cross a few decades, I'll take a stab at how I got to choose Buicks and how I got to my oldest Buick.

My Dad usually bought used cars. He also sired two generations of kids. Being of 1951 vintage myself, I can remember only one of my step sisters at home and going to college, while I can't remember my other step sister in those early years.

Anyway I remember Dad having a 1950 fastback style Buick. This must have been in late 1954. On a trip to vist my step sister in college, the car caught on fire at a gas station in Pennsylvania. I can still remember both of my parents reaching into the back seat to grab me out, both pulling at the same time. As the car burned, I was running between the gas pumps and the station itself, when the fire trucks came barreling in sirens blasting. Scared the heck out of me, but that's not the real reason I chose Buicks.

My dad at that point bought a new 55 Special 4 door with the stick shift. He also bought my sister a 53 special, red and white two toned Riviera model. When my sister graduated I remember both her car and my dads car idling in the driveway and I was mesmerized by the sound of the exhaust. Kept walking back and forth between the cars to compare the sound and they both sounded so ...mellow. I can honestly remember that.

In 1959, Dad went to the Buick dealer in town for something and on the show room floor was a 59 Invicta Convertible. Black with red interior. I was wild when I heard dad make an offer, which was apparently bogus, and the dealer said no...Meanwhile the next door neighbor bought a white one w/ red interior and he always drove it with the top down. Got a few rides in that car. What a car!!!

Anyway, around 1961, Dad bought a 60 Olds and gave the 55 to my Aunt to use.

In 64 my Aunt gave the car back and this became my older brothers beater. We had a ton of fun in that 55, but my brother really longed to get his hands on the Olds. He often complained about the 55 to Dad, hoping to get the 60, and I would defend the 55 to death.. I wanted to have that 55 but being 13 at the time, it was not to be. I did get to drive it however, and I'm sure dad knew. Up and down the block, I loved that thing.

But let me back up a bit. In 1956, two neighbors bought 56 Buicks. One a light blue Special convertible, the other a grey and maroon Roadmaster. I always compared those cars to the 55 whenever they drove past. I certainly came to appreciate the Roadie much more than the special, but I still liked the 55 better than the 56. Anyway, I mentioned to the owner of the 56 Roadmaster that when he was ready to get rid of it, I would like to know.

So, later on, in 66, I was just about to get my permit and bam! Dad gets rid of the 55. Broke my heart to see it go, but hey, it was replaced with a sweet 65 Electra, Maroon w/ black interior. What a magnificent car!!!

Next he drops the 60 Olds ( which was burning a lot of oil by now) and brings home a 66 Delta 88 too. My brother jumps for the Olds, and the Electra became "mine"...Loved that car to death...someday hope to have another. When he had to take the Olds back for some repair, the dealer had a 65 Electra convertible. Yellow, Black top and interior, and every option. What a car!!!I ragged on dad and he finally made the dealer an offer to trade the 66 but I guess he was trying to steal it and the dealer would not let it go. Too bad, that was what really hooked me on Buicks.

In 1971, I found a 57 special convertible. My dad was furious. Yellow and black, but it needed a top, seat covers, and exhaust. I never did get it on the road, when dad brings home a 69 Cutlass Convertible. Trade the Special for the cutlass? Absolutely! And off the Buick went. I had a love hate relationship with the cutlass. Loved it with the top down, but hated that it was SLOW with the 350 and 2 speed Auto. But it was wheels, and nicely optioned , and it didn't cost me anything, so what the hey, I'll drive an Olds.

But in 72 the neighbor one day calls and says if you want the roadie, it's yours... no charge. So I run up there, and my heart sank. He was giving it up because he had wrapped the front end around a curved stone curb. Still, looked like a horseshoe bumper damage only, so it came home. I then found that he had banged the old girl up pretty good all over. I had the body work done by a fellow just getting into the business and painted all one color, you guessed it, Maroon. Red carpets and a set of original Kelsey Hayes wheels later, no one could complain about that car, not even Dad.

Had that baby for two years when reverse dropped out one day. By then I was married and we rented a garage and put it inside while figuring our options. The car was rotted pretty badly. The top grill bar was in three pieces as I patched it together after the curb incident, all the stainless save one piece was dented or damaged, and now the tranny..and thats when my current 56 dropped out of the sky. Another story in itself. I originlly bought it thinking I would strip it for parts for the Roadie, but alas, I stripped the Roadie for the Super as the Super was just that...Super condition and totally solid.

And thats where it all began...

JD

3757

[Guest imported_MrEarl]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I have had many different cars through the years, but I have had mostly Buicks, and it seems even today, that Buick still is the car of choice.

The present fleet

37 Special coupe modified with 455 power

40 Super convert restored

63 Electra 2dr hard top 26K original

69 Sport Wagon restored

72 GS455 convert restored

91 Park Ave Ultra my beater

04 Rendezvous Mama's car </div></div>

"that Buick still is the car of choice" That says it all!!!

and what a fleet it is Joe!!! Hope to see you at Batavia.

[Guest imported_MrEarl]

JohnD, great story. And what a memory you have.

My folks always had Chevrolets except for the 48-49 Special. Then there was the 57 Ford Fairlane my dad got a wild hair and bought one Saturday when he was supposed to be gone to town to pay bills.

51 vintage eh? Pretty good year. Almost as good as 1950.

So which Buicks are you bringing to Batavia. The 69 GS is one of my favs too.

Thanks for sharing.

[The Old Guy]

Lamar, the meet in Batavia will be the first meet where the Buick Modified Division will be recognized, so look for a 37 coupe that is burgundy ,and has "Coupe De Grape" etched in the quarter window.

See you there

[JohnD1956]

Thanks Mr. Earl. Now if I had only had that memory in school....ahhaaa what copuld have been

I am thinking the GS. No judging for me though. That car is no where near judging calibre.

Batavia is relatively close to me, about a 5 hr trip. I'm actually looking way forward to Rochester, Minnesota, for which I plan to try the 56 again. However, if my son comes through, I may take both the 56 and the GS to Batavia.

Looking at the snow here today, I really am getting anxious to go.

John D

3757

[Guest imported_Thriller]

Well, for me it is a longish story...long version can be found at Derek's Buick Page.

Short version of the story...born in the late '60s, Dad was currently a Ford guy...first car I drove was a '77 Mercury Marquis...massive...car preferred 85 to 65...first driving was on the farm in the '79 F-150.

Anyway, I like unique stuff. When I was first in the market, I got a '74 AMC Javelin AMX (think that was in '89)...had some fun with it, but unibody had damage and over the years it was sagging. Went with a friend to a wrecker's yard - he needed some help and also mentioned they had a couple Javelins there. On the way out, we saw the '66 Wildcat - it was complete and it had been driven onto the lot. I just fell in love with the styling. That was in '93.

After some years passed, I had done some research and fell in love with the "neatness" of Buick...a '61 Invicta convertible shows up in a local car club's ads...purchased it in 2000. In 2001, after taking harrassment from car club members about not having a driver, I was on eBay and found a '56 Special in Canada...nothing special, but it was a Buick and it was supposed to be running...I had found my beater driver...turned out to be hugely misrepresented. On to 2002 and on a local lot is a '52 Roadmaster...wife likes the styling so it gets added to the stable at a slightly inflated price. Later in 2002, I was back on eBay and found the '62 Special...it had been hit from the rear, but supposedly running and only needing body repair...another misrepresented car...with Bruce's help and a lot of cash, it had an engine rebuild, body work, and assorted other work to get it to meet the local safety inspection requirements to be licensed...yippee, I had a Buick on the road...then it snowed the day after I got it home

So, in short, I fell in love with the styling of the '66 Wildcat, then grew to love the Buick brand, and bought a couple more cars than I should have...sigh.

[Guest imported_MrEarl]

Derek, great story. I really enjoyed your web page also. I do believe you have the Buick bug. It's great that your wife is into them also. Thanks for sharing. I am so enjoying this forum lately. It's becoming like an on line "Old Buick Magazine" .