51 Buick Identification

[51DeLuxe]

Hi all;

I hope to be in a position where someday I can offer advice instead of ask for it but here I go again.

As I research and search for parts, it is increasingly obvious to me a major first step in the restoration process is the proper identification of my vehicle.

Is is a 1951 Buick 4 door sedan, the registration is a little fuzzy after that. The fellow who I got this from told me it was a Special DeLuxe. I has a DeLuxe script on the trunk and Buick Eight on the trunk lid ornament.

Here is what I have been able to obtain off of the plate under the hood.

1951 MOD 51-410

Style No. 51 4369D

Body No. 84 2396

Trim No. 41

Paint No. 01

I have been able to determine the paint code stands for Carlsbad Black which makes sense because....the car is black. I have the original seats/upholstery and door panels so I kinda get that.

What I don't understand is the model codes the resellers of parts list such as 40 series, 50 series etc. How do I tell what size engine the straight eight is?

Any help deciphering the would info from the plate is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Guest imported_Thriller]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

1951 MOD 51-410

Style No. 51 4369D

Body No. 84 2396

Trim No. 41

Paint No. 01

</div></div>

OK...the model 51-410, according to <span style="font-style: italic">The Standard Catalog of Buick</span> should be 41<span style="font-weight: bold">D</span>, which designates a Special Deluxe 4-door sedan, 6 passenger. Factory price was $2185, shipping weight 3680 lb, and 87,848 were produced. All '51 Specials had the 263 cid straight 8, which has a 6.6:1 compression ratio and 120 hp generated at 3600 rpm. The carb should be a Stromberg AA UVB 267, or Carter 2 barrel 725 or 882. You are correct about the Carlsbad Black.

Unfortunately, I don't have any information that will allow me to decode the trim number for you.

[Bill Stoneberg]

As Derek says, you have a Special Deluxe. You can tell its a Deluxe from the trim down the Side.

In that era Buick you had Specials, Supers, and Roadmasters.

Specials were the lowest and they were the series 40.

Supers were middle of the pack and they were series 50.

Roadmasters were at the top and they were series 70.

All the Specials and Supers in 1951 had a 263 Cu/In Straight 8 motor.

The plate of yours where it reads 1951 MOD 51-410 should be a 41 D for Deluxe. The 51 is the year of the car.

I can check the trim for you later on.

[51DeLuxe]

Wow, you guys are amazing. Thanks for the assistance. Should make the parts hunt slightly easier...but definitely not easy

Bill; When you said I can tell it's a Deluxe by the trim down the side...what would I be looking for to differentiate?

[Bill Stoneberg]

If it is a deluxe it will have stainless trim down the side. Its a sweepspear going from over the front wheel to the back fender. A plain one only had the 3 ports in the fender and the rear fender piece. Also the Delux model had a 1 Piece windshield while the plain one had a two piece with a vertical bar seperating them.

Parts are fairly easy to get, Bobs Web Page has most of the parts that wear out. Body parts are a bit harder, watch Ebay and post your needs.

You trim should be Light gray pattern cloth with dark gray plain cloth bloster. Again as the lowest Buick a fairly plain interior. Nicer then most other cars though, because it is a Buick.

If you have not joined the Buick Club of America, you need to. Good MAgazine and great people.

There are lots of helpful people on this board, so the only stupid question is the one that is not asked....

[Guest DaveCorbin]

Dear 51Deluxe:

There are 2 other numbers you should also find and know. One is called the "frame number" and it is on a small plate on top of the right frame rail just behind the battery and tough to see. The other number is called the "engine number" and is stamped on the engine on a small ledge or flat spot, usually on the right side of the engine. For 1951, the frame numbers start at 6031301. The engine numbers start at 6240001. If you post them, I can tell you when the car was built and if the engine is original to the car.

Regards, Dave Corbin

[Guest DaveCorbin]

Dear 51deluxe:

I note that you are in Toronto and the body number starts with the digits "84". I would not be at all surprised if your car was assembled right down the road from you in Oshawa, Ontario. It's something you need to be aware of. Does it say "GM of Canada" anywhere on the information plates?

Regards, Dave Corbin

[Guest DaveCorbin]

Dear 51Deluxe:

I see that my friend Thriller has posted the production quantities for 1951 Buicks here in the US. GM of Canada produced 11,148 Buicks in 1951. The were 211 1942 Buicks produced in Canada, and then none at all until the 1951 models. Lots of trucks for the war effort and other GM makes starting in 1946, but no Buicks until 1951. The predecessor of GM of Canada was McLaughlin, who started in the carriage business in Oshawa in 1867. They imported Buick chassis and put bodies on them starting in 1908. They started producing complete cars in late 1915, Chevrolets and Buicks.

Regards, Dave Corbin

[51DeLuxe]

Wow, great info.

Thanks for the interior color info Bill. Very timely.

I will get those numbers as soon as I can Dave and post them. It would be interesting to know because the engine identified in the sale ad was a 322 but from the above info a 322 would not be original. Unless of course that was a canadian thing.

I'm fairly certain that the bottom of the information plate mentions Flint, MI but I will check again. I work in Toronto but I live in the suburbs on the Oshawa line. The McLauglin's owned a farm I lived on a few years back and I had a tourist attraction in my field which was a glassed in display holding an early car and I believe a carriage and sleigh. If anyone here is interested I can stop by next time I go past there a take a couple of photos.

I'll tell you, summer Sunday afternoons are really something in my neighborhood if you're a fan of old GM vehicles. I also have a pretty nice museum a couple blocks down the road in one of the original GM plant buildings.

[Guest DaveCorbin]

Dear 51Deluxe:

Confusion about Buick engine types and sizes is not at all unknown, especially among non-Buick or non-car types. The engines you mention are easily summed up, as follows: Your car should have a 263 straight eight in it if it is basically stock. This is a bored out version of the 248 engine that was new in 1936 and continued thru 1953. It is a totally different engine from the 4 sizes of straight eights used during the 1931 thru 1935 model years. Also new in 1936 was the engine used in Centuries,Roadmasters, and Limiteds. It is a straight eight of 320 cu. inches, and remained at 320 from 1936 thru 1952.

The V-8's of the 1953 and 1954 time periods were a 322 V-8 and a 264 V-8.

I hope this clarifies things for you.

Regards, Dave Corbin