Hello my name is Luke. I'v been looking for somthing to haul the family around (3kids & wife) for some time, I wanted somthing easy to get them all in and everyone to have some room. I work at a friends body shop at night to help him out, they let me work on my stuff when things get slow so it works out great. One night I was workin on my 65 Chevy C10 and some guys comes in and we start BSing and I tell him im looking for a 55 Buick 4 door Riv. He tells me there is one right under my nose her in the small town I live in, Mountain Home,ID. The guy that owns the car is somone I seen around the shop before so the next day I roll out to his house and there she is sitting sence 94'. His parents bought the car new in 55 and took it on a trip around the north west. The car made its way to his house after that and he drove it very little and eventully it just sat, untell I pulled up! I plan on lowering the car but I really just want to do a static drop so I dont have the air tank it the back. I've seen some real nice Buicks here so I hope to get some advice on the best way to go. Im goingn to keep it mostly stock. The car has 50,000 miles on it and it was a good runner when he parked it he said
So you bought it? Is that it in his yard, or yours? It looks good, that's a pretty lucky find to come up on that in your home town. It's a small world.
There is no rust and very little body work to do, I got her to the shop and im in the prosses of getting her running again. All the tags and manules that came with the car in 55 were in the trunk along with a spot light and first aid kit! I got the motor steam cleaned and after putting a new rotor cap in I did get it to start and run at an idle. The water pump was froze up so I had the belt off and didn't want it to run to long. I plan on draining the gas tonight and getting some good gas in her so I can toy with it some more. her some more pics of the car, how I found her.
These pics are at his house, the spare tire is on and she is at the shop for now but I plan on getting it back to my house this week. Im going to pull the motor and trans and re-gasket and paint em up.
That's a jewel...Good plan on the re-seal. Say, you know what those portholes in the Buick fenders are for? When 'Dyna' flows...
Wow, that interior is nice if it's been sitting a while. Me personally, I would defiantly keep it stock-looking. I think it would look nice if you painted all red (bright, like a flame red) and keep the white interior!
Those are great cars. I had a 55 Special 4 door ht with an engine out of a Super sedan in it in 1966/67. They are great crusers on the highway and hell for comfortable to haul the family or a bunch of friends out on the town at a rod trot. I've always favored the 4 door hardtop's lines over the two doors on the 55's I'd keep it simple and clean and drive the daylights out of it.
Cool car. As far as lowering goes you should be able to do a 3" static drop with no problem and that will look great. My 54 has coils all around(but I think you might have springs in back?)..I have Jamco 3" cuts up front and the rear are about 3 or 3 1/2" cut old coils that I will probably replace) Nose looks higher here because the front bumper is off.
Do all the seals on that Dynaflow because they leak like crazy. Once you have that sorted out it looks like a nice solid car.
JVK54- Thanks for the info, Ive been wanting to see some one who has done this. Your car sits great I think I will go that same route. I do have coils in the back too.
Here's Dana Kingpin's 55. I think he's running 3" cuts up front and coilovers in back. I LOVE this car. It just flows and has such nice subtle mods.
My bud Larry Moretti (owns Early Auto in San Jose) was going on Americruise 4 years ago, with another friend, they were taking his '55 Buick, 70K original miles, Dynaflow trans, freshened up with a 60K service. (all belts & hoses, resealed engine & trans, brake job, new radiator, new timing chain) They had replaced water & fuel pumps plus extra new ones in the trunk. Some of the 'hang-arounds' told them they better replace that engine with a SBC 350/350 combo to be sure the Buick would make it. Larry and Paul laughed out loud, as the Buicks in those years were noted Road Cars. (Larry did admit they passed everything but gas stations!) The trip went great, only problem was a leaky oil pump 'O' ring, which they discovered and replaced in New Mexico. I've had a '56 Century and a '57 convertible. (both mild customs) There are none better.
Congrats on the beautiful Century. I love these cars, and you should have a blast cruzin that sweet pea. Rock on! ~sololobo~
Very nice find. You don't have to do very much to these cars to make them very pleasing mild customs. I think mine is a good example. Hopefully you'll resist the temptation to go too far. Good luck!
Thanks for the support guys! The cars is going back pretty much stock but lowered. I got the fuel drained and worked on the window with some PB blaster and they are going up and down now. Here some pics of her after a good cleaning.
Got her running good today, took it for a ride around the shop but couldn't go to far seeing the water punp was off, need to get a gasket tomorrow. All the gears seem to work so thats a plus, now I just need to get her home so I can pull the motor and trans and do a re-seal and paint job! I'll see about getting a video tomorrow.
Welcome to the Buick Club, there is nothing like em. I've had mine over 12 years now and wouldn't think of getting rid of it.
Nice find! I wish my '54 were that solid or even ran after a little work. I've got the same plan for mine as a mild custom family cruiser. Good luck!
Nice ride. Like everyone else said, it doesn't take much to make these a cool mild custom. Here's mine:
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