Hello to all, this is my first post. I have a question, I have come across two 53 buick special two door posts, one is alot more complete than the other. I'm sure one car could be made out of the two. the good car has very minimal rust on the outside, but both have rust holes in the floors, have motors in both, they are straight eights, Was wondering what a fair price would be and what your opinions are on this year of buick, I think it would make a great looking rod. Don't see these every day! Thanks for your time.
I remember riding out of the Buick delership with Mom & Dad in a new 1953 Buick hardtop, I was 2 1/2 years old at the time. Price has a lot to due with location as well as condition. Here in the East Coast either car would start at $1,500.
geezalou, snatch those up!!!! 2 for a grand?!?! I happen to love the '53 (ya, i'm biased...what). it had the mid size straight in it (263), which is a good motor and relatively easy to modify. And ROOMY!!! Trunk has about a 4 body capasity too
sounds like a deal. nice lookin cars too. some minor shaving, a lower job and some rubber and you got one sweet little cruizer. who know, you might even have enough left over from the second car to sell to someone else as a project. let us know if ya get em and post some pics.
a 55 with no engine, box, steering with rust sold in the UK for $1000, that is a sound deal! any bits left over, think of us poor brits with nothing around to scrap!!!!! Spence (53 Buick special coupe)
If you're hoping to put two cars together to make one, I'm looking for some stuff off of what's left. I need headlight "sockets" and preferably the sheetmetal surrounding them to mold into my '50 Buick. If you're on the fence, know there's probably someone on here who needs something you'll have left over... ~Scotch~
As others said that's a good buy. Take what you want to build one, then part out / sell the rest. I did that with 2 chevy's and I paid for both cars parting out one of them. The buick trim and bumpers grill etc bring good money. If you part out one, I'll take the port holes off your hands .
I thought this was about the racing cars too-wishful thinking- I believe the survivor was in the Sloan Museum. Don't know where it is now but it may be in GM's museum. I'm sure it is out there. Great cars and great drivers-Jim
I had a '53 Buick Special two-door post a few years back, and I love the way they look but I have one recommendation: either subframe it, swap in a new chassis, or (at the very least) figure out how to completely change the brakes. That thing rode pretty well and handled decent for its size and age, but the original brakes SUCK!!! I have a 1954 magazine with a Buick road test and Uncle Tom Cahill says something like "this Buick drives and stops well, which is amazing considering how bad the brakes were on the '53s." My car was low-miles and the brakes were in excellent condition, but they were too small from the factory and they fade like you would not believe: three stops signs in a row, and you'll roll through the fourth with your foot pushing the pedal as hard as you can. Honest. They really are not safe. By the way, if the swoop side trim is intact on both, you can sell one good set for hundreds of dollars - Mercury guys LOVE them!
Speaking of '53 Buick brakes... Everyone knows the first chapter (not the entire book) of Unsafe at Any Speed is about the Chevrolet Corvair. Know what the second chapter is about? The brakes on the '53 Roadmaster!
Hasn't been to long ago that I would have said offer him 800.00 but these days any solid project is worth a grand and if you get a parts car in the deal you're over the top. Just to be realistic I wouldn't depend on the original mill to be a keeper, but motors are the easy part. A nailhead, and a 400 turbo would be an excellent candidate for a drive train on one of those, give you plenty of push and it would never even work up a sweat on a long haul. of course that's just opinion, we all have some.
My 53 has minimal body rust, floors an trunk that are a little better than expected for an East coast car,trim is beat up and the motor was stuck, I got it for $600. The Picture is a little photoshopped, but you get the idea, decent shape, a good start for a hot rod, in my case, or a custom.
You can still find some killer deals on 50's cars, especially if you're open minded, I was originally looking for something pre 55 with two doors, and a friend of mine was selling a Buick. I'd say 100 is fair if you end up with a complete car, especially if a 53 Buick is what you have your heart set on.
One of them is in the Buick museaum here in Flint. They had it out during the Sloan Summer Auto Festival last summer. Really cool car. This thing is litterally 4 miles from my house!
I read somewhere on the HAMB (Fatass?) that Buick is the new Merc. It seems like the Specials have been coming out of the woodwork. I say go for it and keep the straight 8.
Anybody ever heard of a man named Joe Taubitz? Hes like the king of Buicks here in flint. And hes my like Step-Grandfather or something.
To be the king of Buicks in Flint is really saying something! When my brother was searching for his first old car, we had a chance to buy a really solid '57 Special from a fellow HAMBster locally. He wasn't interested and ended up with a cruddy '77 'Vette for more money and it's still not on the road. I still tell him he should have taken the Buick, it could have been an awesome and unique hot rod.
Here are a few pics of a '53 Riv I-8 from the roundup this weekend. Damn I wanted to rub myself all over this car....... sorry, too much information huh? LOL!
Yes you can. And if the previous owner of your Buick sold the trim to some guy who put it on a Merc, you should be able to get it back just by asking for it.