Saw this project car on craigslist. You guys think it could be chopped and made into a sedanette fastback look? Granted anything can be done with money, tools and know-how, but for somebody with somewhat limited resources would this be too crazy to attempt? Also wouldnt want to ruin a perfectly good car....
Save your money, if you want a sedanette buy a sedanette. They are not that rare. That car is the better looking of the 2 sedans they had that year, I think it looks good as it is. You are right, anything is possible given enough time, money and talent. But if you took that car to the best custom shop in the world they would tell you what I just told you - if you want a fastback, go buy one. It will be better and cheaper.
You're the guy with the Cadillac. I remember some of your questions. If you want to know what it would be like to fix up that Buick take your Cadillac experience and multiply the hassles and expenses X 5. If you want to know what it would take to turn it into a sedanette multiply X 10.
Why do you consider the hassle and expense 5 times worse then the caddy? I always figured caddy was some of the most overpriced parts and a buick would atleast be on par. My cad was in similar shape when I first bought it.
It certainly feels like sedanettes are that rare. I dont think theres a 46-48 roadmaster sedanette project car for sale nationwide if not world wide right now.
I think building the fastback roof panels would be the easy part of that conversion. Trunk, Doors, B pillar, 1/4 windows, glass is where the thankless time and difficulty is.
The 1941 Buick Special (Series 40B) was built in both 2 and 4 door fastback body styles. The Century (Series 60) was also built in the that style, but Centurys are fairly rare. Production numbers for the Speial 4 door version exceeded 100,000 units. I have seen several of those cars over the years. The GM "B" body was shared with Olds, Buick, Cadillac and fastback versions of all were produced. They are out there. Ray
I've got 2 near mint doors and a trunk lid for a 2-dr sedanette, if you decide to take on this project.
Thanks. I mean it doesnt even need to perfectly match another buick model, it can totally be custom. I just have a hankering to shave a car down to bare metal, and chop and weld. I have never done it yet, and id need an english wheel, but youve gotta start somewhere. I suppose if I really F it up I could always turn it into a permanent convertible haha
You never learn if you don't try,it would be a huge project and you will have to hone new skills,determination & time along will hard work and planning it can be done. Saying this,it's still a major project. HRP
Of course why couldn't it be done. it would take someone with some metal shills but it is mostly a matter of laying the back glass and smoothing the roof line into the trunk.
The only thing is, I hate to ruin a relatively nice example of this model if someone wants it. Its been on CL for a month or two now. I also could arguably find a cheaper car to get cutting and experimenting with.
Both valid points..... Of course it can be done. But this is coming from a guy that is building a custom truck that consists of a 1941 Ford car frame. A 1952 F-1 truck cab that has been chopped and channeled and has had a 1941 Ford car front clip modified to fit. But all of theses parts were also destined for the junk yard before I salvaged them.... To make that Buick into a Sedanette is going to take some serious work. And I'm not even talking about trying to make it look like a stock fastback. You will have to do a lot more the that big butt rear end then just lay down the back glass. There will need to be some serious section work done to get it to flow right. If you want to build a custom like the Olds pic posted( which I have seen before and really dig!) then I say go for it. Otherwise it might be time better spent starting with something else. Not to hijack but here are a couple of pics of what I am doing. Almost looks like Old man Ford built it that way. Torchie
The thing to remember is to measure twice and cut once. Why would you think you were going to ruin it?
Well, its quite the job and even if I did well, its a rare car and if somebody wanted it as is thatd be a shame in that respect. Now, what do you guys do about glass? Even if it was a standard roof chop. I guess it gets cut? I wonder what that costs or if its something that can be done on our own.
It is a monumental amount of work but these big sedans really lend themselves to a radical transformation. Rik Hoving did some photshops of many wonerful 46/47 Cad variations. Here you go have a look at some of these.http://www.customcarchronicle.com/digital-restyling/digital-restyling-1947-cadillac-coupe/
Glass on these cars is all flat so having new glass cut is not a huge deal. Some do cut there own but given the cost reasonable cost involved as well as some safety factors most just have it done. Torchie
You could leave it a 4 door and start the roof slope behind the front doors. Depends if you want a true fastback, of if you want to take the hump out, lay the back half of the roof down and use the existing trunk. Not sure how the proportions would work out but it would be a better looking car, depends on how the hood to sail panel and quarters meet. Its complete, but what useable of the parts on the car?
The Buick is worse than your Cad was when you started, and you didn't try to turn it into a 2 door, and Buick parts are only slightly easier to get than Cadillac. George Barris didn't start out building full customs and neither should you. Work your way up to it starting with smaller jobs. Don't overmatch yourselves. If you ever read any stories about professional customizers and guys who have built dozens of cars, they usually start out with the best car they can find or the one that is closest to what they have in mind. None of them would start with a 4 door car if they wanted a 2 door any more than a chef would try to make a pie out of a cake mix. I don't care how rare they are. You could drive from coast to coast, buy a car that cost $5000 more than that one, and still have less time and money in it, than turning a 4 door sedan into a 2 door sedanette. The funny thing is the 4 window sedan is probably just as rare as the sedanette. By far the most popular body was the 6 window sedan. The 4 window is sleeker and better looking too. If you built up that car with a completely stock, unchopped, mildly modified body but lowered, you would have one of the sharpest cars around and just as cool as a sedanette.
There's a 48 sedanette project on The Bay right now in Chicago. Also a 41 sedanette, though it's a finished car.
This is going to come across as really jerky, but I call it like I see it: You're crazy. You are looking at a $3,200 car that will require a mountain of work, hard to find parts, and new tools to get it to resemble a sedanette. But the thing is, it won't be a sedanette and the resale value of a sedanette won't be there either. You'll have created a one-off bastard car and, while I'm sure you can make it cool, financially that's a piss poor decision. Time is money. You will be way money ahead to just buy a sedanette to begin with. You obviously don't want to hear that. Multiple posts have said just get a sedanette to begin with. You even tried to say that there are none for sale in the US or possibly the world. I proved that wrong but you still can't see the writing on the wall. Have you considered a 46-48 Chevy Aerosedan Fleetline. Obviously they are no Buick sedanette but share some similarities and are not nearly as $$ or hard to find. A bunch of them suffer from the Easter-egg street rod craze and can be picked up reasonably cheap and reworked. Food for thought. I wish you the best of luck whatever you choose. I'm going to go get lunch. I tend to get a little cranky when I'm hungry ;-)
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