Projects My new (to me) 1958 Buick

Hello everyone,

Been a member here for many years, last July 1st (Canada day for us up here) I bought a 1958 Buick Special, 2 door post, 52,000 original miles built by GM Canada (Oshawa). The person I bought it from had it since 2008 when he purchased it form the widow of the original buyer.
car has one option, the dynaflow tranny, no carpet, no radio, no clock and a 364 ci with 2 bbl...

My goal is to make it reliable and start customizing mildly in the spirit of an early 60's à la Watson type ...
Got the spider caps, bellflower exhaust tips for starters... Just installed an alternator in replacement of the original generator and Newport Engineering wiper motor... New ball joints, new shocks...
Next, lowering, spider trim and wheel trim rings, wide whites or triple white line, dual exhaust, carb rebuild, maybe a oil filter spin on conversion ...
Next year, new paint, I'd like a gold color...we'll see...anyhow enough talk... here are some pictures...
any input or ideas are welcome...
Cheers
JD

 

1958 buick was 1 of my 1st cars , back when I had hair. LOL.Bruce.

 

that's a beauty , I like it

 

Neat car.

 

Looks like a real nice solid car you bought. Good potential for customizing.

 

Nice car. I like the stance just as it is, with the slight forward rake to it. I say keep it like that.

 

Looks solid and complete! Great car!

 

Hi JD

Boy you found a real cream puff, and with those body lines and chrome trim it would be the perfect car for a panel painting job like Watson's Square Bird

Since you like the nice Gold color stay with it and use a Champagne pearl on the roof and in between the panels of Gold

In my day in the late 50's the 4 blade Dodge Lancers caps were the hot ticket, and that would make your period perfect and maybe a pair of Appleton Spots too

Looking forward to seeing how she comes out

DND

 

That thing is cool.

 

Many years ago I drove the world's cheapest '58 Buick 4 door 280 miles in under 4 hrs. Don't remember what axle ratio 3 speeds were, but it didn't seem to even be working hard.
Any clips under the wheel covers ? Olds/Pontiac snap-in clips work, then you could paint the wheels black & run little Buick caps or Corvair baldies ... if you have to have whitewalls, they're getting narrower by '58, & inchwalls are starting to show up. The General Dual 90 3 banders are later ...

 

Congrats - hope that you have a good source for chrome & stainless polish.

 

Great find on the Buick, looks like a good solid car. Our family had a 58 Estate wagon at the time I got my drivers license, I got alot of hehaws when I drove it to school a few times, that ended when I showed some those big mouth guys how it would fill up all the little red spaces in the speedometer when i could find a straight road long enought to wind it clear out. One tip, take it pretty easy with that Dynaflow and NEVER back out and flip it in low with it still moving to burn some rubber. Don't ask how I know, but the end results were one pissed off Dad and one greasy kid learning the hard way about torque tubes and heavy assed Dynaflows.

 

Doesn't need the bellflowers.

 

My dad had a 58 Buick Special, I loved that car. He ended up selling it cheep when the Dynaflow gave up the ghost.

 

hair...and bell bottoms???? quick question, seems like your car had back up lights in taillight and bumper? interesting...

 

super clean car Johnne D. Bruce's Buick was a super, the back up lights were in the bumper.

 

Thanks everyone for the positive comments... I have a set of 55 Pontiac hubcaps which I may use with a bullet in the center... or trim rings + spider rings... we'll see, I originally wanted chrome reverse but the front hubs are huge and a 3.125 opening in the wheels is not big enough...

Wheels are stock and it looks like I can put the spider trim on (10.125")


Bellflowers: I took the inspiration from this fellow on the HAMB, I like it:


There could be some overload of chrome (wot? in the late 50's ???) so maybe I'll try to balance it like this (bad photoshop):


I am also thinking of leaving the current height with a slight rake... I did some research (can you spell H.A.M.B.?) and it looks like the triple white lines were first issued in '62...ha! I could be period correct (or whatever that means in 2015!!!!), this is what I am after:


I just installed an alternator kit, everything works but the voltage when the engine runs is around 12.50 -12.60...isn't that too low? Shouldn't it be around 14? Do you guys think it's because the battery is fully charged:


I thought you guys would like this: in Canada we can order GM documents for Canadian built cars, so here's the car's pedigree, although I am quite sure the built date is wrong:


Any experience with these cars would be appreciated as I am new to the 58 Buick world...
>Cheers
JD

 

Congrats on your new buick, i love these cars. Where in ontario did it come from cuz i swear ive seen it before

 

Btw, nice pic at a tim hortons. Lol

 

Lol only a Canuck would recognize a Timmie's!!! Car is from Montréal, was there since new...

 

JOHNNEE D. When I bought the car she didn't have tail light lens, so I had to get a set from the junkyard.Back then there a lot of them in the junk yards. Bruce.

 

Thanks! Now I can sleep at night again!!!!

 

I still have these from my 58 buick just laying under my bench. Bruce.

 

Those are nice !!!! Hmmm we may have to talk...

 

Hey bud, any updates?

 

Great find! I'm in envy! I like the Bellflowers IMO But then again I like shiney wheels too IMO

 

some updates...
finished installing the generator and plugging in CORRECTLY all the wires, and guess what? charges at around 14 volts...great!
Next, I wanted white fender wells... so took off wheel and checked how bad the undercoating was... car has been oiled and undercoated so all that crap has to come off...took the opportunity to remove park light and strip/paint black and polish chrome...the park light socket has been JB welded and is a mess...may have to find replacement... thinking of putting 1.3"/1.6" white walls to give it an early 60's look...enough words...

 

Really nice car! Underside looks amazingly good.

 

please, no Bellflowers, unless you live in Southern Californee ! MHO

 

You asked for input so here's mine: If it was my car I think I'd talk to Bruce Fisher regarding those cool 58 dog dish hubcaps. I'd polish up the existing paint, leave all the 58 Buick stainless and chrome on the car, drop the suspension and paint the wheels body color. The hub cap clips can be bought on ebay...I'm sure they are the same clips as 50s olds and Pontiac wheels use.
Clean, clean, clean....Make sure everything on the car worked, especially the fuel gauge. Repair any problems with the interior, using original 58 Buick material and please....don't paint the wheelwells white! If you go that route, you'll have to trash up the car with blue lights in the wheelwells, fake spotlights, antennas and continental kit...and those horrible Bellflower pipes. If the car was a hardtop, I'd go a different route with whitewalls and 57 caddy caps but this sedate sedan should stay sedate...nobody else will have one like it.