Customs which one would you choose

hey all I have a line on 2 cars one is a 47 dodge 5 window coupe running driving car flat head six 3 speed clean driver
The other is a 57 Buick road master hardtop original paint car clean driver needing a bit of work

I know the dodge is cheap to run ( six cylinder parts are cheap and fairly easy to get ) what about brakes etc?

And the road master ? How are they for parts?


Any help or insight would be great

 

Which one do you like the best. The Buick is a closed driveline. The Dodge is also a hard one to easily find parts for. Brakes may be pricey on the Dodge. Only my opinion

 

I'd take the Buick hands down. They're both old cars...finding parts can be hard, but with the internet and Ebay..easier than ever. I think a '57 Buick is a beautiful car.. I'm also of the opinion that what I work on has to justify dollar wise my time and time investment. Outside of a car with sentimental value...id rather work on something that could be worth 30k over one worth 15k. You can also get out from under it easier if you have to..

 

When you park it and start to walk away, which one would you look back at?
SPark

 

I'd buy the one in the picture.

 

Well it would be good to see pictures...

But generally speaking, I agree with Blank Panther. I would pick the the Roadmaster in a heartbeat over the Dodge and I wouldn't think twice. There is simply no comparison between the two.

 

All things being equal. Buick. Hands down.

 

I was leaning towards the road master
Did not know about the torque tube.

Anything I should be looking for ?
Any specific areas of rust etc
What parts besides trim etc. Are made of unobtainanium?

Was looking at a 62 Chrysler and parts are scarce so I steped away
My 69 lincolin I had was s but of a pain as brake parts and other things were lincolin 67-69 specific and the prices sucked


My 53 Chrysler and my 50 Chevy were Fun cars as most stuff was is cheap and easy to get ( tune up parts brakes water pumps etc.)

Just don’t want to end up with a car with expensive consumables and hard to find stuff ( again besides trim etc)

 

I can find Dodge parts in a LOT of places....online or not. What do they want for the Dodge? Parts are VERY easy to get. Andy Bernbaum, Rare Parts, Hagen's Auto Parts, Northwest Auto Parts, etc....Anyone who says they are tough to get has not looked very hard. The brakes may be a bit tricky to adjust, but are VERY dependable when done correctly. The parts for the brakes are everywhere.

 

Sure does not look like the Dodge OR the Buick needs ANY parts.

 

If it were me it would be a easy choice,The Buick would be my pick. HRP

 

Without a doubt BUICK!
Denny

 

The Buick has been sitting a bit needs some fuel system work and somebody rubber part s changed ( flex lines and hoses)

The dodge needs the brakes adjusted ( as the seller stated to me on the phone brakes are all new but the mechanic had no clue on adjustment . I’ve played with these brakes before and I get the minor and major adjustments etc. The interior is a bit old and weathered

I like the dodge as I think it’s a cheaper car to own and run
The road master is snazzy , Justin don’t want a money pit

 

Is this some kind of trick question? Lets see, a big, beautiful blue Buick with all the power and comfort any one could ever want or a flathead six cream colored Nopar. I would have to take the Buick every time. I am not picking on just mopar, I would pick any thing GM over any thing else.

 

Seems to me you have already made up your mind, HRP

 

It all depends on what you want to do with them, drive them or just do the local cruise in once a month? The big Buick would probably be more comfortable on longer trips, and those nailheads are great engines. I wouldn't worry too much about the torque tube, you'll probably never notice it unless you have to change transmissions.
The Dodge would be a good driver, just probably not at Interstate speeds. I figure it would be more comfortable on two lane roads with lower speed limits.
The Buick is a four door hardtop, the Dodge a coupe, both look to be in nice shape. Buick will probably have a better resale value when you want to get rid of it, but the Dodge might be cheaper to keep a long time. Not as much chrome and stainless to polish!
I'm thinking I'd go with the Dodge.

 

Buick for sure

 

take the dodge, it looks sweet !!!! the other is a moredoor !!

 

the dodge is a nice coupe ! the buick is just a 4 door. if you have a family I would pick the buick !

 

these dodges drove really nice and smooth, and they were simple to work on, sounds like you don't really want to tackle a car that needs some T.L.C.

 

Dodge. Slap some dual carbs on and split the manifold......cool cruiser!

 

BUICK

 

BUICK

 

I'm in the minority here but I'd rather have the Dodge any day. The buick is a nice car but totally not my style. Those cars are big and heavy...hard on tires, brakes and gas. I know, I owned a big ol 56 Olds 98 convertible when I was 17 and I'm still not rich enough to keep one of those giant 50s GM cars going. And the torque tube Buicks are prone to transmission leaks. The compression on a 57 Roadmasher has got to be over 10 to one...will take good gas while the mopar will run on cat piss. The dodge is a far better looking car IMHO also. With some lowering and wheels and tires, it could look great and nothing more than a split manifold on the flathead 6 will get you into the "cool" club. Lose some emblems, spray a little primer over the welded up holes and rock that plaid interior with the juke-box dash. Don't forget, the Dodge also has that cool 3rd stop light on the decklid.
I had a buddy and fellow club member that had a black 57 roadsmasher 4 door hardtop when his 3 boys were small and it was perfect for his family....'till the day we were 150 miles from home and the right front control arm broke. Jeeze, no wonder it broke! The frickin car weighed 5000 lbs and the family and lugage weighed another 1000 or so. Anyway we trailered it home and I ended up fixing it for him....no big Buicks for me, thank you.
Conversly, I owned a 41 Pontiac coupe with the flathead 6/3 speed and after I swapped out the 3.90 ratio third member for a 3.23 gearset and installed a GM alternator, I drove that car all over the western US. Once did a tune up on the motor in the motel parking lot in Wendover Utah....replaced a dry U joint in Springfield, Illinois ...both easy jobs on the road. Nah, gimmee a simple, lighter car.

 

I was on the Buick side until I saw the pictures. Dodge all the way now, who would take a 4 door over a coupe? Sorry not a 4 door guy here.

 

The Mopars have been very good to me. The Buick was a nightmare, every day was a repair day. I had 2 buddies with Buicks that had the same experience I had.

The Dodge, hands down. Gene

 

I would lean towards the Buick if you ever intend on resale.

 

Dodge

 

buick