"Anyone can restore a classic, but it takes a REAL MAN to cut one up"... Your sentence sums it up perfectly: ..."the perfect starting point for a nice, early 40's custom..."
I second that!! You don't have to fix all the borring stuff before you can begin to have fun cutting!! Here's another fine example that only needs a couple of months in the garage! No it dosen't matter its a 4-door Klaus
I am really suprised to see all the posts that say, leave it alone. Especially from a members on a board that "spreads" traditional "hot rod" and "kustom" idealogy. To me it looks like a great base or starting point for a hot rod. Don't get me wrong I love original old cars too, but I woul drather own a hot rod. And if I had that to start with compared to a beat up field find, I would be much happier and further ahead. I guess I say this because I am doing the same thing with a 38 Chevy I bought. Granted it was somewhat in pieces but everything had been redone to get back stock and very nicely done, now I'm cutting it up. to each his own I guess. Anyway, nice score, beautiful car either way you do it.
For all those who say "too nice to mess with", "only do things that can easily be reversed" & "don't cut it" ... you guys are all a bunch of sissies. I would however say that whatever you DO change on it should be very, very well thought out and executed to the very best of abilities and not just changed for the sake of change. What you have there is a priceless relic that should be treated like pure gold. BUT that dosn't mean that you shouldn't still see it the same way that the early customizers saw that car - an excellent starting point. You have the chance to build an ever-so-perfect early custom that will do justice to the person who originally designed that car and that is no crime. The sample that KustomSkylark posted is right-on Very nice find Curt!
The '41 is my favorite Buick and therefore one of my favorite cars. I actually like the headlight chrome on this one better than the picture of the frenched ones. I'd say that seat cover has got to go though! This car is so beautiful in stock form (like my '58 Bonneville) that it doesn't need much modification.
I think it needs that chop so the roof line can flow with the trunk. If you do one major thing, at least do that one.
I've got to say, this has turned into quite an interesting post! It is funny that on a rod and custom board, there are so many people saying "don't change it!" I'm not passing judgement on the guys that are thinking in those terms...it's just interesting. Cleatus hit the nail on the head. The original designers did a hell of a job on these cars. That being said, they didn't nail everything and there is always room for improvement. One look at the huge emblem smack in the center of that massive, smooth, rolling deck lid is a case in point. Besides, who the hell could argue style points with a guy that built a car like that green Chevy! Curt
http://www.dualcarbregistry.org/ mine's a Century with the big 320 engine they made 5500 of them and they were the fastest prod. car in 1941 , and considered the first muscle car as they used the Biggest engine small chassis formula that made the GTO famous. Considered a Milestone Car by the resoration / classic comunity , but mine's a custom , nosed , decked ,shaved , lowered . It was pretty beat up , but it can all still go back . I am not saying you should't build a 41 buick into a custom , just maybe not this one , you could sell it and buy one that needs a bit more work ( I have seen them for around a grand ) and use the $ you save to put into your mods, and the car you have now , could go to someone that is trying to restore one , and he would be ahead of the game , so everyone is happy , the other side of the coin of course is that you will have a great place to start and less rust repair , to deal with . Of course its all up to you. I have had lots of fun at restoration type shows and events , but I had to build mine into a custom , because thats what I really like. George Barris built one , but I don't like the fadeaways it just makes them look like a 50s buick , I like the stock early looking fenders.
curt, holy crap is that nice! like any buick, yours has a little extra chrome that needs to be removed. between that and a modest drop you'll have a clean mild custom that reeks of taste and restraint. are you bringing it to the showdown? i'd like to see it! ed
Hey Ed. Thanks! I'd like to bring it to the showdown, but I've got to figure out how to do it. I'm going to be setting up a booth with some of my neon signs, which have to be transported in my van. Might get a friend to drive that and drive the Buick myself. We'll see...I'm just glad I'm going to make it to the show this year! Curt
Man, you brought this one back from the dead! Here are a couple photos taken two years ago in my garage. Basically at that point I'd rebuilt the transmission, installed a dual chamber master cylinder and new brake lines, patched some areas in the floor, lowered it, frenched the headlights, shaved all the emblems, some excess trim, license plate mount, etc. Right now it's back apart again. The rear bumper's lower, gas filler and rear fender seams are filled, bumper guard taillights and molded front and rear pans are in the works. All the brightwork is currently at Jon Wright's CustomChrome Plating in Ohio, and I'm just starting to go through a '49 straight eight that's getting a few upgrades (head work, swapping the compound carb set up off the '41 engine, installing a PowerGen and Vintage Air, chrome, paint, etc.) Next stop is Cody Walls' shop in January to be chopped, then I'll have it back on the road next spring.
Great update, Curt. Love the plans for the Big Buick. Looking forward to seeing it somewhere next Spring. Just having Cody Walls' hands on the car will surely make it an instant legend. Great looking garage as well and thanks again for the "upgrades" to mine...........Don.
A friend of mine has a '41 Buick that is begging to be lowered. What did you use as far as drop springs for the rear? Dropped uprights in the front? I'm always in the "preserve a survivor" boat, until I remember how damn good they look with a traditional custom treatment. Love your Buick, cant wait to see its next phase.
Hi Curt. Nice Buick and great project. Thanks for the update. Do you know if you will be going for the lean back windshield chop with blind qtr windows? Please post on custom car chronicle. As it seems to be a pretty cool early style custom.
Dropped uprights (Fatman Fabrications) and lowered springs (Jamco) in front, air bags (Airlift) in the rear. I originally installed lowered springs in the rear, but I needed the adjustability of air bags for steep driveways and speed bumps (besides those instances, what you see here is drive height and park height). The bags sit in the stock spring pockets and work great with the trailing arm-style suspension, although I'm going to raise the spring pockets a little bit to allow me to put a little more air in the bags. I'm keeping the quarter windows, and it will be a fairly mild chop. Jake Christmas in Texas has a very nicely chopped '41 and he's sent me a bunch of photos of his chop in baremetal. Mine will be similar to that.
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