Customs The Adventures of Bob the Big Ol’ Buick

You can't waste gas when driving a Buick....

 

On our 50 at the Buick dealership the Venti Ports were open to the engine compartment. In my view that does make them functional. So glad to finally see you drive it. A lot!

 

I have (2) 1950 Buick parts cars. 1 is a RM 4dr and the other is a Special 4dr. I'm in Arkansas. I've had 2 '50 Buicks and sold both. Wasn't crazy about the dynaslow.

 

Every 1950 I have owned and seen has "functioning" Porti-vents. 1951 on do not.

A few years ago I was surprised to learn that The first of the new bodies were 1949 Special. Thom Mcahill did a test of it in Mechanix Illustrated. The "new" 1949 Special was produced from mid summer until late December 1949, When , a few days after Christmas, it and the Roadmaster and Super were introduced as 1950s. { from page 252&253 of The Buick, A complete History]. Some 81,817 were built and sold as 1949s, from same source.

The 1949 Special and all 1950s were the ONLY year the portholes were in the hood.

Ben

 

Good to see you driving it around. I did the same with my car in 2016, which was a brutal hot summer. I drive mine more in the cooler months.

 

I was at a gas station in my 56 Super one day and and nice elderly lady walks up and says: "Wow, you got a 4 holer!

 

So, now that I am getting more confident in the reliability of this car, I am starting to consider what all I need to do to it to make it mine. As mentioned earlier, I would like to put full wheel covers on it as one item. But, I would also like to lower it some at least in the rear. I really like the way that @Acres car sits and plan to try to make this one look similar. I know he used Jamco rear springs to lower his, but I also read that late 70's/early 80's El Camino springs will lower one similarly. Since I happen to have one of those El Caminos sitting in the lean too behind the shop, I may pull those out and see how it sits with them. I also read that Chevelle (assuming 64-72 bodystyles) springs may work as well and I believe I have some of those loose already that I might go digging for...

For reference, this is the stance that I think looks great and is shown in a pic that @Acres sent me. Hopefully you don't mind me sharing. It sits about perfect for a car like this in my mind.

 

I one time got mocked by a girl who owned a 50 Roadmaster with the words "haha you only got 3 holes"

 

Mine is lowered 2 inches compared too original, as you already got those El Camino springs, it's worth a try.

 

I had a rough go with rear springs on my 56 Super. I did the El Camino springs and when I dropped it off the jack it went straight to the bump stops. I gotta think a 50 is lighter, but just letting you know what happened. So I popped for Jamco rear springs and the same thing happened. I fixed it with air shocks and those polyurethane spring stiffeners circle track guys use that shove in between the coils. That with some air in the shocks got it dialed in. In the front I did Fatman dropped uprights. That was a bit of a debacle but when it was all done the car rode and drove pretty good, couldn't tell from the ride it was lowered.

 

Well you've all got more first hand experience with VentiPorts than I do! Maybe some of the confusion depends on whether they were in the side of the hood or the fender.

 

Might need six leaf truck springs for the 57 Buick

 

Decided to venture out of town for the first time this morning and drove the Buick to church. It’s only about 20 miles, but further than I have been before...and faster. Bob seems to be happy between 60-65 mph on the highway.

Oh, and right before I got off the highway, got passed by some punk kid in an Edsel making fun of me because I couldn’t go the speed limit.

 

I hope you flipped him off and then locked all the doors to the house so he couldn’t get in. That would learn him that treachery and old age overcome youth and exuberance every time!
That Buick will do the speed limit, and then some!

 

Successful trip to church and back. I did take the more scenic old highway on the way home to not run into any more punk kids in their new cars like that Edsel.

 

Yeahhhhh, I hear that's the new thing. Groups of punk kids in edsels all over! Lmao.

Church is a great place for a first longer trip. Then you can pray you make it home while you're there!

 

You got to watch out for them kids and their new fangled muscle cars. I just don’t trust em.

 

Ive heard young Hoods in old Edsels has become a major problem, an epidemic even... Seriously though, Ive got a set of Buick wheelcovers (maybe 5) that I got cheap years ago just hangin on the wall. If these look like theyll work for ya send me a pm. Shit picture I know but its the ones in the middle .

 

Nice!

1952 full wheel covers. Cousins of Cadillac Sombreros??

Ben

 

@firstinsteele Yea they do have a sombrero vibe, I was buying all kinds of full covers years ago. These came from an antique shop in Iowa. I thought they were Lions caps, obviously I was wrong. Still a nice looking cover though !

 

Sent you a pm.

 

Hooligans on the highway?!?! Where are those punk's parents??? Didn't they teach them better?? Hand basket.... the world's going to hell in a hand basket!

 

Next time you see that punk just walk up to him and as nicely as you can muster look him dead in the eye and say. I know where you sleep at night. Then turn around and walk away without saying another word. And if he still won’t leave you alone we’ll all come over and beat him with our canes and make him drink Geritol.

 

LOL! You guys have definitely made me laugh good a few times today. I should have used that line on him when he just commented how I needed to go to the grocery store to get him some food. Kids these days... Oh, and I didn't go to the store in case you were wondering...especially after I was offended on the highway earlier...

 

Actually until the mid-50s there were quite a few US and Canadian made cars in Israel (see pics) but back then people drove them to the ground because they were so reliable, so survival rates were not good. Since the 90s though there has been interest in restoring or even modifying old cars and people started importing US made cars to replace those that were made into Uzis and such like items. The cars are about but generally most people won't risk Israeli everyday traffic, they come out for the local equivalents of cars & coffee, you just need to be in the know...

 

Good to know. I was definitely not in the know when I was there.

In other updates, I came real close to jumping in the Buick and driving it to work this morning. But, it was in the high 20's and I haven't tried the heater yet. I'll try that tonight and likely plan to drive it to work tomorrow. That is just a little further (30 miles each way) than the trip last Sunday to church. I figure that might actually be the furthest the car has been away from it's home in probably the past 30 or 40 years. It would actually be driving back to where the car was ordered new and lived it's whole life. Hard to believe me buying it and taking it 30 miles south was the first time it had ever lived somewhere other than were it was bought new.

Also, Bob Owen's got the driver's window and a piece of trim for the passenger side I was missing (between the two doors as seen below) pulled and is shipping them soon. So, I can get that stuff fixed.

And, a pic from last night when I drove the car to go check on my father in law. Seemed like a decent pic in front of a house from a similar time in town...

 

Nice photo!
If the heater works you should get a really warm trip too work.
During cold autumn days/nights i just pull the defroster button full out and that's often enough too get a warm trip, now and then you can pull the heater button too get some extra heat.
It's the best car i've ever experienced getting fog away from the windows, just pull out the defroster Button and twist, the fog is gone in a jiffy, even with the car full of People, way better then modern vehicles

 

If it ain’t pissing antifreeze on the floor then the heater works. The fan on the other hand? Just relube the bushings.

 

Does your Buick have the heater core in the dash or is it mounted under the front seat? Maybe they only did that on the bigger 62 series models like the Roadmaster.

 

That's a good question. I will report back when I know.