Customs which car would you have saved?

i think it was a diamond T

 

the packard is probably pretty rare, there can not be too many around. this one would need a FULL restoration but it was all there. he said $2k would own it.

 

the next three posts will be photos of each car.
the '58 all of the chrome and trim appear to be there, the frame has rot on the driver side front of the dog leg and the body has some rough patches. interior would clean up and a new carpet would make it ok. engine looks complete and like it would run easily.

 

the '57 body is pretty solid and all but a couple pieces of trim are there. back tail light trim broke and a couple dents, one in the driver door and one on the passenger fender. interior is a mess and motor looks rusty
car has ps, pb, pw, pseat, and some special trim. is the sexiest of the three.

 

the '54 this car is in the best shape of the three, a good cleaning and recover the front seat and it would look pretty good. no rot that i could see and nothing missing.

power steering and brakes, should be real easy to get on the road.

 

ok, so i pose the question again for debate. with the price the same for each car, any fair price you think as it doesn't matter for this debate as long as they are priced the same. could you make a choice? and why?
three different style cars, three different conditions, three different possible uses- [driver, custom, parts car?].
i couldn't and i am not sure what i will do.......

 

I'd keep the '58, just because of all the glitzy chrome.

 

Not to be nitpicking, but Autocars is big rigs, right? Like this


Or this


But I would go for this. Lol



I just googled the '54 4 door, and this make my shake in my firm believe that a 4door is un-cool



But Mack B-series would be first, and then maybe the '54 just because it's MINT

 

I would have to go with the 57. By far my favorite. But that 54 is an easy to get on the road cruiser. Still have no love for the 58. But it is a solid starter.

 

I've always liked the 54 front end, the 55 trim bullets, and the 56 tail lights. That being said, out of the 3 cars you described I'd keep the 57 and sell off the rest of the stuff. Like someone else said if your going to run a Buick engine get a 60's 401 or an early 70's 455 with the 400 transmission.

 

Put in your position I suspect I would have wound up with all three cars as well. My inclination would be to get the '54 roadworthy, drive it for a bit to enjoy it, and then sell it to fund building the '57. Given that the frame is rotted and body poorly patched on the '58 I would part it. I would keep the drivetrain for the '57 and also attempt to swap the interior over. Then sell off what's left of the trim and other saveable parts to purchase another nailhead for your other project or further fund the '57. It would be cool to see the '58 saved and built, but I'm sure it would take a fortune, hell I imagine the chrome bill alone would be enough to send a kid to college for a year or two.

 

Wow, some great treasures in that building.
Was that panel van looking truck with the dual rear wheels, a Ford?...from the side it looked like a '37-ish Ford grill, that'd make a great parts hauler, right there.

I'd get the one going that's the easiest to get on the road, while I was making my decision on which one to keep,this way if I decided on another, first thing that would probably be an easy sell, would be a running road worthy vehicle.

 

Ted, what a score! Now that you're a huge Buick owner, you shud know what those things on the front fenders are called. No cheating, now. Transmission adaptors are available for those engines. A good place to check out is Bendtsen's Transmission Adaptors at www.transmissionadaptors.com/53-66_nailhead.htm. I'd consider getting the '54 on the road first. It may be a 4dr, but with the amount of affordable, old, 2dr rides diminishing, I think that 4drs now are being looked at by many as viable alternatives. I also think that '54 Buick's styling doesn't accentuate the rear doors as much as other 4dr cars, which wud likely add to its desirability. That green paint may even buff out. Seems like a great Sunday cruiser. It's sale cud then begin the funding of the next project. In my eyes, both the '57 and '58 are desirable. The '57 really started showcasing the "Jet Age" styling, which helps hold its popularity today. It's one of two possible models within the Roadmaster series, both of which had very low production numbers; 2812 & 3826 units. With those low numbers, it concerns me that finding the trim you need may be either a headache or expensive, maybe both. The interior, while looking real ugly now, wud likely come together better than you think. With all the comfort goodies, it cud easily replace the '54 as your Sunday cruiser. The hard part comes in considering the '58. I'd like to point out that a man butt is held in high esteem by many ladies who think it's sweet meat, so that's not an issue. I think the extra bling on the outside makes it speak high class. Overall, the '58 is more complete, less equipped, and they made more of them at 13,928 units. Yet, while the body seems fairly solid, there's work that needs to be done and it's usually more than meets the eye. The real concern to me is the frame and just how bad it really is. That puppy weighs over two tons at almost 4100 lbs. You'll have to go through both engines to see what you've got there, too. So, it's pretty much a coin flip between the '57 and '58. Yet, considering the initial "Jet Age" styling; the rarity of the model; the additional convenience accessories; same 364ci engine, but with 10:1cr and more HP (300 @ 4600rpm); a Carter or Rochester 4bbl carb; and its well acclaimed good looks; I'd have to say that the '57 is the builder/keeper. Do the words, "Cruiserline Ventiports" mean anything to you?

 

really good input.
i would think if the '57 needed mechanical parts, the '58 would be a good donor. although the '57 parted out would probably bring the most money with options like power seat, power windows, radio etc... must be rare and valuable. i don't think the 54 should be parted out at all. and with ps, pb and v8 automatic it makes a nice cheap cruiser despite being a four door !

 

Good stuff, bow tie coupe. The buggeroo in the Buick world is the dynaflow and the torqutube. If you want to do away with the dynaflow, you still have to re-engineer an open driveshaft and rear end. And I would want to go with a modern trans too, but it creates a cascade of problems.

 

check the truck in the back ground. early fifties with a '60's supercharged diesel. the hood was as high as the roof of the lifted jeep. he said it had a road ranger and the chassis was really long with a fifth wheel set up. he said it was really nice to drive.

 

i did a drivetrain swop on a '56 we used a 4 speed and installed a four bar suspension kinda like the chevy set up.

 

i was just thinking, when we did that swop we changed out all the restored brake components over to disc/modern rear, dual master. i saved [i don't throw anything away] all those parts. anybody know if they will fit the '54?

 

Hey I've owned Buicks for a lot of years............oh wait, never mind, I've been a grandpa for a lot of years too.

 

The REO, was that the factory box on it?? You might have left the gem of the lot behind....

 

This coming from a guy that road tripped an Edsel and a Corvair! Pick up an old Buick for your next adventure and you will be throwing rocks at anything else!!

 

which one is the reo? i saw so many.

 

will get more photos of that if i go back. what are they worth? all wheel drive?

 

I would bet money they would. 54-56 Buicks look like they share a lot parts, like 55-56 Chevys. And that's a neat 56.

 

i think so also. the drums i have look the same as the '54 in the photo.
the '57 and '58 here both have the cool finned drums.
i will start a build thread on the car when i get to it.

 

That is a Diamond T pickup......

Ray

 

ohh i thought he was talking about the big truck behind it. i don't know what that big thing is.......

 

me bad.....Still a rare piece

 

he had a lot of diamond T trucks. all for sale.