Rare Buick
I was just looking at production numbers for Buick
in 1955. Usually, in 50's era cars, convertibles
are low production cars, making them more sought
after and correspondingly more valuable. Of course,
the 54 and 55 Skylarks were produced in even less
quantity than the other convertible models for
Buick, but they were in a class all their own. What
is surprising however, the 55 Century Model 68, a
two door "tourback", is the rarest of all, with a
production number of 270. My parts manual for 55
doesn't even have a picture of it. I'm going to
look at my 55 service manual and see if it does,
since it seems to have pictures of all the models.
I have a 55 dealer sales brochure, which shows the
model. Has anyone ever seen one? Do you know where
one is for sale?
in 1955. Usually, in 50's era cars, convertibles
are low production cars, making them more sought
after and correspondingly more valuable. Of course,
the 54 and 55 Skylarks were produced in even less
quantity than the other convertible models for
Buick, but they were in a class all their own. What
is surprising however, the 55 Century Model 68, a
two door "tourback", is the rarest of all, with a
production number of 270. My parts manual for 55
doesn't even have a picture of it. I'm going to
look at my 55 service manual and see if it does,
since it seems to have pictures of all the models.
I have a 55 dealer sales brochure, which shows the
model. Has anyone ever seen one? Do you know where
one is for sale?
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There was a plug that came out to grease the center joint or was it a slip yoke?
It probably would be hard to find a u-joint for one of these now but not impossible.
Skylarks were produced in 1953 and 1954.
Back in those days there were dozens of models to choose from!
If you wanted a convertable, you could have it as a Special, a Century, a Super or a Roadmaster!
Whew! You could get hardtops, sedans, wagons just about any way you wanted them.
Must have been an inventory nightmare!
For those who don't know, the Century was the "hot" Buick those years. They were basically a Special with the Roadmaster engine.
The CHP cars had three speeds on the column.
Few cars could whip one of those Buicks!
This reminds me of a '57 Special 2-door sedan I had with three on the tree. That year the Special engine was the same 364 as the other series, but with lower CR and a 2-barrel carb. The synchromesh had even lower compression, but it was still a quick car. The tranny was a close-ratio 3-speed and first was something like 2.2:1, like a close-ratio Muncie. The '56 (and '55?) three-speed had a shorter 2.39 ratio, so must have been a different box. The '57's axle ratio was 3.64 with stick, and it was quick off the line even with the tall first.
I remember reading in a Motor Trend from the late fifties about the tests the CHP did when evaluating patrol cars, and by then they required automatic. I guess by that time automatics had come a lot farther than manuals. Apparently automakers had stopped spending much money developing 3-speed sticks by then. Not a high-demand item. In fact, by the middle '60s GM was using Ford's 3-speed manual.
The production number for model 48 was 61,879, less than half of the 46R (two door Riviera).
Model 68 is essentially a 48 with the 236hp 322 engine, and the front fenders from a Century to accomodate four portholes.
Was it produced only for Highway Patrol use? Could be, since we all know it was used by the CHP. I used to love that old TV show, and had completely forgotten that those were two door cars.
The model chart in my 55 parts manual doesn't show it. The manual is dated Nov. 19, 1954, but most of the pages are later updates judging by the dates on the bottom of the page.
My father is retired GM, and says that he seems to recall that it was offered early in the model year, but sales were poor, and it was a priority to get the 4 door hardtop Century (63) in production, since it was predicted to be a hot seller (it came out about mid year). The model 68 may have been dropped early.
My dad said that in those years production couldn't keep up with demand.
I wonder if the CHP cars were equipped with the Offenhauser intake and 2X4 carbs-I have ads from 55 that explain this as a dealer installed option. It claims a 20% increase in HP, probably optimistic on a nailhead engine.
I looked in my 55 service manual last night and there's no picture of a model 68. There is one of a model 48, but that's no surprise. My other Buick books refer to a model 68, but only say it is rare, and don't refer to it as being a special build for CHP only.
I've never personally seen one (well, on TV of course), but I do remember the article mentioned earlier in SIA. I don't remember what issue, though.
BTW, the "tourback" designation refers to any model that has a post between the front and rear side windows, regardless of the number of doors.
I really liked the old Centurys. I'm very tempted every now and then to go find one.
Somebody stop me before I do (buy) something crazy!
They had a very distinctive sound and were bulletproof tough!
Several years ago when I was having some machine work done on the block for my 55, the shop owner showed me a completely rebuilt long block for a 54 Special (264 ci) that someone had brought in and never picked up. Evidently it had been there for some time, and they wanted to sell it for what they had in it. I wonder if it's still there.
As far as the later years, it seems it was fashionable to indulge peoples overindulgence. A recession in 58 really put the damper on things and in some ways led to the toning down of styling, as seen by the early 60's. The performance mill marched on (gas was still cheap), and there was still a market for glitzy chrome, fins, etc, but mostly on high end luxury cars.
Everyone said those engines were no good but despite my rough treatment, it never gave me trouble. The POS Dual Path sutomatic was another story. These were probably the worst transmission ever built by GM.
By the way, got my first senior discount recently, at 46. Could be the white hair, but I think the cashier sensed I like Le Sabres.
What would a big Buick be like today, if GM had decided to compete on engineering instead of price, rebates (price again) and styling? A slightly softer 740 with portholes? Works for me.
Yellow with black vinyl roof. It had I believe every option they made that year. Autronic eye, power vent windows, factory AM-FM with reverb, purse hook and some other very rare stuff.
It was a very good looking car that would burn rubber for as long as you wanted to hold the gas pedal down.
The two four barrels also consumed super premium at a shocking rate!
Now, THAT was a Buick!
Mdelrosso, don't worry about the extra doors. Just tell your friends you need a four door to carry your clients around
But in 1963, leather was a rare option. I've only seen a couple of them.
Yeah...I sure miss that yellow beauty...the six to ten miles per gallon wasn't a lot of fun though.
I'll never forget the visual sensation I got when I drove an early Riviera for the first time, a '65. It's difficult to describe the sensation, and I never felt it as strongly again as I did during the first drive, but I suspect it's an optical trick that has a lot to do with how much fun that car is to drive. The driver's view is of the front fenders, sharply peaked along the top and plunging toward the front, and the hood sitting low between the fenders, gradually sloping toward the front. The fenders grab your line of sight and hold it straight ahead, the low sloping hood lets you see more of the road, and the whole effect creates a real feeling of motion.
I looked at an original dealers model and option list, with no model 68 listed for that year. I havn't found any reference to it in any original brochures or pamphlets, nor has anyone ever told me they saw one other than the Highway Patrol version.
What I wonder though is why the HP would want a two door sedan. Can you imagine how hard it would be to get a combative prisoner into the back seat?
Am I dreaming?
Is Broderick Crawford still alive? We could ask him!
I would guess they used 2-door sedans because they were the cheapest model available and it would be hard for the bad guy to get out the door if he had to go through the cop sitting next to it.
Unfortunately Broderick is patrolling the freeways in the sky.
(I loved it when he said that...)
There's a great article in the February '59 Hot Rod about how the CHP did its testing back then. Their specs were: 2-door sedan with minimum 122" wheelbase; 3800 lbs. minimum weight; HD suspension and brakes, with 15" wheels and 6-ply nylon tires; OHV V8 of at least 380 CID; not more than 15 lbs. per hp; at least 9.75 CR; hydro lifters; dual exhaust; AT with at least 3 forward speeds; top speed of at least 110; and quarter mile speed of at least 75.
Three manufacturers submitted cars to the CHP for evaluation in November 1958: Dodge 383/345 with Torqueflite, 3.36, 12" brakes and Bluestreaks. Mercury 430/345, HD Merc-O, 3.22, 11" brakes with 3" linings and Bluestreaks. Pontiac with Tempest 420-A 389/330, Hydro, 3.08 and 11" brakes with Firestone Super Sports.
The Dodge topped out at 122.023, Mercury 117.34 and Pontiac 121.84 (and none had freeway gears). The Dodge did the quarter at 86.89, Mercury 88.64 and Pontiac 87.88, good speeds considering the vehicle weights (Dodge was lightest at 4060 lbs.). Would be interested to know what their e.t.s were with those gears--low 16s? The Mercury brakes were the best at consistent straight-line stops and fade. Dodge was low bidder and received an order for 331 cars.
The car made one road trip Detroit to Parry Sound Ontario in 3 hrs, 2 minutes and similar time Parry Sound to Ann Arbor....... Later Fort Leaonard Wood to Branson MO (before I-44) down Route 66 and through downtown Springfield, MO in under an hour and a half including the time spent on the side of the road with the cop.... Its still over 125 miles and almost all 4 lane now but back then it took nearly 20 minutes to get through Springfield. I restored the car and the last day of his life that my Dad was able to get outdoors I took him for a ride in the just redone beast and wound her tight through the first 3 gears before we ran out of road and had to begin to slow down.
Then a 69 4 door Wildcat....... I kept that to well over 150,000 miles and it ran perfectly.....
My last Buick was a white/white/white 74 LeSabre Luxus convertible with navy blue carpets and a Stage 1 Gran Sport 455 and a 2.73 posi. (Yeah I know ya weren't sposedta be able to get the Gran SPort engine in the LeSabre but I did) I kept it 6 or 7 years and sold it to Lulu Roman from Hee Haw for $50 less than I paid for it new.
The black Wildcat was sold when I moved to the Gulf Coast..........simply ran out of garage space to keep it.
I see the posts on the mid 50s Century converts.... MMMMMM Yeah..... a 56 or older.........even (or especially ) back in the late 40s and early 50s .... I could get stoopid over a white convert with white top and red leather!
It was good to see your posts and make myself remember some great old cars.