- Seller: Joseph R
- Location: Taunton, Massachusetts
- Mileage: 43139 Shown
- Chassis #: 4A7022054
- Title Status: Missing
- Engine: 264cui V8
- Transmission: 3-Speed Manual
UPDATE – The seller has removed their reserve! They’ve also added more photos to the gallery.
You don’t need to be a ’50s Buick fanatic to appreciate this fantastic find! This 1954 Buick Special Model 48D has been parked since 1980 and has never been restored or modified. It wears its original paint, although with patina, and is said to be solid throughout. The seller has provided lots of great photos of it, so be sure to look at the gallery below. And if you’d love to have this Barn Find in your garage, cast your high bid!
The Special was Buick’s entry-level option but was well-optioned for the price point. The car was redesigned for model year 1954, with all-new styling and that beautiful waterfall grille. The base engine for ’54 was Buick’s 264 cui Fireball V8. According to the seller, the original owner lived just 49 miles from Buick’s Framingham, Massachusetts factory. After putting just 40k miles on the car, it was parked and stored until the seller recently purchased it from the original owner’s nephew. Its factory options included: Sonomatic Radio, Cavalier Blue paint code 8 with French white roof paint code B, Interior Trim Package #27 Cordaveen with Blue accent, and rubber covering with mohair padding. Between its age and the fact that these cars were popular to customize, finding a survivor is fairly uncommon.
The interior isn’t perfect, but it is surprisingly nice, given its age. It doesn’t appear to have suffered from rodent damage or severe wear. It will need a deep cleaning, and chances are some of the soft materials have deteriorated over time and will need to be replaced, but this looks like a great place to start. The vinyl flooring is significantly deteriorated on the driver’s side, but it gives us a better look at the floors. While there’s some surface rust, they do appear to be solid. Unfortunately, finding the original floor covering will be challenging, but replacement carpet is available and affordable. The seller notes that the trunk retains all of its original trim, padding, and mats with the original spare tire and jack.
The seller hasn’t tried to start the engine, but they have turned it over by hand, and it spins as it should. The Fireball, or Nailhead amongst enthusiasts, was a popular engine with the hot-rodding crowd. The Special was equipped with the smallest version of the Nailhead V8, displacing just 264 cui, and was rated at 146 horsepower when equipped with the 3-speed manual transmission, which is what this one was equipped with. Having an overhead valve V8 in 1954 was a high-tech feature for a budget car. Given the originality of this example, we would try to get the engine running. If it proves healthy, we would keep it serviced and enjoy it as is. Of course, you could always put this engine in storage and install a larger and more powerful Nailhead under the hood.
While we would be sad to see this car cut up to make a hot rod, there’s no denying it’s a tempting option. Given the patina, you could always go a more subtle route and limit modifications to things that can be reversed. It would make this a more usable and fun driver. At the end of the auction, it will be up to the next owner to decide what route they take it! Whatever route that is, we just hope they keep us posted so we can see the final product. If you have any questions for the seller, please leave them in the comment section!
Bid On This Auction
oldstuff bid $5,350.00 2025-01-09 12:00:04
kevin m bid $5,250.00 2025-01-09 11:58:34
Krank E Oldman bid $5,125.00 2025-01-08 17:20:10
jack bid $5,014.00 2025-01-08 16:48:53
oldcarguy5085 bid $4,200.00 2025-01-08 16:36:04- Krank E Oldman bid $4,000.00 2025-01-04 17:50:37
- oldcarguy5085 bid $2,000.00 2025-01-03 17:10:03
- Krank E Oldman bid $1,750.00 2025-01-03 16:23:34
Cory with a story bid $1,500.00 2025-01-03 10:44:11
phowe bid $1,250.00 2025-01-03 09:52:52- Krank E Oldman bid $1,000.00 2025-01-02 19:24:16
If you buy this, you could be the president of the Broderick Crawford fan club, closing in on a Highway Patrol road block…dun, dun, dun, dun, da dun, dun, dun, dun; dun, dun, dun, dun, da dun; dun, dun; dun; dun, dun; dun, da dun, dun, dun, dun, da dun, dun, dun, dun da dun, da dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun. Dunty Da Dun! Da Dun!
“21-50 to Headquarters”
“21-50- Bye”
I know, they didn’t use 54 Buicks…
Exactly my first thought…10-4, 10-4, 10-4….
Wouldn’t take much to make a really cool mild custom out of this. Clean it up, change the stance and rolling stock and you’re most of the way there. Load it up with friends and go have fun at the show and shine.
Placed my initial bid, wish we knew the reserve. I am a sucker for original, unmolested, solid cars!
A few more bids and you will know the reserve. Thank you for bidding.
Reserve has been removed the car will sell.
No inside trunk pictures so can we assume there are no keys?
Also is it possible to preview this before bidding and if so how do I contact the seller.
Greetings,
I have the keys and I don’t know why the truck pictures are missing. I only took 175 pictures of the rest of the car.
I will fix that tomorrow with BF.
Thank you.
I will get them to barn finds to be uploaded. It looks like the rest of the car.
If you can send your contact info to is via email, we will pass it over to the seller to schedule a time to view it. Our email is mail@barnfinds.com
I can show the car at any time.
That’s fine I did send my contact info to BF but haven’t heard back from you so I have no idea where you are for me to see it?
The seller has provided a photo of the trunk but wants to note that the memorabilia items aren’t included, just the items that are original to the car (spare tire, jack, etc).
A decent `54, but I prefer the `55 models more. 1950-54 Buicks always looked frumpy to me in comparison to the other GM lines. Afterthought taillamps, a mere ‘bump’ for tailfins, and kind of plain styling. `55 brought a bit more chrome and 2-3 tone paint treatments. This `54 would make a neat mild custom if not restored. GLWTA!
to the Seller; is there any chance to get a title?
I do not have any paperwork. Thank you.
I don’t need one
It certainly is hard to find an unmolested Buick of this year. That is definitely, a baby nailhead and probably wouldn’t take much to coax back to running again. I had a 58 with a larger version than this one. One thing that was funky was the small freeze plugs in its heads. Looks like this one has the same. Get her mechanicals as well as brakes rebuilt, clean her up and use some Poppys Patina on the exterior and enjoy as it is.
Nice find! My only comment is that I would like to see some really good photos of any car that show the entire car and from at least four angles. It really does give you an appreciation of what the ride really looks like. Partial shots can’t do that. Good luck with the auction, my mom had a 56 Buick Special, I loved that car.!
I remember those Buick heater and fan under the front seats. Wow, what a different design. At least this one is still solid under there.
I hope the passenger quarter panel chrome trim piece is in the trunk. That’s not going to be easy to locate.
What, no comments on the 3-speed column shift?
Will, with that baby, underpowered nailead it would be pretty sluggish with a Hydramatic automatic. Or whatever AT they offered in the day.
I like the fact that it’s a three speed two door and apparently mostly rust free. I’m curious why there isn’t any pictures of inside the trunk as other people have said. It would be nice if the air cleaner, missing hubcaps and the passenger side quarter panel trim were hanging out in the trunk. The interior looks pretty good and I could live with the paint for a while. Do what you gotta do to get it roadworthy and have fun. GLWTS.
I have said this once before but it is something that made me laugh a lot. A young girl had just started to work with us. I asked one of my colleagues how she went that day. He replied by saying “she had a simile on her face bigger than the grill of a 48 Buick”. I thought it so funny.
Greetings,
In short I have no paperwork. Thank you.
***** Here is the long story.******
Massachusetts did not require title back in the day. The seller could not even find a registration.
Here is the info from the state below. According to someone at the registery when I spoke to them years ago. The states data base does not even exist anymore from 1980 and back.
I had a May 1972 registration for a 1960 Corvette issued by Massachusetts and the state would not recognize it as proof and would not issue me a title.
****** Massachusetts Title Law went into effect on September 1, 1972. This law requires that all motor vehicles and trailers be titled within ten (10) days of purchase. Passenger vehicles with a model year of 1980 and older, purchased before November 26, 1990 are exempt from titling.*********
First car was 53 with sttrt 8. 4 saving bonds got it when I was 14. Got my $$ back renting it out wknd nights. Only ran up a few miles, but huge back seat needed a wipe down !!
If the auction ends without meeting reserve, does the high bidder then have the option to purchase at the reserve price?
The car will sell.
I am going to remove the reserve today. The car will sell. Thank you.
I hope the seller will answer some of the questions here:
missing parts in the trunk?
get a Title?
Greetings,
I do not have a title nor can I get one. I have no paperwork. Even If I had a Massachusetts registration it would not be of any value. The state will not approve any paperwork other than a title issued after 1980.
Thank you,
I’m interested in your car but won’t place a bid without seeing it so I contacted BF with my contact info for you to get in touch with me as far as making arrangements to come look at your car. I’ve heard nothing? Did they send my contact info to you. Thanks
We sent your info over to Joe.
Probably about 50 years ago I bought one of these in San Jose California just like this same color even drove it all the way down to Tijuana spent the winter scuba diving in San Diego drove home route 66 to Hamilton Ontario never had a problem a Happy Days car
I do not have any paperwork.
This car will sell. Thank you.
Love that color!
From a Buick 8. Almost.
No clue what you mean.
Sorry joe. “From a Buick 8” is a wonderful book written by Stephen King. Only the one in the book was actually a ’53. Although it actually wasn’t even a car. Sort of. Check out the book.
No worries. I just wanted to help out if possible thank you.
If you don’t need paper work you are all set to bid. The reserve is off.. THIS CAR WILL SELL.
Thank you, Joe
Good buy !!! Cool ride.
I want to thank everyone who bid.
Thank you very much, Joe