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Big Buick Special Survivor

'58 Buick Special right side

The seller of this Big Buick 2-door states it is a “real Barn Find”, but perhaps if they had a photo of it in the barn we would know for sure that it really is a barn find. Truth is, it’s alright if this Buick Special isn’t a real barn find though, as it’s still a cool classic! Listed in St. Louis, Missouri here on craigslist, this 1958 Buick Special is being offered for $14K. There were 11,566 2-door sedans produced in ’58 and we doubt many are still around.

'58 Buick Special rear

The seller claims this is an all original car that has never been cut up or butchered. Based on the patina and signs of wear, we are inclined to believe it.

'58 Buick Special int.

The ad states that the original nailhead V-8, automatic transmission, carburetor and radiator have all been rebuilt.  It appears that the seats have not be recovered as of yet.  There are other images with the ad showing this car on a trailer with the engine pulled.

'58 Buick Special seats

The interior looks complete and original! There are some large stains on the upholstery and the vinyl needs some attention. We don’t see any tears or signs of excessive wear!

'58 Buick Special front

The owner states in the ad: “NO RUST ANYWHERE on the body.”  This car is said to have been stored inside since 1965 with 73,000 miles on the odometer. We don’t know if the car has a clear title car or if this is a driver or not. The owner thinks that you won’t “find a better never been touched 1958 Buick like this one”, but what do you think?

Motor-on,
Robert

Comments

  1. Avatar Jason Houston

    Actually, this car is a 2-door hardtop, not a sedan. I looked for years for a 1957 Special 2-door sedan and finally found one, and restored it as a Dan Mathews Highway Patrol car. My friend found a Special 4-door sedan and we had a blast driving around San Fernando Valley chasing each other.

    Like 0
  2. Avatar Rick

    Back in the 60s when I was a little kid, the neighbor behind us got a black in color ’56 Buick Special 2 dr POST w/ a 3 on the tree; he drove it for several years until I was in my early teens, and then it was scrapped. I always thought it junk and uncool, sure wish I had it now. Bet that thing woulda smoked the tire(s) even as heavy as it was.

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    • Avatar John Deebank

      Hi Rick. Until now I have never heard of another 3 on the tree. I owned a ’56 standard trans. too. Factory made that way. I live in Canada so Winters were a little hard on it but I loved it. Green and white. Thanks for posting that.

      Like 0
  3. Avatar Jason Houston

    A friend of mine in Fresno had a ’56 Special 2DSD with Boat Anchor and was going to use it for parts for his ’56 Roadmaster. I told him how rare it was, and that it would make a good Dan Mathews car. He was sold on the idea and got with the CHP who supplied him with original door decals. It became a standout car in his collection.

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    • Avatar leiniedude Member

      Hi Jason. Can you tell me who Dan Mathews is?

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      • Avatar Jason Houston

        As fellow barn-finder Vince Habel correctly noted, he was the take-no-gruff chief of the CHP on the syndicated show “Highway Patrol”, which aired from 1955 thru 1959. The theme of the show was traffic safety, with the target audience teenage males. But after the first season that flopped, and it morphed into an action-packed car chase show that no kid with a pulse would miss for anything. And the ratings soared. For the kids of the 1950s, it was the equivalent of Star Wars, Brady Bunch and Beverly Hills 90210.

        Like 0
      • Avatar Gary

        As I recall watching this back in the late 50’s the main actor was Broderick Crawford, a gruff sorta big fellow, and spoke fast and sounded like he had a mouth full of marbles…

        Like 0
  4. Avatar kev

    I love vintage cars

    Like 0
  5. Avatar Barry T

    I was in high school in 1958 and I thought the 1958 Buick was one of the ugliest cars around————-I still think that.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Al

      It’s so ugly, it’s beautiful!

      Like 1
  6. Avatar Jason Houston

    You echo my sentiments exactly. Same goes for the 1958 Oldsmobile. Amazing, since the ’57s were so outright gorgeous. The late 50’s wasn’t exactly GM’s high water mark when it came to styling.

    Like 1
  7. Avatar Vince Habel

    Glad I am not the only one who thinks they are ugly

    Like 1
    • Avatar Jason Houston

      Way too often, people forget there were just as many, if not more, purely horrible designs from the postwar era as beautiful ones.

      Like 1
  8. Avatar Wayne

    No rust? What’s that around the right hand headlights then?

    Like 0
  9. Avatar Vince Habel

    He was the cop on Highway Patrol. He was played by Brodrick Crawford. It is on THIS TV if you want to see it.

    Like 0
    • Avatar leiniedude Member

      Thanks Vince. I do get This TV, I will check it out. I was thinking he was on Chips. Scooter cop.

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      • Avatar Jason Houston

        Actually, Dan Mathews (Broderick Crawford) made a cameo appearance on the first episode of CHiPs. He was driving a 1974 Torino 4-door and was pulled over by the CHiPs team for speeding along the 118 when it was still under construction. About to write him a ticket, one of the young CHiPs dudes said, “Hey, aren’t you Dan Mathews? I grew up watching you!” and the speeding ticket was forgiven.

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      • Avatar leiniedude Member

        Jason, I Watch Chips out in the garage Putzing around. I am pretty sure I saw that episode yesterday!

        Like 0
  10. Avatar Fred

    A face only a mother could love…interesting though how at one time I wouldn’t have wanted this car, now I’d take it if my garage were a lot bigger.

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  11. Avatar guggie

    in 1964 bought a 58 Buick super 2 door , would pass anything but a gas station , I only paid $350.00 for it and it had cloth seats with leather trim. real tank in upstate NY in snow with Firestone Town and Country snow tires , remember -You go in mud and snow or we pay the tow . Sold it when I went into the Coast Guard . These are hard to find either roached or cherry and asking a lot for them . My Dads friend had a 58 Limited that he put over 200 k on he was an engineer for GE and was all over the country with that car !

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  12. Avatar ben

    a lot of money for a lot of work and money yet to put in then try to regroupe it not too many people want them to much chrome to coast to rechrome alone if u want a mint car I can think when u could buy them for next to nothing in the 70s reather put the money in a ford or chevy easy to get parts for and hold a good resale

    Like 0
    • Avatar Jason Houston

      Hmmm… Can you try writing that again, this time in English?

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      • Avatar MountainMan

        No doubt…I’m by no means the grammar police but I had to read that several times to get the just of what was being said!
        Reminds me of too many CL ads that are just run on sentences… no punctuation and hard to understand

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  13. Avatar Jason Houston

    The median education level of craigslist advertisers is probably 8th grade at best. And that includes all the educated adults. Pare that down to those under thirty, and the level drops to 3rd grade. And these fools run their slop for weeks on end, wondering why they can’t ever sell anything…

    Ahh, wonderful craigslist!

    Like 0
  14. Avatar Jim Ward

    Isn’t Craigslist great. Advertise then don’t look in spam folder and wonder way nobody responds.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Jason Houston

      They probably think a Spam Folder is a brochure on dreadful luncheon meats.

      Like 0
  15. Avatar DENIS

    Amazing how these grew from “fugly” when new, to “I dig it” now….still prefer ’57s tho

    Like 0

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