When you look at this long-forgotten classic, two questions may come to mind. The first is, what is it? And the second is, what would you do with it if you bought it? We’ll speculate on these two points in a moment. But in the meantime, we know this is a 1939 Buick that’s been sitting in the woods for some 20 years. And Mother Nature has been doing an admiral job of reclaiming it. Located in Suwanee, Georgia, this project vehicle is available here on eBay where the current bid of $570 is below the seller’s reserve.
Let’s go back to the first question, what is it? Buick had four models in 1939, the Special, Century, Roadmaster, and Limited. Wheelbase may help give it away since they were 120 inches, 126, 133, and 140, in that order. Since the Limited had the longest stretch, which was made available for limousines, we’d guess this Buick started life as one. Then it was converted into an ambulance by one of those companies in the custom coach business. We think it’s an ambulance rather than a hearse because of the color (not black) and the lights on the roof.
The 1939 Buick Limited was powered by a 320 cubic-inch “Straight-Eight” engine, so assume that’s what’s tucked in under the hood here. The seller says no attempt has been made to get the engine to turn over, so its future is in question. Though this machine was left in the woods two decades ago, we speculate it was out of service long before that as it would have already been 65 years old.
Now for the part about what would you do with it. A total restoration would be very time-consuming and expensive. While the seller believes the frame is good, there is rust everywhere else. You could do a body swap of some sort, but to what end game? And if you were to restore it, what would you do with it then, put it in a museum? Even if you only want to turn it into a creepy Halloween decoration, a ton of work will still be needed. What future do you envision for this old girl?
leave it in the woods.
When was Mother Nature promoted to Admiral? I thought that she was still a Captain.
That grill looks different than the one on the 1939 Buick Century a friend of mine had. I still remember that Century, I repaired its radio! This was in 1972 when you could get parts for it. As for this car, it needs an ambulance.
Not sure why it would need a lot of work to turn it into a creepy Halloween decoration. Simply sand it, spray with matte clear, add a rotted out casket along with strategic lighting and let the general decay work for you!
“GENERAL DECAY”, is the PERFECT name for the beast…I agree, if it’s salvageable and coulde be cleaned up enough, sprayed white and made into a nasty ambulance, for halloween, that would be cool
I’d go along with your idea. When I had my vintage radio business, I hauled ’30s consoles everywhere. This would have been a perfect historic transport. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy the pictures of this landmark while it’s in the woods.
Unusual beastie; kind of a Y-job-alike grille. Not sure that I’d bid it as high as it currently is, even if I were in the same country. Interesting, nonetheless.
Everybody trying to get rid of they’re junk and make a few bucks.should say free to good home,and I doubt that would work here
There seem to be so few of the custom service vehicles at shows that I assume they are rare in restored condition. Yes it would take many tens of thousands of dollars to bring it back, But if you have ever seen one of these screaming to a halt in a thirties or forties film noir movie, after someone has been shot, you can imagine how cool it would be to have this restored. I am sure the AACA library could help with leads to parts and other information.
After all there should be a coachbuilder plate on the body somewhere…..but then the seller may not be that interested in looking
I hope someone pulls this out and restores it. Darn shame someone thought so little of it that they let it rot out in the woods like this :)
They should have thought about that, say, in the 1970’s?
The seller should take whatever anyone on eBay offers and consider it a win to have that person haul it off their property. Looks like it could have been a very cool vehicle had it spent less time with mother nature.
Doesn’t everyone know the best place to store a future project is under a tree? Best of all in the woods with all the shade and tree sap preservative. If I hadn’t just turned 79 this would go in Volume 3 of Projects Books to live again to haul my Jesse Rooke Swift (real) motorcycle.
Wow man perfect for cheech and chong
The price is right. I love it!
I agree! a rare car should never have been left outside to mother nature! Yes, would have been used in an old movie as I have always seen packard ambulances, which I like, like in the old movie ‘Dive bomber” with Errol flynn & Fred McMurray! Need big bucks here to get it as a driver? Oh well?
Looks like a Flexible Body – they mostly used Buick chassis. The above picture (hope it comes through clearly enough to read) is out of Thomas McPherson’s excellent book “American Funeral Cars & Ambulances Since 1900”
To me it’s curious that the rear door opens from the left. For both ambulances and especially funeral coaches you would think they would open to curbside. Also, I like the roof rack, I suspect it wasn’t originally installed on an ambulance!
Again, what do you do with it? I’ve had a 50 Chevrolet hearse/ambulance for 25 years and still don’t know what to do with it.
Thanks Friend, I love history!
Hey Turbo. Thanks for the cut on Flexible. I bought the big book on Henny and although comprehensive on the offerings of that great Coachbuilder it showed nothing on the process of creating. i.e. how much was die work, how much hand rolling. How much wood vs. steel framing. I owned a tatty ’38 Lasalle Hearse by Superior, with an intact interior. I had to restrain myself not to rip out the interior and see just how it was made. Bought in July ’72 for $325 and sold it for exactly double that in December of that year. Profit was of course zilch after screwing around with the electrical system and doing a half assed brake job. Hope it survived.
I would make a attempt to get the engine running and if it did I would pull it out for another project then put this in the field and use it for hanging targets on the shooting range
HIGH hopes having a reserve. Pretty cool looking and didn’t deserve a woods burial.
Put that body on a wrecked Ford Excursion of Chevy Suburban with a cheap epoxy satin white paint job then go camping in the beast
Put an ad in Buick Club of America and offer any parts from it for FREE
Make it stop, make it go, make it legal.
Cruise it around town.
My concern is the A pillar; how many mice have lived in it?
Had that issue on my 42, rusted completely through, took a chunk from a 48 to replace it. The 48 was already a chunk donor.
I’de love to have it, however, shipping is going to be more than it could ever be worth, in my life time.
The 320 ci straight 8 might be a good find for someone. There is a custom in Portland OR that appears now and then with a 320 straight 8 and the engine and it is a work of art.