This 1954 Buick has been owned by the same family since new and has been parked in a barn since 1995. It is a solid car that would make a great restoration project, and apart from the missing hubcaps, it is complete. It has a clear title, and is listed for sale here on eBay. It is sitting in Porterville, California, just waiting for a new home.
This car has spent its whole life in California, and it is a solid car that is said to be rust-free. The body is straight, and apart from the missing hubcaps, it does appear to be complete. It certainly must have been an attractive car finished in its original Malibu Blue with a Cavalier Blue top. It doesn’t look like there would be a lot of work in returning the car to its former glory.
The interior looks like it is 100% original, and it also looks to be in really good condition. You get the impression from what you can see that a couple of weekends spent diligently cleaning would reap some pretty decent rewards for the new owner. This is one area where it doesn’t look like there will be much in the way of restoration work.
The Buick comes equipped with a 322ci V8 engine, a 2-speed Dynaflow transmission, and power steering. The engine is complete, although the air cleaner is sitting in the trunk. The owner says that the car doesn’t run, but also doesn’t indicate whether the engine turns freely. Given how well preserved the rest of the car seems to be, hopefully, it won’t take much to get it running again.
This Buick is a solid car that would make a great restoration project. In fact, it is solid enough that if you can get it running, there’s no reason why it couldn’t be driven exactly as it is now. If you wanted to restore it, then it looks like a straightforward project, but I would be very tempted to get it running and enjoy it exactly how it is.
Very nice old sled as I’ve said before this is a good candidate for a simpathetic restoration. I’d do the usual mechanical repairs as needed, clean it up real good than prep and paint the body. As usual I think these pre base coat clear coat car need to be painted in single stage gloss paint in original colours. Base clear is just to shiny and makes cars like these look over restored in my opinion. Besides if your working on a budget and you need to paint it yourself single stage paint isn’t that hard to do with a little practice. This would be a nice old car to drive down memory lane or road trip it through the national parks pulling your tent trailer. If I had it I’d need to get some period clothing for that trip. Great find.
Pretty close, but still pre 2150 to headquarters.
ISWYDT
10-4!
“Leave your blood at the Red Cross, not on the highway!” Most of the episodes are available on YouTube.
Get it running and driving good ,a nice cheap paint job and drive it and have fun ,every car does not have to be restored with a 100,000 price 🎅
As long as the engine turns, I don’t see a problem. A couple of weekends of good hearty cleaning and you’ll have yourself a nice car. This 1952 Buick was just beginning to get the look that would serve them so well. I would be proud to have this car, it’s got great potential.
Be nice to know if the motor is free or not.
Now the biddibg starts I am hope full I can bring this one to Utah!!
I,m sure it will go for high $. Times are different now. Sad to say that,but used to find this stuff for cheap.
According to my pops, the “Dynaflush” transmission was no good in the winter. It doesn’t matter with this one as it won’t be driving at that time of year in that part of the country.
The starting price of $6750.00 with a no reserve is a no-brainer and yet with 2 days into the auction I find it hard that there isn’t a bid! I’m more partial to the smaller body Special/Century, but this one in this condition is a nice piece.
Don’t worry, the snipers have formed a long line for this one. It will be interesting to see the last few seconds.
As usual I am appalled at sellers.
No detail as to why its not running but air cleaner in trunk means an attempt was made ?
For a few hundred the car could probaly be running. Which would bring price way up.
NADA says aver retail 7 grand high is 12 grand. He wants aver retail for a non runner.
No bids says it all. Be lucky to get 1000 for it.
Asking price is way too much for a non-running car that also needs a paint job, even though I like these a lot.
I guess the asking was way too high. Didn’t sell, zero bids!
1954. First year of the wrap-around windshield for Olds/Buick/Cadillac.. Shockingly lower design than the ’53s. Chevy and Pontiac soldiered on with warmed-over ’53 designs – they got their new designs in ’55.
‘ Had lots of friends with these early ’50s Dyna-slush transmissions up in Minneapolis. ‘ Never heard any complaints about the transmissions in cold weather. But with the demise of the previous straight-eights, Buick lost a rich sonic heritage. Back in the day, you could generally identify cars by sound. The Ford flathead V8s were pretty distinctive – as were the Chevy stove-bolt sixes. All of the flathead-six Chrysler products were distinctive in their generic-ness. The Chrysler straight-eights with Fluid Drive seemed to pull away from a stoplight at about 600 rpm – pretty distinctive.
But… the straight-eight Dynaflow Buicks were totally distinctive. Pulling away from a stoplight, they always sounded like the engine would rev up to cruising speed immediately and stay there while the rest of the car caught up. You couldn’t confuse it with ANY other car. That sound was lost in the dawn of the OHV V8 era.
‘ Think these V8s seemed pretty fast though. MY high school buddy had access to his mom’s ’55 Super four-door. We took it out on US 10 – northwest of Minneapolis (this is before freeways in that area) and wound it up to 117 mph on the speedo – before my friend chickened out. I don’t recall that the car felt much different than it did at 70. It was a Buick – doing what Buicks did best – providing quiet smooth elegant transport.
Some neat features on these Buicks: I loved the rolling drum speedometer – later duplicated on my Volvo PV544, and there was that amazing starter. To start the car, you simply stepped down on the gas pedal. Once running, how did the starter know not to actuate when the pedal hit the critical point? It never did. Oh the amazing analog technology of the mid-50s!
Buick used that same ‘press accelerator to start’ through at least ’60. My parents had a 60 LeSabre, my mother HATED that car. She said it was slow and like riding in a bathtub. Before it she had a ’60 Continental Mark V which she loved.
I don’t get the Dynaflow hatred. I had a ’62 Electra 225 with the twin-turbine design. It plowed through the snow like a champ, and in 65,000 miles never gave me a moment’s trouble.