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Real Barn Find: 1920 Buick K45

This Buick K45 is still on the farm where its original owner brought it home. It was last started in the 1970s and was last licensed in 1947! Especially interesting is the pickup or open “huckster” style bed which is believed to have been fitted from new. You can find this Buick listed for sale here on eBay where bidding has yet to meet the reserve. This fascinating vehicle can be picked up from Hallock, Minnesota if you are the winning bidder.

I love this bed style. Imagine it re-finished like this 1920 Ford or even this 1918 Buick E-4 pickup! Gee, it almost looks like part of a barrel from this side.

Underneath I don’t see any substantial rust, certainly nothing that scares me. It’s been on this concrete floor for decades now.

Certainly the interior is mainly good as a pattern at this point, but at least everything is there.

Manuals for this Buick are available here at buickheritagealliance.org and there’s a lot of other good information there as well. That’s a 241.5 cubic inch inline six-cylinder engine that when new produced around 40 horsepower. Although this is one of approximately 85,000 Buick K45 open touring cars produced in 1920, I’ll bet there aren’t many left and especially not with the neat rear bodywork that this one has. I think this vehicle would be a blast to own and I’d love to sympathetically refurbish it. Let us know what you think in the comments!

Comments

  1. Avatar photo Jbones

    Nice to see “barnfinds” going back to its original roots. Its is indeed a real barnfind.

    Like 29
  2. Avatar photo Jack in NW PA Member

    I doubt that it was a pick up from new, A Touring conversion likely. Now it’s time for a boat tail body.

    Like 8
  3. Avatar photo Matt steele

    Put a 455 in it..just kidding..that is awesome

    Like 2
  4. Avatar photo Stephen G Paulus

    “Fetch the truck Jethro”

    Like 12
    • Avatar photo Peter

      Or maybe that TV ‘Thunderbirds are Go ‘ couple Gerry Anderson’s animation from years ago.

      What would you call that deck?
      Clinker built or a boat back what is the term? Is it curved from the back I cannot see?

      Like 0
  5. Avatar photo leiniedude Member

    Sweet find! Amazing the label on the side of the box is still intact. Anyone know what the gate on the passenger side would hold? Fuel can? Anyone else not recieving the new comments via email again?

    Like 1
    • Avatar photo Matt

      That’s a running board rack for a set of gasoline, water and oil cans made specifically to be carried on running boards. Too bad the cans are gone.

      Like 3
      • Avatar photo leiniedude Member

        Thanks Matt. The seller claims it is located on the same farm when it was bought brand new. Hopefully they are still around.

        Like 1
    • Avatar photo GP

      I haven’t got them for over a month, they go to my spam or Bulk mail. It says todays finds all in one lump. Tried to reenter everything, don’t work.

      Like 0
      • Avatar photo leiniedude Member

        Thanks for the reply GP, was hoping to hear from Jamie about it. Take care, Mike.

        Like 0
    • Avatar photo Peter

      I am getting comments again, but all my barnfinds coms went into my trash without my knowledge or action recently????

      Like 1
  6. Avatar photo Mountainwoodie

    This listing should satisfy the complaints of those who think that “Barnfinds”” doesnt feature enough barnfinds; as if they fall from the sky everyday. A lot of work goes into maintaining any web site and as I’ve said time and time again we all should just be grateful that Jamie et all do this. At least I am.

    Let me gingerly step down from my soapbox and make my way towards the Buick……..

    I have a picture of a WW II scrap drive in a town near mine. Front and center in the pile of “scrap” are 4 or 5 open pre-1920 cars piled one upon another, axles akimbo. So many were given up for the war effort that for one to survive unrestored is pretty cool.

    I hope someone can rehabilitate it without restoring it and in the process lose its authenticity imho

    Like 25
  7. Avatar photo Daniel Looney

    I’m in love! I’d leave this “cruck” as is and drive it around this dusty little Nevada town to run errands.

    Like 5
  8. Avatar photo garry connors

    nice to see this car today . i hunt barn finds got a couple ready to list but this one is just right for a refurbish only. great job

    Like 2
  9. Avatar photo Joe Backer

    “Should be easy to get running IMO” Last statement on ebay. If so why don’t they get it to run. Then its worth even more. Oh that takes work… I like it. Its cool. Though I know nothing of gm cars of this year.

    Like 4
  10. Avatar photo Bob Berube

    Well said! I never understood why people complain when all they do is sit on the couch and eat chips.

    Like 3
  11. Avatar photo Ken Martin

    I would love to have this project vehicle. Don’t know if I should call it a car, or a truck. It definitely would be lots of fun though. I wouldn’t change a thing either. Get it running, fix and upgrade the brakes, and not much more. Surely would be the biggest conversation peice, anywhere I took it. The thing I like the most is, it’s something so different! I would be the only one on the block, with a 1920 Buick!

    Like 2
  12. Avatar photo pugsy

    Finally something that I wouldn’t hot rod.

    Fantastic find.

    Like 3
  13. Avatar photo sanecarnut

    I thought my last project would be a 40 coupe, deluxe. Do you hear that?
    “Wouldn’t you really want a BUICK” i’m not a carpenter barely a shadetree mech.
    But i might take on that! Price wil be,and whens the first snow in Minn?sanecar

    Like 0
  14. Avatar photo Mike

    The Owls Head museum in Maine has a Buick pickup. This might have been delivered as a truck.

    Like 1
  15. Avatar photo roger

    Anyone know why it is called a K 45? I’M SURE BUICK NEVER MADE A PIC-UP.

    Like 0
    • Avatar photo Pete Phillips

      Buick most certainly did make trucks. Here’s a 1916 Buick truck. These were built as trucks, not converted from cars. Buick made trucks from about 1910 until 1920 or so–probably earlier than anyone on this forum was around. A lot of them were used as ambulances in World War One.
      K means it is a 1920 model; H means 1919, etc. 45 means it is the mid-sized series of Buicks; 30-series were the four-cylinder cars; 50-series were the big series.

      Like 7
  16. Avatar photo Maestro1

    Jamie, well done, great find, wonderful restoration project and lovely to own.

    Like 3
  17. Avatar photo Wayne

    Daniel Looney,
    What town in Nevada would that be?

    Like 0
  18. Avatar photo stillrunners

    Cool…..

    Like 0
    • Avatar photo YooperMike

      Stillrunners, Cool is in northern California.

      Like 0

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