Project cars come in all shapes, sizes, and conditions. This 1955 Buick Special Convertible is said to be a complete car, but time and the elements have taken a heavy toll on the vehicle. The owner is looking at moving it on, so take a look and see what you think. The Buick is located in Lakewood, Pennsylvania, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set the auction to open at $2,599, but there have been no bids to this point. However, there are currently 51 people who are watching the listing.
It really is hard to know where to start with the Buick, because the rust is just so extensive. The floor pans are absolutely rotten, as is the trunk pan. Many of the bolt-on panels have been afflicted in one way or another, but the passenger side of the car has been impacted far more than the driver’s side. On that side, the rear quarter panel appears to be in a salvageable state, the door looks reasonable, and while there is rust present in the eyebrow above the headlight, the fender appears as though it could also be saved. What we don’t get a good look at is the frame, although what we can see carries a very heavy coating of surface corrosion. The majority of the external trim and chrome is present, and even though the back bumper is badly damaged, the rest of it looks like it could be restored. The glass is all present, and while the windshield sports a pretty hefty crack, the remaining glass looks like it might be in reasonable condition.
Once upon a time, the red interior of the Buick must have looked pretty spectacular, but it is now a shadow of its former self. There isn’t a single piece of upholstery that could be saved, and while the frame for the top is present, the top itself is well and truly gone. It looks like the interior has been exposed to the elements on a long-term basis, so you can expect that the gauges and switches will almost certainly be beyond help. In fact, apart from a few trim items and the seat frames, I would venture to say that everything else is destined for the nearest rubbish skip.
Trying to spot something positive about this car is pretty difficult, but the fact that it appears to be mechanically complete might be it. The drive-train of the Buick consists of the 264ci “Nailhead” V8, and the 2-speed Dynaflow automatic transmission. In a healthy state, this engine was capable of producing 188hp, and while it didn’t bless the Buick with startling levels of performance, it was certainly well and truly acceptable in a 1955 context. It isn’t clear when the Buick ran for the last time, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it was quite some time ago. The owner doesn’t indicate whether the engine turns freely, but he does say that the car rolls and steers okay.
The owner of this Buick Special Convertible refers to it as an original restoration project. What I will say is that any car is restorable, given enough time and money. This is a car that would need plenty of both, but the big question is whether the potential value once complete would make it worth the effort. Hagerty value a car in #2 condition to be worth around $65,700, but I have located a nicely restored example for sale at present for just a touch under $40,000. What do you think? Is this a viable project car, or has it just deteriorated too much to make it worth the effort?
One Word applies here: SCRAP. At least, after serving as a parts bin for a realistic project, or being stripped of usable parts.
Like the man says, parts. Does look like it spent some time in the lake….
Rusty Bucket List just like that 73 Cuda on Barn Finds other day a Salty Rusty Bucket i doubt if someone moved it that thing would fall apart😆
Kinda reminds me of Mad magazine
If indeed this car would be restored, it would be done by a person who has mad welding skills, is single, has a true love for the hobby, and a couple of parts cars laying around the property…
I’m a restoration man myself, but with this one, a restomod would be the best
way to go to save this car. A 455/T-400
would be a great dtiveline for this car
while a near stock leather interior could be whipped up by your local upholstery
shop along with a new top as well. Since
you’ll have to tear the car down to repair
the rust, all the fenders could either be
replaced or straightened along the way.
And as for the glass, you’d be better off
to replace it all with new stuff and have
done with it. An ambitious project? Yes.
Am I out of my mind for thinking of taking it on? It all depends on which
member of my family you talk to. If my
health were better and I had the space,
I’d give it one hell of a try. As I see it,
no classic car should be left behind.
One night my uncle pulled in.He had the back of his trucl loaded down with parts of a 1929 Ford convertible. In alot worse shape then this Buick. When he got done with it. He made a beautiful convertible out of it. He only went to about the 5 th grade in school. I saw another guy that took a really bad 2 door hard top 57 Chevrolet and made it into a beautiful –looked like new Chevrolet. Their are people out their who takes their time and enjoy taking something in bad shape and restoring like new. I do it to guns and only like doing the ones in really bad shape. Its the satisfication seeing the look on peoples face and telling you .You done a great job. Its called pride. Look at the price of a new care and they are junk. Restore this one and say you put $40,000 in it. Its still a better car then the new one.They have metal in then–not made of plastic and tin. Plus it wouldn,t take any longer to restore it.Then paying off a new one.Plus you can work on a old one–you don,t have to deal with a high price mechainic on a new car.
Pretty sure a modern car is made out of mild steel, not tin. But tin would still be metal. I love old cars, and I can’t even articulate why really. I think most of the readers here understand. But the fact of the matter is a modern vehicle is objectively better in nearly every way. Safer, cleaner, more comfortable and more economical. Yes, you’ll total one out in a 50 mph accident. But whereas the old car would come out of the accident with merely a few panels needing to be pounded out, the passengers were likely dead or seriously hurt. In the modern car you are probably going to get out and walk away.
Strip it of any usable parts and crush the rest. Not all cars can or should be saved.
Jeez, Adam……you say you’re looking for something positive on this car.
I think you’re limited to just one of the battery terminals!
But I’m afraid that even that’s a lost cause at this point.
I know everybody here saw the first pic and thought its very rusty but not that bad then saw the second pic and said oh $!@& never mind strip it and crush it.
That ain’t gonna be as easy as patch some rust, new door and quarter there ain’t a piece of metal on that that ain’t got rust through
Started life at 7.874 g/cm3. Now sits at 5.24 g/cm3. Skip the metal work.
About 360 pounds of bondo might help.
Think this one might be a lost cause… only way it might even be feasible is if you got the car for nothing or a couple hundred,and then you could do all the fab and engine work yourself and then still would probably be upside down…but 2,600? Not even close….
Let’s see, four very flat tires, two of which are no longer mounted to the wheels and the guy says it rolls and steers “okay”? Um, yeah and one coat of simonize will have this baby looking like new.
Too funny.
it must have been a beautiful car when it was new, bright red, black top?? I had a 55 Buick Special four door hardtop, still sitting on the ranch out in southern Kansas, started by pushing the gas pedal. Dad bought it for an airport car, one you could leave at whatever airport, paid 150 bucks for it, and I drove it most of the way through college. Mine is red with a white top, tranny started slipping, and we just parked it. The back seat was so big, I could fit a harley rigid frame across the seat,
getting too old to even attempt something like this. Too Bad!!
Lots of nice parts. I wonder how those portholes and hood ornament would look on the old Jimmy?
Don’t be fooled, it’s not in as good shape as it looks.Having owned a 55 Special 4 door hardtop and a 55 Century I can testify that I’ve never seen cars rust the way these do. They disintegrate into millions of flakes, scales and pellets that shower out of the car when you move it or open doors, hood or trunk. All of the chrome plated zinc castings pit like crazy, and that mesh grill? It’s not steel mesh, it’s a pot metal casting and it weighs at least 20 lbs. I always liked the look of these put after owning a couple and seeing how they were built I just had to laugh.
Parts only.
“Rolls and steers okay”……I take it he means when parked??? :-)
Couldn’t I smoke a joint & conjure up a better car?
Years ago I removed all the conv. parts from a rusty 59 Caddy and installed them on a nice coupe, split the fire wall and R&R the dash and windshield in one piece and lowered it on to the hardtop car. It was a lot of work getting all the gaps right but it made the customer happy when it was done. That was when you could find a nice coupe for little money
That’s your best bet with this one!
I generally agree with Ken Carney, we should try to save the old ones, but this one is too far gone.
I busted out laughing when I saw the second picture.
This is such a cool body style, I would like to see it restored….just wouldn’t want to pay myself to have it restored!
Parts car at best.
Yep….a good parts car for a 2 door hardtop conversion….and guess what….there’s been one sitting for over 30 years right down the street from my old casa….lucky it’s been on concrete the whole time.
If you look closely, even the guys new truck is a mess!
Looks like a 40 Lincoln Continental Coupe in the back ground that would be a better candidate and that looks very rough! What do our sharp eyed viewers think? As for the 55 It was fun just looking at all that rust and rot, Is that what you call patina?
If you try to save them all, there will be no parts to save others. Strip and crush.
So, any guesses on the age of that battery? Think it’ll crank that beauty over after it’s been on the charger overnight?
My dad had a ’55 Buick and later a ’59. Both black and both beautiful cars in their day. This one has lost its charm, not to mention its beauty.