School a newbie on the '49 Buick

[Reijer]

Hello all,

I have recently joined the forum and would in a few years time love to own, maintain or do a rolling restoration on a '49 Sedanette. I am as of yet undecided on the Super or Roadmaster. The stick shift of the former seems preferable but the bigger engine of the latter seems nice. I'm looking for general information as to make an educated guess what I'm getting myself into if and when I find a suitable car.

I'll definitely join the BCA when the searching starts in earnest. I'd prefer to search for a car among club members, or even with the help of one. It's a good way to counter my geographical disadvantage: late fourties Buicks are rare in Holland & taking a month off from work to hunt for one in the US isn't going to happen. Also, buying a car sight unseen on the internet is way too scary for me!

I have been browsing TeamBuick for a while now but could certainly need a push in the right direction. So if you feel like schooling a newbie, here are a few topics to get you started (literature referrals are greatly appreciated too):

- Can you still find (reasonably) complete and original cars?
- What's a fair price for one?
- Are many parts interchangeable between the Super and the Roadmaster?
- How are original/interchangeable parts availability and prices?
- Are there specialty dealers for late fourties Buick cars & parts?

Thanks!
Reijer

[Reijer]

Is there anyone out there who'd like to weigh in?

[Bob]

Yes there are "reasonably" priced original cars. It does depend on what you mean by "reasonably".

Depends on the model, 2dr ht? I don't think I would try shopping for anything less than $10,000.00 and the more you pay the better car you get. A dollar invested in the original purchase will probably save you two dollars in restoration costs.

I believe most everything from the cowl back on the body will intechange, plus grills and bumpers.

The most dependable way to buy long distance is, once you find a likely car, call a qualified appraiser. They can tell you wether you are getting close to what your paying for. You can expect to pay $300 - 500.00 per car, so it hurts when you don't buy it I know...

[njlimbaugh]

I'd go for the stick shift. Dynaflow trannies are inefficient both mechanically and economically; plus a stick will last forever in a collector car and is easy to repair for any competent mechanic. As to the engine size, a slightly souped up 248 with a stick should be faster and more fun to drive than the 320 with Dynaflow. Parts don't seem to be much of a problem here in the States. I was able to find everything I needed for my 40 super either from specialist dealers or Ebay at reasonable prices. Always buy the very best car you can afford. It's always cheaper than trying to restore one as most of us rarely recoup the full amount that we've put into something, even if we do a lot of our own work. If you can, watch some of the collector car auctions on TV for pricing. I've seen a lot of cars sell for 1/4 of the money that had to be dumped into them by the restorer. Good luck!

[Reijer]

Thanks for the replies. Very informative!

Cheers,
Reijer