My father has a1955 Buick Special 2 door with original 3speed manual on the column, I have been told by others that their are not tomany out there. How can I get information on this and does it add value to thecar which is in great condition.
Thanks, Joe
It would for me because I like manual transmissions. However, I strongly believe that most people today prefer automatics. I am on a few other car boards besides this one and people both there and here are always asking about how to convert manual shift cars to automatic. When I was a kid it was just the opposite. Almost all of the car hobbyists then were converting automatic cars to manual, and I was one of them.
The figures I have heard for Buicks in these years are that 3% to 6% of total production were manuals, but I have seen no authoritative documentation to support this. Based on personal observation, I would say it was closer to 3% than 6%, or maybe even lower than 3%. However, a surprisingly large number of manuals have survived, and I think it was because they had fewer mechanical problems than the automatics. There was a long period of time when people would scrap an automatic car if the transmission went bad rather than pay to get it fixed. Oddly enough, thats how I ended up with my present car, a 52 Roadmaster, which I converted to manual.
Ray
Last edited by raycow; 08-25-2012 at 05:31 AM.
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