While looking at another car I came across this 55 2dr today. He said it was for sale and for me to make him a offer? The car looks fairly solid and complete. I'm not very familar with these years or values to make a offer? What should I be looking for on this car? It has a nailhead 4blb motor and was running when parked. What would be a fair offer?
Always offer low and work your way up. I would start at 1500. And stop at 3k. Then leave. If he didn't take 3k. It will stew in his mind. Come back towards the end of the month when bills pile up and start back at it
very desirable big series Super. Series 50. not a lot interchangeable between the lower smaller series 40 Special and 60 Century. if its complete and die cast, stainless, and chrome parts are all there and restorable....and sheet metal is reasonbly repairable..... you'd have a very nice car at the end of the project. Interior condition and dash is major factor......too.... in my opinion..... if it rolls and engine turnable by hand..... no more than $3500. as is.. ps. “ran when parked” means Nothing!
Buy it only if you have a passion for it. Even a low price will not look so good (you will soon be upside down) when you discover WHY it was parked: bad engine, transmission, etc Buy at parts car prices and you might recover your investment.
Thanks everyone for the advice. I'm going back there to pick up some other cars and I will take some more pics and get some more details about the car. One question, if zoom on the fender holes the 4 chrome pieces have lights wired into them? Not factory? Also I noticed some have 3 holes and some have 4. I assume that's a model difference. Which is the more desired model 3 or 4. I'm thinking the the car can be had for 1000 to 1500. A son liquidating his dads old cars so he can rent the house. If I don't get it I gladly turn it on to somebody here.
I went through a bunch of these 55s a year or so ago. They aren’t rare so first is ,clean title in hand,don’t even look if they tell you they can get it,if it’s not running why? Dynaflow rebuild will be 15-2500. Don’t be afraid to low ball. I’ve had many very low offers accepted. Portholes on the side should be blank not wired. Where are these cars located? What others are for sale? Thanks
1955 was Buick's best sales year from the company's start until the '70s. Buick was #3 in sales in 1955. They are not rare for that reason and also that they were very good cars. Lights in the portholes was a very common "gook" addition; not factory. The 2 dr hardtop would be the most desirable body style next to a ragtop. There weren't a lot of common problems with the '55s. The houdaille -type rear shocks would eventually leak out the fluid and/or the rear shock link bushings would wear out and need to be replaced. I believe that the links are available and there are places where you can send the shocks for rebuilding. The only other thing that I remember (I had three '55s) was that the emergency brake bracket O-ring on the torque tube would wear out and the cable would eventually wear it's way through the bracket, making an unpleasant ringing noise as the car was driven. It's an easy fix. Most of the high-dollar stuff (other then the body) was pretty solid, but the car is 63 years old. If it's not running, you have to assume that some or all of the drivetrain will need work - perhaps a lot of it. As was said earlier - be sure that all or almost all of the diecast parts are there. They will be expensive to replace and few if any are being reproduced. I know of a guy in Massachusetts who spent $5,000 just in chrome for his '55 Century. You can almost never restore a car for less then the price of one already done.
Yep, I had a quote for 6500 on my 55 Century, got my 40 Special sedan done here in the NW for around 1300, but not as much chrome on it.
3 portholes are on a Special, and the least desired. 4 on the next models up (Century, Super, Roadmaster). The term "Riviera" could be applied to any of them, and meant they were a hardtop. So you end up with Special Riviera, Super Riviera, etc.......
If I had a 55 restored coupe for sale in terms of desireability and ease of sale, I would want a Roadmaster, then Century, then a Special and finally a Super. Although the Super was higher in pecking order when new, many see them as a poor mans big Buick - KInd of like a Belaire versus and Impala. If I was buying the same I would choose a Century.
Except a Special is a 'Biscayne'- smaller body, only one with the little 188HP 264 V8, vs. the Super's 236HP 322 V8. I can't see a reasonable explanation as to how a Special is more desirable than a Super; Super was just below the Roadmaster- #2 on the Totem Pole. Maybe that's just me.
You forget the Century was a 60 series, the Super a 50 series thus making the Century a higher designated series than the Super. The Super was a stripped down Roadmaster, many people think just because it was a big series it was higher end but that was not the case, it was for for the person that wanted the bigger body but couldn't afford the Roadmaster. The Century had a long and desirable history as Buick's "hotrod" and the interiors were actually nicer than the Supers more Special like interior. You act as if a 55 Special is a dog in comparison to a Super. you fail to take into account the weight difference, while the Super may be quicker, the difference is minimal on the road. Now talking Century versus Super, well, the Century just leaves the Supers (And Roadmasters) in the dust for performance. There seems to be a better market for the small body Buick's of this era when not is Roadmaster trim today. And let's face it, in a 4 door, do you want a stodgy Super sedan or a flashy Special 4 door hardtop. I would take any of the 4 series, but from watching these cars for decades, the Super's tend to sell slower than the other series.
Ahhh, But Buick didn't code the series numerically. I think many people get mislead by that, just like Buick calling engines out by torque instead of displacement. They ran : Special/ Century/ Super/ Roadmaster despite the numerics. Special/Century were junior Buicks, Super/Roadmaster were seniors. Century Riviera 2dr hardtop was $2601, Super Riviera 2-dr hardtop was $2831. • Specials were advertised as "thrifty" and "budget-priced". They had the plainest interiors; I'm not sure it was possible to make a Special 'flashy' from the factory. • Centurys got Special equipment, the larger engine, trip odo & an electric clock. • Supers had "luxury touches" and got all the Special equipment plus the longer wheelbase, bigger engine, standard power steering, wider rims, automatic trunk light, trip odo, electric clock & Foamtex seat cushions. They got close to the Roadmaster interior, with the dash flowing onto the front doors with engine-turned inserts.
Buick coded their series numerically For decades, there were many years. They had no name designation but we’re strictly known by seeies numbers.
Perhaps I should have clarified and said 'didn't code the series in ascending numerical order'. My point was : for '55, the fact that the Century was a Series 60 and the Super was a Series 50 doesn't mean the Century was positioned above the Super. I know; I'm a chronic nitpicker about this stuff. Trying to get on some medication for it.
Basically, the Super and Roadmaster used a Cadillac body shell, the Special and Century shared body shells with the Oldsmobile 88 and Super 88; possibly some of the Pontiacs as well.
Well, Fisher body shells; A, B, C. That program started around 1933. Of course, there were plenty of differences; for '59, the same Fisher shells shared the firewall, front floor, front doors on the 2-drs, and the greenhouses. Everything else was proprietary to each Division. IMO, saying 'Buick used the Cadillac body' quickly gets people confused.
