Hello, I just was given possession of a beautiful 55 Buick Special, with 4 doors, automatic transmission and immaculate restored interior. Although I have always had a strong appreciation for American vintage cars, I don't have any specific knowledge of the details and facts regarding individual models or the vintage car collecting world. So, I have jumped on the internet to begin my education. I would be very interested in any input from those of you who really know about the Buick Special regarding any noteworthy quirks or attributes I should be aware of. I'm even interested in value information for one that is in beautiful condition (you can see a shot of this one at www.jillwatkins.com - just click on the "About The Band" option and there it is). Also, was there just one size of engine that was installed in the 1955 Specials? Any thoughts about the engine in this car? Thanks for any input...
Welcome! A beautiful woman in a Buick, very:bglasses: The Special looks to be a model 43 making it a 4-door hard top, no piller between the front and back windows. Factory price was $2,409. Weight is 3820 lbs. 66,409 were produced. The motor is a "Nailhead" 264 C.I. @ 188HP 122" wheelbase. The big engineering new this year was the varialble pitch Dynaflow transmission. Also this was the first year of a true hardtop. Very nice looking car.:TU:
Yep What Doug said ..... and Welcome ! Hmmmm....Wanna bring the band to Wisconsin this fall for the Buick Party ? Hey , it never hurts to ask ...........:bglasses: :beer :TU:
Nailhead? Hey, a Buick Party in Wisconsin sounds like a beautiful thing! Just curious about how the nickname Nailhead came about for the engine on the 55 Buick Special? Thanks for the info!
Welcome! They're referred to as nailheads because the intake and exhaust valves were relatively small in size and installed vertically. Another bit of trivia...you have a unique year model in this sense...Buick wound up third (behind Chevy/Ford) in national sales that year. Memory (that's fading) tells me this has never been duplicated...
