Buick 1955 - 57 custom & mild custom

“I wanted a fifties Chev, always liked 57s and 55s but people already have them, I was always looking on the internet, American Ebay, looking, looking. I punched in Buick and this thing came up. I thought gee I like the look of that!” says Danny Engel, owner of this cherry looking 1955 Buick! It’s a familiar story these days, we find ourselves perusing the internet, looking for ideas to customize our rides or keen on purchasing a cool classic for sale, here and abroad thanks to this ever growing digital global community.




This suede blue Buick Century was reborn back in 2007 down in California’s Southland thanks to the experienced hands of retiree, Russ Mc Burney. With their big open chrome fronts, stylish extended rears, sweeping lines and a then hyped 322 Nailhead V8 powereplant giving Buick it’s only stock car win in that year, they’re a sort after ride next to the shoebox Chevs! Russ came across the basket case Buick while hunting for a new project to fill in his time. Having grown up in a similar ride as a child, Russ had fond memories of these Buicks and decided to relive the past with the help of his son, now 33, thus creating a father/ son project. The build took a couple of years and they found it to be a battle to restore. “These ain’t a mailorder car, especially when you want to keep ‘em all 55 Buick” states Russ!



Most of the work was completed inhouse, Russ handled the bodywork including seeing it nosed, decked and shaved before applying the satin paint along with the airbag suspension and other subtle custom mods while a neighbour and fellow enthusiast laid down the flames and high fleck flakes on the roof and dash. The pearl white 1 inch tuck n roll interior was handled by a local upholsterer, Frankco Upholstery.



While it was meant to be a keeper, Russ decided to part with it in 2011 which turned out to be Danny’s good fortune. Danny’s no newbie when it comes to the custom car scene.   “I’ve always been into cars. When I was younger I always had Toranas, early Holdens but always wanted a hotrod, a 32 Tudor. I was in a position where I bought a body and chassis, had the basics there slowly building it. The kids were only young at this stage. Watching the kids grow up thinking by the time I finish this car, four of us aren’t going to fit in it. Michelle and I are tall and the kids are getting tall and Tudors aren’t the roomiest sort of car. I started thinking the trend is turning towards the big American car which is why I ended up selling the hot rod and buying a (1960) Cadillac. I just went on from there.” As stated earlier, Danny wanted something older and scoured Ebay for ideas. He came across the Buick but still owned the now up for sale Caddy. By the time he’d sold it, the Century wasn’t listed anymore but fortune smiled his way thanks to the downturn of the American economy and the Buick was relisted! “When the Cadillac was on the market, the kids were saying, “why you selling it, why you selling it, don’t want you to sell it” but when the Buick turned up “glad you sold the Cadillac for that”” reminisces Danny



Once in his hands, Danny set about tidying up the family’s new pride and joy. “I pulled the interior completely out and gave it a really good scrub. Being a pearl white interior, you could see that it had pearl in it but once I cleaned it, the whole interior just changed again. I basically just cleaned everything up. Made it a car that I just jump in and turn the key and just drive. But I do have plans next winter to pull the motor and box out and fix the standard old car oil leaks.”



While Danny appreciates the work Russ put into it, the mounting of the airbag compressors was not practical at all! “They were mounted under the floor right where the driver sits but when you turned the compressors on, it was ridiculously loud, because it was solidly mounted, the vibrations were going right through the whole chassis. Also, because the car lay so close to the ground, I thought if the compressors stuff up, how am I going to get to it so I decided to move the compressors to the boot where they normally go.” Danny replaced the previous twins with one larger single unit.



All who know this car, know it as Bluick thanks to the clever number plates! Danny’s wife, Michelle came up with the name. “One day I came home from work and she said “I thought of a number plate for the car”. She wrote it down and showed me. I looked at it and thought I dunno about that. The next day I thought about it and thought, yeah, I like that” thus completing its identity.

As we know, messing with old cars is never smooth sailing as Danny can testify! “I just got it on the road two weeks before the Nationals were in Geelong, that was the first show I took it to. I got a roadworthy done on it and then when I went to collect the car, I was walking up to the mechanics shed and I thought, oh, hang on, something doesn’t look right here. What had happened was he must have hit the airbags and lowered the front down. Then he couldn’t work out how to get it back up and decided to reverse it off the hoist. He bent all the bumper brackets on the front bumper. When I saw it, it looked like the front of the bumper had been nearly ripped off. I’m thinking, great, it’s only a week and a half before the Nationals and I wanted to take the car there. I ended up straightening it up best as I could and afterwards, got the bumper fixed and rechromed.”



As far as Danny’s concerned, this one’s a keeper for him! “We all love going in the car and the young bloke’s at the stage where we’ll head off in the car, go to Chopped, ect.” Once again, this old girl helped strengthen the relationship between father and son seeing them now working together on a VC Valiant wagon! Happy travelling guys!



http://capricephotographyautomotiveart.org/2014/09/23/lisa-and-the-bluick/

The frame and body has not been hacked up to accommodate the air bags. A small amount of the sheet metal in the fire wall was removed to accommodate the arms when lowered and nothing cut in the rear. Old springs were removed and the bags put in their place. All 4 tires are on separate switches mounted under the dash to allow you to control each tire separately. Air tank is set up on a switch that automatically switches on when wire is needed or you can manual switch on the tank if you prefer. The front does not have shocks so the front is a but bouncy but will drive smooth at 75 MPH on the highway. Tires are 4 inch whitewalls from Lucas Tires with about 1,500 miles on them. Hubcaps are 1952 Buicks. Its set up for door poppers but not functional.
All the glass is there. The drivers side vent window has been cracked and the passenger side area of the front windshield has a scratch. Chrome on the front and back bumpers is real nice. Custom front grill that gets looks at every car show. The side trim is all there, all trim but 1 piece fixed and rechromed. Trim around the windows is good with some small pitting on the trim around the vent windows.
Motor is a V8 322 Buick nailhead that starts right up and runs strong. I have not rebuilt the motor, motor has ran strong when I bought it from the previous owner and there was been no need to rebuild it. The odometer is not accurate so I don't know the exact mileage on the motor. Comes with a recently rebuilt 2 barrel carb. Battery, alternator and brakes have recently been replace. It has no overheating issues. Motor is hooked up to a Dyna flow transmission.

1956 Buick 2 Door Custom Roadster Special. This Car has been in many magazines and so many photo shoots, with incredible models, I can't count. She goes by "Flake, Fur, Fire". It is completely painted in heavy Purple metal flake, Interior is completely covered in White Fur, She has a new fish tail flame thrower kit that shoots amazing flame shows at the touch of a button. You will steal the show with this incredible one of a kind car. I have done an extreme amount of work and spent a lot of money on this car to make it very reliable and so much fun. If you like attention and want to steal any show and have a blast driving around town, don't pass up this car. Drive train: The 350 engine burns no oil, no knocks, solid and built by a pro, the trans shifts perfect and no issues, no leaks and all fresh tune up!!! Cadillac BATWING air cleaner. Custom pinstriped and lettered by one of the best, Hollywood of Phoenix. Electrical has all been re-wired with a new complete kit, new fuse block, it's nicely done and clean. New gauges include, oil pressure, water temp, voltage and working gas gauge. New gas lines, new electric fuel pump & fuel filter. All new air bags, new AC compressor modified to supply air to the air bags and tank, bags work perfect up and down and has nice controller in the car. Tires are brand new. Front end checked out and new king pins and anything else to make it drive safe and straight. Glides down the road at 70 mph easily and smooth. I had a custom fabrication shop re work the rear end with all new bushings, seals and parts, it's solid and ready to roll. The car is a very basic, and easy to maintain vehicle. The car is extremely reliable and I have put many miles on her in the last year to prove it. I like to stress there are some rough edges on her, the paint has some chips, cracked paint in spots, bumpers have some dents, she is a driver but absolutely beautiful. You will not spend a lot of time fixing this car, it's driver ready. A reliable Saturday Night Special, No one will forget. The beauty of this car is it has been driven all over the South West. If your in a hurry and don't want to talk to people or be photographed, then don't drive this car.

Buick 56 Special.

I'm gonna be 100% truthful with you. First the car is beautiful. Car was originally from Georgia, then Ohio for what looks like 10 yrs. Starting in the front. Bumper and grill are nice and still shine but some pitting. Fenders solid, hood solid, no wiper arms are in car, the vacuum wiper motor is there. The engine was rebuilt in early 2000 from previous owners and I'm telling you that engine sounds and runs so strong. The back freeze plug has rust hole that makes it drip a bit of antifreeze. I have engine gaskets and freeze plugs all new and will be included in the sale. The dynaflow leaks, the torque ball gaskets go bad in dynaflows again I have the gasket kit for this as well and will be included. I planned on taking the motor and tranny out and detailing them and replacing all gaskets, I have not done this and the price reflects that. .definitely needs addressed. Tires are new. Wheel bearings new, wheels cylinders are all new. But I have just discovered there is a leak in the break lines somewhere. Doors are solid, doors were shaved properly all metal was done 20 plus years ago not showing any cracks or can't tell they were there. The body is as straight as they come. All stainless trim is there and nice. All glass is good except passenger door window and vent window are cracked, again I have all new glass to replace these two and go with the sale of car. I also have about 300$ in window channels and felt not installed yet but goes with car. Interior is a beautiful white tuck n roll with white headliner and black carpet, no rips no sags. It now has a new metal flake gold steering wheel. Speedometer, radio, and vent controls do not work, could be a simple fix not sure never cared. The rear footwell floor area has been cut out and replaced. Floors are solid, trunk is solid no rot, new air shocks in rear. Front lowered with coils. Steering wheel has some play in it. The only issue on body is under the rear passenger Windows all the way at the bottom, the body wraps way under out of sight there is a hole on both sides of the car that is about 2"x3" that needs cut out and new metal welded in. Again this is out of sight you'd have to lay on ground to see this... Paint is a hot rods flat black.

1955 BUICK SPECIAL

OLD SCHOOL COOL!

THIS IS A COOL OLD BUICK WITH METAL THAT IS SOLID AND CLEAN!

GREEN PAINT IS MOSTLY ORIGINAL THROUGHOUT WITH THE OBVIOUS EXCEPTION OF THE PINSTRIPPING AND METALFLAKED ROOF. IT IS TRULY A PIECE OF ROLLING ART!

EXTREMELY CLEAN SOLID BODY, FRAME, AND UNDERCARRIAGE! THIS CAR SPENT A MAJORITY OF ITS LIFE IN NORTH CAROLINA UNTIL THE LAST FEW YEARS WHEN IT WAS BROUGHT TO OHIO.

THIS CAR IS CAUGHT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN AN OLD SCHOOL CUSTOM, STREET ROD, ORIGINAL, AND VON DUTCH STYLE PINSTRIPPED PIECE OF ARTWORK. IT HAS LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF FEET OF CUSTOM PINSTRIPING THROUGHOUT OVER THE MOSTLY ORIGINAL PAINT UNDERNEATH. THE ROOF OF THE CAR WAS DONE IN A BEAUTIFUL SILVER METALFLAKE WITH GREEN METALFLAKE SCALLOPS THAT SHOW BEAUTIFULLY!

THE UNDERCARRIAGE IS AS CLEAN AND SOLID AS THE REST OF THE CAR!

ORIGINAL 264 CI BUICK NAILHEAD MOTOR. ENGINE SOUNDS SMOOTH AND RUNS BEAUTIFULLY. RECENT TUNE UP AND OIL CHANGE. THIS CAR IS READY FOR THE OPEN ROAD!