Vehicle of the day 4-7-11 -- 1958 Buick Limited

[clonelark]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r2Ctj3ynHI&playnext=1&list=PL7D18993F91AB7CBD

[jclary]

Great example of 1958, when all the designers took the year off, hired a bunch of chimps to sketch the new models, threw all kinds of rust incubating chrome doo-hickeys to fill in blank spaces and produced tons of commercials to convince you that you were stupid if you didn't trade in last years car for the latest and greatest!

This great lovely road hog is proof that a tank of gas cost about as much as a box of toothpicks back then!(very slight exaggeration)

[8E45E]

This individual has a collection of 1950's cars, including a 1958 Limited. http://www.kingoftheroad.net/buick/buick_1.html

Craig

[BobPalma]

Well, at least the video has a bullet-nose Studebaker Starlight Coupe right near the beginning! <GGG>

The 1958 Buick was a wonderment, to be sure. Probably its one decent technological innovation were the finned aluminum brake drums; a good advancement as far as drum brakes were concerned.

You have to wonder how far the zinc futures market soared when orders to Detroit-area die casters started coming in for the 1958 General Motors line! <GGG> BP

[raprice]

It's interesting to me that there was an incredible contrast between the '58 and '59 Buicks and Oldsmobiles. The '58s were incredibly gaudy, while the '59s, to me, were beautifully proportioned and had great lines.
Rog

[BobPalma]

It's interesting to me that there was an incredible contrast between the '58 and '59 Buicks and Oldsmobiles. The '58s were incredibly gaudy, while the '59s, to me, were beautifully proportioned and had great lines.
Rog

Roger: Did you see the 9,000-mile original 1959 Oldsmobile 98 4-door hardtop feature article in the most recent Hemmings Classic Car? Gorgeous machine; black with three-tone red interior. BP

[raprice]

Bob,
Yes, I saw that article and was amazed at the condition of the car. How come cars like that never come my way?
Just curious.
Rog

[JBOYLE]

[B]Great example of 1958, when all the designers took the year off, hired a bunch of chimps to sketch the new models, threw all kinds of rust incubating chrome doo-hickeys to fill in blank spaces and produced tons of commercials to convince you that you were stupid if you didn't trade in last years car for the latest and greatest!

You're a bit harsh about the chimps...but I basically agree with your sentiments about "trade now". At least in 58 designers had a new toy in their box, dual headlights.
If it weren't for the 59 Caddy and some of the 60 MOPARS, 1958 would go down as the high water mark of too much chrome and general tastelessness.

[BobPalma]

Bob,
Yes, I saw that article and was amazed at the condition of the car. How come cars like that never come my way?
Just curious.
Rog

Actually, Rog, if you are in the NYC area, I would think you might stand a decent chance of running across a car like that.

The demographic is there with so many people, to include older folks who may have a car they drove little due to the traffic, and then only on nice days before they quit driving altogether.

Chase down those newspaper leads and keep you ears open in coffee shops. BP

[clonelark]

Wonderful example in Craig's posting, very detailed restoration of an original low mileage car. I'd love to have the nmoney spent on that restoration, just the chrome part would buy a very nice Studebaker.