1948 Buick Roadmaster Convertible 2 Dr 58k Original Miles Power Options Restored on 2040-cars
San Juan Capistrano, California, United States
1948 Rare Restored Buick Roadmaster Convertible
Period Correct Restoration with Proper Interior One of only 11,503 Convertibles Made The last '48 Roadmaster Convertible with the same color combinations and options sold for almost $130k (including premium and tax) at a Gooding & Company auction in Scottsdale. Easily capable of cruising at modern highway speeds, with a comfortable ride and surprisingly good brakes, you can drive it anywhere. This beauty has been driven less than 100 miles since being fully restored earlier this year. Everything works perfectly including the power top, power windows, power seat, radio, electric horns, clock (which rarely work in these cars), mechanical horn, exterior lights, interior lights, signals, crank rear windows, and any other option you can think of. Original Fireball DynaFlash 320 Cubic Inch Straight-8 144 -- 150 HP (it depends on who you ask at GM) Automatic Transmission -- first torque converter equipped transmission on an American built car, originally a $244 option Convertible -- Power Top Power Windows Power Seat 58,400 Original Miles Best Color Combination or Cream and Red Although they probably didn't know it at the time, Buick's 1942 redesign of their entire lineup would make post-war Buicks some of the most fashionable cars on the road. With other automakers scrambling to update older designs, the 1942 refresh brought sweeping fenders, longer wheelbases, and the trademark toothy Buick grille that would be an icon for more than a decade. In 1948, Buick also introduced the Dynaflow automatic transmission on the top-of-the-line Roadmaster, and it proved so popular that they had to double production at the factory. In 1949, there would be yet another restyle, making the 1948 Buicks the pinnacle of early post-war design and styling. This 1948 Roadmaster convertible has been in the same family since being restored earlier this year. Showing just 58,224 original miles, she runs beautifully with a recently rebuilt engine and transmission. The cream color paint is factory correct which is the most sought after color and suits the big flashy convertible. The car spent its entire life in the southwest and has never been rusty with zero signs of patching or filler used anywhere in the body. Panel alignment is perfect, although Buick's trademark side-opening hood was notoriously difficult to fit and even the factory only did a fair job of it. The paint and chrome is excellent with no flaws. The chrome and trim is 100% original and was refinished as needed. Decals and logos are fully preserved, and the legendary Buick "bombsight" hood ornament is extremely nice. All the lenses are intact and great original condition. Red interior, and lots of it, is the interior of choice in the post-war Roadmaster convertibles. Authentic materials, patterns, and colors were used to create a proper Buick interior in fact the seats might be the original material. Lovely button-tufted door panels are befitting Buick's most expensive model (except for the station wagon), and the seats are fitted with proper pleats. Fresh carpets were also installed throughout to give this Buick a fresh look. The gauges are all original and all functional including the Sonomatic AM radio and glovebox-mounted clock. The Sonomatic Radio is the only noticeable flaw on the vehicle as the radio buttons were reassembled out of order (the buttons say "CUBICK" instead of "BUICK"). Overhead, the tan canvas convertible top and boot cover are new and factory correct material and color. The vacuum-actuated mechanism works flawlessly as it should. Both front windows and power seat are also hydraulically operated and 100% functional. Starting a Buick of this vintage is easy: simply turn on the key and step on the accelerator pedal. The big 320 cubic inch OHV straight-eight fires quickly and settles into a smooth idle with a pleasant mechanical whir coming from under the hood. The oil bath air filter has been converted to take a dry paper filter but still has a factory appearance. The exhaust makes a low subtle rumble which is the unmistakable sound of eight cylinders running in perfect harmony. Engine and transmission were both rebuilt during the recent restoration and everything under the hood has been finished to factory correct colors, logos, and decals. A transmission cooler was added as the only visible known non-factory addition to this car which is well hidden. The generator puts out plenty of amperage, and steering is light although there was no power assist in 1948. Insert bearings were used in 1948 for the first time, increasing reliability and improving high-speed durability, making this a Buick that will cruise effortlessly at modern highway speeds. The transmission works as advertised, with a seamless flow of power and no perceptible gear changes, which always feels unusual to those of us accustomed to typical automatics where you can discern the shift points. The brakes are firm and confidence-inspiring, even at high speeds, and the ride is typical Buick luxurious. However, it is unflappable on the open road and swallows large bumps without disturbing the passengers in a way that only large luxury cars are able to do. Four new wide whitewall tires have been mounted to the original steel wheels fitted with the original hubcaps. Mechanically excellent and still quite handsome, this Roadmaster convertible is a no-compromises collector car. It will easily float along at 70 MPH with a comfortable ride and surprisingly good brakes, so you can drive it anywhere. Parts are plentiful, service is easy, and the Buick 320 cubic inch engine is one of the most reliable machines to ever come out of Flint. Perfect specimens are trading hands for over $125,000 at auction, so this one also represents something of a bargain for a fully-sorted rust-free Roadmaster convertible. |
Buick Roadmaster for Sale
One owner~extremely nice~lt1 motor~vista roof~3rd row~only 33k miles~(US $17,995.00)
1955 buick roadmaster base sedan 4-door 5.3l(US $15,000.00)
1957 buick roadmaster base hardtop 4-door 6.0l
1994 buick roadmaster estate wagon wagon 4-door 5.7l(US $3,000.00)
1995 estate wagon 8 passenger lt1 one owner 21,000 low miles loaded original
1995 buick roadmaster estate wagon rust free 2nd owner(US $6,500.00)
Auto Services in California
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Opel Cascada is Europe's Buick convertible [w/video]
Wed, 17 Oct 2012As we reported earlier, there has been much speculation regarding a Buick convertible of sorts. The most ringing endorsement of this conjecture comes today from General Motors Europe, as the new Opel Cascada has debuted on the interwebs. Opel calls the four-passenger Cascada an "athletic, glamorous midsize convertible." With a length of 4,697mm (185 in.), the Cascada is as long as an Audi A5, to which GM has said it would be slightly larger.
The Cascada, which is Spanish for waterfall, features a cloth convertible top that retracts in 17 seconds and at speeds up to 50 km/h (31 mph). The Cascada features a 1.4-liter turbo gas engine, 2.0-liter turbodiesel with 165 horsepower and a range-topping 1.6-liter turbocharged Ecotec engine that puts out 170 horsepower and 280 Nm (207 lb-ft). Power is sent through either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.
According to GM, the Cascada will also come rife with luxury and tech features. In addition to adaptive forward lighting and ergonomic heated front seats, the convertible will feature Opel Eye, which is a front camera that can recognize traffic signs and incorporates lane departure warning and forward collision alert.
Junkyard Gem: 1992 Buick Century Woodie station wagon
Mon, Oct 9 2017The Detroit station wagon with fake-wood exterior paneling had a good long postwar run, but minivans and — increasingly — sport utility vehicles were giving such wagons quite a beating in the showrooms by 1992. Buick was down to just two woodies by 1992; here's a discarded example of the front-wheel-drive Century, spotted in a Northern California self-service yard. Buick sold big rear-wheel-drive Roadmaster wagons with Simu-Wood™ siding through the 1996 model year, but the smaller Century was fairly plush. American car shoppers didn't insist on real-looking "wood" on their wagons, although Chrysler went much more three-dimensional with their plastic wood that did GM during this era. This one has the 3.3-liter Buick V6 engine, rated at 160 horsepower. This is not to be confused with the unrelated GM 60° V6, which was available in earlier and later Centuries. If only these seats could talk, they'd tell many tales of sibling battles and spilled fast food. Related Video:
Next Buick Regal to inherit styling cues from Opel Monza concept
Mon, 06 Oct 2014Ever look at a concept car from a foreign auto marque like Opel and wonder what relevance it will have to you as an American consumer? Well, we'll tell you: at least as far as the Opel Monza concept goes, it could mean a lot.
Speaking with Automotive News at the Paris Motor Show, Opel chief Karl-Thomas Neumann said, "You will see the Monza when you see the next Insignia." And the Insignia, we needn't point out, is essentially ported over to American showrooms as the Buick Regal.
The relationship between the Regal and Insignia only stands to grow closer as Opel design chief Mark Adams has also been charged with tightening the bonds between the two automakers positioned on opposite shores of the Atlantic. Adams also intends to imbue the next Insignia with more "premium brand values" in order to "add polish to the brand." Which in turn means that the Regal will be designed to look more upscale, too.