Behind the White Wheel

Behind the White Wheel

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Observing a 1953 Buick Roadmaster Coupe


And comes the time to try something new! I admit I have never driven an American car older than my dad's 1988 Pontiac Bonneville that he owned from 1992 till 1997. I wonder how driving a 1953 Buick Roadmaster with automatic transmission would feel like.

Acquired few years ago and completely restored, this car belongs to my uncle who has kept it sitting for few years. A quick look at it shows that it might only need new tires, some normal fluids change and the usual tuning.



The year 1953 marked Buick's Golden Anniversary year. On this occasion, the old straight eight engine was replaced by a legendary new, smaller and more powerful V8 engine that would fit the newly designed Buick Roadmaster.



Simple yet rich in chrome, this Roadmaster gave Buick the needed momentum to venture into the golden era of the 50's.


The car will need waxing to give the red paint its usual amazing shine and the chrome will need polishing to take out the dull spots in some areas. I will be tackling this issue as soon as I start the car and take it for a short drive.


The interior of the 1953 Roadmaster is spacious and simple. The emblem on the center of the steering wheel was specially designed for the Golden Anniversary: It has the Buick's logo in gold surrounded by the famous "Power Steering" in gold too. In fact, the power steering became a standard equipment as of 1953.


My favorite part in the 1953 Buick Roadmaster's interior is its radio and the chrome speaker housing. The radio operates only on the AM band and is provided with the "Selectronic" also known as the "Wonderbar" among the Mercedes-Benz enthusiasts. The "Selectronic" is an electromechanical system that allows the radio to automatically search for, and stop on, available stations. I can't wait to start the car to check if the radio functions, if it has good reception, if the "Selectronic" works...etc.


Those are my preliminary observations vis-à-vis this car. Certainly, driving it will be a unique experience. I can't wait to have it running, waxed and cleaned.

6 comments:

  1. check out my restorations in my blog: http://classic-auto-moto-restoration.blogspot.com

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  2. You're uncle's car is absolutely gorgeous! My husband is currently working on restoring a classic car and his birthday is coming up so I'm trying to get some auto restoration parts for him. He's been wanting to move forward more so these pics will be an inspiration for him. Thanks!

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  3. You're uncle's car is absolutely gorgeous! My husband is currently working on restoring a classic car and his birthday is coming up so I'm trying to get some auto restoration parts for him. He's been wanting to move forward more so these pics will be an inspiration for him. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete