From a recent article on BarnFinds dot com: Beautifully Done 1951 Buick Roadmaster Restomod Want to own a beautiful old car that drives like a new one? Look no further than this 1951 Buick Roadmaster Riviera. It’s a state-of-the-art restomod with $52,000 invested—not including the thousands of hours the owner spent building and painting it. The bidding here on eBay in Columbus, Montana is at $ 49,000, with the reserve not met and no Buy It Now. It doesn’t appear that recouping all that money and time is guaranteed. The owner is heartbroken to have to sell his baby, but age and developing double vision have made it necessary. “It is a beautiful car that has given me and my wife great pleasure and life-long memories,” said the owner, who did everything except upholstery and some bodywork. “But it is too unique and too special to sit in my garage.” His loss will be someone else’s lucky gain. The 9,864 miles indicated is presumably since the frame-off rebuild, which started in 1995 and finished up in 2000. The owner is a master craftsman who has been building Buick engines for 60 years. That was the fun part. He built the motor on a rolling chassis and showed it that way—the work was worth seeing. Once finished, it made the show circuit, where it won numerous awards, including at the Good Guys Show in Spokane, and the Cruise by the Bay in Montana. It was on the “My Classic Car” show. Buy it and you get a Dell laptop “and all the cables to tune the Electromotive GT management system.” The powder-coated frame and suspension boast all-Jaguar suspension, front and rear. That includes posi-traction. It has Air Ride. The 320-cubic-inch Fireball 8 engine (presumably the original) was rebuilt and presumably strengthened with NASCAR pistons. It was balanced with twin turbos and a Buick Grand National intercooler. Turn down the boost and you can run it on low-octane gas. The engine runs port injection, with a 700 R-4 automatic transmission. It features a polished brass custom-made radiator and a manifold custom-made by the owner. Horsepower is not specified, but it’s likely quite impressive. Inside is Vintage air conditioning and front and rear seats via a Jaguar, upholstered in Connolly leather. The Alpine stereo run CDs and cassettes. Stewart Warner provided the gauges, and Ron Francis the wiring. All rubber and weather stripping got new Steele replacements. All the chrome was redone, and the stainless polished. The power windows have Jaguar activation. The owner wants bidders to know that the wire wheels in some of the pictures are long gone. “I could never get them balanced,” he says.
Item description from the seller: 1951 BUICK Roadmaster – 9,844 miles Because of my age and developing double vision, I have made the hard decision to sell my 51 Straight-8 Roadmaster. It is a beautiful car that has given me and my wife great pleasure and life-long memories. But it is too unique and too special to sit in my garage. I started the frame-off restoration/build in 1995 and finished it in 2000. I have $52,000 into the build with receipts – which does not include the 1,000s of hours I spent building and painting it. The receipts are included with the sale of the car. I did all the work except the upholstery and some of the bodywork. I started with the chassis and engine; I especially enjoyed fabricating the manifold. I have built Buick engines for over 60 years, so this was the fun part for me. I installed the engine on the finished rolling chassis and took it to a couple of car shows so that folks could see “everything under the body,” it won several awards. Once the body and interior were finished, we traveled to shows in Montana and received many “Best in Show” and “Participant’s Choice” awards over the years. In 2005 at the Good Guys Show in Spokane, it received the “Award of Excellence” and the “Rodder’s Rep Pick. YouTube video of the car running: . It comes with a Dell laptop and all cables to tune the Electromotive GT management system. FRAME: · All parts of the frame and suspension have been powder coated · 84’ Jaguar front suspension clip, with rack & pinion steering & Firestone airbags with 8” ride height adjustment · Jaguar rear suspension with 3.48:1 positraction gears · 15” steel wheels, with whitewall tires and Buick spinners · Air Ride Tank and Compressor (should be updated to larger tank & compressor) DRIVE TRAIN: · Engine – 320 C.I. +.060 (balanced); Twin Turbos, 8#s of boost, Buick Grand National Intercooler. It can run on low-octane gas if the boost is turned down. · .030 over Nascar Pistons · Electromotive GT Engine Management – direct coil to plug ignition. It comes with a Dell computer (program loaded) and data link cable. · Port Injection · Header & intake jet hot coating · 700 R-4 Automatic Transmission · Custom made Radiator – with polished brass · Electric cooling fan · Line Lock BODY: · Connolly Leather – Jaguar front & rear seats · AC · Vintage Air & Heat · Premium Alpine Sound System: CD & Cassette Player · Custom refinished (original) steering wheel · Stewart Warner Gauges · Ron Francis Wiring · All rubber & weather strips replaced with new STEELE products · All chrome (outside and inside) redone · All stainless polished · Power windows with Jaguar electric motors (the right rear window is weak, I manually assist) · Manual trunk latch access under speaker if needed · Spare Tire & Jack Please look over the pictures and video link provided. Please note that the spoke wheels on the “My Classic Car” video were removed years ago – I could never get them balanced. Should you have questions, please ask before bidding and provide a phone number and the best time to reach you. ATTENTION: PLEASE READ BEFORE BIDDING This vehicle has been described to the best of my ability, and as is the case with all pre-owned vehicles, the condition is subjective. It is to be assumed that all used vehicles have some degree of wear; as such, I assume no responsibility for omissions or errors in my description. It is recommended that the potential buyer inspect the vehicle in Columbus, MT. The vehicle is sold in "AS IS WHERE IS" condition with no guarantees or warranties written or implied. Please be advised that no oral statements made concerning the vehicle constitute any warranty for this vehicle.
Well, it's too late to consider bidding now. However, I have seen this car in person and it is a beauty. As if the photos and description aren't enough to show that. Congratulations to the new owner.
