Thank you! I was actually texting the guy who owned it the longest last night. By default, I'd call him the original owner, since the previous 3 owners didn't have it for more than a total of 11 years. I'm also of the opinion that it wasn't repainted, as had been previously surmised. He doesn't recall the previous 3 owners ever painting it and he bought it from a friend he grew up with, so... I've kinda hit a wall, though, in terms of contacting the original owner.
I grabbed this original lid here a few weeks ago from cole. I like that it has the correct sheen and is worn a bit. I think it complements the car perfectly but that's just me.
Seems like I had a similar car about 30 years ago : ) Factory Stage 1 4 speed,non a/c 3:64 car,consolette etc . Yes,I too pawned a kidney later than this picture for an NOS chrome passenger Tri-Shield mirror, and swapped between the dog dishes & WG's depending on my mood. Good read
Love it, John!! What was the history? Double black Stage 1 4-speeds are very low production. What became of it? That snow picture is priceless!
Went to a car show/fundraiser put on by a local fire department today with a couple childhood friends. I may have waited too long to apply the sunblock, though.
Finally made it to what is the biggest cruise night in the commonwealth. There had to be over 2500 cars, at least. The Minuteman chapter of the BCA even had a little roped off area as well. Dad and I went backroads there and came home on the highway, in an effort to save some time. LV purred like a kitten in the slow lane at 62 MPH and when I dropped Dad off, the subsequent start yielded nothing. DOA.... To the rescue (and into the driver's seat) comes Mom. Dad and I push a few feet, she pops the clutch and VIOLA! It's alive!! The freeway ride combined with the M/T Super Scavengers heated that starter up something fierce!
Brett has driven it and definitely has shown it more in 17 months than sadly than I probably ever would've and for that matter, he came close on the initial test drive to driving more than I ever had. I practically had to pry his hands from the steering wheel. The guy I bought it from owned it for 35 or so years and only averaged a few hundred miles a year. Even for both the original and the second owners, it was never a daily driver. It may have been for the 3rd owner, but fortunately he didn't have it for very long at all as he was apparently the only owner who ever really abused it. I seriously doubt that it has hardly ever even been driven in the rain since new. It's truly a beautiful car and I'm so glad that I had the privilege of owning it for a short time and it's really been great to see Brett enjoy it, drive it, improve it, and share it with the public as much as he does.
Had you not pried my hands from that steering wheel, I could very well still be in your garage! Haha This thing is like a moth to a flame, no matter where I go. The gas station, cruise nights, hell - even the grocery store! People literally flock around it and peek inside, look all around it and ask tons of questions. It's such a blast to be able to share - what was originally intended to be a street brawler - with so many new people. I mean, you said it yourself the day I flew down to see the car: "these weren't built to last more than a few years before trade in." To be able to be the steward of this very rare piece of Buick history is a blast. Tonight was fun and my father got a kick out of all the people who were taking pictures and asking questions. That's what it's all about - making memories - and this well cared for car should (hopefully) be making them for a while.
A long while and you're a much better steward of it than I could've ever been and I love direction you've gone with it.
A little elbow grease and lacquer thinner goes a long way. The hood latch had been painted black over time and I know I could get one replated but this one fits the character of the car.