CCCA Full Classic. Restored for touring with high-speed gears, downdraft carburetor, alternator, and turn signals. Big, fast, and elegant, ready to tour at any level. Very nicely sorted and ready to run.
The restoration was apparently finished in the early 2000s with the intent of using it in the Great Race, but that never happened. Instead, it's a big, attractive tour car that just works like it should and looks great doing it. The two-tone red bodywork is just right on the semi-formal sedan and with dual sidemounts, a trunk, and wide whites, it's unquestionably an imposing machine. There’s no evidence of haphazard workmanship, just a few signs of age and use that are perfectly OK for a car that wants to run down the road. The Trippe lights up front and the trunk in back work with the sidemounts to give this big Buick a classic look that stands out among smaller machines. You'll note auxiliary lighting for brakes and turn signals, another safety upgrade for touring, and the front fender lights have been adapted for turn signals as well. Chrome is excellent throughout, and the overall impression is that someone spent a lot of money and then enjoyed the car they way they were supposed to.
The mohair interior is quite handsome and correctly done. The door panels are beautifully stitched and the seats are comfortable enough for all-day touring. The driver gets the usual controls, plus extras like an aftermarket fuel level gauge under the dash and a row of toggle switches to manage the various other upgrades: fuel pump, Trippe lights, defroster, and windshield wiper. The original speedometer, ammeter, oil pressure gauge, and temperature gauge are all fully operational and it runs at about 160 degrees no matter how hot a day it is. Buicks were expensive cars and it shows throughout this high-end Model 87. There’s nothing that feels merely adequate inside; you got a lot of car for your money at the Buick store.
Of course, this one has been modestly upgraded for touring, so purists might not be pleased but if you're a driver you're going to love it. The muscular 344 cubic inch OHV straight-8 delivers big torque without much effort and idles so smoothly that you almost can’t feel it running. It sports a later 2-barrel downdraft carburetor on the stock intake manifold, which has been flipped over, replacing the original Marvel updraft unit. It surely cuts down on vapor lock issues and sure makes tuning and service easier. It starts almost instantly with just a little choke and the sucker pulls like a freight train at almost any speed. The electric fuel pump is on a momentary switch, so it's mostly for priming and the car runs just fine using the stock mechanical pump alone. Someone has also cleverly integrated a 6-volt alternator into the front engine dress, keeping the original generator to run the water pump. It looks almost OEM and it’s nice to see a steady 10 amps of charging, even at idle with all the lights on.
That big torque means the 3-speed manual transmission doesn't need many downshifts and thanks to high-speed gears in the rear end, it cruises pretty easily at 55-60 MPH. There’s a nice 8-cylinder burble from the new exhaust system and the mechanical brakes are reasonably effective, although you should plan ahead. Someone added a steering stabilizer on the linkage, which helps it track straight at highway speeds, and I’ve personally verified that it’s stable and smooth at 55 MPH. It sits on painted 19-inch wire wheels that have an understated look in black and the 7.50-19 double-sided whitewalls give it a suitably beefy look. Those tall tires also help with highway cruising and don't affect the ride or handling one bit.
This is a fantastic Full Classic tour car that's mechanically excellent and really quite handsome. It's as fast as anything else from the period, if not faster, and someone else has already made all the changes you would have made anyway. Well-sorted yet affordable Full Classics are a rare find, and Buicks of the period are as high-quality as anything else you could buy. This fantastic sedan gets everything right and does it at a very reasonable price. Call today!
For more details and photos, please visit www.HarwoodMotors.com
