Vehicle Description
1939 Buick Special Series 40 Touring Sedan
1939 saw a complete restyling of Buick's Special line and the most
dramatic change was a shorter but wider grille which left the nose
solid and sculpted to a point. Buick also shrunk the wheelbase by 2
inches. 166,349 Buick Specials were built in 1939 with 27,218 of
them being 2 door touring sedans.
For consignment, a 1939 Buick Special Series 40 touring sedan
that's been fully customized including an elaborate paint job that
likely has never been duplicated, making this one of a kind. This
is a fantastic street rod that will be an absolute stand out
wherever you take it.
Exterior
A Tangerine top towers over a Pearl White base, in two stage paint
of course, and the lack of chop here makes for a tall cabin with
full sized windows and lots of headroom. The Tangerine spills down
onto the hood and then the nose, where it cascades down to a point
and finds its way to the front roll pan. Look closely and you'll
see the Tangerine line is edged by a gold flake stripe, bordered in
black stripes, then a red and green pinstripe follow the contours,
and it's all paint. Elaborate pinstripe designs occupy the nose and
prominently on the trunk lid where a frenched license plate takes
its place in the center. On the side is faux wood, that's so good
you'll want to touch it to see if it's real, and it's surrounded by
raised trim like a fine piece of furniture, and it shows up on the
running board as well. Buick is artfully scripted into the
pinstriping under the rear windows and 15-inch Chevrolet Rally
wheels with knock off center caps give this street rod its fancy
shoes. Imperfections include some cracking down low on the pearl
paint in two small spots.
Interior
Diamond stitched tan leather makes up a good part of the door
panels which also have Tangerine piping and tan carpeted lowers,
along with billet hardware. The modern bucket seats retain the
diamond stitching and tangerine piping and are backed by orangish
brown leather panels all on a black plastic base with power
switches for the driver. A few head of cattle contributed to the
roomy back seat where the patterns continue, and throne like
armrests flank the two seat bench. Storage under the seats is
fronted by leg room for your tallest friends, or that gawky
teenager who just went through a growth spurt. A 3 spoke wood
steering wheel fronts a dash panel that is pearl white and smooth
with no gauges, but "Sweet Annie" scripted in paint on the
passenger side. The Tangerine painted center stack houses the
gauges, in this case white faced Omega customs and a chrome based
B&M shifter follows that, along with a Pyle Hydra series AM/FM
digital receiver. Tight tan carpet covers the floor perfectly with
orangish brown footwell walls, completing a well coordinated
interior palette that's capped off by the soft, tan headliner in
great condition. The massive trunk is lined with sound deadening
foil and houses a newer battery.
Drivetrain
Lift the hood and we find a 350ci Buick V8 with an Edelbrock
4-barrel carburetor on top. It's not quite as showy under the hood
as above it, but the bay is clean and certainly rust free. A TH400
3-speed automatic transmission lives behind the motor and sends
power to the 10 bolt rear. Power brakes are provided and are
configured in the typical disc front, drum rear arrangement.
Undercarriage
No complaints underneath as it's clean. The dual exhaust passes
through FlowMaster mufflers before heading to the sides where they
exit under the running boards just before the rear wheels. We note
a few drops of oil on the pan but no other extra fluids, grease, or
dirt anywhere. Suspension consists of coil springs up front and a
4-link with purple springs out back.
Drive-Ability
The consignor was right! The car runs great, shifts well, brakes,
and handles well. This is a big comfortable ride, clean and at the
same time minimalist on the inside. Visibility is great despite
wide C-pillars and the pointed hood makes you feel like you're
steering a torpedo. The speedometer and odometer are not operating
but all other functions, including power steering, work well. While
Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at
the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions
will be working at the time of your purchase.
A big, bold, bodacious build, this '39 Buick is better than new. An
exterior design like this would have raised some skeptical eyebrows
in 1939, but in 2024 this is an artistic expression on wheels! What
we like is that there's still room for customization in the engine
bay, or the new owner can leave it as is and enjoy this Tangerine
and pearl spectacle. Plenty of room in the trunk for trophies, if
that's your goal.
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in
person.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
automotive professionals about amazing cars and their history. Tune
in each week to the Classic Auto Mall Podcast wherever you enjoy
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