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.
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