1938 Buick Series 40 Special Touring Sedan

Back in the year when Errol Flynn immortalized Robin Hood, when Walt Disney dazzled the world with Snow White, when Glenn Miller music was coming into full swing, and Bingo was becoming the latest rage, the 1938 Buick Special was just about the most exciting thing this side of Lana Turner's sweater closet!

This 1938 marque mid-size Buick entry level vehicle is a wonderful running vehicle that our consignor states recently had a mechanical and interior restoration but still wears its original paint, stainless trim and bumpers. A beautiful example with the only major flaw being a crack in the exterior water jacket of the engine which causes a loss of coolant to the tune of about 1/2 a gallon over the course of driving an hour. Nonetheless, a beautiful and honest version of what Buick had to offer in 1938.

Exterior
Rembrandt Black covers this 4 door touring sedan with some cracking of the paint, touch ups, peppering and a few dings, but after all it is an 84 year old paint job that is still showing well. The chrome bumpers and brightwork have aged beautifully and show well. Deep set black bullet style headlights, and fender mounted turn signals adorn the front of the car along with yellow lensed fog lamps. All of this lighting is mounted around the split horizontal bar grille which also looks lovely. Black running boards integrate to the fenders, and for 1938 can be seen getting smaller. A wonderful hump back trunk compartment gives the car a nice finishing line to the back of the car. Art Deco style brightwork and handles are all in wonderful condition. New Coker wide white sidewall tires wrap red painted steel wheels and are capped by Buick nameplate moon style hubcaps. All of the glass is showing nicely with no signs of delamination and I can't get enough of the large and in charge visor over the split frame windshield.
Interior
A fresh new interior is installed in Tan Bedford cloth, the original color and material, and there is plenty of it on both front and rear bench seats, door panels, headliner, and even door jambs have a hint of it next to the wind lace and beading. Upper door panels and dash are painted a beautiful black and wood marbling and highlight the tan cloth nicely. The dash presents perfectly with the Art Deco style instrumentation and the original banjo steering wheel are working together to create the “look”. A glovebox clock, as well as creme Bakelite knob covers, AM radio, and door mini panels coordinate with lush tan carpeting all in very good condition complete the interior.

Drivetrain
The Buick Dynaflash straight eight, aka the Fireball 8, 248ci engine stretches the length of the engine bay and looks clean as a whistle. A single barrel carburetor, topped by an oil bath air filter, and a rebuilt 3-speed manual transmission, put plenty of smooth power to the 4.40 geared rear axle. Not a high-speed cruiser, but a solid combination that allows you to go forever and at a reasonable pace.

Undercarriage
The undercarriage was not overlooked during the restoration as it presents with strong solid steel for the framing and floors with just a touch of surface rust here and there. Side rockers and body hangers are in good condition and structurally sound. No invasive rust damage anywhere to be seen. Independent coil springs for the upfront suspension and a 3 link with coil springs for the back. Drum brakes are all around and have recently been fully rebuilt with a new master cylinder, lines, hoses, shoes and hardware. The fuel system also got a once over during the redux with new lines and a tank flush. New or rebuilt shocks are on with the suspension to improve the soft ride and we note a new Waldron single exhaust system.

Drive-Ability
This big car fired right up and off to the test track where it produced a very smooth enjoyable ride. Good acceleration, strong shifting and good braking are just a few of the highlights of my experience. A non-working battery gauge was our only frown during our drive and we did notice the slight coolant leak from the crack in the block after we returned to home base.

This beautiful big Buick graces our hallowed halls here at the Mall and is a real standout. In beautiful original Rembrandt Black, wonderful trimmings, art deco inspired living room-esque interior, and mechanically sound. Fly under the Cadillac radar without sacrificing luxury in this preserved and restored touring sedan.

Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special interest automobile showroom, featuring over 650 vehicles for sale with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914. Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.