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1940 McLaughlin-Buick Special sedan

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    1940 McLaughlin-Buick Special sedan

    The owner of the farm where my shop is located has had a 1940 Buick Special in his seasonal storage barn for many years. The former owner had signed the ownership over in 2012 after not paying the storage for quite some time. I was lined up to buy the car, but lo and behold, the owner reappeared the day after with cash in hand. I could have stood my ground and kept the car, but I figured I wouldn't piss in anyone's cornflakes - the guy's wife had recently passed, so I was sympathetic and gave it back.

    Fast forward to this spring, and the owner of the car has been AWOL again for over a year. I had mostly forgotten about the opportunity, but happened to ask the farmer about the car one day and learned it was up for grabs again. Being that I had almost bought it two years ago, I had first right of refusal this time around. Do I need it? Obviously not...but that didn't stop me for the price he was asking (same as the 2012 amount, despite more storage being owed this time).

    What sealed the deal for me is the fact that this is a McLaughlin-Buick. For those who don't know the history of General Motors of Canada, it actually began as a partnership with Sam McLaughlin, a Canadian coach builder. He took on the Buick line marketed under his name and built in Oshawa, Ontario (current home of the Cadillac XTS, Buick Regal and Chevrolet Impala/Camaro/Equinox). The earlier examples were actually badged as McLaughlin-Buick, but by 1940 they were almost indistinguishable from American production.

    This car shows 73k on the clock and a 1980 registration on the plates. Engine is the 248cid "Dynaflash" straight 8 with a 3-in-the-tree. Sheetmetal is quite solid aside from a couple holes in the floor and fenders. I can't imagine it saw much, if any winter driving. Interior is pretty toasted by mice/leaking windows, will need seats done, front door panels and headliner. First order of business will be refreshing all fluids and seeing if the str8 will fire up. I'm not in a rush on this one, but would like to see it brought back to good driver condition eventually.

    Here are the pics from 2012, it hasn't moved or changed at all since then. I should be moving it over to my shop in the next week or so. I'll take some new pics then.










    Last edited by RyPow; 05-26-2014, 03:08 PM.
    RyPow
    1987 LTD Crown Victoria LX sedan - The "Sand Box" - 73K, towing package
    1987 LTD Crown Victoria LX Tutone Tudor - '96 Explorer 5.0 + 5spd swap in the works
    1985 Lincoln Town Car Cartier - previously owned by "navguy12" from thelincolnforum.net
    2007 Lincoln Town Car Signature Limited, 102k, daily driver
    2006 Mercury Grand Marquis LS, 115k, winter beats
    1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car, 42k
    2012 F-150 5.0L 4x4, HD payload pkg (towing/hauling)
    2015 Toyota RAV4 XLE AWD (better half's)

    #2
    nice classic....from the time when they built cars from that mystical material called.....metal!........RyPow...you are a lucky man

    Comment


      #3
      Wow, thats a fine survivor. Not often you find a pre-war vehicle in solid but unrestored condition anymore.
      86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
      5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

      91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

      1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

      Originally posted by phayzer5
      I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

      Comment


        #4
        You're going to have a hard time finding parts.
        '79 Continental Town Car
        '90 Crown Victoria LTD
        '94 Crown Victoria

        Comment


          #5
          Looks to be in good shape for it's age

          Comment


            #6
            Funny, I'm friends with a guy named Matt McLaughlin here where I live, Sam McLaughlin was his great great whatever.
            Pebbles-1968 Ford F250
            Pile of Junk! An Electronics Project Site (To get wet by)<---Clicky! NEW STUFF!!!!

            Comment


              #7
              Fine score. .... I'm drooling.

              Check out v8buick.com, tons of info there.

              Something about the Buick mystique that can become addictive....and the story behind David Buick and also his collaboration at one time with Louis Chevrolet.

              Comment


                #8
                Nice!

                Look forward to seeing it done in a couple months :p

                Pete
                Originally posted by gadget73
                For other types of inquiry, more information is required. Please press 4 to speak to a representative who can help you with your question. This call may be monitored for quality assurance purposes.


                2003 Grand Marquis Ultimate, the "Stealth Bomber": http://www.grandmarq.net/vb/showthre...-Grand-Marquis
                1991 S-10, 'Bulldog', 2.5l 5 speed: http://www.grandmarq.net/vb/showthre...375#post698375
                1985 Town Car, 'Faded Glory', gone but not forgotten. 84/87/91/97 MGMs too.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Mmmmmmm.........sweet straight 8 goodness!



                  Packman

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by gadget73 View Post
                    Wow, thats a fine survivor. Not often you find a pre-war vehicle in solid but unrestored condition anymore.
                    Originally posted by Mainemantom View Post
                    Looks to be in good shape for it's age
                    That's mainly why I went for it, aside from the Canadian origins. All it should need is a few floor patches and some doctoring in the rear fenders, to be 100% solid. The simplicity of the body and frame construction is quite wonderful - steel stamping and forming wasn't too elaborate 74 years ago.

                    Originally posted by 79lincolnlover View Post
                    You're going to have a hard time finding parts.
                    I did some preliminary research into online vendors, and as long as everything is still stocked, there seems to be healthy availability of a lot of trim pieces, carb stuff etc. I'm going to be cutting my teeth soon on the machine lathe we picked up for the shop, so there will be the possibility of fabricating parts from scratch in the future. eBay is rather dear for stuff this old, but there's always that option too.

                    Originally posted by Piece-it pete View Post
                    Nice!

                    Look forward to seeing it done in a couple months :p

                    Pete


                    That would be awesome...but between the Sand Box, Tudor, Mark V, work on my house, etc etc....this one is very much on the "long term" to-do list!
                    RyPow
                    1987 LTD Crown Victoria LX sedan - The "Sand Box" - 73K, towing package
                    1987 LTD Crown Victoria LX Tutone Tudor - '96 Explorer 5.0 + 5spd swap in the works
                    1985 Lincoln Town Car Cartier - previously owned by "navguy12" from thelincolnforum.net
                    2007 Lincoln Town Car Signature Limited, 102k, daily driver
                    2006 Mercury Grand Marquis LS, 115k, winter beats
                    1977 Lincoln Continental Town Car, 42k
                    2012 F-150 5.0L 4x4, HD payload pkg (towing/hauling)
                    2015 Toyota RAV4 XLE AWD (better half's)

                    Comment

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