Ten Reasons Why the 1954 Buick Was, & Still Is, Better Than Your Car

We’ve come a long way since the first “Tin Lizzy.” New safety features, creature comforts, unnecessary options…as well as improvements on already-invented things. Like brakes. And TEMPERED glass.

But is newer always better?

1954 Buick Century (image copyright GMBlogs.com)

My current infatuation (at least for a few more hours) is this 1954 Buick Century. I say “a few more hours” because the seller is moving today. & I don’t know where to. Bummer, too, since it’s only $1800 (or less, according to the description) for a running, driving, basically fine piece of automotive history. But I digress…

Typically, I research whatever car I’m currently interested in. Can’t hurt, right? So here, although applicable to many cars of its day, is why a 1954 Buick is better than your car.

#10 – It’s a Boat

The typical wheelbase for the 1954 Buick Century was 122 inches. That’s the entire length of my friends Mk. IV Jetta… The overall length was 206.3 inches. Because this is America, dammit! And if it’s not big, it’s not good. It also cashed in at around two tones (4,000 lbs). Hell, that’s only a half-ton lighter than a Hummer H3. Except people won’t hate you for driving a classic Buick…

#9 – It’s Spacious

That 206″ length comprises of the engine bay, the cabin, & the trunk. The engine bay alone can comfortably fit a 455 big-block V8. Easily. Cabin? A driver & five passengers. Maybe six or seven, depending on their physique. The trunk can graciously hold SEVERAL bodies. I mean, “lots of groceries.” Seriously, it’s massive. Like a salt mine.

#8 – Whitewalls

I don’t know about anyone else, but I’d rather see more cars with whitewall tires than with these stupid, “lo-pro” (low profile) tires. You know the ones. Impossibly large, 30″ wheels with only 1″ of rubber along the rims. Terrible. Eh, yeah, so whitewalls might require a little more upkeep. And “eh,” yeah, American’s are slowly becoming more inept at taking care of their own cars, but come on…whitewalls!

#7 – Two-Tone

Not many cars can pull off a two-tone paint job. Actually, NO cars can pull off a two-tone paint job. But sixty years ago, it was incredibly popular, AND good looking. I’d much rather gaze upon a two or three-toned ’54 Buick, than your ’96 Caprice with the same scheme. Ugh.

#6 – Simpler Mechanics

Ever try doing your own engine work on a car that’s newer than 1988? Neither have I, but it’s difficult as hell, isn’t it? There’s all these wires for the electronic throttle control, or whatever. That stuff’s hard to work on/fix/replace by yourself. Step back a few decades, to when pushrod carburetors were “in.” That alone just makes things easier. Not to mention there aren’t a billion wires you need to watch out for.

#5 – It’s Not Too Much

Heated seats? What? Why? Who needs those? Good lord, get some clothing that’s actually for winter! Coupled with the lack of heated seats (which is NOT as big of a deal as people make it), there’s also the lack of a nav system. Or a compass. Or a temperature gauge (not counting the one for the oil). Hell, there isn’t even FM radio. It’s simple, utilitarian, & functional. There’s no more than you need.

#4 – Whoa, what? No radio?!

Yeah, that’s right. No FM radio. You’re stuck with the crackly, always distant sounding AM version of NPR or BBC. I mean, on the plus side, this is eliminating the possibility of getting in an accident due to constantly changing the radio station. Since there pretty much ISN’T radio, why bother? In conclusion, lack of radio = increased driver awareness…maybe.

#3 – Drum Brakes

Drum brakes aren’t as good as disc. So you might actually have to stop tailgating that ’92 Honda Civic who’s-running-on-fumes-&-a-manifold-leak-but-just-replaced-his-brake-pads. Drums will make you drive defensively. See that green light half a mile up? Start braking now, because it’ll be red by the time you get there.

#2 – Vent Windows

If styling & chrome aren’t reasons you want a classic car, then “vent windows” should be. It’s for when you want a breeze, but not a full-on hurricane in the car. Plus they just look as awesome as Frank Sinatra in the recording studio with a cigarette.

#1 – It’s a Looker

At this point, it’s pretty much a culmination of (almost) all of the previous points. Not really, just the cosmetic ones. Even in somewhat rough shape a ’54 Buick just looks damn good. Maybe it’s the chrome “whisp” from the front quarters to the rear door rocker panels. Maybe it’s the chromed up, waterfall-style grille up front. Maybe it’s the medium-sized bullets protruding out from the rear bumper. Whatever it is, no matter what condition it’s in, it WILL get looks. GOOD looks, too. Not just, “ew, why is that even on the road” looks, though it may get a few of those…

If you can think of any more reasons why a ’54 Buick Century, or any classic, is better than pretty much any car after 1972, go ahead & email me & I’ll see if I can’t eek another comparative post out soon.

An Open Letter to the Typical Classic Car Seller/Owner

I’m getting increasingly bothered by the fact that I don’t have a car, whether drivable or not. The point of me having/getting/buying a car, I think, is lost on both parents, although I believe for different reasons of which I will not go into right now.

This frustration rises exponentially when I’m “window shopping” for a car on Craigslist. I come across one in which I’m halfway interested (usually within the late 1930′s, late 40′s, early 50′s or late 60′s model years) & then see the price.

When you want $4,000 for a rusted up, disassembled, & probably incomplete, shell of a *insert faux-rare model here*, you probably (unintentionally, of course) aren’t trying to sell it to anyone under the age of 40. Then you, the “older” car enthusiast, turns around to bitch & moan about how your “old car enthusiast culture” is dying because we, the younger generation, seem to be disinterested in your culture.

News flash, old timer(s): it’s not that we’re not interested, on the contrary, we’re very interested.

The problem is that you price these “collector” cars at ridiculously high prices. So, you poured half your retirement fund into restoring it. No one told you to do that. Yes, the car looks great, but don’t expect to make back what you put into it, then plus whatever that bullsh*t KBB says the car is worth.

The only people who can afford these immaculately restored cars are people of your age group. No wonder the classic car culture is dying. The only people who can afford them literally ARE…dying.

Now, to be fair, I have no problem with a “well maintained” classic, priced reasonably at $10,000. If the upholstery is good, the paint is decent, & there is little or no rust, that’s definitely 100 Benjamins well spent.

But when you come on the internets & you post a rusted up, non-running, “they made 1 million of these cars, but it’s definitely rare” Ford for $10,000, that is NOT 100 Benjamins well spent. In fact, it’s literally a waste of money. And time, both on your part & the readers’/shoppers’ part.

I see postings all the time for classic cars with low-ish miles (40-50k), in decent shape, & drivable. And then I see their $6,000 price tag. That is a hell of a deal if you ask me. My favourite postings are the ones that have a 30′s, 40′s, or 50′s car for sale & in the description it says “this was/is my daily driver.” Dear seller, you’re doin’ it right.

I can justify giving you $10k for a car if it looks presentable, IF…& only “if,” it is not “perfect” because it’s your daily driver. Anyone who appreciates a classic for what it is: a car to be driven, deserves to have an extra $2k added to their asking price, because they know the true value of the vehicle they are trying to sell. As long as you can upkeep your classic AND use it as a daily driver, you have my respect & money.

I CAN’T justify giving you $10k for a car that is in perfect condition that  you just let sit in your garage in between seasons/car shows. I don’t care that it’s never seen rain or snow. You know what that tells me? It tells me that this isn’t a car to you. It tells me that you think this car is some sort of trophy. Something to be looked at & never truly driven for fear of God only knows what.

If it’s not in decent shape because you’re neglectful, then that tells me that the car means less to you than it does to the man who thinks it’s a trophy. It tells me you think it’s equivalent to a paper napkin: something to be disposed & forgotten about. Since that’s what it appears to be, you should probably just drop the asking price to “free.”

But getting back to immaculately restored, never driven cars…

So one or two parts might be a little hard to find. That’s not worth not driving the car. Don’t not drive it because you’re afraid something will break. Cross that bridge when you come to it.

Classics are not “special.” They are not “rare.” They are not meant to be roped off so a child can’t touch them. They are cars, meant to be driven, enjoyed, used, & loved. Not the faux-driven, faux-enjoyed, faux-used, or faux-loved like too many classics are. If you have a true, unadulterated passion for automobiles, not just classics, you will understand this article. If not, then I’m sorry I’ve wasted your time. If you feel so inclined, send me an angry email that I will just post & make a mockery of in a later article.

Ford Fiesta v. Volkswagen GTI

For anyone who doesn’t follow me on Twitter or Facebook, I drove a 2011 Ford Fiesta & 2010 Volkswagen GTI this past Friday, with my friend Josh. After grabbing lunch at Five Guys Burgers (BEST. BURGERS. EVAR.) at Telegraph & 12 Mile Rd. in Southfield, we headed across the street to Avis Ford (at first we confused it with an ‘Avis Rent-a-Car’ across the street).

Frank was the gentleman who helped us after a few minutes wait. Pretty nice guy, fairly knowledgeable about the Fiesta, but got kind of confused with Sync during the drive… Anyway, we first grabbed a sedan with a manual, which Frank took us around in for a few minutes, because of my obviously poor stick skills (at least for now…).

©2010 MotorTrend

Upon the return to the dealership, we hopped in a ‘Lime Squeeze Metallic’ hatchback (which I preferred over the sedan body style, mostly because it looks less like a cheap Kia Rio), equipped with a fairly quick slushbox (aka: automatic trans). Ford must have geared the Fiesta’s auto trans pretty close, because off the line, it’s a pretty quick car.

©2010 MotorTrend

The interior is decent, albeit has a slight cheap feeling to it. A lot of the material is plastic or composite, but looks good. With the exception of the centre console, which is still my least favourite design aspect of the Fiesta. Apparently Ford designers decided it would be cool to make it look like a cell phone. Can’t say, as a potential consumer, that I would agree, but whatevs. I can live with it.

Anyway, everything is pretty easy to see & find on the car’s interior. I had a little trouble finding the seat adjustment, but “meh.” Another thing that sort of “irked” me (more so Josh) was the rear seat space. According to Josh, it’s tiny. But then again, he’s a 6’2″ tall guy sitting in the rear seat of a sub-compact. Although I never sat in the back seat, I glanced back & it DID look rather tight, even for me. Another side note: if this were hypothetically my car, I wouldn’t care, because I never really drive with more than one or two people in the car at a time. Trunk space was…decent, for a hatch. Of course, the rear seats could be folded down to extend this storage space for longer trips to…wherever.

I didn’t get a look at the engine, unfortunately. I think all three of our minds were somewhere else & just forgot to ask…

INTERMISSION!

After an unusually non-pushy sit-down with Frank, Josh & I proceeded to the Mazda/Volkswagen dealership located at that weird, Grand River & 10 Mile Road junction thing. By M-5. Yeah, that one. Anyway, we were greeted by Dan, who hooked us up with a REALLY nice GTI.

©2010 Edmunds Insideline

There was a kid about a year older than me who was still in training who also assisted us. Vince. It was his third day on the job & we were his test subjects. Dan walked us (& Vince) around the car, demonstrating to Vince how to show a car to a potential customer. In one instance, to show off the quality of the GTI, Dan opens the driver’s door & proceeds to lean on it, with all of his body weight. Feet off the ground & everything, just hanging on by his hands. It was awesome, but I thought he was going to break the car… Seriously though, the GTI has some SERIOUS forged door hinges. Who’s got two thumbs & is impressed with the GTI’s build quality? This guy (*points to self*).

Right, so after running through the car, Dan allowed Vince to be the one to monitor the test drive. That ended up going well because Vince was just as into cars as I am. Good discussions were had, more so about OTHER cars than the GTI, but whenever I had a question, or something had slipped Vince’s mind, the answer was readily available.

©2010 Car & Driver

The interior of the GTI is pretty sweet. Apparently there’s a “plaid seat” option. Yes. Plaid seats. I have to say, that was probably my favourite part about the car. Yes, the turbo’d 4-banger was fun, don’t get me wrong. Overall, it’s probably faster than the Fiesta, but off the line it felt a bit sluggish, even in sport mode. But after a 1-2 second delay…that baby flew. Maybe it’s part supercar, & that’s why it costs (as driven) a good $8,000 more than the (as driven) Fiesta. The auto trans I tested out was my favourite kind: a manumatic. Basically, it’s an auto, but if you want, you can “shift” gears, without worrying about a clutch. Fun stuff.

Overall, I’d pick the Fiesta. I prefer the styling to that of the GTI. And the price tag. Granted, these two cars are NOT in the same league. The GTI is less of an econobox & more of a sport compact, whereas the Fiesta is more of a fun, inexpensive car for a family just starting out.

Or a college kid. Just sayin’…

Anyway, the Fiesta, as driven, was $18,890. The GTI, as driven, was $26,000-something. Can’t remember exactly. ALTHOUGH, I would gladly give up either car for a 1949 Cadillac Series 62 sedan. So, you know, if anyone is feeling generous, I really wouldn’t say “no” to something like that…