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Buick Century 320 cubic inch straight-8 1939

General description : 20,016 original miles. Spectacular original car with factory paint, interior, and just about everything else. Runs and drives like a new car, silent, smooth, powerful. New tires. Already an HPOF winner. The most amazing survivor we’ve ever seen!

Not only is this beautiful 1939 Buick Century sedan an incredible survivor, it has a known history. The first lady owner kept it until she passed in the mid-80s, at which point it passed to well-known collector Jim Campbell. Upon his passing, it was acquired by noted Buick expert and restorer Doug Seybold, who has preserved the car in almost entirely original condition. We believe the belts and hoses have been changed at some point, there’s a new battery and fresh tires, and, well, that’s about it. The Carlsbad Black paint shines up beautifully with very few signs of use and certainly no damage or rust. The doors swing closed with a substantial-sounding THUNK, and there’s a feeling of solidity to the entire car that you’ve probably never experienced before. Original cars are special that way. All the chrome and stainless trim is in excellent condition, including the pot metal pieces, and the fine-toothed grille is as crisp and clean as it was when it left the factory. If there are any demerits, it’s that the running boards are showing some very minor signs of age, but even they remain rather remarkably well-preserved for being 85 years old. There’s no delamination or discoloration in the glass, the lenses are bright and clear, and even the plastic bits like the turn signals mounted on the trunk are extremely nice. We challenge you to find a better unrestored pre-war Buick!

The tan broadcloth interior is likewise very well preserved. Just look at the workmanship that Buick was delivering in 1939! All the seams line up perfectly, the stitching on the door panels is laser-straight, and the headliner is beautifully trimmed with matching windlace. The plastic pieces, including the maroon steering wheel and dash knobs, show no signs of cracking or failing due to age although there’s some light spalling on the horn button and instrument panel surround—certainly nothing to cause alarm. And speaking of the instruments, they all work correctly, with the gas gauge and ammeter needles springing to life when you flip the ignition lever. The painted woodgraining on the dashboard and window garnish moldings is excellent and not faded, and the turn signals (actuated by a flipper on the shifter) work as they should. The radio powers up but does not play sounds, but that’s the only possible component that isn’t working like new. The heater is powerful, the clock ticks away, and all the lights work. The original carpets show some wear under the mat at the driver’s feet, but it’s minor enough to overlook and replacing the carpets in this car would be a crime. The trunk is correctly outfitted with original fabric and what is likely the original spare tire, along with a complete jack assembly.

The reason Buick’s Century is such a special car is because it combines America’s most powerful production engine with a relatively lightweight body. In this case, it’s Buick’s famous 320 cubic inch OHV straight-8, which moves the big black sedan effortlessly. We debated cleaning and detailing the engine bay, but instead decided to preserve originality rather than make it shiny. So some of the original engine enamel has burned off, there’s some surface scale on the manifolds, and the air cleaner is a little faded, but none of that diminishes just how well this thing works. We replaced the vacuum starter switch so it fires almost instantly by depressing the accelerator pedal about halfway, and eases into a smooth idle that is almost undetectable. On the road, it pulls the Century to 60 MPH with almost no effort at all and as the name suggests, it’s capable of more than 100 MPH flat-out (not that we’d recommend it!). Original decals and markings are still visible throughout the engine bay and even the factory wiring harness remains in good condition. This is what a quality survivor looks like. The 3-speed manual transmission shifts crisply with no slop in the linkage, clutch action is light, and the brakes are powerful. Ride quality is shockingly good and the body is almost completely devoid of squeaks and rattles, another upside of owning an original car. There’s some surface scale on the bare metal pieces underneath, but you can easily see that there’s no rot or other issues and it might be a mistake to try to cover it all up with some kind of undercoating. There are signs of recent service with fresh fluids throughout, and yes, that’s the original gas tank hanging out back with a correct galvanized finish. 15-inch wheels were standard on the Century, with these carrying fresh 7.00-15 Firestone blackwalls that give it a suitably sinister look.

Documentation is extensive, including original owner’s manuals, tags, and booklets, Owner Identification Card, plus the actual invoices showing Alice Doon of Tomahawk, Wisconsin as the original owner. There’s even a receipt for the insurance policy Ms. Doon took out on the car the day she picked it up!

This is a very special car. We know that it just seems to be a plain-Jane black sedan, but look closely at the photos and then come see it in person—this is as close as you’re ever going to get to a new 1939 Buick. If you still don’t get it, well, this isn’t the car for you and that’s OK. But if you’re like us and know why survivors like this are special, then this Century should be at the very top of your wish list. We’ve never seen a better one. Call today!

Note: This car is titled by engine number.

Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.

1939 Buick Century 320 cubic inch straight-8 is listed for sale on ClassicDigest in Ohio by Harwood Motors for $44900.

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