1953 Buick Roadmaster

Convertible

8 - Cyl.

Automatic

Gasoline

1953 Buick Roadmaster Convertible This car is rarer than a 1953 Buick Skylark! A Restoration Project that runs and drives! Up for auction is this 1953 Buick Roadmaster Convertible model 76C. A better restoration candidate you will not find anywhere. Heck, for that matter, you can’t even find a bad restoration candidate in a 1953 Buick Roadmaster Convertible! These Buicks are worth well over $150,000 when properly restored. If you would like to restore this wonderful car to a driver condition, some of the work is done for you already. Please read the listing carefully and study the pictures before you ask a lot of questions. If you are not serious about owning a 1953 Buick Roadmaster Convertible, please let’s not waste each other’s time. This car is the REAL DEAL!!! I have over 200 detail pictures of this car. Will send more by specific request. 1953 was the most important year in GM history. In 1953, GM introduced many new features and body styles. Buick released the Roadmaster for its 50th anniversary. The car featured the new 322 cubic inch "Nail-Head" V8 motor, and the side opening hood was discontinued for the 1953 Roadmaster. The Dynaflow automatic transmission was updated for increased performance. 1953 features the teardrop headlights and Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels that made Buick famous. The 1953 Buick Roadmaster is far rarer than the Skylark. Today there are very few 1953 Buick Roadmasters available either restored, in complete condition, or even as a parts car. This car was originally purchased to be converted to a hot rod, but the car was far too complete and in too good of condition to be cut up and hot rodded. There were way too many good original parts to really think about taking such a complete example of such a rare car apart and make a hot rod out of it. It is for this reason and this reason alone that the car has been made available for sale again. The man who started restoring this car passed away several years ago. The car is unfortunately missing a couple of things, but luckily, they are not impossible to replace. The #1 thing that is missing is the original trim tag. The elderly man who was restoring the car removed the tag before painting the car. He passed away before the car was finished, and the family did not know where he put the tag, and it is assumed to have been thrown away when the garage was cleaned out. There are 2 pieces of stainless trim that are missing that go around the belt area of the convertible top that set just outside of the rear windows. They could be in one of the many boxes of parts but I am officially listing them as missing. The VIN has been found on the left frame rail. The car is titled currently and uses the engine number as the VIN on the title. We are now working on getting a New Mexico title with the VIN from the frame and the engine number listed on the title. This will be done before the car is delivered. I was mistaken when I thought these cars had a VIN tag, they do not... It is a number stamped on the left frame rail about 8 to 12 inches from the front of the left rail. The left fender and inner fender had to be removed to get access to this number and we will be cutting an access hole so this number can be seen without removing the fender. The engine appears to have been at least partially rebuilt with a great deal of the engine looking original to the car and possibility un-restored. With the odometer showing around 35,000 miles and believed to be original, this is quite possible. The radiator looks to have been serviced/repaired/restored/replaced not too long ago. The original and very rare air cleaner assembly has been restored, and it is complete and installed. Carburetor is complete and works well and without leaks. The original French locks are still on exhaust manifold bolts, and there are several other things/items that make the assumption of a partially un-restored engine easier to believe. When you examine this car closely, it will/may give you reason to believe the same things, too. The car is no doubt a real Roadmaster and if you are a real Buick and/or Roadmaster expert you will know that what I am talking about is the truth. The car has what appears to be all of the original Roadmaster interior trim, either on the car, or in boxes. The dash shows the original Roadmaster design (same as Skylark), full power everything, and the engine has a 4bbl carburetor engine. These are all items that are unique to the Roadmaster series. The interior is basically complete but is mostly out of the car and in need of a full restoration. The seats have had covers on them so the original patterns are still there, so they can be duplicated. The top frame goes up and down freely and appears to have all its parts—including the headliner bows. The 1953 Roadmaster interior is very complicated with high detail such as the checkerboard dash; stainless waffle-patterned trim on the front door panels, rear seat panel, and front kick panels; gold-plated winged Roadmaster door panel logos; stainless A pillar trims; detailed top stitch on the door panels and seats; and the list continues. The Roadmaster features many appointments that were omitted from the Skylark. When this car is restored, the interior will truly be a work of art. This car runs, drives and stops, but cannot be driven on the road as it does not have operational lighting at this time. The car's original fuel system is working, and the car runs and drives on the original fuel lines, fuel pump and fuel tank. The engine starts quite easily, and still has an operational starting linkage using the accelerator pedal. There is a new battery installed in the car, and the starter works well and does not drag. To protect the battery and starter from damage if the car has been sitting for a length of time without running, the engine was primed with fuel so the cranking time was kept to a minimum. The car has been stored with the battery disconnected, so it has not been run completely dead at any time, since the battery was replaced. The engine starts quickly, is quiet, smooth and does not smoke. The transmission shifts through all gears, but does have a healthy leak which requires a large drain pan to be kept under the car to catch it. It appears that all the gauges are operating and functional, with the exception of the fuel gauge. This vehicle can be transported at less expense because it does start run and move under its own power. The paint and body on the car are in driver condition. The windshield is brand new as is the seal around the windshield. The trim around the windshield is restored to very good driver quality. If you are going to make this a concourse vehicle, the windshield stainless will need just a bit more work. There is a little rust on this car, but the floors and trunk are very solid. The frame appears to be very solid, showing only service rust. The color the car is painted now is not an original Buick color. The car was originally a lighter green, but the car does still have its original red leather interior, however, most of it was removed from the car. Almost 100% of the exterior bright work is with this car. The trim that I am not too sure about is the trim that goes along the belt line for the convertible top that sits alongside the rear windows. We have not found the trim in any of the boxes or piles of parts that came with the car, but they could still be there and we have just not seen them yet. Some of the bright work has been replaced with reproduction, some has been restored and some needs to be restored. There are a few NOS parts on the car, but almost all of the very hard-to-find parts and trim bright work is there!!! This Buick has non-reproduction Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels and a set of original Roadmaster Hubcaps. The tires are old, but the tubes do hold air. The 322 cubic inch V8 runs quite well, but does need to be removed and detailed at the very least, if you are going to restore the car. The transmission operates OK, but needs to be resealed at the very least. The original wiring harnesses are still in the car, but need to be replaced if you are going to restore or drive this car. The car drives just enough right now, so it can be moved under its own power. Do not miss this rare opportunity to own a 1953 Buick Roadmaster convertible! This car is priced to sell so no low-ball or insulting offers. If you don’t know Buicks you may think this car is expensive, if you do know you’re Buicks, you’ll think the car is CHEAP! Not looking to trade at this time but if you have a 1949 Buick Roadmaster Convertible or a 1949 Cadillac Convertible or 1949 Cadillac 2-Door Fastback, I might have some interest. I am selling the car for a very close friend. He is very well-versed in Buicks, and if there is a question I can't answer, he can. I will be out of town and unable to answer your questions from March 24th thru March 27th. Please read this ad and study the pictures, as there is a lot of detail and information about this car. If you have serious questions you can call me (Rick) at Five O Five-61O-Five Two Nine One. If there is a serious question I cannot answer, I will pass you on to the owner of the car. If you purchase the car, you will be dealing directly with him as well. This is a private party sale. Shipping and inspection is the sole responsibility of the purchaser. This vehicle is being sold “as is,” with no warranty expressed or implied. You are purchasing a very old car that needs to be restored. All sales are final, so please read this ad and all terms and condition carefully. 1. At the conclusion of the auction or the “Buy-it-Now” feature is used, a $500.00 deposit is due within 2 Business days. The deposit can be paid by Certified Bank Check, Electronic or Bank transfer or PayPal. 2. Inspection is mandatory and must be done within 10 business days of auction closing. The remaining balance is due at inspection/acceptance. If inspection is not completed within 10 days, the deposit is non-refundable. Inspection can be done by the buyer personally or a third party inspector that the buyer hires. 3. Full payment is due within 10 business days of auction closing (payments through PayPal will not be accepted for the remaining balance). You are not purchasing a new car that is claimed to be flawless. Instead, you are purchasing a vehicle that is used, and in need of restoration. The vehicle is sold "as is", where is, without any warranty implied or expressed. All sales are final. 4. If the vehicle was materially misrepresented, your deposit is refundable and you are not liable for the purchase, but this must be determined within the allotted ten (10) business day inspection period. You are required to put in writing via snail mail, e-mail or fax, the material misrepresentations in order to receive a refund of your deposit.