Description

1929 Buick Series 25

Powerful tourer prepared for endurance rallies; rebuilt engine; six new wheels; fabulous

An important part of General Motors’ burgeoning empire in the 1920s, Buick was famed for the durability of its products and sales were especially strong in far-flung parts of the world where tough conditions demanded even tougher cars.

Keen to exploit this image, Buick was forever sending cars off on high profile expeditions, staging the first automotive trip to Afghanistan in 1923, winning the Moscow-Leningrad Endurance trial in 1925, assorted hill climbs in Africa and a tug-of-war contest with an elephant in India!

By the mid-1920s all Buicks were powered by six-cylinder engines with detachable cylinder heads, overhead valves and prodigious power outputs - in the case of this 3.9-litre 239 engined car, some 89bhp with elephant-pulling torque.

The 116" wheelbase example we have here was discovered in California where it had been in storage for 20 years. It was imported into the UK in 2012 and given a thorough going over, detailed by notes on file.

Sometimes, opening the bonnet of a vintage car can lead to disappointment, when a puny side-valve the size of a loaf of bread is all there is to show - not so this beast, where its six-cylinder 3.9-litre engine amply fills the large bonnet area - most impressive.

The engine was stripped and rebuilt with new pistons and rings. The white metal was all inspected and checked and new oil pump gears were fitted. All of the oilways were cleared, modern oil lines fitted alongside a modern spin-on oil filter. The head was refaced and hardened valve seats inserted (ideal for unleaded petrol) and new valves and springs added for good measure.

Its owner located a NOS Stromberg carburettor from a slightly later model and a new linkage was produced. The engine starts well, runs quietly and pulls like a train.

Further work took place, including a new modern radiator core, rebuilt pump, new hoses and the whole car converted to 12 volts, rewired and fitted with an alternator. A facet fuel pump was added, all powered through new fuse boards and an isolator switch.

The dash was updated with a Monit G200 rally computer, USB outputs and extra gauges to monitor oil pressure, water temperature, ammeter and fuel level. Vintage style switches were incorporated.

The bodywork was resprayed 'Dynamo' red over black and the ash frame repaired in parts as required. The seats were retrimmed and the impressive bumpers rechromed.

The owner at that point intended to use it for International rallies so acquired six new wheels fitted with six new Lucas tyres. The brakes were also upgraded with stickier linings.

There are a couple of jobs still left to do....the hood frame is present but needs to be covered and there are a couple of trim cards missing from the rear. Sitting on the floor at the rear are some sidescreens.

Impressive is the word. If you are looking to do the London-Sydney or Peking to Paris or some more locally grown endurance events, this is just the tool for the job. Similarly if your growing family needs more space and grunt to have some VSCC fun, look no further.

For more information - contact matthew.parkin@brightwells.com