1937 Buick Roadmaster

1937 Buick Roadmaster 4 Door Sedan The lines of a motor car may change with the years, but if its maker is true to his craft, he will hold ever faithful to the intrinsic character which first set his car apart from the crowd.  So under the suave beauty of these Buicks for 1937, there reigns still the old tradition of ruggedness which Buick drivers of another generation knew and admired.  Lovely as this car is to behold, and swift as is its going, we would rather have you choose it for its fine heritage of durable goods which more than any other thing we have striven to preserve.  From a Roadmaster print ad of 1937  For consignment, a street rod version of a 1937 Buick Roadmaster 4 door sedan with 47,955 miles shown, not the actual mileage.  This hump backed purple cruiser has a clean gray interior, a chopped roof,  and a big V8 under the hood.  A three ring binder accompanies this car containing operating instructions and specifications, much of which we'll cover here.  Exterior Brilliant two stage purple paint provides stem to stern coverage on the car, taking in the grille, door handles and headlight buckets while adorned with a pinstripe pattern on the nose and a double lavender line that runs the shoulder line of the car, as well as some detailed work on the rear fender above the rectangular tail lights.  15-inch Centerline wheels with a Coddington 90's vibe ride the corners of the car wearing slightly staggered size tires under wide, arching fenders.  The top has been chopped and miles of purple paint smoothly cover the long roof that hovers over three windows and sharply slopes in the back to meet the humped and shaved luggage locker, opened with an electric popper.  The paint is very good but there are some cracks in the body and paint in low areas as well as scuffs under the nose, chips and bubbling.  Interior Silver paint frames the windows on the door while gray cloth panels fill the inner doors, showing some light patina and wearing billet style hardware.  The soft material is employed on the front bench that shows some compression but is in otherwise great shape and is replicated in the back bench with limo-like legroom and a black rope handle on the seat back ahead.  A Boyd Coddington steering wheel picks up on some of the wheel features and is wrapped in gray leather fronting a digital gauge cluster with illuminated blue digits on a silver painted dashboard.  Similar blue lights up the AM/FM/CD radio in the center over a controller and gauge for the air ride system, next to an added A/C controller.  Plush gray carpet is toes deep throughout the car and gray cloth makes up the headliner, all in good condition.  The trunk is loosely lined with a shorter pile loop carpet in dark gray and houses a space saver spare.  Drivetrain Under the hood, a 472ci V8 which our consignor states was rebuilt 10,000 miles ago and bored .030 over.  It carries an Edelbrock intake and 4-barrel carburetor, all attached to a TH400 3-speed automatic transmission sending power to the 10 bolt axle with 3.73 gears.  A purple brake booster assists the discs in front and drums in the rear.  Undercarriage Driver quality underneath with sporadic surface rust and some residual oil film, but nothing alarming on an otherwise clean underside.  Dual exhaust carry stock style mufflers before exiting out back through chrome tips, angle cut and inverted from standard installation.  Airbag suspension is up front and leaf springs in the back.  Drive-Ability The large cabin feels a bit more manageable with the chopped top but still provides plenty of room to stretch out.  We crank the 472ci and it comes to life immediately as we move the column shifter to Drive and roll this purple Buick onto the test loop where it can undoubtedly be seen by passersby on the PA turnpike, and what an impressive sight indeed.  Comfortable, capable and with straight tracking and smooth turn-ins, this Roadmaster earned its nam