Across America

With General Motors long being America's largest and most diverse manufacturer of automotive makes and models, it was no surprise to have received so much mail from Buick, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac owners. From across the country and throughout Canada, the photographs and stories came pouring in. While there were many more that didn't make the cut due to a variety of reasons, what follows is a good cross-section of what our readers have in their garages. The majority own Buicks—and in many cases more than one—followed in number by those who have Pontiacs. And, as expected, the lion's share of models were from the '60s, with early-to-mid-'70s cars close behind. Our readers' short stories, which we hope you'll find interesting and entertaining, will reveal just how loyal these readers are to their B-O-P collector cars.

1956 Oldsmobile 98 Starfire

Ken Hasekamp wrote to tell us about his father's Oldsmobile. "My father, Kenneth Hasekamp, purchased this car in 1958. He actually wanted a 1957 Oldsmobile 98 convertible, but the dealer could not find him one. The dealer's wife was driving this car, which the dealer made available to my father. He bought it, and put some 320,000 miles on the car over the next 61 years of ownership. Now that it's been completely restored, my father shows his beloved Oldsmobile throughout the spring, summer, and fall in the St. Louis area. It has won many trophies over the years, but more importantly, is enjoyed by my father and the entire family."

1967 Acadian

Discovered in Vancouver, British Columbia, this Acadian Canso Sport Deluxe now resides in Longwood, Florida, with owner Tara Bush. She told us: "This car was produced in Oshawa by GM of Canada as its own nameplate, the Acadian brand. But since there were no Acadian dealerships, it was sold by Pontiac and Buick. Pontiac kept all of the archives in the Pontiac Historic Society. When I brought it into the States, it received a title as a Pontiac. It's powered by a 283-cu.in. V-8 and Powerglide. It gets the strangest looks and invokes lots of conversations at car shows."

1964 Buick Skylark

Having been captivated by a locally driven 1964 Skylark, it had always been the goal of Brian Stone from Statesville, North Carolina, to own one. He told us:

"I was 16 when my grandfather passed away and left his '66 Skylark to me. I had always loved riding in it with him since I was a toddler. One day, in 1993, I convinced the owners of a '64 Skylark I had seen driving around town to sell their car to me, knowing that I would restore it properly.

"During the restoration, I added a few correct-for-1964 Skylark options to the car: limited-slip differential (note that the movie My Cousin Vinny was wrong on this!), power brakes, accessory Buick tachometer, center ironing-board console, and a vacuum trunk release. A friend with another 1964 Skylark did some research, and found that Buick only produced 1,950 4-speed cars across all of the A-body styles in 1964, so these Skylarks are very few and far between in present day."

1958 Pontiac Parisienne

Jimmie Clark from Pampa, Texas, wrote to say: "This Pontiac was made by GM of Canada, and was the first year of the Parisienne. A total of 759 were made, with 234 being convertibles. It was built with a 348-cu.in. Chevrolet V-8 and has power everything, including the top."

1985 Buick Riviera

1985 was the last year for the Riviera convertible, due, in part, to its hefty $27,457 price tag. A mere 49 examples were made with the turbo V-6 and 351 with the V-8, which cost less at $26,797. Gary Shank from Big Pool, Maryland, bought this outstanding example six years ago and simply loves driving it. The car's been driven 82,000 miles and, with the exception of a replacement water pump and battery, remains totally original.

1976 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight

John Capone from Westchester, New York, wrote: "My Oldsmobile is a triple black 1976 Ninety-Eight Regency on which I did a body-off restoration. She's been in my family since 1979, and is a beautiful example of a time when Oldsmobile was at its best. She took us everywhere for many years, and was literally a part of our family. Every member of our household, and every friend of mine, has had the pleasure of riding in the Olds at some point. I was always fascinated by this Ninety-Eight and all of its fancy features, and especially liked how roomy it was.

"The more I learned about cars in general, and saw just how great a car like this is, the more I really appreciated it. Once I decided to give the Olds the full restoration that she so deserved, I learned even more about all of the available options. The ride is smooth, controlled, and well balanced, and we love cruising on long trips. This car is my pride and joy, and I'm proud to say that she took home Best of Class at the Oldsmobile Club of America National's last year, her first ever OCA National meet."

1961 Buick Special

"My true survivor is equipped with a 215-cu.in., all-aluminum V-8 and automatic," said Ron Varland of Elida, Ohio. "The 38,000 miles shown are authentic, as is most of the rest of the car; only the radiator and water pump have been replaced. Even the exterior paint is original, although there are a few dings and scratches.

"I have owned this Buick for 37 years. It had sat in a shed for 10 years, and required a bit of labor to put back on the road. While working to get it running again, my frustrated father called it a "buckskin SOB," hence the nickname Bucky."

1965 Oldsmobile Cutlass 4-4-2

Curtis Osterhoudt of Simi Valley, California, owns this completely stock Cutlass 4-4-2 Sport Coupe. It has a manual four-speed and factory-installed air conditioning. The color is Ocean Mist, and it is one of 26,441 Sports Coupes that Oldsmobile built for the 1965 model year.

1955 Pontiac

"This is a one-family-owned car that my dad bought new on May 12, 1955," recalled Dr. Roger Eickmeier from Mitchell, Ontario, Canada. "He wasn't happy with the power, but because he was an executive with the National Bank of Detroit, he knew many GM people. They installed an early 1956 Cadillac 365-cu.in. V-8 with 300-hp and the smooth Jetaway transmission, Cadillac A/C unit with the trunk evaporator, and six-way seats and Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels from an Eldorado. This is not only a one-off Pontiac, but it was the precursor of the GTO since its power-to-weight ratio is similar."

1966 Buick Riviera

"Growing up in Staten Island, New York, one of my favorite cars was the 1966-'67 Riviera," wrote Paul Grassi of Orlando, Florida. "Of course, the best, in my opinion, was the '66 Gran Sport. When bought, my Riviera was a far cry from the available, 'deluxe' interior option. I wanted the deluxe version, but taken to a much higher level, so I enlisted the help of a shop to bring my vision to fruition. We procured a split Stratobench (a combination of GM's Strato bucket seat tops with a bench seat bottom), and had the interior covered in black fine Italian leather with black Alcantara inserts. We installed a Vintage Air A/C system, a fast-ratio steering box, LED bulbs, sequential taillamps, and more. After seven years, it's just about what I had hoped it would become."

1951 Pontiac Chieftain

"I've owned this Pontiac for 22 years, enjoying every mile of it," wrote Kenneth Felton from North Las Vegas, Nevada. "It's a model 2569D, and has a straight-eight flathead engine, standard-shift transmission, fender skirts, fog lamps, and radial tires. It runs great!"

1930 Buick Model 64

"There are only four Model 64 roadsters listed in the national Buick club roster, and I have not seen another of this model since I purchased this car in 1993," wrote Neil Thompson from Corona, California. "It has Pilot Ray spotlamps and a rumble seat windshield. I'm 81 years old, and I believe everyone should drive a car that is older than they are. It's nice to own a car that, if it breaks down, you can repair it instead of calling a tow truck."

1976 Oldsmobile Delta 88

In 1993, Tim Schaefer from Lee, Massachusetts, paid $250 for this hardtop sedan. He said: "I took some liberties over the years and added many factory options, all saved from junkyard cars. All these years later it remains a reliable, comfortable cruiser. The Delta was never considered a cool car, just a mom and pop four-door, but I never cared; I'm now getting the last laugh. In the past few years, it apparently has become kind of cool, and everyone always asks about it. Delta 88s have now become a bit of a rare sight—go figure. I'm growing old with this car!"

1996 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon

"We had moved to a little town about 20 miles east of Austin, Texas, in 2000, and I got to build my dream garage," John Schnell wrote. "One day, I got a phone call from our previous neighbor in Austin, asking for my help to sell the last of his Buick wagons. He wanted $500, which left me thinking I could turn it for a quick little profit. Even though it been driven 187,000 miles, it only had been driven by one person.

"I had a lot of time to think about the car when travelling back and forth to work, and although I promised myself I'd never own a four-door car like my father—bam!—just like that, I became my father. But I never really liked the wagon's ride, so I made changes to make it more road-friendly. Part of the inspiration came from an episode of Jay Leno's Garage, where Dax Shepard was in his '94 Roadmaster, dueling against Jay and his Roadmaster.

"I started with 18-inch American Racing Wheels and VR-rated Nitto radials, installed heavy-duty QA-1 shocks, and changed the 2.93:1 rear axle ratio to a 3.42-geared limited-slip. I added Wilwood 14-inch rotors with six-piston calipers in front, and 12.5-inch rotors in the rear. It was unbelievable how quickly those bigger brakes stopped the car from 70 mph (or so). The car now feels a lot safer with the updates, and I'm lovin' it! It only took a year to convert me to a four-door car. I'm sure Dad would be proud!"

1955 Pontiac Chieftain

Wayne Michael from Lexington, North Carolina, wrote to tell us about his family's driveable dream. "This 1955 Chieftain was sold new by our great uncle, Homer Evans of Evans Pontiac in Lexington, to his sister, our great aunt Jeannie. Throughout its years on the road—for 34,000 miles—it was serviced by her brother Cecil at his Shell Oil station. Today, this tired but road-worthy survivor is maintained by their great nephews and nieces, but is owned by me. The A/C, radio, and other accessories work as well as they did on the day this frugal Chieftain left the factory."

1970 Buick GS350

"Some call the Buick GS350 the baby brother to the 455, but perhaps it should be the middle son," said Denny Orban from Akron, Ohio. "Producing 315 horsepower, this responsive car is a pleasure to drive. I have owned this Buick since 1997, and have attended three BCA national meets. In true Buick tradition it has always gotten us there and back home safely."

1964 Oldsmobile F-85

Pennsylvania resident John Weaver is proud of his 1964 F-85 Cutlass convertible. It has a 330-cu.in. V-8, with four-barrel carb, automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. "I have converted the front brakes to discs with a dual master cylinder for better stopping power," John wrote. "It also has dual exhausts and bucket seats. It's in very good condition, and I've driven it about 4,000 miles since it was restored. It runs like a champ."

1975 Pontiac Le Mans

Ken Holmes of Denver, Colorado, purchased this Colonnade-bodied Le Mans from his friend's grandmother, who bought the car when it was two years old. He reported: "When I first saw it, the Pontiac had only 59,682 miles and was all original, but her grandmother had scraped the right side, pulling in and out of the garage. It was dirty from sitting, but started right up, and I was able to drive it. It ran well, and other than a tear at the bottom of the driver's seat, the interior was in good condition. I had it repainted in the original red color, but changed the pinstriping to white instead of gold because it looks better.

"The Pontiac now has 80,237 miles and still looks good. I always get someone that beeps their horn, or gives me a thumbs up, when I drive it. I have a different appreciation for old cars now, and I like cars that are preserved better than the restored ones. I will continue to maintain the Le Mans, and only drive it on nice days—like I have for the last 23 years."

1976 Buick Pace Car

Buick's Century for 1976 was the first V-6-powered production car to pace the Indianapolis 500, and to celebrate the occasion Buick produced 1,290 Pace Car replicas, although production versions were powered by V-8s. This particular example resides in Northern Virginia with its owner, Lane Napoli. He told us: "I purchased the car from the original owner, and it was actually at the race in 1976. The first owner had to wait for it to be sent to the dealer, after the race, to take delivery.

"When I first saw the 1976 Regal/Century, I was struck by its lines. The Buick's whole package—looks, engine, handling, etc.—is the reason I bought one in 1975, and why I bought this Pace Car in 2017. I really like these cars. It's an excellent driver, has good handling characteristics, and is very comfortable for long-distance trips. I try to drive it whenever I can, as long as it's not raining. The Pace Car has a 350-cu.in. V-8, gauge package, electric windows, Hurst Hatch roof, horseshoe shifter, tilt wheel, A/C, and an AM/FM/8-track. Best of all, I don't see myself in the rearview mirror at car shows!"

1951 Pontiac Catalina

"Most articles I've read on flathead-era Pontiacs are cures for insomnia, but cars from this era deserve better," Charles Bolten, of Phoenix, Arizona stated. "My father bought this Malibu Ivory over Berkshire Green Catalina hardtop in 1951, and we took it with us to France, where he was stationed for three years. I got it in 1967, and it was the oldest car in the high school parking lot. Years later, I had the engine rebuilt because that was more economical than buying a newer car. The four-speed Hydra- Matic proved indestructible, and is still chugging along, untouched since 1951. This Pontiac still runs beautifully today, and on a recent roundtrip to Tucson, at a steady 65-70 mph, it used no oil."

1939 Buick Special

According to its owner, Jim Cushman from Omaha, Nebraska, "Our 1939 Buick model 48 has been a member of our family since 1972. It's one of 27,218 built and I paid $600 for it. It's all original, including paint and upholstery. We have taken it on many club tours, and always return home safely because of the integrity that was built into this old Special 80 years ago. We love our old, imperfect-but-sound black Buick."

1922 Buick Model 36

"I have always liked the less-common antique cars. No matter where you live, one can usually find a Ford Model T or Model A at their local car show, but a 1922 Buick?" wrote Gary Watson of Skokie, Illinois. "This Model 36 coupe was only produced in 1922 and '23, and in 1922, only 2,225 were built. This car has the 170-cu.in. four-cylinder. I would say top speed is about 40 mph. I've had it up to 37 mph, and it really felt like I was pushing it; therefore, I keep it at 30 mph, where it cruises along comfortably. To own an obscure car such as this, one cannot be afraid of the fact that parts are extremely difficult to find, because hunting for them is half the fun. One must also be okay with not having a need for speed, because at the end of the day, it's not about how fast you go, but how good you look going 25 mph."

1967 Pontiac Grand Prix

"Pontiacs were firmly entrenched in my heart and in our family life, with numerous editions finding their place in our driveway over the years," recalled Peter Moffat from Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. "It was Pontiac's Grand Prix that really captivated me, and the holy grail was the convertible model, of which only 5,856 were built. With its 360-hp, 428-cu.in. V-8, I think of it as a beautiful brute, the ultimate luxury boulevard cruiser. It's a unique representative of a marque whose demise was all too premature."