1956 Buick Special Mild Custom
Slick 1956 Buick Special from the Valley of the Sun
In case you didn’t know, My Ride is Me has a meaning. Everybody’s ride tells you a little something about the owner and every owner has a story. Ed shared this story for MyRideisMe.com about his 1956 Buick Special after I took some photos at the recent Cruise on Main Street in Mesa, AZ. It’s a beautiful car, so I’m happy to share this brief story and pictures. Enjoy Ed’s story of this custom Buick.
Written by “Special” Ed (click to see his custom garage)
There is a story with this car. (Isn’t there always?) I had a blue and white Buick when I was 19, and was devastated when a drunk hit me in the rear and totaled the car. I paid $375.00 for it and had to borrow $200.00 to get it.
25 years later, while living in Detroit, I asked my brother-in-law (who was in the car business in Chandler, AZ) to keep an eye out for a clean AZ ’56 Buick. I’ve owned several street rods and always had a soft spot for that old Buick. A few months later he called and told me I owned a ’56 Buick Special.
Perfect execution of a custom grille on a custom Buick Special
He had a mutual friend fix the bad spots and had an interior put in it and sent it to me in Detroit. From the beginning, the Buick was to look like I wanted my first Buick to look. There the sub frame and drive train work began. I found a donor ’73 Buick Electra 225 and used the 455 engine and the 400 trans. The sub frame is ’74 Nova welded in high to get the front end low and converted to disc brakes. The rear end came from the same Nova. Shortly after that, my wife and I decided to move to the Phoenix area. The car was then shipped back to Chandler (along with my ’47 chopped Ford sedan) and sat untouched for about 5 years while we reset our lives.
Selling the Ford freed up some cash to get the Buick on the road. It was finally street able in spring of 2000. I drove it for 5 years with blue and white primer, while I continued with body modifications, each time adding another spot of primer. The paint was done in August of ’05, and turned out much better than I expected. I have done a lot of work on this car myself, but the fabrication and bodywork and paint and many other details were done by many other people in the Detroit area and locally. Be assured that I have written all the checks. There are many war stories with the build of this car as there are with all car builds, but I would be typing for hours to explain them all. Thanks, Ed
Ed’s ride is super-clean inside and out. You already saw the perfect grille and the interior is just right.
So what’s your story? You can help MyRideisMe.com keep great new content available by telling us why, “My Ride is Me”. Where’d you buy it? What made you like that car in the first place? Is that the car you got to second base with Mary Beth in? We wanna know! Add a comment and let us know you want to tell your story and we’ll get with you. Thanks!
If you like this story, please join MyRideisMe.com. It’s all free!
Tags
Related Posts
Share This
Dude! This is a super cool Bruick!
beatifull design I can have this car is 55 years old but made yesterday
I love it! I had a 56 Special myself back when it and were both 18. My very first car. I bought it for $1.00 (higher than scarp value at the time) so when I transferred the title I only had to pay 4 cents for the sales tax. That thing was a tank! I live in rural Minnesota and I first got it over the Thanksgiving holiday and drove it all through the winter even though reverse went out of that tremendous Dynaflow tranny about 3 weeks after I got it. I just had to be careful to always park somewhere that I could drive straight away from, or else facing uphill, it rolled backwards via gravity on even the slightest incline. With a good set of deep lug snow tires on it I could not get it stuck in snow even if I was plowing snow halfway up my hood. After over 8 hours at -35 degrees F parked facing straight into a steady 45 MPH wind with gusts over 60 MPH on New Years Morning 1974, it fired right off so fast I barely heard the starter engage, when no other car or truck on my parent’s farm would start. Several of them wouldn’t even turn over much less start. And that back seat! Ah the memories! They knew what they were doing when they designed that car!
What an awesome story! Special Ed lives near me, so I’ll make sure he sees your comment. This is really a special car and Ed’s a great guy so it’s a perfect pair. Take care!
Sure is a nice ’56,I would like to know what you did (if anything)about your brakes being 56 is a one year only brake setup I have a 56 that needs to be updated.
Thanks Robert
I am very very very sure this is the one on Desert Car Kings episode 5 came in for another hood
Could be! I know they were looking for other Buick guys to be at the auction. Not sure if “Special Ed” made it or not.
I just bought a 56 special 4 door. I love this car. My mind is running with ideas. It has to be refurbished Im looking for Buick Guys in Wichita Kansas
Good luck with your project Chris! Please make a garage here at MyRideisMe.com and post pictures of the car now and as you build it. Projects are WELCOME!! -pikesan