Welcome To The Old Buick Archive!

Specializing In Information,Liteature & Data For Your Vintage Buick

Yesterday's Records.  TODAY'S  Technology.®

WHAT IS AUTOMOTIVE RESEARCH SERVICES?

Automotive Research Services was started in 1992 after a 29 year career with General Motors. Its purpose is to supply reference information and production data to the owners of vintage Buick automobiles. There are many Buick reference sources available today, but no one source contains everything for a specific vehicle's year, model and serial number. In addition, many of these sources are known to contain inaccurate information.

WHAT IS A RESEARCH PACKAGE?  The Buick Research Package supplied by Automotive Research Services contains a great deal of data that can not be found elsewhere.  Additionally, reference information, production data, and facts that might otherwise be available only in scattered locations, are brought together into one attractive package. The package is then tailored to apply to just your individual Buick's serial number.  Buick Research Packages contain a Main Data Sheet, a five page letter explaining the information contained in the main data sheet, an interpretation of your Fisher Body Plate Data, and if your car was produced after the 1930 model year, a Dealer Pricing Sheet showing the suggested retail prices and the confidential dealer prices for your Buick and its options.

THE VALVE-IN-HEAD ARCHIVE

In addition to the preparation of Research Packages for vintage Buicks, Automotive Research Services maintains a Buick reference library. This library can supply photo copies of many of Buick's 1904 - 1965 sales and service publications such as shop manuals, owner's manuals, parts books and sales catalogs.  The charge to supply individual reference items is shown on the listing.  Just click on the "Valve-In-Head Archive" to see a listing of the reference material available for a specific model year.

ORIGINAL BUICK LITERATURE

On occasion, original Buick sales and service materials such as sales catalogs, shop manuals and other dealer reference and promotional materials are available for sale.  These items are listed in the "Original Buick Literature For Sale" section.

ARE ORIGINAL BUICK FACTORY RECORDS STILL AVAILABLE FOR AN INDIVIDUAL CAR?

No. Buick production records for vehicles built prior to 1970 were destroyed by the company many years ago. Unlike other General Motors divisions such as Cadillac and Pontiac, information pertaining to individual serial numbers is no longer available. Unfortunately, there is no program currently in effect to supply data from the more recent records that Buick has maintained.

HOW IS THE DATA IN A PACKAGE BROUGHT TOGETHER FOR A SPECIFIC SERIAL NUMBER?

Automotive Research Services has developed a sophisticated and highly complex computer data base. It contains information for every year and model produced by Buick from 1904 to 1965. It would not be possible to produce a research package without this data base. Confidential Buick production information has been included which makes it possible to take a specific Buick serial number assigned between 1927 and 1965, and make a highly accurate computation as to the vehicle's date of production. This has never before been possible to do for a vintage Buick!!  

WHAT ELSE DOES THE RESEARCH PACKAGE DO?

If you have a favorite photograph of your Buick, it can be scanned into the computer and made a part of the research package, thus personalizing the package to your car even further. Photographs are returned when the package is mailed. If a personal photograph is not available, other image sources such as a sales catalog or a factory photograph will be used. The research package will also contain an interpretation of the data on your Fisher Body plate. If your car was produced after 1930, confidential dealer cost and factory suggested retail pricing information for both your car and its options are included in the package.

WHAT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS CONCERNING MY RESEARCH PACKAGE?

Supplying answers to questions relating to vintage Buick automobiles is the reason Automotive Research Services was originally set up. Written or e mail inquiries normally work best due to time constraints.

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?

Production numbers appearing on virtually every vintage Buick are used to gather the data which makes up the package. You will need to supply the year and model of your vehicle, the serial number, the engine number, and a rubbing of the Fisher Body plate on the fire wall. If you are unsure as to where these numbers are located, the following reference information will assist you.

Accuracy is extremely important. Serial and engine numbers should always be taken directly from the vehicle itself, not from titles or registrations which are often incorrect. A rubbing of the Fisher Body data plate is required (see below), because the actual layout of the data on the plate can supply information to a trained researcher. The charge for a research package is $50.00. If the package is to be shipped out of the country, there is an additional $10.00 charge. It will normally take between two and three weeks from the time a request is received to complete and ship the package.

WHERE ARE THE NUMBERS LOCATED ON MY CAR?

The information that follows is the best currently available. No one source verifies this data, and omissions are possible. The references to "right" and "left" are as viewed from the driver's seat of the vehicle.

FRAME & SERIAL NUMBERS

1904 - 1913 - Located in various places.  Usually stamped directly into the frame or on a tag attached to the frame.

1914 - 1918 - Stamped on an oval plate attached to the chassis under the left headlight.

1919 - 1922 - Stamped on an oval plate attached to the left rear side of the chassis by the gas tank.

1923 - 1925 - Stamped on a plate attached to the chassis in back of the left front wheel.

1926 - 1931 - Stamped on a plate attached to the chassis in back of the right front wheel.

1932 - 1935 - Stamped on a plate attached to the frame under the right front fender.

1936 - 1937 - Stamped on a plate attached to the right frame side rail, located under the right front fender and behind the wheel.

1938 - 1939 - Stamped on a plate attached to the top of the right frame side rail, and located ahead of the front body bracket.

1940 - Stamped on a plate attached to the right frame side rail, and located just ahead of the fire wall.

1941 - 1948 - Stamped on a plate attached to the upper right side of the fire wall. 1948 vehicles will also have the serial number stamped on a plate attached to the left front door pillar.

1949 - Stamped on a plate attached to the left front door pillar. The number is also stamped on a plate located on the upper right side of the fire wall. The serial number can also be found on the left front frame cross member extension after the following break points: Flint, Michigan-15143558; South Gate, California-25150454; Linden, New Jersey-35102400; Kansas City, Kansas-45164190; Wilmington, Delaware-55113800; Atlanta, Georgia-65173901; Framingham, Mass.-75119885.

1950 - Stamped on a plate attached to the left front door pillar. The number is also stamped near the front of the left frame side rail, or on the left frame cross member extension.

1951 - Stamped on a plate attached to the left front door pillar. The number is also stamped near the front of the left frame side rail.

1952 - 1953 - Stamped on a plate attached to the left front door pillar. The number is also stamped on the left frame side rail near the master cylinder.

1954 - 1956 - Stamped on a plate attached to the left front door pillar.

1957 - 1965 - Stamped on a plate attached to the left front door pillar. The number is also stamped on the engine block, just ahead of the left push rod cover. (1957 was the first year that vehicle serial and engine numbers were identical.)

ENGINE NUMBERS

(Note: Do not confuse a casting number which is cast into the engine block during production, for an engine number. Look for a number which has been die-stamped onto a machined pad or tag.)

1904 - 1913 - Stamped in various places on the engine. Two cylinder engine numbers are often stamped on the flywheel, four cylinder engine numbers are often stamped on the left rear motor mount.

1914 - 1922 - Four cylinder engine - die-stamped on a plate on the upper left side of the engine between the number one and number two cylinders.

1914 - 1922 Six cylinder engine - die-stamped on the upper left side of the engine at the number one cylinder.

1923 - 1925 - Stamped on the upper left side of the engine near the carburetor.

1926 - 1928 - Stamped on the upper left side of the engine in front of the rear breather tube.

1929 - Stamped on the right upper rear side of the engine to the rear of the starter motor.

1930 - Stamped on a boss located at the upper left front corner of the engine.

1931 - Stamped on the upper right side of the engine above the oil filter.

1932 - 1933 - Stamped on the upper right side of the engine above the rear push rod cover on 50 series, above the front push rod cover on 60-80-90 series.

1934 - 1935 - Stamped on the upper right side of the engine above the front push rod cover on 50-60-90 series, below the front push rod cover on 40 series.

1936 - Stamped on a pad on the right side of the engine at the front push rod cover for all series.

1937 - 1938 - Stamped on a pad on the right rear side of the engine, below and to the rear of the push rod cover.

1939 - Stamped on a raised boss on the right side of the engine below the push rod cover. The number is located near the front of the engine on 40 series, near the rear on 60-80-90 series.

1940 - Stamped on a raised boss on the right side of the engine below the push rod cover. The number is located near the front on 40 & 50 series, near the rear on 60-70-80-90 series.

1941 - Stamped on a raised boss on the right side of the engine below the push rod cover. The number is located near the front of the engine near the crankcase ventilator outlet on 40A, 40, & 50 series, near the rear of the engine below the push rod cover on 60-70-90 series.

1942 - Stamped on a raised boss on the right side of the engine below the push rod cover. The number is located near the front of the engine near the crankcase ventilator outlet on 40, 40A, 40B & 50 series, near the rear of the engine below the push rod cover on 60, 70 & 90 series.

1946 - 1947 - Stamped on a raised boss on the right side of the engine below the push rod cover. The number is located near the front of the engine on 40 & 50 series, near the rear on 70 series.

1948 - Stamped on a raised boss on the right side of the engine below the push rod cover. The number is located to the front of the distributor on 40 & 50 series, near the rear of the engine on 70 series.

1949 - 1952 - Stamped on a raised boss on the right side of the engine below the push rod cover. The number is located near the front of the motor - ahead of the distributor on 40 & 50 series, near the rear of the engine on 70 series.

1953 - 40 series - (Straight-eight) Stamped on a raised boss located on the right side of the engine between the ignition coil and the distributor.

1953 - 50 & 70 series (V-8) stamped on the top outer edge of the left cylinder bank, between the middle branches of the exhaust manifold.

1954 - 1956 - Stamped on a machined surface on the top outer edge of the left cylinder bank, between the middle branches of the exhaust manifold.

1957 - 1965 - (4400 - 4600 - 4700 - 4800) Stamped on the left side of the engine block with the number facing forward so that it is readable to a person standing in front of the vehicle. (1957 was the first year that vehicle serial and engine numbers were identical.)

1961- 1965 (4000 - 4100 - 4300) Stamped on the crankcase at the front end of the block just forward of the right cylinder head. The engine number is readable to a person standing in front of the vehicle.

BUICK BODY DATA

Fisher Body data plates were first attached to Buick firewalls beginning with vehicles produced in January of 1926. Data plates are always located on the firewall.

Some early wooden car bodies used by Buick had the body numbers die-cut into the wood sill, just inside the right front door.

From approximately 1910 through the 1932 model year, a series of open car bodies were produced for Buick by the Stewart Body Company which was located right on the Buick plant complex in Flint. Body numbers on some of these vehicles can often be found die-cut into the wooden body sills or stamped in the wood support frame for the front seat. The numbers may also be located on an aluminum plate located on the front seat frame. The seat cushion must be raised to read the number.

From the mid 1920s through the 1932 model year, Stewart body information can often be found stamped on a plate attached to the firewall. These plates were identified only as "Buick Motor Company." The Stewart Body Company name will not appear on the plate.

All body information found on the vehicle should be included with research package requests, along with a description of where the information was located on the body.

The various companies producing Estate Wagon bodies for Buick from 1940-1964, also attached body plates to the fire wall. The information contained on these plates should be included with research package requests.

FISHER BODY DATA PLATE RUBBING

Place a piece of white typing paper over the plate. Remove the protective wrapping from a crayon, and rub the paper with the long side of the crayon. The information on the plate will transfer to the paper. Enclose the rubbing with your order. If any data on the plate did not transfer well, be sure to note on the rubbing exactly how the data reads and where it is located on the plate.

PROTECTO PLATE DATA

Beginning in the early 1960s and continuing into the 1970s, the original purchasers of General Motors vehicles were supplied with warranty information that included a protecto plate. These metal plates, located in the warranty book that originally came with the car, are reverse embossed and contain significant vehicle build and option details. If the protecto plate for your car is available, supply a photo copy of the plate, or a rubbing as described above, with your order.

Your complete satisfaction with your Research Package is assured. If you are dissatisfied for any reason, return it within ten days for a full refund.

HOW TO ORDER the research data on YOUR Buick

Have A Question? Send Us An Email!

A Good Source For Post War Buick Shop Manuals And Related Buick Service Materials Can Be Found At The Factory Automanuals Web Site

Looking For An Excellent Restoration Guide For The 1941 Buick? Check This Out!

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