Every once in a while, we get a customer that is kind enough to share the history behind their classic car or truck.  Today we are happy to introduce you to “Buford Bradford Buick”, a 1955 Buick Century and classic car project we have been working on here at Wilson Auto Repair.

Bufford left our shop today to enjoy semi-retirement, but we hope to see Buford back in the shop to finish off the restoration as he still needs the seats reupholstered, some bodywork and repainted in its original blue color.

Here is Buford’s Story as told by his owner…

“I bought our 1955 Buick Century on Easter Sunday, March 26, 1967 from Van’s Used Cars in Anaheim, California for $325.00.  I traded in a 1951 Buick Roadmaster and was given a $45.00 trade-in allowance.  I named it “The Great One.”

I drove him all over Southern California until I went into the Army in 1969.  My parents kept it for me, driving it occasionally until I got out in 1972.

I met my future wife shortly thereafter and we went on our first date in him.  I asked her to marry me in him several dates later.  We were married early in 1973 and drove him to Santa Barbara, California on our honeymoon.  She wanted to name him “Grape” because he reminded her of a big blue grape.  We compromised and settled on his current name, Buford Bradford Buick.

I drove him to work every day from 1973 to 1992 (about thirty miles each way).  We had the engine and transmission rebuilt in 1975.

We celebrated my wife’s 21st birthday by going to Dino’s Lodge on Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles in him.  Dean Martin wasn’t there and Kookie didn’t park him.

We drove him through Lion Country Safari once and a Rhinoceros ran up to him and bumped him with his horn, living a scuff on the fender as a reminder of the day.

We occasionally went to a drive-in movie with four of us (all adults) sitting in the front seat watching the show.  We also went to the drive-in with our dog and we all sat in the front seat, watching “Young Frankenstein,” and eating popcorn.

When our daughter came along in 1984, she referred to him as “Da’s Car” when she was able to talk.  Then as a teenager, she claimed him as her car.

We decided that he was a little tired in 1992 and retired him.

We decided to rebuild him in about 2000 and made some repairs to get him running again.  Our daughter drove it a couple of times, but the suspension was so bad that she was almost unable to see the road because he was bouncing so badly.

We ran out of funds and again parked him.  When we moved to Texas in 2009 a friend in California allowed us to park him at her house until we could bring him here with us.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen until 2017, when we finally got him here and took him to Wilson’s Auto Repair to once again get him roadworthy.

Wilson’s fixed everything that was wrong mechanically and now he is running as good as he did when I first bought him.  Wilson’s had him detailed as well, and he now looks as good as he did then, except for the paint, of course.

Our plans for him now are to get the seats reupholstered and repaint it in its original color (paint code BHH).

We plan to let him live in semi-retirement now, driving him occasionally and taking him to car shows.  Our neighbors were suitably impressed when we brought him home yesterday, asking for a ride in him.

We have owned him for 52 years now and will never part with him.”