37 Years Ago Today . . .

[Centurion]

My Dad brought home our family's new '71 Centurion Formal Coupe. It was late at night, and he sounded the horn as he rolled into the garage, fresh from the dealership about 325 miles away. I was still in high school and a new driver, but I was eager to jump behind the wheel and take the new Buick for a drive. As I gazed at the new car, I thought I had never seen anything so beautiful.

I had only seen one other Centurion at that time. A Willowmist Green 4-door hardtop sat on the showroom floor of Braley & Graham Buick in Portland when we stopped a couple of months earlier, but the dealership was closed on Sunday afternoon.

Every year, I mark the anniversary of my first time in the Centurion. Who could have guessed that the car would be sitting in my garage 37 years later!

Within a week of receiving the car, we headed out for the first of many long trips in the Centurion, traveling from rural Eastern Oregon to San Diego, California to visit my older sister and her family. We spotted one other Centurion on our journey -- a 4-door hardtop in service as a drivers training car in the San Francisco area.

The car proved itself to be a wonderful, long-distance cruiser, and, over the years, my family found the Buick to be virtually trouble-free. The Centurion has been part of my life for a very long time. It was the car that carried me to my high school graduation, my college graduation, and my graduate school graduation. The Centurion was there for my parents' Golden Wedding anniversary and carried my bride and me from the church to our wedding reception.

I realized long ago that these cars are special, and it's great now to see the growing collector interest in these beautiful Centurions.

[dewbers]

Good stuff Brian... thanks for sharing memory lane with us. What an exciting time. And did I read this correctly, you know own your Dad's car that HE drove home this very night, 37 yrs ago? VERY COOL! :beers:

[Centurion]

Yes, Steve, it's the very same '71 Centurion that Dad brought home 37 years ago today. This car is on its way to becoming a family heirloom!

[Robroy]

Great story Brian! Thanks for sharing it with us.
Seems like your parents might be from the same generation as John, the original owner of my Centurion who’s is living in Portland OR. I just sent him a Christmas card thanking him for the Owners manual, window sticker and all the other stuff he sent to me earlier this fall.
Like your family he used the Centurion mainly for long distance trips and had a Mustang as a daily driver which probably is one of the reasons for the good shape it’s in.
This summer I sent him a letter with some pictures I shot on a sunny afternoon in my hometown Ystad. I thought it would be a thrill for him seeing his old car in a typical European environment. The photo in the calendar was actually one of those I took that weekend and I made an extra large paper copy of that for him since I think it turned out good. Below are some of the other photos I shot at that occasion.
I tried to take a picture of my car in the street you see in the last pict, but there kept coming disturbing traffic so I lost my patience and gave up.

[RFortuna]

Great story Brian! You're lucky to have so many awesome memories with your Centurion. Everyone always talks about the cars they wish they still had. You were one of the few wise enough to hang on to yours!

Randy

[The German]

That´s a very seldom story, I guess, Brian. It might be only rare in your country - in Germany I don´t know about such a story, because the most cars are rusted away if they were driven daily because of the high humidity and because of the salt that is used in winter to keep the roads ice free ! The older cars we have of that time mostly are cars from people who were older when they bought it and who kept the car away from bad weather.
Was your car a dayly driver in its first years ? Or was it mainly a "second car" ? And how many miles are on the odometer ? - Every mile a mile in families life - that´s a real treasure !! Hope it will live another 37 years with you and without big problems!
________________
Rolf

[Centurion]

Per, Randy, and Rolf, thanks so much for your encouraging responses.

Per, your photos are excellent, and I'm sure that your Centurion's original owner is thrilled to remain in contact with you.

Rolf, my Centurion was, in fact, used every day. My mother was a school teacher, so the car was used daily, even in the cold and snowy Eastern Oregon winters. Thankfully, the Pacific Northwest does not typically use road salt during winter weather. Instead, finely crushed gravel (sanding rock) is used to provide traction. The flying rock is, however, rough on paint jobs and windshields. This posed a problem primarily in the mountainous, higher elevation areas of the Northwest that receive significant quantities of snow, such as the area where we lived.

The extreme tuck-under of the bodysides of the '71 - '76 GM full-size cars posed a problem in our area. The front tires would flip the sanding rock onto the lower bodysides, acting almost as a sandblaster to the paint. Since we purchased the car during the winter, we noticed the problem immediately, and contacted Buick Motor Division. Our local dealer submitted photos to the Portland Zone Office, where we scheduled a meeting to discuss the concerns. Buick paid to respray the lower portion of the car (below the paint stripe) during the spring of 1971, and we then fitted the car with shields to protect the lower body paint from the sanding rock. Ultimately, I had the entire car repainted in 1984.

Buick advised us at that time that the bodies were designed for greater strength in the event of side impacts, and the shape of the sheetmetal accommodated the side guard beams and added strength. The design also brought the rocker area close to the sides of the front seat, making entry and exit easier. Buick learned that the test drivers had noticed that the front wheels threw water onto the windshield and side glass during wet weather, but no one had made notes and reported the issue back to the engineering department.

The car has about 155,000 miles on the odometer. Other than tuneups, regular oil changes, and new valve cover gaskets about twenty years ago, the car's engine has never been touched. The engine and transmission have never required repairs, and the engine burns no oil. The car runs as new.

The powertrains on these cars are truly bullet-proof if well-maintained.

[The German]

That´s a really interesting story again, Brian. Have to look to my car whether I can notice something like this also. I guess the water will be mainly thrown to the windshield when driving through curves and when having some wind from the side.

A daily driver with higher mileage and still top performance after 37 years - that´s good ! Seems as if my car needs no oil also. This means Buick built better cars; such a long time test is not only a demonstration, it´s a proof - sure !:xyxthumbs:

Thanks for your detailed description, Brian!
_________________
Rolf

[Robroy]

The car has about 155,000 miles on the odometer. Other than tuneups, regular oil changes, and new valve cover gaskets about twenty years ago, the car's engine has never been touched. The engine and transmission have never required repairs, and the engine burns no oil. The car runs as new.
The powertrains on these cars are truly bullet-proof if well-maintained.
Similar to mine:
Has run 135,000 miles and apart from normal maintenance the only things replaced to my knowledge are; front fenders, water pump, main brake cylinder and mufflers.
They are solid cars indeed :beers:

[Bob Alberini]

Well, unlike the other guys, I've heard this story a few times, my friend, and I never grow tired of it. After all, these fantastic cars are what proved to be the foundation of a now over thirty year friendship with you.

I share my congratulations on yet another ownership milestone and the fifty year anniversary isn't that far down the road. I suspect your Centurion will still be going strong and hopefully we will too.

[Centurion]

Yes, Bob, and here's a bit of personal history for the others.

I joined the Buick Club of America in the fall of 1975 while still in college. My very first issue (11/75) of the Buick Bugle magazine included an article written by Mr. Bob Alberini of Columbus, Ohio. Bob traced the post-war evolution of Buick's "Century concept" (big engine, lighter body) from 1954 through 1973, covering the Century, Invicta, Wildcat, and Centurion cars. The article included a photo of Bob's '72 Centurion, and it was exciting to me that there was someone else in the Buick hobby with an appreciation for the Centurion series cars.

I finally wrote Bob a letter in 1977, making clear that there was someone out in the Pacific Northwest who was equally interested in the Centurions. Bob and I met briefly during Buick's 75th anniversary National Meet in Flint in 1978, and we have corresponded quite regularly ever since.

Over the years, we enjoyed exchanging information regarding the 1971 to 1973 full-size Buicks. While the cars were still common sights on the highways and used car lots, we photographed and documented scores of these cars. Bob has maintained careful records of his Centurion sightings since 1973, and Rick Tollenaar from Iowa and I have contributed data and photographs of the cars we were seeing in our respective areas back in the late 1970's and early 1980's. Needless to say, many of the Centurions we recorded during those years have been lost to the car crushers by now, but, thanks to Bob's record-keeping, we have a history of VIN, colors, options, etc.

Adam's decision to create an online Centurion registry provided the perfect opportunity to share the Centurion records that Bob has amassed, and it means that we have a solid record of a surprising number of Centurions. The registry is really a remarkable historical account for fans of the Centurion series cars. And the advent of Ebay has provided Bob with the opportunity to continue recording Centurions that we had never previously documented.

Bob and I were interested in these cars long before significant collector interest had developed for the Centurions, so it's now very gratifying to see the enthusiasm that you all have for these fine cars.

[Phil Genario]

Per, Randy, and Rolf, thanks so much for your encouraging responses.

Per, your photos are excellent, and I'm sure that your Centurion's original owner is thrilled to remain in contact with you.

Rolf, my Centurion was, in fact, used every day. My mother was a school teacher, so the car was used daily, even in the cold and snowy Eastern Oregon winters. Thankfully, the Pacific Northwest does not typically use road salt during winter weather. Instead, finely crushed gravel (sanding rock) is used to provide traction. The flying rock is, however, rough on paint jobs and windshields. This posed a problem primarily in the mountainous, higher elevation areas of the Northwest that receive significant quantities of snow, such as the area where we lived.

The extreme tuck-under of the bodysides of the '71 - '76 GM full-size cars posed a problem in our area. The front tires would flip the sanding rock onto the lower bodysides, acting almost as a sandblaster to the paint. Since we purchased the car during the winter, we noticed the problem immediately, and contacted Buick Motor Division. Our local dealer submitted photos to the Portland Zone Office, where we scheduled a meeting to discuss the concerns. Buick paid to respray the lower portion of the car (below the paint stripe) during the spring of 1971, and we then fitted the car with shields to protect the lower body paint from the sanding rock. Ultimately, I had the entire car repainted in 1984.

Buick advised us at that time that the bodies were designed for greater strength in the event of side impacts, and the shape of the sheetmetal accommodated the side guard beams and added strength. The design also brought the rocker area close to the sides of the front seat, making entry and exit easier. Buick learned that the test drivers had noticed that the front wheels threw water onto the windshield and side glass during wet weather, but no one had made notes and reported the issue back to the engineering department.

The car has about 155,000 miles on the odometer. Other than tuneups, regular oil changes, and new valve cover gaskets about twenty years ago, the car's engine has never been touched. The engine and transmission have never required repairs, and the engine burns no oil. The car runs as new.

The powertrains on these cars are truly bullet-proof if well-maintained.brian , i love stories like yours, what history. i remember as a kid hearing about the side impact protectionand the design tecnique for easier entry and exit. i own a 1968 camaro rally sport, i bought it off of the original owner ,shes now 83,and she worked in washington dc ,and was part of the panel to impeach president nixon, the car still has its u.s house of representitives underground parking garage permit sticker on its front bumper.so i love hearing stories like these. phil

[Centurion]

Hi Phil,

Like you, I'm fascinated by the histories of these cars and the people who owned them. It is part of what makes each car unique and valuable.

All of our Centurions have a story in their past, but it sometimes requires a great deal of research to learn the story for cars that have had multiple owners. Discovering the car's history can be part of the fun of owning one!

[dewbers]

Brian, Bob, et al... Back in March when I bought my Centurion, I "Googled" the words "Buick Centurion" and found this sight. Though at first I wasn't particularly happy with what I read about the car I just purchased,:shocked: I stuck with the forum because the knowledge that shared here is invaluable. In the following days and weeks, many of the regulars on here took the time to either post a note or sent me a PM welcoming me to this Club, while apologizing/explaining what was said about my car and why! (That's water under the bridge now!!) (For those that weren't here, I am certain the thread is still available for your reading pleasure...) Anyway, I am writing this today to say thank you to Adam, Brian, Bob, Keith, Rick, Per, Rolf, Ron (the list just keeps going on) and all the other "regulars" for keeping this site going. I feel I've made friends here, though I've never laid eyes on any one of you. The camaraderie that is shared here simply amazes me. To hear of Bob and Brian having a friendship that has lasted 30+ years over the love of cars amazes me. Guys, I have enjoyed this forum immensely and will continue to do so for many years to come. I am in love with my Centurion. :Brow: The history these cars have is something to marvel it. You can almost feel it when you drive them.

Bob/Brian (or anyone else) - if someone wanted to trace their car's history, what would you recommend we do? (We have the facts from Bob, but how would one go about finding it's history though? Idea's or suggestions?

Lastly... to all the members of the forum that don't participate in the conversation or do so infrequently... jump in folks. The knowledge here is 2nd to none. The friendships are genuine. The support is real. Don't sit on the sidelines... join in and see what you've been missing.

Merry Christmas gang. :beers:

[Centurion]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the great and encouraging words regarding the folks here on the website!

Regarding your Buick's history, sometimes it's a matter of one step at a time. For starters, I would contact the dealer from whom you purchased the car to learn any information you can regarding the previous owner. Once you have that information, you might try to make contact with that individual to learn everything you can. Depending on the number of owners the car has had, you might be able to keep working your way backwards. When I get a chance, I'll initiate a post on tracing your car's history, and share a story posted on the '59 Buick site about a fellow who has been pursuing the history of his Electra 225 convertible. It is amazing how the car's history has unfolded, but he has learned about its past only because of persistence and follow through on each and every lead.

Obviously, if there are any old receipts or registrations in the glovebox, those will provide excellent clues. Old oil change stickers are also a help in terms of dating the car's location at various points in its past. If the car still has the owner's manual and other original documents, look for any warranty or protect-o-plate information.

[Bob Alberini]

As a brief follow-up to Brian's remarks from yesterday, Keith has been another major contributor to the never ending documentation project. He and I first met at a BCA meet in Toledo in 1985 and he's added his fair share of cars over the years and still does. So don't be afraid to hop in guys and document any Centurion you come across. It can be in a junk yard or for sale by a dealer or a private owner. We need to capture as many as we can for as long as we can. Even if all the options aren't on the car, as long as we have a VIN (and hopefully body plate information), we'll have a clue what the car was. Just try to be as complete as possible and if something isn't known, then just say so.

[Robroy]

As a brief follow-up to Brian's remarks from yesterday, Keith has been another major contributor to the never ending documentation project. He and I first met at a BCA meet in Toledo in 1985 and he's added his fair share of cars over the years and still does. So don't be afraid to hop in guys and document any Centurion you come across. It can be in a junk yard or for sale by a dealer or a private owner. We need to capture as many as we can for as long as we can. Even if all the options aren't on the car, as long as we have a VIN (and hopefully body plate information), we'll have a clue what the car was. Just try to be as complete as possible and if something isn't known, then just say so.
I have actually thought of just what you’re saying Bob. I saw two Centurions on the big Cruise in Ystad last year, one purple 72 convertible and one red & black formal coupe that appeared to be in a very good original condition. Unfortunately I passed them going in the other direction on the crowded cruise and could therefore never have a closer look or talk to the owners. However, I will go there next year and might get lucky then. So far I’ve seen about a 12-15 Centurion’s here on fore sale ads and on other places on internet like this beautiful black 71 conv where the owner lives on Öland, an island in the Baltic Sea http://web.telia.com/~u48506336/Stefan%20L.html The rear mirrors from a Volvo indicates it probably has been restored here.:D

So the camera, notebook and pen will be ready in my glove department box next summer in case I bump in to any Centurions. I’ll take the VIN No, the Cowl tag info as well as some pictures.

[Phil Genario]

you can also try some of the internet sites, once you have an owners name and you hit a dead end such as theyve moved or no phone listing you can go to a site called people finder.com or intellius , you can do a google search for others, they are simple to use and fun , you simply enter a name and a state,and youll get a listing of all people with the name, so you do a process of elimination, you will get past areas where they lived previously.again it doesnt always work, but when it does its well worth it. ive used it with success. usually the former owner is thrilled to hear that the car they loved is still around. also you can use people related to them as a paper trail to them. phil

[Phil Genario]

Brian, Bob, et al... Back in March when I bought my Centurion, I "Googled" the words "Buick Centurion" and found this sight. Though at first I wasn't particularly happy with what I read about the car I just purchased,:shocked: I stuck with the forum because the knowledge that shared here is invaluable. In the following days and weeks, many of the regulars on here took the time to either post a note or sent me a PM welcoming me to this Club, while apologizing/explaining what was said about my car and why! (That's water under the bridge now!!) (For those that weren't here, I am certain the thread is still available for your reading pleasure...) Anyway, I am writing this today to say thank you to Adam, Brian, Bob, Keith, Rick, Per, Rolf, Ron (the list just keeps going on) and all the other "regulars" for keeping this site going. I feel I've made friends here, though I've never laid eyes on any one of you. The camaraderie that is shared here simply amazes me. To hear of Bob and Brian having a friendship that has lasted 30+ years over the love of cars amazes me. Guys, I have enjoyed this forum immensely and will continue to do so for many years to come. I am in love with my Centurion. :Brow: The history these cars have is something to marvel it. You can almost feel it when you drive them.

Bob/Brian (or anyone else) - if someone wanted to trace their car's history, what would you recommend we do? (We have the facts from Bob, but how would one go about finding it's history though? Idea's or suggestions?

Lastly... to all the members of the forum that don't participate in the conversation or do so infrequently... jump in folks. The knowledge here is 2nd to none. The friendships are genuine. The support is real. Don't sit on the sidelines... join in and see what you've been missing.

Merry Christmas gang. :beers:hi steve, thanks for your response to my pics, ill get some outdoor shots asap, the photos dont do my car justice , but believe me, the car is stunning. the original paint is excellent and it shines like a mirror, it took me over a year to find it , and im picky,at times too much so.there are alot of ironies about this purchase and the 72 conv i bought in 1979. that car also took me a year to find. condition wise they are so close as well, out of all the cars out there, the 72 centurion is is a car i never stopped loving. after nearly 29 years , my love for the centurion led me to this car. you cant buy back time, but i sure feel good! phil

[Phil Genario]

Great story Brian! Thanks for sharing it with us.
Seems like your parents might be from the same generation as John, the original owner of my Centurion who’s is living in Portland OR. I just sent him a Christmas card thanking him for the Owners manual, window sticker and all the other stuff he sent to me earlier this fall.
Like your family he used the Centurion mainly for long distance trips and had a Mustang as a daily driver which probably is one of the reasons for the good shape it’s in.
This summer I sent him a letter with some pictures I shot on a sunny afternoon in my hometown Ystad. I thought it would be a thrill for him seeing his old car in a typical European environment. The photo in the calendar was actually one of those I took that weekend and I made an extra large paper copy of that for him since I think it turned out good. Below are some of the other photos I shot at that occasion.
I tried to take a picture of my car in the street you see in the last pict, but there kept coming disturbing traffic so I lost my patience and gave up.your 73 is absolutely beautiful, and your photos as well. i lovethe color, i have ,not seen a 73 coupe in years, an old high school teacher i had( mrs foytlin) in the mid 70s had a root beer brown 73 coupe,she had it for years,and it was beautiful.i remember when the 73s came out in 72 i thought the front and back was so cool looking, the dated phrase 'futuristic 'was probably what i thought. phil

[Robroy]

your 73 is absolutely beautiful, and your photos as well. i lovethe color, i have ,not seen a 73 coupe in years, an old high school teacher i had( mrs foytlin) in the mid 70s had a root beer brown 73 coupe,she had it for years,and it was beautiful.i remember when the 73s came out in 72 i thought the front and back was so cool looking, the dated phrase 'futuristic 'was probably what i thought. phil
Hi Phil,
Thanks for the encouraging comments on my car!
You may check this thread for more pictures that were taken before the car was shipped overseas, for the ebay listing actually. http://www.buickcenturion.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145
As you can see the light makes a difference on how the color turns out on the pictures, but you have experienced that yourself with the picts posted here on your Silvermist convertible.
I look forward to see some more picts on your car here soon! ;)

I also want to say welcome to this forum. You had a little rough start but that’s water under the bridge now and you fit in here like a fish in the sea I think :xyxthumbs:

[Robroy]

Anyway, I am writing this today to say thank you to Adam, Brian, Bob, Keith, Rick, Per, Rolf, Ron (the list just keeps going on) and all the other "regulars" for keeping this site going. I feel I've made friends here, though I've never laid eyes on any one of you. The camaraderie that is shared here simply amazes me. To hear of Bob and Brian having a friendship that has lasted 30+ years over the love of cars amazes me. Guys, I have enjoyed this forum immensely and will continue to do so for many years to come. I am in love with my Centurion. :Brow: The history these cars have is something to marvel it. You can almost feel it when you drive them.

Think the text above is one of the best quotes I’ve made here so far and it really says all that need to be said. Only want to add that I’m very glad you decided to join Steve and I think you too have shown what friendship is all about. Especially thinking on how you stood up for Kimson when he had his huge setback.
Besides, I really appreciate your sense of humor :D .

So Merry Christmas to you and all other Centurion buddies!