10/13/2025
1936 Buick Roadmaster
1936 Roadmaster brochure. Well, being one of Buick’s top dogs that year, and riding on a 131″ wheelbase, one could have quite the rolling ruckus in this Cincinnati, Ohio, domiciled rig. As for that thrilling power business, I’ll have more on that in a bit. Admittedly, this big sedan looks rough around the edges, but let’s investigate more closely and see what it’s all about. where this 89-year-old Buick Roadmaster can be found, and it’s available for a BIN price of $3,500. There is also a ‘make an offer’ option available. Buick’s ’36 lineup included the Limited, Roadmaster, Century, and Special. Roadmasters were offered in two different body styles: a four-door sedan and a four-door Phaeton. Production numbers were light, with only 3,000 examples leaving Flint, and of that total, just 1,800 were four-door sedans such as our subject – yes, that’s rather rare. The seller tells us that this Roadmaster has been stored in a trailer for 30 years, but offers little additional information. Storage aside, the thirty years prior were likely outside. The finish is faded, and there’s an abundance of surface rust, though I don’t detect any serious rot. The running board’s surface has been removed, but the body seems to be intact, as in, it’s all there. The prominent Buick grille looks to be unscathed, so there’s a positive. My thought is that the mismatched driver’s side rear door is a replacement for the original. The interior looks like the setting for a horror movie. It’s a mess of rodent infestation and water intrusion – and the front seat is no better. If you cruise through the listing images, you’ll note that the steering wheel and steering column seem out of place. Well, that’s because the column originated with a 1970 Camaro; the wheel is an unknown aftermarket piece. As for that “…but powered for a thrill” claim, Buick equipped its Roadmaster with a 120 HP, 320 CI, straight-eight powerplant – heady stuff for 1936. Well, that heavy, long chunk of iron has been given the bum’s rush and swapped with something a bit more contemporary. You know how the ubiquitous Chevrolet small block V8, over its many years of existence and incarnations (110 M produced at last count, and that was a while ago), seems to have invaded anything and everything? That’s the deal here, a 350 CI of unknown provenance to be exact. My guess is that it’s a non-runner as there’s no reference to running or driving capability (and the wheel chocks are a giveaway). The adds that the front suspension and twelve-bolt rear axle from the previously referenced Camaro have also been relocated. The transmission is an automatic, but which one is not stated; my guess is either a Powerglide or a Turbo-Hydramatic 350, three-speed. That carburetor is a head-scratcher. The front half looks like a common Quadrajet, but the secondary portion is unlike any that I’ve seen before, specifically the lack of an air valve assembly. Final thoughts? Rarity aside, this car’s condition and lack of an original engine are not helpful. The V8 swap would be less of a negative if something more robust than a generic, probably stock, 350 had been chosen. Beyond that.
