Hitting the Nail on the Head

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Buick introduced its first V8 engine for 1953. Standard in the upmarket Super and Roadmaster models, it was nicknamed “nailhead” for its small, vertically-oriented valves. The resulting convoluted ports restricted breathing and limited horsepower at higher rpms, but the engines were possessed of great torque.

This 1953 Buick Super languished in an arrested state of restoration in the picturesque fishing village of Stonington, Maine. The interior was sumptuous in burgundy leather, but the exterior sat weathering in grey primer. We can only hope that the task was not abandoned, the missing brightwork not lost and the car eventually given a glistening finish.

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