Jon Southwick's 1954 Buick Century Convertible

A photo of the Buick from Jon's personal collection. Photo courtesy of Jon Southwick.

1954 Buick Century Convertible owned and restyled by Jon Southwick of El Cerrito, California. Jon spent one year transforming the Buick into a full custom. The car was nosed, decked, and shaved for door handles to achieve a cleaner appearance. Quad headlights were inset in the stock rims and tunneled. This was done by extending the fenders to house the stock 1954 Buick rims, and a chrome inner ring was used to beautify. The portholes were filled, a neat trick that is often overlooked. The grille shell was molded, and the new grille cavity was filled with chromed 1956 Buick bumper guard centers. He also made space for a recessed license mount in the front roll pan. The rear bumper was also removed, and a cavity was made featuring the same bullets as up front. The rear fenders were reworked into fins, housing 1955 Chrysler taillights. At the bottom of the fenders, bullets were molded for a sleek appearance. The car was lowered by chopping the springs, and the outside pipes were custom-built, and made the car appear even lower. Chromed and reversed rims where installed, with custom bullet hubcaps made by 1936 Oldsmobile headlight housings. The interior was completely redone in white pleated and rolled Naugahyde and black carpets by R & D Upholstery in Albany, California. Once the car was done, it was painted Emerald Green lacquer.

In 1960, Jon's Buick was featured in Custom Cars January 1960. Jon's name was misspelled "John" in the story.

Magazine Features and Appearances

Custom Cars January 1960
Trend Book 205 Restyle Your Car