1939 Buick 4 Door Sedan Specs

• The 1939 Buick 80 Roadmaster's engine offered more horsepower than its predecessors.Antique American Auto image by kenmo from Fotolia.com
  
  In 1939, Buick's four-door sedan, called the Buick 80 Roadmaster, only accounted for 3 percent of the automaker's total sales. This was due to its high price, which had lowered demand for the five-seater, saloon-style sedan. The Roadmaster had been issued originally in 1936, with the series 80 having stainless steel trim surrounding the windshield and rear window. Still, the 1939 model did have some differences from previous Roadmaster vehicles, including new technology for a smoother ride.
  
  

Style

• The 1939 Buick 80 Roadmaster had a 4/5S Sal body type, which had many of the same style features originally introduced in 1936 by Buick. However, in 1939 a new all-steel GM "Turret Top" body was offered with bullet-shaped headlamps. In addition, the windshield had a very steep slope. Hydraulic brakes were standard, and the hubcaps and grille of the 1939 were bolder and more attractive.
  
  

Exterior Specs

• The 1939 Buick 80 Roadmaster had a wheelbase of 133.5 inches. The track on both the front and rear equaled 59.6 inches. The actual length of the vehicle came in around 213.5 inches, with a width of 75.5 inches. The length-to-wheelbase ratio was 1.6:1. In addition, this Roadmaster had a ground clearance of 7.8 inches and a curb weight of 4,480 pounds. The braking system featured ventilated, front-discs and rear drums that supported the rear-wheel drive vehicle. Independent front suspension with a live axle, coil spring rear suspension gave the 1939 Buick 80 Roadmaster a smooth ride.
  
  

Engine Specs

• The engine on the 1939 Buick 80 Roadmaster was located in the front of the vehicle and had a longitudinal alignment. The engine itself was a straight, or inline, with an OHV, or overhead valve/I-head, structure. The 5.2L, eight-cylinder, 16-valve engine had a 5,231 cubic centimeter displacement. In addition, 141 horsepower at 3,600 RPM came standard with a Wilson pre-selector three-speed transmission. Buick added new combustion chambers and turbulator pistons, resulting in an increased compression ratio of 6.35:1. This vehicle had a top gear ratio of 1.00 and a final drive ratio of 4.18. The bore and stroke were 3.44 inches by 4.31 inches. Water was the recommended coolant. The top speed of the 1939 Buick 80 Roadmaster was 101.9 MPH.