Yaril Quintana's 1951 Buick

The Buick as it sat when Yaril purchased it in 2003.

By 2007 Yaril had upgraded the drivetrain and bagged the Buick.

Homemade lucite shift knob part 1.

Homemade lucite shift knob part 2.

The Buick as it sat in November 2007. The flames are gone, and the car is waiting for a new set of wheels.

Black wheelies and WWW.

The car lowered another 1.5 inches and fit with 1954 Mercury hubcaps

The Buick with subtle pinstriped scallops.

The headlights were frenched by welding the stock rings to the fenders.

After the headlights were frenched, Yaril pinstriped scallops on the car in order to hide the edges were the two black met.

May 2009, Yaril removed the gas filler door, and relocated the filling neck to the trunk of his car.

July 2009, Yaril decided that it was about time to chop the roof on his old daily driver.

Some of the planed cuts, roughly taped off.

The top was chopped 2 inches in front and rear.

Yaril during the chop.

The A-pillars almost fully welded back together.

The B-pillars moved back and welded together.

The rear quarter window radius's welded in.

Ready to cut the windshield.

The stock three piece window was laid down and moved forward about 3 inches.

The car as it sat after Yaril had chopped it

Yaril's sketch for his new taillight treatment were the stock taillights have been shaved away, and relocated in to the bumperettes.

After chopping the top, Yaril shaved away the taillights, and began to convert the bumper guards into taillights.

Homemade bulb holder.

The taillight lenses were made from 1/4" thick plexiglass.

Yaril's Buick as it sat in the Summer of 2015. Photo by The Charis Culture.

1951 Buick Special restyled by Yaril Quintana of Yaril's Customs in Hialeah, Florida. Yaril bought the Buick in 2003 becoming the 3rd owner of the car. The Buick had its original paint when he got it so he knew there was no rust on the body to worry about. Shortly after buying the car, Yaril installed air bags on the car. He also nosed and decked it and shaved the door handles and antenna. He used it as his daily driver and put many miles on it. In 2004 the three on tree went out and the rear end started making noises, so Yaril figured it was time for an upgrade. He wanted the car to be a highway cruiser, so he kept the straight 8 that had just barely over 100,000 miles on it, but he updated the drivetrain with an automatic 700R4 transmission hooked to a 1979 Chevrolet Cutlass rear end with some 3.42 gears. In order to fit the new drivetrain, Yaril made a triangulated 4-link and countless other mods. While upgrading the chassis and drivetrain, Yaril replaced the tired radiator with a Walker 4 core brass top and he replaced the old airbags with Slam Specialty bags. He kept the stock drums up front, but used Cutlass drums in the rear. The stock manifold was modified with a 2nd exhaust port welded to it. Yaril kept the original column shifter, but modified it for the automatic transmission. Inside the car featured the stock dash with custom paint influenced by the roof of Larry Watson's 1959 Cadillac. The original radio push buttons were converted into air bag controls and the a/c was routed out through the center grill were the old speaker used to be. He kept the original gauges, but added an air gauge next to the glove box in an original filler gauge for cars that came with a clock. A CD player was hidden in the glove box for that hi-fidelity feeling. By November, 2007 Yaril had equipped the car with a newer 1953 Buick steering wheel and a homemade shift knob that he made from black and white Plexiglas that he formed, shaped and polished...just like the ones that were made in the old days. The white line tires and stock hubcaps were replaced by wide white walls bias ply rubber fit with 1954 Mercury hubcaps. During the process Yaril swapped the rear axles to the Buick pattern so he could use the stock wheels. The rear of the car was lowered another 1.5 inches.

December 2008, an issue of The Rodders Journal with Sam Barris' 1950 Buick on the cover inspired Yaril to french the headlight on his Buick. The headlights were frenched by welding the stock rings to the fender. After the headlighs were frenched, Yaril pinstriped scallops on the car in order to hide the edges were the two black paints met. A half year later, in July 2009, Yaril decided it was time to chop the roof on his Buick and relocate the taillights to the bumperettes. Earlier that year he had also relocated the gas filler neck to the trunk of his car and welded the gas filler door shut. By July, 2009, Yaril had decided that it was about time to chop the top on his Buick. He was not sure about how much he was going to chop it, but knew that it had to be less then 3 inches in order to keep the stock three piece rear window. Yaril ended up chopping the top 2 vertical inches up front and at the b-pillar. During the chop the rear three piece window was laid down and moved forward about 3”. After the chop, the taillights were relocated to the stock bumperguards.