1937 Buick Shafer

ENGINE: Straight 8
DISPLACEMENT: 344 cubic inches
HORSEPOWER: 200
TIRES: 6.00/6.50 X 20 Excelsior Competition V
TRANSMISSION: GM 3 speed manual
TOP SPEED: 130 mph

Phil Shafer built Indy cars from 1931 until about 1999 (about the same time the cars went completely to single seat). This car is equipped with Rigling and Henning (of Indianapolis) special built chassis powered by a Streight 8 Buick engine from a Buick series 60. Shafer had so much confidence in his Shafer that he shipped one of his cars to Europe to drive in the German Grand Prix and finished 13th in 1931. As was raced at Indy. this Shafer 8 has an original Buick 3 speed transmission. Seven of Shafer's Buick powered racers qualifed for the framed Memorial Day Classic from 1931 until 1936. "Stubby" Stubblefield's 5th place finish in 1934 was Shafer's high point. Al Miller started in the row in a Shafer 8 in 1934 and finished 6th. Shafer himself made the 1931.1932 and 1934 Indy races, finishing 11th, 12th and 15th places respoctively. Cliff Bergere, who went on to become an Indy immortal, bought a Victor Gasket Shafer 8 home to 13th place in the 1935 Indianapolis 500. He ran with the front of the pack until lap 196, where he ran out of gas.


Four 97's backed by a Gm 3-speed and enclosed drive line make for a surprisingly quick and very reliable ride. This Buick has made it's way across the United States more than 10 times so far, proving that old cars can be used for driving instead of just showing.



March 22, 2011, 5:08 am