Well, there is something that I have noticed for a while that I find somewhat perplexing. I noticed vehicles that are not Buicks, that the owners have attached Buick style trim holes on them. I've seen them on cars, SUVs and Trucks of a variety of different manufacturers. Does anyone know the reasoning behind this affectation?

Stick-on Pep-Boys accessories, in most cases.
Not a fan

3 hole Buick was a Lesabre and 4 hole was an Electra I think or something like that. Why people started putting them on other brands, no idea.

I seem to recall the 4 hole, on later models, was indicative of the higher power/performance trim of the model as well.

Gun ports.

My first car was a three-hole '51 Special, complete with sunshade. A gift from my sister. The day after she gave it to me, she took it to the car wash, ripped the sunshade clean off. Perhaps the saddest I ever saw her.

Speaking of adding trim to a car, the RR grill on Wesley Snipes'/Willie Mays Hayes' VW in Major League has to be one of the most iconic.

4 Holers were called Deuce and a Quarters in my neck of the woods.

quote:

3 hole Buick was a Lesabre and 4 hole was an Electra

Yes, I remember the family 1953 LeSabre. My dad's 1973 Electra was a monster that I used for a while. The 455 cubic inch engine would pull my 17' fishing boat as if nothing was there.

The CruiseLine VentiPorts, introduced in the late 1940's, were originally intended to show the number of cylinders.

The six cylinder Buicks had three VentiPorts on each side; the eight cylinder models had four VentiPorts on each side.

The Straight 6 ended before the Ventiports and the V6 was introduced in 1962 in small cars, so it was never about the 6 cylinder.

So the 4 ports was always the less powerful engines both the Straight 8 and the Fireball V8 (nailheads).
(I have had Buicks since the mid 70s)

When you mention Buicks and VentiPorts, I think of Centuries and Roadmasters...

I think "Roadmaster" might be the best car NAME ever devised. Too bad the ones from the 90's kept the name but misplaced the exuberance.

Let me guess - a 70s-80s sedan with giant rims on it as well.

The Motor Trend website has some information about this.

https://www.motortrend.com/veh...rts-the-early-years/

On the 59 Chevy, they call these exhaust ports. They're fake of course, but they were an accessory option to be placed in the rear quarter behind the wheel.

I do recall them on the 50s Buicks too.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
The CruiseLine VentiPorts, introduced in the late 1940's, were originally intended to show the number of cylinders.

The six cylinder Buicks had three VentiPorts on each side; the eight cylinder models had four VentiPorts on each side.

This is how my dad explained it to me.

Recent Maserati models have done the port holes, but I guarantee they are not Pep Boys stick ons...