By Steve Temple

PHOTOS BY STEVE TEMPLE

Some folks used to think of a Buick as a “doctor’s car,” with a dignified level of luxury—classy, civilized, but not too showy. Today, in countries like China, it’s regarded as a status symbol of success. (Who would have ever figured that more Buicks would be sold in the Far East than here in the U.S.?).

 Others view a Fifties Buick as an alternative to all those Tri-Five Chevys, a rarer and more exclusive ride, yet still suitable for extensive customizing.

That’s what Jim Farcello of Kreative Kustoms in Carson City, Nevada, had in mind with his ’57 Buick. He dubbed it the Lone Wolf, not all that surprising since the Wolf Pack is the nickname of the local football team in northern Nevada where he resides.

No matter, he clearly doesn’t run with the pack of car builders in expressing his artistry. Of course, it didn’t hurt that he’s owned and run a body shop for decades, so he had some serious talent at his disposal, not to mention an ’89 IROC Camaro with a TPI V-8 that he parted out as a donor car.

Farcello came across a dilapidated Buick at a salvage yard in Carson City, and after hauling it home, contacted Unkl Al about building a totally custom frame to replace the aging foundation. Why go with a more challenging build, instead of say, a ’57 Chevy? “I’ve always been a Buick man. I built a ’58 kustom before this one, and when I came across a ’57, I wanted to do another.”

While the grille and body still display a bit of Buick parentage, clearly this apple fell pretty far from the tree. In addition to chopping the top and installing a laid-back late-model windshield with Mazda RX-7 side mirrors, Farcello pinched the front fenders for a sleeker look, and added later-model Riviera taillights. Besides the massaged grille, swoopy roofline and chromed spears, what really stands out are those cheese-grater fender skirts at the rear quarters. Think of them as automotive lingerie, concealing yet alluring at the same time.

After generously applying some heavy layers of gold-tangerine and metal flake on the frenched headlights, he was ready to hit all the big shows. The Lone Wolf went on tour for year, wowing crowds in the late ‘90s. Today, the car keeps more to itself, making occasional appearances at the Sacramento Autorama and Reno’s Hot August Nights and Street Vibrations motorcycle rally, where it hangs out with its sole companion, Farcello’s custom Harley. So maybe this Lone Wolf Buick is not such a loner after all.