1959 Buick Electra

Sedan

6.6L 6572CC 401Cu. In. V8 GAS OHV Naturally Aspira

Automatic

8F4006040

Clear

Gasoline

Up for sale is a lovely survivor 1959 Buick Electra 225. This 225 model is an original California car from 1959 to 1994. I purchased this car in 2012 from the second owner (Brad) who bought the car in Santa Rosa, CA in 1981. The car was parked in the front lawn of a widower's home, and Brad purchased it and used it as his daily driver while living in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 225 was the pinnacle of luxury in 1959, combining jet age style, powerful performance and plush options for the sophisticated buyer. The Electra 225 has approximately 6 inches of extra length in the rear quarter panels compared to regular Electras of the same year. The car has been fantastic for us over the 2 years we have had it. It drives smoothly, and draws attention wherever we take it. Sadly, I do not have the time to complete a full restoration on the car. We have gone through the car mechanically to make it a good driving car, and will leave the fine tuning to the next owner. The car is 55 years old, and is not new. However, it's been a fantastic cruiser, and will bring years of fun! In 1994, Brad moved back home to Fon du Lac, WI and trailered the car back behind his U-Haul. During this trip back to WI is when the tips of the rear tail fins were smacked while trying to backup the moving truck with the car on the trailer. While in WI, the car was garaged each winter and brought back out in May to enjoy the summer. While I was skeptical of the underside being solid, we had the car inspected from a local Buick (BCA) club member and found it was indeed in great shape. The car has the typical patina underneath, but is solid in the floor pans, etc. See my pictures on photobucket for a better look (message me for the link - EBay does not allow links in the ad copy now). I am still in touch with the second owner (Brad), and will gladly put the winning bidder/buyer in touch with him to learn more about the car/stay connected. Brad has enjoyed frequent phone calls and pictures of the car's progress since heading West to Washington State. Since we purchased the car in 2012, we have done a few things to it: New Waldron's complete exhaust system (dual pipes/mufflers) from exhaust manifold back (factory correct)Rebuilt the carburetor - using the factory unit.Radiator has been re-cored and a new transmission cooler was added to front of unit to keep things cool (trans cooler is not stock, but had to be done given the original inside the radiator was not serviceable)New freeze plugs installedTune-up: (Cap, rotor, plugs, points, etc.)New headlight switchNew wiper blades (correct style)New rear license plate light lens/coverComplete brake system has been serviced - newly resurfaced drums and wheel cylinder replaced on left sideNew shocks installed in the rearNew high pressure power steering hoseThere are some quirks with the car that I will call out - and want to be completely transparent on what I know about the car for the next buyer. Keep in mind...this is a 55 year old car - and it's not perfect: Cosmetically, the car has its share of little blemishes, dings, dents and surface rust in small spots (i.e. on the paint)The two major areas of body issues are the tips of the fins and the passenger side door where the former owner scraped his garage door while parking. Interior seats are intact, but in need of an upholstery overhaul. While the car was in CA until 1994, the seats were baked in the sun, and the fabric has been faded, thinned and the foam has deteriorated. The tops of the rear seat have been ripped/foam deteriorated. I have the seat cover on the front bench that the owner before had put on. Luckily, they still make fabric for the car and SMS Auto Fabrics (In Portland) - has a match on samples to rebuild them.Carpet was replaced at some point in the past with a darker shade of blue. If you look at the side pillars you can see a lighter shade...which matches with the new floor mats I bought (or is at least a close match)Car is solid underneath - no sign of rust issues. Has surface patina like most of the cars of this era.The twin turbine/dynaflow transmission hesitates if in drive (D). Works very well when you start in low gear (L) and then shift to drive above 25 MPH for cruising. Have not had this looked at as the shifting between the 2 gears was ok for me...if I were to keep the car, would eventually have this looked at.Wonderbar equipped radio - the button on the floor to change the stations is in-op. The button on the actual radio will change the stations, but currently the radio is non-op and will not power up - never worked for me. It may be the tubes are out and needs a rebuild. Brad stated that the radio worked for him the year before he sold the car. Speedo gauge is not working - we checked it and the gauge itself and the cable works fine (tested with a drill and you can see the red MPH gauge spool up), but the worm gear for the speedo inside the tranny is stripped and have not been able to find one yet. This also means the odometer is not working either (as it is tied to the speedometer)Fuel gauge is non-opTemp gauge on the instrument cluster does not work, but I go by the temp gauge under the dash that was added on some years ago - looks like a dealer installed option as the gauge is not a modern style - works well. Wipers work, but the switch is finicky and sometimes takes a time or two to turn off.The car drips fluid...when sitting (looks like oil and some tranny fluid) - I check them often, and have had no issues, but the car does drip - A fellow collector locally confirmed that this is very common, and so I just keep an eye on things and top off as needed.Door panels are rough - and like the interior seats - need to be refurbished. Power window switches on the driver door have worked loose a little - I have a replacement unit for it out of another car that will come with this. Dash pad has typical deflation from the foam over the yearsDriver and passenger front power windows work. Power wing window only on driver side opens. You can hear the motor on the wing window on the passenger side going, but doesn't seem connected to the glass panel. Rear window on driver side goes down about half way - seems like something may be binding it up. Rear passenger window has not opened since I purchased - may be a dead motor/connector.I have replacement stainless pieces for the "hockey stick" sections from the fin tips down to the center of the trunk - which will come with the car when sold (for when you get the fins fixed). The power bench seat only works with some of the functions. I like my seat all the way down and all the way back which is where it is set now. Power clock is non-op - which is common on almost all the cars of this era. Paint job looks ok in the pics, but there are numerous little blemishes, nicks, etc. Rust spots shown in some of the pics are surface spots only on the paint - nothing has deteriorated through the sheet metal that I can see. The springs on the hood hinges are worn and no longer hold up the weight of the massive hood. Opens and shuts just fine, but need a stick to hold it open. (Don't ask me how I found out about this the hard way). :)Chrome plating on underside of hood lip is starting to peel a little (Not visible when hood it closed). The car drives well, powerful acceleration, smooth ride, and just floats right along as a nice luxury boat should. The horn is loud - and sounds awesome. The color on the car is Shalimar Blue - and is quite pretty. I especially like the two tone light/dark blue color treatment on the interior. This 225 is a 4 door flat top car (a unique streamlined design that started in 1959) and is model # 4839 - and was the 204th car of this style produced in the model year - according to the ID plate near the firewall. The 401 Nailhead V8 is absolutely awesome. I had a local body repair guy with 35+ year of experience look at the car recently to give me a quote on paint/work. In his assessment, he stated it was one of the most original and straight cars he has seen. Yes, the paint needs some work, but he mentioned that all the gaps/panels line up just right, and it appears that the car likely has never been in an accident (aside from the scrape from the garage door on the passenger door and fin tips as mentioned above). I am open to selling the car Internationally as I know there is a HUGE following in Sweden, Germany and Austrailia for these cars. However, please note that you will need to arrange shipping from my location in University Place, Washington (42 miles South of Seattle, WA), AND I will not release the car until funds/payment has been wired into my account, and are cleared of any holds. Have tried to list everything I can think of - please ask questions if I have left anything out. For a full list of photos - (around 300+), please message me, and I will provide you with the URL. The 1959 Electra 225 models in running/driving condition are extremely hard to find compared to LeSabres, Invictas and standard Electras. We hope that you enjoy this car as much as we have. $500 deposit due via PayPal within 24 hours of auction close. Remainder of payment due within 7 days after auction close. Good Luck & Happy Bidding! :)