1960 Buick LeSabre

Estate Wagon Wagon

8 - Cyl.

Automatic

Clear

Gasoline

This 1960 Buick LeSabre wagon was parked in a barn in 1974, where it sat until it found its way to me three years ago. I was working on getting it going again, until the current state of the economy put my projects on hold. It is a three-seat model, although the bottom pad for the third seat is missing. It also came optioned from the factory with the awesome “Autronic Eye” automatic headlight dimmer. This car would be a very easy restoration, or could be given minor TLC and a little interior work, and enjoyed as-is. It is powered by a 364 nailhead engine and Dynaflow automatic transmission. I installed new plugs, wires, filters, hoses, belts, fuel line, etc. Tires are new, 205/75R15 front and 235/75R15 rear. They’re different brand from front to rear, but the fronts have under 100 miles on them, and the rears have zero miles on them. I have only driven the car around the block, but the engine seems to run quite well and the transmission seems to work fine, although it does leak a little. Motor sounds very good, with no smoking or knocking- although it is a little cold blooded, and could use some carburetor adjustment. Gas tank was pulled and found to be surprisingly clean inside, so I put it back in. The car had a pair of air overload springs installed over the rear axle sometime in the ‘60s. Turn signal switch is broken and does not work, although it looks like someone installed one from another car, so it might not even be put together right. Right after I bought the car, I converted it to disc brakes. I used adaptors from Scarebird Classic Brakes that worked very well, bolting to the original spindles with no modifications. It uses Riviera rotors and Eldorado calipers, so there is no concern about where to find parts. A dual master cylinder and booster for a ’70 Lesabre and a new adjustable proportioning valve were also installed with no modification to the car or cutting on the original steel brakelines. New rubber brake hoses were installed, and new rear wheel cylinders. This setup worked very well when I put it together, but it’s been sitting for two years now, and the pedal has gotten very soft. Either air has crept into the line somewhere, or the master cylinder has failed due to sitting for so long. Either way, it’s an easy fix- I already did all the hard work. New front wheel bearings and seals were also installed when I put it together. Steering feels loose, but I’m sure it needs an alignment since I did the conversion. The body is surprisingly straight and solid, with very, very little rust. The only real dent I can find is a shallow crease in the bottom of the right rocker panel, where it looks like someone scraped over something. There is also, oddly, a bullet hole in the right front door, right above the trim, from the inside out (“oopsie!”). It was there when I got it. The doesn’t have any holes I can find except one in the left lower quarter about the size of a pencil eraser, and a hole in the third-seat floorpan about the size of a quarter. It will not need any large patches or repair on the undercarriage- the car is very solid. Floors are very good. There are, however, a few odd corroded spots around the inside of the car- the rear seat hinges will need to be removed and restored, the interior door sill trim plates were in rough shape, and one of the clips that holds the second seat up is rusty. The bottoms of the doors are all nasty looking, but seem to be very solid. All the glass is nice, no damage to the windshield, and the miles of trim on the car are in great shape. Only the bumpers are a little tweaked, but they should be very repairable. Rear electric window works well. Since the car was in a barn for over 30 years, the interior was in rough shape when I got it- it will need all new upholstery to be nice. The headliner and carpet were shot, so I pulled them out, cleaned up the floor, and painted it with black POR-15 rust preventative coating. I installed a front seat out of another ’60 Lesabre sedan that was in better shape, but it is torn and will still need to be redone- it has towels over it for now. The frame for the bottom of the second seat will need to be restored or replaced. I cleaned it up and put a piece of foam and a towel over it to make it usable. The door panels are decent and the dash pad is nice. Paint is very thin and has chips everywhere, and will need to be redone, but I was surprised at how well it washed up, all things considered. Gas gauge works! Radio buttons are all unbroken, which is rare for one of these. The “Mirror-Magic” speedometer is also complete, which is a neat feature- the speedo is printed in reverse, down inside the dash, and the image is reflected to the driver through an adjustable mirror. Very cool! All in all, this car would make an awesome cruiser without a whole lot of work. It is in Lewiston, Idaho, near the Washington border. Good title in my name. Do not plan on driving it home, bring a trailer, since the brakes still need minor repair, and I haven’t driven it more than a couple blocks since owning it. Please contact me within 48 hours of auction's end to let me know what your plans are to pick it up. Bring cash, no checks. Also, if you get here and decide that you don't want the car, I'll honor that. HOWEVER- do not show up at my house and try to re-negotiate the price. A bid is a bid. Please contact me with any questions, I will be happy to answer them. Thanks!