Attractive Buick in mostly original condition. One repaint years ago, beautiful original interior, newer white convertible top. New tires. Runs and drives extremely well. A full-sized luxury ragtop without the full-sized luxury price!
Buick knew who they were in 1963. The full-sized lineup of cars included some serious luxury backed by performance that was quiet and understated, yet impressive. The Lesabre was the mid-range model, offering full-sized comfort without the full-sized luxury price. This handsome convertible was exactly what thousands of bank presidents and senior advertising execs drove in 1963?upscale yet not excessively flashy. In this car?s case, the paint is an older repaint in the original Marlin Blue and it still shows rather well. Bodywork is quite good and the doors close with a solid sound that you?d all but forgotten was possible on a convertible. As a car that has never been fully apart, it has a robust feeling that?s difficult to restore back into a car once it?s been disassembled. There?s a nice shine to the finish, the body gaps are quite good, and the icy blue suits the large ragtop rather well. There?s still plenty of chrome on a 1963 Buick, all of which is in excellent condition?even the faux ?venti-ports? on the front fenders show minimal pitting, which is very unusual. For a mostly original car, it's in fantastic shape!
The two-tone blue and white interior is likewise very nicely preserved. The carpets are newer, but the rest appears to be factory-issue and holding up well. There?s a small split in the driver?s seat down near the seatback hinge, but that?s pretty much it for demerits. The door panels are beautifully detailed and shockingly, the steering wheel isn?t falling apart. Nice! The big, round gauges are crisp and easy to read, and to be honest, we were somewhat relieved to see that this car has crank windows and no A/C, two things that almost always break on big luxury liners like this, making it a no-hassles car that?s ready to enjoy. The white power convertible top is neatly fitted and powers itself up and down without any issues, and there?s a matching blue boot to give it a finished look. The massive trunk isn?t fully finished, but some of the original cardboard bulkheads are still in place and there?s a full-sized spare with cover still in place.
Buick?s 401 cubic inch ?Nailhead? V8 is the epitome of smooth, effortless luxury power. It starts easily and idles with a muscular hum that?s quite appropriate. And combined with the DynaFlow automatic transmission, power delivery is seamless. The LeSabre came standard with a 2-barrel carburetor and single exhaust, making it reasonably efficient without sacrificing that big wave of torque that made the Nailhead famous. It?s neatly dressed in Buick Turquoise engine enamel with that big, black air cleaner on top, so it presents well when you open the hood. It also runs beautifully, pulling the big ragtop around with enthusiasm, living up to its reputation as a torque factory. Details like the alternator, belts and hoses, and other small parts are recent, so it is 100% ready to hit the road. The undercarriage is original and shows plenty of use, but the floors are solid and the trunk pan is in excellent shape. The exhaust system has a hushed sound that?s appropriate for a luxury cruiser like this and giant finned aluminum brake drums provide impressive stopping power. It sits on factory steel wheels and hubcaps with recent 7.60-15 BFGoodrich Silvertown whitewalls that look period perfect.
Big, powerful luxury convertibles used to be a symbol that you?d made it. Today they still carry that same kind of image but for a fraction of the price. Buicks, in particular, offer a lot of style and performance and remain very easy to own. Parts are plentiful and the Buick Club of America is one of the most active in the hobby. If you want a big old ragtop with lots of charisma, this is a fantastic choice. Call today!
Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.