I am selling this 1961 LeSabre hardtop. It is mostly original or has had work done on it to keep it in its original-looking state. It has been repainted somewhere along the line in the original black color. It has the original driveline including the Dynaflow transmission and 364 nailhead 2-barrel. I don’t think the engine has ever been out of the car. I purchased it from a guy in Winnipeg, Canada about 10 years ago. He thought the car came from Texas. Since I have owned the car I have done the following work: Reupholstered the interior with correct, NOS fabric from SMS. Dealing with SMS was a whole frustrating, expensive, multi-year odyssey. Front and Rear door panels remanufactured using correct material from SMS. Package tray and kick panels replaced with new, correct style pieces. New door sill plates. Rebuilt the original 2-barrel carb. Had the transmission resealed. It still leaks but less so. Dynaflows probably leaked when new. Had a new dashed molded at Just Dashes and dyed to match the interior. Replaced carpet with the last piece of original-style carpet available on planet earth. Original carpet was gray color with black flecks and metallic silver Christmas tree tinsel woven in. Black was the only color left so that’s what it has now. I saved the original carpet and it will come with the car. Replaced all the brake lines and wheel cylinders, install new brake shoes and had drums turned. Re-sleeved and rebuilt the original master cylinder. Replaced driver’s door vent window/window track. Original was tweaked and the window would pop out of the track. Installed reproduction T3 headlights. Had rear view mirrors re-chromed and new glass installed. Coated rear end with POR-15 where I could reach. It had surface rust spots on it. Replaced upper and lower radiator hoses with correct hoses. Flushed coolant and replaced with fresh. What does this car need? It needs you to buy it and drive it. Rear bumper could use a re-chrome. There are small rust holes at the bottom above the exhaust tips. There is a place in Brainerd that can repair the rust with new metal and re-chrome the bumper for about $1000, from memory. Paint is not perfect. There are a couple of scratches and waviness in spots if you know where to look. Don’t sweat it, just enjoy the car. One of the grill mounts is cracked and rattles a bit when you close the hood. Not noticeable from outside but I know it’s there. Exhaust has a welded-in cherry-bomb style mufflers. Sounds great but I would eventually replace it with a true dual exhaust. Rear tires are weather-checked. However they are oversize and look cool. I am the type of person that would be unable to resist the temptation to eventually pull the engine and reseal it and repaint it. I am trying to sell it before I loose my mind and start doing that. It’s up to you if you want to go down that road. I does not need a rebuild in my opinion. AM radio with single speaker kind of works. Get it rebuilt with one of those Bluetooth add-ons if you want. Plastic armrests should be re-chromed and painted to match the interior upholstery. They are original and cracked in a couple of spots. Haven’t gotten around to fixing them yet. I have seat belts for the car. I have not installed them. Transmission cooler lines look kind of cobbled together. They are not reproduced so I bought a universal trans line kit. Needs to be installed. Other than the carb rebuild, I haven’t done anything to the engine, This is probably the most reliable Buick I have owned. It starts easily when hot or cold (once the float bowl has filled up with fuel if it has been sitting) and idles smooth and low. I would not hesitate to drive this thing across the country if I could afford the fuel costs. It is as comfortable as your living room to drive and probably handles as well as your living room would - kind of floaty and doesn’t like to go around corners too fast. The Nailhead/Dynaflow combination does not make for neck-snapping acceleration. This thing is all about smooth. As for the brakes, they pretty much work like what you would expect from a big, heavy, 60 year old car with drums. Plan ahead. Don’t panic. Step on the pedal a little harder. It will come to a stop eventually. Floor mats appear to be original. Floor pans look solid. This car just makes me grin when I drive it. The bubble top roof/windows combined with the space-age interior makes driving this thing a magical experience. It has has the mirror-magic speedometer which is super-high tech for 1961. Vent windows are crank operated. Kick panel vents are operated by chrome levers in the dash. This is a Buick, not some cheapskate Chevy! If you want to buy this car so that you can bag it, put 22 inch billet wheels on and install an LS in place of the Nailhead, please move along. This old girl deserves better than that. I can get more photos if anyone needs to see something in particular. Car is located in Houlton, WI near the twin cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Minnesota title is in hand. Asking $26k. I’ll see if I get any takers here on V8Buick for a couple of weeks before listing it elsewhere.
That is one awesome looking car. I'd be dangerous w/ space & money! GLWS but you really should keep it.
Yes I have the side body and fender trim. There wasn't any on it when I bought the car but I sourced some from a donor car out west.
Ok last call for the Bubbletop on V8Buick. I am entertaining any last minute offers before I move it to an auction site!
What a gorgeous car. There was one exactly like this but a dual quad 4 speed years ago. Someone posted pics on here of it. Good luck with the sale, wherever it takes place. She deserves a good home.
