I am new to American cars in general, but I have an option to buy a 1963 Buick LeSabre 4dr with Rosewood paint in amazingly good condition and with a Wildcat engine for a great price. But, I see there is a separate car called a Wildcat (or at least I think so) when I do parts searches. What is the difference between the two? What should I search for when looking for parts? Here are the pics:
In a nutshell, LeSabre is a Buick model from the 1960's, so is the Wildcat. The Wildcat was essentially a fancier version of a LeSabre, same size body, but generally nicer trim, and definitively, a bigger engine. Either could come with fewer or more accesories, depending on how they were ordered (or built). The Wildcat theory in general is for Buick to stuff a bigger engine into a LeSabre body, add some fancier trim, and outcome is the banker's hotrod, a Wildcat. Several Buick engines from that era also had the name "Wildcat", so in that vintage you will find Wildcat engines commonly in LeSabres, Wildcats, Electras, and Rivieras. That's a nice looking car...as a four door and a LeSabre model, a fair price would be quite moderate, since prices are generally higher for convertibles and coupes, and LeSabres should generally be lower priced than the fancier models, Wildcats, Electras, and Rivieras, or the sportier Skylark variations.
I see from your other posts that you bought the car. Congratulations! The LeSabre 4 door was a classic workhorse family car from the 1960s. Many, many Buick fans have fond memories of a 1960s LeSabre in their family. That is an interesting color. What accessories does the car have? Those accessory combinations can cover a wide range in LeSabres. That should be an easy car to work on. Enjoy it!
The Wildcat 410 is a 401 cubic inch V-8, one of the greatest auto engines ever built. That model has a 2 barrel carb, and the name of the engine (the number) is based on the ft/lbs of torque (I'm no engineer or mechanical expert) but can tell you that much. My own personal advice, if the car is a clean original, I would NOT alter or upgrade that engine. There is no substitution for a nice clean original. That engine is simple, and dependable. If you desire to tinker, that's fine too, and there is lots of advice here on this site; I'm just one of those advocates of clean originals when you can find them. Hardly anything runs like a nice clean 401. My car has the Wildcat 445, the 401 cu. in. engine with a 4 barrel.
The Wildcat was a separate model from 1963 until 1970, whan the nameplate was retired. The Wildcat was introduced in 1962 as a trim package on the Lesabre. The 401 c.i. Nailhead is a great engine, and, as a side benefit, it is widely thought to be one of the most attractive engines as well. You can expect to enjoy many years of reliable service from your Nail... and the Lesabre is the exact same car (at least til the late 60's). As previously advised, keep it stock!
Well, the overwhelming response is "keep it stock" so I will do that. The car was AMAZINGLY quiet. Almost scary quiet and it floated down the road. Very impressive.
yes, I've been at car shows and watched certain vintage cars drive by and I can't even tell they are running by the sound (lack of sound). Some advice I received long ago from an absolute guru of very, very fine cars, he came up constantly with mind blowing estate cars that made you think he invented a time machine, and at the very least made you absolutely drool. There is no amount of restoration that can bring back a true show room condition or mint original. In that mindset (which I follow myself), it is better to work in seeking that fine original than get in there and tinker, restore, or alter. I highly respect all those folks who bring a car back to life; I really think that is fantastic, and modifications can be interesting also. But if you get the clean original to start with, enjoy it as Buick created it! You'll find you will get a lot of attention at the car shows with the original. Good Luck!
