I'm considering buying a really nice 1960 Electra 4-door flat top. This car is a little outside my interest and comfort zone (take a look at my signature line and you'll see I prefer the late 60s A and B bodies), but I'm really taken by the lines on this car. Any thoughts on this car? Collectable? Options? This one's got PS and PB. Tips before buying? Can anyone post pix? How do they drive? It's all original, but I was thinking about putting a set of period correct wheels on it with wide white walls, but would probably not do any other modifications. Again, I welcome any thoughts or experiences with this vintage. Thanks, fellas!
Pete, I love the 60 Buicks. I'm not an expert on this body style by any means, but I've seen a few. Some points to check: - The front of the hood usually rusts out - The inner rockers are typically rotten....if they are, check the outers. That big ol's stainless trim hides a lot. - Rear window rust! (surprise?) Check out www.buick-59.com and www.the1960buick.com for more information.
Hey Adam, Thanks for your advice. Good to hear from you. Any of your buicks for sale????:Brow: I am interested in getting another one! What better 40th birthday present than another Buick?:TU:
Ain't that the truth! I'm not sure what's in your stable right now. Which one would you be interested in selling? Is that Twilight Blue one for sale? What about the 65 LeSabre?
Yuk, thanks, but I'm not up for doing a project. I'm looking for a good driver or better. Thanks, though.
Pete, I saw two 60 and one 59 Buicks in the past 2 years. A friend of mine wants one, thats why I keep my eyes open looking for one. But all we saw were in rough but running condition. Like adam said: the front end of the hood has rust in most cases. That was a problem I saw on all cars I looked at. The rear bumper is used to rust through from the inside, also seen on all three cars. Trunk floor is usually shot. But that are pretty cool cars with some nice things. One of the cars I saw had the automatic start. That means you just have to turn on the ign. and it starts automatically. The others were started by pushing the accelerator to the floor (so you have to turn the ign. off if you want to pump before starting). I also like the dash of the of the 60´s with the adjustable mirror in. On two of the three cars I saw and drove the transmission slipped in first and reverse. Maybe thats not a common problem. Those old Nailheads have a realy good sound. One of them had open lake pipes on. You can´t imagine how that sounds. We drove through the city with that car. Lake pipes, black paint, red interior, red painted steel wheels without hub caps, white walls on and the windows low... But the friend of mine didn´t buy it because it had to much rust (there were hole in the top surface of the fenders !! and the tranny needed a rebuild)
Heh Did you guys see the 59 electra pace car that just sold on ebay? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160313266447
Yuk, thanks for the pix. Sorry that I assumed it was for sale -- you can see that I've the buying bug pretty bad:Brow:
I'm biased towards the 59 Buick, as I have one, but to me, the 1960 always looked like the designers were challenged to make the car different from 1959 in at least 10 ways. Different, not necessarily better. Still a cool car, but I've always thought the 60 looked kind of confused by comparison. And consider this about rust issues... A typical 59 LeSabre (And I bet this holds true for the 60 models) will likely have a lot less rust than comparable Invictas and Electras, largely because the cheapest Buick had less chrome, and therefore fewer holes in the sheetmetal for rust to start. (In fact, the only rust on mine is near the rear wheels where there is an unnecessary bit of chrome adornment.) Also fewer chrome parts to find when you're hunting. So good luck!
