Centurion

Waiting anxiously in the Seattle hinterlands (April 12).

Coach, there is a Reatta Forum on this website. I encourage you to post your questions there, and I would expect that you will receive great counsel from those folks.

For rlforfun@aol.com,<P>An unregistered user recently posted an item called "Big Car Three-on-the-Tree". The user's name is "WF59B", but he did not indicate an e-mail address.<P>He was considering purchasing a '59 LeSabre with a three-speed manual transmission that he did not need. He was hoping there would be a market for the transmission. I suspect that the '59 and '60 LeSabres used manual transmissions that were very similar if not identical.<P>You might try posting a topic "For WF59B", because he seems to post fairly regularly on this forum.<P>To gain some clarification about something you said in your above post . . . Are you saying that the 1960 LeSabre for sale on Ebay was not originally built with all of the options, but these were added subsequently by the car's restorer? This would have been my guess, but I'm curious about the car's history.

WF59B,<P>Yes, feel free to contact Al with these questions. My understanding is that they are as close to an exact reproduction as possible. I do not know whether Al still has any license lamp lenses, but, as indicated above, he is willing to have more reproduced if there is sufficient interest.

Re-posting to make sure everyone who needs these gets to see this topic.

Re-posting to make sure that everyone who's interested sees this topic.

A '71 or '72 Estate Wagon would be great, but I agree with Tomsriv. Given the two cars in this instance ('72 Electra vs. '76 Estate), I'd choose the '72 Electra 225 hands down. These were excellent, beautifully-styled cars inside and out. My opinion is that the clean, attractive design introduced with the '71 models was compromised to accommodate the crash bumpers as the years progressed. I would stick with the '71 or '72.

Sintid,thanks for setting me straight about the car's mileage. I caught the part about the odometer "reading" 26,000 miles, but I see that I misinterpreted the statement that "engine was totally rebuilt with only 8,000 miles on it". I thought that this meant that the engine had only 8,000 miles when it was rebuilt, but I'm sure you're correct -- that the engine has gone 8,000 miles since the rebuild.<P>Interestingly, one of the statements about the car is that it has 12,000 miles after the rebuild, so I'm still a bit confused.<P>I see that the car has not yet reached its reserve with only 14 hours left in the auction. Depending upon the seller's motivation, this car may very well be offered again in the future with a lower reserve.

By the way, these lenses will carry original-type "GUIDE" markings.

By the way, these lenses will carry original-type "GUIDE" markings.

Greg, thank you for your effort on this. My 1971 Centurion was originally equipped with these tires, so I will definitely check them out.<P>--Brian Laurance, BCA #5168<BR>1971 Centurion Formal Coupe (delivered new to Mom and Dad, 12/15/70)

When sending a deposit, please also send Al your e-mail address. This will make it easier for him to communicate with you about shipping, etc.

When you send in a deposit, please also send Al your e-mail address -- if you have one. That way, it will be easier for him to communicate with you about shipping, etc.

I recently posted a topic here to assess the interest in reproducing the 1959 Buick front parking lamp lenses. Restorable 1959 Buicks almost invariably seem to have cracked or broken lenses, and the supply of NOS lenses has virtually dried up.<P>Al Bahlke, BCA #1676, has molds for these lenses, and has located a supplier who is willing to produce a batch of exact reproduction lenses. Many '59 owners have probably dealt with Al in the past, when he reproduced the rear license lamp lenses for the '59. Al's interest in pursuing this project is to help other '59 Buick fans with their restorations.<P>The lenses are the same for both sides of the car. The price will be $70 per lense, which is slightly higher than our original estimate. I know that NOS lenses -- when they can be found at all -- typically trade for higher prices in the $125 range per lense, making this seem like a good deal to me.<P>If you wish to order lenses for your restoration or to purchase some as spares, please specify the number of lenses you would like, and mail a $35 deposit for each lense to:<P>Al Bahlke<BR>153 Robles Sereno Ct.<BR>Sonoma, CA 95476<P>When a reasonable number of deposits have been received, a batch of lenses will be produced.<P>If this project proves sucessful and there is future interest in the '59 license lamp lenses and taillamp lenses, Al indicated that he would be willing to have some of these produced also.<P>I have dealt with Al previously on the license lamp lenses, and I can vouch for his honesty and character. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at:<BR>laurance@integrity.com<P>----------------------<BR>Brian Laurance, BCA #5168<BR>'59 Electra 4-door hardtop

I recently posted a topic here to assess the level of interest in reproducing the 1959 Buick front parking lamp lenses. Restorable 1959 Buicks almost invariably seem to have cracked or broken lenses, and the supply of NOS lenses has virtually dried up.<P>Al Bahlke, BCA #1676, has molds for these lenses, and has located a supplier who is willing to produce a batch of exact reproduction lenses. Many of you '59 owners have probably dealt with Al in the past when he reproduced the rear license plate lamp lenses for the '59. Al's interest in pursuing this project is to help other '59 Buick fans with their restorations.<P>The lenses are the same for both sides of the car. The price will be $70 per lense, which is slightly higher than our original estimate. I know that the NOS lenses -- when they can be found at all -- typically trade for higher prices in the $125 range per lense, making this seem like a good deal to me.<P>If you wish to order lenses for your restoration or to purchase some as spares, please specify the number of lenses you would like, and mail a $35 deposit for each lense to:<P>Al Bahlke<BR>153 Robles Sereno Ct.<BR>Sonoma, CA 95476<P>When a reasonable number of deposits have been received, a batch of lenses will be produced.<P>If this project proves successful and there is future interest in the '59 license lamp lenses and taillight lenses, Al indicated he would be willing to have some of these produced also.<P>I have dealt with Al previously on the license lamp lenses, and I can vouch for his honesty and character. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at: laurance@integrity.com<P>---------------<BR>Brian Laurance, BCA #5168<BR>'59 Electra 4-door hardtop

I found this car from the item number posted above. Can anyone explain why does this item not show up when I do a search on "1960 Buick"?<P>The car is indeed beautiful and seems very heavily optioned with the exception of the manual transmission. I am not sure why it would have been necessary to do a body-off restoration and engine rebuild of an 8,000-mile car, but the fact that the car has been restored and has a few non-correct touches makes one wonder whether the car was originally equipped as it is now. Would be interesting to see any original documentation that accompanies the car.<P>As I said, the car looks magnificent, and, like those who have posted above, I sure wouldn't mind having it in my garage.

This is a great gallery. Are you looking for additional photo contributions? What is the range of years that you want to cover? Will you be including pictures of all series, or just the standard full-size Buicks? <P>Let us know and post your e-mail here so that others can contribute.<P>Thanks. By the way, I own that '59 Electra and I am intending to drive it to Flint in 2003. It's unrestored and far from perfect, but the car is a lot of fun.

I will defer to the '55 guys about the lack of power up to 30-mph, but the Dynaflow did not shift gears. That was part of the Dynaflow's appeal; it was much smoother than other automatic transmissions, where the upshifts were very noticeable.

I recommend that you post your topic on the Reatta Discussion Forum, which is also on this web site. You'll probably gain a more knowledgeable response on that forum.

So far, I've got interest in approximately 25 lenses. I will be contacting the individual with the molds this weekend to see what he's learned about the minimum production needed. I'll keep you all posted.

The 1956 Special 2-door hardtop (model 46R 2-door Riviera) was the most popular of all 1956 Buicks, with a production run of 113,861.<P>The 1962 LeSabre 4-door hardtop (model 4439) had a production run of 37,518, which was second in production only to the LeSabre 4-door sedan, with 56,783 assemblies.<P>Scott Mich is correct about the vehicle's serial number indicating the assembly plant. While the serial numbering scheme was different in 1956 from my 1959 Buick, I believe that the 1959 serial number scheme was used through 1964. For "Onebadassbuick", the following information about my '59 serial number may help you out on the assembly plant for your LeSabre, assuming that the same plants were used in 1962. The first character in the serial number refers to series (4 = LeSabre, 6 = Invicta, 7 = Electra and so on); the second character is an "alpha" character that represents the model year; and the third character is a number that indicates the assembly plant, as follows:<P>1 = Flint<BR>2 = Southgate (CA)<BR>3 = Linden<BR>5 = Wilmington<BR>6 = Atlanta<BR>7 = Framingham<BR>8 = Arlington<P>As far as other historical information about your cars, my understanding is that vehicle-specific data is available only for Flint-built Buicks dating back to 1970. Unless you can find a build sheet for your car, it may be difficult to obtain actual documentation about the original options, delivery dates, selling dealer, etc.<P>While the body plate on the car's firewall or cowl area will provide information about original colors and interior trim, it's hard to gain specific information about options.<P>Your best bet is to contact the prior owner of your vehicle to learn whatever he can tell you, then keep following up on whatever leads you get. Check through the glove box or under the seats for any service receipts that can provide clues to where the car may have been serviced and during what time frame. I have been amazed to hear stories of individuals who tracked down the original owners of their Buicks some thirty years or more after that original owner sold or traded the car. I agree that it's great to find out the history of your Buick.

I often see the chassis and body shop manuals for many years of Buicks for sale on Ebay.<P>I have also found that many local libraries still carry old Buick shop manuals in their archives. If you can't find one to buy, these are at least available as a resource, and you can photocopy some of the sections you're interested in.

By the way, I assumed that your car is an Electra 225 because of the other topic you posted on the forum today.<P>Is your car equipped with a vinyl roof? That's another consideration when choosing a color, unless you are also prepared to change the color of your vinyl roof.

I can't speak to the body work issue, except that there are certainly alternatives to bondo -- and I would avoid bondo if at all possible.<P>With respect to color, your preference is the most important consideration. There are many of us who believe that it is most desirable to restore a car to its original factory specifications, which would include the original color scheme. This would mean that the car is consistent with the paint and interior codes indicated on the body plate.<P>In the BCA formal judging, it is not necessary for the paint color to match the vehicle's original paint code. The paint color must, however, be a correct color that was available for that year and model Buick. Many Buick owners have changed their cars to correct colors that they feel are more attractive than the one originally used on their car. Be aware, though, that changing colors will result in a more expensive restoration because door jambs, the inside of the deck lid, etc. will need to be repainted to match.<P>Another consideration is the color of your interior. Unless you have access to an excellent parts car, it can be difficult to change interior colors. Therefore, it is best to choose an exterior color that Buick recommended as compatible with the color of your interior.<P>As to Arctic White . . . the Electra 225 was a stately, elegant-looking car, and I personally think that white is a fine color choice for these cars. Since many people have chosen other colors -- especially red -- a white car can really stand out at a car show or on the street.

A couple years back, film legend Katherine Hepburn was in a minor car accident. (She was not driving; she has a driver.) From the newspaper photos, it was obvious that Hepburn's car is (or, at least, was) a '92 - '96 style Roadmaster sedan.<P>Of course, if you go back in history, you will find that many celebrities owned Buicks, including the king of England and film star Cary Grant.