1961 Buick(s)

[cjp69]

Back in 2008 I got the itch to get a 61 Bubbletop. I didn't know much about them, but I thought they looked really cool, especially lowered with bigger rims. So I was watching the usual places like eBay and Craigslist, but they all seemed to be more than I wanted to spend, and I didn't want a project.

Fast forward to early June of 08, when my Bugle arrives in the mail. As I always do, I flip immediately to the for sale section. There I find a listing for a 61 Electra Coupe in WI. I figure it is probably already sold, since it seems WA state is always last to get their Bugle's. Well luck is on my side and it is still available and I am the first caller!

I talk to the seller (Joe) and the car sounds like just what I am looking for. It had been frame off restored by his uncle years ago, and has about 65k original miles. Car is still in very nice condition, except the paint has some lacquer cracking. I ask for him to email pictures to me and he says he can probably find someone to email some to me in a few days. What a long couple of days!

Before I get the pictures and talk to my good friend Brian Laurance and tell him about the car. He says the car sounds fantastic but says it isn't a "true" bubbletop. "Whatcha talkin' about Brian"?

He goes onto explain how the Electra rear seat windows are at a different angle than the LeSabre and Invicta (and Impala and Bel Air) and actually are the same as the Caddy and Olds.

So now I am disappointed and figure I am not going to buy it. He goes on to tell me how rare they are and how he has only seen a couple at the National Meets he has attended. Well if you have ever spent time talking with Brian, you know how infectious his excitement is. After about 5 minutes I am talked back into buying it.

The pictures come and the car looks great, so I post an ad on v8buick.com asking for help getting the car inspected in WI. After a couple of days a guy who is a body and paint man contacts me and says that he about 45 minutes away and will look at it for me.

He goes and checks it out and calls me on the phone to go over it. He says it is in great shape, and that the paint has "orginal patina". Perfect I say, than I won't be afraid to drive it and leave it in a parking lot.

I buy the car mid June and the wait begins for transporter to pick it up. This guy lives in "out of the way" WI, so it takes over a month to pick it up. In the meantime, Brian goes through his collection of old Bugle's and other magazines and finds several articles in which my car has appeared, and shows them to me.

The car finally arrives, and it is just as expected! We promptly name her "Carmen" as she is amply endowed with bumperettes, just like another Carmen Electra I have heard of.

Anyway, my plan was to lower the car with air ride suspension and 20's. Once she got here, and I drove her, I realized she was too nice and stock for me to do that too her. She I haven't changed a thing and we have enjoyed cruising her!

Edited February 20, 2018 by cjp69
spelling (see edit history)

[cjp69]

Fast Forward again, this time to late summer 2010. I hear that a guy in TX has a custom 61 LeSabre he is considering selling. I make contact with him and it turns out it is one of the cars I liked on eBay back in 2008, but couldn't afford. He has driven it about 500 miles since he bought it. He and I communicate back forth for several weeks, and I am finally able to arrange for an inspection. I end up buying the car and it arrives in October, just in time for the rainy season.

It is a nice driver quality/local car show car (that is what I like so I can drive them!) with air ride, 20's, corvette disc brakes. Stock with 364 with working aftermarket ac.

I drive it once or twice and notice that the tranny slips, so it goes to the back of the shop.

2011 and I start looking for a dynaflow rebuilder. Wow, local guys want $2k to open it up and change the seals, etc., and $3k plus if there are broken parts. Seems like a lot to me for that will MAYBE see 1,000 miles a year, given the low number of nice weekend days we have the fact that I have several cars.

Here is that car....

[cjp69]

February 2011, I find a 61 Invicta 4 door for sale in FL for short money. I call a friend of mine who lives nearby and he checks it out for me. The owner says it is a 45k mile car that he brought from PA and that it was really nice then. Unfortunately it has been sitting outside for 2 years and isn't running and has rusted considerably due to the humidity and moisture. What the heck I figure, it is only $500 so I buy it.

My friend Mike spends a couple of afternoon's at the storage lot where it is and gets it running. Fixes a couple of flat tires and puts a battery in it. It runs and the tranny works! He gets it towed home (has a 1 gallon gas under the hood for fuel) and parks it in his driveway.

It takes about a month to get it picked up and shipped back to WA, which cost me twice as much as I paid for the car!

Mike tells me that he had more people stop and talk to him about the car than he has had before when he had stage 1 cars in the driveway!

The car finally arrives about a month ago and my friend Rick and I unload it from the trailer and put it in a car tent at the shop I rent. It has some nice parts on it, so I figure I will pull the engine and tranny for the LeSabre and part the rest of it out soon.

[cjp69]

Right after the Invicta arrives there is an ad for a rebuilt dynaflow for $1,200 in OR. I figure that is a good deal and I am going to abandon my engine swap plan and go the easy route of buying a tranny that is already out of the car. I talk to the guy and he says it will be pulled and ready to go in a week. He is about 350 miles away and transport is going to be about $275 (ouch!).

A week and a half later I find out my friend is going to be a half hour away with his truck so I call the owner to see if the tranny is out and if so I will buy it. It wasn't ready.

A couple of weeks later I am still talking to the owner and he says he can bring it up that weekend. Okay, sounds great. Then he says no, it will two weeks later (actually this weekend). Okay, I will think about it.

Around the same time, in the Seattle Craigslist there is an ad for sale for a 61 LeSabre 4 door for sale, broken rear window. I email the people and tell them I have the windows they need! Turns out both passenger side window and the rear window were vandalized. I say no problem, my Invicta 4 door has them!

I got to talking to them, and it turns out they bought the car 8 years ago from the original owner and rebuilt the motor about 1k miles ago. No biggie, I don''t need another 364! Then they mention the transmission was also rebuilt with about 500 miles!

SO, I offer them the same amount as I was going to buy the rebuilt tranny for. They want more, and say they have someone else interested. I say no problem, I understand. Couple days later they call back, turns out the other guy wanted a two door.

SO, my friend Rick and I drove an hour plus to their house with the trailer two weeks ago and I now own that one too!

NOW the plan is to pull the tranny from that car for the 61 LeSabre Coupe, and put the tranny and windows from the Invicta in the LeSabre and sell it as a running driving car, and part out the Invicta.

What the hell was I thinking????

[Thriller]

Stinkin' vandals!

It's neat that you have that many '61 Buicks and no two the same model. I'll have to take a peek at my Invicta and see what I need...I know my rear bumper is rusty...the one on your Invicta is twisted, but that's still probably better than mine. Of course, shipping would be a bear.

Anyway, great stories. There just aren't that many '61s around in the first place, so you don't see them that often. I really do like the styling.

[Centurion]

Chris, thanks so much for sharing your 1961 Buick story here!

During recent months, you've had so much great '61 Buick action, it was almost difficult to keep it all straight.

In my mind, I'll be referring to this thread as:

"The cjp69 1961 Buick Quick Reference Guide"

So far, I've had the good fortune to see (and drive) only the '61 Electra, but it is a fantastic and beautiful car. I was extremely impressed with the quality of this car's ride and handling -- a great example of collector Buick driveability.

[buick5563]

The Electra looks like a great time capsule. I'm glad you were able to find the LoSabre to have the look you were initially after (I like that one too). Best of both worlds!

[cjp69]

The Electra looks like a great time capsule. I'm glad you were able to find the LoSabre to have the look you were initially after (I like that one too). Best of both worlds!

Thanks Mike I was lucky it turned out that way, as I really didn't want to customize the Electra. It has less than 70k miles on it. I bought the LoSabre from a guy in TX too!

[cjp69]

Stinkin' vandals!

It's neat that you have that many '61 Buicks and no two the same model. I'll have to take a peek at my Invicta and see what I need...I know my rear bumper is rusty...the one on your Invicta is twisted, but that's still probably better than mine. Of course, shipping would be a bear.

Anyway, great stories. There just aren't that many '61s around in the first place, so you don't see them that often. I really do like the styling.

Let me know what you need Derek!

[JohnD1956]

What a story! You must have a lot of storage space. And I hate to make your situation more difficult but may I inquire what diagnosis was done on the 2 dr's tranny to be sure it was not repairable while in the car?

[cjp69]

What a story! You must have a lot of storage space. And I hate to make your situation more difficult but may I inquire what diagnosis was done on the 2 dr's tranny to be sure it was not repairable while in the car?

I had a tranny guy look at it about 6 months ago, and he seemed to think it needed rebuilding. But I don't know much about the dynaflow's. Some other shops wanted $2k just to look at it and replace the seals, etc.

What kind of things can I have someone check for to know if its truly an easy repair John?

It slips pretty bad, feels like I have about a 3k stall converter in it....

[cjp69]

What a story! You must have a lot of storage space.

John,

Do you see the three car storage tents in the background of the pictures? The two 4 doors each have one.

[WWS]

You'll just need to talk your wife into a bigger garage for the toys. Next time Ricky is in the area, I will have a lift available if you would like one up there

[JohnD1956]

I am not a transmission specialist, and not a Dynaflow expert by any chance but , if the tranny is leaking ( or should I say when the tranny leaks) low fluid levels will give the impression of slipage. But bring it to the top and it usually goes okay. Of course that's the easiest thing but it can't be overlooked.

There was a thread here a while ago ( maybe a year or two) discussing how the dynaflow works and at that time I read my 56 manual several times to try and visualize what's happening in there. I cannot recall the details except that reverse and low have a band for the gear. Drive is way different. Drive uses oil pressure directed through the torque converter to propel the car forward. I believe the dynaflow is a prerunner of the Constant Velocity transmission.

There are several external ports on the transmission where oil pressure can be read. And based on these pressures the manual had a good section on diagnosing the tranny's health, plus ways to repair some of the problems while the transmission is in the car.

I would recommend contacting the Buick Club in the area and asking for recommendations on who is a Dynaflow experienced tranny man. They are out there.

[jackofalltrades70]

I had a tranny guy look at it about 6 months ago, and he seemed to think it needed rebuilding. But I don't know much about the dynaflow's. Some other shops wanted $2k just to look at it and replace the seals, etc.

What kind of things can I have someone check for to know if its truly an easy repair John?

It slips pretty bad, feels like I have about a 3k stall converter in it....

I think I'll have to also add that most tranny shops would rather "pull it and install a new one for you" than diagnose and try to repair anything. They aren't even going to do the work themselves if they manage to pull it out. It will be sent to someone else.

I've had 10 or more people bring their cars to me in the last 2 years to check out their tranny after reputable "Tranny" shops have automatically said "Replace" the transmission is your only option. 4 of the 10 were low on fluid. 3 needed flushed and filters. The other three needed replaced because of being run too long without fluid.

Matt

[jackofalltrades70]

Back to the original thread..............Nice bunch of 61 material! What a car lot you have there. Very nice cars. Heck even the 4 door would make a nice driver.

[Guest gunjeep444]

Fun stories to read, thanks!

[cjp69]

Back to the original thread..............Nice bunch of 61 material! What a car lot you have there. Very nice cars. Heck even the 4 door would make a nice driver.

That is what I am thinking too. Once I replace the windows I will be selling it complete. The previous owner spent over $4k on an engine rebuild less than 1,000 miles ago.

[Guest Rob McDonald]

CHRIS, '61 Buicks were never my favourite but I've found from this forum that their charms are all in the roof styles - and what an amazing variety were offered! For sure, your LeSabre 2-door hardtop is the pick of the litter. I totally agree with you, that it begs to be lowered with giant chromies. The runner-up is the surprising base Electra 4-door, not the 6-window 225. TG57Roadmaster introduced us to that beauty a while back - his pictures attached.