Original vs Custom pros and Cons

[Guest vins63lesabre]

I got a 63 all original Buick Lesabre. The condition could be worse but could be a lot better as well. The body needs some good loving and I am hearing the original lacquer paint job would cost about 7k. The car is only worth about 3kish due to it being the 4dr. What would you do with this ride if it was yours?

[Steve Braverman]

About 10-15 years ago, I had this identicle car. It may even be the same car (you're not that far away from me). It was a beautiful car to drive. I miss it. I would clean it up as well as you can for what you feel is reasonable and just drive and enjoy it. The LeSabre is a beautiful example of what somebody who had financial means but didn't want to flaunt it would drive. Most people want Chevys or Caddys, but Buick made probably the best car for the money.

Keep it authentic. And please post more pictures.

[Guest vins63lesabre]

About 10-15 years ago, I had this identicle car. It may even be the same car (you're not that far away from me). It was a beautiful car to drive. I miss it. I would clean it up as well as you can for what you feel is reasonable and just drive and enjoy it. The LeSabre is a beautiful example of what somebody who had financial means but didn't want to flaunt it would drive. Most people want Chevys or Caddys, but Buick made probably the best car for the money.

Keep it authentic. And please post more pictures.

Steve, I do agree that it drives amazing. I have some more pictures I have to dig up from my hard drive somewhere or when the rain lets up I will post a few more. So your saying you would just get it running perfect mechanically?

[CarlLaFong]

If you're looking for a nice driver and not a show car, you can get it painted for far less than 7 grand

[1937hd45]

Do you like the car? Is there a reason to keep it and spend money on it? If there is no burning reason to keep it don't invest money thast you will never get back. Bob

Edited February 24, 2013 by 1937hd45 (see edit history)

[Steve Braverman]

This is a car that runs down the road at 70 like it's standing still. Get a "driver quality" paint job and have fun.

[auburnseeker]

What's wrong with the paint and body? I have found alot of TLC and a little know how can make a bad paint job look like a million bucks. I prefer to work with what's there rather than repaint as you mentioned paint jobs are expensive and rarely will you get the cost of a paint job back.

[NTX5467]

Regarding the paint, materials will be a main part of the expense these days. Going back with a single-stage acrylic lacquer paint is NOT what most body shops are set up to use these days, all things considered. IF the lacquer is shot correctly, it can look great, but not as good (to me) as a single stage acrylic enamel paint job would look, but that would not be correct as a two-stage basecoat/clearcoat would not look correct, either. Find a good MAACO body shop and price out an OEM-spec (key item!) paint job in the same color as it now is. Color changes only run up the price, if they are done correctly. I've seen some pretty good paint jobs come out of places like MAACO, too, for a good bit less than $7K, for paint only.

Worry about chassis and mechanical items FIRST, as you clean and polish the existing paint to make it look as good as it can, for now.

Value-wise, the car might not be "worth much", BUT it's not going to depreciate all that much either, at this point in time. This is why making it as good as it can be at "a value price repair situation" is important. If you play your cards "right", you might keep it a few years and sell it for more than your total investment.

I would be remiss to not suggest that you also join the Buick Club of America. www.buickclub.org They have some forums hosted on here, by the AACA, too. A great information network, too! Plus a great bunch of Buick enthusiasts too!

As mentioned, Buicks were the car line for people who wanted something better but did not want people to think they were too uppity and such. Although there were some Buicks which cost more than Cadillacs, a banker or doctor could drive a Buick and nobody would bat an eye at that, but if he drove a Cadillac (even if it might cost a little bit less) . . . then they KNEW they were paying too much for his services. The LeSabre was the "move-up" Buick model for people who could spend a little more money (than a Chevy or Pontiac) and have a much nicer and more prestigious vehicle at the same time. At this time, having a LeSabre can be better than having a Wildcat or Electra, with the LeSabre's (usually) smaller engine and fewer electrical gadgets which might cause some problems in their later years. BUT it still has all of the attributes which made BUICK a BUICK, just at a more "high-value" price point.

It's a neat car and one that will make people go "WOW!" when the start to look it over. Style, size, interior room, power, and comfort in the way that only Buick could do it! AND, if you drive it "right", fuel economy not much different than a modern SUV (on the highway). A GREAT combination! Without all of the electronics and "gazillion-speed transmission" which are key to the newer vehicles performing as well as this older Buick can!

Enjoy!

NTX5467

Edited February 24, 2013 by NTX5467 (see edit history)

[mrspeedyt]

just clean it up some and enjoy it! restoring such a car is a misuse of money...unless you really love this car!

[Guest Skyking]

By the looks of the photo, the paint looks pretty decent. Like others mentioned, polish it up and have fun.........

[R Walling]

I would keep it original looking. It will be an eye turner.

One word of caution if you desire to re-paint it. The original paint would have to be stripped down to bare metal with all the chrome removed if you were to chose a two stage catalyzed paint or you will have cracks develop due to the substrata flowing in the sun under the new paint.

Doing a fairly quick acrylic lacquer paint job would be less costly and probably look better.

Acrylic lacquer may be available in your state as a “specialty paint for this project.

[Rusty_OToole]

Do a web search and see if you can find some info on polishing and restoring old paint. I have seen amazing things done with cars older than yours, with worse paint. Cars covered in surface rust have had the rust cleaned off with CLR or other cleaners, revealing the old paint, which they then polished up and waxed. The surface was obviously old but looked good.

In your case it is hard to tell but the paint looks fairly decent. I have restored old paint just with ordinary car wax. Once I bought a red Renault Le Car off the back of a car lot, with a blown motor. The paint was so oxidized it looked like primer. For the hell of it I took an old bottle of Turtle Wax and tried to polish it. The paint started to come back. I ended up waxing the car 9 times and every time it came up a little better. I used up all the part bottles of Turtle Wax, Blue Poly and whatever I found in the garage. By the time I ran out of wax it looked like a brand new show car. If I tossed a clean rag on the roof it slid across the roof, down the windshield, across the hood and onto the ground. It was the slickest car you ever saw.

One mistake I made was to show the car to the dealer after I fixed the motor and detailed the car. He gave a real ugly look, turned around and went back inside without saying a word. I could never buy another car from him again. I guess he thought he sold me the car too cheap, he did not take into consideration the many hours and few $$$$ bucks I spent on the car.

I suggest you NOT use a buffer. They burn through the paint too fast especially old, thin paint. It takes a lot of practice not to chew up an old paint job.

Get some MILD polishing compound or rubbing compound. The kind they sell at auto parts stores, not the junk chain stores sell, you might as well rub your car with gravel. Get the FINE grade, and use it gently to polish the old dead paint off the surface. Then use your favorite brand of cleaner wax to get the fine finish and protective wax coating. Wax the car at least 4 times, or as long as it keeps coming up better, try going over it once more.

Once you have restored the finish wash it with mild car wash soap by hand only, and wax it again every 6 months or a year. If you keep it indoors under a car cover the finish will last a long time without rewaxing. You may have to only do it again in the fall when you put it away then a quick once over in the spring.

It will be hard going when you start but every time you go over the car it gets easier. Once it is polished up you can rewax very easily.

You MUST do it all by hand and go easy on the edges of panels and on any ridges where the paint is thin. If you do not want to do all this hand work see if you can find a detail shop that specializes in old cars, and knows how to polish up an old finish. This will cost $$$$ bucks because it takes a lot of hours of careful, skillful hand work. But of course, only a fraction of the cost of a new paint job.

The best idea might be to do it yourself but plan on spreading the work out over a period of time. Like wash it and polish it one day, wax it the next day, then wax it every few days until you are done. If you polish the car with compound you need to get the wax on it quickly before it oxidizes again. So it might be better to do one panel at a time until you have the whole car polished and waxed.

Edited February 25, 2013 by Rusty_OToole (see edit history)

[The Continental]

As said it looks alright as is and if it were mine, I'd detail it and drive it. What were you thinking as far as customizing?

[stock_steve]

A wealth of great advice here. And some interesting background too about where the LeSabre fit into the overall scheme of things in the new car marketplace back then (I admit to having a bit of extra interest, since I am in the process of acquiring a much-later-era LeSabre right now, and never knew much about them in the first place).

It sounds like a very cool old car that you can have a lot of fun with, and take your time improving the cosmetics here and there.

There is a lot to be said for originality, especially these days, so, like others have said, my opinion is also not to go jumping into an expensive repaint that some buyers might potentially consider a drawback--no matter how nicely its done. "Patina" is not a bad word!

Good luck and have fun! Post some more pictures too if you can!