My 1960 Buick LeSabre 2 Door Hardtop

[Robert G. Smits]

On 8/31/2021 at 2:23 PM, Zimm63 said:

Curious as to why people don't like Coke

Rather than re-inventing the wheel look up the HAMB thread "Coker tires--trash or treasure"  If my memory is correct is is about 50/50

[SeventhSon]

On 8/30/2021 at 1:17 PM, TexRiv_63 said:

After considering this for a while, I started thinking about blackwalls mostly because I have been a big booster of using them on pre-war cars since the vast majority of those cars did not have whitewalls when they were new. My dad bought a new 1960 Ford and it had blackwall tires but he always went for low-content cars. When 1960 Buicks were new I wonder what percentage of them came with wide whites? So I tried some very amateur photo retouching and was actually surprised to see the blackwalls don't look too bad! What do you think?

The whitewalls lend a certain elegance and with the blackwalls it looks like a getaway car parked outside a bank getting robbed. Either way it's a beautiful classic!

[JamesR]

While I don't like cars looking too glitzy with aftermarket flourishes and I've come to appreciate the black wall look (after seeing lots of old movies) I still prefer era appropriate whitewalls on fancier cars. They have to be the correct width, though. I really dislike it when I see full coverage 1930's style white walls on a '72 Riviera or '68 Thunderbird, even though those cars look good with more modest white walls. IMHO. 

Edited September 3, 2021 by JamesR (see edit history)

[TexRiv_63]

Thanks for all the tire comments. I will admit that my tongue was firmly in my cheek when I posted the blackwall pictures and all comments here and in the Buick forums overwhelmingly support wide whites, which is what I will be doing at some point. I am now hearing many comments about tire shortages and very long wait times for delivery, which seems to be affecting most everything now. I will start contacting suppliers and let you know what I find out.

[TexRiv_63]

A couple of weeks ago I delved a bit more into the paint on my car. The dealer I bought it from said they had given it a "cut and buff" and it was definitely bright and shiny when I received it. You could tell by touch that it had no wax protection and I wanted to add that. On close inspection the white front clip is a repaint but an older one in original style lacquer. Not totally sure about the white portions of the doors but all of the red plus the white on the quarters and rear body is much more recent and most likely single stage urethane. The lacquer parts have that totally flat shine from effective blocking and buffing. The red areas are very shiny but up close you can see sanding scratches from a less thorough prep job. I got out my trusty DeWalt right angle buffer and foam pad plus some new wax - Auto Magic "Strawberry Wet Wax". (Supposedly a strawberry fragrance which I did not notice and question the need for it) Using the 600 rpm setting I did all the top surfaces and the white sides. A job like this makes me realize how out of shape I am at almost 73 years old - got into a rythym of doing a couple panels, sitting in a lawn chair by the A/C to catch my breath, a couple more panels, etc. I also did not remember that DeWalt being quite as heavy the last time I used it maybe 3 years ago!

 

All in all the results look very good, great shine and so slick I have to be careful where I set the Windex bottle so it doesn't slip off. The wax was probably a little too wet for my liking but not a big problem. I will come back later and hand wax the bottom red areas and back end but for now I can be less concerned If I park under a tree or put on a car cover.

[tomcarnut]

I will throw in my two cents. Very nice looking Buick. I have 25000 mile 57 Tbird my Dad ordered new and brought me home in 1958. It is almost all original including a couple tires that were recapped in 1970’s. While I put radials on my 66 Impala and 67 Camero( hankooks) I wanted to keep the bias ply on the TBird which I did a couple years ago ( original Goodyear from Universal) Surprisingly they do fine on the highway and not bad on a curvy road tour a few months ago. The whitewalls have stayed white. While I know radials would handle better on a car like yours. Bias ply would be lot Less I think and give a period correct ride. Haha. You might just have to take the curves slower. Bias ply also have a stronger sidewall that may allow you to run longer than radials. Just a thought. Have fun when it cools down in Texas.

[TexRiv_63]

Almost two months since I posted here, I needed to find a storage garage to free up space in my garage for work on my other hobby car, It took awhile since storage is at a premium right now but I finally found a 10' by 25' space for a reasonable price. The Buick now sits there under cover but I take it out and drive it every week weather permitting. Here is a short walkaround video taken by my son, ignore that old homeless guy in the background.

 

 

 

[Walt G]

MAGNIFICENt!!!!!!!!!!!

[TexRiv_63]

This car is hibernating in a storage garage while I work on my 66 Monaco wagon but I try to drive it every week weather permitting. I took it out yesterday which was a perfect fall day and took some appropriate photos.

[John S.]

The 1959, '60, and '61 Buicks had interesting ways to break up a two tone paint scheme.  Pretty car.

[TexRiv_63]

Hard to believe but this car was in storage since December of last year (but driven weekly). I recently finished a too long project on my other hobby car and sprung this one for good behavior. I took some friends to breakfast this morning and one made this short driving video.

 

 

https://youtu.be/tuan6CpKvMU

 

 

 

 

[Jeff Perkins / Mn]

It is great to see this thread comeback to the top. As mentioned earlier a 1960 Buick was my first car and one who loves cars will never forget their first one. Don, did you get new tires yet? I have some opinions based on my experience I could share with you. 

[TexRiv_63]

3 hours ago, Jeff Perkins / Mn said:

It is great to see this thread comeback to the top. As mentioned earlier a 1960 Buick was my first car and one who loves cars will never forget their first one. Don, did you get new tires yet? I have some opinions based on my experience I could share with you. 

Thanks Jeff. No new tires yet but it needs to happen, any info is appreciated.

[Jeff Perkins / Mn]

6 hours ago, TexRiv_63 said:

Thanks Jeff. No new tires yet but it needs to happen, any info is appreciated.

Don, PM sent.  JP

[TexRiv_63]

After the horribly hot summer we have had here in DFW I have a new topic for this car - AIR CONDITIONING ADDITION!! My LeSabre does not have factory air which was still a pretty rare option in 1960. Even if I could find any of the factory air parts I really do not want to tear up the car to the extent necessary to install them. What I am thinking about is a center mounted under-dash unit similar in appearance to add-on units of the period but with all new technology and under-hood hardware. I would love to hear from anyone who has done this actual conversion on a 1960 Buick, but also anyone who has done it on a similar period full size car.  Some of my questions:

• System supplier recommendations and reviews
• Availability of car-specific underhood items like brackets, pulleys, etc.
• Suggestions to bring my non-a/c cooling system up to the task.
• How effective is the cooling from this type of unit in a car with acres of glass like mine?

TIA for any and all comments.

[Rivguy]

Your car looks great in that two tone! I think I'd look into those Vintage Air units that are so popular with street rodders. There's plenty of room under the dash for a retro style unit. I was at a local machine shop that works on antique cars and the owner pointed out a Model A that he had just installed a/c in. He said that his customer's Wife refused to go on a long tour without it. At least the guy can blame it on his Wife!

[TexRiv_63]

I must apologize for letting almost a year go by with no additions to this thread. I got very wrapped up in finishing the brake and suspension work on my 66 Dodge then made a quick decision to put it up for sale, requiring more detailing and prep. Once it was on its way to Harwood Motors I finally closed out my storage garage (costing $300 a month!!) and brought this neglected Buick home to my garage. Then the first of this year I dived in to the time and cost pressures of a double bathroom update in our home and multiple other house related "To-Do" list items. Bottom line is that I have done nothing car related except keep it clean, drive it once a week weather permitting, and feel bad about neglecting it still. The home list is finally complete and I am now back on track I hope.

 

My first item will be replacing the tires which are now 14 years old! After more research I have settled on Diamondback tires and am leaning towards the Auburn Classic since it is made in the traditional sizes rather than metric. I would be interested in hearing from anyone who has used these and has any comments pro or con, hoping to buy tires in August.

[pfloro]

Just beautiful...!

 

The Twin Turbine Dynaflow:  "The car which shifts a thousand ways...!"

 

Paul

[JamesR]

Beautiful Buick! I think you're going to miss that wagon, though. Congratulations on the sale or best wishes on the consignment sale, whichever may apply.

[Jeff Perkins / Mn]

Don,

I recall relaying my experience to you with Diamondback a year or two ago. For the benefit of others reading this I rate them and their tires 5 stars! 
Congrats on choosing the Auburn line, I am very satisfied with the sets I bought for both my ‘40’s cars.

I sure love that Buick of yours!

[TexRiv_63]

15 hours ago, JamesR said:

Beautiful Buick! I think you're going to miss that wagon, though. Congratulations on the sale or best wishes on the consignment sale, whichever may apply.

The wagon did sell. I do miss it but it was a car with too many down the road issues and I needed to simplify to just one car.

[TexRiv_63]

18 hours ago, Jeff Perkins / Mn said:

Don,

I recall relaying my experience to you with Diamondback a year or two ago. For the benefit of others reading this I rate them and their tires 5 stars! 
Congrats on choosing the Auburn line, I am very satisfied with the sets I bought for both my ‘40’s cars.

I sure love that Buick of yours!

Thanks Jeff, I re-read our messages and I appreciate your feedback and photos.

[TexRiv_63]

I called Diamondback Classic Tire last week and talked for quite a while. One of the biggest issues I had with the Coker empire tires was the very many complaints I read here and on other sites about whitewalls repeatedly turning brown. Since the wide whites are the only reason I need aftermarket tires I did not want to have this problem. The Diamondback guy said when they build their tires the white sidewalls they graft in place have a special butyl liner that seals it against infiltration of the black rubber oils that can cause brownout. They start with blackwall tires for all their offerings and all of the whitewalls are added based on customer order for size and style. All of their tires are built to order rather than to stock which avoids issues with getting an old - new tire. The cheaper tires are built on standard radials like the Nexen but their Auburn line are all new tires from proprietary molds. I was happy with the information and I am leaning toward getting the Auburn Premium style which is based on metric radial sizes but still has a mostly bias ply look. I will get the 225-75R15 size, which matches what I now have, with a 2 3/4" wide whitewall and I'm adding what they call the "Beauty Bar" which is a raised 5/8" edge on the outer side of the whitewall. These tires are expensive like all classic tires are these days but I just put a new set of high performance run flat radials on my 2018 Durango and they cost almost double what these will run. I need to talk to my local tire shop that I use for all the old car projects and will have Diamondback ship directly to them then all I have deal with is getting the wheels over there for mounting and balancing.

[TexRiv_63]

I also wanted to follow up on progress (Total Lack Of) on my desire to add air conditioning to this car. I posted extensively in the Buick forums and got a lot of response but when I asked the question who else has done this on a 59 or 60 there was just crickets. I have done more research and the main problem is that the underhood conditions on these cars are such that there is no direct aftermarket support that allows compressor mounting. The factory air systems utilized the giant A5 Frigidare compressor mounted directly on top of the generator, a three-groove crank pulley, a smaller water pump pulley, a larger clutch fan and an upgraded radiator. Most cars with air were Invictas and Electras with the 401 motor, very few LeSabres with the 364 had air. Apparently these factory parts are unobtainium now and there is not enough demand to justify aftermarket involvement, so that is why no one has done it. I have not given up on this but for now my use of this car is heavily limited until Texas Summer Hell moderates a bit. Meanwhile if anyone is selling 60 Buick factory air parts shoot me a message!

 

Edited August 4, 2023 by TexRiv_63 (see edit history)

[TexRiv_63]

I pulled the pin yesterday on my new tires. Ordered Diamondback Auburn Premiums in 225/75/R15 size with a 2 1/2" whitewall. 3 to 4 week lead time.

[TexRiv_63]

After ordering on August 18, my Diamondback Classic tires arrived this past Tuesday. About a week longer than their estimate but not bad. I had then shipped directly to my local mom and pop tire store, brought the wheels in on Wednesday and had them mounted and balanced. They were packaged very well and heavily coated with the blue stuff. They mounted without issue and balanced out well with not much weight needed. I have a small list of stuff to do while the car is up in the air then I will wash them and get them on. They look great, the Auburn Premium uses a simple tread design and while they are radials they look more bias-like than what was on the car before. Interesting note - I ordered the same 225-75-R15 size that my old tires were but these new ones are much narrower in both section and tread width with the same diameter. The old ones bulged out greatly from the wheels where these appear the correct size, I like these much better. 

[TexRiv_63]

My decrepit old body reminds me loudly and painfully if I overdo car work involving getting down to and up from the floor. Since my current project involved that almost exclusively I broke it up into small pieces, but I will lump it all together here. The new tires are on! The blue protective coating was surprisingly easy to remove and those glaring new whitewalls are perfect. I added the 5/8" "Beauty Bar" to the outside edge and was not 100% sure about it but seeing it now I love it. I am using the LeSabre wheel covers for now, I have a pretty good set of super deluxe covers but I need to detail them. 

 

While the car was up in the air I also changed the oil and filter. I was embarrassed to find I had not done so since buying the car 2 1/2 years ago, but happy to see the drain oil was surprisingly clean. I adjusted the service brakes hoping to cure a little pulling in the front, and checked the emergency brake, which turned out be in perfect adjustment.

 

I finally took it out for a ride this afternoon and am very pleased. I think it rides better, I have the pressure set at 31 psi which should be a good compromise. I had it up to about 65 mph and there was no vibration. I plan to get a TollTag for the car and actually do some longer highway driving!

[Jeff Perkins / Mn]

@TexRiv_63 

So happy to hear the tires worked out well. I am very happy with them on my Chrysler.

Yer killin’ me with all those pictures of the beautiful Buick!

 

Edited October 13, 2023 by Jeff Perkins / Mn (see edit history)

[Fr. Buick]

Don't give up hope on the AC.  I added a factory system to my '54.  It was a fascinating project.

 

The trick is to start making notes on what's unique to an AC car, and keep an eye out for a parts car so equipped and bring it home if you can.  There is bound to be one out there in hot Texas or perhaps Arizona...

[Mylark]

This is wild, I missed out on buying the mirror image of your car earlier this year. She was a bone stock beauty and I kick myself to this day.

[TexRiv_63]

This car came with "Cure Ride" shock absorbers front and back, a name from the past and I have no idea how old they are. Compared with all the problems I had on my 66 Monaco this car rode great with no floating, bottoming out or cornering issues, but it always took sharp bumps pretty hard. I put some of that down to the 12 year old tires but it seemed to get worse. After recently buying new tires there was no improvement and the sharp bump reaction is downright harsh. I am thinking I need new shocks. I do not want a heavy duty "performance" or "handling" ride but rather a very smooth factory style feel befitting the slow cruiser this car is. I would welcome any recommendations and would especially value anyone's first hand experience with shocks on their 1960 Buick, TIA

[TexRiv_63]

No response? I could use a little help here.

Shopped around for shocks and it appears the '60 Buick is not popular with most vendors. No listings at KYB, Rock Auto, Amazon, etc. Only rears shown on Ebay, Monroe, and Rare Parts, but out of stock. The only place that has full listings is CARS / Old Buick Parts. Has anyone here bought shocks for a B60 from them?

[Laughing Coyote]

Maybe??

 

https://www.carparts.com/details/Buick/LeSabre/Monroe/Shock_Absorber_and_Strut_Assembly/1960/SET-TS33049.html?TID=gglpla&origin=pla&utm_source=google&utm_medium=pla&utm_campaign=20317566424&gad_source=4&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIq6zY7Ly1gwMVcACtBh3Aug-aEAQYBCABEgKGxPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

https://www.partsgeek.com/4z6jyff-buick-electra-shock-absorber.html

[TexRiv_63]

21 hours ago, Laughing Coyote said:

Maybe??

 

https://www.carparts.com/details/Buick/LeSabre/Monroe/Shock_Absorber_and_Strut_Assembly/1960/SET-TS33049.html?TID=gglpla&origin=pla&utm_source=google&utm_medium=pla&utm_campaign=20317566424&gad_source=4&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIq6zY7Ly1gwMVcACtBh3Aug-aEAQYBCABEgKGxPD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

https://www.partsgeek.com/4z6jyff-buick-electra-shock-absorber.html

Thanks. I saw the Monroe listing but not the AC Delco. Only rear shocks, no fronts listed. Ben Bruce, why are you laughing?

[TexRiv_63]

With a weather prediction of a Texas "Blue Norther" headed our way I took the car out for a ride yesterday. Sunny and in the mid 60s and so clear I stopped and took some new photos at my photo spot overlooking an elementary school yard and local park. As promised I got up this morning and it was only 12 degrees!

[Jeff Perkins / Mn]

As I have stated several times before…..”be still my heart!”