LeSabre by night

NIGHT MOVES

It's frustrating for me to encounter a sweet ride at night. Sometimes I'll circle back around in the daytime and find the same rig but more often than not the nighttime pics are all I'll get. I have several amazing cars that have never been posted because they're too dark. Somehow the after hours vibe seems to suit this car just fine:

This is a 1963 Buick LeSabre in Regal Black. This car is so well dressed that you ought to be ashamed of yourself.

'63 was the only year for this strange widely spaced headlights configuration. The grill is a cast piece that probably weighs a good amount on its own. Behind that grill lies the a V8 engine in either 300, 364, or 401 cubic inches. I know the 401 Nailhead was good for around 300 horsepower and a mountain of torque. I had a '65 Electra with the 401 and that beast could dance around like a small sports car despite its gargantuan proportions.

This is the sedan version that could also be ordered as a hardtop.
When featuring a car I'll look it up in various places for the odd fact I might not know or even just to confirm a year, etc. Imagine my surprise when this exact car is the example posted in the Wikipedia page for Buick LeSabre!

This full size cruiser was close to the flagship Electra 225. A quick way to identify the difference is that this has 3 portholes on the front fender while the Electra has four. By '63 the famous Buick portholes had become stylized rectangles.

Let's try with the flash.

And let's try without.
As was the norm for full size GM cars in the early '60s the rear looks a lot like the front. That formal roofline is tall enough for the bank manager to keep his hat on while driving.

These tall Gothic taillight housings are great. If the grim reaper drove a car this might be it.

The proportions are pretty good for such an enormous car.

Well that's where I'll leave this black beauty. Having the pleasure of owning that '65 Electra I wholeheartedly vouch for any '60s full size Buick. The build quality was spectacular and they are extremely responsive. Now for no reason other than I wish I had it today here's a beauty shot of my old ride:

Sweet Bittersweet Buick to start your work week

SWEET BITTERSWEET BUICK

Pardon the leaves on the trees in these pics! It was a warm and lovely day months ago when I walked by this beauty in the East Village:

This is a 1971 Buick LeSabre convertible in the awesome original color Bittersweet Mist Poly. This is just a really nice unique classic that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

This is the last moment for pre-emissions and safety regulations domestic cars. In 1971 GM had a corporate mandate to slightly lower compression in order to run on unleaded gas. The engine choices for this beast would be the 350 V8 or the mighty 455. The design of the front and rear bumpers was still entirely up to the automaker as opposed to having to meet federal standards.

This was the largest generation of LeSabre. For a 2 door car this really is gigantic.

With the top down on a ride this big you can easily cruise with 5 adults in total comfort.

The integrated rear bumper frames the taillights nicely. 2 years later there would be massive bumpers hanging off of the front and rear with the taillights and grill positioned above completely separate.

These vents in the trunklid are a part of the new-for-'71 ventilation system. The air comes into the cab through the cowl and exits through the trunk lid.

As with just about every GM product from '71 the gas cap is hidden behind the fold-down license plate.

Those are the original Rallye wheels from '71.

There's a radio visible and of course it is a convertible but other than that there doesn't seem to be any other options. Roll down windows and a bench seat keep it humble.

This CUSTOM badge tells us that this ride is equipped with the 350 V8. An emblem that says 455 would replace it if it had the huge motor.

Sometimes a car can be great without tons of flash or luxury. This ride is super comfortable, powerful enough to do whatever you ask of it, and is a ragtop from the era when they were still pretty common. A '71 LeSabre will never tear it up at the big classic car auctions and as a result they are pretty affordable. Combine that with the fact that parts are universally available and you've got a great ride for the summer months. To see one in an odd color is a treat.