Now this is a Buick! Sure, we still have Buicks today, but most look like porcine wheeled objects on stilts. A proper sedan, hardtop, or convertible? Fuggetaboutit. This claimed 70 K-mile 1965 LeSabre convertible appears to be in excellent condition and presents itself in typical, refined, old-school Buick style. Kelso, Oregon, is where you’ll find it, and it’s available here on craigslist for $16,500. Thanks are due to Scott for this tip!
The year 1965 was a huge one for GM; all five divisions were on to new, clean, breezy, stylish Fisher Body designs, and Buick certainly made the most of it. Their lineup included the Electra 225, Wildcat, and the LeSabre in both standard and Custom trim. Besides a convertible, which generated a production total of only 6,500 units, LeSabres could be found in two-door hardtop form as well as four-door sedan and hardtop body styles. While not exactly rare, this convertible could be considered uncommon. The seller claims fifteen years of ownership as well as being a low-mileage garage find, so I’m assuming that it was garage found fifteen years ago. The copper-hued finish appears to be Sahara Mist Poly, but I can’t tell with certainty. Regardless, it shows excellently with no indication of fade or rust. The chiseled body lines are straight, and I see no indication of panel damage. Unfortunately, no image of the passenger side is included. The American Racing style wheels are nice, but to my eyes, they’re a misfit on a car of this stature.
I’m going to suggest that the interior of this LeSabre is a redo. It’s all vinyl, which is correct for a convertible, and the two-tone pattern looks proper based on photographic examples that I could find. Its condition, however, seems too perfect for sixty-year-old innards – especially if it has been exposed to much top-down time. The seller makes mention of a, “CD player in custom box so dash is still stock looking” affair which is positioned over the transmission hump.
Power is provided by a 300 CI, “Nailhead” V8 engine that generates either 210 or 250 gross HP, which is not stated, the primary difference being the employment of either a two or four-barrel carburetor. Gear changes, and only one occurs, are courtesy of a two-speed Super Turbine 300, automatic transmission. No mention is made regarding running and driving characteristics.
I long for what Buick used to be and continue to hope, though not hold my breath, that the Tri-Sheild division will get back to making cars that made the division and its reputation. In 2025, I’d really rather not have a Buick, but one like this ’65 LeSabre convertible? You bet! Let’s talk price. I’d say $16,500 is a reasonable ask; what do you say?
GM really hit it out of the park with all of their mid 60’s designs across all their divisions. ( Come to think of it…. So did Ford and Chrysler too) And this Drop Top Lesabre is no exception. Look at that profile on that side photo. One thing that I got to thinking about. We usually think of the full size Oldsmobiles and Buicks with their larger V8 being in these. But what’s interesting is that with the Buick Lesabre, you could get the smaller 300 V8, and the Olds 88 ( the lower level Delmont) the Olds 330. Yet with the full sized Pontiac models, which was supposed to be one rung lower than Buick and Olds, the smallest engine was a 389 ( regular gas 2 barrel). I just thought that was an interesting point.
As for me if I was buying a new full size car in ’65 its going to have a big block in it. And if I’m really feeling frisky….. A 4 speed without a doubt. This is a nice car I enjoyed your write up Jim!!
When better automobiles were built, Buick built them.
Outstanding Buick. Not sure it’s worth sixteen five though. It’s not a Wildcat no PW or AC. I’d move that box from the hump to the trunk too, how are you going to fit three across the front seat?
What great style the 65 GM full size cars had. My aunt (she was only 19) had a new 65 Impala SS when I was 11 and I loved that car. This one seems like a fun summer cruiser but I’d put the Buick chrome 5 spoke wheels with whitewalls on it. Decently priced.
The TRUE fantasy is that in ’64-’65, a dual-quad 425 V8 & 4-speed transmission were on the books for a meticulous buyer!
The 300 engine wasn’t a nailhead.
The nailheads (264, 322, 364, 401, 425) had rear mounted distributors. The pushrods came up on the outer sides of the heads and actuated the valves that sat on the inner sides.
Does rather look like nailhead valve covers tho, yes? no?
Definitely needs whitewalls and Buick rally wheels
I had the 65 my great aunt sold it to me in 1983 for a dollar, and when she went down in 1993 I came home to colorado and drove it back to alabama if you went 65 it got 22 a gal anything over flat 13 and when I picked the car up it only had 40,000 on the clock, it drove great I topped it out a few times at 130 going to the beach, some guy had to have so I put it on him and it wasnt cheap great car
Whoever bought the American Racing rims must’ve thought he (or she) had a Skylark or Special. I could even live with them on the sportwagon, but never on a full-size car. I’m with Bj on the right choice.
Interesting that it’s only a 300 V8. Wonder if the top is power. The center CD box has to go. Definitely not custom, maybe cobbled together, but not custom.
Looks clean, straight and solid like somebody really cared for this car. Then came the tires, wheels and open element air cleaner. The thing that impresses me about these Buicks is the huge round below eye line gauge pods in an otherwise conservative car. Seems rather daring considering the Chevy and Pontiac got strip speedometers.
I learned to drive in a ’65 LeSabre sedan. I always thought the dash was beautiful, although the gauges were quite low. There was a little knob you could dial to your desired speed on the speedometer, and it would buzz if you went over your setting.
I was disappointed to see this car was ordered with no power windows. Ours didn’t have them, either, but my dad was still worried about driving off a bridge into a river at that point in his life and didn’t want to worry about not being able to lower the windows to escape.
My best friend had a ’65 LeSabre in high school. The 2bbl 300 had low compression. His 4bbl 300 was 11:1 compression ratio! His transmission was the switch-pitch THM400, not the 2-speed ST. Maybe the 2bbl cars got the 2-speed(?)