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Original Paint: 1959 Buick Lesabre

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After a 53 year hibernation this 1959 Buick Lesabre is up for sale. Wearing original paint, and looking very nice from the outside, this Buick does need some help. The interior has not weathered well over the years, and there is some rust in the floors. But the rest of this Lesabre is solid and would make for a great preservation effort. Bidding has reached $4,938.00 for this Buick. Find it here on ebay out of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

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The engine and bay look complete and reasonably clean after a long hibernation. There is no word on the condition of the 364 cubic inch Nail Head V8, but the odometer shows 35,000 miles. This low mileage seems feasible since this Buick was only on the road for around 4 years. The 364 V8 is coupled to an automatic transmission. Perhaps with some luck and patience,  this 364 Nail Head could be revived.

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Here is the not so great part about this Buick. The interior is rough in this Lesabre. After you fixed the floors the biggest project would be making the interior look like something other than a mess. The carpet and residual padding appears to have been removed. The seats and door panels are still there, but they are trash at this point. The seat frames could be put back into service. The dash is rough suffering from what looks to be dry rot, and sun exposure. Same situation with the steering wheel. The dash would definitely need some attention as it just kills the looks of this Buick. Though the interior is rough it could be conquered to once again make the interior of this Buick as nice as the exterior. After looking over the interior of this Buick, you wouldn’t think it’s the same car by looking at the exterior photos. Most of the original paint is present and exterior rust is to a minimum. The rockers and quarters are excellent on this car. The only rust concern is a rusty floor section the looks to be the rear seat floors. The trunk is rusty but still solid, though it’s starting to get crispy.

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We think a preservation would be the way go on this Buick as it looks very nice from the exterior.  The paint, the chrome, and the glass, all have a hand in this Buick’s great exterior appearance. The interior is the real heartbreaker but will be cheaper to take care of in the long run, compared to paint and body work. What would you do with this ’59 Buick Lesabre? Preserve or restore?

Comments

  1. Avatar photo Richard Butler

    I had a ’59 Buick Invicta with a 401 V8, dynaflo trans and man was that a beauty. Same color as this LeSabre. It was a barn find in 1973, while in the Air Force in North Dakota. Sure wish I would have kept it.

    Like 1
  2. Avatar photo Glen

    This thing looks mean and nasty, and somehow I’m mesmerized. I would love to own this.

    Like 0
    • Avatar photo Randall

      Yeah. .especially that front end…looks evil and insane. Maybe Christine’s big sister?

      Like 0
  3. Avatar photo fretless58

    One of my all-time faves. Next to the Impala, this is my runner-up for the winged wonders of ’59.

    Like 0
  4. Avatar photo grant

    Love the lines and this is definitely a neat car. As for “nice”, well the outside is ok, but the floors and the inside are gone. That’s 1 out of 3. This car needs everything, and after you put a new interior in it, the exterior is going to look tired in comparison.

    Like 0
  5. Avatar photo mark

    The pic from the front looks like what a flying tasmanian devil would look like. lol

    Like 0
  6. Avatar photo Poppy

    Love these cars, but I wonder why you’d park a 4 year old car with only 35K miles on it. Even replacing a blown engine in ’63 should have been worth the cost and effort.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar photo Luke Fitzgerald

    Crap – this thing has been driven all right – who’d leave it? 135k

    Like 0
  8. Avatar photo DENIS

    The ’59s were a killer custom…being a 2 dr post, I’d have to slam it and make a mild custom out of it….way kool and not valuable enough to do a high buck restoration anyway…LUVET

    Like 1
  9. Avatar photo JBL

    Don’t shoot the messenger, but the curved A-pillars on GM models from this era scare me.
    Watch how it folds up in a crash with a 2009 Impala:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPF4fBGNK0U

    Like 0
  10. Avatar photo Jim

    It would be a great labor of love to restore. I’d pick other colors but Buick had some nice exterior/interiors then, modern brakes and tires, a/c and drive, drive, drive. There’s plenty of upgraded parts available thanks to older Chevy suppliers, LeBonney(+) interiors can match the originals. It could be a cool cruiser and unique at shows.

    Like 0
  11. Avatar photo SanDiegoSteve

    Am I the only one that noticed this is the same car Brad Hamilton (Judge Reinhold) drove in Fast Times at Ridgemont High? WOW I feel old now! Cheers! :)

    Like 0
    • Avatar photo John

      Nope, that one is a 1960 ford or hardtop. The one above is a 59 Tudor.

      Like 1
  12. Avatar photo Bryan

    I’m a big fan of Buick’s Delta Wing styling of 1959….better looking than any 59 GM product IMHO.

    Looks like Judge Reinhold’s blue flat top Buick (above) is actually a 1960.

    Like 1
  13. Avatar photo Bruce Best

    Thanks for posting that. My grandfather had one exactly like that. Same color same interior. He had a farm out in the middle of nowhere in Nebraska and we would ride into town on Saturday to shop for what every we needed and on Sunday to the German Church between the towns of Lyons and Oakland.

    Next to it was the Studebaker that he purchased about 49 or 1950 and he and my grandmother drove up the Alcan highway all the way to the end. They still had both of them in his garage when he finally died at the age of 95. That car brings up so many memories. I hope it is capable of doing that for some other children in the future and I hope the same for this one.

    Like 1
  14. Avatar photo Rustytech Member

    This was the nicest looking of the 50’s Buicks, these are becoming rare. This car is begging for a complete restore. I would change colors to a silver or lighter blue metallic with dark blue interior, maybe two tone inside. Looks like a fairly easy project if all the parts can be sourced.

    Like 0
  15. Avatar photo Hughes Tommye

    I purchased this Buick off EBAY and had it brought to Florida. Body is pretty good, floorboards shot, Interior is trash. Trunk lid lock was punched out and the weather channel for the seal is pretty full of cancer. Almost all the stainless will have to be reworked (lots of dents), dash will have to be refurbished as it is pretty bad. I pulled the plugs out of the engine They were loose so I figured someone was checking the engine out. I removed the plugs and laced the cylinders with Marvel Mystery Oil and some WD-40. The engine oil looked fresh and was up to the full level . So I’ll let it sit for a few days. While I’m waiting on the ignition key to be mailed to me. I’m hoping To get the engine turning over soon as I get the key. I hoping it will turn over otherwise a rebuilt 364 will cost me $2500. The seller knew almost nothing about the car or it’s history (said he turned it over by hand about a year ago). As far as the miliage 35,000 miles I think not maybe 135,000. I will have to do a lot of restoration. Ebay listing stated it as a project needing total restoration. Looks like I will be busy for the remainder of the year. But I will get it done.

    Like 1
    • Avatar photo SumtingWong

      Don’t really need a key .

      Like 0
  16. Avatar photo David V.

    My Uncle Billy had the same Buick, color and all.
    Went on a road trip to Penn. from Long Island, me, about 9 years old in the back seat, got car sick and… well you can imagine.
    We pulled over and I was ejected to my father’s ’58 Ford wagon for the rest of the trip.
    That Buick was real nice until I got into it.

    Like 0

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