My new car...

[61Bubbletop]

It is not really a project, so I posted here, thought you guys might like to see it....

It is a 1961 Buick LeSabre "bubbletop"

46,000 original miles, ORIGINAL (factory applied) Laguna Blue Irridescent paint, near perfect original interior, perfect trim, and near perfect chrome, original 364" "nailhead" motor never been apart or out of the car...it still is sporting its 4 original T-3 headlights (they all work)...it is an Arizona sweetheart....you can even see the factory stampings on the firewall. It also sports a primitive 1961 "Heads-Up" display, the cluster is down in the dash, backwards, and reflects on the mirror in front of the driver, and the angle of the mirror can be adjusted with the dial on the right...really cool stuff, very "jet age" styling for the time, as a matter of fact, that is the V-plate I got for it "JET AGE".....

The cool stuff, has front "shockwave" airride and rear firestone airsprings, all viair pumps etc...C5 Z06 front disc brakes...18" and 20" Billet Specialties wheels, and YES, the chrome alternator is going...

I picked it up Tues in Cleveland and brought it home...I am in love. The pictures do NOT do the car justice, it really is that nice, and that virgin, everything works, including the "sonomatic" AM radio and the speedminder. Even the trunk light works....awesome. Something I always wanted, Jetsons styling with a bad ass attitude...and my wife and three kids can fit comfortably...not quite a "Pro-Touring" car, lets call it a "Slo-Touring" car....

http://www.streetmachinery.zoomshare.com/album/61%20Buick%20Bubbletop/images/d5234f207d5c8f130719526f2e160a9a_11435059010/image.jpg

http://www.streetmachinery.zoomshare.com/album/61%20Buick%20Bubbletop/images/dd969bd94c695ba4e815eb8275f070e2_11435058620/image.jpg
http://www.streetmachinery.zoomshare.com/album/61%20Buick%20Bubbletop/images/03aeed946c605e928a02890651fbcf94_11435054810/image.jpg
http://www.streetmachinery.zoomshare.com/album/61%20Buick%20Bubbletop/images/3797de53c50f7ad167029cc003d07ba5_11435056330/image.jpg
http://www.streetmachinery.zoomshare.com/album/61%20Buick%20Bubbletop/images/011f3dc2567afaa8a7abf1df458f569b_11435047050/image.jpg

[61Bubbletop]

More Pics....

http://www.streetmachinery.zoomshare.com/album/61%20Buick%20Bubbletop/images/edf41ce1e0acaafae6dcd50e507ea2ad_11436623150/image.jpg

http://www.streetmachinery.zoomshare.com/album/61%20Buick%20Bubbletop/images/a6a812f428af505019e7efa6d40deddb_11436623490/image.jpg

http://www.streetmachinery.zoomshare.com/album/61%20Buick%20Bubbletop/images/0a86e4045005d2ab1113b71bc5e09c6d_11436623730/image.jpg

http://www.streetmachinery.zoomshare.com/album/61%20Buick%20Bubbletop/images/a78106c7c1af3420e892d218d7c791da_11436623980/image.jpg

http://www.streetmachinery.zoomshare.com/album/61%20Buick%20Bubbletop/images/ca8cbeebca0da3810dc6149e2700586e_11435045810/image.jpg

[61Bubbletop]

Last ones...

http://www.streetmachinery.zoomshare.com/album/61%20Buick%20Bubbletop/images/d5d095e7a633219e33c69d061c446e90_11436625520/image.jpg

http://www.streetmachinery.zoomshare.com/album/61%20Buick%20Bubbletop/images/44a7484104ad7d31e13ec8a190a274d1_11435058100/image.jpg

http://www.streetmachinery.zoomshare.com/album/61%20Buick%20Bubbletop/images/74a64699da0e63450a6895025ccea464_11435057760/image.jpg

http://www.streetmachinery.zoomshare.com/album/61%20Buick%20Bubbletop/images/0d02b8d32c7bf788004acda53519c1ff_11435056700/image.jpg

[Steve68]

Too Cool!!

are you going to leave it stock???

If you weren't it would be super dependable with a LS1 and auto :unibrow: , and a Vintage Air, set up, or you could leave it stock :thumbsup:

[RussMS]

Man that is just Cool :thumbsup:

Grats on the new ride!

[XcYZ]

Meet George Jetson...

Bitchin car my friend. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

:captain:

[camcojb]

Meet George Jetson...

Bitchin car my friend. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

:captain:

We'll get some personal cruising time with it in August!

Jody

[XcYZ]

We'll get some personal cruising time with it in August!

Jody

Can't wait! :thumbsup:

[jannes_z-28]

Damn what a find, congratulations big time :thumbsup: :hail: :thumbsup:

I just love that GM-bodystyle from those years.

That would be a cool ride, keep the engine in the car until it is in need for repairs. i guess that would take another 45 years. LOL.

Enjoy the ride.


Jan

[Ummgawa]

Meet George Jetson...

Bitchin car my friend. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

:captain:

I want to be Elroy (That'd be HIS boy Elroy). Pivot man is back! Awesome ride.

[Ricochet]

Way cool Jeff! I love it! It's so nice seeing something different than the typical, as most of us build (including me). I can already see the Trush family cruising down the road in the family truckster. :thumbsup: I know it was hard to part with the Camaro, but it's cool that this is something the whole family cruise in style comfortably. That is what it's all about, my friend. Can't wait to see it in person. Oh yeah..Gotta love the washer bottle! I thrive on those little details.

[Musclerodz]

That thing is cool!!!! Perfect styling.

Mike

[c.schulz]

Holy Crap!!!!! My Buddy Mike wanted to buy that.Way to go Jeff.

Chris

[Autokraft]

Damn Jeff, Nice find there! :thumbsup:

Kurt




www.autokraft.org

[Stuart Adams]

Foookin A, awesome car dude. Is your phone broke? LOL.

[Rybar]

Nice car! Love the stance :thumbsup:

[jimhamptons]

Wow!! Nice Car.

[mdprovee]

Now that is a fun family car. Congrats!

[Hdesign]

Congrats...what a find! Beautiful car, good luck with it. :thumbsup:

[Payton King]

I really like that car and have wanted one of those for years. I hate that I did not see it. If you ever want to sell it please give me "first right of refusal"

[McssGmachine]

Sweet car! Are you taking it to Goodguys this year?

Brian,

[rwhite692]

Neato! ...Can you just imagine the discussions around the table at GM design when they were doing that car!!...Good luck with it, what a nice survivor.:thumbsup:

[61Bubbletop]

Thanks guys....I will be leaving it alone, they are only original once, and yes, there are some updates, but nothing to the car itself.

I am not sure about Goodguys, I haven't really thought about it...hmmmmm. :unibrow:

[Fluid Power]

SCORE!!! That thing is nice!

Darren

[Steve1968LS2]

Very nice!!!

You KNOW where to send the picture of that car to.. right??? lol

Again, sweet car.. amazing that it still has the original paint. :faint:

[Budnik Wheels]

Sweet car. Welcome to the "big" car club...

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e99/Hensons/JonsBirthday025.jpg

[61Bubbletop]

Holy Bejeezes! That thing is awesome! :hail: I NEED to see more pics of that car.

On a sidenote, it is nice to have Budnik aboard...Welcome :thumbsup:

Boy, those wheels would look sweet on mine... :unibrow:

[Steve Chryssos]

Man oh Man! That thing epitomizes cooooool! You have great taste.
Good luck with it.

[promax/vennom#16]

I'd love to have something like that just to cruise in with the family. Very nice find!!
Dave :thumbsup:

[srh3trinity]

I saw that this post had three pages of responses and I thought to myself, how could I have possibly missed this the first time around, then I saw it was put up today. Very nice ride, Buicks and Pontiacs of this vintage had some really neat innovations (like the HUD that your has). It is really a nice color too. I would like to see some more pics of the Budnik car too.

[BC69]

Thats a nice looking ride! Good buy!

[Sales@Dutchboys]

Sweet ride! :thumbsup:

[race-rodz]

thats a perfect example of the "pro-cruiser" movement

[Sales@Dutchboys]

Same thing i thought!

[Jims78elky]

Wow..I don't now what more you could want from it,looks awesome! :bow:

[rockdogz]

That's really sweet... I can't believe how good it looks for being original! :faint:

[67Sally]

That is cool. My next ride is gonna have to be able to haul the whole family too.

W.

[Speedster]

Love that ride. Definately Pro Cruiser. I am very partial to 60's Buicks. Nice. :thumbsup:

[Smack_talker]

cool ride...I never even knew that Buick had a bubbletop 61. :thumbsup:

[61Bubbletop]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the nice comments.... :thumbsup:

[syborg tt]

I've seen all the cars that guy sells on ebay and this one was one of my favorites.

Nice choice really nice choice. Maybe i'll see it at Woodward this year ???

[61Bubbletop]

Hi Marty, Yes, you will definitely see it at Woodward, Scott and Jody will be in it as well :thumbsup: .

I picked the car up at his shop...he had some REALLY cool stuff going on in there....lots of 62 Impalas, 3 wagons...one very cool 59 Impala...I like his build style....Where are you in MI.?

[syborg tt]

Hi Marty, Yes, you will definitely see it at Woodward, Scott and Jody will be in it as well :thumbsup: .

I picked the car up at his shop...he had some REALLY cool stuff going on in there....lots of 62 Impalas, 3 wagons...one very cool 59 Impala...I like his build style....Where are you in MI.?


very cool i hope we can hook up.

PS i picked up a 62 bel air dash from a friend of his for my project. However we never used it so if anyone want's it they can have it for free - just pay shipping.

[TravisB]

very cool i hope we can hook up.

PS i picked up a 62 bel air dash from a friend of his for my project. However we never used it so if anyone want's it they can have it for free - just pay shipping.


calling you right now

[syborg tt]

calling you right now

Some guy by the name of Kenny Davis beat you to it. Sorry :P

[Ummgawa]

Hi Marty, Yes, you will definitely see it at Woodward, Scott and Jody will be in it as well :thumbsup: .

I picked the car up at his shop...he had some REALLY cool stuff going on in there....lots of 62 Impalas, 3 wagons...one very cool 59 Impala...I like his build style....Where are you in MI.?


How about room for one more Fatass...(well, maybe the only one with you skinny dudes) :unibrow:

[Bill Howell]

GM bubbles, it just does not get any better that that. No matter what make, I just love them. I would love to find a 62 myself, that would be the next project if I find one. Gotta love them big roomy cars, especially big boys like me. Cool ride, very cool. :thumbsup:

[Diognes56]

Very sweet find. It looks awsome :D .

David

[TA219]

That looks awesome! I would love to see what the HUD looks like when its on.

I love the old technology that some of these cars had, i couldnt beleive that some old caddys (60s era?) used to have a auto-dimming sensor mounted on the dash.
I love seeing the innovations that they had back then

[trapin]

I don't care for it. What the hell were you thinking Trush? :D



Seriously though...a terrific choice Jeff. You gotta love the lines on that car. You almost have to imagine what it took to bring a car like that to fruition back then. Unlike today, they used aluminum plates with the surface information cut in to do the surface on those cars. The draftsman would actually hand scribe the flow lines on giant plates of aluminum. My Dad used to do a lot of that work. When I think of how we did surface work back then as opposed to today where it's all 3D math and CNC movement...it just amazes me. What you see there is a lot of man hours on the drawing board to bring those curves to life. It was almost a labor of love rather than ones job. A great era in automotive history.

I'll stop by at Woodward to check her out and say hello to the two out-of-town guests.

Great car Jeff. Just a great car. :thumbsup:

[Streetking]

Sweet ride!!

SW