Classic Hifi Care

A four door, six window hardtop. Another black '63 Buick. Low optioned, base interior, single exhaust, a survivor. It needs a LOT of work to be a nice car. Grandpa's '62 Electra had this same interior, only his was a model 4839, which was a four door, four window hardtop. It also had a black exterior.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcpgoVIY1Wc

A beach neighbor who was well-to-do bought his wife a black '63 Electra convertible which had, as I recall, red leather upholstery (vinyl?). Shortly afterward a kid ran into the left rear quarter. He begged not to have to pay for it, saying he would get it banged out and painted. I recall that the bodywork was acceptable but the paint was substandard--lower gloss than the rest.

Chris Campbell

Definitely my colors. Love the cord cloth interior. Seems like the back of the front seat has some cover over it.

Drop dead gorgeous. I don't like 6-window cadillacs of this era but do like the buicks. Buick had the covered trunk lock a year before cadillac. Didn't know that. Cornering lights look nice on this as does the rocker moulding. I especially like the bright/brush trim on the top of the quarters.

Looking at that trunk, am I the only one to see 64 imperial cues???

The front parking lights look like 61 cadillac. At least the parking/headlight combo doesn't look like Mickey Mouse...

I really like this car but I'm a bigger fan of the 64 because it's what Charlotte Hollis was carted away in...

Buick had a covered trunk lock in '62. This car has a twisted rear bumper that is rusted out on the corners. I like the color combination, but I am not a fan of low optioned Electras.

I swore I've seen nicer interiors in these as well. The seat design is rich but the doors are blah... apparently there was a deluxe interior with the cadillac style door armrests and door mounted ashtrays. See how the back of the front seat is finished.

I also see in the 63 brochure a brief listing for Twilight Sentinel. Apparently they got that before cadillac, too...

I just watched the rest of the video. GM's front floor-side vents really do provide massive cooling. I had forgotten what a difference they make until my Chevy was back on the road. Pull the vent controls and Whoosh!! Air!!

And that view of the Fisher Body plate, touting its "Magic Mirror' acrylic lacquer. My Chevy's acrylic lacquer was the best. There are still three body panels with original paint on mine and if I waxed 'em up they would shine like new. That was good stuff. That Buick shows it off.

Ad as to Greg's comment about the rear bumper, that was the auto makers' point of shame. The put these massive chunks of chrome-plated steel n them that were actually fragile and not suitable for their intended purpose. Bump them and they bent. (Or worse, try to use the bumper jack that came with the car, and watch the bumper flex into the bodywork).

And finally, that trunk label for tire pressure? 24 lbs. on bias-ply tires? OK for tootling around town at low speeds, but for extended drives?? They must have had a high failure rate in warm weather.

Chris Campbell

24 psi was it. Recommended 28 for "sustained speeds above 75 mph". I keep mine around 26. Low pressures mean pillowy ride.

Also noticed in the catalog a spotlight option is mentioned. I thought those went out in the mid 50s.

Walter, that tan interior you posted with the chrome door handles is the Custom Cloth interior. They made another version, available on the 4847 two door hardtop, the 4869 convertible and the 4839 four door four window hardtop. It could also be had with bucket seats and a short center console. It was a leather/vinyl interior with the ribs going vertically. Wildcat had a similar setup, with its ribs going horizontally. We always referred to the Custom interior in Buick as the "bucket seat interior" or "the Cadillac interior" depending on what material they used. Also known as "the door console" interior. The leather interior came with power windows and a four way power seat standard. If you got buckets, you got a six-way power driver's seat and a two way power passenger seat. The leather interior option was not available in the models 4819 or the 4829. I know a '64 4829 that has it. My Electra was built with a full length, floor shift center console with tachometer. That wasn't a standard option on Electra. It was also built with '64-style dash trim and knobs.

This is a model 4839, four door four window hardtop. I considered buying this car. Other than having the standard interior, can you see why I didn't buy it? I should have anyway. Those awful door edge guards absolutely kill the lines of that car.....

This car needed "the touch" and some options. And to answer my question, it has crank windows. I refuse to own any Buick that has crank windows. In hindsight, a trip to Desert Valley and the Cadillac row would have yielded all I needed.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GqF2esEnpU

Another beautiful example. Outside of being a little light on options, I think it's a nice car. The trunk looks a lot bigger than cadillac. And I see the latch is ln the rear valance than the lid since the keyhole is there. I'd be concerned about damage.

Never heard of a 6 way seat for buckets. 2 or 4, yes. The only cadillac with 4-way seats were bucket interiors from 1963 on. Standard bench seats were 2-way with 6 optional. I doubt many people would spring for 6-way if they got 4 Standard. Wish I had at least a 4-way in the 62.

I got it backwards. Six way for bench, four way and two way for buckets. I wanted a black four door hardtop, a two door hardtop and convertible '63 Electras. I've never found a black convertible. I was going to equip them exactly alike, the difference would have been body style.

I couldn't imagine adding power windows to one of these. The wiring would drive me nutz... there's a reason why power windows were factory only...

I've seriously considered adding 6-way seat to the 62 but there's a lot more to it than meets the eye. The mechanism goes for bank! And the plastic side rail covers are near impossible to find in good condition, let alone the right color...

Adding power accessories to an Electra is not a big deal. You can get the accessories and the factory wiring harness from a big Buick, Oldsmobile or Cadillac. The hardest part is the small posts between the doors on a four door hardtop. The window regulators can be changed. The harness is usually protected from the sun so they are still usable. I have done it many times.

I would take one of the guys who worked for me and we would take a trip to our favorite parts yard in California. He would "find and tag" the parts, then we would both dig them out of cars. I could get power wing vents along with wiring and the switches for $35. Power window regulators, same deal, for $50. Guidematic and Twilight Sentinel for $20 ("nobody wants that stuff"). If the wiring was out of the sun, it was fine. If it had ever seen the sun, it would fall apart in your hands. The yard was heavy in Cadillac and Packard. They guy who owned the yard was a Buick guy and he would remove and save options then I'd pick them up when I was there, whether I had immediate need or not. We would spend a night there, get in two days work, then drive back to Phoenix.