Vehicle Description
West Coast Classics are proud to present a good daily driving
example of this 1963 Buick Le Sabre 401 V8 Convertible with it's
original 401/445 Wildcat engine in great daily driving condition
with original documentation from 1963; including original owners
manuals and Owner's Protection Plan from 'City Buick' of Long
Island City, New York from where it was purchased new and owned for
many years until sold to it's new owner who took the car on a
wonderfully well documented amp; amusing drive across country from
New York to California.This is a very rare first year 1963 Buick Le
Sabre Convertible with it's original 401 c.i. 4 barrel V8 engine!
The 401 cid V8 with a single 4 barrel carburetor had 445 lbs of
torque, hence the legendary '445 Wildcat' engine was born! It came
only with a Turbine automatic transmission. This car was one rare
blend of size and performance before the muscle car era! The
original factory options included the highly desirable High
Performance 401 c.i. 4 barrel V8 engine, Turbine transmission,
Power steering, Power Brakes, Sonomatic radio with manual antenna,
oversize whitewall tires, electric clock.The 1962 Buick with the
Wildcat 401/445 engine was arguably Buick's first performance car,
although it was born in the Wildcat as more a luxury sports coupe
than all out performance. Nevertheless, it began Buick's quest for
power and even lended its name to several Buick engines of the mid
sixties. The first Wildcat (officially named the Wildcat Sport
Coupe) was part of the Invicta line, but included front bucket
seats, a console, tachometer, and a rear floor lamp. It's body
style was classy and attractive. Buick engineers adjusted the
suspension to improve the handling of the Wildcat. Highlights
included a frame which carried boxed cross-members with heavy side
rails, coil springs on all four corners, and oversized 10 inch drum
brakes. Standard power was the Buick LT401 cid V8, rated at a
strong 325 bhp. Although this engine was also available in the
regular Invicta line, the Wildcat came with a standard 3.42:1 rear
end. A 4.45:1 rear end was optional for those wanting even more
drag strip performance. Marketed as a "family-sized sports car",
approximately 2,000 were sold. The Buick Wildcat was a full-size
automobile produced by the Buick Division of General Motors from
1962 to 1970. It took its name from a fiberglass-bodied 1953
concept car. For its first year, the Wildcat was a 'sub-model'
within the Buick Invicta series, mating the Invicta's longer
full-size two-door hardtop Buick body (known as the "sport coupe,"
body production code 4647) with a high-performance 325 hp (242 kW)
version of the 401 cu in Nailhead V8, known as the Wildcat 445 for
producing 445 ft lb of torque. The Wildcat did share the LeSabre's
and Invicta's trio of portholes on the front fenders, a design cue
lasting only through the 1963 model year. The 401 cu in (6.6 L) 401
was Buick's muscle car powerplant of choice, and was found in the
company's Skylark Gran Sport and Buick Wildcat, among others. As
unlikely as it seems, the air cleaner for the engine is annotated
with "Wildcat 375" "Wildcat 410" "Wildcat 445" these inscriptions
indicated not the cubic inches displaced but the ftlbf of torque
produced by the engine. The "Wildcat 410" was the 2-barrel
carbureted engine that was standard on the 1962-63 LeSabre. The
"Wildcat 375" was a no cost option on the 62-63 LeSabre that had
lower compression to run on regular fuel. Another Buick V8 had
"Wildcat 375" written on its air cleaner but it wasn't a
"Nailhead", it was the 4-barrel version of the 66-67 small block
Buick 340. The "Wildcat 445" had a single 4 barrel carb. It was the
standard engine on the Invicta, 1959-66 Electra, 1962-66 Buick
Wildcat, 1963 Riviera and 1965 Riviera (the 64 and 66 Riviera
models had a 425 in engine with a single 4 barrel carb. named
"Wildcat 465" as standard equipment). This particular 1963 Buick Le
Sabre Convertible boasts the dessirable Wildcat 401/445 engine and
is in very fine daily driver condition throughout. The car has an
older repaint in it's original 'Desert Sand' color paint. The
original bucket seats 'Sandlewood' vinyl interior is in virtually
completely original condition throughout and the original 401 c.i.
4 barrel V8 engine is extremely strong and powerful - must be
driven to be fully appreciated - a truly remarkable daily driver
that will give any modern day sports car a run for it's money! The
transmission shifts smoothly through the gears and the car has four
good tires, a fairly new convertible top amp; hydraulics and the
car has it's original spare wheel and jack still in the trunk!This
is a rare opportunity to own a great daily driving example of an
obviously always garaged 1963 Buick Le Sabre 401/445 Convertible in
very fine condition throughout! Owned since new by only very
careful and mature owners, this is a perfect candidate for an easy
restoration by the Buick enthusiast or simply a great daily driving
and turn-key ready example of one of Buick's finest year models for
any classic American muscle car collector!
