1963 Buick Special Convertible Barn Find
Buy a 1963 Buick Special convertible and you’ll get a ’62 Special hardtop forest find, such a deal! Not so fast though, obviously this dynamic duo has some issues so let’s take a look and see what “Buy One, Get One” will do for its next owner. These Buicks are located in Middletown, New York and are available, here on craigslist for best offer.
Well, if there’s one good thing that can be said, at least the owner of this ’63 Special convertible elected to barn-bound it, unlike this 1962 Lincoln convertible, with the top-up. So, supposedly this convertible drove into its sarcophagus all by its lonesome and there it has been sitting for an undetermined amount of time. There’s little that can be said about its exterior condition, other than the obvious because there is really only one image and it’s not very revealing. In spite of the top being in the up position, it is torn and is separating in places. There is one interior image but it is dark and limited in its scope, and thus, not terribly revealing.
It’s is believed that when this Special decided to seek shelter on its own, it did it with the help of a 135 HP, 198 CI V6 “Fireball” engine. In it went but it seems unlikely that it is currently capable of a reverse move. A 215 CI aluminum V8 was available too but it stands to reason that if this convertible was so equipped, that more desirable feature would be prominently referenced in the listing. A Turbine-Drive automatic transmission rounds out the powertrain.
Buick number two is a 1962 Special hardtop that has been unceremoniously dumped out in the woods. I have to admit it, I never understood the logic behind banishing an unwanted ride to the woods but it does happen or did happen, with some regularity. This hardtop looks to be in pretty shaky shape considering all of the surface rust and the hole rotted through the top of the passenger side quarter panel. The body appears to be mostly intact but it’s up to its rockers in leaves so it’s hard to know what’s really going on under all of that obscuring foliage. One has to imagine that the floors and structural components have probably experienced a bruising.
Inside, parts poachers have helped themselves to the radio and instrument cluster while furry forest residents have done a number on the upholstery – it’s probably been a pretty secure home for critters of all stripes. It’s assumed that the powertrain is the same one that resides under the hood of barn Buick but that’s not known with certainty.
So, buy one, get one; a good deal? Not really, they’re two different cars that don’t share a lot of similarities, aesthetically speaking anyway. Mechanically there could be shareable parts and maybe there’s enough here to do something with the convertible – the one that has been stored indoors and probably possesses better intrinsic value. And that leads to the ultimate question since there is no advertised price, what are they worth?
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Comments
More parts pictures and one of a car growing into the ground. Having trouble coming up with a “best offer” for this lot.
$20.00 max
My cousin Vinny, enough said.
$3000 for the convertible alone, $2000 for both, because you’re doing the seller a favor by hauling the coupe away for him.
I see nothing ‘special’ about this Buick.
These stopped being Special long ago.
May they rust in peace.
I live 20 minutes from these wrecks. Not worth the gas to drive there. It snows a ton up here. Roads are salt covered and 10 more inches of snow forecast Monday.
Junk is junk looks like a free cleanup for the owner.
The sellers should have located the titles before listing it IMHO. A salvage yard can’t even haul a car off without one here in MO. Good luck to them, maybe someone needs a couple of parts cars or somebody very ambitious. A “secure home for critters of all stripes”, very funny! Great write-up, J. O.!
Hey !! Let park it in the woods & 25 years later we will make a fortune off of it.
George, get out of those salt roads and snow and move if you can. Not that easy for some. In spite of what the news media publicizes about California about social issues, California has some perfect weather. Cars last a long time there as reflected in the prices for some perfect examples.
Yes, California has the nice car saving weather and makes classic car shopping here a treat not seeing all the rust and corrosion when car shopping. Prices do go hand in hand with the condition. My first car after my Nam tour and Army exit in ’70 was a lo mile ’63 Buick Special convertible in Glacier blue w/blue int. V6 auto, a great little driver I paid $450. Six months later sold it to a co-worker and upgraded to a ’64 LeMans 326 4 spd car. Wish I could have both those cars back in my garage today!
I’ve got my calculator out and I’m working on an estimate for towing this junk away. I’ll only take cash as the condition of the refuse indicates a non payment situation. Either that, or I’ll call my brother in law down at the county and have the property condemned.
It’s unfortunate, the neglect. I always liked the styling of the 61s and 62s better than the 63s. Nice looking cars when in nice shape. I’d be very worried about rust on the 62 – the trunk isn’t closed so it must be full of water. With that many leaves around the car – how long has it been sitting there? 30 or 40 years? Even the bumpers are rusty, which takes a long time to happen usually. I think it’s a parts car. The convertible might be in better shape, since its indoors.
Leaves actually don’t pile up that high over the years, as they decompose fairly rapidly. So you’ve got what I would call “new dirt” piled around the car, and rotting/rotted leaves will have about destroyed this.
$100 each with title $50 each without either way they will both be parted out and scrapped
Pictures are useless
THE BUiCK STOPS HERE!
I purchased a 1963 Buick Skylark 2-door hardtop wrecked in 1970 for $250.00 in New Jersey, with most of the parts to fix it. I drove it to Kansas the next day. I was stationed at Ft. Riley and drove that car 20,00 miles in 6 months. I finished piecing it together, by finding parts in wrecking in Kansas and Colorado. It was a great running car with the 215 V8 and a 4-barrel carb. It was an automatic, but I have seen a few with a 4-speed. They were a nice size car.
Mike Lamm in Motor Trend talked about his 61 Buick Special V8 in his used car column.
He found old notebooks in it that recorded it’s gasoline and oil and repairs.
Those columns resulted in keeping my own record books, for decades now.
Sad to see. I am with “S” in my preference for the 61 -62 over the 63. Ultimately the 61 because of the grille and tail lights.
Usually the first year is the best one. \
Good coverage on the 61intro of the Special in the rags of the period.
These two…. such a shame.
i have an original 215ci v8 motor and auto trans for this convertable if anyone decides to buy car and needs it??? please call me 570-881-3344