British Banger Racing

[electra225]

I'll give you the '59 models looked nice, particularly the upline models. They had a lot of quality control issues. The worst was the new 401 with a proclivity to eat pistons. They lowered the compression ratio for 1960, which helped.

Roger, I'll bet you and I are related, way down the line. My grandmother was an Anderson.

I had a customer one time, Miss Lillian, who bought a new '59 LeSabre two door sedan with a factory three-on-the-tree. Had no power steering nor power brakes, but she had ordered it with the "Power Pack" option for the 364 V-8. Four barrel carburetor and dual exhausts with a little different cam and tuning. That may have been one of the fastest earlier Buicks I ever drove. The thing would get scratch in first and second if you were on it pretty good. It drove like a truck and the brakes were imaginary if you were going very fast. This is the only '59 I ever saw with the extremely rare Power Pack option. It was baby blue with a white top and blue and white interior with no carpet, no radio. This was a base Buick with hotrod options, ordered and owned by a little old lady, retired by the time I knew her.

[Firedome]

Could well be, but Anderson is a real common name, there's 18 pages of them in the Minneapolis phone book, or at least were when there were phone books! lol. My Gr Grandfather Ole Anderson emigrated from Goteborg (Gothenburg) Sweden in 1892, sponsored by a church, and ended up in Boston where he made wood cases for pianos. His son my Grandfather was also a cabinet maker, and my Dad, though a mechanical engineer, was also a woodworker and loved carpentry, I like it too. Wood must be in the genes. There is a large branch of Scotch and Irish Andersons, all originated in Scandinavia with the Viking invasions though. The "e" Andersens are Danish and Norwegian.

All this '59 Buick talk has me wanting one! lol Though it'd be crazy at this point in life. I like the '60s too, though they kind of literally took the edge off the '59 styling. My friend Casey's grandparents had a pea green '60 LeSabre they bough new, I recall going to their house the odd mirror instrument panel it had that changed angle, quite clever. The also got a color RCA TV that year, first one I ever saw...it was mind blowing.

Besides '59s I also really like '68-72 Skylarks, '62 to '68 full-size, and '63 to '67 Rivieras. I need more time, $$$, and a bigger garage. At my time of life I just have to be content with my '69 Cutlass and I am, imo the '68/69 Cutlass was GM's best A body ever. One of my best friends has a '65 Wildcat, '67 Riviera GS, and '75 Electra with the rare air bags, so I do get to ride in those once in a while for some quality Buick time!