Rusty But Trusty

Buick’s full size sedan from 1959 to 1990, the Electra opens up doors to some interesting naming practices in the company’s history. Electra was named for one-time president Harlow Curtice’s sister, 225 referred to the car’s length in inches, and the Wildcat 445 designation referred to the mammoth amount of gross-measure torque put out by the 401ci Nailhead V8. 1962 seems to have been the final year for Buick’s version of the GM bubble-top sedan with its trademark dog-leg A-pillar, and as such, some outrageous details like the gigantic tail fins and elaborate use of chrome were toned down, though far from finished. Let’s check out this 1962 Buick Electra 225 for sale for $3900 in Portland, OR.

Absent any close-up pictures, it can be pretty hard to judge the condition of a car’s body in white paint, though at least there’s no visible rust penetration. Though these wide-whitewall tires did originally come on the car, it must be the fault of the white body that these seem rather excessive. The car is said to be a 4-door hardtop, but without all the windows down, it’s hard to tell if this is simply a pillared sedan.

Either way, this Buick is said to be in very usable condition, having been the seller’s driver between several towns in the Portland metro area. It has power seats, heat, a rebuilt carburetor, new fuel lines, and a reconditioned fuel tank, along with maintenance records. While it’s not so visible, there is wear and tear on the seats and the interior, and it’s said to need detailing and attention.

The seller is not eager to move the car along, but due to an expanding family is selling the car – perhaps when you’ve outgrown the limit of a car this size, it’s time to think about having the old snip-snip? Anyhow, while the car is definitely not perfect, its ability to cover some slightly longer distances is a good sign that this car could be a good candidate for a drivable project. Who wants to feel 445 lb.-ft. of torque?

Tags: 225, american, buick, c-body, electra, Feature, sedan

This entry was posted on February 9, 2016 at 11:35 pm and is filed under Feature. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.