LeCenturion!

[SBRMD]

Well folks, after one year at the painter's, who said he could only dedicate three weeks to the car when I dropped it to him in 4/07 (!), I present you....LeCenturion:

[SBRMD]

This is my Pygmalion (sp?).

Buick never made this car, but they should have. Wildcats were offered as 4-dr sedans until 1970, but Centurions never were. I've always liked the look of the sedan, not to mention the excellent body integrity. Nothing wrong with the hardtops, we had both in our family years ago (two LeSabre Custom 4 dr Hardtops: Twilight Turquoise and Verdemist Green, and one 4 dr sedan, Tealmist Gray), but I've been thinking, a sedan dressed up with Centurion parts would be cool. Ran across this one, a little old lady car out of Massachusetts with 51k actual, in late '05. It was sold to LOL #1 from Brustolon Buick of Mystic, Connecticut on 12/21/70, I have the invoice. It is a LeSabre Custom with few but essential options: 350-4V, PS, PB, AT, Fact A/C, all the moldings you see (except trunk), remote driver's mirror, white walls, carpet savers, power windows, and.....that's it! No radio! Nocturne Blue w/ blue cloth. It passed to LOL #2 upon the death of LOL #1, then to the third owner, a teenage kid whose dad thought he would like it, in about 2003. The kid wanted a jeep; you can guess the rest. I'm thinking it was in fabulous shape until the kid left it outside for over a year, causing some deterioration. He did find a closely-matching flip-dial GM am/fm and installed it, but it's not hooked up. Windshield antenna's present! Anyway, I've been collecting a few things for it, and it will be a work in progress. The front fenders needed to be replaced; ran across a very nice guy near Cherry Hill, NJ who was parting a Centurion 4 dr HT, from whom I got the nice cornering light fenders, complete with Centurion emblems! Found a set of trunk moldings. Have the tail lights with moldings, but not installed yet. Also got some '71 Electra cloth seats in a nearly-matching fabric pattern, with power, blue, to be installed when time permits. Hoping to find a grill and other appropriate emblems. I have a nice black tri-spoke steering wheel, would have to somehow paint it blue. Have some 15 x 6", 5 on 5" road wheels, but would rather go with some 80's-era 15 x 7 if I can find them. Toyed with engine choices, but frankly, it runs too strong to screw with it for now. A '73 base-Centurion engine before it's time! Interestingly, it has a dual-exhaust crossmember, but only a single-exhaust system.

This thing just runs like a top and drives like the proverbial dream! Substantial and silent, but peppy and light on it's feet, with steering, brakes and trans tight. Engine's smooth, no hesitations. Going to make this my daily driver!

What do you all think? Creativity, or sacrilege?

Steve Robin
Mple, MN

[SBRMD]

Picked up the stainless that goes around the window frames. Keeping the portholes.

[SBRMD]

I have the thicker "belt-reveal" moldings that go along the bases of the windows on a 4 dr HT; would like to add them, but haven't figured out how to do it yet. Any suggestions?

[Smartin]

Looks great Steve! Glad you finally got the car back..

Nice straight rear bumper...is that a rechrome or original?

[Centurion]

Very nice, Steve! Beautiful car in an excellent color.

Given its December, 1970 delivery date, I expect that this car has a very low VIN and body number. Most of the October/November production was lost due to the 67-day UAW strike. The car appears to have the early style hood with the grilled area near the cowl.

We would be interested in seeing the VIN and body plate data when you have a chance.

Please keep us posted as the car's transformation progresses with more of the Centurion-specific trim items added.

[SBRMD]

Adam, that is the bumper the car had when I got it. It is pretty nice, as is the front.

Brian, I will look at the data plate when I get home from work; it does have a relatively low VIN, although I don't recall it at the moment...

Will definitely keep you posted!

-SR

[Robroy]

That’s a real nice sedan and it looks good dressed up with the Centurion trim etc, speaking of that is it Centurion caps that you have on?

I’m also curios if you did any rust repair around the rear window before having it painted? Leaking rear windows are as you surely know a common problem for us non-convertible guys….:tonge2:

[SBRMD]

Per, my body guy said that when he had the trim off, there was next-to-no rust at the base of the window, that there was a tiny leak, more from dried-out window seal, and that he sealed it with more silicone.

We'll see when it rains, I guess.

Thanks for your nice comments, BTW. The hubcaps are the standard LeSabre trishields. Probably going with road wheels soon.

[Robroy]

BTW. The hubcaps are the standard LeSabre trishields. Probably going with road wheels soon.
I guess those might be almost the same as the centurion caps but with the tri-shield instead of the helmet…?

[SBRMD]

I think the best thing would be road wheels w/ Centurion-helmet center caps...don't know how could accomplish that, though....

[gr_speedy]

The center portion of the hubcup is holded together with just a spring clamp. Just need to find the centers with the helmet and change them out.

[SBRMD]

Brian, I finally got around to obtaining the numbers that you were interested in from the body plate; my painter-guy had the car again to correct some problems, and two days became 2.5 weeks...

VIN: 454691Y110746
Body: Y01031

BTW, question for the learned: I've obtained a '71 Electra front bench with power (my seat is manual); anybody have any input RE changing the seat - what to look out for, how to mount the power apparatus, whether my dash harness is prewired for power seat, etc?

Thanks to the court in advance,
Steve.