My Classic Car: Grandma’s well-loved ’63 Buick Special

And a grandson eager to become the next proud owner

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1963 Buick Special my classic car

My grandma’s 1963 Buick Special has never left Broome County, New York. She took extra measures to make sure her car was well-loved and maintained in pristine condition.

1963 Buick Special
1963 Buick Special

When the forecast called for rain, she would take the bus and leave her Buick Special safely tucked in the garage. And if it did ever get caught in the rain, it would get wiped down once it was under shelter.

She never sat directly on the seat but on one of those rugs you put down in the front of the kitchen sink.

The paint is mostly original, and when it chipped on the side, she would have that repainted.

1963 Buick Special previous owner
Todd’s Grandma and previous owner of the ’63 Buick Special

I’m told that my grandma only allowed my dad and mom to drive her Buick Special — the car was off-limits for her other children. It’s no surprise that my Dad is now the proud owner.

Jokingly, I asked my Dad back in 2000 if I could take the car to a local cruise and he surprised me by saying yes. My instructions were that I could drive it within a 30 miles radius, but I was not allowed to take it on the highway.

Unfortunately, the brakes’ master cylinder went bad along with some other minor issues last year and the mechanic left the car outside until all the parts came in.

I hope someday the Buick Special will be passed down to me, but in the meantime, I’ll continue to enjoy my 1966 Corvair convertible.

— Todd Brown, Johnson City NY

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6 COMMENTS

  1. What a great car! And great to hear that it remains in the family and that you want to be the next custodian of the car. Its wonderful when younger people take an interest in these wonderful machines that are a time capsule of American history.

  2. I hope you are fortunate enough to become the new caretaker of this fine piece of history also Todd! It is a beautiful car and deserves the best care. You seem like you would take very good care of it. Good luck with it!

  3. If that mechanic left my car sit in the weather till the parts came in it would be the last time he touched one of my rigs. If he didn’t have inside room for the car he should have given you the option to garage the car yourself.

    • Agree totally with Sid. I had a mechanic leave one of my vintage rides outside once and that the last that shop has ever seen of my business.

  4. My first car! Mine was black, and had a fully stroked 455 Police Interceptor that had been shoehorned in by the Newark Police Department garage guys for my Dad. One of his men was a guy named Dave Toma; he would constantly beg my Dad to use “the Black Beauty” during his your. They later made a police show out of his story but changed the Buick for some other car. Simon Oakland played my Uncle, who was the supervising Inspector. They changed his name to Spooner.
    My brother totaled the car years later via a sneezing fit while driving on a quiet street and someone ahead braking for a squirrel! I’ll never forget it, though. One of the fastest cars I ever drove. Too fast for even the posi rear; the car had paint cans filled with melted lead (wheel weights, I think), welded into cuts in each rear wheel well in the truck to keep her butt on the ground.

  5. I’m sure that car is begging to be taken to the nearest interstate and floored up to the speed limit on the entrance ramp.

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