HAMMER FAB · BUILD SERIAL

HF-59-01

1959 · Full custom build

IN PROGRESS

59 LeSabre

1959

IN-HOUSE — BERTRAM, TX

ONGOING

§ 01

THE BRIEF

This 1959 Buick LeSabre convertible belongs to Hammer Fab owner Levi Green. It was purchased from the original owner's daughter in Maryland in July of 2024 and brought back to the shop in Bertram, Texas. Overall the car was solid and in good working order, but during chassis modifications and underside cleaning we uncovered hidden rust in the rockers and wheel tubs, plus some bad prior repairs on the outer rockers. What started as a simple update has snowballed into a full rebuild: the rockers are being replaced with hand-fabricated 14 gauge panels that extend one inch lower than stock to hide the frame rail and add rigidity to the convertible body, the door gaps are being tightened, the panels are being straightened, and the car will likely receive a full paint job. The stainless trim is being metal-finished and block-sanded in-house, the chrome is being refreshed, the interior is being rebuilt to look stock but last longer, and a custom air-ride chassis with 20 and 22 inch billet wheels is being built from 3D scans and CAD data. The end goal is a slammed, factory-looking '59 Buick with modern underpinnings and a 660 hp Don Hardy LS3 under the hood.

§ 02 — Note from the shop

"Chrome fins, factory '59 attitude, and a ground-up chassis overhaul — a personal build getting the full Hammer Fab treatment."

§ 03 — Build journal

The updates.

A living log of every meaningful moment on this build — new photos, short notes, and the milestones worth marking.

9 UPDATES · 7 MILESTONES

Milestones

JUL 31, 2026— Coated manifolds and an intake rethink
JUL 30, 2026— Convertible top installation complete
JUL 27, 2026— New canvas convertible top
JUL 18, 2026— Chassis painted, LS3 and 4L80E in the frame
JUL 13, 2026— Hammer Fab chassis components going in
JUL 11, 2026— LS3 built, underside cleaned, chassis on the fixture table
JUL 11, 2026— Chassis welded and rockers almost done

UPDATE 09 / 09

Jul 31, 2026

ENGINE MILESTONE

Coated manifolds and an intake rethink

We TIG welded V-band flanges to each of the cast iron exhaust manifolds, then baked them and prepped them by sand blasting before spraying the Zybar high temp coating inside and out. Zybar is a product we've been using for years — it looks great and holds its color after thousands of miles of engine run time. We also learned that the old school air cleaner with the large throttle body isn't going to clear the hood. So we purchased a generic sheet metal intake that we'll design a billet lid for, matched to the chrome valve covers already on the engine. Once everything is modified and final fit, the intake will get powder coated the engine color. Sometimes unexpected things slow down progress — that's typical with a custom build.

Cast iron manifolds after V-band flanges were TIG welded on, baked, blasted and sprayed with Zybar high temp coating

Coated manifold installed against the engine color with the chrome Buick valve covers above

Passenger side in the chassis — coated manifold, chrome covers and the new sheet metal intake mocked up

Driver side view of the mockup with the temporary sheet metal intake in place

Overhead — the generic sheet metal intake that will get a custom billet lid to match the valve covers

Angled view showing how low the intake sits so the throttle body clears the hood

UPDATE 08 / 09

Jul 30, 2026

TOP MILESTONE

Convertible top installation complete

Final installation on the '59 convertible top is complete. The canvas is tacked, trimmed and pulled tight across the bows, the stainless trim is back on, and the rear window sits clean in the frame. Now it needs to sit for a while and let the material stretch and settle before we steam it again to take out the last of the wrinkles — that's how you get a top that looks factory-tight and stays that way. Meanwhile the new seat covers from SMS Auto Fabrics should arrive any time now.

Finished canvas top on the '59 — tight across the bows with the header bow and stainless trim back in place

Rear three-quarter — quarter window and canvas seam lines settled into the body

Straight-on rear view over the deck lid and Buick V emblem, rear glass sitting clean in the frame

Rear window and tack line detail from behind the deck lid

Rear quarter tack strip and stainless trim, every fastener set

Close-up of the canvas seam, pull tab and polished trim where the top meets the body

UPDATE 07 / 09

Jul 27, 2026

TOP MILESTONE

New canvas convertible top

Exciting update — the Buick is getting a new convertible top. The car came to us with a vinyl top that the previous owner said had been replaced about eight years ago. There are basically two options for top material: vinyl and canvas (or stay-fast). We went canvas — it's a much better option for longevity and it has a classy appeal that vinyl just can't match. The top was ordered in a custom color and then installed right here at Hammer Fab. With the old top off we cleaned all the bows of grime and old glue and lubed every pivot point so the frame works the way it should. Thankfully the tack strips were still in good shape and could be re-used. We did opt to order new rubber weather strips, which will be here soon.

New custom-color canvas top fitted over the '59 — clean lines from the header bow to the rear tack strip

Rear quarter window detail — canvas hugging the glass with the stainless pull tab and taped trim line

Old top off — bows cleaned of grime and glue, every pivot point lubed before the new canvas goes on

Original tack strips were still in good shape and got re-used

Top frame stripped and working through the fit before final tacking

UPDATE 06 / 09

Jul 18, 2026

CHASSIS MILESTONE

Chassis painted, LS3 and 4L80E in the frame

The chassis is done and painted satin black in house — we didn't have time to get it powder coated and still hit the schedule, so we shot it ourselves and it came out clean. With paint done, the 660 hp Don Hardy LS3 and 4L80E combo dropped into the frame for the first time, sitting on the new mounts with the black accessory drive, polished finned Buick valve covers, and the period-style chrome air cleaner. Next up: get the body back on.

Satin black chassis with the Don Hardy LS3 and 4L80E installed

Front view of the LS3 in the frame — black accessory drive and chrome air cleaner

Polished finned Buick valve covers and the 4L80E on the floor alongside

Full chassis assembly — suspension, drivetrain and crossmembers in place

UPDATE 05 / 09

Jul 13, 2026

CHASSIS MILESTONE

Hammer Fab chassis components going in

The '59 chassis is coming together with our own Hammer Fab bolt-on components — the same parts we sell through our Shopify store. Rear frame boxing plates, a bolt-in transmission crossmember, driveshaft loop, rear-end truss and pinion mounts are all being welded and bolted into place as the chassis nears final weld-out. Product links will be added to each photo caption soon.

Chassis on the table with Hammer Fab components installed — full overhead view

Rear frame section with boxing plates and crossmember tacked in

Bolt-in transmission crossmember and driveshaft loop in place

Driveshaft loop and rear crossmember — front and back views

Old torque tube joint cut out and replaced with a welded-in arch; the drop-out section lets the transmission and exhaust drop for service

Hammer Fab driveshaft loop and pinion mount, ready to install

New front sway bar brackets welded in instead of bolted in. Designed to fit the 1-1/4" solid splined sway bar and clear the new Johnson's radiator. Plates get welded on the inside and outside of each frame rail.

UPDATE 04 / 09

Jul 11, 2026

PROGRESS MILESTONE

LS3 built, underside cleaned, chassis on the fixture table

Big update across the board. The 660 hp Don Hardy LS3 is assembled and dressed — turquoise block, polished finned Buick valve covers, and a period-style chrome air cleaner that nods to the factory Wildcat setup — sitting on the stand next to the car for the mock-up. The original engine bay is documented before teardown so we have a reference for the finished look. Underneath, the whole car got a full pressure-wash and degrease so we can see clean metal before rust repair and Raptor Liner. The body is up on our fixture table for suspension R&D and 3D scanning — every bracket and crossmember is being modeled in CAD from scan data before it gets cut. Also picked out the interior fabric direction with the top color swatches next to the car.

LS3 built, underside cleaned, chassis on the fixture table — frame 2

LS3 built, underside cleaned, chassis on the fixture table — frame 3

New Johnson's direct-fit replacement radiator — developed in collaboration with Johnson's

On the fixture table for suspension R&D and 3D scanning

Stay Fast convertible top canvas fabric samples

LS3 built, underside cleaned, chassis on the fixture table — frame 10

UPDATE 03 / 09

Jul 11, 2026

METALWORK MILESTONE

Chassis welded and rockers almost done

As of today the chassis is fully welded and heading to the paint shop for epoxy primer and Raptor Liner undercoating — we skipped powder coat this round to hit the convertible top deadline. The rockers are almost complete, with all-new hand-fabricated 14 gauge panels that extend one inch lower than stock to hide the frame rail and add stiffness to the convertible body. The underside will be sealed with epoxy primer and then coated in Raptor Liner for a clean, smooth finish that is easy to clean and looks as good as it protects.

Chassis welded and rockers almost done — frame 2

Chassis welded and rockers almost done — frame 3

Chassis welded and rockers almost done — frame 4

UPDATE 02 / 09

Jul 15, 2024

INTAKE

Pre tear down — the car arrives

The '59 LeSabre arrived in July 2024 — bought from the original owner's daughter in Maryland and brought back to the shop in Bertram, Texas. It was driven a couple of times, then sat covered up for a year or so before work began. Documenting the car as it sits — original paint, factory chrome, soft top up and down — before any teardown starts.

Pre tear down — the car arrives — frame 2

Pre tear down — the car arrives — frame 3

Pre tear down — the car arrives — frame 4

Pre tear down — the car arrives — frame 5

Pre tear down — the car arrives — frame 6

Pre tear down — the car arrives — frame 7

Pre tear down — the car arrives — frame 8

UPDATE 01 / 09

Jul 10, 2024

DESIGN

Render locked

The '59 Buick LeSabre direction is approved: keep the factory fins, chrome, and classic proportions, and build a modern chassis and drivetrain underneath. The rendering is the target for the finished stance and look.

§ 04 — Process

Chapter by chapter.

Every build is documented as it moves through the shop. Here's how this one came together.

C052

RUST REPAIR, HANDMADE ROCKERS

01CHAPTER

Body & metal

Hidden rust in the rockers and wheel tubs forced the project into a full metal rebuild. Bad prior repairs on the outer rockers are being cut out and replaced with hand-fabricated 14 gauge rockers that run one inch lower than stock to hide the frame rail and stiffen the convertible shell. Door gaps and panel straightness are being tightened while the car is apart.

C053

AIR-RIDE CHASSIS, US MAGS BILLET WHEELS

02CHAPTER

Chassis & stance

A complete chassis makeover is underway for a slammed air-ride stance. Every component was designed in-house from 3D scan data and CAD models, then laser cut, CNC bent, and TIG and MIG welded together. The package will be rolling on 20 and 22 inch US Mags billet wheels.

C054

660 HP LS3 / 4L80E / 9 INCH

03CHAPTER

Drivetrain

Power comes from a 660 hp Don Hardy LS3 backed by a 4L80E transmission. Out back a 9 inch housing carries a Detroit Speed 8.8 third member with 3.73 gears — strong enough to handle the power and the road miles.

C055

RE-CHROME, NEW TOP, CUSTOM INTERIOR

04CHAPTER

Trim, top & interior

Stainless trim dings are being metal-finished and block-sanded in-house before polishing. Bumpers, headlight bezels, instrument bezel, and tail light bezels are all being re-chromed. A new canvas stay-fast convertible top will be installed by Jay Schluter of Colorado in late July 2026. Inside, the car will look mostly stock with new NOS seat covers from SMS Auto Fabrics, custom-made door panels, a 3D-printed and vinyl-wrapped dash pad, and a custom billet steering wheel in a smaller diameter.

§ 05 — Gallery