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Centurion

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Centurion last won the day on November 5 2017

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  1. I will try to find this out. I will get back to you after gaining an answer.
  2. 1926 Buick Master series engine, transmission, suspension, axles, wheels, and brakes. Vehicle was driven as recently as ten years ago. Best offer. Located in Montana. Contact Dean at: linandean@gmail.com
  3. parkertom, you were extremely fortunate to find such a fine, low mileage example, and you were wise to nab it when you did!
  4. As some of you have likely observed, a 2003 Park Avenue Ultra with 25,000 miles sold this week on a Bring A Trailer auction. The car sold for $16,000. Here is the link: No Reserve: 25k-Mile 2003 Buick Park Avenue Ultra for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $16,000 on February 10, 2024 (Lot #135,998) | Bring a Trailer I find the comments posted by those who monitored the auction to be most interesting, and I recommend that anyone having an interest in these cars read them. Here are a few noteworthy excerpts: "Since my former business partner and I quit our day jobs back in 1999 to focus on our hobby — classic and collector cars — we’ve sold more than 2,000 to this day. I’ve driven pretty much everything that has wheels, and my dailies included Rolls SS I and II, Bentley Mulsanne and Turbo R, Jaguar XJ’s, Mercedes-Benz, and BMWs, among many others. Then, around 2016, he bought his 2002 Park Avenue, nick-named it “Social Security.” Eventually he added a Riviera to the fleet and sold it shortly after, to keep driving his Park Avenue, which he still drives to this day. "Eventually I saw the light and bought a 2002 Le Sabre as my daily, now with 56K miles on the clock, basically the same car as the Park Avenue, but a bit less loaded. It’s the best daily I’ve ever owned. Comfortable like a Cadillac or Lexus, but without any of the potential headaches associated with driving one into high mileage territory. The LeSabre/Park Avenue is the last car without a center console that cuts into the interior space, which is why it’s also the last Buick 6-seater. . . . The 3.8 V6 might be the best and most durable engine next to an old fashioned Chevy Small Block. It’s silky smooth, bullet-proof, easy to live with, and that American sled gets up to 30 mpg on the highway to boot! " . . .The Park Avenue was the last really great Buick, and a well-preserved one can be “the last car you ever own,” and I mean that literally. "Can you buy a Rolls and drive it for the rest of your life, or a Mercedes-Benz or a BMW? Sure, if you budget in tens of thousands of dollars to replace failing electronic systems. That Buick doesn’t need any of this. It has everything you need, nothing you don’t. . . . "Please, folks, keep this a secret. The last thing we cogniscenti want is for people to buy up the last of these cars and drive ’em ’til the wheels fall off. Let them buy some fancy new car, finance it at 10%, and replace it every few years with another new one. Sure, that’s way over a Million bucks in the long run, but who’s counting?" The “Greatest Generation” did know what they were doing when they bought these 3800 V6 Buicks 20-30 years ago by what seemed to be by the gross. I had always said if I ever needed a cheap commuter, I’d track one down to use up. Well, one day, it happened, and I had to. I found one owner, 15-year-old Buick, with the prerequisite Assisted Living parking sticker in the back window. I’ve had it going for four years, and it’s needed nothing, unlike my much newer cars that get driven way less. I had to travel across four states the other day, and when I got there, my friend said, “You’ve got to be kidding me; of all the cars you have, you brought Grand Dad’s Buick” I said, “Yep, it gets 32 mpg, doesn’t need premium fuel, and after a 10-hour drive, nothing on me is sore, and it’s never given me a reason to doubt it wouldn’t run 24-7 if asked to.” We took the Buick vs. his “Luxury” Crossover around town all weekend, and I could tell he was paying attention to how it drove and ran. He called me the other day, “So hell has frozen over. I want a Buick, and I need you to help me find my own…” Ask the man who owns one… Three years ago, when I was looking at a Lexus LS for a reliable daily driver, I came across a low mileage, elderly owned ’04 Park Avenue Ultra for sale. The Park Ave’s 79k original miles and supercharged 3800 persuaded me it was the one to get. While I agree with the praise in the comments here, these Park Aves aren’t without their issues (in my case, it was mostly deferred maintenance). But, as I have come to realize, neither are LSs. The LS may be the better car, but a 20-year -old Buick is simpler and a lot cheaper to fix than a 20-year-old LS needing the same age-related repairs. My Ultra now has 105k miles on the odo and is an enjoyable, responsive, and very comfortable ride. So I’m content to drive the cheaper road less traveled, my fedora placed proudly on the rear package shelf to accompany me on the next 100k miles (or more). This comment's likes: 12
  5. Notebooms, thank you so much for your reply to this old topic. Are you living in Whatcom County? (I now live in the Puyallup area.) Do you have any old photographs of the dealership? Anything that could be scanned? I'd love to have some historic images of Lynden Auto Sales. I have wondered if the Lynden Library or other collections have old photographs of the downtown businesses. My email address is: centurion4554@gmail.com if you would like to communicate directly.
  6. Welcome here! Really hoping that folks here can help point you in the right direction to save this car. Can you tell us specific items that you need?
  7. Beautiful car that was previously owned by Jim Campbell, a BCA member who passed away last February. Jim acquired the Centurion in 1990 as a low mileage original car. Jim was a long-time (1966 - 1993) engineering employee of the Buick Motor Division, and had involvement in the project to incorporate balance shafts into the design of the Buick 3800 V6. Jim's son told me: "I can remember the wood models of the balance shaft on the dining table… the mathematical calculations filled a large binder…"
  8. I headed downtown on Saturday to finalize some Christmas shopping for my wife. The weather was dry, and I had not driven the '59 Electra for a couple of months, so my errands provided a great excuse to exercise the Buick. The '59 Buick is a remarkably smooth and silky runner, and I marveled again at the seamless performance of the Triple Turbine (Flight Pitch) transmission. KIXI AM 880 from Seattle crackled to life on the Buick's Sonomatic radio, providing the perfect soundtrack of vintage Christmas tunes. Check out the old Andy Williams Christmas albums if you're looking for some great recordings with a bit of nostalgia. I've often remarked to my wife that driving the '59 Buick is invariably therapeutic. I'll be retiring at the end of the month, and the entire transition process at the office has been more than a little stressful. The Buick has a great way of helping me escape the worries for a period of time, transporting me to a different, simpler time. I parked downtown, and grabbed a sandwich and beverage, enjoying the comments and questions about the Buick. All of us have observed how our old cars break down barriers, inviting conversations with complete strangers. An older gentleman rode up on his electric bicycle, and he shared that a high school friend's father owned a Buick like mine. Whenever it was his friend's turn to drive, he enjoyed the smooth, reassuring ride of the Buick. As he walked completely around the car, I loved seeing him place his hand on every panel of the car, and thought that he might have been reminiscing about those long-vanished adventures with his high school buddies. I didn't shoot any photos, but this image was shot by a stranger during another outing downtown during October. Like others of you, I often field the question: "Is it a Cadillac?" My response usually goes something like this: "No, this is the higher quality car from General Motors."
  9. Early 1951 brochure shows this model as part of the still-born Custom Special series, which appeared to utilize the 1950 Special style body (from the cowl back) rather than the new '51 Special body (a B-Body shared with Oldsmobile). This early brochure also depicts the fender top parking and turn signal lamps, which were not utilized in final '51 production form.
  10. 1951 marked the final year that Buick offered the Sedanet body style, and these cars were offered only in the Super series. (I believe that these were originally intended to be part of the "Custom Special" series seen in some of the original sales literature, but that series never materialized.) Production of this model was very low -- 1,500 or 1,510, depending on the source. These cars are very rarely seen, but very interesting and -- in my view -- highly desirable. This model marked the only time that Buick applied the sweepspear side trim to the "Jetback" body style. What a stunning design! (Yes, there is a well-known '50 Roadmaster Sedanet with sweepspear trim, but Buick did not build it that way.) This car appears to be in nice condition, although certainly not perfect. The price seems realistic at $19,900, but I have not tracked values for the '50 and '51 Sedanets. The car is offered by a dealer and currently listed on Hemmings online: https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/listing/1951-buick-super-costa-mesa-ca-2746942 Wish I could buy it!
  11. Interestingly, there was a '38 Century model 61 that was recently sold on Bring-A-Trailer. This one sold for $20,050 on Nov. 5. You might find the description and all the comments to be interesting: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1938-buick-century-2/
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