Centurion

Wife: 1999 GMC Safari SLT<BR>Me: 1989 Buick LeSabre Limited

A Buick Club friend of mine who owns both a '69 and '70 Electra showed me. The difference is the finish on the wheelcover. The '69 has a bright, chrome-like finish, where the '70 has a brushed or satin-like finish. Both are very attractive and appear otherwise identical.

Seafoam Green was used at least through the 1965 model year, and I believe that the same color may have been offered through 1967.<P>If you go into the Members' Buicks portion of this website, scroll down until you see a 1965 Skylark convertible. Click on the photo to enlarge it. This car is finished in Seafoam Green. At least on my computer, the color of this picture comes through a little more yellow or gold than the actual color, but the photo will give you a good idea of the color.<P>Hope this helps.

Sintid, here's a further thought for you. The fact that you receive the diagnostic message about an electronic engine controls problem reinforces my thought that the crankshaft positioning sensor could be your problem. Replacing that sensor could cure both your driveability problems and eliminate the diagnostic warning.

One item I have found worth checking when these cars run rough is an inexpensive part called the "crankshaft positioning sensor". I would take the car to a dealership or good repair shop and ask them to check the sensor. Replacement of this sensor on a higher mileage '86 Pontiac and '89 Buick LeSabre I've had cured my problems with hard starting, rough idle, dying at stop signs, etc. If this should happen to be your problem, it's an easy fix.

For WldtCnvt:<P>Regarding the disk on top of the instrument cluster, it is not clear where you mean. I wonder, though, whether your car has automatic climate control rather than the air conditioning with manual controls. I can't speak with authority about the 1970 models, but the '71 cars had a small round insert in the top of the dash panel (on the right side)only for those cars with the automatic climate control. I believe that this was some sort of sensor or thermometer that helped control the function of the climate control. Could this be what you're seeing?

Don,<P>Hope you received my e-mail last night about the club member in Woodinville with the nice '55 Century. I think he will be more than willing to help in any way he can. If you failed to receive the e-mail, please feel free to call me during the day at 360 653-3634 or evenings at 360 691-2802.<P>--Brian

Sintid, this is helpful information. Please let us know how the tires work out. I had one friend who purchased two sets of wide whitewall radials for his '59 Buick, but had problems with the whitewalls turning brown. I do not know what brand of tires these were, but he ultimately purchased a third set, finally spending the money for Cokers in order to eliminate the problem. The point I'm making is that not all whitewall radials are created equal. There may very well be radial whitewalls other than Cokers that are perfectly satisfactory and less expensive. I hope you will find some and let us know the result.

I have seen a 1966 Apollo at one of our Buick meets in the Seattle area, and have seen photos of others. They were a beautiful, British-bodied sportscar and were distinctly different from the Rovers using the Buick V8.<P>My recollection is that a Buick dealer in California was responsible for these Apollos. I think that these were built in small volume during the 1964 to 1966 era. I am not clear whether the Buick engines were shipped to England for installation, or whether the bodies were shipped to California for installation of the Buick running gear. Whether accurate or not, the story I've heard is that the California Buick dealer began putting Buick nameplates on these cars. General Motors did not want to assume any liability for a car it did not create or authorize, and I understand that production was rapidly halted.<P>I would regard these cars as highly desirable today. The example I've seen is both elegant and exotic, looking almost more Italian -- as in '50's and '60's Ferraris -- than typically British.<P>

Sintid,<P>I hope that the article about the Archival Classes in the December "Bugle" was helpful to you. If you are not yet a member of the BCA and failed to receive the "Bugle", let me know, and I can get the information to you that you're looking for.

I had many of the same questions when I saw the news reports about Oldsmobile's demise.<P>I receive some encouragement from the large number of concept cars that Buick has rolled out during recent years. Probably the best news I've heard is the unconfirmed report that Buick will actually produce the LaCrosse, which is a stunning automobile.<P>Perhaps the loss of Oldsmobile will strengthen Buick's sales, as I would expect that many "traditional" Oldsmobile buyers will choose Buick in the future.<P>There are some fundamental questions about the U.S. auto industry that keep nagging at me, however. Regardless of how good current and future Buick and GM cars are, will people buy domestic cars? Are Americans so enamored with BMW's, Hondas, and Toyotas that they will not consider buying U.S.-nameplate cars? American passenger cars have a lackluster image that will be very difficult to overcome. At least among my babyboomer peers, it is simply not fashionable to buy an American car.<P>I love Buicks, and I hope like crazy that GM will build Buicks that we will want to buy. I hope I never have to experience what Oldsmobile enthusiasts must be feeling today.<P>

Good news,Sintid. The BCA National Meets now have Archival Classes for cars like your '58 Special. Others on this forum are probably more familiar with the specifics, but the cars in the Archival Classes are judged on the basis of originality.<P>Thankfully, the BCA recognized that original cars might have difficulty competing against fully restored cars, and, at the same time, wanted to encourage the preservation of fine, original Buicks.<P>As someone else in this forum once said, you can restore a car again and again, but it is only original once.<P>Again, congratulations on your find!

Bill Stoneberg,<P>I have heard good things about Vintage Air from others as well. I've struggled with the decision, largely because my '59 is a completely unmolested original. It is not a show car, but originality and stock appearance are important to me. Certainly, I would not want to modify the original dashboard/instrument panel, and I would hope to keep any cutting to the firewall area to a minimum. Do you (or others) have any response to these concerns?<P>Despite my desire for originality, it's important to me that my wife and kids be willing to participate in long tours and long-distance shows with me. I intend to drive the '59 from Seattle to Flint and return for the 2003 Buick Centennial Celebration, and I would have difficulty to subjecting the family to a 5,000-plus mile trip in the summer heat with a non-air conditioned car.<P>Has anyone else wrestled with the decision to add Vintage Air? Is it likely to enhance or detract from the value of our old Buicks?<P>Thanks for your comments.<P>Brian Laurance, BCA #5168<BR>1959 Electra, 1971 Centurion, 1989 LeSabre

Sintad,<P>This sounds like a great car. I hope you will share with us the results of any research you do on add-on air conditioning systems. This is something I am considering for my '59 Electra, although I have not yet researched it.

When you consider the cost you would incur to restore a car in lesser condition than the one you are looking at, the low-option '58 Special looks like a good deal. You could spend considerably more than $5,500 on paint alone for a restoration project.<P>Cars that are unusual because of their lack of options are fun and unique, but if this is not your cup of tea, it is certainly possible to add correct factory options over a period of time.<P>Check out the new issue of "Collectible Automobile", which should just be hitting the newsstands. There is a fine article on the '57 and '58 Buicks, and the final page includes realistic value information on all models and series. (This is the Feb., 2001 issue, with a '57 Special convertible on the front cover.)<P>Good luck, and keep us posted.<P>Brian Laurance, BCA #5168<BR>'59 Electra, '71 Centurion, '89 LeSabre<P>

I would be very surprised if these body parts are the same. The Series 40 Special used the small body shell, which was shared with the Series 60 Century. The Series 50 Super used the large body shell, which was shared with the Series 70 Roadmaster. The two body shells were significantly different in terms of wheelbase, overall length, and the greenhouse design. I would be extremely careful about the interchangeability of body parts between the small and large series 1957 Buicks.

My sister drives a '96 Riviera she purchased new. She drives it hard, using it to commute to work through the Alaska snow. She loves the performance and style. With more than 40,000 miles on it now, the car has been virtually trouble free -- a real contrast to the two Saabs she owned prior to the Riviera.

The following items were available on the 1959 LeSabre series. These items were optional at extra cost:<P>Option P3: Custom Bright Exterior Moldings - Lower (List Price: $25.00)<P>(These moldings were standard equipment on Invicta and Electra series car.)<P>Option P2: Custom Bright Exterior Moldings - drip molding, upper door frames, cowl vent frame and grille ornament (List Price: $26.00)<P>These options were available on the LeSabre Estate Wagon, as well as on other models in the LeSabre line. The Estate Wagons were also offered with a few unique options, including R1: Divided Rear Seat; R2: Junior Seat; R3: Luggage Rack; and Z: Power Tail Gate Window.<P>The fact that the car in Canada has the bright molding options probably has nothing to do with the fact that the car was originally delivered in Canada. Any LeSabre Estate Wagon could have been ordered with or without these options.<P>Brian Laurance, BCA #5168<P>1959 Electra, 1971 Centurion, 1989 LeSabre

I saw the issue of "Auto Week" at the newsstand today. The Blackhawk looked dynamite on the cover.

I just ran across the following items listed for sale in our North Cascade Chapter newsletter:<P>1949 Buick Motor - Complete (was running) $300 and 1949 Buick 3-speed transmission (looks good)<P>Seller is: Charles Cochran, Helena, MT<BR> 406-458-5658<P>These items might we worth checking out.

Mike Book raises some excellent points. I am an active member of one of the chapters in the Pacific Northwest. While many of us would enjoy having a BCA National Meet here, the fact is that we lack the strong leadership base and commitment to host a National. During the last twenty years, there have been only a couple of efforts to host a regional meet. While I hope that this will change during the future, this is not likely in the near-term. Many of us eagerly attend the National Meets, however, regardless of their location. I would be disappointed if we diluted the National Meets by creating an Eastern and Western meet. Part of the attraction of the National Meet is seeing cars and people from all over the country (and world).<P>Brian Laurance, BCA #5168

In the year that I have been a registered user of the discussion forums, I have never received any junk mail as a result. This does not appear to be an issue with this website.

I agree that only Registered Members should be allowed to post. As demonstrated this morning (Monday) in the Buy/Sell Forum, unregistered users can adopt whatever identity they wish. Requiring registration may be the only way to restrict access by those whose only interest is in stirring up trouble.<P>Brian Laurance, BCA #5168<BR>'59 Electra, '71 Centurion, '89 LeSabre

Regardless of the collectibility of the Regal, this is a "Buy/Sell" Forum. If you are not interested in what the seller is listing, then don't buy it. No one is forcing you to buy the car. So what is the point in damaging the seller's opportunity to sell the car to someone else by being critical of the car? If you want to discuss the merits of a '74 Regal's collectibility, then do it on the "General Forum".

Back issues may be obtained by calling toll-free 1-800-871-2022. The '54 - '56 Buicks were covered in an excellent article in Vol. 9, No. 5 (February, 1993). It's worth picking up the magazine for the beautiful color photographs alone.