Barney Eaton Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 I recently received a note with a 1986 Electra 2dr for sale. The short version of the story is the owner says that Buick told him it is the only one built.My search indicates that a Electra 2dr and a Park Avenue 2dr were built, but the build information in the back of the Roster does not split them. In addition, the factory information shows the Electra to be a model X11 and the Park Avenue to be a W11 model. The confusing part is the build information shows only one Electra 2dr and list it as a model 4CX11 with 4,996 builtDo any of you have better information?Here is a photo of the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Centurion Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 Barney, I am not clear on the seller's question, but the car is clearly an Electra 2-door and not a Park Avenue. It appears to be the "Electra 380" model, which was equipped with the 3800 engine. There was also an Electra T-Type version.These cars were not common, but I am quite certain that more than one was built. It is true that the Electra 2-doors that I specifically recollect were all Park Avenue models. I'll be interested to learn what others say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 63Stude Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 To each his own, but that's about the year GM coupes lost all panache. The four-door actually looks better to these eyes.Bill P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Eaton Posted March 11, 2009 Author Share Posted March 11, 2009 The seller was making a statement....I am questioning the statement that only one was made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smartin Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I was wondering the same thing when I got that email. Seems to be a bold statement without clear documentation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NTX5467 Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 The VIN for the Buick "C" cars, even into later years, classifies them as "Electra". When the cars were later termed "Park Avenue", with ONLY "Park Avenue" badging, the VIN decode was still Electra w/Park Avenue trim . . . i.e., CX w/W11, alhtough I believe the later description was C + W10 for "Park Avenue" models.Initially, the cars were "Electra" badged with Park Avenue as a upper level trim option. This generated the Electra 380 base model, for example, and other Electras with varying trim levels (i.e., Park Avenue). With "Park Avenue" as a trim level option, it would not be broken out separately in production figures, except when you started to look at production build percentages of the various options.As for "the only one" dialogue, it would be certain that not all Electras had Park Avenue trim, regardless of body style. It could well have been that he bought the only one that particular dealer had for that model year, possibly ordering a "loaded" car in the highest trim option they could order.Still, a very nice car in a size and overall economy that is well-suited for current times . . . with DISTINCTIVE styling that set GM C-cars apart from the more mundane fwd vehicles of that time period.Enjoy!NTX5467 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Phillips Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 My uncle in Connecticut had one of these when they were new, so that makes at least two! I informed the owner of this when he contacted me about the car, but I see that he still thinks it is the only one ever built. The car has almost no miles on it, and he wants $45,000 for it. Good luck getting that...!Pete Phillips, BCA #7338Sherman, Texas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 63Stude Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Into the eighties, I was still scooping up brochures and checking out the new cars at introduction time. I had forgotten all about the nomenclature, "Electra 380". Am I hallucinating, or was there also an "Electra 330" and/or "Electra 410"?A fellow I knew from work, twenty years ago, nice batchelor fellow who was from Kentucky and moved back there in the early '90's, had a T-Type Electra two-door of that vintage...gray (of course)! Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barney Eaton Posted March 11, 2009 Author Share Posted March 11, 2009 I'm looking at a 1986 showroom brochure....and we all know they are incorrect sometimes.It lists only the 3.8 V6, no options in 1986, but because 1986 was the first year that the 3.8 was standard on the Electra, it appears that the back fender says "Electra 380", this is probably a carryover from 1985 when there was the 3.1 engine standard, the 3.8 optional and the 4.1 appears to be the diesle option. Also, there is a "T" type option listed for the Electra coupe in 1985, but in 1986, the "T" type was only a option on the 4 dr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkV Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 That looks like my 2 dr. lesabre with a different roof line! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 63Stude Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 I think the LeSabre coupe roofline was so much nicer than the Electra's. I'm not sure if they were even still making the two-door Electra when that stylish LeSabre coupe came out.Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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