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Awesome Survivor 77 LeSabre Sport Coupe Auction IDAHO


Guest BJM

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Guest 68 Buick 3369

I used to own a factory original 78 Turbo LeSabre Sport Coupe and did plenty of research on the car. The LeSabre Sport Coupe was only offered in '78 and '79 and the factory original engines were a 3.8 with either a 2 or 4 barrel carb. A/C was not possible due to room limitations in the engine bay. In "Buick 75 Years of Greatness" It states the above engine/carb set up, then the next paragraph states: that the regular LeSabre and LeSabre Custom were equipped with a: 3.8 (non turbo), 301, 305, 350, and the 403. My guess would be that it was one of the above mentioned LeSabre cloned to look like a LeSabre Sport Coupe or possibly a one off kinda thing. Stanger things have happened.

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The car appears to have sold locally for $1500 or less as the auction was ended early and the seller said he had it for sale locally. That's just an unbelievable price for such a straight car with low miles and nice attractive options. Not everybody's cup of tea but I always like seeing these at meets.

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I bought my 1986 Park Ave convertible with "a loud knock in the engine". Beyond the cost of the car I have spent $5500 + my time. I still have about $3,000 to go before I am satisfied. THat drop top saved its life!

John is right. A lot of times an older "collectable" car just gets disassembled for restoration; end of story. The entry fee is usually a lot less than the marriage.

It is a labor of love.

Bernie

post-46237-143139099122_thumb.jpg

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Agree with both Bernie and John. That is why I post these cars for sale that I find in my browsing. A few have found new homes. There are still a few of these Buicks like this one that fall outside of the mainstream of collecting that are out there for entry level club ownership.

If I had it to do all over again (boy how many times have I said that) I would pluck 2-3 of these kinds of cars for maybe $10,000 total, maybe a little more - over a 5-8 year period then rotate using them for club events.

In this case, this car had around 78,000 miles if I remember, comes from rust free Idaho, needs some seat work on drivers front. But with maintenance and that 3 car rotation, could serve someone easily for 2-3,000 miles a year for 20 + years. I for one like the looks of it but I also own a 36 Roadmaster and several late 40's cars. But I don't know, it looks like an "old" car to me.

It's been averaging 92-94 degress here in the midwest this summer, since May. This car has a/c, looks like cruise, tilt and a light blue clothe interior! What a bonus all this is. The 403 although it's an Olds motors is a good one. I suspect there is a TH350 backing it since Olds used their 350 block for the 403 so that means maybe 1mpg better gas mileage then the TH400. However, if it's a TH400, then full flush it for $110 and that's probably all you will have to do to it for those 20+ years!

Now throw that all into what was probably a selling price of $1500 or less and it's hard to beat. No car makes it 35 years looking like that unless it was cared for. And as John and Bernie implied or outright said, the cost to restore is not money well spent and if this car does go into the wrong hands and blows an engine or tranny then it will die and be crushed. Something to consider that the pool of these cars will decline in this condition and will likely be owned by enthusiasts like ourselves so what we keep - and keep up - will be all that's left 20 years from now.

Edited by BJM (see edit history)
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I had a 1977 Buick Lesabre sport coupe with the 350. It was silver with black interior and blacked out accents. Nice car. I can still see it in the paint shop with the painter dressed in his garb including face mask. The silver paint was flying through the air and Pink Floyds "Dark Side of the Moon" screaming out of the stereo.. As far as the low production numbers mentioned above, that may be in reference to the turbo V6?

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There is a 1978 Turbo LeSabre sport coupe on Pittsburgh craigslist today.......... 7-17-2012

will check it out. Would rather have the 350/TH350.

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