Anybody have a pristine low mileage 1991-1993 Buick Park Avenue

[Dynaflash8]

I've owned six 1991-2005 Buick Park Avenues and LeSabre Limiteds.  They have been the most reliable, most comfortable cars I've ever owned.  Now the 1991-1992 and soon to be 1993 are 25 years old.  I think one of them would make a great long haul tour car for our old age.  Let's say I want to go to California, Arizona, Nebraska or someplace like that.  Most of these cars have been run well over 100,000 miles, been left in the sun so paint, dash or leather interior is damaged, been in a fender bender or whatever by now.  But, I'll bet somewhere not too far away from Florida or eastern Virginia there is a garaged car that has 30,000 miles on it and been treated with loving care.  Such a car should not be so sought after now, as to require some huge price either.

[John_S_in_Penna]

Craig's List, I have found, is the place to locate

the occasional old well-kept car that hasn't yet

been recognized as a collectible.  As you say,

there might be a retired couple in Florida who

are selling their well-maintained Park Avenue.

[J.H.Boland]

They are great cars.I bought a 1992 Park Avenue in 2000 with 162,000 KM on it.It has never seen Canadian winters (wintered in Arizona before I bought it, stored winters under my ownership) and now has over 300,000 KM on it.It still runs and looks excellent.Tomorrow's classic (I use the term loosely) today.

I also have a 1995 LeSabre Ltd with only 153,000 Km on it that I use as a winter car. With ABS brakes and traction control,it's a great winter beater.

Jim

[Paul Dobbin]

Come on Earl!  The Antique Car Hobby has to many old guys on tours with 25 year old luxury rides instead of real antique cars.  If you were 18 and just loved your grandmothers car it would be different, but you are not 18.

[John_S_in_Penna]

20 hours ago, Paul Dobbin said:

...you are not 18. 

 

In his heart, I think he is.  Well, maybe 21.

Edited September 3, 2017 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[Dave Henderson]

Earl, If you make the plunge, beware of the electrical stuff, and the original base-coat clear-coat paint job.  In my case neither has aged well.  My 2nd. owner, much garaged '93 Lesabre Ltd. with 110 K miles no longer can actuate its antenna,  the interior lights stayed on all the time until I gave up looking for the door switch and disconnected them, the heater blower wouldn't shut off and required a $160 module buried in the depths of the heater plenum,  twice that is! , (luckily I got the modules from Crazy Ray's "U-Pick" junkyard for $6 each, don't tell Ray....)  Now there is something draining the battery even when the key is off and nothing apparent is on.  I have checked at all accessible fuses to no avail, so I just disconnect the battery unless the car will be used the same day.  I gave up and disconnected the wire to the ride leveler compressor because it would come on while the car was just sitting.  Can't really blame that on the electrics, in fact in this instance I guess it was just doing its job because of a leak in the air shocks.
It continues to shed its clear coat, it's down to about the belt line now, and I keep putting primer on balding places.  Ugh.  Its only redeeming feature is it runs great, darn it!

[John_S_in_Penna]

Dave, your testimony is valuable.

I think those Park Avenues had beautiful curvaceous styling,

but I can see why Buick was losing market share around that time.

 

While Buicks may have had some problems, I checked out for the

first time the foreign cars that Consumer Reports rated "much better

than average."  I now have a new criterion for new cars:  They must

go 100,000 miles without the SLIGHTEST thing going wrong.  Mine did.

[John348]

Earl,

Head north up I-75 about 100 miles those Buicks are everywhere in Ocala, and clean!

[Dave Henderson]

On 9/3/2017 at 5:18 PM, Dave Henderson said:

Earl, If you make the plunge, beware of the electrical stuff, and the original base-coat clear-coat paint job.  In my case neither has aged well.  My 2nd. owner, much garaged '93 Lesabre Ltd. with 110 K miles no longer can actuate its antenna,  the interior lights stayed on all the time until I gave up looking for the door switch and disconnected them, the heater blower wouldn't shut off and required a $160 module buried in the depths of the heater plenum,  twice that is! , (luckily I got the modules from Crazy Ray's "U-Pick" junkyard for $6 each, don't tell Ray....)  Now there is something draining the battery even when the key is off and nothing apparent is on.  I have checked at all accessible fuses to no avail, so I just disconnect the battery unless the car will be used the same day.  I gave up and disconnected the wire to the ride leveler compressor because it would come on while the car was just sitting.  Can't really blame that on the electrics, in fact in this instance I guess it was just doing its job because of a leak in the air shocks.
It continues to shed its clear coat, it's down to about the belt line now, and I keep putting primer on balding places.  Ugh.  Its only redeeming feature is it runs great, darn it!

 

Oh, and I forgot to mention the headliner falling down and the shift position indicator needle buried in the dash going astray (try fixing that one,  ugh again, the car flunked Virginia  inspection over it.)  A Monday morning car?

[Dynaflash8]

On 9/2/2017 at 7:20 PM, Paul Dobbin said:

Come on Earl!  The Antique Car Hobby has to many old guys on tours with 25 year old luxury rides instead of real antique cars.  If you were 18 and just loved your grandmothers car it would be different, but you are not 18.

No Paul, I'm too d.........d old to be towing a closed trailer and really too old to be buying a new open one, but I guess I'll look at that option again in 2019.  Hey, the Park Avenue is the nicest driving car I've ever owned and I love them.

[Dynaflash8]

On 9/3/2017 at 3:54 PM, John_S_in_Penna said:

 

In his heart, I think he is.  Well, maybe 21.

If I was I'd be buying 40K mileage 39 Buicks for $300.................them was the days

[Dynaflash8]

6 hours ago, John348 said:

Earl,

Head north up I-75 about 100 miles those Buicks are everywhere in Ocala, and clean!

Would I have to go into The Villages?  Don't like that place much.

[Dynaflash8]

1 hour ago, Dave Henderson said:

 

Oh, and I forgot to mention the headliner falling down and the shift position indicator needle buried in the dash going astray (try fixing that one,  ugh again, the car flunked Virginia  inspection over it.)  A Monday morning car?

Yeah, my Dad's '91 had all those electrical problems, but none have had the paint problems; although I've seen it on others.  Hey, do you want a complete electrical repair book for a '91?  It's complete with schmatics............my daughter worked for a Buick dealer in Baltimore.  As for Virginia inspections, 90% of them can be bought..................going clear back to the 1950s.  Sometimes a six pack of bear helps too.

 

All I know is my LeSabre's and Park's all have done well, except one LeSabre Limited had an A/C problem after I changed the battery myself....dah, yes, electronics.  None of those cars will ever survive if they have to be restored.

[Paul Dobbin]

Earl,

If it's a great ride you want, look for a 1994 -1997 Cadillac Fleetwood.  Best riding car ever with it's RWD LS-1 Corvette engine and comfort for 6.

Marty Roth has one and he would agree if asked.  Problem is you probably won't find one for $300.  This one sold for $4500 about 6 years ago and I still miss it.

Paul

[John348]

1 hour ago, Dynaflash8 said:

Would I have to go into The Villages?  Don't like that place much.

No, not at all....  35 miles north of it I don't like it there much 

[Dave Henderson]

14 hours ago, Dynaflash8 said:

Yeah, my Dad's '91 had all those electrical problems, but none have had the paint problems; although I've seen it on others.  Hey, do you want a complete electrical repair book for a '91?  It's complete with schmatics............my daughter worked for a Buick dealer in Baltimore.  As for Virginia inspections, 90% of them can be bought..................going clear back to the 1950s.  Sometimes a six pack of bear helps too.

 

All I know is my LeSabre's and Park's all have done well, except one LeSabre Limited had an A/C problem after I changed the battery myself....dah, yes, electronics.  None of those cars will ever survive if they have to be restored.

 

Earl,  It's tough for someone to cheat on the Va. inspections, especially emissions.  One way I've heard of is to run through a similar car that will pass the safety and emission tests, substituting your car's id.  That isn't easy to arrange, and the inspector risks his livelihood if found out.  The car chosen would need to have passing emission readings with characteristics similar to those normally associated with your car.  Test results go straight to Richmond thru cyberspace.  Here in Northern Virginia emissions tests are now required for cars under 25 years old, and must be done every two years at tag renewal time.  Unless it passes you cannot renew the tags.  Gotcha.... Well, for now that is.  Come 01/01/2018 my '93 will be eligible for antique plates and NO inspection will be necessary!  
Hows about peeking into that '91 manual and finding what turns the interior lights on when a door is opened, I suspect it may be something like a switch incorporated in a hinge, maybe?    No conventional buttons can be found.                

[Dynaflash8]

I might sell that manual to you, but I'm not smart enough read anything in it.  It is huge.  I left No. Virginai in 1961 and at that time you could buy an inspection with a six pack of beer.  And I did that once in 1958.  I moved to the Virginia Northern Neck in 1993 and managed to get a 1990 Ford pickup through emissons that I'd bought in Maryland with all of the emission stuff gone.  I told them it was Canadian.

Down here now, there is no emissions check at all, and they cut it out in Maryland a few years ago.  Stupid idea anyway.  I have all of my cars now registered in Florida, so even when up in the Neck during the summer I don't have to worry with any inspection.  Florida has NONE of any kind................thank God for them.

[NCReatta]

You might consider a Reatta as well. If you're not concerned about carrying a lot of people (only a 2 seater), they're great road cars. Very comfortable, same motors as the park avenues and very attractive styling. I've driven Reattas cross country on 6 or 7 different occasions and never been stranded. 

 

I have a couple very nice low milage examples that I need to sell (warehouse is full of Reattas). Give me a call if you think you might be interested! 

[39BuickEight]

Not low mileage, not a Park Avenue, but a very nice looking, solid car it appears:

 

 

[Dynaflash8]

My burgandy 91 Park Avenue (exactly like the one in the opening picture on this thread, is starting to get pretty high in mileage now.  It has 5,800 original miles on it.  It had 3,016 when I bought it in November 2018.

[RansomEli]

I've owned a couple Buick Regals from that era. Electrical problems do crop up in the dashboard. The plastic intake manifold goes bad and you need to replace it with a Dorman's improved version. Had to replace the A/C door actuators - a major PIA.

 

Had a supercharged model. Went like a bat our of hell but had to replace the supercharger snout several times. It was a bad design.

 

Nice cars, but be prepared to perform more maintenance than you should expect.

[C Carl]

I have a well maintained '95 F'wood Bro'hog like the one Paul suggested back September '17. BUT, BUT, BUT : It has recently descended into most of the mysterious electrical maladies mentioned above, and a few others too. I now have to disconnect the battery when I turn the engine off. Is there any sense trying to fix it, or is this something I should just live with ? Thanks for any input.    -    Carl 

[Jerry P]

I HAVE A 1992 BUICK ROADMASTER WITH 9.200 on it has been kept in garage since new the orginol owner said it only had been in the rain i time since he owned it and it has not been in rain since i owned it . IT still smells new inside and for all it is still new . Jerry Phillips asking price 14.500.00 3044651523 email jphi@shentel.net

Edited June 28, 2021 by Jerry P
The car is located in Scarbro Wv email jphi@shentel.net phone 304/465/1523 (see edit history)

[Hudsy Wudsy]

55,000 mile one on Barn Finds:

55K Mile Survivor: 1991 Buick Park Avenue – Barn Finds