85 Buick LaSabre Limited Collectors Edition

[Guest]

I have a Buick LaSabre with decals that say Collectors Edition, and I was wondering what that ment? I also want to know what I should do with the engine. It has a 5.0L V-8 that has a bad crankshaft in it and I am trying to figure out if I should just replace the crank or replace the motor with a bigger one or find the same size. If I replace it with a bigger engine what else do I have to change. I just want something I can drive on the highway and have decent mileage. Thank-you for any help you can give me.

[Centurion]

I will defer to others about the engine problem, but 1985 LeSabres carried the "Collector's Edition" labels because they were to be the last rear wheel drive, body-on-frame LeSabres. Beginning with the 1986 models, all LeSabres have been front wheel drive with unit bodies.

Is the Collector's Edition really collectible? Not yet. General Motors had adopted the "cookie cutter" approach to styling, and there is little to differentiate the last rear wheel drive LeSabre from the Chevrolet Caprices, Olds Delta 88's, and Pontiac Parisiennes that were built on the same platform and shared the same engines.

[BUICK RACER]

Your LeSabre has a 307 Oldsmobile engine, changing to a bigger engine will definitely decrease gas mileage, best bet is to find another 307, Where are you located? Check out the local junkyards for a wrecked low mileage LeSabre or Olds. There's 2-307s in my family both with over 100K, one in a '82 LeSabre and the other in an '85 Riv. oil changes only. Rocker cover gaskets only maintenance required.

[Guest]

I have owned an '85 Collector's edition since '89. It was the last year of the rear-wheel drives, and I think one of the differences in the special designation was the pillow interior, which is like having an overstuffed couch for seats. Mine has 243,000 miles on it, and has had the transmission rebuilt at 49k. Other than that, everything else is original, excluding the normal repairs (radiator, brakes, tires, etc). This land barge is the best car I have ever owned, period. I wish you good luck with yours.

[NTX5467]

Other than the outer "Collector Edition" ornamentation, they also had one of the first really fancy owner's manual portfolios, including a key chain that basically had the Collector Edition center from the hood ornament with a key chain chain attached. Pretty dang fancy, especially for back then.

As for an engine swap, anything in the later model Olds V-8 engine family should bolt in. Nothing wrong with the 307 other than a distinct lack of horsepower compared to earlier vehicles, but they also got better fuel economy on the highway than similar Chevy 305s did (but Olds V-8s usually would do that anyway). Be cognizant that any engine swap that "looks" like a swap will probably come under tighter scrutiny from the emissions people when licensing/inspection time might come, so make sure that stuff is as it should be. You could do a lot worse than just fix what you have!

The car might not be "collectible" as such, but if it's kept nice it will always be worth more than if it's trashed. Most of those cars were "not respected" as they aged and changed hands so the number remaining is probably much less than might be suspected. Those Buicks were usually trimmed out very nicely inside anyway so keeping it nice and in good shape can be a plus.

Enjoy!

NTX5467