85-90 GM FWD fullsize (Buick/Olds) - buyer guide

[Rado]

Hello everyone,

 

I really like 80s FWD fullsize models from GM and I am thinking of buying one. Do you have any advice what to check or what not to buy? I heard that later years are better but of course that car I found for sale is the first year - ´85 Electra Park Avenue.

[sftamx1]

I recall a friend had a new 85 Park Avenue. I remember being impressed by the completly new style that included the unusual opening hood. It was the first look at the new large GM vehicles. I was very impressed with the gorgeous interior. Lots of velour,fake wood, and really expensive looking luxurious moss tread carpeting.

[rocketraider]

Coupe power windows are troublesome, and the overall impression I got of them was some components, especially electronics buttons, were flimsy and build quality was indifferent.

 

Drivetrains OTOH were quite good.

[TerryB]

How easy (or not) is it to find parts for these cars?  I would guess engine and suspension are a available but I’m thinking of things like trim, interior and exterior things like lenses and emblems.  Do salvage yards keep cars of this era?

[joe_padavano]

I've owned a number of these (and have three currently). The electrical connectors are sketchy. Several high current connectors aren't sized correctly, and since these are the Packard 56 style that are not environmentally sealed, it doesn't take much dirt and corrosion for the resistance to go up, causing overheating. I've chased several melted connectors on these cars over the years, always in the same places.

 

The power seat switch contacts are also undersized. GM deleted the power relays and ran full motor current through the switch, but didn't upgrade the gauge of the contacts inside the switches. Replacements are not readily available. I've gotten good and carefully disassembling the switches and filing the contacts to rehab them.

 

Many of these (especially the B-body wagons) came with the Olds 307. This is the last carbureted production car engine that GM made, and it uses the CCC computer-controlled Qjet carb. Few people knew how to correctly adjust these when new, and pretty much no one does now. I've accumulated all the special Kent-Moore tools to properly rebuild and adjust these carbs, but you MUST follow the adjustment procedure in the Chassis Service Manual exactly. Once you do, they run great.

 

Along with the CCC system, the 307 has a few miles of vacuum hoses. A crack, leak, or improper connection on any one of these makes the computer apoplectic. As a rule, I replace all the hoses when I get one.

If you do get one with the throttle body injected 305 Chevy motor, then the system is simpler, but there is far less that you can adjust. In both cases, the distributor advance curve is fully computerized. There are no advance mechanisms in the HEI on these cars.

 

I have not owned one with the Buick V6, but that would also be the CCC system, using a DualJet carb, which is the front half of a Quadrajet. Same issues as with the Olds 307.

 

All of these cars have the crappy headliner with the foam-backed cloth. The foam turns to dust, causing the cloth to hang down. Replacement is straightforward with contact cement and new material, ONCE you get the headliner board out. There are two big problems with this. The headliner is a one-piece fiberglass molded board. It has to come out in one piece, which means the windshield has to come out. People have forced it out the door, but that usually results in damage to the board. The other problem is that the garnish trim is held on with plastic fasteners. I have yet to be able to get these out without destroying them. Replacements can be difficult to find. For example, the clips that hold the garnish trim on the B-body wagons are unobtanium. I've scored a few NOS ones, but you won't find new replacements anywhere.

 

Other than these issues, the cars have been great. They are basically the same chassis as the one used on the 1973-77 A-body cars. Mechanical parts are readily available. The cars ride well and are comfortable and reliable.

[joe_padavano]

One thing I should add is that most of these came with the 200-4R trans. Some V6 cars came with the TH200 three speed and some Chevy-powered versions came with the 700R4. The 200-4R is a bit fragile. I've rebuilt a couple of them now, and one thing I've found is that some internal parts are getting difficult to source. The 200-4R requires the use of selective-thickness washers in a few places to properly set end play of the internal components. Certain thicknesses of these washers are no longer available anywhere, forcing you to sand thicker ones or stack up thinner ones to get the right end play. This was a bit of a problem with the last one I built.

[Df824]

On 12/17/2023 at 5:07 PM, TerryB said:

How easy (or not) is it to find parts for these cars?  I would guess engine and suspension are an available but I’m thinking of things like trim, interior and exterior things like lenses and emblems.  Do salvage yards keep cars of this era?

 I Have an 86 LeSabre. Junk yards are my go to for interior bits

[EmTee]

DF has a beautiful, original coupe!  See it over in the 'Unrestored' forum. 

 

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/407088-my-1986-buick-lesabre-coupe/#comment-2619727

 

[TerryB]

11 hours ago, Df824 said:

 I Have an 86 LeSabre. Junk yards are my go to for interior bits

Junkyards in my area are few.  There is a U-pull-it about an hour away.  I liked it when junkyards were more prevalent and the “adventure” of hunting for parts was part of car ownership.  My dad’s cars always required frequent junk yard searches back in the 1950s and 60s.

[60FlatTop]

I would be all open to that!

[Df824]

7 hours ago, TerryB said:

Junkyards in my area are few.  There is a U-pull-it about an hour away.  I liked it when junkyards were more prevalent and the “adventure” of hunting for parts was part of car ownership.  My dad’s cars always required frequent junk yard searches back in the 1950s and 60s.

I do a national search. I got an interior trim piece from a junkyard in Kansas City. I’m in Palm Springs. So you can search far and wide if you need too

[Df824]

12 hours ago, EmTee said:

DF has a beautiful, original coupe!  See it over in the 'Unrestored' forum. 

 

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/407088-my-1986-buick-lesabre-coupe/#comment-2619727

 

Thank you. Its very nice of you to say 

[61polara]

If it has the 3800 engine it is bullet proof.  They are known to go for 300,000 miles with no internal problems.  One of the best engines GM ever build.  

[EmTee]

 

[8E45E]

On 12/17/2023 at 4:35 PM, sftamx1 said:

I recall a friend had a new 85 Park Avenue. I remember being impressed by the completly new style that included the unusual opening hood. It was the first look at the new large GM vehicles. I was very impressed with the gorgeous interior. Lots of velour,fake wood, and really expensive looking luxurious moss tread carpeting.

That fwd Park Avenue was GM's lame attempt to 'Europeanize' it with the Saab & BMW-like front hood latch & hinge assembly, and offering a suspension system GM labeled the "Autobahn" package.

 

Of course the interior had nowhere near the build quality of a BMW 5-series; the market Buick tried to target the Park Avenue at in the 1980's.

 

Craig

[Bloo]

As a former European car mechanic, It's hard to imagine anything more American looking than one of those long wheelbase GM front wheel drives, long, low, and full of cut pile, velour, and plastic burlwood. If they were trying to imitate the Europeans with that, it sure never once occurred to me. They were great cars though in spite of all the plastic burlwood. They were clean and well laid out, reliable, Buick V6 powered, and completely lacking the maze of oil soaked hoses, wires, and plastic valves in the way of everything that was typical for the time. It remains the only GM car of that period I ever seriously considered buying. If you didn't like the reverse hood on the Buick, you could always get the Oldsmobile. It's the same car without the reverse hood.

 

[Df824]

The clam shell hood is the party piece in my le sabre

[Andy J]

I had an '87 Buick Century with the 3800 engine,probably the overall best car I ever owned.The transmission went out at 269k miles and the vinyl top was ragged.I couldn't justify spending the money it would take to make it right so I sold it.The engine didn't use a drop of oil and was always trouble free.I wish I had it back to make it like new.I have a little more money to play with today than I had back then.