1975 Buick Electra with rare airbag option

[Guest Shaffer]

Currently on E-bay, there is a 1975 Buick Electra Limited 4dr with the rare airbag option. Thought some may like to see what the steering wheel looked like on these models. I think only 10,000 full-size Oldsmobiles, Buicks and Cadillacs had the option between 1974 and 1975. My grandmother used to have a 1974 Oldsmobile Toronado with the airbag option. Also, from the photos in my 1975 and 1976 Oldsmobile sales brochures, it looks like the same steering wheel was used on Buicks and Oldsmobiles and I am sure Cadillac probably had the same wheel. The only downfall, is that I think the airbag equipped models could not have tilt steering. I guess at that time, technology was not good enough to incorporate tilt steering in a airbag equipped car. Also, not sure, but according to my Oldsmobile brochures, it says it eliminates the seatbelts. I am understanding that airbag equipped models have no seatbelts, or at least shoulder belts. Today and even back in the late 80s to early 90s when airbags starting coming out in more cars, they said always wear seat belt- even with airbags. How times change. Also, it was also to my understanding, that the cars was only equipped with driver airbags, but according to the brochures, the cars have dual airbags- which would make them the first cars to have dual airbags, as in 1984 Mercedes only had a driver side airbag as a option and not dual airbags until 1989, as well as the Lincoln Continental. I think it is neat to see a mid 70s car with airbags. Also neat is the ABS option on the early 70s Lincolns and I think Chrysler even offered it in the mid 70s. Here is the link to the car (75 Buick) if anyone wants to see it:<BR> <A HREF="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1849579746" TARGET=_blank>http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1849579746</A>

[NTX5467]

As I recall, the air bar option on larger GM cars back then was an effort to silence the insurance lobby people and to get some real world experience with the option. I don't recall the seat belt deletion situation, though. At that time, the insurance people were telling everyone how easy it would be to have airbags keep them in place instead of the cumbersome seat belts in use back then, but I suspect only the shoulder harness would be deleted. I do have a service manual on that option, but I'll have to get it from the archives. When I found it at a dealership "clean-out", I picked it up as more of a little known novelty than anything else. <P>The insurance people were pushing airbags as the next, greatest safety innovation. That was many years before any real, substantive research was done on those contraptions. Another easy fix to a complex problem, it seems.<P>The ABS brake deals you mention were only on the rear wheels on the GM and Ford applications. The '74-5 Chrysler Imperial had a 4 wheel disc brake option which could also have 4 wheel ABS on it, but very few of those cars had the ABS option.<P>"Popular Mechanics" magazine did a big article on the Chrylser system and how technically advanced it was. Unlike the Ford and GM systems which were either "on" or "off", the Chrysler system had two different pressure levels it could use, plus "off" also. Plus it was on all 4 wheels with speed sensors at each wheel--the Ford and GM systems used one speed sensor on the driveshaft (as I understand). Remember, this was 1974!<P>As with most safety related options, the Chrysler 4 wheel ABS system lasted only a few model years and saw dismal installation rates. Price, complexity (computers!), and lack of knowledge could have been factors. Recall also that that was back when drivers had real skills in vehicular control too instead or relying on the car to "save" them.<P>Enjoy!<BR>NTX5467

[rocketraider]

Tony, did you pick up that 1974 ACRS service manual that was on ebay a few weeks ago? I got one of them and it came with the mechanic's training completion certificate and handwritten notes from the GM training class in Parma OH. I was really tickled to get it.

[Guest Shaffer]

Your right, the Ford was only on the rear wheels. In the mid 70s Ford also offered 4-wheel disc brakes on the LTD sedan and wagon, and the Marquis. Perhaps even the Lincoln. <P>ROCKET: Yes, I did win that ACRS manual, but strange, I have not got it yet. I am going to have to e-mail the owner to see when it was sent.

[NTX5467]

I don't recall rear disc brakes on anything other than a Lincoln Versailles (which also had rear anti-lock; on the Ford Granada platform) in that time frame in the FoMoCo camp. I suspect if they were also on the larger Ford/Mercury/Lincoln models, the street rodders and racers would have been after those 9" ring gear axles for race cars, but the Versailles is the only one I've heard them mention being desireable for its rear disc brakes--but that doesn't mean they might have been a little known option on the other vehicles too.<P>Just some thoughts . . .<BR>NTX5467

[66400]

Rear disc brakes were available on the '75-'78 full size Ford and Mercury, '75-'79 Lincoln and'75-'79 Lincoln Mark IV and V. This was a large bulky coil spring rear end. 4 wheel disc were offered on '75-'78 Ford Granada and Mercury Monarch along with the '77-79 Lincoln Versailes with leaf springs. Henry

[Guest Shaffer]

You are right NTX- the rear end was swiped out of a lot of the big mid 70s LTDs with the rear discs.

[Guest]

You can see the lap belts in the interior picture.

[Guest Shaffer]

Your right. Never noticed that. I think it only deleted the shoulder belts. I am a little upset now, as earlier this evening, there was 15 copies of a 1974 Cadillac airbag catalog. No one bid but ne until the last minute. I had forgotton about it until the last few seconds. It was at about $2.50. When I finally got to the bid screen, it had ended. They sold for $21.00+ Oh well. Also, it does seem as if the steering wheel was the same for each car. Here is the link to them and the photo is still there. It shows the dash of a 74 Cadillac with the airbags. The Oldsmobiles and Buicks have the same steering wheel. <BR> <A HREF="http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2128845889&r=0&t=0&showTutorial=0&ed=1029264592&indexURL=0&rd=1" TARGET=_blank>http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2128845889&r=0&t=0&showTutorial=0&ed=1029264592&indexURL=0&rd=1</A>

[Guest Shaffer]

Ironically, there is now a 1975 Cadillac Sedan DeVille with the airbag option listed on E-Bay. Seems to be a few more of these with the option for sale lately. <A HREF="http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1851393530" TARGET=_blank>http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1851393530</A> <BR>Here is the link to it. No interior photos.<p>[ 08-14-2002: Message edited by: Shaffer ]

[Philippe Racicot]

This car is very similar to my 75 Electra but mine is verde green with green cloth interior. It is true that cars with air cuishion restraint system could not have tilt steering. They also had no shoulder belts but they still had lap belts. The annoying starter interlock (on U.S. cars) was deleted and the seat belt buzzer and light was deleted. The bottom of the dash on A.C.R.S. cars was also padded. Some old documentation says that cars with air bags could not be ordered with passenger side remote mirror but this is false at least for 75 Buicks. Convertibles, wagons and cars with console shift or without air conditionning could not be ordered with A.C.R.S.