![]() 11/27/2018 at 09:15 • Filed to: None | ![]() | ![]() |
Farewell to the facility that built the best car ever made, the Buick LeSabre .
![]() 11/27/2018 at 09:18 |
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the factory is gonna rest like the lesabre drives, zzz
![]() 11/27/2018 at 09:23 |
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Best car ever? Funny, that doesn’t look l ike a Pontiac G6 GT.
![]() 11/27/2018 at 09:35 |
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![]() 11/27/2018 at 09:44 |
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Atlanta Assembly and Wixom and Milpitas are all gone. All my FERDs are orphans.
![]() 11/27/2018 at 10:13 |
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G6 GTP with the 3.9l/6-speed manual.
Holy hell is that a fun combo. 10/10 would buy one.
![]() 11/27/2018 at 10:13 |
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* Goes back to looking at Lesabres on CL*
![]() 11/27/2018 at 10:27 |
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Seriously. I have a weird obsession for late 00's LeSabres. Something about a large, comfy cruiser that are less than $6,000 speaks to me right now.
![]() 11/27/2018 at 10:28 |
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Unfortunately, there are only 3 with a stick for sale (on autotrader, at least) with the cheapest being $4990. For a 12 year old (pre-bailout!) GM product.
![]() 11/27/2018 at 10:50 |
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![]() 11/27/2018 at 12:00 |
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I’ve got a few on my list currently. All look pretty clean, all have around 150k miles, all are under $2k.
I have an irrational love for them. Although is it really irrational to want a comfortable cruiser that gets good mileage for cheap?
![]() 11/27/2018 at 12:01 |
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No sedans, that sucks.
![]() 11/27/2018 at 12:20 |
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Nope..
https://annarbor.craigslist.org/cto/d/2000-buick-lesabre-low/6730273385.html
![]() 11/27/2018 at 12:25 |
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https://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/cto/d/2003-buick-lesabre-limited/6753234116.html
Almost half the price. Looks just as clean, albeit a few more miles.
![]() 11/27/2018 at 12:37 |
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Nope. But you should get a Regal GSE.
Built in Oshawa. Nicer interior. Nicer engine. Barely broken in at moon mileage.
![]() 11/27/2018 at 15:51 |
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Makes and models come and go...Murdersofas are forever.
![]() 11/27/2018 at 16:06 |
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Aren’t they all 3800s?
Honestly I like the Lesabre and Park Ave better because they’re slightly larger, making them better for carrying the fam.
![]() 11/27/2018 at 16:36 |
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Everything but the Century is 3800 powered. The Century is a 3100. The 3800 Series II supercharged is objectively best though.
The Park Avenue Ultra is also a good option (ALWAYS get the Ultra. Without boost, it is severely underpowered.) Of course, the Park Ave Ultra? Is just an upscale LeSabre.
![]() 11/27/2018 at 16:55 |
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I won’t touch a 3100 powered car, even with someone else’s money.
Didn’t the SC3800s have a few more issues than the NA version?
![]() 11/27/2018 at 17:07 |
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Honestly, there’s no reason not to, other than the miserable performance. I saw them in for actual repairs even less frequently than the 3800's. (Intake manifold gaskets, anyone? Ugh.)
But no, the 3800 Supercharged has less problems on the whole, so long as it’s been properly maintained. That means change the supercharger oil and supercharger belt in addition to the stuff you’d do on the 3800. The SC’s got MUCH stouter internals.
True story: 3800 Series II in a Park Ave Ultra. Owner was legitimately deaf. Filled it with 87 octane for 50,000 miles, while driving it with a lead food. It drove into the shop and into the bay under it’s own power with 5 fingered pistons . And it started RIGHT BACK UP when it was moved out of the bay to wait for a replacement engine.
![]() 11/27/2018 at 17:14 |
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I think finding a SC one around here that’s been properly maintained will likely be the issue. Willing to bet most have never had oil/belt changed in their 150k+ lives.
I would prefer it, but I won’t hold my breathe. Intake gaskets are a quick/easy job, so that’s really not a deterrent IMO, and once they’re fixed right, they’re usually good for a long time. The NA motor tends to get a little better mileage as well from my experience, which is a plus for something used as a daily cruiser.
3100s in my experience are hit or miss. You either got a good one or you got a shit one. How they’re maintained doesn’t seem to have any effect on this either. Far too many of these have failed early in life for us to even consider something with that boat anchor.
![]() 11/27/2018 at 17:21 |
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Doesn’t matter. Just do the oil and belt when you buy it. All failing to do the oil does, is make it run a bit hotter and wears out the belt faster. It’s not a big deal.
The intake manifold gaskets have a revised part, almost every 3800 has it by now. Otherwise they blow in the 30k neighborhood. Maybe 60k if you’re really lucky. Once and done. The non-SC motor gets worse mileage in everything but the Regal, too. That’s a fact. Only time it doesn’t is if you feed it shitty gas. 93 octane, 10% ethanol maximum , and it’ll do 400 miles to the tank highway easy.
Though if it’s been fed BP for any significant portion of it’s life when new? Replace all six injectors . BP had a formulation of their 93 commonly sold in the northeast and eastern midwest that quite literally ate the injector internals. GM knew it. BP knew it. GM lost their shit at BP, BP told GM to fuck off, it was a whole fucking thing. BP finally changed their formulation when the feds stepped in.
Otherwise? Only real risk point is the transmission and wheel bearings. Wheel bearings are no big, and even I can rebuild those transmissions.