At $9,500, Does This 1989 Buick LeSabre Cut The Mustard?
Today’s Nice Price or No Dice Buick wagon almost has it all: a two-way tailgate, eight-passenger seating, and a V8 under the hood for serene motoring. Let’s see what such an all-encompassing throwback might reasonably be worth.
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The seller of yesterday’s fairly rare 2002 VW GTI 337 explained in the ad that it suffered from a flywheel judder, something they claimed to be a common issue on the GTI. Of course, that was using common in a derogatory fashion—in the same manner as is described the “common cold” or a “commonly held misconception.” That wasn’t the only strike the GTI faced, and at $4,900, those added up to a fairly common outcome: an 82 percent No Dice loss.
According to the current count, there are around 7,220 different car and truck models sold globally, spread across 130 different brands. That’s a lot, and it could be forgiven if some of those makers double-dipped or found themselves with some model overlap.
That happened to Buick back in the mid 1980s while transitioning its big cars from an earlier RWD platform to the new hotness FWD design. All of the sedans and coupes made the switch, but with no estate planned for the new H-platform that took center stage in 1986, the longroof edition of the older RWD B-body had to soldier on for another half-decade. Not only that, but at the time, the Estate was sold under both the Electra and LeSabre model names. Aside from grilles, badging, and some trim, it’s challenging to tell one from the other.
We know this 1989 Buick Estate is a LeSabre because the ad tells us so. It also informs that the big highway cruiser has just 83,000 miles on the clock, power windows and locks, and an amplifier for the stereo that has yet to be installed.
I’m pretty sure any serious potential buyer would demur the offer of the installed amp, but everything else about this big Buick seems fairly desirable. It’s a size and form factor that’s uncommon these days, and features styling that shows that off well. Sadly lacking is the almost de rigueur vinyl wood cladding, but the car’s acres of paint is nonetheless in decent shape and perfectly serviceable.
Of note, there is a sizable dent on the driver’s side rear flank, but that doesn’t look to have broken through the paint or involve any complex lines or corners so it should be easy to repair. There is also some minor rust under the two-way tailgate, and the front bumper fillers seem to have gone missing. Other than that, however, the car comes across as complete and useable.
Things appear to be even better in the cabin. This is a true eight-seater with three-across benches for the front two rows and a pop-up rear-facing two-fer in the back. One of the funny aspects of that third row is that while its size means it was clearly intended for children, it oddly enough comes equipped with an ashtray. That, and the rest of the cabin appear to be in excellent shape, with no obvious wear and no sign of any goofball amp.
According to the ad, the engine is a “350 big block,” but that’s potentially incorrect as there are no big block 350s of which I am aware (clue me in in the comments, if there are) and the only engine available on this car was the 140-horsepower 307 V8. Regardless of displacement discrepancies, there’s a brand-new carb atop this car’s mill, and it sends its ponies through a three-speed automatic with space-saving column shift.
A clean title closes the book on the Buick, which leads us to its $9,500 asking price. What do you think about demanding that big a stack of cash for this big a Buick? Does that feel in the ballpark for a classic don’t-build-‘em-like-that-anymore wagon in such nice condition? Or, does this LeSabre’s price need some slicing and dicing?
You decide!
Facebook Marketplace out of Clio, Alabama, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to phalvorson for the hookup!
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