1986 Buick Century Limited review from North America
"A comfortable winter-beater"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Water pump needed replacement soon after I bought the car.
The correct coolant sensor was hard to find, and didn't work when I replaced it. I ended up installing a home-made fan switch that I control from in the car.
Typical 1980's GM exhaust problems. Holes were found at the bracket points and the muffler rotted out after I bought the car.
Engine has developed a "tick" at 161K that makes it seem as though it's misfiring. It's the current problem to be solved with this car...
General comments?
The car is a good winter-beater that seems adequately powered by the 2.8 V6 (despite being carburated).
With just 112 hp, the engine seems to do better with gas mileage, but nothing spectacular or close to modern-day cars.
Overall, this car is a comfortable ride and a good cruising car. It's not a racer and it really can't be modified all that much for any gain. Handling is typical of a cruising car and lighting is poor due to the sealed-beam headlights.
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| 1986 - Century Custom 2.5 Liter Awesome car, very reliable |
|
| Reliable, Dependable, Butt Ugly |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1986 |
| First year of ownership | 2000 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2002 |
| Engine and transmission | Carbed 2.8 V6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 5 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 7 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 130000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 161000 miles |
| Previous car | Chrysler LeBaron |
| Date of Entry | 11th October, 2002 |