1983 Buick LeSabre Limited 307 5.0 from North America

Summary:

Would love to get my hands on the one with the diesel engine

Faults:

Normal wear and tear. Nothing major.

General Comments:

Best car I've owned for the money paid. Took it from Phoenix to El Paso 3 times with no issues. Comfortable as could be.

Strong running engine, only problem might be the gas price, but it compensates big time. It truly is a land yacht.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th December, 2011

1983 Buick LeSabre Limited VIN 9 Olds 307 V8 from North America

Summary:

Best $2400 I ever spent

Faults:

AC compressor locked up.

Rubber bumper fillers rotted off.

When using cruise control, carb. will stick at wide open throttle, resulting in the car taking off like a rocket.

General Comments:

To sum up this car: classy, quick, and cool. Highlights include a burgundy paint job with burgundy vinyl top and red/burgundy crushed velour interior.

This car is seriously the most fun you can ever have driving a car from the 1980's. It is an automatic head turner. High Output Hurst/Olds engine (180 hp/ 245 ft/lbs of torque) is enough to peel out down the street, but gets good gas mileage (over 20). The engine sounds very powerful, and will make people do a double take. The engine accelerates effortlessly, especially when on the highway.

The handling is nimble. The steering wheel is very sensitive, and is not very forgiving (i.e. has no deadspot whatsoever).

Original rear air shocks are a nice touch, and give the car a raked look.

Pretty much this car is the 1980's version of a sedan sleeper. No one expects that a "grampa car" is actually a performance sedan (I should mention that the car is bone stock in every way).

Only gripes are the locks and window cranks work opposite of every other car I've owned, and front seat back is not adjustable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 13th September, 2010

1983 Buick LeSabre Custom 4.1 liter 2bbl from North America

Summary:

I'd buy 10 more old Buicks if I could

Faults:

Tie rod ends $33.

Valve cover gaskets $11.

Front sway bar bushings $6.50.

Idler arm $11.

General Comments:

This car is pretty cool; I paid $300 for it, and it gets me to work every day.

It's missing vital engine parts but still runs fine. The engine computer is M.I.A., the choke is gone, but it still runs great and gets pretty good mileage for 5000 pounds of old steel.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 26th November, 2008

28th Nov 2008, 07:59

This car weighs about 3700 lbs with a V6, and there's plenty of plastic to go with that steel. My 1995 GMC Sierra Extended cab doesn't even weigh 5000 lbs.

29th Nov 2008, 08:18

The last LeSabres or any Buick for that matter to weigh 5,000 pounds were in 1976.

1983 Buick LeSabre Limited Olds 307 from North America

Summary:

A nice example of automotive history

Faults:

Replaced the Transmission pan gasket at 81,000 miles.

Replaced all the belts and hoses at 81,000 miles.

Replaced the valve cover gaskets at about 82,000 miles.

Gave it a tune up (plugs, plug wires, rotor, rotor button)

It was mostly all general maintenance as the car had been sitting since 1990 and these things had been neglected. Everything else worked perfect.

I had to replace the poor Oldsmobile 307 with an Oldsmobile 350 at 85,000 miles (see details below).

I think the transmission is getting ready to sour on me, it doesn't like to shift when it's cold outside.

General Comments:

First, it wasn't the engines fault, the 307 is a trooper, kind of on the weak side, but it was reliable and never gave up on me. I live in a rather mountainous area of the US and you don't realize you're pulling a pretty good grade, until you're in an old car trying to keep up with the traffic on the interstate. Anyway I thought the car had shifted out of overdrive and into 3rd, but in fact had shifted into second. The exhaust noise in the car was too quiet to make any kind of judgment about RPMs so I didn't know what was really going on.

Apparently GM thought all I needed to know was how fast I was going and how much gas I had left, no tachometer, no oil pressure gage, no temp gage (this isn't a blow to GM, my Grand Marquis is the same way). So we went 75 mph in second gear for about 50 miles and the car didn't die it just started making strange noises. I pulled off the road and let it cool down, but the damage was done, couple of spun rod bearings and a blown head gasket. The car was able to drive the last 20 miles into town, no tow truck needed. Like I said, the engine is a trooper.

Everything else on the car works perfectly, the seats are more comfortable than my living room couch and I like knowing I'm surrounded by steel. If somebody doesn't want to wait their turn at a four way stop, I'm fairly positive I'll come out feeling better than they will.

The ride is comfy and I can fly over bumpy rail road crossings without feeling much, if anything. Plus I don't have to worry about my friends "borrowing" my car, they won't drive it, it's too big and ugly.

I still have my Buick and I plan on having it forever, but if anything should happen to it I will be seeking out another B Body Buick of the 1980's. Great cars to say the least.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st January, 2008