An update to the high mileage Buick LeSabre. In this video I begin cleaning the interior, stop by a wrecking yard for some more parts, and flush the engine.
Everyone’s hand-me-down first car when I was in high school. Now that I’m in my 30s I’d actually like to have a beater or even a nice one to run around in on the weekends. Actually my favorite first gen 3800 car is the olds 98 touring sedan. If I could get my hands on a well preserved example…
My uncle's very first car was a 1986 Olds 98 Regency sedan. Very comfortable car, and the first car I learned to drive on at the age of 14!! I was anticipating my uncle handing it down to me as my first car, however it sadly caught fire due to an electrical short. :(
Old cars like these can be found on Craigslist and auto auctions from time to time. If you find one on Craigslist, my advice is to check those vehicle very close because many people won't tell you every problem a car sold there may have.
I’m not surprised about the OeM coolant hoses. I like you was raised with an old school maintenance mindset of replacing belts/hoses every 30-50k miles. But the last 10 yrs or so I’ve been keeping oem parts on til they fail. They are just so much better quality than aftermarket Chinese parts and often they last til I get rid of the vehicle! Changing fluids is important though for longevity of the engine, trans, power steering, brake, and cooling systems. Bravo for all the fluid changes you’ve done. That old Buick may make half a million miles or better!
That is exactly my thinking. Good quality parts seem to last the life of the vehicle. Fluid changes help a lot in keeping the cars on the road. It could make it to half a million!
I remember when I worked at a Buick dealership back in the 70’s. Our service advisor and the technicians recommended changing radiator and heater hoses every three years regardless of mileage. I remember as a kid our two year old car bursting a radiator hose in the middle of the Badlands in South Dakota. Fortunately a good samaritan gave my father a lift into the town of Wall where he was able to buy a new hose and he installed it in the parking lot where we were stranded after the family was gracious enough to give him a ride all the way back to where our car was stranded.
Yes! 3 years regardless of mileage. I worked in a dealership parts department and would check in the special order parts and noticed that radiator hoses were being recommended less and less. We would service late model cars mostly. Occasionally we would sell some hoses though. That was nice of them to give your father a ride back to the car. No cell phones in those days!
@@highmileagehopes9860 I had an easier time contacting people when they had no idea who was calling. When I was working I finally had to resort to texting customers because the millennials would never answer their phone.
Both my cars are 31 and 27 years old respectively, and both have all original rad hoses. The older one just blew a small heater hose after all this time and guess what!? Nobody has this small little cheap hose available anywhere! The guys at the dealership don't even want to look for the parts number and just told me "Yeah we won't have that, find it in a junkyard" which first off, I own like one out of 15 of these cars still on the road in my country, and secondly, even if I by some miracle find one, it won't be any better than the one that blew!
Amazing car. Keep care of it, it might very well drive another 200K. You may want to re-paint the first 8 inches of the hood. Even a quick paint job would make the car looks so much better.
I love velour seats. They just seem to last forever, and even at 400000+ miles they still look more or less flawless. Cheaper fabric seats would've worn through before 200K and leather seats would have cracks all over them unless very meticulously cared for. As an European it's interesting to see these ordinary, used American cars in such great detail since we never really had any of these in here. Thanks for your videos, I just subscribed to your channel and can't wait for more content!
When i first got my 91 Buick LeSabre Custom, i checked out the throttle body to see if it was clean around the throttle flaps. However, on my 3800 engine there is a metal plate with 4 screws , that hides that throttle flap area. So, I unscrewed the metal plate, and found the throttle flap area was extremely dirty with lots of dark carbon. It took some time to clean that area out, but luckily i had a assortment of small round wire brushes that i had bought from (Harbor freight) . After that i screwed the plate back over the throttle body. The importance of cleaning this area is that the 3800 engine will run better because the PCM can more accurately read the amount of air coming thru the throttle body, to adjust the fuel to air ratio mix. Excessive dirt around the throttle body flaps throws the fuel to air ratio mix off thru the PCM.
@@highmileagehopes9860 i agree. Most people don't realize that you need to clean around the flap in the throttle body, because fuel injected vehicle are very sensitive in that area. I try to clean those areas maybe every 6 months or sooner if needed.
Man I love those old cars. They are so easy to work on. No complicated computer systems to diagnose. I have 3 beaters I drive. Wife keeps telling me to get rid of them but I just love them too much. And they are paid for.
I still miss my old Buick, it was the Park Ave version but you can’t beat them for comfort. Also I’ve found a running a litre of ATF for a day works great for flushing out engine sludge too.
i had an 87 same motor beautiful ride a friend back around 1989 had a t type version with full ground effect kit was a sweet ride i love yours sir good luck with it
I am really amazed that LeSabre is in as good as shape it is with 448K on it. You might want to watch the detailgeek on youtube see him clean the interior of car and the tools he uses.
A good mixture is 50/50 mix of your favorite laundry detergent and Dawn platinum will definitely help bring back the interior and smells really good, I would definitely replace the pcv valve cause of the Miles
Who ever owned that car must have really looked after it half a million miles and she still runs like a watch so glad you saved her and are carrying on looking after her she is a real credit to buick Can I be rude and ask what you paid for her ?
A couple things to watch out for are water pumps thermostats and fuel pumps. Sometimes the electric fan relay and make sure that radiator has been flushed and pressure tested at least. Mainly those are the gremlins. Heater cores also. Great Videos, people love that car because a majority of us either owned one and still wonder why we got rid of it or we had a loved one who had it and are no longer with us.
Yes! I have been keeping an eye on things like that. Replaced the thermostat and flushed the radiator numerous times to get all the junk out. Its holding its own with coolant now. These cars bring a lot of memories back for people.
Just found your channel and already addicted. I love seeing older cars being gently restored. Not back to mint, just the basic maintenance. I have a 2003 GMC Yukon with 240k miles that I have been being back and your videos are giving me some ideas. You also have a nice calming voice 😂. Thanks
Thank you! I like that, gently restoring them. You have that right, as it would cost a literal fortune to restore them to showroom condition. Just making them reliable and clean enough to be used again. Thank you so much, and way to go with your Yukon!
So glad I found your channel. My first car was a white 89 lesabre like yours except mine had the red interior. It was a hand me down from my grandmother who had it for about 15 years and gave it to me before she passed. I enjoyed it for 7-8 years when I was forced to sell it due to some unfortunate circumstances. I tried buying it back but the new owners niece wrecked it. I’m still bummed about it but your videos bring back some nice memories. Thank you
Sorry to hear what happened to your car. It’s especially difficult when it has sentimental meaning as well. I’m glad that these videos could bring you some memories!
I have an 88 LeSabre. Unfortunately it's been in a crash that blew out the front headlight and back tail light with some bumper and panel damage on both sides. Can't find any of these in the junk yards here in Michigan. I bought this car 8 years ago for $1000 with 63000 and one owner. It's had the check engine light popping on and off since I bought it, but overall it's be a great reliable daily driver with minimal upkeep. I'm at 145000. I had a 91 LeSabre prior but the frame was rusting. Grew up with my dad driving these. I hope I can buy one in mint condition one day. They're getting harder to find and certain parts just aren't around anymore.
It's definitely hard getting parts for them such as headlights and taillights. The wrecking yards in my area charge way too much for used parts. Most of everything just ends of getting crushed because not enough people are driving these cars and the ones that still are won't pay the ridiculous prices for them. A few years this generation of LeSabre were showing up all the time in the junk yards. I still see there are a couple 1991's within a 100 miles of me in the junk yards. Keep checking eBay and the wrecking yards maybe one will show up. They are great cars, defiantly brings back memories of another time!
I hope the clamp is just hiding in the video! I will check that because I did put one on. Thanks for pointing that out! Looking forward to future videos.
I love the series, I just watched them all.. Well done. As a former mechanic you Really are doing a service for folks. I had a 72 and a 80 olds toronado and they both got over 300k on them. Even now i have a 2001 Subaru Outback with 282k and a 2010 Ford explorer w/256k on it. Proper maintenance and Lucas Oil Treatment is what i swear by. Well Done i will be watching. Ps: I wish in CT we had the Pick-A-Part Junk Yards I use to use with that 72 Olds i got in CO as my 1st car, saved me many times.
Thank You!! Yes, Maintenance is key. You have got some serious mileage out of your cars because you take care of them. Recently saw about a 1999 Forester with 300k on it in near perfect shape, because someone cared.
I've had three of this model, two were very good cars, the other had transmission issues. What they lacked in style they made up for it in dependability and comfortable ride.
I would’ve gotten the grill out of the maroon Buick that you pulled the parts from last since yours has a broken piece gone off it. I enjoy the videos, A shade tree paint job and some Buick aluminum wheels of that era and some new tires would really set it off.
That’s true! Yes, under different circumstances I would have pulled the grill out but they charge such expensive prices for low demand parts it wasn’t worth it.
Love these videos & thanks for doing them. Last week I bought the opposite to what you have but it sure is impressive how long these cars last. I bought a 2 owner 96 Buick Park Avenue Ultra with original 21000 miles. Garage kept & used regularly just not driven daily. Even has original uncracked 26 year old Gold Seal tires which I plan to replace due to age . Any thoughts on what else I should replace due to age? I live in extremely low humidity Calgary Alberta Canada . Any suggestions greatly appreciated. I have 3 other cars & this Buick will be only driven occasional to car shows. Thanks again.
Wow what a find! If you have service records or a CarFax see what has been done so you don't have to do things twice. Fluids are what I focus on as they are like the blood of the car. Coolant, brake fluid, check transmission fluid and color, power steering fluid. Some of it may not be old from mileage just time. That's around the time GM started using Dexcool and it would not be friendly to your cooling system if it got old or contaminated with other coolant, so flushing that out COMPLETELY would be a first for me (personal choice) I use a universal coolant after the system is completely clean but Dexcool has gotten better in the recent years. I would recommend changing the fuel filter and checking the air filter. Then just drive the car and see how it behaves.
She's coming along nice. I'd say the fact you are not destroying the old girl is helping with the views. While front drivers ain't my cup of tea, you still got like a car thats lasted this long. As for rad hoses, my theory, like most things, back then they still had all the good chemicals and ingredients that allowed the rubber to survive, and it'll give you plenty of warning (with a soft spot or a buldge you would see while its running) giving you a chance to take care of it before catastophic hose failure. I don't think we'd be as lucky with modern production hoses where cost cutting and chemical subsitutions are the norm any more.
Thank you for that, Yes I hate seeing running driving cars destroyed for TH-cam views. You are probably right with the chemicals in the rubber hoses and that's why they lasted as long as they did.
If you really want to clean the carpet it needs the triple detail. It's a bit of work, but hard work leads to great results. What I have seen done is to remove the seats and the carpet - then use an upholstery steam cleaner for spectacular results. With the seats and carpet removed you can not only get them really clean - but you can set them out in the sun to completely dry and not become moldy. I'm not sure when, but at some point, most domestics started using very high-quality hoses that can last way longer than you would ever expect.
The carpeting looks pretty badly faded. I ran a detail shop for years and while you can improve the appearance of the carpeting by shampooing, don’t expect miracles.
I'd like to have an old LeSabre like this one for a summer commuter, an XV20 Camry would be my choice for a winter commuter as they're less prone to catastrophic rust like these old GM cars
Try some purple power mixed 50/50. Careful it may lighten fabrics. Meguiars makes a good all purpose cleaner if you afraid purple power may damage the color. Don't forget to change the atf and coolant.
Did you know that cars and people are simular in design, feet and wheels move us, shoes and tires protect the feet and wheels, we both have fluids running through our systems, we both both require fuel and emit it, people are like plug in cars, we need to recharge a car only has to stop to refuel.
It's possible the original owner bought extra parts for his Buick. Not likely but. Whoever had that car took good 👍 care of it. Extra hoses would be a smart buy. It's really hard to believe he got 446,000 miles on the original hoses.
Might be kind of an odd question, but I've been wondering how to replace the headlights on my '89, I've removed the grille and then I get stuck. Does the whole bumper need to be removed as well in order to access it?
I have not removed the headlight assembly’s in this car, only a bulb. I went out and looked at it and directly above the headlight on the metal are holes where you can fit a socket on an extension and loosen bolts. I am assuming this is to remove the headlight assembly, but since I have not done this before I can not say for certain. Maybe someone that has done this before can comment.
I don’t know if the fluid was original or not, I mean it still had color to it so that’s a good thing and it was shifting good before but even better now.
A friend back in Toronto Dad had a 87 Park Avenue with 3.8 I remember 20 years ago he had close to 500 000 km just regular maintenance , they're most likely bit heavy now with gas prices, but for a nice winter beater, and highway runner for long distances why not,
That's a fair amount of km on that car! They are a heavy car but I got over 24 miles a gallon last time I filled up. Not Prius fuel economy but not bad for a big car.
@@highmileagehopes9860 That's not bad, nice Highway Cruiser , I wouldn't be using it for the city driving, 3.8 engine is bulletproof along you keep basic maintenance on her
It’s essentially where all the vacuum lines intersect to get the pressure from. This part on the 3800 the part is a little hard to come by as it’s bot made new right now, junk yard is the best bet if you can find one in good shape.
This car has under 100000 miles i can tell from the wear on the brakes and gas petal the instrumental panal is from another car u found a jewel it was common replacement.
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Everyone’s hand-me-down first car when I was in high school. Now that I’m in my 30s I’d actually like to have a beater or even a nice one to run around in on the weekends. Actually my favorite first gen 3800 car is the olds 98 touring sedan. If I could get my hands on a well preserved example…
Yep! A dime a dozen too. The olds 98 is a nice car, you should be able to find one eventually.
My uncle's very first car was a 1986 Olds 98 Regency sedan. Very comfortable car, and the first car I learned to drive on at the age of 14!! I was anticipating my uncle handing it down to me as my first car, however it sadly caught fire due to an electrical short. :(
Everyone did have this in high-school 😂
Old cars like these can be found on Craigslist and auto auctions from time to time. If you find one on Craigslist, my advice is to check those vehicle very close because many people won't tell you every problem a car sold there may have.
Never thought I’d subscribe to a channel because of an old high mileage Buick… but here I am 😉
Haha well thank you!!
Those were great cars back in the day!!
I love these cars , I had a 91 Lesabre and an 88 park Ave. miss them
I’m not surprised about the OeM coolant hoses. I like you was raised with an old school maintenance mindset of replacing belts/hoses every 30-50k miles. But the last 10 yrs or so I’ve been keeping oem parts on til they fail. They are just so much better quality than aftermarket Chinese parts and often they last til I get rid of the vehicle! Changing fluids is important though for longevity of the engine, trans, power steering, brake, and cooling systems. Bravo for all the fluid changes you’ve done. That old Buick may make half a million miles or better!
That is exactly my thinking. Good quality parts seem to last the life of the vehicle. Fluid changes help a lot in keeping the cars on the road. It could make it to half a million!
@@highmileagehopes9860 take it on a long road trip adventure and keep us posted how it does!
I remember when I worked at a Buick dealership back in the 70’s. Our service advisor and the technicians recommended changing radiator and heater hoses every three years regardless of mileage. I remember as a kid our two year old car bursting a radiator hose in the middle of the Badlands in South Dakota. Fortunately a good samaritan gave my father a lift into the town of Wall where he was able to buy a new hose and he installed it in the parking lot where we were stranded after the family was gracious enough to give him a ride all the way back to where our car was stranded.
Yes! 3 years regardless of mileage. I worked in a dealership parts department and would check in the special order parts and noticed that radiator hoses were being recommended less and less. We would service late model cars mostly. Occasionally we would sell some hoses though. That was nice of them to give your father a ride back to the car. No cell phones in those days!
@@highmileagehopes9860
Yes, it was 1968, long before cell phones. In a way I think we were better off.
@@dave1956 Yes, I think we were better off. Less ways to communicate but we communicated more.
@@highmileagehopes9860
I had an easier time contacting people when they had no idea who was calling. When I was working I finally had to resort to texting customers because the millennials would never answer their phone.
Both my cars are 31 and 27 years old respectively, and both have all original rad hoses. The older one just blew a small heater hose after all this time and guess what!? Nobody has this small little cheap hose available anywhere! The guys at the dealership don't even want to look for the parts number and just told me "Yeah we won't have that, find it in a junkyard" which first off, I own like one out of 15 of these cars still on the road in my country, and secondly, even if I by some miracle find one, it won't be any better than the one that blew!
Great video. No one appreciates these old cars anymore glad to see someone cares about them
Thank You!!
Awesome to see someone keeping these old cars going. Shame someone gave up on the two door at the yard. Always hurts to see a two door bite the dust
Thank You! I always get a little sad when I see something like that Buick in the yard.
Now that I'm in my late 50's, this is the nice comfy type car I'm looking for. The only thing it's missing is AWD.
Very true!
We have a 1990 Le Sabre 4 door with 170, 000 miles, bought it cheap put a Maaco paint job on it and love it .
That's awesome!
Amazing car. Keep care of it, it might very well drive another 200K. You may want to re-paint the first 8 inches of the hood. Even a quick paint job would make the car looks so much better.
David Dunbar Buick, would be proud!
I love velour seats. They just seem to last forever, and even at 400000+ miles they still look more or less flawless. Cheaper fabric seats would've worn through before 200K and leather seats would have cracks all over them unless very meticulously cared for.
As an European it's interesting to see these ordinary, used American cars in such great detail since we never really had any of these in here. Thanks for your videos, I just subscribed to your channel and can't wait for more content!
Thank you for your comment! I completely agree with you about the seats. Thank you for subscribing, and I look forward to future videos as well!
When i first got my 91 Buick LeSabre Custom, i checked out the throttle body to see if it was clean around the throttle flaps. However, on my 3800 engine there is a metal plate with 4 screws , that hides that throttle flap area. So, I unscrewed the metal plate, and found the throttle flap area was extremely dirty with lots of dark carbon. It took some time to clean that area out, but luckily i had a assortment of small round wire brushes that i had bought from (Harbor freight) . After that i screwed the plate back over the throttle body. The importance of cleaning this area is that the 3800 engine will run better because the PCM can more accurately read the amount of air coming thru the throttle body, to adjust the fuel to air ratio mix. Excessive dirt around the throttle body flaps throws the fuel to air ratio mix off thru the PCM.
That's great you took the time to clean it, some people overlook details like that and it makes a huge difference!
@@highmileagehopes9860 i agree. Most people don't realize that you need to clean around the flap in the throttle body, because fuel injected vehicle are very sensitive in that area. I try to clean those areas maybe every 6 months or sooner if needed.
Man I love those old cars. They are so easy to work on. No complicated computer systems to diagnose. I have 3 beaters I drive. Wife keeps telling me to get rid of them but I just love them too much. And they are paid for.
Exactly! They are paid for, the parts are cheap and you don't have to worry about them going down in value.
I still miss my old Buick, it was the Park Ave version but you can’t beat them for comfort. Also I’ve found a running a litre of ATF for a day works great for flushing out engine sludge too.
You cant beat the comfort on those cars! Yep, ATF works well for that.
Back in the good old days when Buick actually made cars
i had an 87 same motor beautiful ride a friend back around 1989 had a t type version with full ground effect kit was a sweet ride i love yours sir good luck with it
Thank you!
Great job on these videos. I believe there is still a lot of love out there for these cars. 3800 motor was definitely one of the best GM put out.
I agree!
Yes it was
Great to see an update! I've enjoyed this series of videos. Glad the old girl is still going strong!
Thank you so much.
Love the the work on a basic car. These are the best kind of videos. Nice job keeping it going
Thank you!
Cool. My first car was an '87 Celebrity. I want one now.
I used to see Celebritys everywhere! Not that common anymore. If you can find a decent one for a good price, I'd say grab it!
I am really amazed that LeSabre is in as good as shape it is with 448K on it. You might want to watch the detailgeek on youtube see him clean the interior of car and the tools he uses.
I have watched him, he has some good tips!
A good mixture is 50/50 mix of your favorite laundry detergent and Dawn platinum will definitely help bring back the interior and smells really good, I would definitely replace the pcv valve cause of the Miles
Great tips! I do plan on replacing the PCV valve. I cleaned it for the time being.
@@highmileagehopes9860 if it still rattles after cleaning it you might be alright for awhile
my favorite lesabre
Great video and beautiful buick 😍😍😍
I love this car, please take care of it. Greets from Argentina!
Thank you! Car is doing well.
I’ve got a 91 lesabre limited, it has 86,000 on it. I’m inspired by yours.
Who ever owned that car must have really looked after it half a million miles and she still runs like a watch so glad you saved her and are carrying on looking after her she is a real credit to buick
Can I be rude and ask what you paid for her ?
It had to have had care for sure to make it this long. I’m just trying to keep it alive. I won the bid for $325 plus auction fees.
@@highmileagehopes9860 omg that's about £225 here in the UK and I would ha e saved her in a heart beat 💓
A couple things to watch out for are water pumps thermostats and fuel pumps. Sometimes the electric fan relay and make sure that radiator has been flushed and pressure tested at least. Mainly those are the gremlins. Heater cores also. Great Videos, people love that car because a majority of us either owned one and still wonder why we got rid of it or we had a loved one who had it and are no longer with us.
Yes! I have been keeping an eye on things like that. Replaced the thermostat and flushed the radiator numerous times to get all the junk out. Its holding its own with coolant now. These cars bring a lot of memories back for people.
Just found your channel and already addicted. I love seeing older cars being gently restored. Not back to mint, just the basic maintenance. I have a 2003 GMC Yukon with 240k miles that I have been being back and your videos are giving me some ideas. You also have a nice calming voice 😂. Thanks
Thank you! I like that, gently restoring them. You have that right, as it would cost a literal fortune to restore them to showroom condition. Just making them reliable and clean enough to be used again. Thank you so much, and way to go with your Yukon!
New subscriber, great content. Love the buick content, I am about to go watch all you uploads. Keep it coming.
Thank You!
So glad I found your channel. My first car was a white 89 lesabre like yours except mine had the red interior. It was a hand me down from my grandmother who had it for about 15 years and gave it to me before she passed. I enjoyed it for 7-8 years when I was forced to sell it due to some unfortunate circumstances. I tried buying it back but the new owners niece wrecked it. I’m still bummed about it but your videos bring back some nice memories. Thank you
Sorry to hear what happened to your car. It’s especially difficult when it has sentimental meaning as well. I’m glad that these videos could bring you some memories!
I have an 88 LeSabre. Unfortunately it's been in a crash that blew out the front headlight and back tail light with some bumper and panel damage on both sides. Can't find any of these in the junk yards here in Michigan. I bought this car 8 years ago for $1000 with 63000 and one owner. It's had the check engine light popping on and off since I bought it, but overall it's be a great reliable daily driver with minimal upkeep. I'm at 145000. I had a 91 LeSabre prior but the frame was rusting. Grew up with my dad driving these. I hope I can buy one in mint condition one day. They're getting harder to find and certain parts just aren't around anymore.
It's definitely hard getting parts for them such as headlights and taillights. The wrecking yards in my area charge way too much for used parts. Most of everything just ends of getting crushed because not enough people are driving these cars and the ones that still are won't pay the ridiculous prices for them. A few years this generation of LeSabre were showing up all the time in the junk yards. I still see there are a couple 1991's within a 100 miles of me in the junk yards. Keep checking eBay and the wrecking yards maybe one will show up. They are great cars, defiantly brings back memories of another time!
better seats than my 97. I use a Hoover Steam vac with attachments to stream the carpets and floors.
That’s what I’m using.
Did you notice you didn't have a upper radiator hose clamp?
Great video, love the oldies
New subscriber keep up the amazing content.
I hope the clamp is just hiding in the video! I will check that because I did put one on. Thanks for pointing that out! Looking forward to future videos.
To be honest with over 400 thousand miles and the original Radiator hoses l Guarantee you wouldn’t see any Toyota Camry would go that far.
cap
Alright. Another LeSabre video. Great one. Love seeing this old girl getting the attention she needs.
Thank You! Yes, glad to finally me getting some stuff done to it.
I love the series, I just watched them all.. Well done. As a former mechanic you Really are doing a service for folks. I had a 72 and a 80 olds toronado and they both got over 300k on them. Even now i have a 2001 Subaru Outback with 282k and a 2010 Ford explorer w/256k on it. Proper maintenance and Lucas Oil Treatment is what i swear by. Well Done i will be watching. Ps: I wish in CT we had the Pick-A-Part Junk Yards I use to use with that 72 Olds i got in CO as my 1st car, saved me many times.
Thank You!! Yes, Maintenance is key. You have got some serious mileage out of your cars because you take care of them. Recently saw about a 1999 Forester with 300k on it in near perfect shape, because someone cared.
back then it wasn't all the Chinese made cheap junk
Great video, thanks.
Just discovered this channel a couple days ago...these videos are awesome! Keep them coming 👍
Thank You!
nicely done. You did a good deed working on this Buick. Thanks!!
Thank you so much!
I've had three of this model, two were very good cars, the other had transmission issues. What they lacked in style they made up for it in dependability and comfortable ride.
What year model cars were your LesSabre's without transmission problems?
i had a 1987 town car, it was a ford, fix or repair daily, i needed a car and it was free.
I like town cars
@@highmileagehopes9860 i liked mine when it ran.
I would’ve gotten the grill out of the maroon Buick that you pulled the parts from last since yours has a broken piece gone off it.
I enjoy the videos, A shade tree paint job and some Buick aluminum wheels of that era and some new tires would really set it off.
That’s true! Yes, under different circumstances I would have pulled the grill out but they charge such expensive prices for low demand parts it wasn’t worth it.
That car is a great find. Thanks for the videos.
Thanks for watching!
Yes !! Another video let’s go :)
Hope you enjoy!
Love these videos & thanks for doing them. Last week I bought the opposite to what you have but it sure is impressive how long these cars last. I bought a 2 owner 96 Buick Park Avenue Ultra with original 21000 miles. Garage kept & used regularly just not driven daily. Even has original uncracked 26 year old Gold Seal tires which I plan to replace due to age . Any thoughts on what else I should replace due to age? I live in extremely low humidity Calgary Alberta Canada . Any suggestions greatly appreciated. I have 3 other cars & this Buick will be only driven occasional to car shows. Thanks again.
Wow what a find! If you have service records or a CarFax see what has been done so you don't have to do things twice. Fluids are what I focus on as they are like the blood of the car. Coolant, brake fluid, check transmission fluid and color, power steering fluid. Some of it may not be old from mileage just time. That's around the time GM started using Dexcool and it would not be friendly to your cooling system if it got old or contaminated with other coolant, so flushing that out COMPLETELY would be a first for me (personal choice) I use a universal coolant after the system is completely clean but Dexcool has gotten better in the recent years. I would recommend changing the fuel filter and checking the air filter. Then just drive the car and see how it behaves.
Be prepared for an intake manifold failure.
That seems to be a common problem with the 3800 engine. Not sure why though.
New subscriber 👍 this car reminds me so much of the olds 88 delta glad your saving this old buick dont see very many of them on the road now days
Thank You! Yes, it does remind me of the Olds Delta 88. Yeah, you don't see many around anymore.
We need an update video on this girl
I agree!
She's coming along nice. I'd say the fact you are not destroying the old girl is helping with the views. While front drivers ain't my cup of tea, you still got like a car thats lasted this long.
As for rad hoses, my theory, like most things, back then they still had all the good chemicals and ingredients that allowed the rubber to survive, and it'll give you plenty of warning (with a soft spot or a buldge you would see while its running) giving you a chance to take care of it before catastophic hose failure. I don't think we'd be as lucky with modern production hoses where cost cutting and chemical subsitutions are the norm any more.
Thank you for that, Yes I hate seeing running driving cars destroyed for TH-cam views. You are probably right with the chemicals in the rubber hoses and that's why they lasted as long as they did.
Good video 😀
If you really want to clean the carpet it needs the triple detail. It's a bit of work, but hard work leads to great results. What I have seen done is to remove the seats and the carpet - then use an upholstery steam cleaner for spectacular results. With the seats and carpet removed you can not only get them really clean - but you can set them out in the sun to completely dry and not become moldy. I'm not sure when, but at some point, most domestics started using very high-quality hoses that can last way longer than you would ever expect.
The carpeting looks pretty badly faded. I ran a detail shop for years and while you can improve the appearance of the carpeting by shampooing, don’t expect miracles.
That's a great idea! I've got probably 5 hours or so on the interior so far.
That's true!
I'd like to have an old LeSabre like this one for a summer commuter, an XV20 Camry would be my choice for a winter commuter as they're less prone to catastrophic rust like these old GM cars
Camry's are a good choice of a car for sure.
Try some purple power mixed 50/50. Careful it may lighten fabrics. Meguiars makes a good all purpose cleaner if you afraid purple power may damage the color. Don't forget to change the atf and coolant.
All fluids got changed and it needed it.
😀 it makes me happy
Did I read that right? 448,000 miles? That reminds me of AL bundys Buick hitting a million miles and the company was gonna give him a new car.
Yep 448,000! I remember that show!
Outstanding!!!🇺🇸
Thank you!
I have a 2004 getting close to 200k miles and it’s getting great gas mileage and it’s a doordash car.
Excellent choice for a food delivery vehicle. Cheap to maintain and comfortable with good fuel economy.
Great videos on this car and others. Any new videos coming soon?
Thank You! It's been a crazy last several months. I am trying to get another one up as soon as possible.
Are you keeping the whitewalls when it comes time to put tires on it?
Tint the windows and put some Dayton's on it
May as well restore it at this point.
I wonder if the hoses might of been New Old Stock, may of been hanging in a parts store for many years before they were finally bought. ??
Anything is possible! Good point.
Did you know that cars and people are simular in design, feet and wheels move us, shoes and tires protect the feet and wheels, we both have fluids running through our systems, we both both require fuel and emit it, people are like plug in cars, we need to recharge a car only has to stop to refuel.
I think the same way, cars are in a way modeled after people. We all require the same basic needs and care and a new pair of shoes once in a while!
@@highmileagehopes9860 If only we could change our blood, like oil, flushing out all the impurities.
It's possible the original owner bought extra parts for his Buick. Not likely but. Whoever had that car took good 👍 care of it. Extra hoses would be a smart buy. It's really hard to believe he got 446,000 miles on the original hoses.
That’s a possibility, I was beyond belief about the hoses myself. Someone obviously loved it enough for it to live this long.
The great American Road belongs to Buick
Wow 😢 you've done a lot to it
Thanks, just trying to make it go as long as it can.
@@highmileagehopes9860 how it should be. I am getting one that has 70k on it. Ride like a dream.
3800 series engine will go for along time.
What is the name of the auction in Centralia Wa? We live in Salem Oregon and it looks like something we would definitely enjoy. Thanks
It’s just Centralia auction, their website is Centraliaauction.com it’s kind of entertaining to go.
That oil actually isn't that bad
Could have been worse, that’s for sure!
Might be kind of an odd question, but I've been wondering how to replace the headlights on my '89, I've removed the grille and then I get stuck. Does the whole bumper need to be removed as well in order to access it?
I have not removed the headlight assembly’s in this car, only a bulb. I went out and looked at it and directly above the headlight on the metal are holes where you can fit a socket on an extension and loosen bolts. I am assuming this is to remove the headlight assembly, but since I have not done this before I can not say for certain. Maybe someone that has done this before can comment.
My 1990 Has Same White Paint Issues, Bad Primer. Mine has 154000...Still Runs and Drives Like new
That’s great it’s running so well!
pick and pull LeSabre might have original mats.
I keep looking.
i bet it still got orig trans fluid do u know?
I don’t know if the fluid was original or not, I mean it still had color to it so that’s a good thing and it was shifting good before but even better now.
A friend back in Toronto Dad had a 87 Park Avenue with 3.8 I remember 20 years ago he had close to 500 000 km just regular maintenance , they're most likely bit heavy now with gas prices, but for a nice winter beater, and highway runner for long distances why not,
That's a fair amount of km on that car! They are a heavy car but I got over 24 miles a gallon last time I filled up. Not Prius fuel economy but not bad for a big car.
@@highmileagehopes9860 That's not bad, nice Highway Cruiser , I wouldn't be using it for the city driving, 3.8 engine is bulletproof along you keep basic maintenance on her
To be fair I always got 29-30 mpg with these on the highway.
What is the vacuum tree for pep boys had broke one of mine & didn’t know what it was
It’s essentially where all the vacuum lines intersect to get the pressure from. This part on the 3800 the part is a little hard to come by as it’s bot made new right now, junk yard is the best bet if you can find one in good shape.
What did you use to clean the seats with
I believe I used some simple green.
Could be highway miles
Most likely.
Pitter Patter
deff dont make em buicks like they used to
This car has under 100000 miles i can tell from the wear on the brakes and gas petal the instrumental panal is from another car u found a jewel it was common replacement.