And I shall name it "The b*st*rd" - no, actually, I shall name it "The Cheap b*st*rd". Explanation forthcoming.
So, on occasion, I browse Craigslist ads without really looking for anything all that seriously. But then I stumbled across this particular vehicle.
It was more or less the OPPOSITE of what I was looking for. I was hoping to find a G-body, a Ford Fox body (preferably NOT a Mustang) or at least something smaller than full-size. Preferably 2-door, but for a good deal I'd have considered a 4-door.
The thing is ugly. Not hideous. Not cool-looking ugly. Not worthy of a Road-Warrior type of movie. Just ugly. Baby blue. Faded. Some surface rust here and there, but for a New Jersey car, shockingly rust free and straight.
It's a 1978 Buick LeSabre 4-door. It is a very minimally optioned car. Rear defog (was that standard?), does NOT have a passenger side mirror. Manual vinyl bench seat, manual locks, manual windows. AM-only radio with in-windshield antenna. I think the only options it has (other than the rear defogger, assuming that's optional) are Air Conditioning (not working, but for how little I paid, I'm not complaining), and the 2-bbl 301.
Just under 63k original miles. I suspect it's original in that the interior, less the headliner, is in pretty good shape. Only one minor split in the bench seat seams, the plastics for the interior trim are not as beat up as one would expect, and it rides VERY smoothly.
EXCEPT when idling - then it runs like crap. Sounds like it's missing, and smells like it's running stupidly rich. But oddly, at cold fast idle, it smells cleaner and runs smooth. Pretty much anything that requires cracking the throttle open a little bit makes it MUCH happier.
Oh, and the tires are only a few months old.
I call it The b*st*rd because it's that typical late 70s mix-and-match of engine. I'm mostly an Olds guy, driving a Buick that's equipped with a Pontiac V8, and a Pontiac V8 that's considered the red-headed stepchild of its own family.
I call it The Cheap b*st*rd because it was cheap, I actually AM a cheap b*st*rd, and this car will have improvements made to it only when they are free or stupidly cheap to do. I may just do the minimal to get things running right and use it as an "I don't give a crap about it" cruiser - or I may pick up things for it here and there... castoffs, etc., but that will improve this car.
I suppose EVENTUALLY I should do the "me too" Chevy 350 swap, though I guess a Pontiac 350 or 400 swap will be more straightforward, assuming I can pick up one of those motors somewhere along the way.
Ultimately, something that's lower mileage and straighter than I would've expected for the price, and that I have no feeling that I should sink any real money into. But somehow, I think it's going to be fun.
Oh, and the clock is still working!
Here are the pics from the CL ad - I've yet to take my own photos of it.
Sheesh - I'm posting this thing, and I still haven't posted pics of my G-body yet??!
So, on occasion, I browse Craigslist ads without really looking for anything all that seriously. But then I stumbled across this particular vehicle.
It was more or less the OPPOSITE of what I was looking for. I was hoping to find a G-body, a Ford Fox body (preferably NOT a Mustang) or at least something smaller than full-size. Preferably 2-door, but for a good deal I'd have considered a 4-door.
The thing is ugly. Not hideous. Not cool-looking ugly. Not worthy of a Road-Warrior type of movie. Just ugly. Baby blue. Faded. Some surface rust here and there, but for a New Jersey car, shockingly rust free and straight.
It's a 1978 Buick LeSabre 4-door. It is a very minimally optioned car. Rear defog (was that standard?), does NOT have a passenger side mirror. Manual vinyl bench seat, manual locks, manual windows. AM-only radio with in-windshield antenna. I think the only options it has (other than the rear defogger, assuming that's optional) are Air Conditioning (not working, but for how little I paid, I'm not complaining), and the 2-bbl 301.
Just under 63k original miles. I suspect it's original in that the interior, less the headliner, is in pretty good shape. Only one minor split in the bench seat seams, the plastics for the interior trim are not as beat up as one would expect, and it rides VERY smoothly.
EXCEPT when idling - then it runs like crap. Sounds like it's missing, and smells like it's running stupidly rich. But oddly, at cold fast idle, it smells cleaner and runs smooth. Pretty much anything that requires cracking the throttle open a little bit makes it MUCH happier.
Oh, and the tires are only a few months old.
I call it The b*st*rd because it's that typical late 70s mix-and-match of engine. I'm mostly an Olds guy, driving a Buick that's equipped with a Pontiac V8, and a Pontiac V8 that's considered the red-headed stepchild of its own family.
I call it The Cheap b*st*rd because it was cheap, I actually AM a cheap b*st*rd, and this car will have improvements made to it only when they are free or stupidly cheap to do. I may just do the minimal to get things running right and use it as an "I don't give a crap about it" cruiser - or I may pick up things for it here and there... castoffs, etc., but that will improve this car.
I suppose EVENTUALLY I should do the "me too" Chevy 350 swap, though I guess a Pontiac 350 or 400 swap will be more straightforward, assuming I can pick up one of those motors somewhere along the way.
Ultimately, something that's lower mileage and straighter than I would've expected for the price, and that I have no feeling that I should sink any real money into. But somehow, I think it's going to be fun.
Oh, and the clock is still working!
Here are the pics from the CL ad - I've yet to take my own photos of it.
Sheesh - I'm posting this thing, and I still haven't posted pics of my G-body yet??!
