Bramz ever changing fleet merry go round.

[Rocket88]

The epitome of ride over handling..and all the better for it...........

[flat4alfa]

Nice

 

I like this sort of thing too

 

#21 and #42 please.

[Steve79]

When you're done with this I'll have it. Deffo

[bramz7]

Glad it seems to be liked!

 

I can still feel yearning for another new car but it's got mental and two really is plenty.

[bramz7]

So, I know we have a fair amount of American members on here now, do any of them have any local yards likely to yield some bits for my Park Avenue? 

 

I am missing two bits of bumper trim, one from the drivers side front, and the other is passenger side rear, they are chrome inserts which have fallen off in the distant past, exposing some panel gaps.

 

I will take some photos to add to this vague pish above, but if anyone is able to help, I will obviously pay for it all.

 

 

Also, why can't I shake the idea of a 405 again?! Heart says yes, money say no.

[Schaefft]

I'll have tickets 1-19 and 20-50 please.

 

 

Awesome purchase! They actually sold a few of them in Germany, with the disgusting euro bumpers and taillights Im not necessarily fond of, in typical GM half-assed fashion. I think its hard to beat 90s Buicks when it comes to longevity, and the Ultra with the supercharger is a decent performing car for its size. There's still one of those painted as a copcar on Ebay, might be an excellent parts donor.

 

The 3800 is absolutely indestructible. I remember a Dave's Farm video (remember that guy?) who ran one over with a dozer while running the car was running, and even with a huge hole in the head, and the rest of the car pretty much obliterated, he managed to get it moving again.

 

If you need parts, finding them in Germany or the Netherlands might be cheaper. Heres a guy who apparently has a whole stash of parts, if you send me photos I can ask him for anything you might need. Plenty of other people who are breaking Park Avenues as well.

 

https://www.ebay-kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/buick-park-avenue-teile/968988927-223-3465

[1970mgb]

I'll try to run by a yard in the next few days, although it will most likely be after Christmas.

 

These older land yachts are getting a bit thin on the ground in the pick-and-pulls here, though, although I can think of two yards that might have a chance of having one.

[flat4alfa]

#12 and #32 as well, please

 

I forgot to mention earlier

[cort1977]

I could have a wander about a yard over the holidays, as above they are getting a bit thin on the ground now but post up pics of what's missing and we'll go from there.

[cort1977]

A yard near me has a '93 model but 'its been out there for over a month' which i took to mean it could be fairly well stripped.  Happy to go up there for a look though, better than most things I've got to do this Xmas...

[Lankytim]

A Reno 18 estate diesel!!! Sh*t!!

[bramz7]

Okay, got some photos of what I need.

 

I've also realised I don't seem to have any keys to get the elaborate wheel trims off either...gr8!

 

Cleaned out all the previous owner rubbish today too. I HATE people who treat cars as bins.

 

This previous owner is the same one who did not know the car had an overdrive.

[PhilA]

To be fair I think it has 170hp? Obviously that's still pretty terrible....

I fully expect to be shafted come MOT time as it has now got an ABS light on, but there's a few Yank specialist garages round this way, so it'll probably be off to one. I really CBA buying any more old crud for a long time now.

Eh

 

Yes and no. Consider that'll easily pull itself along in top at little over idle, and that you'll never really need to push it hard in regular use. More than 170 horses are difficult to extract from a cam profile designed for bottom end torque. Particularly as you may have noticed that the gear ratios are very very American (40+mph available in first gear, for instance).

 

In terms of parts, there's nothing around these parts, sorry. Immediately post Katrina, yes. There were many of these stacked up waiting to be crushed (you can't get silty poopy flood water out of a car in an inexpensive fashion), but those yards have since been cleared and returned to growing grass

 

 

Phil

[Steve79]

Wouldn't it be easy enough to fashion cardboard templates of the missing bits and then get some stainless bits made up?

 

Doesn't look like there are any complex curves there and probably a lot cheaper than getting any bits shipped from the states.

[Ohdearme]

Cleaned out all the previous owner rubbish today too. I HATE people who treat cars as bins.

 

 

I used to hack around doing about 1,000 miles a week in a 98 Honda Accord, I most certainly didn’t* Chuck all my crap in the footwell behind the driver and then slam the seat backwards and forwards like a trash compactor to avoid clearing it out when it got full.

[Scruffy Bodger]

Also, why can't I shake the idea of a 405 again?! Heart says yes, money say no.

 

Maybe because if you can find a really nice one they are still very good at actually being a car and don't look too bad?

[kfsgo]

http://www.picknpull.com/vehicle_details.aspx?VIN=1G4CW52L8RH609461

 

No promises to either its completeness or my willingness-to-bother-leaving-townness, but I miiight be visiting this very scrapyard in the next couple of weeks seeking bits for my own wonderful sad GM greigemobile...

[bramz7]

http://www.picknpull.com/vehicle_details.aspx?VIN=1G4CW52L8RH609461

 

No promises to either its completeness or my willingness-to-bother-leaving-townness, but I miiight be visiting this very scrapyard in the next couple of weeks seeking bits for my own wonderful sad GM greigemobile...

Yo that would be wonderful! Obviously no pressure to go there and get the bits...I fully understand the CBA nature as I'm like that pretty much all the time now.

 

PM me if you do end up going and getting bits though.

[Schaefft]

I've asked a couple of guys who have parts for these as well, I'll let you know if anything comes up.

[bramz7]

I want to thank everyone who has offered help with parts for the Buick. I think 2019 is going to cost ££££ to upkeep it but ultimately it's worth it IMO. I had friends and family asking to sit in it/drive it earlier, that's never happened before.

 

 

Also...I'll try and prepare a bigger post, but I've got bored of the E46 already. £600 OVNO for it. Long MOT.

[eddyramrod]

Sam: well done!

I've just caught up with this.  Now when you brought me (and Jim) the 405 estate, wasn't I extolling the virtues of just such a car?  For a first Yank, you've bought well.  I hope it gets them under your skin like they have mine then you'll feel naked without one.  Ask me how I know!

Can't help with the missing bits of trim, sadly, but how about adopting the attitude I use with Huggy?  It lives outside, in public, therefore it'll never be perfect, therefore it doesn't matter.  Relax!  (That's something you will find your Buick is excellent at helping you do...)

 

Three randoms please.

[Rocket88]

I would have thought that the best source of parts for these might be either Belgium or Holland.............probably even more so than the States....

[Billy - Medhurst]

Birmingham uk American specialist here - http://www.americanautocentre.co.uk/ possibly worth a call. If he has not got he could possibly point in right direction.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Isn't this Buick the same as the one the Austrian guy on here had ( not that one) you know hated Volvo S80's loved Shoguns, or was it Land cruisers - my memory is crap. Anyway he had a nice looking one that he was going to use as a flowerpot or something because of a minor problem that was the end of the World for a local MOT or summat.

Maybe I dreamt the whole thing, now I come to think about it.

[bramz7]

I just spent a while looking for that and yes you're right:

 

http://autoshite.com/topic/22712-howdy-cowboys-new-pictures-see-page-8/page-1#

 

 

I'm hoping the fact mine is an ex Florida car and spent years off the road in the UK has kept most of the rust gremlins at bay. It definitely has rot in places though (something non structural has completely evaporated for example).

[Lacquer Peel]

What happened to Lukas? I enjoyed his content.

[bramz7]

Yeah I did too. He hasn't logged in for nearly 18 months...

[Lacquer Peel]

Would be good to get an Espero update.

[wuvvum]

For a first Yank, you've bought well.

It isn't Bramz' first Yank though. Although he might not appreciate being reminded of that fact...

[bramz7]

I'm on a proper downer with the Buick right now. Not feeling great mentally at the moment and this leviathan outside is making it worse. I do want to make it nicer and drive it...but the other part of me just hates myself for buying something blind and in the dark yet again.

 

Anyone want a swap? Seriously. Swap value in the region of £800/900