Things that you hate to see......found my old Park Ave today...LONG

OK, in 2008 I sold my gorgeous 1989 Olds Custom Cruiser wagon for this car. It was a 1995 Park Ave Ultra at 60K miles. Was a new car trade-in at the local Buick dealer and because of the age went on their wholesale lot. I had gone to the local Buick/Cadillac/GMC dealer to look at new trucks, and saw this car on the back lot, and fell in love with it. It had been sold new from the same Buick dealer, one owner car, been in Austin since new, had all the records in the glove box. I test drove it and it ran and drove perfectly.

It was beautiful, and it was LOADED. It had lighted vanity mirrors for the REAR seat, power everything, Supercharged engine, heated seats, automatic trunk pull-down...just a really swanky car. The only option it didn't have...and I missed it, was the moon roof.

I was SO tickled with it the day I brought it home, even though Misty called it an "old man's car".

BUT it was a total LEMON for me. I had issues within the first month, but it was such a pretty car, I was determined to fix it. It would stall without warning. You could be going down the highway or sitting at a light, you never know, and it would just quit. It would fire right back up and seem fine afterwards, no error codes either. It also would set idiot lights at random, the dash was always aglow. Either Check Engine, Traction Control, Ride Leveling, Anti-Lock, or something else, you never knew what light would be on. I replaced the PCM twice trying to fix it, and then did the cam and crank sensors.

I finally called the number of the previous owner from one of the service records, and spoke to the son of the original owner. I was sure the car had to have been wrecked or something. I found out his parents had bought the car new, and it was used for cross-country retirement trips from 1995-2000, when his father died, and then it basically sat unused in their garage until his mother passed away. He'd inherited it, and traded it in for a new Yukon....which is when I got it. So it sat for years and year before I bought it.

When it ran, it was great! Fast, smooth, comfy, super highway car, but I never could trust it, and in 8 months I owned it, I only drove it 5K miles. I flat didn't trust it, and we used Misty's Suburban for trips.

THEN the transmission gave up at 65K miles, for no good reason. We were at the local ballpark for a friday night game, carload full of kids, and we came out after the game, started the car, I put it in reverse, and THUNK, then no reverse. Ended up pushing the car out of the spot, and drove home in 1st at 20mph....it would not shift at all...but at least it went forward.

I sucked it up and replaced the transmisson, and I sold it soon after....and bought my '99 Cadillac Catera Sport. Yes I bought a Catera TO GET A MORE RELIABLE CAR...ahaha! How many people can make that statement!?!?!?! And it was more reliable! I loved the Catera, but sold it when my 96 Roadmaster wagon showed up in San Antonio on Craigslist. Could not keep both ; )

When I put the Park Ave on CraigsList to sell it, it was spotless, and even with the tranny rebuild cost, I broke even on it. The first people to look at it were an older couple from far south Austin, and they didn't even haggle with me, gave me my asking price. The car looked nearly new. This was in Nov 2008. It was one of the few cars I've sold that I didn't feel a pang of regret over when it was pulling away for good.

Some pics of that Park Ave when I had it. I was a really sharp car!








SO coming back from lunch today I spotted a black Park Ave in a parking lot. You don't see them all that much anymore, especially full-lux Ultra models. I pulled in the parking lot, and sure enough, it was my old car. Only I was dorky enough to put GS emblems on my Ultra, and the trunk GS emblem is still on it.....I did not however put the Cowboys football sticker on the trunk.

I got out...and despite how unreliable the car had been for me, it was still sad to see it today. It's amazing what a few years of neglect can do. The paint on the trunk and hood is badly sunburned, as is the paint on the bumpers, it was all perfect when I had it...I kept it waxed an garaged back then.

The tires are all mis-matched, the fronts are too small, the sharp Ultra wheels are totally filthy, interior is full of junk, power antenna is broken, lower front bumper is cracked and license plate bracket is gone, the plate is sitting on the dashboard. There are dents, dings and scratches all over it, and the chrome beltline trim is totally missing on the driver's door.

I guess I should be surprised it's still on the road....who knows, maybe with the transmission replaced and the 3rd PCM it was finally fixed when I sold it?? I didn't check the current miles, just snapped the below pics and came on back to work. It looks better in these pics than it did in person....

Despite the fact it was a lemon for me, it still hurt to see it like this. I spent many hours cleaning it, polishing the wheels, waxing and detailing this car a few years back. It was really a pretty one...then..







Oh well....I guess it's nice that it's still on the road.

-Mike

 

The window tint I put on it still looks good....

 

Unfortunately, there are a lot more non-car people out there than people like us. They will buy the best car they can afford, and that's the last dime they will spend on it... driving it into the ground only to repeat the cycle when the car finally gives it's last breath. Strangely, I have a sister like this who somehow didn't inherit the car gene from my father like I did!

I do notice a disabled tag in the windshield, so it's possible the owner is not physically able to maintain it and must park it in the open in order to get in and out of it. If that's the case, at least all of your hard work in maintaining the car enabled this person to get a few good years out of it!

 

Always loved those alloy wheels. Faint reminder of wheel covers on some older Buicks. They would look really sharp on one of those GM minivans.....I believe it would be the same bolt pattern and offset.

 

dm is right, your average driver could care less about maintaining their vehicle, only to complain about how much it cost to repair when it breaks, often due to their neglegence. 81X11, how did that car run with that supercharger on it?

 

Poor mistreated Ultra!

 

I've always loved the Ultras. My boss drives one just like this in a dark blue. Beautiful car.

It's a shame it's been neglected. I try to always sell my vehicles to people who live far away so I never have to see them again after they're gone!

 

Well as mentioned in my long-winded e-mail, it was not a reliable car when I had it, but I think that was from the previous owner letting it sit in a garage for years. When it ran, it was really quick, rode well and was very comfy. It's just too bad I had so many issues with it in the short time I owned it. I was pretty happy when I sold it. It's hard to get attached to a car that you can't trust.

That said, I still think it's a pretty design, and that car was VERY loaded, and I did hate to see it's been mistreated since I sold it.

-Mike

 

Yep I loved those wheels too. They changed the design just a bit when they came out with the newer models, and it didn't look as good.

I would think those wheels would work on other GM models. I've seem people put cross-lace Bonneville wheels on Pontiac minivans, and that would bee the same bolt pattern I'd think.

 

I sold my Cadillac Catera to a local family and often see it at the grocery store or in line at a drive through. They are happily taking care of it.

It's nice to know that one found a good home at least.

-Mike

 

Took these pics the week before I sold the car. At the time I was so shocked it managed to hit 70K miles I thought it was worth a pic.

I did love that Supercharged 3800....when it ran.

 

That's a plus. I've sold one car locally. My neighbor bought my 79 Electra and I think he takes better care of it than I did. I'm glad he does, too.

 

79 Electra? Really?

Didn't know if you'd seen what shares the house with my Roadmaster:







That's a looonngg hood


This '79 car came from New Jersey but was originally a California car. It's longer than my Roadmaster and my wife's Suburban! It just hit 50K miles in 2011. 403 V8, GREAT car!

-Mike

 

HAahahahaa

 

I saved this pic on my computer:



The filename is Buick=2SmartCars.jpg and it will serve as a reminder for anyone who thinks less is more!!!