1981 Buick Electra Estate Wagon

45k miles. Diesel.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1981...8927360?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item27cb8fdc00

 

Very cool (and rare) wagon! Surely was a very luxurious model and pretty rare with the diesel engine. Dont see too many with the diesel, especially the Buick versions. Also VERY interesting that this LOADED up model does not have the 3rd seat option. Its only a 2-seater, which makes it even more unusual. Most of the Electra wagons had the 3rd seat.

 

Interesting that a loaded model was not ordered with cornering lamps. *I do believe he is incorrect about the transmission. I think the diesel was mated to the turbo 200, not the turbo 350. That engine would have to go, though. It is a SLUG, and not even fuel efficient! A Buick 350 gas with a Turbo 400 transmission uses less fuel!

 

I've never had any experience with these diesels, but remember them as loud even while ideling. And as Mike mentioned, I've heard they were very lacking when it came to performance. The car itself though is in amazing condition, kinda neet to see all the diesel markings on it, fuil gage, dash over the radio, tailgate, fenders..... wonder if you could stuff a Cummings Turbo in there?

 

A buddy had the diesel - he did not like it and eventually turfed it and put in a gas engine. An ugly job but the car was otherwise very nice.

I always get a kick out of how the sellers start off with "what we have here" or "What we are looking at is", or "here we have". As soon as I read that I think "whealer dealer" looking to pump up a car that needs words to hide flaws and move on to a real ad by a real person who just wants to sell their car.

 

My only first hand experience with one of these diesels was in my music teacher's 78 Olds 98 Regency Brougham. At 250,000 kms, it was on diesel engine number 3, the same vintage as this 'new and improved' diesel. On the highway, once you finally got to speed, you were lucky to see 13 litres/100 km (about 18 mpg American), and my 78 Buick Electra was doing about 9,5 L/100km (about 26 or 27 mpg American). Both engines were 350 cid, too.

 

Or maybe a little Perkins diesel! :2_thumbs_up_-_anima

 

The transmission in there is definitely the TH350



I still want to take a B-body wagon and put the 6.5L Turbodiesel from a mid-90s GM truck into it. I think it would be more efficient than the 5.7L. But I'm also thinking just use a 6.2L engine, because if they can see 22-24mpg in a 3-ton Suburban, they should be able to match the 30mpg the 5.7L claimed but couldn't stay reliable long enough to produce. I'd use a 700R4 transmission or maybe the 200-4R. Both can be beefed up to work with a diesel, the 200-4R was used in later 5.7L diesels and the 700R4 came in all those diesel trucks when the TH400 wasn't specified. I'm seeing threads on TheDieselPlace saying 6.5L turbo Suburbans with 3.42 gears have no trouble seeing 22mpg. And I'm just torn between the more expensive turbo 6.5 and the cheap easy to find 6.2L.

Then again I also want to take a plain jane 77-79 Impala or Catalina wagon and put a 90s 3.8L Camaro V6 and 5-speed in that. It's got a lot more power than the stock 305 or 350 would, and those V6/5-speed Camaros can get 29mpg in 3400lbs, so the wagon ought to pull 22-24mpg easily.

Anyway, I LOVE this wagon. Wish the current bid of 1525 was enough to meet reserve. This is only a third row seat short of being ideal. I would swap in the 88-90 style steering wheel though:



I wonder how possible it is, seeing as I hate power windows and locks, to find a LeSabre Estate Wagon, manual windows and locks, manual seat, swap in the pillowy seats from an Electra Estate, and upgrade the dash to have that cool backlighting?