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1985 Buick LeSabre Limited Collectors Edition / 20,800 orig miles / time capsule / original Royal Seal tires / same interior as Park Avenue / 100 pictures You are viewing a gorgeous 1985 Buick LeSabre Limited Collectors Edition. I acquired it from the original owner earlier this year. I would love to keep it, but reality is I have 2 kids in college, and so it must go. It has 20,800 ORIGINAL and DOCUMENTED miles and has been pampered since new. The original owner...purchased it new from Osburn Buick in Dubois, PA. According to the owner, he rarely let the car sit outside, which is evident because the paint is near perfect; if you are familiar with the GM cars from this era, you will know that often the paint would “check” (develop tiny cracks) and fade within a year or so. Not this one! It could also have to do with a special sealant the dealer used when delivered. According to the prior owner, he kept it in a climate-controlled garage and used AMSOIL synthetic oil since day 1. I have the original bill-of-sale, owner's manuals, a few service records, a copy of the original title, and the “Collector’s Edition” Commemorative hardback book from Buick. She is dressed with the genuine Buick rally wheels, electroluminescent opera lamps, cornering lamps, and has many other options available in 1985 - AM/FM Stereo with power antenna, automatic climate control, power windows/locks/mirrors/driver seat, reclining power passenger seat, 3 speed wipers with intermittent control, automatic trunk release, factory fiber-optic headlight/turn signal indicators, automatic headlights with delay, tufted cloth interior (same as Park Avenue), passenger side vanity mirror, and vinyl padded top, and rear limited slip differential. Overall the car is immaculate. The title is clear and has no liens. The title also documents the original mileage. This is an extremely comfortable car, and one of the last years of the traditional V-8 RWD Buicks…with the tried-and-true reliable, smooth, and economical 5.0 liter engine. Exterior: The original paint is a beautiful metallic gray with matching vinyl padded landau top. The paint is immaculate and reflects the fact it was garage kept. It is absolutely gorgeous – no fading or checking of any kind. It does have a few small scratches and dings here and there, but nothing real noticeable except upon very close inspection…..however there is one area that has some dings (not sure how they got there) which is worthy of mention because it is more noticeable….located on the narrow metal piece between the trunk lid and rear window. I would imagine a paintless dent removal process could easily rectify this small section. The chrome still has a very nice shine, but on the bumpers I would say it’s #2 quality, due to some areas on the bumpers where not quite as brilliant….again, only noticeable up close, and certainly presentable as is. The original vinyl top is also like brand new and has no rips, tears or fading. The factory rally wheels dress the car nicely, but have some chips in the black inset portions near the lug nuts, likely due to years of lug removal for inspections. The chrome is fairly thin in a few areas on the wheels, which were likely thin from the factory, but still very presentable, nonetheless. I say all of this at the risk of making the car sound worse than it is….but I want those who are looking for a low mileage car to know this is still a “used” car, and not 100% perfect….although it would not take much to make it 100% if you wanted to compare to a Pebble Beach grade show car/frame off restoration quality! None of these aforementioned flaws are noticeable in the pictures; however I think the pictures provide a fair presentation overall. The Uniroyal “Royal Seal” tires are 100% original, so obviously they have some dry rot. I would not recommend driving at high speeds or long distances for this reason. Overall, the exterior is absolutely gorgeous and is obvious of the care it has received. The underbody is very solid, with any rust limited to “surface scale”….evident that any exposure to winter weather was minimal, if any. The original owner told me he used a 4 wheel drive truck for the winter, which certainly seems plausible. The car was undercoated when new and has only aided in the preservation of the undercarriage. The bumper fillers are also original. The only area I found any cracks is near the license plate….there are a few hairline cracks beginning to form. (When I bought the car, there were no cracks at all….the cracks recently formed because I had the car sitting outside for several weeks….ugh! It is safely back in the garage now!) If the car saw much exposure to outside weather, these bumper fillers would have disintegrated a long time ago. There is no body rust anywhere to my knowledge….not even under the doors or trunk lid. Interior: The interior is stunning, including the gray cloth tufted seats (part of the Collector’s Edition package, in which Buick used the same interior as the last full size Park Avenue made in the prior year, 1984). The seats feel, look, and smell brand new.…it was obviously NEVER smoked in. The cigarette lighter was never used. There are no rips, stains or holes. The plush carpets are also like new, including the original floor mats. The headliner, sun visors, and sail panels are spotless and do NOT sag. The dash is beautiful. Arm rests are like new….no cracks, etc. The inside still has the “new car smell”….just like you are back in time to 1985. The power equipment goodies all work, even the power antenna! The A/C still blows cold. Mechanical: The motor purrs like a kitten and is extremely smooth. As mentioned earlier, the motor is the 5.0 engine which was both economical and reliable. The transmission shifts smooth like it should. I had my mechanic “go over” the car for both safety and maintenance. I believe the tranny fluid is original, and so I let it alone….2 schools of thought exist whether to change “old” tranny fluid. I will let the next owner decide. It seems OK as is. Belts and hoses appear to be fine. Hoses are still original! A/C still blows good cold air (R-12….never converted) and does not leak. I believe the shocks are still the original ones, and seem adequate as is. Even the headlights are all original. My mechanic did a full PA safety inspection, although no inspection sticker was purchased because I wanted to keep the original tires. Due to the cracking, they will not pass inspection. However, for weekend/show purposes, the tires should be adequate unless you plan to take the car at higher speeds or long distances. The car tracks straight, steering is tight, and brakes are silk smooth. The original exhaust system is still in great shape and is whisper quiet. No significant leaks underneath the vehicle. Brand new brake pads were installed in the front when I bought it, a new throttle position sensor, and also had the alternator rebuilt. This baby runs beautifully and is ready for show! Overall: If you are looking for a spectacular example of the last of the traditional full size Buick, this one’s for you. The car is gorgeous and gets lots of compliments. I have yet to see another Buick just like it. This car is so nice, that most people selling on eBay might say the car is “perfect” or “flawless”. The average person may describe it as such-- but for a car collector, there’s never anything 100% perfect unless it was restored. As such, this car was never restored and has 20,800 miles and has some trivial flaws, but this car is 99.0% in my opinion. I have sold numerous cars on eBay and in all situations had positive feedback. I attempt to describe each vehicle as accurately and honestly as possible and I do not think you will be disappointed. If you get the winning bid and are not completely satisfied upon your physical inspection (prior to purchase), you can walk away from the vehicle, less $75 of your deposit
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