There are time capsules and there are time capsules. This 1978 Buick Electra looks basically like a brand new car that has been hermetically sealed and kept in a mayonnaise jar on Funk and Wagnalls’ front porch since noon today… in my best Carnac the Magnificent voice. The seller has this absolute jewel listed here on eBay in Rancho Mirage, California. The current bid price is a whopping $15,300, twice what it cost new.
This car appears to be the real deal, an almost brand new 43-year-old car. A lot of us used to find almost-perfect old cars decades ago for a fraction of the current bid price of this Buick Electra but times have changed. The seller has provided dozens of great photos so please check out their listing to see how nice this car really is.
It’s natural to look for flaws on such a great-looking vehicle, that’s just human nature and most of us do it. The first thing I look for is mismatched paint and I don’t see any of that on this one. The seller believes the paint and vinyl top are both original. At the risk of being a ridiculous nitpicker, the only thing I noticed in the photos is in the area of the right quarter panel where it almost looks like a tape line above the trim on the end of the quarter panel, orange peel paint, and a wavy pinstripe. Is there a slightly wavy right rear door trim and a gap that seems a bit off? Maybe it’s more of a 1978 build quality issue than anything that has been touched up. Again, that’s nitpicking and I’ve been in trouble for that before so let’s move on…
The fifth-generation Electra was downsized along with most of GM’s full-sized cars beginning in 1977. They were about a foot shorter and 800 pounds lighter than the previous cars were. The interior of this car looks as great as you knew it would. The details are amazing, from the classy silver gauges to the back seat, the rust-free underside, and everything in-between.
The engine is the optional 403 cubic-inch V8 from GM’s Oldsmobile division. It had 185 horsepower and as with everything else related to this car, it looks fantastic. The seller says that this car has never been a regular daily driver and everything works on it including the AC. Any thoughts on this super survivor?
That ask is eye watering lol I remember when these were 1k cars at most. But I agree those silver gages are pretty!
Asking more now than what it cost New! Parents had a 79 nice car.
Awesome. Like these old buicks. I’ve got a 1980 skylark with 25000 actual miles. Still on original tires. These big 4 doors rode great in true luxury. Nothing made today can match it
I have 2 Skylarks of that generation, which I really like. They have a heck of a lot more miles than that on them though! At least you’re preserving a nice low mileage example that other people might not have tried to save.
The minor flaws Scotty points out ARE there, and their exactly what you would expect from an American car in the late 70s, so are they really flaws?
Just in the last day or two someone had a negative comment about brown paint on an MGB. I respect everyone’s preference but I find nothing about this brown jewel. My parents had a 1972 Electra 225 that was awesome. It was so big inside my brother and I could sit in the back seat and talk and Mom and Dad couldn’t hear us! If I had an extra $20K I’d be on this one in a strong way!
My Dad had a new 1979 Electra I loved that car
It’s much too nice for me. I had a blue version of this one. I pulled the Olds 403 and sold it to Joe Mondello.
I like this car for sure. I’m wondering about parts availability? I’m skeptical of GM cars from this era unfortunately, from personal experience. My ’76 C10 dissolved in rust. ’78 Monte Carlo shed lots of minor parts. ’79 Sedan Deville’s headlamps wouldn’t stay focused on the road. ’81 C10 shed its paint, leaked water into the interior and shed lots of minor parts. Probably just me. Chrysler and Ford guy since.
GM turned out some truly dreadful, inexcusable stuff in the ‘70s, but the downsized full-size cars starting in ‘77 were an exception. They were very quiet, smooth-running and reliable.
had that same car same color loved it wish i wish i still had it, smooth riding car
Somebody jump on this car. You won’t be disappointed. Purchase a gas station to be welded to the gasoline filler cap. But who cares?
I don’t recall seeing that steering wheel in a buick before…looks like a Caddy wheel?
It is because this car has the tilt-telescopic wheel. Those were borrowed from Cad, so they used the Cad style wheel. Oldses as well.
Beautiful car, but has definitely had work done on the right quarter panel. The pin stripes appear to be re-done by a five year old. Note the inconsistent thickness of the stripes as well as the varying gap width between them. This is the only panel on the entire car with that issue. Flawless car otherwise.
Sorry, I don’t agree. As someone who used to stripe, I say the entire car was striped by a novice. I can see that by the picture of the driver’s side passenger door. And, the rear bumper filler panel/tailpieces on GM cars almost always showed a slight color differentiation from the body of the car. They were stamped out of a flexible plastic.
These pin stripes were painted on by hand with enamel paint. Typically already added at the factory but lots of dealers did them in-house too. Moldings were just stuck on with adhesive as holes and clips were on the way out due to rust prone activity. Most stripes were just free hand by the striper. Collision repaired pinstripes were masked with fine line tape and either sprayed or brushed by hand as insurance would not pay to have a pro come out. Did lots of these with my dagger brush and one shot.
I got a thrill when I realized the pin stripes on my 67 Olds 442 were hand striped. I had thought that kind of special hand work was no longer done by 1967.
There isn’t anything about this car I don’t like. It checks all the right boxes for me. It’s beautiful inside and out. The Olds 403 is a great engine. It’s also nice and quiet. This is a classy ride!
Hey Scotty – nice find! I bought a high school friend’s parents’ ’78 LeSabre for $600 back in the day and I always admired the upscale Electra. This color scheme is perfect for that time, and the 403 was probably the top option that year. These luxurious American cruise ships always make me think about a stock-appearing version with 400+ HP, fuel injection, high-speed gears, overdrive, slightly tightened suspension… a surprising alternative to a used BMW 7-series. Me and, you know, about three other people on the planet. Anyway thanks for giving this one the spotlight!
I could’ve bought one of these, with about 38K, for $3,500, back in 2013, for sale on Cape Cod. Guess I should’ve.
To me that’s not nitpicking. Orange peel and wavy stripes look junky. Basically an easy fix and other than that the car is very nice and it has an Olds engine.
It’s a very nice $4000 car,there’s no way,no how I’d pay what the bid is up to…craziness!
Beautiful car… Where will you gond another this nice. Heavily optioned and perfectly maintained so i definitely believe its worth spending more to acquire. I have collected cars for years and have a great appreciation for unmolested original cars that are turn key ready. I love the 70’s colors and everything about it. This car will make its next owner very proud every time they walk past it and even moreso as they roll into a show or cruise. For those that feel the price is crazy, I beleve an auction like Ebay does determine a valid price as bidders compete. I, like many others, appreciate the finer quality things in life. Naysayers that feel it is a $4000 car are way off on this one. Wherever the final price lands, a new owner will have a beautiful car to enjoy and be very proud of.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kMTHwjy6Z8
As my neighbor Mr. Pike would say, his Mom always liked them Buick Electrics! And owned several over the years.
Everyone’s parents or grandparents had one of these back in the day. Like riding in a cloud.
Auction update: this beauty sold for a whopping $19,100!
It had 62 bids but because it was a “private sale” the identities were withheld. No way to tell how many people were fighting over it but I think that the message is clear. Nice old things are still of interest to people. And they aren’t making any more of these. Congratulations to both the buyer and the seller.