One Family Owned: 1980 Buick LeSabre Limited

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I’m trying to think if our family has owned a vehicle since new for as long as the seller of this 1980 Buick LeSabre Limited has owned it. I can’t think of one, other than maybe a 1969 Winnebago pickup camper. 38 years is a long time to have owned a vehicle but I bet that some of you can rival that? This beauty is listed here on Hemmings with an asking price of $4,000 and it’s located Redmond, Oregon.

One of my first jobs after high school was washing and parking cars in a heated parking garage in a medical building. It was filled with doctors, dentists, and other medical professionals and the majority of them had nice, new cars. There were a lot of fifth-generation full-sized Buicks there. Coming from a rusty 1974 Dodge van they seemed like something that I would never own, they were just too nice, sort of like this example.

I only remember one two-door Buick of this vintage in that parking garage and it was white. I really like this two-tone paint scheme and the wheels on this car. The seller of this car is the brother of the original owner of this beautiful Buick LeSabre and he bought it in “1979 at Braley & Graham Buick in Portland Oregon.” It isn’t an optical illusion, the trunk is really big. This “car has been in a dry climate and has great chrome and emblems, all original paint ( some parking lot dings and scratches). It has no rust and has never had any”. The underside looks rock solid.

Velour, plastic wood trim, and those silver, round gauges, I remember them well and this interior looks great. The back seat looks fantastic, too. This car has always been “stored in a Garage. It has most options including: power steering, power disc brakes, air conditioning, power windows and seat, rear window defroster, AM / FM Cassette player, remote drivers outer mirror, Buick factory rally wheels, tilt wheel, electric clock that keeps perfect time, cruise control.”

The engine in this Buick LeSabre is actually Pontiac’s 301 cubic-inch V8 and it “purrs like a kitten. Always maintained with oil changed every 3000 miles or sooner since new.” They say that it “gets over 20 MPG on the highway and about 14 MPG in town.” I just got a new winter vehicle and it also gets 14 mpg in town which is a little shocking, but it has 3.5 times the horsepower that this Buick has and also AWD so it’s forgivable. But, it wasn’t $4,000 like the seller is asking for this beautifully-preserved, rust-free LeSabre Limited. Have any of you owned a fifth-generation LeSabre?

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Comments

  1. rmward194Member

    Nice car for the money. There couldn’t have been too many LeSabre’s produced in this unique color combination. The first thing I would do is turn the whitewalls out. That is how this car would have come new, with whitewalls.

    Like 10
    • Utes

      @ rmward194…….
      Wrong…this IS NOT how it would’ve looked. The car in your photo is a LeSabre Sport Coupe. It’s the special model w/the turbocharged 3.8 V6. Many features on the Sport Coupe were not found on non-Sport Coupe 2dr.’s. I owned an ’80 LeSabre BT1 Lawman (Buick’s police car). I was able to order it for personal use w/o a problem! I regret selling it!

      Like 1
      • Daved

        Simmer down, Utes. rmward194 was only trying to make a point about the whitewalls. I’m certain that he did not intend to get you all triggered.

        Like 3
      • Correct Craig

        Utes .. you are a clown 🤡 this is exactly what this car looked like and correct with a Pontiac 301
        Choice or like mine with ian Olds307. This is not a sport coupe .. rather it is a limited… do your homework before you speak !! 🤡 clown 🤡

        Like 0
    • Sam Shive

      It’s had to even find Whitewalls now. I spent 3 months looking for some for my 76 Elite. It was truck tires with RWL or Black Walls.

      Like 0
  2. LT1 Mike

    I’ve never been a fan of a two tone paint job, but this Buick is really spectacular. That’s 38 years of TLC, but it’s also a family that took care of a car because it wasn’t inexpensive when purchased new. I can appreciate this, to respect money because you work really hard for it. I’m sure it’s not easy to part with, there’s alot of memories that go along with it. Hopefully the next owner shows it the same respect, and makes good memories of their own . As all of us car lovers know, it’s much more than steel and rubber, its memories and lessons learned in all of these classic and vintage beauties. Good luck to the new owner.

    Like 14
  3. Pete

    I had one these it was four door had a very smooth ride and the Buick R oad wheels that were rusted I used so pads on them and they came back to life I believe the wheels were real chrome the so pads didn’t even scratch them just made them look great white with red velour interior had the Old 307 again ran excellent sold it to a friend 1500.00

    Like 1
  4. Josh

    Go Bucks.

    Like 1
  5. Sam Shive

    38 Years is longer than some people stay married, and most people who have been married that long don’t look anywhere near this good. Congrats and Maybe you should shouls keep it in the family still.

    Like 3
  6. stillrunners

    Buddy bought a silver one new in 78 I’m sure… as good as a T/A for getting chicks…..drove many a mile in it.

    Like 0
  7. Col Patrick Montgomery

    Wasn’t Harry Gants number 33 Skoal Bandit something of this era, and remember the Skoal salesmen used to drive street versions of it? I am looking this car up.

    Like 0
  8. Daved

    Hemmings had this LeSabre featured on their Find Of The Day recently and I’ve been admiring it ever since. Having grown up with a 1982 Park Avenue, I always turned my nose up at the plebeian LeSabre but funny how age softens the heart. These coupes are so rare now, and the lines are indeed graceful. Especially with the roofline not cluttered with a vinyl top, combined with the cool amber rear turn signals- rare feature on a domestic (luxury)- only other that comes to mind was the Delta 88 coupes? Compared to an Electra or Park Avenue coupe of the same vintage, I find the larger rear quarter window more appealing than I did in the past. The two-tone really works well on this, and really makes it stand out. Anyone remember the 2-tone green shades that these were available in?

    The level of care and preservation is evident with the interior – that fabric! Wow!

    A nice set of whitewalls, new bumper filters and a respray of the burgundy sides to erase the minimal wear would land this car in the next level. I wouldn’t be ashamed at all to show up at a car show with it- exclusivity has its advantages. Ok, time to shut up or I’ll be the only one at home getting a Christmas present this year! 🤣

    Like 2
  9. ACZ

    Some won’t like this but this is a perfect opportunity for a 6.2 L LS conversion. A comfortable, good handling (might need fatter stab bars), nice riding car whose only shortcoming is power level. That’s actually the easiest thing to fix. Right number of doors and good looking. You can’t buy something like that today.

    Like 1
    • Daved

      With all the talk of LS-swaps everytime you turn around, I’m sure some are gnashing their teeth and clutching their pearls but I can’t think of a more appropriate candidate. It’s not like “matching numbers” matters on this pedigree of car and a modern drive-train upgrade would certainly make it more desirable and fun to drive for sure! ACZ, you’re the devil! My gears are turning now!!!

      Like 2

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