I’ve always loved Buicks, and that likely stems from my old high-school friend of 40 years ago who owned a 1970 Gran Sport that was bought new at Frank Davis Buick in Nashville, which still had the metal dealer tag screwed to the trunk. The 455 ran great and would cream just about every other car in our neighborhood with the A/C running, and I remember the rear bumper had cut-outs on both sides where the exhaust exited. But a lesser-known Buick is the Sun Coupe, produced between 1972 and 1974, which featured a sunroof on top. They don’t turn up all that often, and if you’ve been in the market for a seventies Buick to take on as a project, this one may be worth a look. This 1973 Buick Century Sun Coupe is located in Upland, California, and can be found here on Craigslist with a price tag of $4,500.
Barn Finds reader Pat L. is knocking it out of the park with all his great tips, and we’d like to thank him one more time for this one! Obviously, the Sun Coupe was named in regard to the feature on its roof, the opening sunroof. I was having trouble finding exactly how many Sun Coupes were made in 1973, but the number that seems to be agreed upon for the 1972 model is around 3,943 units, so I’m guessing the total might be somewhere in that ballpark. Maybe one of our Buick aficionado readers can provide us with an exact number.
The Sun Coupe being offered for sale here looks to be mostly complete outside, sans trunk lock, and the seller says it’s a barn find that has been in storage for the last 2 years. There’s not a whole lot more information given about the car’s past, but it is said to have been acquired from the original owner, and it’s wearing California plates. It’s not specified if the Buick has spent its entire life in the Golden State or not, but the car is claimed to have very little rust, although the areas around the rear windows look like they will need some attention. It’s definitely going to need some repairs here and there, but the body looks reasonably good overall, and once these fixes are made and a new paint job follows this car could be e real head-turner.
The interior is in need of a considerable amount of work, and I’m really not sure how those front seats could have ended up with those chunks missing. If you’re just going for driver quality, maybe with a thorough cleaning the back seat can be salvaged, but that dash is going to need to be replaced, as is the steering wheel. The radio is gone, and no word on whether or not the gauges are still functioning.
Under the hood is the original 350 engine, the powerplant that most of these cars came equipped with, which is said to be running but is in need of a rebuild. The state of the automatic transmission is not mentioned, but I’m guessing an overhaul may be in its future as well. While this car could sure use some love, at least it’s not going to break the bank with the buyer’s initial investment, and if you’ve got the time and skills this one may actually be a worthwhile project. What are your thoughts on this 1973 Buick Century Sun Coupe?
And that L window looks mighty funny…
My thoughts are it needs a 455 which is one of the lightest (& last designed 1969 or 70) big blocks ever made & they still sing the praises of the power it made so trash that 350 on the double!
I love 73 Buicks. So much better looking and handling than the 68 to 72 models. Say what you want, but these are much harder to find and the aftermarket has totally ignored these cars. I have owned five 73 to 77 GM cars, all ran perfectly, few problems and I could FIX them. Today, car makers want you going to the rip off dealers so they make them nearly impossible to fix with normal tools. I would check under that trunk shelf for rust. Even in California, they rusted. In 1986, I bought a 70 GTO from the original Los Angeles owner. It had a vinyl top. If you reached under where the trunk hinges were, it was crusty.
The `72 ‘Sun Coupes’ sunroof was a canvas, slide-back arrangement; a friend had his Mom’s terra cotta/white coupe in HS, and I rode in it alot. while no detail photos are posted of this `73’s roof, it looks like a single metal panel variation, obviously covered with vinyl top material in this case. I ‘may’ have seen one of these 50 years ago and didn’t realize it, but that’s all. A rare beast indeed, and this one appears to need the biggest bucks in restoration for the interior–good luck to the buyer. But overall this is worth saving; just not sure about parts.
That’s also what I remember .. This is not a Sun Coupe ..
Yes it is…the graphics on the 1/4 glass prove it, and are original.
Not for 4500.00
You’re right…because are for sale everywhere for a lot less.
LOL! High school buddy had a ’73 Buick Century free from gramma, not a Sun Coupe, but still homely enough. Had it painted at Earl Scheib in Orange NJ. As Earl would say, “I’ll paint any car, any size, any color, for $99.99”. Thing was they only wash, no prep, nor even tape off the car. Techs would hold pieces of cardboard to block off the chrome as they sprayed across. Laid towels over the front and back windshields. What did he get for that $99.99 you ask? About 2 days of a different color until it rained on the third day and the paint started peeling off while driving it. Earl Scheib should’ve been named Earl Scheister! But, we had a good laugh at the expense of my pals $99!
Typical listing in California
Two billion miles
10 owners
Goats and jiggers living inside
Used as storage
Abandon
Friend has title
Salvage title
$1500 back fees
$50,000
No low ballers
“But…it’s a California car.” lol
Oh yes…another colonnade coupe of the era.
Can’t say I remember or even seen a Century Sun Coupe.
And remember I jockeyed cars around in a Sears Auto Repair
Center for awhile when i was a late teen or so. So saw & drove
lots of oddball cars. Like AMC’s. lol
Maybe they were mostly sold in either the Sunshine State
or Californication.
It’s actually pretty rare.
Yes it is very rare!
I had one, put the crager 60 on back and 70 on front. 4 Barrel on engine with mods to the distributor (springs and timing weights) and high energy coil and wires. This can did 150 mph and have the speeding tickets to prove it. And license suspension and couple of times!
AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Dream on, lol…show us the tickets! I won’t hold my breath. Oh, and I didn’t know Cragar (not “crager”) made tires?
Pretty sure there was no velour seating in these Collonade cars , especially a first year 1973 . Grey is also an odd color for the interior ;I dont think I’ve ever seen any one of the GM mid size cars of this era with a grey gut.
The folding canvas roofs were pretty rare here on the East coast . the only one I ever saw was on a 318 1972 Dodge Demon which was sitting on a dealerships lot in 1979. I really wanted it ,but being a teenager with limited funds I couldn’t swing the extra cash they wanted, and it ended up being sold to a local girl who beat it to death.