Stored 35 Years: 1969 Buick Electra 225

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UPDATE 03/04/2022: If there’s one character trait I admire, it’s persistence. When faced with adversity or failure, it can be easy for someone to throw their plans in the “too hard” basket and walk away. That hasn’t been the case with the owner of this 1969 Buick Electra 225. It is the third time we’ve seen this dusty barn find, and it seems that little has changed since last time. The owner has listed it for sale here on Craigslist, and the price remains at $12,900, which is pretty optimistic. He may be unwilling to drop the price due to sentimental reasons. Still, if you were interested in it previously but missed the boat, it may be worth contacting the owner to gauge whether he may consider a reasonable offer. If you do, I always encourage complete respect because there may be a valid reason why he has pegged the price where he has. If you decide to pursue the Buick further, I wish you luck and ask if you could keep us posted on progress.

Looking appropriately dusty, dirty, and surrounded by other dusty and dirty things for a website named Barn Finds, this 1969 Buick Electra 225 is a real barn find as you can see. It was the seller’s great aunt’s car and it has been sitting for decades. The seller is offering it up here on craigslist for a very ambitious $12,900 and it’s located east of San Angelo, Texas. Here’s the original listing. Adam Clarke showed us this car last month here.

It’s hard to tell what condition this car is really in other than the driver’s side and mostly above the bottom trim level to the dusty top. We don’t see the passenger side at all so this is a $12,900 gamble unless a person can see it in person, have the seller send more photos, or get someone to inspect it in person. Hey, this is a great candidate for Barn Finds Inspections, and I honestly didn’t intend to make this an advertisement for that service, but I’d bet that our Texas friends could possibly check out this car for you.

Speaking of Texas, did you know that the Buick Electra is named after a Texan? I kid you not, for once in my life. The sister-in-law of Buick President and later GM President, Harlow Curtice, was named Electra Waggoner Biggs and she was a sculptor and “socialite” with enough pull to have a car named after her. Many of you knew that already, sorry for the repeat. Back to this 225-inch-long Buick. Hey, did you know that the Electra 225 was named for its length? (crickets)

This is a third-generation Buick Electra 225 and they were made from 1965 to 1970. This particular example has been parked here for about thirty-five years untouched, according to the seller. His or her great aunt owned this car and it looks great from what we can see of it. The interior doesn’t appear to have been ravaged by rodents which I always worry about with long-term stored vehicles. The brocade seats look great in the front and from what we can see of the back seat. Sometimes being known as land yachts, the headliner lives up to that by looking a bit like a canoe.

The engine is, as you can see by the air cleaner, Buick’s 430 cubic-inch V8 with a four-barrel carburetor and 360 horsepower. This one isn’t running due to sitting since the big stock market crash of 35 years ago. No, not the looming 2022 crash, the one in 1987. Speaking of that, the seller is very bullish on the value of this car. Hagerty is at $4,400 for a #4 fair condition car and $8,800 for a #3 good condition car. Any thoughts on this hidden land yacht?

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Comments

  1. jimmyx

    GM car divisions don’t have Presidents. The top spot is General Manager and the holder of that position is also a GM Vice President.

    Like 3
    • Dave

      Way to nit-pick jimmyx! The origin of the name is interesting regardless of the minor details.

      Like 26
    • Scotty GilbertsonAuthor

      Thanks for the clarification, jimmyx, and for the kind words, Dave. I found this quote and ran with it, “…a car, the Buick Electra, named after her, the latter by her brother-in-law, Harlow H. Curtice, former president of Buick and later president of General Motors.”

      Like 14
  2. Rex Kahrs Rex KahrsMember

    It might be a decent car to revive, (despite the ambitious ask), but the seller has an attitude problem and is also lazy with the presentation. Pass.

    Like 30
    • FordGuy1972 FordGuy1972

      Agreed. Could be a decent car but the only work the lazy seller has done was opening the doors for a few crappy pictures. It’s difficult to judge the condition from the seller’s pictures and it is a less desirable 4-door. Maybe if it was running, cleaned up with exceptional original paint and trim it might be worth the ask. Getting this car back on the road will cost a few bucks but could be accomplished in a home workshop assuming nothing major caused the car to be parked 35 years ago. As-is, I’d low-ball the seller with a fair offer of about $3,000, and he’ll be lucky to get that.

      Like 20
    • John Traylor

      I little soap and water would not hurt

      Like 8
  3. DanaPointJohn

    I graduated high school in 1970. In my senior year, my girlfriend’s parents had this exact car, but in blue with a white interior. Oh that backseat!

    Like 18
  4. Sam Shive

    My Uncle had one of these in 74. Nice BIG BOAT. ( 2 Door ) Chick Magnet back then and it run pretty good. $12.900 The Handicap Plate SAYS IF ALL He’s Brain Dead

    Like 2
  5. Jeff A

    I love these cars but question my ability to parallel park one on a city street after so many years of driving smaller cars with back-up cameras.

    Like 4
    • Mikefromthehammer

      It’s just like riding a bike.

      Like 5
    • Bill Hall

      I would love this piece it would a great road trip car. It does more than a bit of TLC. As for parking it takes a bit of practice. I have 2018 VW with a camera and use my mirrors most of the time.

      Like 3
  6. DavidH

    The twin to this car; the much cleaner, inspected rust free, patina free twin just sold in the town where I live for $5500.00. Just saying.

    Like 15
  7. Cam W.

    My late grandfather drove these in the 60s and 70s. He got a new one every year, and they were always loaded with every option. I still have childhood memories of riding in the opulent back seat to the family cottage. Grandpa was a very successful business man, and often said he drove a Buick because “everyone will think I have too much money if I drive a Cadillac”. BTW, in his later years, he broke his own rule, and switched to Cadillac.

    Like 7
  8. David Zornig

    I had two `69s over the years, 4 door hardtop and a convertible.
    The 430 was a beast of an engine
    The A-frame bushings were the only weak point on these.
    If not addressed as soon as they started wearing out, it invited a host of other problems that you’d hate yourself for not taking action.

    Like 4
  9. Gary

    3k tops IF the body needs nothing. It will take 1k or more just to get it running,driving and stopping.

    Like 2
  10. PaulG

    See comments from this exact car just last month…

    Like 6
  11. frank Orzechowski

    Like I said before some people do not know how to sell a car.

    Like 4
  12. Phil Maniatty

    It looks like there’s an issue with the vinyl roof, just above the windshield.

    Like 3
  13. CLAUDE MAINVILLE

    just wondering , is there any other one out there you can find.

    Like 0
  14. ChiTownJeff

    There’s a nice looking black ’69 Electra convertible on eBay right now for $12,000. Why buy the 4 door when you could get the convertible for $900 less?

    Like 4
  15. trav66

    He also has a ’73 El Camino SS listed for $11,999. Yikes! But I wouldn’t mind reading about it on Barn Finds. (I don’t know how to submit it though)

    Like 0
  16. Rex Kahrs Rex KahrsMember

    Would anyone try to sell their house without cleaning it up? No. And especially not if they were expecting top buck.

    Like 1
  17. Terrry

    This has to be bogus. No one in their right mind would pony up anywhere close to that asking price based on the car’s current condition.

    Like 1
  18. Sam61

    Ditto. This looks like a very solid car. Spend 6 to 8 hours cleaning…dare say a few more hours to get it running. You could probably get $8 to $10,000.

    Like 0
  19. GCSMember

    My wife’s 1st car. It ran hot so she traded in in on a 73 Camaro. She doesn’t remember what year it was. I’ll have to show this one. Held 15 people if they liked each other.

    Like 1
  20. Jake73

    “Condition -salvage” in the Ad ? what am I missing that the seller wants 13K ? Maybe if it doesn’t sell then the spouse says they can keep it?

    Like 0

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