Stylish Survivor: 1983 Buick Electra Limited

A Deuce and a Quarter, this 1983 Buick Electra Limited ain’t! That said, it’s an excellent 1980s interpretation of Buick’s range-topping model. Times had changed, and GM rose to the challenge, starting in ’77 with downsized B- and C-body cars like this Electra. Coupes were still in vogue then, and that’s what I have for your review today. We can thank Zen for discovering this Hauppauge, New York, resident, and it’s listed here on Facebook Marketplace for $7,000.

There’s no denying that Electras from the late fifties and early sixties were very “visible” cars. As the sixties progressed, the styling was mitigated, but they were still obvious due to their size, with the “225” designation referencing the Electra’s length of 225″. The Electra name came from a sculptor who was the sister-in-law of GM’s then-president. Still, I thought for years it was named after the Lockheed Electra airplane, which seemed like a poor choice, considering a few early Electra turboprops tended to lose their wings in mid-flight. Regardless, the Buick Electra was a well-regarded luxury model and sold in substantial volumes. By 1983, the Electra was available in Limited and Park Avenue trims, in both two and four-door body styles, as well as an Estate station wagon. Our subject car is one of  8,900 coupes assembled in ’83, so not rare, but not that common either. This 92K-mile example still presents well, though its obvious flaw is missing bumper fillers at the front and rear corners. It’s a common problem with GM cars of this era; the fillers are a polymer of some sort, designed to fill the gap between the five MPH bumpers and the car’s bodywork. They get brittle over time and disintegrate. Beyond that foible, the rest of the exterior is fine, with nice paint depth, a sound Landau vinyl top, and shiny Buick road wheels.

GM was full-on engine-sharing by ’83, and this Electra was gifted with a 140 net HP, 307 CI (5.0 liter) Oldsmobile V8 engine, paired with a four-speed automatic O/D transmission. The seller describes this Electra’s road manners as: “runs excellent and is very reliable, transmission shifts smooth…” This is a 4,000 lb. car, so I doubt the 140 net HP makes for lively acceleration, but it’s probably quite adequate for cruising, which is what a car like this was designed to do. The engine compartment is surprisingly clean considering this car’s age and mileage.

Hmmm, an eighties GM car with red velour upholstery- how many of those have we seen before? I dunno, but I would have liked to have the red velour fabric franchise back in those days. Anyway, the seats, carpet, and dashpad look great, with the only wear being on the driver’s-side armrest. The seller states, “A/C blows cold.”

I can really appreciate this “big” car’s downsized bearing from its mid-seventies years. It’s still large and comfortable but not titanic and ostentatious in a “Hey, look at me!” way. For those who still dig a full-size, body-on-frame, V8-powered, rear-wheel-drive coupe, here’s another great example that won’t break the bank – seems reasonable to me; how about you?