Unusual combo, that's for sure. Too bad it has a chevy engine or I might go for it! Don't know if it's street legal or not. http://cincinnati.craigslist.org/cto/1906733857.html
In '79 those cars were available with a 3.8 litre Buick V6, 4.9 litre(301) Pontiac V8, and on the upper series, the Buick 350 motor (painted Blue) was still available. It is possible that on the West Coast, the 5.0 litre Chevy 305 was used instead of the Pontiac 301, but the Buick 350 was still used and found in the Pontiac Parisienne/Bonneville series as well. (like an Impala). This LeSabre would make a great and different looking bracket car in the Staging Lanes, that would run in Sportsman, etc. classes. Somebody looking to race, should try $4k cash in hand, and could make that back in a season if you know how to race, and can go to the local track's atleast bi-monthly. A 455 Buick would go into that nicely as well..... :TU:
Indeed, but not for the $5k asking price. But as mentioned a 455 would be great, and you could alway's sell off the dime a dozen 350+ Bowtie & Tranny to fund the Buick and the tranny you'd need. :3gears: I wouldn't want to have much more than the asking price tied up into a '79 Lesabre tho....jmo ou: :dollar:
I know GM started their generic engines in 77 cause I had a 77 Estate Wagon with an Olds 350. That's when the sh__ hit the fan when somebody with a Buick or Olds got a Chevy engine! The lawyers had a field day! Mine was a great car but you really had to be careful about what engine you had when getting various engine related parts.:Comp:
Engine options for the B bodies on '79: Displacement carb Engine code Engine VIN Code 231cid(3.8L) 2bbl V6 LD5 A (Buick) 231cid(3.8L) 4bbl V6 LC8 3 (Buick) 301cid(4.9L) 2bbl V8 L27 Y (???) 305cid(5.0L) 2bbl V8 LG3 G (Chevy) 350cid(5.7L) 4bbl V8 L77 X (Buick) 350cid(5.7L) 4bbl V8 L34 R (Olds) 403cid(6.5L) 4bbl V8 L80 K (Olds) The Engine VIN Code will be the seventh character on the VIN plate.The information came from the '79 chassis manual.I'm not sure what the 301cid brand is.
I thought that by looking at the pictures in the book,but I have never seen one in person that I can recall so I opted for the ??.Thanks for clarifying that.
I listed the Pontiac 4.9 (301). Sorry some of you Gent's missed it. Le Sabre coupes and sedan's didn't get all those engine choices, (atleast not in the Northeastern U.S. area where I worked for a Buick Dealer). But the Electra, tho it didn't get a 3.8 V6 offering in '79, did get the Old's 403 as an offering. And the new (for Buick) FWD Riviera had the 350 Old's in '79. Atleast at the N.Y. Zone Dealer I worked for back then, this was the case.
There were some states/regional variations in the various engines placed in these cars. As I recall, there was an overall plan regarding re-vamping and consolidating corporate engine offerings across the board. And, there were certain engines that had to be placed in cars destined for certain states (Calif. and later others) or conversely not offered in those states due to emissions certifications (lack thereof also). But beyond that - the point I am trying to make - is that there were some supply issues in these years (late '70's) models of cars that required GM to make some mid-year changes and start placing different "corporate" engines in various models that were not originally planned to be offered. I remember reading that GM had some real problems in a few different years and had to divert engines to different final assembly plants rather quickly at times to keep the lines going. All that work to get that car to 13.0 ET ... he should have used a BBB.
You are right Rick,not all those engines options were offered to all B bodies,I believe that the 403 Olds engine was only available to the wagon and the 4dr Lesabre Custom. You are right about the 301 Pontiac also,I missed your reference to it above. I posted all the engine options available in '79 for the Lesabre because the chassis of this car is probably drilled to accept the frame mounts for any of the options available.I'm hoping to give an idea of what may be a bolt on fit with the right parts. The Electra,being a C body,was offered with the 350 Buick,350 Chevy or the 403 Olds.I've never seen one with the Chevy engine.Mine will sport a healthy 455 one day if I'm blessed to see it through.:Brow:
