garybuick, please update us on your 1971 LeSabre Custom 4-door hardtop

Discussion in 'A boatload of fun' started by Centurion, May 25, 2016.

  1. Centurion

    Centurion Well-Known Member

    Garybuick, I caught up on some other posts, and read that your car was number 230 off the Wilmington, Delaware assembly line. As another forum member noted, the Wilmington plant was also producing Centurion and Electra 225 series cars during 1971.

    The real clue regarding where your LeSabre fell in terms of LeSabre Custom 4-door hardtop production at Wilmington would be the Fisher Body plate on the car's cowl. If you can shoot a photo of the plate and post it here, we can interpret the data for you.

    Given the low VIN number, your car was extremely early in terms of model year production -- probably one of the few built before the lengthy UAW strike at General Motors that crippled 1971 model year production.

    As a very early car, your LeSabre should have both the early style hood and the early style rear deck lid. Detail photos of both would be great! There were numerous running changes early during the 1971 model year, so it would be helpful to see what features your car has.
     
  2. garybuick

    garybuick Time Traveler

    heres a pic of the cowl tag
    [​IMG]

    and the deck lid
    [​IMG]

    and hood
    [​IMG]
     
  3. Centurion

    Centurion Well-Known Member

    Gary, your '71 LeSabre is the earliest-built '71 Buick I have ever seen, and I have been looking at these for 45 years!

    Your car was built in late August, 1970, and was the 69th 1971 LeSabre Custom 4-door hardtop built at Wilmington.

    It has the early style deck lid with 54 louvers, and this may be the only one with this deck lid that you will ever see.

    Very cool find!
     
  4. garybuick

    garybuick Time Traveler

    wow! what about the hood, what are the differences?
     
  5. Centurion

    Centurion Well-Known Member

    I can't tell from the photo you have posted. Are there vents in the hood over the concealed windshield wipers? If so, this was the early style hood, which I would expect based on assembly date. Late 1971 Buicks had solid hoods without these vent openings.

    I will look up your paint code when I have opportunity.
     
  6. garybuick

    garybuick Time Traveler

    yes they have vents in them like the deck lid.

    what other changes did they make? Did they find these things to be defective or just not worth the extra cost to make?
     
  7. Centurion

    Centurion Well-Known Member

    Gary, the deck lid change was made because the drainage system in the trunk lid was evidently not adequate to deal with all of the rain that the 54 louvers would admit. My car also has the early style decklid, and I have never had the issue in more than 45 years of ownership. However, in certain climates with intense downpours, it may have been an issue.

    Early during 1971 production, the decklid was changed on LeSabre / Centurion cars, reducing the number of louvers from 54 to 24. (All full-size GM cars had decklid revisions during the course of the model year.)

    I do not know the reason for the deletion of the hood vents.

    Other running changes included elimination of the 3-speed manual transmission on LeSabre / Centurion cars, deletion of the optional rim blower steering wheel, and added stainless trim to the rear fender skirts of the '71 Electra 225's. There may have been other changes that I am not aware of.
     
  8. garybuick

    garybuick Time Traveler

    ok thanks for the info. Have you ever seen a 71 LeSabre/Centurion with 3 speed manual trans?
     
  9. Centurion

    Centurion Well-Known Member

    No, but there is a fellow in Maine on another forum who has a stick shift '71 LeSabre sedan.
     
  10. garybuick

    garybuick Time Traveler

    that would be cool. 455 3 on the tree.
     
  11. garybuick

    garybuick Time Traveler

    So how many 71 LeSabres were made with the first style hood and deck lid?
     
  12. Centurion

    Centurion Well-Known Member

    Gary, there is no way to know this with any certainty. I have seen the daily production reports for the '71 Centurions, and this information is not available.

    But the best answer I can provide is: "Very few"!
     
    Last edited: Jun 6, 2016
  13. garybuick

    garybuick Time Traveler

    I noticed the rocker molding is made of stainless steel as a magnet strongly sticks to it, however on my 73 they are made of aluminum. Were all 71 rocker moldings made of steel or only the early ones like mine?
     
  14. Centurion

    Centurion Well-Known Member

    I do not believe that there was any change to the moldings during 1971.
     
  15. Centurion

    Centurion Well-Known Member

    The data plate indicates that your car was originally built in Arctic White with dark brown vinyl roof. I have not checked the interior trim code, but, in view of the dark brown vinyl roof, I'm guessing that the car has Saddle brown interior trim.
     
  16. garybuick

    garybuick Time Traveler

    yes it is saddle inside. The original arctic white is present under the trunk hinges. The vinyl top is long gone but I suspect it had something to do with the rust out in the corners. Maybe not. The previous owner testified that it indeed had a brown vinyl top and was white. All since faded except the seats which are brand new fresh saddle. I plan to use vinyl dye for interior color. Needs a headliner as well, remanant artifacts are saddle.

    DSC_0348.jpg    DSC_0345.jpg
     
  17. 66electrafied

    66electrafied Just tossing in my nickel's worth

    Judging by the fact that it is a rare early edition car, IMHO it warrants a do-over back to what it originally was. Wonder what else it has that wasn't on the later run. I had no idea that the 71 lineup was plagued by strike issues, that also keeps the numbers down and the rarity factor interesting.
     
  18. Centurion

    Centurion Well-Known Member

    While the unique aspects of the early production models are certainly interesting, they are unlikely to add any value to the car. Nonetheless, there seem to be few of these great '71 full-size Buicks out there, and I'll applaud every effort to preserve or restore them.

    The 67-day strike by the United Auto Workers began almost immediately after the '71's were revealed to the public, and the dealerships were left with almost no inventory for months. My father made a full-price, cash offer on a '71 Electra 225 Custom 4-door hardtop (in beautiful, rarely seen Rosewood), but the dealer simply would not sell the one full-size Buick in its inventory, preferring to use the car to help generate orders for future deliveries. Those who ordered new GM cars early during the September, 1970 time period failed to receive their vehicles, in some cases, until as late as March, 1971.

    My '71 was built during the first week of December, shortly after resumption of production. Dad was calling dealers all over the state of Oregon, finally securing the Centurion Formal Coupe on December 17.

    Last year, I added the original 1971-style dual-stripe whitewall tires, which are now being reproduced for these cars. If you look at the '71 brochures and advertising, you'll see that all the cars with equipped with this whitewall style.

    [​IMG]
     
  19. garybuick

    garybuick Time Traveler

    I like white its an easy color to paint. Saddle is fine. Im just not sure I have the emotional or financial stamina to do a factory restoration justice. Id have to put a vinyl top with the vinyl top stainless trim pieces, the side molding if it came with it I dont know yet. Wheel well moldings. I have no build sheet unless its under the gas tank. Ill find that out when I fix the trunk rust. I dont know what all was changed, I would like to know though. and what could it be conceivable worth. I mean its a 4 door lesabre. Not exactly a lot of demand for that is there?
     
  20. Centurion

    Centurion Well-Known Member

    No, not a lot of demand for a 4-door LeSabre. We all have to make the decision whether we invest money in these cars for a love of the car or for a financial return. Many of us will never be able to afford a genuine blue chip collectible.

    But I'm absolutely convinced that it's possible to have as much fun with a 4-door LeSabre as with anything else out there.

    As a LeSabre Custom, the car would have had the wheel opening moldings and rocker molding. I would skip the protective body side molding; if you look at the '71 Buick brochure, you'll see that none of the cars were equipped with this popular option. In my view, they look better without the option!
     

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