Nice find! That may be the only 71 Electra left in existence with the early louvers! You didnt happen to look at the cowl tag and see when it was made did you? So far we know that they were still early louvers in Aug 1970 for the 71 model year.
The louvers in the hood over the concealed windshield wipers appeared on cars for a brief period of time built after the strike, so you will see them on cars built as late as December, 1970.
Hi Gary really sorry to trouble you but I have no idea how to post a thread on this site. I have emailed the site but no response and want to put a post up about my 67 lesabre. Would you mind telling me how to do it? There seems to be no link on the homepage and I have searched and searched and have no idea...I reckon I must be stupid or something but can't see anything....nice car by the way and thanks Jim
just click on Forum, then click on the forum category that is relevant to the title of the thread you want to create, then click on "post new thread" button.
Hi I do all that and there is no 'post new thread' to click well not that i can see.... where is it? I'm after info, in case you know, on rallye wheels for a 67 lesabre....er sorry to butt in on your post shall I ask you via private mail? Do you have to pay to be able to post threads? Thanks for your help, I am in the UK and it is so difficult getting any info here...cheers JIM
Hi I have just found it on another forum, but I have no idea what to put my thread under it's about rallye wheels, where do I put it? I originally went to resto shop and there is nothing I can click to start a new thread then went to another one and I could...computers hate me...thanks
I don't want to burst your bubble, but have been following 71-72 full sized Buick's for a very long time, EVERY full size Buick made in that build range had the louvers in the front and more in the back. The DO show up on eBay and other sites on occasion. It is not uncommon for cars to have running production changes. The only people that would even find that interesting are those of use that enjoy the early 70's big Buick's. You don't see many especially LeSabres because they were used up and discarded and didn't get saved to the degree of the Centurions and even more so Electra's or convertibles. It would have no additional value in price or collectibility.
That has not been the consensus of the 71 buick guys though. Its my understanding that only early 71s had the hood louvers and the number of louvers on the deck lid were reduced later in the year. Are you 100% sure hood louvers were there on ALL 71s and not just the early ones? Anyway, I realize 71 LeSabres are not that desirable except to niche freaks like me but ones with hood louvers are rare, if not by production (which I still believe to be true), then by attrition as most have since been crushed and not treasured in barns and garages.
GaryBuick - that is what I said if you read - every Buick built in that RANGE - meaning date range, I didn't say every Buick built in 1971
That's always been the problem with the early 70s cars; their value plummeted during the contrived "energy crisis" of the late 70s and never came back. They are supported by a small and loyal following and still haven't been recognized by the "mainstream" of the hobby for what they are; well built, long lasting, good cars. And the funny thing is, compared to some of the supposedly "hot" cars of the period, the Camaros, Firebirds, etc. they were actually more economical because they were better geared. Big deal that they were a pain to park, cars like those actually represented what Detroit could do best, build a big rear-drive car that was good for a million miles and comfortable. It took forever for them to recover, and their front drives, for all the improvements in technology over the years, (even though they are more "reliable" now,) they won't stand the test of time like those old boats still do. Try and hop into a 1997 LeSabre that's been out standing in a field for a few years and see if it'll run; the 71 LeSabre under the same circumstances probably would start and move.
Your statement about the consensus of the 71 Buick guys, they without question agree that only the early ones had the louvers
Many, if not most of the remaining 71-76 B cars, in yards, were also quickly crushed during the "run up" in ferrous scrap prices during the late 00's. Scrap in some places neared $300/ton for unprocessed cars - likely $265/ton to be exact. It is hovering between $40 and $75 / ton today.
