1976 Buick Electra Limited 455 V8

I never did either but I guess as My3Buicks mentioned it was just the fronts for 72?
Yup, I was wrong about the Estates Wagons wheel base, the 76 Brochour says it's 127" as the Electra's and get this 5150lbs!! Leaf springs for the rear too.

Edit: didn't see you post my mistake

 

Yes they were huge HEAVY monsters. My mom had a 1973 Estate Wagon. It was the car that started my love for Buicks. Check out this stunning 1976 Estate Wagon at the GM Heritage Museum. Amazing car!!

https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/gm-vehicle-collection/1976_Buick_Wagon.html

 

A new listing for a low mile 1976 Electra in Charlotte, NC

 

Yup, I remember you saying that My friends mom had a yellow 73 Estate also. This may sound silly but as a kid also I thought it was so high class and luxurious that the power window switches were on the door upright on a nice crafted panel.
Up to this point we didn't even have a power windowed car..I had a 73 Riv also in and after high school and even that weighed also 5000+ pounds in a period road test.
Wow yup, that Estate is stunning. They didn't show enough interior pic's though..You should build a Estate Park Ave type of thing
Stangs, you posted your beauty on the FB Limited and Park Ave forum didn't you, it has to be you?

 

OK, been doing my research. Rear lamp monitors were NOT offered on Buick until 1975. Checked all accessory and option list from 1971-1975. 1975 was the first year that "Rear" lamp monitors were mentioned/included in the option.

 

The Heritage Center’s wagon is glorious! Anyone know if GM kept it since new, or bought it back? Also, this brings to mind an old thread; a member is (?) building a ‘76 Estate Wagon Coupe; a big hardtop ‘shooting brake’ looking slab of awesomeness.

 

Found the Wagoncoupe thread; it’s a ‘72. It looks like it isn’t finished yet.
http://www.v8buick.com/index.php?threads/72-estate-wagon-limited-sport-coupe.192043/page-16
Patrick

 

how did the term "shooting brake" come about ? always wondered about that

 

An old English term dating back over a century, wagons to carry hunting parties. It evolved in that territory to mean station wagons

 

Which also explains why such vehicles are called 'Estate cars' in the UK. Large estate owners would employ a gamekeeper whose job it was to breed game birds and deer for the sole purpose of wealthy folk to go out on hunting parties in order to kill them. The tailgate and long bed of an estate car was to accommodate shotguns and the ensuing pile of dead game.

Well explained in this video...

 

Along those same lines, Elvis had Cadillac custom build him this 1974 clam shell wagon. It was not only odd because its a Cadillac, but because it was made as a hardtop with no post like all the other GM clam shell wagons. Very cool! Check it out:

 

The guy in the vid says the engine is a Cadillac 500, @ 6:33 you can read the core support tag that says 472 cu. in. on it!

So not a 500 cid car, although the 472 is the next best thing as far as production cid goes.

Maybe why Elvis got rid of it?

 

I learned to drive using an Estate Wagon.

 

I noticed that too. After researching, I found out the 500 cid became standard on the 1975 Cadillac's

 

So did I. I never will forget mimicking my dad who at the time would always give a car a couple good revs before turning off the ignition. I was in a 1973 Estate Wagon. I did the same thing he did but failed to put the car in park first. That huge front bumper lifted the whole front of the car off the ground and onto a built in concrete bench lol. Did not hurt that tank of a car in the least haha

 

When you successfully parallel park an Estate Wagon, you can park anything!

 

yea we called them estate cars in England but were never as big as the ones here . interesting to know the history of the names

 

Rolls Royce used the term for years on their wagons

 

Here is a very nice 1976 2 door Electra in Canada. It is odd in that it is the only one I have ever seen without tilt wheel. I also think that the Buick Rally wheels are a MUST on these cars. I guess you are starting to see a pattern here. I think these cars look best in white lol.

 

Question. Is it me or am I the only one that thinks the full vinyl top on the 4 door hardtop Electra Limited looks better than the "Halo" vinyl top on the Park Avenue cars? I love the interior on the Park Avenues, especially when they have the massive velour front console. Nonetheless, I would literally replace the "Halo" top if I was to buy one. I also find it odd that the Park Avenues did not include any other exterior options than the "Halo" top and the "Park Avenue" script on the quarter windows. I have seen them with and without the wide body side molding, cornering lamps, lamp monitors and so on. While I am at it, one more Electra question. I have seen a couple 2 door Landau Electras with exterior "Coach Lamps" were these a factory option? I cant find anything about that option.