The last big convertibles marketed by GM are imposing in their size and presence. And you didn’t need to buy a top-end Cadillac to get your big-convertible fix – middle managers could get a Pontiac Catalina, Oldsmobile 88, or the Buick, and working schmos could get a Chevrolet Caprice. And while driving a convertible these days means sacrificing space or convenience, these cars seat six and are equipped with power folding tops, so you can be pretty spontaneous about dropping the top, and they can take you near or far – providing you’re not afraid of getting half the fuel mileage of a modern convertible. Check out this 1975 Buick LeSabre convertible for sale for $3999 in the South Shore area of Boston, MA.
This pale blue works well on this car, and accentuates the apparent lack of body rust. Of course, you’ll want to do a thorough inspection underneath, since convertible tops and salted winter roads don’t always play well together, but it’s a good first impression for a car that normally is offered at two or three times the price. The seller does concede the car has some needs – a new top and a few other unspecified things. On the plus side, the car only shows 102,000 miles and had an engine rebuild about 10,000 miles ago.
Interestingly, these B-bodies were among the first cars to be offered with air bags (the Air Cushion Restraint System) and computerized traction control (MaxTrac). Interestingly, both systems were not successful in the market – the air bags were offered as a supplement to lap belts (as opposed to the shoulder belts that were standard on cars lacking this option) while MaxTrac was phased out in 1973 due to maintenance and emissions-related issues. It’s not clear how many (if any) convertibles received either of these options, but this must be one of the last vestiges of the days when GM was truly blazing new trails in terms of automatovie innovation.
Since the top is said to need replacement, it’s quite likely the seats will have some wear as well – at this point, it’s 41-year-old vinyl that’s had more environmental exposure than on a closed car. It’s encouraging how straight the body looks, and with the lower quarters even showing reflections, there’s hope this car served as a mild-weather driver, or spent most of its life in a dry state. How does open air driving with five friends appeal to you? Maybe if they are willing to share in the gas bill…
Tags: american, b-body, buick, convertible, Feature, lesabre
Rusty But Trusty 
May 20, 2016 at 12:05 pm |
I had an 1968 Olds 98 convertible about 25 years ago; 8mpg, even when gas was a $1.10 a gal. it was an expensive to use piece of transportation.