The Buick.

[trail twister]

My mother in laws birthday was December 20th. Every one knows what the 25th of December is right?
On December 18th 1984 my inlaws after much delibration went to Belford Buick in Davison Michigan and ordered a new 1985 Buick LeSabre limited for my Mother in law. I don't think they knew at the time it would be badged as a collectors edition, the very last year LeSabres would be rear wheel drive.

Since the car was ordered just the way they wanted with gray and silver two tone paint, blue velore seats and blue interior over all. they had marked spoked hob caps in the book but I think dad had talked o people about them and learned they were awful to keep clean so opted for the Rallye wheels instead. they had to wait for the car to be assembled in Kanasa city and be shipped back to Michigan.

They took delivery Febuary 2nd 1985. I saw it soon afterwards and fell in love with it. I was dateing their daughter at the time so I tell every one I married her to keep track of the car so some day I could buy it.
The car was driven on vacations for a couple years, places like Missouri where family still lived and to Bronson to go to country music shows.

For some reason I never under stood mom refused to drive the car or even ride in it after it got 50,000 miles on it. Always told us she was afraid that old thing would break down.
Dad had retired by that time so told mom to drive his Buick Park Avenue and he would use the LeSabre. It became is baby and was even better taken care of then the excellent care it had before.

Dad passed away in 2009 so the car just sat in the garage till 2011 when mom asked me to push it out side so her oldest daughter who was moving in with her could put her junk in the garage.
At that time i started asking mom to sell me the car. she wouldn't drive it and she just wasn't driveing at all any longer.

She kept saying no.
to be continued later. time to get ready to take it to a show.

Al

 

[Colin]

Hi,

C'mon Al; I'm sitting at the edge of my seat in suspense.

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[trail twister]

Just now returned from the show. Was a pretty nice show over all saw a friends car there but could never catch up with him. I suppose he was out looking at cars and for us while we were out looking at cars and for him. So we missed each other some how. I did tell his wife where we were parked how ever. She didn't hide the fact she doesn't like cars shows. said to us thankfully they are about to come to an end.

Back to aquireing the Buick.

Al

 

[trail twister]

With mom saying she didn't want to sell it I just let it set. I should still cared for the paint by washing it and waxing it. But being disappointed I didn't do any thing with it and half expected it to be sold to some outsider when Mom was gone to settle the estate.

June Mom fell bad and broke a hip, was in the hospital for a few days then they shipped her to a home to recover and for therapy. That place I suppose I would feel that way about any nurserying home, not a place for a dog even. I kept at my wife to get her out of there and back at home where she belonged. Kare was going in and staying with mom all day making shure they were bringing her meals and her meds. Kares oldest sister was staying with her all night to make sure they gave her her meds and any other night time needs.
First part of August 2016 Mom told Kare's sister to bring the titel for the Buick to her and she was going to sell it to me. I took possession of it August 16th 2016. Spent the rest of the year trying to clean it up and restore the paint but it was just to bad.

Keep in mind there was just a rain fall so ity lookes shiny in the pictures August 14th 2016.

\

Al

 

[Colin]

Hi,

A sad story Al; I hope everything works out OK for you.

Cars can be replaced but people can't; age tends to bring health problems; although lots of aged people fall here in the UK and break their hip we have a major problem as a society. Where do we put these people after their operation to be rightfully cared for; hospital beds are being occupied with them because there's nowhere else for them to go; old peoples homes are virtually a thing of the past so when these people do return home it falls upon our already strained social services to look after them with home visits but what really happens is more time is spent by the social workers filling in forms than actually doing much good for the patient. Private care homes are hugely expensive meaning those of us who have saved hard all our lives end up having to sell our home to pay for care whereas those who have spent every penny they had and never bought their home are looked after by the state totally free of charge. This is grossly unfair but very real and ongoing.

Recent news here in Huddersfield is that £20M is available to build a new stadium but our local council have removed rubble skips from our tips because the council cannot afford the skips. Of course anything sport related is generally well funded; perhaps our local tips need a new name like "Huddersfield Tip FC"?

I remember over 50 years ago when Buick Straight Eights could be seen here in the UK; you'll be familiar with these Al?

Kind regards, Colin.

 

[trail twister]

Yes I know of the Buick straight 8. this one has a straight eight.



It is a 1941 a fellow I know bought when he got ot of college in 1949. Dated his wife with it and married her. Had children over the years yet he kept that old Buick restoreing it at some point in the 1960's.


Al

 

[trail twister]

This was the dull hood of the Buick summer 2017.

Some surface rust right rear quarter.

The pin stripe was a stick on decal.

Some pain peel on the right quarter panal roof area.

Cracked peeling old paint

The tail end of a big scratch on the left side.

Badgeing looked bad also.

Al

 

[trail twister]

April 1st 2018. the hood and rest of the car are shiny bright.

You can see me taking rthe picture in the paint.

A shiny right side. 4 coats of base color and 5 coats of clear

Shiny left side.

Badges were also redone, they are not new.

Look at the reflections of the hood.

You can tell the stripe is now painted on.

Al

 

[trail twister]

Is now easy to see why we get a few awards now in a sea of nice looking cars.

this one how ever is for the farthest traveled to this show.

3 foot tall Peoples choice award.

A top 10 award.

Top 25 award.



Another top 25.


This show diveds cars up in classes. Our class was luxury 1975 to 1985. it is really nice because it lights up when plugged in.




I know we missed some because of how the award winners were chosen. One show had a top 12 awards voted on by car owners. A club came with 9 cars and took 8 awards plus the best of show.

Another show was much the same except there were two clubs there.

At another show it was clear the judge was bias, only picking 55 chevys for all awards.
Much like this one. Yes this one is really nice but to pick 12 55 or 56's is all wrong. show will suffer also as People with other than a 55 or 56 will go else where.

56 chevy



55 chevy.



Al