1977 Buick Electra

Automatic

4R35K7X118614

1977 Buick Estate Wagon 1 owner from new Heavily optioned example 8 passenger Americana Here up for bids on eBay is this very well preserved 1977 Buick Estate Wagon.  This has been a Seattle area car from new and has always been garaged.  Old cars from this part of the US have a much higher survival rate than most, due to our generally mild climate and mostly cloudy skies.  These conditions go a long way in ensuring that weatherstripping remains pliable, dashboards don't crack, and paint doesn't get sun baked.  In addition, the roads here are not salted in the winter, eliminating the curse of rust.  This wagon is a textbook example of a Pacific Northwest car, it has 116K miles, mostly original paint, an all original interior, and excellent chrome and trim. This wagon is very well equipped, sporting the optional 403 motor, all power options, cruise control, tilt-telescoping wheel, 4-note horn, AC, tinted glass and rear facing third seat.  I just completed a 200 mile freeway jaunt in the car and it didn't miss a beat.  To say that the car has long legs on the freeway is an understatement, this is definitely a highway cruiser that has power to spare.  Offered at No Reserve, here's a chance to own a great example of a 70's icon, the classic American Station Wagon.   Click to enlarge any of the photos below, a link to a slideshow of all the enlarged images is available at the bottom of the page. Before there were $60,000 SUV's, there were $10,000 station wagons.  As you can see below, this wagon has a huge option list, accounting for $3594 of this car's $9496 sticker price, not an insignificant sum back in '77.   This wagon was ordered with special option "Firethorn" paint, normally reserved for Cadillacs.  Having original paint eliminates a lot of guesswork about a car's past, what you see it what you get.  This car presents very well, you can tell it's been garaged and cared for.  The only area of paint work on the car is on the driver's side rear quarter.  There's no evidence of overspray of poor prep in that area, just a subtle change of hue that signals previous paintwork there.  The rest of the car's paint is original, so expect to see a good number of small chips on the nose and a few age related flaws scattered about.  The body panels on this big barge are very straight, the first 2 photos below will give you a good visual on just how straight this wagon is.  The wood grain siding shows some surface abrasions, the worst among them is a spot on the driver's side rear door, and a scuff left of center on the rear gate.  Overall it's held up well with no areas of fading or loss of adhesive.  There are no rust issues anywhere on this car, top or bottom.  This wagon has the optional P05 chromed wheels, all in very good shape.  Tires are matching BF Goodrich radials with excellent tread. Both bumpers are in great shape with no pitting, in fact all of the chrome on this car is really excellent for its age.  The anodized trim on the wagon has held up very well with no clouding.  Most of it is ding free, the exceptions being the lower belt line trim strips plus some spots on the wheel arch trim.  The worst area is a small tweak on the driver's side rear quarter trim, right near the bumper, visible in the 2nd photo below.  All signal lenses are in terrific condition with no cracks.  Front grill is perfect with no broken fins.     Firethorn was a beautiful color, but prone to fading.  The car exhibits some micro-checking on the top surfaces which was hard to capture with the camera.  For a Seattle area car that's always been garaged it has probably fared pretty well by comparison to others, but I wanted to alert bidders to this flaw.  The interior is like stepping back in time, a real testament to the care this car was given.  The seats are in great shape with no rips, tears or scuffs, they have aged remarkably well.  The tilt-tele steering wheel is in fantastic shape with no cracks and a perfect "wood" inlay.  The only negative of this interior are the plastic pieces surrounding the door frame perimeters, they have taken on the familiar GM color shift.  The carpet is still color fast and plush, in great shape. The floor mats show wear but being original, they belong here.  For me, this comes across almost as a badge of honor, as if it's saying "I'm 35 years old and have so far avoided spilled coffee, muddy dogs or barfing kids.  How 'bout you?" Back seat is in great shape.  There are seatbelts for 3 on both the front and back seat. Every electrical component here is working, even the clock.  All gauges work, all idiot lights work, cruise control works, radio, horn, signals, wipers, etc.  There are no gremlins to chase down in this car, you turn the key and go.  Heater, fan and plenums operate correctly.  The AC system needs to be recharged but the compressor clicks on as it should.  Radio/Cassette works well and has good sound.  All power windows operate well, the 6-way power seat works too.  The car was also optioned with a "speed-minder" on the speedometer, I've seen this on GM products from the 60s, I didn't realize that they were still offering this option in '77! The dash is entirely free of cracks, usually there's one or two around the speaker grills even on the nice ones, this has none at all.  Mounted on the dash is the very latest in 1970's navigational technology.  Looking under the dash shows that it's just as it left the KCKS plant 35 years ago.  These full size GM cars were well sound insulated from the factory, pulling back the carpet reveals very thick insulation. Door panels and jambs are all excellent.  All of the car's weatherstripping has held up beautifully, it's still pliable and like new. The headliner is in great shape with no sagging.  The rear facing third seat turns this wagon into a real people-hauler. No rust issues in the gate area.  Huge cargo capacity with the seats folded down.  The spare tire and jacking equipment have never been used.  The big 403 fires to life easily and runs out great.  I probably don't need to tell you that it offers gobs of power to move this wagon down the road.  One-finger power steering makes piloting this barge around town easy.  The car floats down the road with a good solid feel, really reminiscent of Cadillacs from this era.  The transmission shifts well and the car has good braking power, thanks to discs up front and giant 15" drums out back. Engine bay is clean and all GM.  The car leaves a couple of drips on the floor after driving but doesn't burn oil. The undercarriage shows all original floor pans with no rust problems or areas of repair.  These are bare steel floorpans you're looking at, they tell the story of this one-owner survivor car. Click here for a slideshow of all of the enlarged images. About the Reserve Price: This car is being sold with no reserve, the high bidder wins, it's as simple as that.  This auction ends Thursday, 5-10-12 at at 12 Noon Pacific Time , 2 PM Central , 3 PM Eastern, 7 PM GMT. About Payment: I will contact the winning bidder via email within 3 hours of auction completion.  I would like a $500 deposit (paypal, money order or bank check) within 2 days.  Balance is due (bank check or bank wire transfer only) within 7 calendar days of auction end. The car will be securely garaged until pickup. About this auction: This auction process is a legally binding contract into which you enter when you click "confirm" on your bid.   Please have finances in order before you decide to bid and please ask all questions before you decide to bid.   Basically, please only bid if you are ready to purchase this car.  Car is sold as-is with no warranties express or implied.  License plates are not included unless the winning bidder is a Washington State resident.  Any disputes regarding the sale of this vehicle shall be resolved through binding arbitration exclusively in Multnomah County, Oregon under applicable state laws.  By bidding you agree to these terms. About me: Please check my feedback, I take customer satisfaction very seriously and am a licensed, bonded and insured dealer in the State of Oregon.  I own this car outright and the pictures were taken last week.   You and/or your representative are welcome and encouraged to inspect the car in person before the close of auction. I can be reached at 503-891-7702 between the hours of 9-5.  Previously sold inventory is available to view at www.cascadiaclassic.com.  I also welcome you to visit my blog, where I write about the back stories of some of the cars that I've sold. Post Auction details: The transport cost is the responsiblity of the winning bidder, although I can certainly help with logistics.  I have a wholesale account with a transport booking service and can help you find a reasonable shipping rate.   Overseas bidders may contact any of these international shippers for a quote: Schumacher Cargo Horizon Auto Services California Shipping Thanks for looking!