1976 Buick Electra

Limited Other

8 - Cyl.

Automatic

4X39Y6H450944

Clear

Gasoline

Survivor originally from Wisconsin, bought by me from the original owner February 12, 2008 in nice, mostly rust-free condition. It had been a summer-only car for the original owner and the only trouble spot was the driver's fender skirt, which I had professionally repaired and painted to match. I also had the original rear bumper fillers replaced and painted at that time. I had the car extensively serviced, since it had not been driven a lot. Brakes, rear-end, carb, water pump and radiator all refreshed. The car currently has just under 80K miles on the clock. I've replaced the original AM radio with a shaft-style aftermarket one geared to classic cars. It accepts input from an iPod/XM as well as getting AM and FM reception. The original power antenna is still in place and works, and the factory power windows are all fully functional. The power locks are aftermarket and include a remote keyless entry. The quartz clock in the dash has been working and keeping excellent time until recently. It needs a good cleaning from one of the classic car clock servicing shops to be back to perfect operation. Car starts nicely, the 455 with single exhaust runs smoothly, shifts gears and drives down the road straight and smooth, just as it should. There are no "potato chips" under the original vinyl top. The air conditioning and heating systems are excellent. The A/C in particular was always well maintained and blows cold even on 100°+ days. Some minor chips in the windshield. I used this car as my daily commuter car for quite some time before gas prices really went sky high there for awhile. That put about 20K on the clock, which I knew was going to hurt the value, but the car was just so nice and comfortable to drive, I couldn't help myself. I've taken it on a few trips of a couple hundred miles and I think it's perfectly safe to drive it home, even across country. (No warranty on that, just my opinion from experience with the car.) This car is a "survivor"; never been restored or painted. The original paint is OK but getting tired. I prefer the patina but it really could use fresh paint. The vinyl top is still OK, but there are some small tears, nearly invisible, that will lead most collectors to want to replace it. The real gem of this car is the original upholstery. It's in very nice shape with almost no wear. The carpeting is original and shows well. Interior door panels have some minor issues around the handles. My problem is I now need to sell and I need to do so fairly quickly. In California, cars from 1976 and newer must be smog checked every two years. This car is now due for a smog check and, while it has passed the two times it was checked previously, I do not want to go through the hassle this year and have to spend whatever might be needed to tweak it and get it to pass. My need to sell and avoid the smog deadline is your queue to save big. There are not many of these big Buicks out there. Cadillacs of the era can be found all over, but these Electras just aren't seen very often. The fact that it is nice, yet quite drivable is a major plus. You won't get good gas mileage and it will want Premium at the pump. But for an occasional driver, this is a really posh ride that has very nice road manners. I'm going to start the auction low and not set a reserve. The car needs to go and it will go at a loss to me, but urgency trumps investment recovery. On Dec-21-11 at 11:38:58 PST, seller added the following information: PLEASE NOTE: I'm getting messages from people asking me to sell outside the auction or to give them a figure that will make me end the auction early. But of course, the figure I quote to end early is too high for them! Please understand I do need to sell the car quickly. Therefore, I'm selling the car with NO RESERVE. That means the highest bidder WILL get the car. The auction will never reach the price I would *like* to have. There is no getting what I've spent on the car back, certainly not in this economy. I don't mind. The car has been a joy to own and drive. But now it needs to go and I will take whatever comes from this auction. If you want it, I encourage you to bid now, at whatever you are willing to pay. There will not be any second chances unless the high bidder defaults. And if that happens, I will offer it to the next highest bidder. If you do not bid, you have no chance of owning the car.