Ya Gotta Love IT! Free LeSabre in Great Shape!

[Riviera65]

Only in America!
I replied quickly to an ad on CraigsList for a 1988 Buick LeSabre - thinking it would be a piece of junk that may be good for parts.
I got a call from the guy and he says the trans is bad, has been sitting for months out in the rain and one of the windows was down. Battery is dead, but he says he got it to move just barely in reverse and swears that the engine is OK.
So, I decide to take a look. I get out there and find a very nice body on a 1989 LeSabre. I pop the door and sure 'nuff he's right - the interior is a mildewed mess! - Never fear, I get out the cleaner and clean the dash & wheel so I can at least evaluate what else is wrong. I put a blanket over the filthy seats and check the dash - 119000 orig miles! This Buick is just broken in. Pull the hood release and check the trans - Yes, it's dry. Check the engine oil - its filthy, but full. Ditto on the coolant.
The battery is dead, too. Put the jumpers on it and let it charge up while I add a couple of quarts of ATF, then turn the key. It lights up, so I go ahead and fire it up. The 3800 jumps to life and settles down to a pleasant idle. I slip it into reverse and she engages just fine. Backing it up, I try the Drive position - also fine!
This puppy's a runner!
I finally meet the guy who's giving it away, and get the papers squared away, and DRIVE AWAY in my new LeSabre while his jaw hits the ground!

Long story short, the car had a leaky trans pan, and needed a set of spark plug wires to cure the bucking hesitation that the Previous Owner thought was the trans going out.
After spending a pleasant day cleaning the interior and washing her at the local self serve, I've got a very sweet running car - FOR FREE!!
My friends can't belive it!

Anyway - I'm hooked on these now, for a while and just picked up a 1988 Park Avenue for $100 that needs a harmonic balancer replaced.
This beauty is LOADED!! and runs fine except for the horrific noise at idle that sounds like the front of the engine is coming apart! I can rock the belt back and forth on this engine and the good 3800 in my LeSabre is tight, so I know that the problem is the Crankshaft harmonic dampener. I'm picking one up off of eBay for $55 delivered to my door, so I should have this one on the road by next week.

Can someone tell me where the part number is on these so I can be sure to get the right one?

Looking forward to sharing my experiences with these great cars with the rest of you all on this great source of Auto Info.

Dan

[mtmaurer8ooo]

Don't free cars rule? A couple years back I had a customer come into the shop I was working at and she offered me a '89 LeSabre - the only catch? - it was sitting at a dealer and needed some trans lines. So I called a towing company and had her towed to the shop. It needed the trans lines, and I also realized that the cooler in the radiator was leaking, so she got a new radiator too. An oil change, a coolant flush, a trans flush, brake inspection, and a fuel system cleaning later she was ready for the road...and she rode beautifully and had plenty of power. I drove it for a couple months with 'for sale' signs in the windows, while I gave my Honda a break. I sold her shortly after to a kid in a neighboring town - he got a deal and I made a few bucks on it. I still miss her though...she was a good ship.

Anyway, as for your noise...I hope you've got her pegged with the balancer. I do know, however, that when the water pumps on those start to go they make noise like the world is coming to an end...so just food for thought.
Enjoy the new ride. MM

[JDGautreaux]

pics of the cars would be great...

[mtmaurer8ooo]

Sorry, didn't take any...and she's long gone...but maybe Riviera65 will show us his new ride????