2000 PA Presidential

[Mad9C1]

I would like to know what the differences are between a 2000 PA and a 2000 PA Presidential. I am looking to buy a presidential, and can't find much info online that specifies what options it has, that a standard PA does not have. It has the imitaion convertible roof, which I think looks horrible. I am hoping for ride control, or traction control, and of course, I hope it has all the basic functions my 1997 has.

Please let me know what the differences are. Upon closer look, I see this presidential has no supercharger, so, it's not based on the Ultra.

Thanks...

Sam B.
Tonawanda, New York....

[BNaylor]

Good question.

The Presidential Edition is supposed to be fully loaded but you can get just about the same options without that package. Not only do you get the ugly imitation ragtop but these emblems on the c-pillar. This is from a 1999 Regal LS (non-supercharged) Presidential. Also, the leather seats are the pillow type.

[Bassasasin]

Interesting that some find the rag top ugly.
I like mine, for now. It quietens down the ride.
Unfortunately, it's a very porus canvas and birds seem to go out of their way to vote.
Luckily I dont have huckleberry bushes nearby.

I have noted, there seems to be a side effect of road rage attitude directed my way. I think the looks of the car falsely derives assumptions on the driver in the car. Similar to the clothes a person wears, perhaps signifies their attitude.

[Mad9C1]

I just never really liked imitation anything, so I can't conceive the idea of imitation convertible top. I can deal with it better if the car really was a convertible, but, even real convertibles look like they have an ugly roof, IMO. I am not a fan of convertible cars, but, I like the newer cars that have a nice looking hardtop convertible roof. I'm sure I'll learn to live with it though.

As for the presidential emblem, I think that's like wearing a batman cape to work. I don't understand what we are supposed to like about that silly US Government styled logo. Must be a rich guy thing.

I am willing to admit, I love luxury cars, and quality things, but I don't aim to send out any messages. This is most likely the reason I'm a bit nit-picky about the silly roof and logo. From the driver's seat, I won't see either.


I am more interested in knowing if the presidential has things like the ride control, or stability control, or any other comfort / handling / performance / safety items that are perks that come with the presidential package.

Which of your cars has the ragtop? Do you have pictures? How is the ragtop's material in snow? I have a feeling I won't like this stuff, although, you did mention it quiets to ride on the inside, and that's worth something to me.

Originally Posted by Bassasasin

Interesting that some find the rag top ugly.
I like mine, for now. It quietens down the ride.
Unfortunately, it's a very porus canvas and birds seem to go out of their way to vote.
Luckily I dont have huckleberry bushes nearby.

I have noted, there seems to be a side effect of road rage attitude directed my way. I think the looks of the car falsely derives assumptions on the driver in the car. Similar to the clothes a person wears, perhaps signifies their attitude.

[Bassasasin]

HERE .. is my car... I'm not sure if presideantials have anything more but the emblems and such. All the extras seem to be there. Mine is an Ultra. I dont like the emblems either.. I suppose their popularity changes with the times.

[Mad9C1]

That's a very nice PA for sure. The one I'm looking into has a black roof. Yours isn't so bad looking with the lighter color.

Originally Posted by Bassasasin

HERE .. is my car... I'm not sure if presideantials have anything more but the emblems and such. All the extras seem to be there. Mine is an Ultra. I dont like the emblems either.. I suppose their popularity changes with the times.

[Mickey#1]

Hi Sam - Small world, I'm in North Tonawanda.

[Mad9C1]

Hi Mickey. Very small world, indeed. I assume you have a Park Ave, since you are posting here. What year, etc. is your car. Maybe we'll have to meet for a Tim Horton's coffee some day and talk about how great our cars are.

My current car is a 97 PA which has 127,000 miles, and a few electrical intermittent problems. I haven't posted on the forums about these problems because I'm planning to sell the car and buy one with less miles. The one I want to buy is a 2000, which has 75,000 miles.

Anyways, nice to see a local guy on the forums.

Originally Posted by Mickey#1

Hi Sam - Small world, I'm in North Tonawanda.

[Mad9C1]

I am still hoping to entertain more ideas about the so-called perks of the Presidential trimline on these Buicks.

Does anyone know of any other sources I might be able to research for this type of info? I seem to get nowhere doing basic searches online, pertaining to the word presidential.

Thanks again to everyone who has replied already. Any and all info is helpful, and very much appreciated.

I'd also like to ask the opinions of other PA owners, about the car I am going to buy.


The basic rundown is :

2000 PA Presidential
75,000 miles
Being sold to settle an estate.
Car was kept maintained by the dealer where it was purchased. I guess the dealer was a golf buddy to the owner of the car.
The seller claims the car is about as nice as a 7 yr old car can be.
The only known issue at this time is an intermittent problem with the fuel gage, which I assume is related to the sensor in the gas tank.
The only pics I have available are not the highest image quality, but the car looks great in the pics. The seller has assured me that the car is free from rust, dents or scratches.
I almost forgot.. We have agreed to 6100 dollars in person, and a 200 dollar deposit which is to have them hold it for me, of course.. so, 6300 total..


Thanks again...
Sam B
Tonawanda, New York

[Bassasasin]

The price is about 3k less than bluebook, a steal...
Get it, if only to resell it.
You may be suprised with a motor on an electric seat that doesnt work. Common problem.
Not sure if that area uses much salt on the roads.
It should get 24mpg on the highway.

Get it.. Get it Get it.

[Mad9C1]

I get roughly 30mpg or sometimes more, with my current 97 PA. The 2000 I am buying has no supercharger, and should yield similar milage, I think. or, at least, I hope.

I was actually in the market for an Ultra, but was willing to go NA if the car was nice. This presidential seems like a nice car, but no SC, and no sunroof, which is another item I wanted. I managed to see 2 regals today, with black imitation convertible top, and man, I don't like the looks.

If I get the car, and continue to let the ragtop bother me, I may just sell the car at a small profit, and go car hunting again.

Thanks for your input. It's nice to be reasured I am making a decent deal. (if all is as described when I get it)

Originally Posted by Bassasasin

The price is about 3k less than bluebook, a steal...
Get it, if only to resell it.
You may be suprised with a motor on an electric seat that doesnt work. Common problem.
Not sure if that area uses much salt on the roads.
It should get 24mpg on the highway.

Get it.. Get it Get it.

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by Mad9C1

I managed to see 2 regals today, with black imitation convertible top, and man, I don't like the looks.

I agree but that is probably an understatement. IMO it is beyond ugly. But I guess beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.




You can get a Regal or PA to look Presidential without all the tacky options.


My '01 Regal GS, fully loaded

[TopherS]

I don't believe that the Presidential "option" has anything to do at all with any trim level of the car. If you go to www.egclassicsinc.com you'll find that they do aftermarket accessory products (through one of their various shops around the country), which include various roof treatments, such as the "Presidential" (and others, such as the "Biarritz", "Executive Series", "All American Edition", "Statesman", "Montigua" and others). This company also offers grille treatments, rear wings, continental kits, chrome kits, etc., for various different types of cars. You can look up various different types of cars and it will tell you what is available for that particular model. I looked up the 2001 Park Avenue and they only show 6 different roof treatments that are currently offered, but no chrome kits or grille treatments. I have noticed in my searches through eBay that a lot of the luxury cars with the Presidential (and other roof treatment) packages come from Florida.


What some local dealers do is take one or two of their cars on the lot and send them in for one of these upgrades. Mostly, one of the Cadillac dealers will add the "Biarritz" option to a couple of their DeVille's and DTS's.

All in all, the Presidential "option" only relates to the roof treatment that was added at sometime or another and was not any sort of option offered directly by Buick. The options that the particular car has you are looking at will simply depend on how it was ordered at the time it was originally built. It could be a basic Park Avenue with no additional options or it could be heavily optioned...or anywhere in between. The RPO code in the trunk will tell you what options the car has.

Hope this helps.

[bigsky]

Originally Posted by Bassasasin

The price is about 3k less than bluebook, a steal...
Get it, if only to resell it.
You may be suprised with a motor on an electric seat that doesnt work. Common problem.
Not sure if that area uses much salt on the roads.
It should get 24mpg on the highway.

Get it.. Get it Get it.

Kind of sounds like a car saleman hard at work. Actually, I think about the same. I would probably own 10 PA's if I could afford. The PA fits my body well...they just seem right. I try other cars and they seem cramped. I like my dad's Grand Marquis (he's die hard Ford/M/L), but it doesn't fit my body right. Have tried center shift but they feel claustrophobic. Plus, driving regularly on winter roads it is nice to have a big car.

Another paradox, these big cars really depreciate (note sticker prices...30-35k). In Montana, there is still lots of room for big road cars. The gas problems of recent years hurt the demand for big cars. And here we are talking about 30mpg (maybe we should not say this too loud). If I was in a big city, I may reconsider (liked both those Regals bnaylor). Maybe my preference was "learned" (my dad likes big cars). It is terrible the LeSabre's and PA's and Olds 88/98 were discontinued...they are taking away the more affordable big cars (at least the used ones). For GM, one now is moved toward Cadillac DeVille. The Lucerne seems small to me. Give me a real Great American Full Size Road Car. Thanks.

BTW...TopherS...good info.

[Mad9C1]

Great info. I think you have uncovered one angle, but probably not the only angle. I think, but am not sure, but, I think the car I'm buying was purchased new, as a presidential, and some have suggested this is a limited edition , as some presidential regals, or centuries were said to have only 500 made. I also noticed someone here claimed the presidential has subtle perks such as plusher seats, and I recall my brother pointed out in the pics, that the seats looked "newer" and puffier than the ones in my current PA.

If this was an aftermarket add-on, I assume no additional perks will be apparent.

Since I really dislike fake ragtops, I'll percieve this as a standard PA.. 2000, with 75,000 miles, and allegedly well maintained. If there are any additional perks, I'll consider it a bonus. The car is a 10 hour drive from my location, so, I won't know any specs from the RPO's labaeled in the trunk lid until we make the trip to pick up the car. Cash is holding me back at the moment. Waiting for tax refund check to get the ball rolling.

The guy selling the car is the son of the owner. He is selling it to settle his dad's estate. A lot of what he has told me is vague, and guesswork, for the most part. He told me it has every option, and I replied and said it has a 3800 NA, which is not the optional supercharged. I asked about Heads-Up display, and that's not there either. He did say....maybe guessing.... the car has traction control, and stabilitrac, ..both of which..I want. It has no sunroof, which I wanted, but can easily live without. I know my 97 PA has almost everything I need, and the missing components with priority, are the heated seats, traction, and stabilitrac.. which, of course, he claims the car possesses.

Thanks for the info, the link, and the reply. Now that I know there's a place that'll add a ragtop... I wonder what the local collision guy would charge to remove mine, and restore the roof. Just a thought.

Sam B
Tonawanda, New York.

Originally Posted by TopherS

I don't believe that the Presidential "option" has anything to do at all with any trim level of the car. If you go to www.egclassicsinc.com you'll find that they do aftermarket accessory products (through one of their various shops around the country), which include various roof treatments, such as the "Presidential" (and others, such as the "Biarritz", "Executive Series", "All American Edition", "Statesman", "Montigua" and others). This company also offers grille treatments, rear wings, continental kits, chrome kits, etc., for various different types of cars. You can look up various different types of cars and it will tell you what is available for that particular model. I looked up the 2001 Park Avenue and they only show 6 different roof treatments that are currently offered, but no chrome kits or grille treatments. I have noticed in my searches through eBay that a lot of the luxury cars with the Presidential (and other roof treatment) packages come from Florida.


What some local dealers do is take one or two of their cars on the lot and send them in for one of these upgrades. Mostly, one of the Cadillac dealers will add the "Biarritz" option to a couple of their DeVille's and DTS's.

All in all, the Presidential "option" only relates to the roof treatment that was added at sometime or another and was not any sort of option offered directly by Buick. The options that the particular car has you are looking at will simply depend on how it was ordered at the time it was originally built. It could be a basic Park Avenue with no additional options or it could be heavily optioned...or anywhere in between. The RPO code in the trunk will tell you what options the car has.

Hope this helps.