3800series2
Member
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2020
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- Buick Ownership
- 2003 Lesabre Limited
I am looking for opinions, as I am conflicted and attached. The car in question is a 2003 LeSabre with 87,000 miles, daily commuter. We bought it for $4000 in July 2015 with ~40,000 miles and hail damage. It was a one owner, a woman in her 80s that had passed. Garaged and claimed to never be driven in winter. It was clean, and looked the part.
It is well optioned with leather, heated seats, rain sense wipers, head up display, auto leveling rear shocks etc. Interior is still quite clean.
While the hail damage never caused issues, the under body and rear wheel wells have taken a beating in our ownership. It was parked outside and has been driven the last 7 years in MN/WI winter. It was washed with underbody flush every 2 weeks or so in winter, and monthly in summer. Still, rust never sleeps.
The rockers are in bad shape but not entirely rotted away. The subframe is in good shape and bushings are intact. My main concern now is the rear top spring shackles. Last time I replaced the rear shocks, they were filled with sand, the paint was gone, and the metal was flaking. I cleaned them up, sanded, then painted them. The welds still look intact but I am not sure how long those will last. If they break, I believe it will deem the car undrivable. The inner wheel wells are flaking significantly as well, with plenty of rust showing through. No leaking in the trunk through that area, yet.
Recent maintenance is quite significant. Past two years (about 8,000 miles) its had front struts, rear shocks, trans fluid/filter change, headlight and turn signal bulbs, blower motor, air filter, cabin filter, muffler, battery, tires, MAF sensor, plugs, wires, all 3 coils, and ICM. As far as I know, everything else is original.
In the current market, I believe I could still get $2000 or better, and put it toward a better shape vehicle.
Drive it until it falls apart or sell it while it still runs, drives, and stops?
It is well optioned with leather, heated seats, rain sense wipers, head up display, auto leveling rear shocks etc. Interior is still quite clean.
While the hail damage never caused issues, the under body and rear wheel wells have taken a beating in our ownership. It was parked outside and has been driven the last 7 years in MN/WI winter. It was washed with underbody flush every 2 weeks or so in winter, and monthly in summer. Still, rust never sleeps.
The rockers are in bad shape but not entirely rotted away. The subframe is in good shape and bushings are intact. My main concern now is the rear top spring shackles. Last time I replaced the rear shocks, they were filled with sand, the paint was gone, and the metal was flaking. I cleaned them up, sanded, then painted them. The welds still look intact but I am not sure how long those will last. If they break, I believe it will deem the car undrivable. The inner wheel wells are flaking significantly as well, with plenty of rust showing through. No leaking in the trunk through that area, yet.
Recent maintenance is quite significant. Past two years (about 8,000 miles) its had front struts, rear shocks, trans fluid/filter change, headlight and turn signal bulbs, blower motor, air filter, cabin filter, muffler, battery, tires, MAF sensor, plugs, wires, all 3 coils, and ICM. As far as I know, everything else is original.
In the current market, I believe I could still get $2000 or better, and put it toward a better shape vehicle.
Drive it until it falls apart or sell it while it still runs, drives, and stops?
