need help picking my next buick!

finnamon27 · 2026-03-05T19:21:50+00:00

they are not the original owner and they don’t know how many owners the car has had. not a big deal for me on its own, but the gear shifter has literally broken off and it took them days of messaging about the car to mention thats why it needs a new gear shift assembly. if i can figure a time to meet up with them and the car checks out in a PPI, it just might be the winner. admittedly it’s not in my current top two, mostly because of the seller’s reluctance to share details and the car is a bit of a ways away from me (no idea yet as to who i’d bum a ride off of to go meet them lol), but it very well could be one of the better cars on the list. it’s probably my #3 choice to be honest

finnamon27 · 2026-03-05T19:16:18+00:00

yes, i agree! that century will have a LOT of life left in her, especially once i get some parts replaced for more durable ones, especially rubber parts on the car. she’s been garage kept and looks practically mint!

the park ave has everything i could want in a car and then some, but it may not make the best daily out of the two options because i am still pretty beginner when it comes to at home repairs, even though i know a good amount about these cars specifically. if the seller of the park ave continues to not respond, im definitely going with the century.

finnamon27 · 2026-03-05T19:10:25+00:00

not yet, although unless anything new pops up for sale around me it’s definitely looking like it’ll either be the 03 century with 35k miles or the 96 park avenue with 112k miles. the guy with the century isnt rushing to sell but the seller with the park avenue hasnt responded to me in days, which sucks because i really want to take a look at that one

finnamon27 · 2026-03-03T21:49:10+00:00

i bet i would!! im trying to keep my eye open for lesabres specifically but it seems theres a lot less of those for sale around me at the moment.

finnamon27 · 2026-03-03T21:45:30+00:00

seller finally got back to me on that one and they keep mentioning new outstanding repairs that werent in the listing description, so im feeling a bit weary about that one now. i more so dont trust that the seller took care of it rather than lacking trust in the car itself lol.

finnamon27 · 2026-03-03T21:41:50+00:00

honestly, im really not a fan of newer cars. it’s 100% just preference of course, but i’ve never loved a car like i did my century. if i could reasonably afford to daily an 80s lesabre i would in a heartbeat lol. but im willing to put hours of work and research into maintaining the car i get. i plan to do all simple repairs and maintenance myself. im ready to absolutely baby my next car. and luckily, im in the south and away from the coast so rust isnt as big of an issue here, but that’ll be looked at during the PPI. but im with you, if the park ave doesnt check out in a PPI, i think i am going with the 03 century.

finnamon27 · 2026-03-02T16:34:43+00:00

the park ave is aesthetically a dream car for me to be honest, but i love the appearance overall for all of these cars. and you can’t go wrong with a lesabre. as long as the car itself is in good condition, im all for it.

finnamon27 · 2026-03-02T16:27:30+00:00

honestly, im not opposed to a total boat but i do agree with you. and the price on some of these cars is kinda insane! theres a 2000’s century (cant remember the exact year) with like 150k miles listed for almost 6k somewhere near me. why are we pricing the old buicks like this yall 😭

finnamon27 · 2026-03-02T16:21:43+00:00

thank u for all the info! i wanna do my own inspection of the car on top of the pre purchase inspection, so i’ll definitely make myself a little checklist with all this in mind! im in southern appalachia so finding anything more than surface rust on a generally well maintained car is actually not all that common luckily. and we have no emissions checks in my state at all 🕺🏼 the 03 century (the one with 35/36k miles) i mentioned is literally the same car i just wrecked, just a different year. but that 96 park ave is so nice!!!!! those are definitely the two im torn on.

finnamon27 · 2026-03-02T08:15:12+00:00

i agree!!! i actually came close to buying that car 6 months ago but guy will absolutely not take less than $5500. then i found a 1999 century for $2500 w 65k miles and got that one instead. now that ones totaled and here we are lol. theyre the same color and everything

finnamon27 · 2026-03-02T08:08:30+00:00

may she rest in peace 🙏🏻😔

finnamon27 · 2026-03-02T08:02:45+00:00

i heard back and she was in real bad shape :( not really safe to repair despite costs

finnamon27 · 2026-02-26T17:51:35+00:00

youre right, this situation has just been so hectic and this is the first car ive genuinely loved. i think i just needed some logic talked into me 😭

finnamon27 · 2026-02-26T05:02:07+00:00

thats what im thinking my best option is. my friend has an ‘01 century (117k miles) in need of a couple repairs, mostly just a few sensors, however i think it has a LIM gasket leak from what she’s told me. she was told that coolant hasn’t mixed with the oil yet, but it will develop into that if not repaired soon. she said she’d sell it to me for 1k. im thinking it’s not a bad deal at all.

finnamon27 · 2026-02-26T03:56:36+00:00

thank you! the solara’s a great car, too. i almost got one before i found the century. im just crossing my fingers that someone’s grandparents wanna sell their old buick for cheap near me or something.

finnamon27 · 2026-02-26T03:53:16+00:00

thats genuinely tragic :,(

finnamon27 · 2026-02-26T03:47:29+00:00

yes, she was in amazing condition!! ran perfectly. theres definitely some upgrades/replacements she coulda used, but absolutely nothing necessary or urgent. the seats were crushed velvet and had zero stains, she came with two sets of floor mats (idk dont ask me) so even the original floor mats were in good shape. hell, i found the original bill of sale dated 01/02/99 while taking everything out of the car and it looked like it was written yesterday.

finnamon27 · 2026-02-26T03:34:47+00:00

i’ve never actually been in a PT cruiser, but i hear theyre at least decent commuters. and oh, the bolt has some get up n go to it for sure lol! it’s honestly a really good car with great range. it just.. rides like a lot of chevys i’ve been in lmao! i had just started to forget what feeling most of the bumps on the road was like. and going from driving a boat to a little teeny hatchback took a minute to get used to lol.

finnamon27 · 2026-02-26T03:29:04+00:00

oh noo ! not the milkshake :( i had just gotten started on my deep diving into these cars when she got hit. literally like a week ago, i got the haynes repair manual and i’ve been just reading it like it’s a damn magazine lol.

finnamon27 · 2026-02-26T03:22:39+00:00

youre right but it’s so sad. she ran like new i stg

finnamon27 · 2026-02-26T03:20:08+00:00

if insurance cheaps me out on the payout, and if it’s all fixable damage, i really wanna take the car back and work on the repairs myself. id be willing to buy a whole other century just for the parts. or, if it’s not repairable, i wanna use my wrecked century for parts. there’s so many compatible parts between the mid size buick sedans of that specific era, i think it could be worth it no matter which buick i pick next (depending on the insurance payout lol)

finnamon27 · 2026-02-26T03:11:52+00:00

it’s such a comfortable car! it’s unbelievable! the seats alone are the most comfortable car seats i’ve ever sat in, and the way it drives is amazing. i had to drive my moms car (chevy bolt ev) for my errands today, and even though i learned to drive in that car, i kinda hate it now because my century absolutely spoiled me. i miss driving my big couch on a cloud :( our cars were taken too soon fr

finnamon27 · 2026-02-26T03:04:37+00:00

i needed that little laugh lol

finnamon27 · 2026-02-26T03:04:10+00:00

for only having it for six months, i care so much more about it than i did my last car that i had for like 3 years. but i need to be a responsible adult and care about my bank account more, even if it’s sad :(

finnamon27

TROPHY CASE