Bone Stock One Owner LIMITED - 44K Miles

ALBERTAN

Resident Window Licker
Joined
Jun 14, 2001
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Ok first off, to be up front, I am the second owner of this car. I put one owner in the title since I bought the car from the original owner (76 at the time!) and have never registered it in Canada yet. A little history on the car...

I've run the Limited Registry over the years with varying degrees of commitment as my time allows. One of the perks is that I sometimes get a heads up on some nice cars. While travelling out to Ohio to pick up another Limited, a board member put me on to this car. It had been listed on eBay for the owner by a family member (he doesn't have a computer). Partly because of his inability to communicate online, partly because people thought he was miserable and crotchety (he was actually just very emotionally attached to the car), and partly because it is a T-top car, it never sold. Passing through Chicago on my way to eastern Ohio to pick up my white Limited, I decided to detour to look at this car. It wound up being an expensive detour. Not only did I buy this car, but I rolled into Ohio at 2am after driving all day and bought my white Limited sight unseen only to find out later it was a mechanical mess (That's a story that will come out in another thread;)). Then, a month later, I came across my tan W02 Limited in Grand Rapids, MI and bought it too, storing it at this fellow's house for a few weeks once this car was in transit to Montana for delivery. It was a busy fall in 2012. But I digress. Here's a picture taken with the previous owner on my little detour...

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So back to this car. It's a red D84 chrome car with a grey leather interior. Ed, the original owner pictured with me above, ordered the car late in the '87 production run. So late in fact that the dealership called him a few weeks into his order and told him it was 50:50 whether or not it would be built in time. The Buick gods smiled on Ed though and something happened that allowed him to get his car. The car stickered at $19,068...very high for a Limited. The car's options can be seen on the window sticker, or more completely on the RPO sticker.

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Now people are going to ask for pictures, especially since this will most likely be a long distance transaction. Given that the car has been stored since I bought it, taken out only three times in my subdivision to circulate fluids, I figured the original pictures I took when I was contemplating buying the car would suffice...all 341 of them. I've unlocked the gallery in the Registry holding this car's photos. Feel free to view them here. If you want any additional pictures, let me know and I'll pull it out of the shop to take them. Please don't ask if you're not serious...it's not a five minute job as you can see below.

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On to why I'm selling it. I'd list these reasons in order of importance.

  1. I simply do not have the time to spend with the car hobby due to my occupation and additional business ventures. And with what little time I have, I'd rather be at the lake fishing and quadding with my kids. So I've decided to pare my three Limiteds down to just one.
  2. I had a really disappointing experience with the transaction for my white Limited that really took the wind out of my sails in the Buick community (and my faith in humanity in general...lol). That will all come out when I sell that car...
  3. Even though this red D84 is the favorite of my Limiteds due to its provenance and the fact it best represents what a Limited should be to me (chrome Grandpa car) , I have to be realistic about my lack of time for these cars. My tan W02 car is a painted hood away from being flawless, and therefore fits better with my commitment to enjoy one car with the limited time I have available. Not that this car needs a lot...I just have more I wanted to do with it to bring it to a level even beyond the tan car. I felt its provenance warranted it.
That brings me to known issues with this Limited.

  1. Carfax lists it as having received serious damage on June 1, 1991. Ed's son hit a deer near their home. The hood, header panel, and hood ornament were all replaced with original GM parts. Twenty years after the fact, Ed was furious at Carfax and tried to get them to change it to not say "severe damage reported", but they won't. I think the pictures pretty much answer who is right. I never noticed it until he told me.
  2. In looking over the car in Michigan, I noticed the right rear bumper filler looked a little wavy and the right rear bumper shock looked like it might have been compressed. Ed swears the car never had an accident other than the deer. I believe him. But I wonder if his son or someone else maybe backed into something back in the day. Look closely in the pictures. It's minor but it's there.
  3. Ed, bless his soul, decided to install driving lights on his Buick. These are easily removed, but will leave small holes. Again, there are pictures of this.
  4. The paint on the PS door mirror is spider-webbed. I'm not sure how or why this happened, nor why it only affects the mirror.
  5. The driver's seat headrest has a scuff in it near where the seatbelt guide attaches. I'll try to get a picture of it.
  6. The exhaust is not original. Not a big surprise, but still the only thing other than a K&N filter that is not stock.
So I guess that just about does it other than the price and delivery. I paid $18,000 USD for the car when I bought it August 2012...the same amount I paid for all three of my Limiteds as I recall. I also have probably $2,000 USD or so in shipping it to Spokane and travelling down to get it. So I'll say I have $20,000 USD into the car on my end. I think I paid at the high end of the market for the car...not too much, but I didn't try to rip the old-timer off either. In the interest of moving the car, I am going to ask $15,000 USD. I will also help the new owner import the car back into the U.S. if so desired. The easiest way to take delivery would be to fly up here and pick it up. I have no doubt it will take you wherever you want to go. Importing it across the border yourself is a lot cheaper than having a trucking company broker it for you, although either way works.

I've seen quite a few Limiteds in the past few years. These cars were typically bought to be driven, unlike speculative Grand National owners who squirreled their Buicks away. Now almost 30 years old, very few are worth buying and holding onto for any length of time in my opinion. Only five of the hundred or so cars in the Registry have fewer miles than this car. I am not aware of another Limited that remained with it's original owner for as long as this car. While T-top cars are not typically favored, this car is UNMOLESTED and doesn't suffer the usual issues present with T-top cars. I wouldn't hazard to say a Limited in the condition of this one pops up even once a year anymore. The vast majority are major letdowns when seen in person. So if you're interested in a Limited for whatever reason, give this car some consideration. I know the person who will appreciate it best is most likely on this forum. And I will do whatever I can to help another Limited fan acquire it.

If I can answer any more questions, please feel free to contact me by PM here or by email.
 
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Wow! Super rare combo.
I looked at the pics. It's like Buick porn.
 
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Beautiful car had one just like it
Super rare color combination
Glws

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Its the only pic I have left

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Was she light up top and dark down low?
 
Love this car, not to side track your thread but is there anywhere you have pics of the w02 trim tan limited. I'd love to see that car.
 
Love this car, not to side track your thread but is there anywhere you have pics of the w02 trim tan limited. I'd love to see that car.

Tan Limited

I've also had people ask me about my white Limited. Yes, I am going to sell it. But it was sold to me as a turd and needs to be transported 5 hours to the shop that builds all my motors so that I can find out how seriously messed up it is. If it's something as simple as say a sensor and a tune, it'll be up for sale later this Summer. If it needs more, it may not go up 'til next year. I don't take advantage of people and sell them junk, and I just don't have time to deal with it myself right now. The car, it's history, and my transaction with the highly-regarded member here that scammed me will all be listed here soon. That I can promise...

White Limited

We now return you to your regular programming. :)
 
Shipping the Car

For shipping, I've always had vehicles shipped to the nearest border crossing to me and gone and picked them up on my own. Many shipping companies will not broker the vehicle across the border. And those who do charge too much IMO. The border crossing I typically use is Coutts, Alberta/Sweetgrass, Montana. Great Falls, MT is about two hours from this border crossing, and that's where I typically meet carriers. So if you're interested in the car, I would get a quote for shipping from Great Falls to wherever you want it delivered. I have always had cars transported in enclosed haulers, which is much more expensive than the open carriers you see shipping new cars around the country...probably about double. To be honest, on all but the lowest mileage garage queens, enclosed shipping probably isn't worth it. But I ship in foul weather sometimes, so that's the habit I got into. This car has some small stone chips and some light surface rust on the undercarriage...I've been honest about that. So I don't feel guilty recommending shipping it on an open carrier. I had a brand new Lightning shipped in the dead of winter on an open carrier years ago. And while it arrived filthier than this car could possibly at this time of year, it cleaned up just fine. Is spending an extra $500-1000 to ship a $15,000 car worth it? That's totally up to you. One thing I would recommend whether you go enclosed or open is to get it on the top row. Accidents sometimes happen in shipment and fluids from one car can drip on another. That's how I got the Tan car. ;) Also, check the car over very carefully in daylight when you take delivery of the car.

A little more info on getting the car home. I will hold it for a serious buyer for a reasonable amount of time without charge. If you want to make a Summer trip of it and come get the car, I will bring it to Calgary, Alberta. You could head out to Banff, and tour the Rockies with the T-tops off before heading home...it's only an hour away and you only live once. Alternatively, you could fly in to Calgary and inspect the car in person. I will then take you down to the border and walk you through bringing it across the border. Once in the U.S. with the car, you can breathe a sigh of relief and marvel at how easy importing cars is before driving home with the car. Or you can meet a carrier in Great Falls, watch them load the car up, hop on a flight out of Great Falls airport, and wait for the car to arrive a few days later (shipping time anywhere in the U.S. will be less than a week).

Finally, my choice of carriers. I've used a few over the years and by far the best I've dealt with is Thomas C. Sunday Inc.. I think they only ship enclosed but give them a call for a quote and ask them what open carrier service they recommend. They won't steer you wrong. Every shipment I've made with them has had at least a quarter million dollar car in the trailer...these guys have a solid reputation and a fair price. Be sure to get a few quotes. And let me know if you need any further assistance with shipping. I'll make it as painless as possible on my end.
 
Importing the Car Into the U.S.

Ok, this is what really freaks people out needlessly. Although, I have never imported a car into the U.S., the process is actually easier than going the other way. This is especially true since the car is now over 25 years old and considered a Classic. It doesn't even have to meet the U.S. safety standards from the '80s anymore. I have included a few links to popular pages for reference. If there is anything you do not understand, please let me know. I either know the answer or know how to find out. One thing that would be good to find out about on your end, and I will do the same on mine, is whether the car needs to be registered to export it. Remember, I have never registered this car in Canada. While the U.S. shows the car leaving the country, Canada has no record of it yet. I think it would be nice for the new owner if I didn't have to "title" it, but that is something we will need clear clarification of, preferably in writing.

http://www.ezbordercrossing.com/the...port-a-vehicle/importing-vehicle-from-canada/

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/de...c-or-antique-vehicles-/-cars-for-personal-use

http://www.cbp.gov/trade/basic-import-export/importing-car

http://www.autoimportusa.com/

http://www.buyclassiccars.com/import.asp
 
Thanks, Any intensions of selling the tan car in the future?

I actually pulled the tan car out yesterday and took a couple hundred photos of it with the intent of listing it for sale and keeping this car. But then after spending close to an hour with the car, I realized how immaculate the car is and realized it really needs nothing. Given the sad state of imbalance in my work and personal life at the moment and for the foreseeable future, I reluctantly decided to sell the red D84 car and keep the tan car.

So no, I don't have any intentions of selling it at the moment. But that may change one day too. ;)
 
wow I wish I would have known about this 6 months ago...... great car, should sell no problem....
 
An interested party asked me if the car still had the stock chip in it. Knowing the owner, I knew it would but I decided to have a little looksee anyways. I figured I had my answer when the little plastic push pin holding the kick panel in place was brand new and hard to remove. And I knew for sure when I had to actually use a flathead screwdriver to pry the cover off the ECM as the foam on the cover had stuck to the case. Anyways, here's what I found. I haven't seen one of these in awhile...

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