Daily Driving a 25 Year Old Supercharged Buick Park Avenue Ultra for 4 Years: Heres What has Broken

In this video I show all of the problems my Buick Park Avenue Ultra has developed over the past 4 years. Some Ive fixed, some I havent. Just how it goes I suppose.

[@jerrycallender7604]

Cancer took Mama in 2002 and I have her 1991 Park Avenue. The car has been maintained with the proverbial 'open checkbook' and the car operates as it did new with every feature working as designed. I moved from Virginia Beach to Tucson, making the trip in 52 hours - 43 hours actual driving time. condenser

[@jerrycallender7604]

I'm gonna do a video on the car and post on KZbin. Is there a Park Avenue group or are the posts random?

[@NG-cf7zh]

I’ve been driving a 97 Buick Lesabre for about 6 years and just got a 98 Buick Park Ave Ultra last month. Love it, nice slab. Those wheels look nice

[@CaptainThirdGen]

thanks. I have some regrets of selling the car every once in a while

[@user-cz1id1yj3t]

Thanks for the update.

[@FadedHolySoldier]

Its popular because its affordable in todays crazy rip off car market.

[@lowerdragoon]

I have a 04 lesabre and owned a few in my years. Super reliable, easy to work on, quick for the weight of the car, comes supercharged in the regal and park ave, rides great with its suspension, beautiful interior (imho) And like the one in the video, looks sharp with the right paint and wheel combo.

[@kencarnley7101]

I have a 97 Riviera. Has same problem with cruise control. If you can please let me know if you figure it out. Also same problem with blend door in HVAC system. Problem turned out to be a shorted wire in the dash. Not an easy problem to diagnose. I replaced the rear shocks. Need new struts on the front. I live in NC. Purchased this car a few years ago at a Buick GMC dealer. Paid 4k for it. Had 83k miles on it. The car was originaly prurchased and spent most of its life in Indiana. Was a Garage Queen. Not a speck of rust. The factory chrome wheels are like new. I love the car!

[@CaptainThirdGen]

cruise has been working well on this one for a few months now, not sure what fixed it. and for blend doors, i just leave it set to windshield defrost and the heat works good enough that way.

[@kencarnley7101]

Thanks for the reply.

[@bluwng]

Nice ride overall

[@CaptainThirdGen]

thanks.

[@krayzietj]

Still drive my 2000 lesabre just need a flex pipe and motor mount

[@truestory5581]

I have a 2003 Buick Park Ave Ultra. Issues are heated seats don't work anymore, rear defrost doesn't work anymore. I'm guessing those are common issues or not?

[@CaptainThirdGen]

those work on this car, but those do sound like reasonably common issues

[@krayzietj]

Fuse problem

[@krayzietj]

I would check all of your relays

[@CAWN_G]

Premium gas is a must on the Ultra?

[@CaptainThirdGen]

yes. Non intercooled and supercharged with regular gas is a bad idea. GM listed the L67 as premium gas required

[@garyg8036]

Yes, premium octane only. I owned the same vehicle but mine was a 2001 ultra in blue.

[@tannerharris5848]

No it’s not required , it’s recommended, I had one for years and couldn’t afford anything but 87 at times and it was fine it pulls timing and you lose a lil power but it will still run for ever on 87.

[@jerrycallender7604]

On ALL blown cars, other than Chrysler's 'K' cars.

[@cic-jakevanddalgeemyers.2739]

The cruise has no problem, it's the transmission speed sensor that's failing. have it changed, and you'll be good to go.

[@CaptainThirdGen]

thanks for the tip, unfortunately I recently sold the car. The cruise was working fine the past few months so I brushed it off as usual old car stuff

[@cic-jakevanddalgeemyers.2739]

@@CaptainThirdGen wow. it was Very reliable car, though

[@CaptainThirdGen]

@@cic-jakevanddalgeemyers.2739 yep, after 4 years she served me well. I will look back on my time with the car very fondly.

[@BlueRidgeRider]

Thanks for sharing this! Most of the videos and write ups portray this as the perfect, flawless car. I appreciate your mentioning the few problems you’ve had. I’m just starting to look for one. Why did you decide to sell it?

[@CaptainThirdGen]

@@BlueRidgeRider yep, no car is perfect unfortunately. But this one overall treated me well i ended up selling it because I wanted to try out some other cars, but ran out of room. The Buick was unfortunately the lowest hanging fruit at the time. I sold it maybe a month or two ago. I ended up getting a C5 corvette afterwards. Ill make some videos on that one shortly

[@statictech7]

Can you please tell me the size and type of those rims? Ive been dying to replace my stock rims

[@CaptainThirdGen]

ESR CR1. 18x8.5 +30 offset. requires hub rings (70.3-72.56mm if i remember right)

[@CaptainThirdGen]

car is currently for sale. if buyer does not want to buy the ESR wheels with the car, the wheels will be for sale as well

[@statictech7]

Id make an offer but im down in Florida. And your buick is popular because two very big car reviewers, in the last year, said the buick park avenue ultra was the best driving experience they have had.

[@CaptainThirdGen]

@@statictech7 theyre great cars for sure. If no one buys it, I cant say I will be bummed out. Its been a great car to me the past 4 years. If theres no takers, Ill just keep on drivin it

[@arlesjoy419]

What rims are these? Considering getting them on mine

[@CaptainThirdGen]

esr CR1 wheels. 18x8.5 +30 custom drilled 5x115 with 70.3-72.56 hub rings

[@stevetrump7399]

Really nice rims. They don't look stock. Adds a great look to the car.

[@CaptainThirdGen]

thanks. When I sold the car back in february, the buyer liked them as well. I thought they were a nice add on

[@mikemorris5681]

Have you sold it yet?

[@CaptainThirdGen]

yep. sold it back in february

[@mikemorris5681]

@CaptainThirdGen dang ive been trying to find one want it for a daily

[@CaptainThirdGen]

@@mikemorris5681 this was the best daily driver Ive had yet. I miss it. Some days I regret selling it. It made sense to sell it financially, as I got good money for it, but I would definitely get another someday if I decided I had space for another car.