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

[@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?

[@PerformanceBlueOverYou]

I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to drive this fantastic vehicle before its untimely departure from the fleet. Godspeed Buick.

[@CaptainThirdGen]

you were one of the few fortunate enough to be worthy to experience such a vehicle

[@PerformanceBlueOverYou]

@@CaptainThirdGen Truly one of the moments of all time.

[@mopargm9329]

I always loved these especially the Electra Park Avenues and I really love your blue interior it's so beautiful

[@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

[@KingRobCurtis]

do you prefer the avenue over the lesabre?

[@NG-cf7zh]

@@KingRobCurtis I like the supercharger, the sunroof, heated seats, etc (of the park Ave) but I really loved my lesabre. The big bench seats, the really flat dashboard, steel window levers, etc. The park Ave feels smaller to me even though it’s not. Tough call. I like the aesthetics of the lesabre better but the park Ave has so many more comforts that it’s objectively a better car

[@dylano7242]

I drive 2004 lesabre 3.8L non super charger . but for those who don't know, the rear seat does NOT fold so cant get larger items in there. And the mpg is pretty bad 18 city 27 highway. Also they are gaining in value , long gone are days able get these dirt cheap if need reliable quick inexpensive transportation. But I think are still worth a buy.

[@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.

[@VengefulBatz]

Saw a ‘99 base with 70K on it. They wanted 15K. 😳

[@agui.aar7]

just bought a 98’ ultra 3 days ago with only 51k original miles. paid $3k

[@Rksanchez871]

@@agui.aar7crazy

[@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.

[@johnnysalazar5399]

The 3800 series engines are the perfect engine for modding and pretty reliable

[@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.

[@voiceofreason7119]

@@garyg8036

[@Boss-v2l3v]

Thanks for the update.

[@alfredocalzadilla7251]

Nice reliable car. I want one

[@RaymondHaley-lv2mo]

Blvd luxury at it's finest ❤, lifetime Buick enthusiast.

[@thomasthurston6656]

I had a 2000 sold it in 2010 for 2k. It was about two years old when i bought it.

[@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

[@frankcicero4444]

If I can't get a decent 2010 Avalon then I will up the Park ave roads Living in a busy city is a really a pain in the ass to park and just move around in general But otherwise I had quite a few buicks before and my uncle always called them the poor man's Cadillac in a good way.

[@danielchumley1]

Did you figure out the cruise control? Mine is doing the same thing. If I figure it out I will post back here.

[@CaptainThirdGen]

@@danielchumley1 mine started working the majority of the time so I let it be. Ended up selling the car in february

[@edarnold1647]

I had no idea that the miles of a car could be changed...how did you find that out?

[@CaptainThirdGen]

@@edarnold1647 odometer is stored in the cluster. If cluster is changed, the miles can be too. There are companies that can reprogram them to your vehicles correct mileage when you replace the cluster though. So thats possible. a local company charges $85 to set your new cluster to the mileage of your old one

[@MeatTenderizer23]

Did you lower this car at all or is this stock ride height?

[@CaptainThirdGen]

@@MeatTenderizer23 all stock suspension setup

[@MeatTenderizer23]

@CaptainThirdGen The wheel gap really isn't bad considering it's all stock

[@mattbrown2701]

Do you have any heifers in there is a good heifer hauler?

[@bluwng]

Nice ride overall

[@CaptainThirdGen]

thanks.

[@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

[@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.

[@markymarkymarkymarky]

@@CaptainThirdGenI know it’s none of my business but what did you get for it? I sold my father’s 1996 Mercury Marquis a few years back- I mean, who wants a car that you don’t have a single problem with? What a mistake! I got $2200 for it.

[@CaptainThirdGen]

@@markymarkymarkymarky sold it for 5k. Being in Michigan, the car having absolutely 0 rust anywhere was a huge selling point. Sounds like the next owner is enjoying it, he had an almost identical 02 Park Ave already

[@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

[@travisdavenport5615]

what kind of wheels are those?

[@CaptainThirdGen]

@@travisdavenport5615 esr CR1 18x8.5 +30

[@feliperobles8397]

9:03 i really want one

[@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

[@krayzietj]

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

[@CarlosBurgos-pr6mi]

Beutifull car

[@zzoinks]

fluid film it and you should be good, i think