1978 Buick Electra

1978 Buick Electra 225 Landau Hardtop The 70's have been challenging years for the automobile industry. Stringent emission and safety standards mandated by the government left little time for innovation, and the end is not yet in sight. Nevertheless, Buick has thrived and sales reached an all time high of 746,394 cars in 1977, finally toppling the old 1955 record. From the 1978 Buick sales brochure. For consignment, a 1978 Buick Electra 225 Landau hardtop showing 182,352 miles, but the true miles are unknown. It was purchased by our consignor in 1991 at which time our seller states the car had 130,244 miles. It was repainted in 1992 and the motor was replaced with a rebuilt 350ci V8 in 1998 when the odometer showed 167,815. It retains its numbers matching transmission.  Exterior The car was treated to a respray in its original color, a coppery red called Saffron by GM, and overall the coverage of the long paneled car is in good condition. A decade earlier, the Electra was one of the longest cars on the road and this '78 is no slouch, coming in at a tick under 225 inches. In profile, the body is accentuated by the offset tan vinyl landau top that covers the back half and fixed rear windows, and by the faux fender vents, a legacy holdover from the ventiports of the 50's. Up front, the face is handsome and broad, sharing qualities of the entire Buick lineup while in back, the Electra wears tail lights that stretch the width and meet at the license plate. Big chrome bumpers prevail and 15-inch Buick Rallye wheels add a touch of sportiness. Exterior imperfections include some de-plating on the chrome bumper, cracks, scratches, blistering, dings, orange peel, and a scuff on the textured rubber trim of the bumper. Interior Both the exterior and interior styling were considered so good, they went virtually unchanged from 1977 to 1985, and this '78 serves as an excellent example. Light Buckskin vinyl covers the doors with a stitch patterned base, smooth material covering the armrest, and a carpeted lower and both doors present cleanly and include wood applique and chrome inserts. Cloth seats are accentuated with darker toned piping and are configured as a split bench up front and full bench in back. Beige tones mixed with woodgrain accenting warms your view of the dashboard that features silver faced gauges which have polished rims and black faceplates to the A/C levers and AM/FM/Cassette radio. Buick didn't skimp on the clock and it's as big as the speedometer and situated in front of the passenger. Tan carpet covers the floor, a plastic console has been added to the transmission tunnel, and our headliner shows a few dimples and looseness on the visors, but fully intact. The trunk is massive and protected with a black mat while housing a spare that does not impact capacity much. Drivetrain The big hood rises to reveal a rebuilt 350ci V8 with a 4-barrel carburetor, mated to a numbers matching TH400 3-speed automatic transmission routing power to the 10 bolt rear axle with 2.41 gears. The engine bay presents in clean and original style configuration with power brakes and power steering.  Undercarriage Typical usage and age oxidation underneath but otherwise clean and solid. A single exhaust holds a stock style muffler and exits discreetly out back. We have power disc brakes up front and power drum in back with coil springs at all four corners and a 4 link suspension in back. While on the lift, we note some rust on the bottom of the doors, particularly the driver's side where advanced surface rust extends the length of the door. Drive-Ability The middle class Buick does not disappoint in its ability to provide a comfortable ride. You won't win any road races with this car with its luxury tuned suspension, but you can cruise for miles without fatigue with plenty of power, straight tracking, and solid braking. All functions on this shining 70's commuter work as they should. While Classic Auto Mall represents tha