Just got a new car for free! 1994 Buick Century w/ 47,000... questions
 

...so our minister's father-in-law bought this car new in 1994, but he has not been able to drive for a while now, and after using the car for a little bit, they decided that they really don't want it, so they drove it up to his place in NH last November, and it has been sitting there ever since. He was telling us about the car over dinner about a month ago, and I talked about it a little bit, (intake manifold gasket issues, etc.), and mentioned that I like those cars. A few weeks ago, he was talking with my parents and mentioned something about me and the car. They told me, and I said that while I wouldn't have the money to buy it, I would be happy to sell it for him. My mother relayed that message to him, and we set up a time for me to pick up the car. I sent an email the day before (yesterday) listing the documents I'd need to sell the car for them (minister + wife). He replied by email in the morning and said, among other things, that "our plan is to give you the car. If you sell it, you are welcome to keep whatever you can get for it."

Me: ....................... :eek:..................





So went to pick it up today! It hadn't been run since October, but with the help of his thick jumper cables, (thicker than ours, anyways), we got it going! I drove it home (~45 Minutes) and took it to class tonight. It's great! Before I picked it up, I was thinking that I would sell it. After about ten minutes of driving, my mindset switched to wondering whether it would be financially feasible for me to keep two cars. It is extremely quiet on the highway -- I kept going over the speed limit by accident ;) -- and drives better than I had expected. It is also extremely comfortable. In my driving, I've only noticed two issues with the car.

Issue 1) Shaking. The car seemed totally solid until I hit 50 MPH, at which point it started shaking more than my 300SD at idle (it was shaking enough that I contemplated pulling over). Soon after, it calmed down, but each time I increased my speed it would come back for a little while only to disappear. I "erased" it enough so that I could drive it at 65 MPH in total serenity, but it still showed up at 70 MPH. However, I didn't do 70 MPH for an extended length of time, so I'm guessing that that would probably disappear if I did so. What on earth is going on here? It seemed slightly more pronounced and more frequent under load, although it also happened while I was coasting and braking.

Issue 2) Squealing. I first noticed this when driving to class tonight. When going to class, it seemed to come from the front, and when driving back, it came from the rear. It disappeared around 35 MPH and when applying the brakes (even slightly). Do I need new brakes? I figure I'll pull some wheel off tomorrow morning and see... but is there anything else that this could indicate?

Thank you! Sorry for the long post... :)


...and yes, this does mean that automatics are allowed... :rolleyes:

It's possible that the wheels are out of balance, I'd have a trusted tire shop look into that.

Actually those cars are pretty good for non enthusiasts, and while I personally don't care for fwd automobiles, this model and year of Buick makes for very good transportation on American roads for a reliable "drive it and forget about it" car for non enthusiasts.

I'd keep it, I think it is a very low cost (dollar per mile) car to run, though if it has significant rust or repaired collision damage, I'd forget about it.

Given the age of the car and it's relatively low mileage, I wouldn't be surprised if those tires are older than dirt. Consider replacement if they're older than five years. I would also pull ALL of the wheels off and give all brakes a good look over.

I was wondering about the wheels... the car is definitely not one to be enthusiastically driven, but it is very relaxing and strikes me as a nice, cheap ride. The minister & his wife already had things like the alternator replaced, and did a bunch of other work on the AC and such. I am already missing the manual transmission, though... although I hear that the Celebrity came with a 5-speed. I wonder if I could fit in here.
Sounds good... that's in the books for tomorrow.

Sitting for a year tires probably have flat spots from sitting. Balance them all, x2 check em for dry cracking or bubbles.

You could hve gummed up caliper slides. Taking things apart, cleaning, lubing, could go a long way.

Good solid cars, you just found your winter ride that's reliable. Pics?

Lots of stuff probably cross matches between motor and tranny. If I could find a chrysler lebaron with a factory 5 speed transaxle, you can probably find any number of gm products with matching bell housings that had optional 5 speeds. Id look in grand ams, sunfires, cavaliers, ect.

However, the automatic in those is pretty bulletproof. You may just want to drive it for now as a second car without stirring the pot just yet.

Pictures coming tomorrow when I have light! Except for a little dent in the passenger's-side fender, the car is pristine.

It looks like Sunfires, Cavaliers, and Grand Ams would have what I'm looking for. I don't plan on a swap quite yet -- I need to get my '82 on the road at a minimum -- and I also don't have money for it. I didn't see any rust on it, and my understanding is that it overwintered in the garage while the owner was in Florida, so rust should be all right... I'm hesitant about taking it out in the winter, or even the city at this point. :rolleyes: The interior is pristine, and EVERYTHING WORKS! I'm not used to that from my cars. :D

Even though..

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r...ks-300x150.jpg

it'll do pretty well in the snow, and ought to last you quite a long time as a worry-free daily driver, and I agree, a set of four new tires is a very good idea.

I've heard that the 3.1 engine is pretty bulletproof, too.

tires, one or more probably threw a belt...

keep it and drive it

OK, so that's funny... :) I HAVE graduated to bicycle, I swear!

The tires look very good, and may have been replaced in the lat year or so. I'll look at the date codes tomorrow and figure all that out. The 3.1 is very good except for the intake manifold gaskets. The original gaskets were made out of plastic, and they tend to get brittle with age and leak coolant into the oil, causing an eventual overheating episode that, when not caught in time, can even crack the aluminum head. GM has since issued an improved METAL gasket that apparently resolve the issue. I figure that I'll monitor the oil in this one for any milkiness (I already watch the temp gauge in any car I'm in), and I should be fine.

As far as I'm concerned for driving around normally, fwd vs rwd makes little difference. Also tire age is important, but not as important as observed condition. If the tire looks good, has no cracking, no sidewall bubbles, no tread bubbles, and is 25 years old, id forget about it and drive around. Depending on the storage of the car and tire, could be fine, even if older. I have a couple tires on my car right now older than 10 years, but perfectly fine

I agree the tires may have flat spots from sitting. Continued driving may get them round again, or it might not. Also agree with taking all the wheels off and getting a good look at the brakes. I recommend that on any newly acquired used car.

I'll second, or third, or fourth the flat spots and sticky/surface rusty brake components from sitting. Check both, change the fluids, leave the rest alone and just drive it. ;)

Was it a "tire shake" or was it more of a drive train "shudder"? Those GM years are very sensitive to ignition misfires.

If swapping around tires doesn't alleviate the problem look to the distributor cap, plug wires and ignition coils. Pretty common on that engine model to have a coil break down under load. This causes a "shudder" when the engine is under a load which goes "mostly" away when you let off the throttle. It feels as though the transmission is rapidly shifting in and out of overdrive.

Easy to diagnose. With the car running, disconnect and re-connect the injector electric feeds. Look for one which doesn't affect the idle speed. Check that plug wire to eliminate it for the cause and if the wire is good your coil is suspect.

Intake manifold gasket failure is a problem with the engine line. Fairly easy Saturday fix or weekend depending on your skill level. Take a sharp look at the old intake manifold. Corrosion can cause pitting on the lower plenum surfaces which causes a coolant leak into the intake. The upper plenums are often cracked by the un-informed tightening the upper plenum bolts to "stop that little leak". So plan on possibly having to replace it when the time comes. Relatively cheap and available. $140 for a new plenum, about $60 for the gasket set (upper/lower) and you can usually get a used plenum at the JY for under $50. Pay attention to the torque settings. They are in "inch pounds" NOT "foot-pounds". Follow the torque sequence, it's crucial.

A little pedestrian, but a lot of people like it. The comments on visibility are noteworthy, imo, because my 2012 CTS has the worst driver visibility of any car I have ever driven.:mad:

1994 Buick Century Consumer Reviews

Agree with all on the tires & brakes. I'd get it on a lift and have the entire underbody inspected. Has this car been garaged or lived outdoors mostly?

Good luck with it.:)