Welp, this will go down as my least watched video in months, or years. Why is that? Isn't this exactly what you wall want? And, yes, thanks to UA-cam's advanced analytics we can tell within an hour. Thanks to those of you that are watching!
I think it is exactly what wizard said in the video. We just can't get by the looks of the buick. I even googled modified versions to see if someone had managed to make it look cool. I found nothing :(. Front wheel drive + Granny car is the problem probably. I love your cheap car vids normally. I just can't imagine myself ever buying this car and that is coming from someone with a 1 owner 2009 SI and just recently bought an extremely depreciated i3. This car would prob smoke both.
Hoovie, I’m glad to see you getting back to your roots. Buying hoopties that many of us could afford as well. Not all of us can spring for a Rolls, Lamborghini or Ferrari. But we live vicariously through you. And thanks for that!
AND also they are closely related to the Pontiac Grand Prix's of the same age! My '99 Grand Prix GTP has the same Supercharged 3.8L V6 as the Park Avenue Ultra, essentially the same car as a Buick Regal Grand Sport. Running gear and everything is almost the same, just bodywork and interior differences. And it weighs about 600# less than the Park Avenue! For example, the '99 GTP doesn't come with a Cabin Air Filter, but there is a place to put one in. The filter for the GS drops right in. Now getting the cowling off the GP is kinda tricky... AND he's right about people not realizing the Supercharger (Eaton M90) takes its own oil! Seen a few where they were run entirely out of oil or the wrong oil was used. THAT is an expensive repair/replacement!
My grandmother had a supercharged Regal. It was very comfortable and was immaculate because she only drove it around town. I'm disappointed that I never got to drive it because the supercharged Buicks were sleepers. She traded it with just over 50k miles for a POS Chevy Cruze right before I got my license. I don't know if it's still true but you used to see 90s and 00s Buicks in the hood all the time. They're comfortable, reliable, and stylish cars that can be picked up for dirt cheap from elderly owners that barely drove them.
There is a significant amount of UA-cam to watch at this time of year with other creators adding almost daily. Most viewers are doing family things and don't have as much time spare. Fun fact: in Australia we had the same "3.8L Supercharged Ecotec V6" in our rear wheel drive VT and VX Commodore's. A super reliable motor.
He gets double the views on his other videos, even on the ones from a couple days ago. The point he made is that people complain constantly that he doesn’t make these videos any more but then nobody cares when he does
@@tylersanders2388 "Nobody" = 255K so far These days you never serve smaller segments but you only serve the most massive one, even to the point you leave money on the table and even if there's more competition there. I don't know if one can tell if a different audience watches the different kinds of videos and together they're a larger overall audience.
I had a Park Ave Ultra for a little bit. It had 258k miles and a I paid $500 for it in 2020, and everything worked exactly as it should. I cleaned it up and fixed a loud exhaust, and sold it for $1800. The next owner put 60,000 miles on it in two years and sold it for $2500. To my knowledge that car is still running around town with over 320,000 miles.
Hoovie, (and Car Wizard), your videos got my father, close friend, and I into beautiful Buicks like these. All three of us couldn't be happier with our cars. Extremely comfortable, good on gas, decent power, and EASY to work on. These videos, much like these cars don't get enough love. Thank you so much for making these videos!!!
To anyone on here considering a Buick 3800 equipped car, specifically an N/A one: MAKE SURE IT HAS AN UPDATED FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR. My father's '01 Bonneville suffered a fiery explosion earlier this year due to a faulty fuel pressure regulator that GM claimed was improved for the 2001 model year. Turns out that was a lie. The car was totaled. Upon researching the issue, there are thousands of cases, and even a recall, which DID NOT cover cars after the 2000 model year, even though it obviously wasn't fixed on the newer cars. Even a famous video of a 3800 impala blowing up in the exact same way at a shop after an oil change. So if you've got a N/A 3800 car from 2000 or earlier, make sure its had the recall done. If you have a 2001 or later, you'll have to do the job yourself or somehow verify its already been done without a recall sticker. Secondly, the 4T65E transmission is notoriously weak. Excessive clutch wear is pretty much guaranteed unless shift kit is installed. Signs of this issue are hard shifts aı eventually slipping/shuddering during acceleration.
I like seeing a "normal" car like this be in sich good shape. When i worked in a shop many years ago, we had a Bonneville SSEI come in, under 20k miles and absolutely perfect everywhere. Same thing, little old lady owned it. These old buicks are great daily drivers for anyone really. They are extremely cheap to own, buy, and like you said, they absolutely float over the road imperfections.
these are the videos I prefer, tho I watch any video you post. Its a shame more people don't feel that. I like the exotic car videos but I like seeing things like this that I can actually afford instead. Do what you need to Hoovie, the real fans will watch anything!
Probably harder to find parts for but I drove as a winter beater a 98 Olds Aurora for several years, never had a problem with that "baby-Northstar", got about 25-27 mpg out of it, and had the most comfortable seats of any car I've ever owned, several Cadillacs included. It also gave you a cockpit feel, much like my 96 Corvette gives me. Just a fun all around car.
I took your advice to heart, and when my cheap and nasty 2010 Chevrolet Aveo was mercifully totaled by a deer, I jumped on AutoTempest and found the successor to the Park Avenue the 2006 Lucerne CXL with only 53,000 miles and final pinnacle form of the 3800 V6 the Series III for cheap!
I've owned several cars with that 3800 engine.... Buick park Ave Oldsmobile alero and a Chevy more carlo ss... the transmission was the weak point on all of them. That monte carlo would have been amazing as a rwd car. sadly fwd only.
@@sportfuryman Here in Australia, Holden used the 3800 V6 until 2003 in the RWD Commodore. I bought the 2003 VY S Pac with 74,000 kilometres on it in 2013. I still have it. It's also a Dual Fuel. Runs on unleaded or LPG, (like Propane). Edit. It uses the 4-speed automatic GM 4L60-E Transmission.
Great advice for anyone early in their career and wealth building. Really early, my boss who drove a luxury car that looked like a million bucks shared a tip. He always bought GM cars coming off an executive lease. Typically very well maintained and 2 or 3 years and low miles. They were heavily depreciated and would run forever with minor maintenance. You looked and felt well off, but spent far less than average. The other tip was to pay cash and stay out of debt. I did this most of my life and retired wealthy. I buy new cars now just because I can. Wasting money on cars is a fool's game unless you have money to spare.
@@bodysuitguy Me too. Paid off the house after leveraging appreciation. Never took a car loan. Paid off credit card each month. Saved for years. Now retired without worries and able to enjoy what I want. It is a good outcome that is achievable.
Wise words from a wise man. The man who taught me about money back in the mid to late 90s when I was in college, drove used Mercedes diesels, always gray, always 300sd’s, always cash.
Car wizard gushes about these, and for good reasons. I don't recommend the supercharged model since there is more stuff that can break and more load on the engine, but the standard 3800 is just excellent. Bulletproof, and 3800 cars are sooooooo easy to work on. I learned how to do a lot of maintenance on an old LeSabre.
Although I hear lots of praise for the GM 3800 V6, I experienced a failed manifold gasket in a '93 Oldsmobile I once owned with a "standard" 3800 engine that was badly leaking coolant. The guy at a repair shop who repaired it told me it was a common failure in these engines that they see regularly. He also criticized GM for using plastic manifolds on at least some of these engines.
@@ozzierabbit587 Don't forget the plastic timing gears. Lol. I had a Buick that every shop was convinced was dead and after replacing it with fully metal timing gear was THEN a little beast. Yes, plastic timing TEETH - to save weight and make less noise. Eventually they would grind down and not grip the chain, allowing it to freely slip around. Thankfully it wasn't an interference engine. It was an OK platform, but if you could you bought an Avalon or Lexus with their much better V6. Both are cheap now as they all look like "grandma cars". But Toyota does build a better old commuter box.
@@plektosgaming What Plastic timing gears? On which series of 3800? Series 1.5 and 2 NA as well as Series 1 and 2 L67 supercharged do not have them. I just looked it up and some models of the Series 1 did...just never encountered them and have replaced timing sets on half a dozen as we have a race car with series II L67 and had a race van with a Series 1.5 NA motor (kinda between designations). Learned something.
Great video this week, love when you review vehicles that most of us can afford. You are spot-on on all three. SORRY to hear about Jake leaving, that increase your time to process the videos. Hope you can find another team mate to support the camera and video work.
When the Wizard addresses the valve cover gaskets, please consider having the Achilles Heels of the Buick 3.8 V6 addressed. I am talking about the top manifold gasket and the two plastic coolant elbows on the front of the block. My coolant elbows failed and almost cost me the engine. The top manifold gasket is also a potential coolant leak into the top end of the engine. Addressing these two issues will go a LONG way to provide excellent reliability for this vehicle.
To anyone on here considering a Buick 3800 equipped car, specifically an N/A one: MAKE SURE IT HAS AN UPDATED FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR. My father's '01 Bonneville suffered a fiery explosion earlier this year due to a faulty fuel pressure regulator that GM claimed was improved for the 2001 model year. Turns out that was a lie. The car was totaled. Upon researching the issue, there are thousands of cases, and even a recall, which DID NOT cover cars after the 2000 model year, even though it obviously wasn't fixed on the newer cars. Even a famous video of a 3800 impala blowing up in the exact same way at a shop after an oil change. So if you've got a N/A 3800 car from 2000 or earlier, make sure its had the recall done. If you have a 2001 or later, you'll have to do the job yourself or somehow verify its already been done without a recall sticker. Secondly, the 4T65E transmission is notoriously weak. Excessive clutch wear is pretty much guaranteed unless shift kit is installed. Signs of this issue are hard shifts aı eventually slipping/shuddering during acceleration.
Hi Hoovie, I got my 01 Buick Lesabre about 10 years ago. Its brutly reliable. When my air ride gave me issues I did a lot of research and the word is that replacing the air ride shocks with coil overs provides for a superior ride. I installed a coil over kit and can confirm its way better. Prices very but it can be done to avoid dash lights. I know you like factory clean and I'm the same way but on some low echelon cases its ok to make subtle updates. You are correct. The buick is the all around better hooptie. Have a good one.
I had a 98 Bonneville sse similar to the Buick ultrawith the turbo charged 3800 and the green lit heads up display. I loved that car and drove it for about five years. The 3800 is built proof compared to some of gms motors of today.
The SSE was not turbo or supercharged and the SSEi was supercharged not turbocharged. We run a 1997 SSEi motor in our endurance race car (was a 1996 Grand Prix GTP until we finally wore it out). Outside of plastic coolant elbows, and failed lower intake manifold gaskets, all the problems with those cars long term were not in the engine...wiring, rust, dynamic suspension, transmissions, etc, etc.
Hoovie most of your videos I do watch but because of my work and family time it is normally the next day and sometimes two days before I get the chance to watch. For this video its refreshing to watch you profile cars the average person can actually afford to buy and maintain.
I stopped my sub a while back, good on you for being successful and all, but watching rich people complain about repair costs of supercars really isn't my jam. I'm glad this still showed up on my feed, 10 days later though!
Replace the coolant elblows on the Buick if it hasn't been done. They make metal ones now. The original ones are a very common failure point, and blow out. If it's been sitting a long time, it's a very good idea to check it. Very cheap and easy to replace. Better now than having it blow out and loose all your coolant while driving. I used to be a huge 3800 enthusiast and into modding them and a big part of the community. One of my best friends works at ZZP (the staple 3800 experts). I used to have a project car grand prix that ran 11s in the 1/4 mile. I still miss that car, but had to move on, since I can't work on cars anymore (not to mention the scene has largely died due to age of the platform, and rust winning that war, though mine was clean).
I had a 2000 Buick Century (3.1 but was still dead reliable) from my grandma for my first car and I've since had nicer new cars since but I honestly miss that car. Every now and then I look at listings for 03-05 Park Avenue Ultras and get really tempted. If nothing else it'd make a great backup/road trip car that I know I could fall back on.
I had the same Buick!! Just the exterior color was silver with the same interior. You are absolutely right. That supercharged 3800 was actually a beast of an engine and it was reliable as could be. I absolutely stole it for $7500 with 32,000 easy miles as a second car and drove the hell out of that thing because it was SO nice to drive long stretches with. EXCELLENT road trip car. Anyone I loaned it to loved it the same as well. All I did was keep up the regular PM stuff (3500 mile oil changes with synthetic and a high quality filter and air filter every other oil change, supercharger regularly serviced, cooling system flushes with fresh coolant every 25,000 along with a trans fluid change, any remote wear on suspension components and they were swapped out before any rattle or shake, and it was always properly cleaned inside and out with the whole exterior always sealed including that Meguires spray clear on the headlights). After it hit 120,000 I sold it nearly in the same friggin’ condition as I bought it which was amazing. All the materials inside and out held up beautifully (obviously since they were properly maintained/protected) and the friend that bought it still has it and loves it too. Definitely one of the best cars I’ve owned. 👍🏻😎👍🏻
I absolutely love my 2004 Buick Park Avenue! I bought it with only 49k miles in 2022, and absolutely love it! Mine isn't an Ultra, but does have the HUD! Such a great car. I bought it to replace my 330k mile 1998 Buick Regal LS! I gave the Regal to my nephew, and it's still going! These 3800 V6 engines are amazing! AWESOME ROAD TRIP CARS TOO!
My friend owned a 2004 LeSabre with a 3800 that he bought with like 130k miles. Owned it for years, it had a huge front bench and an absolutely plush ride. Ran forever.
My wife will never give up on her 2005 Lesabre Limited. Super comfortable and makes her feel safe. We have replaced the mass airflow sensor as well. $150 at NAPA for a Delphi replacement. Intake plenum and coolant elbows, as usual. We chose to replace the air shocks with coil overs when the air shocks failed. The pump alone was $1200 and that was as far as we wanted to chase the leveling system. Still rides great. The thing about these cars is, it’s not that they don’t need repair, they just don’t need major repairs. Gotta do the power window thing, the instrument cluster thing, the stabilizer links, oil pressure sender and so on, but it’s manageable. Nothing that’s going to leave a person on the side of the road type stuff. Great cars!
Don't whimper, Hoovie! Supercar stuff may attract keen car people quicker, but real-world people will always come to videos like this - see how the views have gone up?!?
I've praised Ford Panther cars for many years but they stopped making them in 2009 so finding a mint one is getting hard to find. The Ford, Mercury and Lincoln are exactly the same car. problem areas are air suspension, a/c and duct controls. The 4.6L engine and ancient 4 speed auto are reliable but certainly not fast. But they are good highway cars, fuel mileage at 70 mph is a decent 24=25 mpg. It was one of the last cars to offer bench seats as standard.eqp. Similar cars include Buick Lesabre and Chevy Impala.[6 cyl] These big sedans are old people cars that aren't driven hard and can survive years of neglect. estate sales can be a good source. I miss these big old sedans, they soon will be gone forever, yeah I am 70 years old.
We have a 99 Oldsmobile Aurora that has been in the family since new. It cost 43,000 back then! 😲 It was passed on to me and it's still as amazing as the first time I drove when it had 1500 miles on it. 124k and still cruising awesome. The Northstar in it is so damn good.. even if it does leak everywhere. But that sound! Oh the sound. Just don't change an alternator on them... That sucks. They're also dirt cheap these days. The ride quality is simply unbeatable. Like riding on a cloud.
Don't jump all over me for saying this but optics can be very unforgiving. You've achieved a lot of success both in terms of money/fame as well as your most recent stunning acquisition. There's no easy way to say this, in a matter of months/a few videos, your followers have gone from feeling your personal pain to... Your soon to be absolute 10 trophy wife. They begin to ask themselves, is this the same very down to earth guy I once watched? Anyone who has half a brain always knew you were not exactly struggling before. You come from a successful family and you have worked hard. But there is going to be a lot of jealousy. Don't kill the messenger. Merry Christmas to everyone, wherever you are.
Hey Hoovie, Ive actually been waiting to see this video. I was on 1st street as you were filming. All i seen was a big splash of water at omega and i knew you were there shooting a video. Pretty awesome to have local youtube stars. I have enjoyed your content for years. You really got me hooked with the video you did a few years ago where you bought cheap cars and gave the person back the money and the car. Ive been hooked ever since. I make a few bad car choices myself.
My Jaguar XJ40 is currently in the mechanic shop after developing a similar issue with a pulsating rev gauge for a minute after start-up. To hear you say a vacuum leak and the Wizard immediately suggesting a differential diagnosis gives me hope that it should be easy to identify and fix!
Hoovie I’m sure the analytics will improve as a great number of your viewers will enjoy these cars…most who watch your channel can afford a Buick or GMT800 Escalade or C5…few can afford the exotics. I personally like all 3 of them…although I’d prefer the 96 Buick Ultra that you had years ago…to me that body style with the supercharged 3800 is perfection.
Not how analytics on UA-cam work bro. We know right away how a video will perform. Usually honestly before a video is created. People say they want cheap car videos. They really want to watch super car videos though. This is why you don't listen to your viewers(within reason). Analytics "improving" defeats the predictive power of analytics lol. They can be wrong. They don't "improve". It's pretty typical of being a creator. Whatever people say they hate, is generally what they are most drawn to, annoyingly. Like loot boxes in video games.
I bought my mom a Buick Century off an old lady with 66k miles.. Had the intake gaskets changed, thermostat, some powersteering crap, and in for about a total of $3k on the car. The only unfortunate part is how rusted out the rockers are. My mechanic said the same thing about these 3800's though. It's been a great car for her for 3 years now
Early to about the mid 2000s is the best vehicles GM ever made. I know the interiors were still "ahhh" but these damn vehicles just kept going. My 2001 Impala had 265000 on the clock when I sold it. Only replaced one water pump, one alternator, and the stupid plastic coolant bypass tubes a few times. Not to say it didn't need other work, but that's all I ever did to keep it running for those miles. My 2008 has 160000 on the clock, And I drive that car hours out-of-state regularly to go film for my channel.
Had a 98 Bonneville ssei, with the supercharged 3800.. Had everything that buick had except instead of air ride, it hade early electronic struts. Good car and could click off a high 13, low 14 second quarter mile.
I have the same exact car in blue. It has been by far the best car I've ever owned. Reliable thanks the the 3800 and being supercharged, it's faster than it has any place being.
Cars like this and the older gen Park Avenues, Lincolns, and Caddy’s are very special to kids who grew up in the 80s and 90s. My grandfather bought Buick’s and my uncle only purchased Town Cars. What a time in history. I remember feeling so special in those cars.
This is my favorite type of video you produce because it showcases cars that I can actually afford and can see myself fixing up and driving. Thanks, Tyler!
The old buicks and the panther platform cars are granny cars, sure, but they are also very good cars. A good, reliable, comfortable, cheap, and cheap to fix car, a car you could probably even do a lot of the work on yourself, why would someone not want that? I also happen to think that the Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car are all very nice looking cars.
Those Panther platform Ford / Merc / Linc cars are superb and the last of their kind. Simple, robust body on frame luxury, cheap and easy to fix. What more could you want? Also decent on gas and no supercharger to stress out the engine. 400-500k miles are common these engines.
I would rather have a Chevy Caprice with the same 3.8L V6 than that dull looking Buick. Sorry. And it's not just because the Caprice is RWD but the facelift models had a 6 speed auto. No dull 4 speed auto to deal with. And the Caprice looks a million times better than the Park Avenue. You can have a good engine but a transmission with long and spaced out gears is what ruins the appeal as well as the exterior design. The LaCrosse looks better imo. And like OP said, the Panther platform cars are better.
The Buick Lacrosse and Lucerne were still very much comfort oriented. That being said, I think my dads Lucerne is probably the fastest car I have ever driven.
Best video yet- love me some 90’s GM floofmobiles- got my first and second ticket in a Buick roadmaster wagon, spent the majority of my high school days driving a Buick century, still own a 2005 GTO- long live reliable decent built GM cars!
My Dad went from a LeSabre to a Park Avenue Ultra. The Ultra was super dreamy and had the little extras that a mere Park Ave didn't have (rear seat headrests and of course the dual exhaust tips.) He decided to move to a Lucerne CXL and my older brother took over the PA Ultra for another 10 years. These cars were amazing cruisers. I once drove the Lucerne from Toronto to Florida and back and could believe how it sipped fuel. The Lucerne got traded on a Tesla Model Y. Interesting to compare the interiors - with the Tesla you get the feeling that it is waiting for the dashboard to get installed.
I love your cheap car videos because I relate to them much better than the exotics. However I'm an anomaly, and being that I make videos about cheap cars too, I definitely feel the pain of no one watching. It also doesn't help that I'm neither funny nor interesting.
You post, I watch, I enjoy. It’s not about the content of the videos, a lot of us watch your videos because of you, not only the cars. The topics are all interesting for a true petrolhead.
Yes... But if this was your job... This is the equivalent of him making half salary.... You might click and view, but clearly not enough if it cuts his pay in half. And you don't want to sell sponsorship spots on videos that don't perform well so it's a double whammy. You don't make UA-cam ad revenue, and you don't make sponsor Revenue. Not everyone can cut their salary in half or a quarter, just for fun. Weird to me how people think metrics don't matter. It's literally his pay for the week or whatever. You're all rich with other people's money, then, when it's your own money, now, you understand being underpaid.
I’ve been dealing classic cars since 1999, over 2,000 so far, and one of my dailies is a 55K mile 2002 Buick Le Sabre. Totally underappreciated, bullet-proof and quiete economical rides.
I have a 2002 Buick LeSabre also with only 106,000 mi on it and what you said is very true. And I love the car and its reliability I've had many other cars but I truly love that car don't drive it very much but I love it. I also love my 2001 Dodge Ram Cummins 2500. It's funny nobody asks if my Buick is for sale but I get somebody that comes to my door almost every month and asks if my Cummins is for sale, which I lightly chuckle and respectfully decline.
I.ve owned a lot of sought after cars, from a BMW 2002tii, an MGB, a Mk1 Rabbit GTI, BMW E92 3-series, and 3 MkV-Mk7 GTIs, and one car I've kept through it all is my 1996 Buick Roadmaster LT1. Unless you've experienced 90's-2000's Buick, I don't think you can comprehend how luxurious and comfortable these cars are. They are utterly brilliant
Well said. I agree very much so as I still have my 2002 Buick LeSabre 3800 106000 miles. My other bulletproof car that I will probably never sell is my 2001 Dodge Ram Cummins 2500 210000 miles. And you could shoot the Cummins engine and it would still probably keep going and just laugh.
My youngest brother, a certified millennial, had that exact Buick in black. Every single time he flew away on business the battery would be dead AF when he got home. New battery, old battery, didn’t matter.
Can happen to any car... Something was staying on and draining the battery slowly. The easiest to overlook is a glove box lamp that broke away from it's holder and never shuts off. Takes a few days to drain the battery to the point the car won't start, and will drain it to stone dead given enough time.
Buick dealership claimed it was the Onstar system and said they could not or would not disconnect it. My brother was a pro-hockey player, not an electrical engineer. He bought a Toyota and never had another issue.
Love these videos. My opinion is that people just avoid a video or two after a bmw, Bentley, or high end car. Those are tiresome, and I "nope out" on those.
I like to see complete stories on cars - Looking for one, buying one, fixing it, running it and then selling it (or keeping it and maintaining it). I do love to see Hoovie buying cars but kinda (ish) liked it when he had to Wheel & Deal to move up. In any case, I'm a big fan of all his stuff and I'm watching it!
Love your videos Hoovie. And love the Park Avenue Ultra but it should be said that boosted engines generally have shorter lifespans. Also the Lincoln Town Car engine is under-stressed and is legendary for its longevity. Probably slightly less good on gas than the Park Avenue but owners claim high 20s pretty routinely.
@@sprezzatura8755 biggest killer to the 3800 is the lower intake manifold gaskets. Gm upgraded them to a metal version instead of plastic and they make it much better. One of my cars has a motor i swapped in that had 232k miles on it. Runs great and you would never know it has that kind of mileage on it
After the wizard recommended the 3800 several years ago, I got a 1998 olds 88. Except for a rusty subframe replacement and a hydrolock scare, it's been terrific. The garden variety 88LS w/o the supercharger needs revs to make hill climb power but you just downshift into 3rd. 15 mpg around town is a bit thirsty in the hilly NE, and I get 24-27 hiway here. Next time, it's a supercharged Buick; the Olds' A/C vents are exasperatingly low, so your hands on the wheel block the fan flow. But all in all, it's great.
Love those Ultras! I did have a 2005 Grand Marquis that got 27 mpg on a trip with no changes other than a K&N air filter. They’re not as bad on gas as people think. Certainly as good as most older SUV’s & minivans.
I'm exhausted with vehicle reviews and lifestyles I'll never afford. If I see one more review of a Porsche 911 GT3, my eyes are going to permanently remain rolled up in the back of my head. I've since stopped watching most car reviews. You got a click from me on this one.
My dad bought a Bonneville with the 3800 early this year and the tranny is already slipping during the 1-2 shift at 130k. It shifts ultra hard to compensate sometimes. We'll be putting a shift kit in it. Typical problem for a 4T65E. Something to watch out for with these. The 4T45E in his 05 malibu was having similar issues. Rust around subframe mounts and rockers (especially in the rear) is a common problem even for well-taken-care-of examples. Subframe bushings on this car are fucked as well. Why the hell would a car even have subframe bushings..... These V6s love to start shaking their harmonic balancers early on, which both his 05 LX9 malibu and this are doing. You'll see and hear the crank pulley bouncing. Other than that it's pretty nice. Road noise is surprisingly low. Still overall infinitely better than my nightmare of an E46 I had with similar low mileage. UPDATE: THIS CAR IS NOW TOTALED AFTER SUFFERING A FIERY EXPLOSION due to a faulty fuel pressure regulator. To anyone on here considering a Buick 3800 equipped car, specifically an N/A one: MAKE SURE IT HAS AN UPDATED FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR. My father's '01 Bonneville suffered a fiery explosion earlier this year due to a faulty fuel pressure regulator that GM claimed was improved for the 2001 model year. Turns out that was a lie. The car was totaled. Upon researching the issue, there are thousands of cases, and even a recall, which DID NOT cover cars after the 2000 model year, even though it obviously wasn't fixed on the newer cars. Even a famous video of a 3800 impala blowing up in the exact same way at a shop after an oil change. So if you've got a N/A 3800 car from 2000 or earlier, make sure its had the recall done. If you have a 2001 or later, you'll have to do the job yourself or somehow verify its already been done without a recall sticker.
Hoovie, don't listen to your wallet, we love these videos 😂. Fr though this is the classic stuff we want. Views will probably pick up now that its around lunch time
Bought a 2000 Ultra because of your old Ultra! Unfortunately, if that is a 2005, someone swapped out the one year only taillights :( I am surprised you've never gotten a Lucerne Super
I saw the original title/ thumbnail to this video and then was disappointed by the rather childish changes to both later in the day. While it seems most of these UA-cam enterprises are driven by clicks, please try and refrain from sounding so desperate and needy?
Hoovie broke the golden rule of all shops AGAIN. Roll the gosh darn window down when you enter a shop! It stays down until it leaves the shop. Love you, kthxbye
I daily drive a 2004 Escalade ESV (the Suburban length version). It has been wrecked, rebuilt, had a remanufactured transmission installed, and uses a quart of oil every... frequently. All the oil leaks have been fixed and it is dry underneath. It has traveled 372,000 miles and shows no signs of giving up. I just took it to Detroit (an amazing and necessary pilgrimage for any car guy). I'd jump in and drive it to the east or west coast tomorrow. We purchased it in 2020 for $4000
Even though he cries like a wuss when a Republican newsmedia picked up his video to criticize the new garbage Ford electric pickup truck? stay at Cadillacs Paulie its for better 😂😂
Tyler, glad to see you reapproaching your roots; but $5500 for that Buick and its needs is neither cheap nor well bought…it may have been the right money to pay the little old lady though so good on you for that.
Ah, poor Jake. You know part of it might be the fear that such a cheap car is cheap for a reason, because otherwise you'd buy this for the same reason you'd buy an Impala, a comfortable 4 door family hauler that isn't a massive SUV. It certainly feels like Hoovie has been championing these as long as I've watched the channel Not counting Jake's I think I can recall like 3 of them.
My best friend in high school had a second gen Yukon Denali and it was fantastic. Super comfortable, relatively reliable, and more than large enough for any task. It was a great truck.
7:02 - I am so hear for the Killer Instinct reference! (ultraaaaa combooooooooo) Seriously, these are three great budget buys. You could also get the HUD in Pontiac Grand Prix GTP (supercharged 3800) or GXP trim (w/5.3 v8). Both very underrated dailies, I think.
Hoovie, to be honest, I watch all of your videos but I’ve been losing interest. I dunno what happened to you. It has nothing to do with the cars you buy. It’s more of the reason I come to UA-cam. My Dad left my Mom and my brothers and I for another woman. Just walked away from us. As a kid I remember feeling I did something wrong. When you said in an earlier video that you met your new lady basically a year before everything hit the fan with your ex lady. It made me remember how I felt when my Dad basically started a whole new life with someone else. We weren’t sufficient or satisfactory to him. TBH I’m cool with people sleeping around but you go back home and be a daily figure in your kids lives, and you go back home and make sure your wife has no struggles and make the tough decisions with her when you have kids with someone, sleeping around is not the biggest issue, I remember later in life my Mom telling me that it wasn’t my dad sleeping around that made her mad, it was that she wasn’t supposed to be left to raise kids and live the rest of her life by herself, they both took vows to be together forever, she felt like she delivered on every front and was a good wife only to be tossed aside by a new younger prettier thing, it can be quite dehumanizing, it just doesn’t sit right when a family breaks up like that and when it sounds like your “new” adventure was actually someone you were with way prior you met her at previous barret Jackson events. I do NOT claim to know what happened but the pieces you left us with really didn’t leave me with the best view of you. You shouldn’t care what I think, I’m just saying that you were this goofy UA-camr that made goofy videos and did cute like Christmas videos with your happy wife and kids and you seemed like the person from humble beginnings and now you’ve lost interest in your humble beginnings and left not just your viewers behind but you’ve also from what you’ve left us with, you’ve left your family behind too for a prettier shinier newer thing. It makes me quite sad even writing this. The dehumanizing I felt as a kid, what did I do wrong, why is Dad leaving? You feel like discarded used up waste, he loved us when we were babies, but now that we are older, he doesn’t like us. It’s like we were old food, or whatever, we weren’t worth re-heating and ended up in the trash.
I think it's simply the time of day and the time of the year for viewership. As far as the 3800? I joke that I've sold more of those than GM built. Anytime anyone would ask me, "What used car should I buy" I'd immediately answer "The 3800 that is taken care of and in your price range". Heck, I still own one even though I seldom drive it, it's always willing whenever I ask. ~ Chuck
Honestly, I started watching good morning youtube more and paying less attention to this channel. Now that I'm actually seeing this video, I love where this is going. I understand the super cars are cool but after a while I just stopped paying attention to hoovies garage because supercars get kinda boring after a while. I love this video!
My first car was a 2001 Park Avenue i bought 8 and a half years ago. Plenty of get up and go, surprising many people at the lights. Leather bench seat, ridiculously smooth ride and that heads up display. I genuinely loved that car and i think about it so often. I always will. They are just special.
Welp, this will go down as my least watched video in months, or years. Why is that? Isn't this exactly what you wall want? And, yes, thanks to UA-cam's advanced analytics we can tell within an hour. Thanks to those of you that are watching!
you worry too much
The thumbnail update did bring me back 😂
Hahaha!! The title change game to up the clicks is kind of funny to watch. I always enjoy your content. Hope this video looks up for you.
I think it is exactly what wizard said in the video. We just can't get by the looks of the buick. I even googled modified versions to see if someone had managed to make it look cool. I found nothing :(. Front wheel drive + Granny car is the problem probably. I love your cheap car vids normally. I just can't imagine myself ever buying this car and that is coming from someone with a 1 owner 2009 SI and just recently bought an extremely depreciated i3. This car would prob smoke both.
Literally watching the video when you changed the title.
Hoovie, I’m glad to see you getting back to your roots. Buying hoopties that many of us could afford as well. Not all of us can spring for a Rolls, Lamborghini or Ferrari. But we live vicariously through you. And thanks for that!
Despite the title this is actually one of my favorite videos you’ve posted all year! Keep up the good work Hoovie!
Hell, it's the only "Hoovie" video I've watched all year, except for maybe the Eldorado saga.
Totally agree about the older Buicks, (Park Avenues, LeSabres and Centurys) reliable as heck, comfortable, and no one wants to steal one of them.
AND also they are closely related to the Pontiac Grand Prix's of the same age! My '99 Grand Prix GTP has the same Supercharged 3.8L V6 as the Park Avenue Ultra, essentially the same car as a Buick Regal Grand Sport. Running gear and everything is almost the same, just bodywork and interior differences. And it weighs about 600# less than the Park Avenue! For example, the '99 GTP doesn't come with a Cabin Air Filter, but there is a place to put one in. The filter for the GS drops right in. Now getting the cowling off the GP is kinda tricky...
AND he's right about people not realizing the Supercharger (Eaton M90) takes its own oil! Seen a few where they were run entirely out of oil or the wrong oil was used. THAT is an expensive repair/replacement!
people are all about status and sex appeal these days.
My grandmother had a supercharged Regal. It was very comfortable and was immaculate because she only drove it around town. I'm disappointed that I never got to drive it because the supercharged Buicks were sleepers. She traded it with just over 50k miles for a POS Chevy Cruze right before I got my license.
I don't know if it's still true but you used to see 90s and 00s Buicks in the hood all the time. They're comfortable, reliable, and stylish cars that can be picked up for dirt cheap from elderly owners that barely drove them.
I had a Century back in the day, ran like a top, started every time, and still got 35mpg on the highway! Plus it had lots of room for subs!
I always wanted that body Escalade for some reason.
My wife inherited this same Buick after her dad passed away. 2005 with only 28,000 miles on it. We love it.
There is a significant amount of UA-cam to watch at this time of year with other creators adding almost daily. Most viewers are doing family things and don't have as much time spare.
Fun fact: in Australia we had the same "3.8L Supercharged Ecotec V6" in our rear wheel drive VT and VX Commodore's. A super reliable motor.
He gets double the views on his other videos, even on the ones from a couple days ago. The point he made is that people complain constantly that he doesn’t make these videos any more but then nobody cares when he does
@@tylersanders2388 "Nobody" = 255K so far
These days you never serve smaller segments but you only serve the most massive one, even to the point you leave money on the table and even if there's more competition there. I don't know if one can tell if a different audience watches the different kinds of videos and together they're a larger overall audience.
This ^. It’s a busy time of year for families, can’t get to the videos as fast. I’m sure he had the same thing during this time last year..
@@Robin-hs8ix that’s wrong. Glance at his views on other videos from this week. They got 500k while this one got 250k
@@tylersanders2388 the last one before that is 6 days ago. Kids are out of school now.
I had a Park Ave Ultra for a little bit. It had 258k miles and a I paid $500 for it in 2020, and everything worked exactly as it should. I cleaned it up and fixed a loud exhaust, and sold it for $1800. The next owner put 60,000 miles on it in two years and sold it for $2500. To my knowledge that car is still running around town with over 320,000 miles.
Hoovie, (and Car Wizard), your videos got my father, close friend, and I into beautiful Buicks like these. All three of us couldn't be happier with our cars. Extremely comfortable, good on gas, decent power, and EASY to work on. These videos, much like these cars don't get enough love. Thank you so much for making these videos!!!
I'm getting into buicks now
To anyone on here considering a Buick 3800 equipped car, specifically an N/A one: MAKE SURE IT HAS AN UPDATED FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR. My father's '01 Bonneville suffered a fiery explosion earlier this year due to a faulty fuel pressure regulator that GM claimed was improved for the 2001 model year. Turns out that was a lie. The car was totaled. Upon researching the issue, there are thousands of cases, and even a recall, which DID NOT cover cars after the 2000 model year, even though it obviously wasn't fixed on the newer cars. Even a famous video of a 3800 impala blowing up in the exact same way at a shop after an oil change. So if you've got a N/A 3800 car from 2000 or earlier, make sure its had the recall done. If you have a 2001 or later, you'll have to do the job yourself or somehow verify its already been done without a recall sticker.
Secondly, the 4T65E transmission is notoriously weak. Excessive clutch wear is pretty much guaranteed unless shift kit is installed. Signs of this issue are hard shifts aı eventually slipping/shuddering during acceleration.
I like seeing a "normal" car like this be in sich good shape. When i worked in a shop many years ago, we had a Bonneville SSEI come in, under 20k miles and absolutely perfect everywhere. Same thing, little old lady owned it.
These old buicks are great daily drivers for anyone really. They are extremely cheap to own, buy, and like you said, they absolutely float over the road imperfections.
these are the videos I prefer, tho I watch any video you post. Its a shame more people don't feel that. I like the exotic car videos but I like seeing things like this that I can actually afford instead. Do what you need to Hoovie, the real fans will watch anything!
I feel the same way. I genuinely prefer driving older cars. They may not be heavy on the tech, but are always more unique that cars today.
I only watch the part where the wizard is in I could give 0 shits about his car reviews. Either way people get borred.
I'm not sure but I think his camera guy quit on him 🤷🏻
Probably harder to find parts for but I drove as a winter beater a 98 Olds Aurora for several years, never had a problem with that "baby-Northstar", got about 25-27 mpg out of it, and had the most comfortable seats of any car I've ever owned, several Cadillacs included. It also gave you a cockpit feel, much like my 96 Corvette gives me. Just a fun all around car.
I took your advice to heart, and when my cheap and nasty 2010 Chevrolet Aveo was mercifully totaled by a deer, I jumped on AutoTempest and found the successor to the Park Avenue the 2006 Lucerne CXL with only 53,000 miles and final pinnacle form of the 3800 V6 the Series III for cheap!
An 2006 3800 with 53K miles? That is a total win.
Well done! As a 2011 Chevy Aveo owner, I am now actively looking for deer also.
@@kevine7925 have you had the thermostat problem yet? It’s a subject that ROYALLY pissed me off when I had mine
I've owned several cars with that 3800 engine.... Buick park Ave Oldsmobile alero and a Chevy more carlo ss... the transmission was the weak point on all of them. That monte carlo would have been amazing as a rwd car. sadly fwd only.
@@sportfuryman Here in Australia, Holden used the 3800 V6 until 2003 in the RWD Commodore.
I bought the 2003 VY S Pac with 74,000 kilometres on it in 2013.
I still have it.
It's also a Dual Fuel. Runs on unleaded or LPG, (like Propane).
Edit. It uses the 4-speed automatic GM 4L60-E Transmission.
Thank you for bringing back the Buick and the cheap cars. It what I love.
This feels like the early 2000s with retro cars "retro" hoovie style videos keep it up we all love good old cheap hooptie
This is the first time I seen this video. I didn't know this even published. Thank you Hoovie I enjoy your blue caller car videos.
this is one of my favorite hoovie videos in a while, despite the lack of viewership. would love to get something like this every once in a while
I've always loved these type Hoovie videos! Such a shame that no one is watching, especially because these videos will only become more and more rare!
These are the videos I find myself rewatching a year or 2 later. The hooptie supercars are cool, but I watched the Baja like 4 times lol
143,000+ have watched this video so far.
388k…
Great advice for anyone early in their career and wealth building. Really early, my boss who drove a luxury car that looked like a million bucks shared a tip. He always bought GM cars coming off an executive lease. Typically very well maintained and 2 or 3 years and low miles. They were heavily depreciated and would run forever with minor maintenance. You looked and felt well off, but spent far less than average. The other tip was to pay cash and stay out of debt. I did this most of my life and retired wealthy. I buy new cars now just because I can. Wasting money on cars is a fool's game unless you have money to spare.
Cars depreciate, houses appreciate. I drive shit boxes until I've paid off my house.
@@bodysuitguy Me too. Paid off the house after leveraging appreciation. Never took a car loan. Paid off credit card each month. Saved for years. Now retired without worries and able to enjoy what I want. It is a good outcome that is achievable.
Watch John Goodman's 60 second speech about Fu money from the movie The Gambler.. it's all you need to know about personal finances.
Wise words from a wise man. The man who taught me about money back in the mid to late 90s when I was in college, drove used Mercedes diesels, always gray, always 300sd’s, always cash.
Car wizard gushes about these, and for good reasons.
I don't recommend the supercharged model since there is more stuff that can break and more load on the engine, but the standard 3800 is just excellent. Bulletproof, and 3800 cars are sooooooo easy to work on. I learned how to do a lot of maintenance on an old LeSabre.
Although I hear lots of praise for the GM 3800 V6, I experienced a failed manifold gasket in a '93 Oldsmobile I once owned with a "standard" 3800 engine that was badly leaking coolant. The guy at a repair shop who repaired it told me it was a common failure in these engines that they see regularly. He also criticized GM for using plastic manifolds on at least some of these engines.
@@ozzierabbit587 That was a series 1 3800. The series 2 3800 that everyone praises came out later.
@@ozzierabbit587 Don't forget the plastic timing gears. Lol. I had a Buick that every shop was convinced was dead and after replacing it with fully metal timing gear was THEN a little beast. Yes, plastic timing TEETH - to save weight and make less noise. Eventually they would grind down and not grip the chain, allowing it to freely slip around. Thankfully it wasn't an interference engine. It was an OK platform, but if you could you bought an Avalon or Lexus with their much better V6. Both are cheap now as they all look like "grandma cars". But Toyota does build a better old commuter box.
@@FSAPOJake And those had a different version of the SAME upper intake manifold coolant leak around the eGR stove pipe.
@@plektosgaming What Plastic timing gears? On which series of 3800? Series 1.5 and 2 NA as well as Series 1 and 2 L67 supercharged do not have them. I just looked it up and some models of the Series 1 did...just never encountered them and have replaced timing sets on half a dozen as we have a race car with series II L67 and had a race van with a Series 1.5 NA motor (kinda between designations). Learned something.
Great video this week, love when you review vehicles that most of us can afford.
You are spot-on on all three.
SORRY to hear about Jake leaving, that increase your time to process the videos. Hope you can find another team mate to support the camera and video work.
I think he was kidding. It was because hoovie made Jake stand out in the rain to film 😂 Jake probably wasn't loving it
Love the unpopular car videos, keep ‘em comin!
When the Wizard addresses the valve cover gaskets, please consider having the Achilles Heels of the Buick 3.8 V6 addressed. I am talking about the top manifold gasket and the two plastic coolant elbows on the front of the block. My coolant elbows failed and almost cost me the engine. The top manifold gasket is also a potential coolant leak into the top end of the engine. Addressing these two issues will go a LONG way to provide excellent reliability for this vehicle.
Newest wizard video dives into that
Wizard ended up swapping them out for metal ones in new video
To anyone on here considering a Buick 3800 equipped car, specifically an N/A one: MAKE SURE IT HAS AN UPDATED FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR. My father's '01 Bonneville suffered a fiery explosion earlier this year due to a faulty fuel pressure regulator that GM claimed was improved for the 2001 model year. Turns out that was a lie. The car was totaled. Upon researching the issue, there are thousands of cases, and even a recall, which DID NOT cover cars after the 2000 model year, even though it obviously wasn't fixed on the newer cars. Even a famous video of a 3800 impala blowing up in the exact same way at a shop after an oil change. So if you've got a N/A 3800 car from 2000 or earlier, make sure its had the recall done. If you have a 2001 or later, you'll have to do the job yourself or somehow verify its already been done without a recall sticker.
Secondly, the 4T65E transmission is notoriously weak. Excessive clutch wear is pretty much guaranteed unless shift kit is installed. Signs of this issue are hard shifts aı eventually slipping/shuddering during acceleration.
Hi Hoovie, I got my 01 Buick Lesabre about 10 years ago. Its brutly reliable. When my air ride gave me issues I did a lot of research and the word is that replacing the air ride shocks with coil overs provides for a superior ride. I installed a coil over kit and can confirm its way better. Prices very but it can be done to avoid dash lights. I know you like factory clean and I'm the same way but on some low echelon cases its ok to make subtle updates. You are correct. The buick is the all around better hooptie. Have a good one.
I had a 98 Bonneville sse similar to the Buick ultrawith the turbo charged 3800 and the green lit heads up display. I loved that car and drove it for about five years. The 3800 is built proof compared to some of gms motors of today.
The SSE was not turbo or supercharged and the SSEi was supercharged not turbocharged. We run a 1997 SSEi motor in our endurance race car (was a 1996 Grand Prix GTP until we finally wore it out). Outside of plastic coolant elbows, and failed lower intake manifold gaskets, all the problems with those cars long term were not in the engine...wiring, rust, dynamic suspension, transmissions, etc, etc.
@@michaelkrenzer3296 The supercharged engine was an option on the SSE and standard on the SSEi
Hoovie most of your videos I do watch but because of my work and family time it is normally the next day and sometimes two days before I get the chance to watch. For this video its refreshing to watch you profile cars the average person can actually afford to buy and maintain.
I stopped my sub a while back, good on you for being successful and all, but watching rich people complain about repair costs of supercars really isn't my jam. I'm glad this still showed up on my feed, 10 days later though!
Jeeze, I sleep in on my day off and then I get yelled at for not watching this video soon enough.
Replace the coolant elblows on the Buick if it hasn't been done. They make metal ones now. The original ones are a very common failure point, and blow out. If it's been sitting a long time, it's a very good idea to check it. Very cheap and easy to replace. Better now than having it blow out and loose all your coolant while driving.
I used to be a huge 3800 enthusiast and into modding them and a big part of the community. One of my best friends works at ZZP (the staple 3800 experts). I used to have a project car grand prix that ran 11s in the 1/4 mile. I still miss that car, but had to move on, since I can't work on cars anymore (not to mention the scene has largely died due to age of the platform, and rust winning that war, though mine was clean).
I had a 2000 Buick Century (3.1 but was still dead reliable) from my grandma for my first car and I've since had nicer new cars since but I honestly miss that car. Every now and then I look at listings for 03-05 Park Avenue Ultras and get really tempted. If nothing else it'd make a great backup/road trip car that I know I could fall back on.
I had the same Buick!! Just the exterior color was silver with the same interior. You are absolutely right. That supercharged 3800 was actually a beast of an engine and it was reliable as could be. I absolutely stole it for $7500 with 32,000 easy miles as a second car and drove the hell out of that thing because it was SO nice to drive long stretches with. EXCELLENT road trip car. Anyone I loaned it to loved it the same as well. All I did was keep up the regular PM stuff (3500 mile oil changes with synthetic and a high quality filter and air filter every other oil change, supercharger regularly serviced, cooling system flushes with fresh coolant every 25,000 along with a trans fluid change, any remote wear on suspension components and they were swapped out before any rattle or shake, and it was always properly cleaned inside and out with the whole exterior always sealed including that Meguires spray clear on the headlights). After it hit 120,000 I sold it nearly in the same friggin’ condition as I bought it which was amazing. All the materials inside and out held up beautifully (obviously since they were properly maintained/protected) and the friend that bought it still has it and loves it too. Definitely one of the best cars I’ve owned. 👍🏻😎👍🏻
I absolutely love my 2004 Buick Park Avenue! I bought it with only 49k miles in 2022, and absolutely love it! Mine isn't an Ultra, but does have the HUD! Such a great car. I bought it to replace my 330k mile 1998 Buick Regal LS! I gave the Regal to my nephew, and it's still going! These 3800 V6 engines are amazing! AWESOME ROAD TRIP CARS TOO!
3800 is one of the best engines ever made.
Facts. I call them The Unkillable Soldier.
3400 is right there with it
Especially in a fiero lol
FACTS
@@aber2912 Yeah buddy! Someone knows whats what!
My friend owned a 2004 LeSabre with a 3800 that he bought with like 130k miles. Owned it for years, it had a huge front bench and an absolutely plush ride. Ran forever.
This is the best video you've done in a long time. Great way to showcase the regular guy cars. I love the Park Avenue as well as the Escalade.
My wife will never give up on her 2005 Lesabre Limited. Super comfortable and makes her feel safe. We have replaced the mass airflow sensor as well. $150 at NAPA for a Delphi replacement. Intake plenum and coolant elbows, as usual. We chose to replace the air shocks with coil overs when the air shocks failed. The pump alone was $1200 and that was as far as we wanted to chase the leveling system. Still rides great. The thing about these cars is, it’s not that they don’t need repair, they just don’t need major repairs. Gotta do the power window thing, the instrument cluster thing, the stabilizer links, oil pressure sender and so on, but it’s manageable. Nothing that’s going to leave a person on the side of the road type stuff. Great cars!
You could have set up a valve for manually pumping the shocks up. It's fine if you don't change loads frequently.
Don't whimper, Hoovie! Supercar stuff may attract keen car people quicker, but real-world people will always come to videos like this - see how the views have gone up?!?
Hoovies holding us to ransom forcing us to watch him do cheap cars 😂
Yes Hoovie, this is the content we all come for.......and towing reviews.
If he's not towing, I'm not watching.
And no new overpriced electric cars
Simply the best towing channel around.
I missed the joke and I thought you were talking about the flatbed picking up his broken hoopties 😂
I'm watching! I love the lower priced car content just as much as the rare or expensive stuff. keep up the awesome work!
your old Buick Park Avenue Ultra video is my absolute favorite youve put out, nice to see the cheap cars again!
I've praised Ford Panther cars for many years but they stopped making them in 2009 so finding a mint one is getting hard to find. The Ford, Mercury and Lincoln are exactly the same car. problem areas are air suspension, a/c and duct controls. The 4.6L engine and ancient 4 speed auto are reliable but certainly not fast. But they are good highway cars, fuel mileage at 70 mph is a decent 24=25 mpg. It was one of the last cars to offer bench seats as standard.eqp. Similar cars include Buick Lesabre and Chevy Impala.[6 cyl]
These big sedans are old people cars that aren't driven hard and can survive years of neglect. estate sales can be a good source.
I miss these big old sedans, they soon will be gone forever, yeah I am 70 years old.
That Top Gear tribute is just perfect. Well done!
We have a 99 Oldsmobile Aurora that has been in the family since new. It cost 43,000 back then! 😲 It was passed on to me and it's still as amazing as the first time I drove when it had 1500 miles on it. 124k and still cruising awesome. The Northstar in it is so damn good.. even if it does leak everywhere. But that sound! Oh the sound. Just don't change an alternator on them... That sucks. They're also dirt cheap these days. The ride quality is simply unbeatable. Like riding on a cloud.
Don't jump all over me for saying this but optics can be very unforgiving. You've achieved a lot of success both in terms of money/fame as well as your most recent stunning acquisition. There's no easy way to say this, in a matter of months/a few videos, your followers have gone from feeling your personal pain to... Your soon to be absolute 10 trophy wife. They begin to ask themselves, is this the same very down to earth guy I once watched? Anyone who has half a brain always knew you were not exactly struggling before. You come from a successful family and you have worked hard. But there is going to be a lot of jealousy. Don't kill the messenger. Merry Christmas to everyone, wherever you are.
Hey Hoovie, Ive actually been waiting to see this video. I was on 1st street as you were filming. All i seen was a big splash of water at omega and i knew you were there shooting a video. Pretty awesome to have local youtube stars. I have enjoyed your content for years. You really got me hooked with the video you did a few years ago where you bought cheap cars and gave the person back the money and the car. Ive been hooked ever since. I make a few bad car choices myself.
My Jaguar XJ40 is currently in the mechanic shop after developing a similar issue with a pulsating rev gauge for a minute after start-up. To hear you say a vacuum leak and the Wizard immediately suggesting a differential diagnosis gives me hope that it should be easy to identify and fix!
Hoovie I’m sure the analytics will improve as a great number of your viewers will enjoy these cars…most who watch your channel can afford a Buick or GMT800 Escalade or C5…few can afford the exotics. I personally like all 3 of them…although I’d prefer the 96 Buick Ultra that you had years ago…to me that body style with the supercharged 3800 is perfection.
Not how analytics on UA-cam work bro. We know right away how a video will perform. Usually honestly before a video is created. People say they want cheap car videos. They really want to watch super car videos though. This is why you don't listen to your viewers(within reason).
Analytics "improving" defeats the predictive power of analytics lol. They can be wrong. They don't "improve". It's pretty typical of being a creator. Whatever people say they hate, is generally what they are most drawn to, annoyingly. Like loot boxes in video games.
I bought my mom a Buick Century off an old lady with 66k miles.. Had the intake gaskets changed, thermostat, some powersteering crap, and in for about a total of $3k on the car. The only unfortunate part is how rusted out the rockers are. My mechanic said the same thing about these 3800's though. It's been a great car for her for 3 years now
Had a Lesabre for years and loved that car. Couch on wheels are a thing of the past unfortunately
Early to about the mid 2000s is the best vehicles GM ever made.
I know the interiors were still "ahhh" but these damn vehicles just kept going.
My 2001 Impala had 265000 on the clock when I sold it.
Only replaced one water pump, one alternator, and the stupid plastic coolant bypass tubes a few times.
Not to say it didn't need other work, but that's all I ever did to keep it running for those miles.
My 2008 has 160000 on the clock, And I drive that car hours out-of-state regularly to go film for my channel.
I LOVED this video!! I enjoy learning about American cars we don't get in the UK. I loved that Buick
Had a 98 Bonneville ssei, with the supercharged 3800.. Had everything that buick had except instead of air ride, it hade early electronic struts. Good car and could click off a high 13, low 14 second quarter mile.
THIS IS THE HOOVIE HOOPTIE VIDEO I NEED. Dear lord.. i just got my christma gift.. tyler thank you😂
I have the same exact car in blue. It has been by far the best car I've ever owned. Reliable thanks the the 3800 and being supercharged, it's faster than it has any place being.
Cars like this and the older gen Park Avenues, Lincolns, and Caddy’s are very special to kids who grew up in the 80s and 90s. My grandfather bought Buick’s and my uncle only purchased Town Cars. What a time in history. I remember feeling so special in those cars.
This is my favorite type of video you produce because it showcases cars that I can actually afford and can see myself fixing up and driving. Thanks, Tyler!
The old buicks and the panther platform cars are granny cars, sure, but they are also very good cars. A good, reliable, comfortable, cheap, and cheap to fix car, a car you could probably even do a lot of the work on yourself, why would someone not want that?
I also happen to think that the Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car are all very nice looking cars.
Cause they're big and boring.
@@MarkLRandall Big is good. Any car can be boring if you drive it boring.
Going fast in a slow car is more exciting than going fast in a fast car.
@@MarkLRandall I can do things in my Grand Marquis that would make you shit your pants.
Those Panther platform Ford / Merc / Linc cars are superb and the last of their kind. Simple, robust body on frame luxury, cheap and easy to fix. What more could you want? Also decent on gas and no supercharger to stress out the engine. 400-500k miles are common these engines.
I would rather have a Chevy Caprice with the same 3.8L V6 than that dull looking Buick. Sorry.
And it's not just because the Caprice is RWD but the facelift models had a 6 speed auto. No dull 4 speed auto to deal with. And the Caprice looks a million times better than the Park Avenue.
You can have a good engine but a transmission with long and spaced out gears is what ruins the appeal as well as the exterior design. The LaCrosse looks better imo.
And like OP said, the Panther platform cars are better.
The 3800 was such a great engine, besides the plastic coolant elbow and VCG leak, they really didn’t have any issues
The Buick Lacrosse and Lucerne were still very much comfort oriented. That being said, I think my dads Lucerne is probably the fastest car I have ever driven.
Was the Lucerne a V6 like mine or did it have the Northstar V8?
@@digitalrailroader Actually just the V6.
@@happilyham6769 very nice; nowadays 197HP might not seem a lot, but it’s the 227 Ft-Lbs of torque down low that makes it quick!
what have you been driving that a v6 lucerne is the fastest car youve driven
1979 VW Bug@@thelastmemphian
Best video yet- love me some 90’s GM floofmobiles- got my first and second ticket in a Buick roadmaster wagon, spent the majority of my high school days driving a Buick century, still own a 2005 GTO- long live reliable decent built GM cars!
My Dad went from a LeSabre to a Park Avenue Ultra. The Ultra was super dreamy and had the little extras that a mere Park Ave didn't have (rear seat headrests and of course the dual exhaust tips.) He decided to move to a Lucerne CXL and my older brother took over the PA Ultra for another 10 years. These cars were amazing cruisers. I once drove the Lucerne from Toronto to Florida and back and could believe how it sipped fuel. The Lucerne got traded on a Tesla Model Y. Interesting to compare the interiors - with the Tesla you get the feeling that it is waiting for the dashboard to get installed.
Hoovie is the type of guy that buys a regular Buick and fims it next to his Ferrari. 😂 Love it! So down to earth and practical!
I love your cheap car videos because I relate to them much better than the exotics. However I'm an anomaly, and being that I make videos about cheap cars too, I definitely feel the pain of no one watching. It also doesn't help that I'm neither funny nor interesting.
You post, I watch, I enjoy. It’s not about the content of the videos, a lot of us watch your videos because of you, not only the cars. The topics are all interesting for a true petrolhead.
Yes... But if this was your job... This is the equivalent of him making half salary.... You might click and view, but clearly not enough if it cuts his pay in half. And you don't want to sell sponsorship spots on videos that don't perform well so it's a double whammy. You don't make UA-cam ad revenue, and you don't make sponsor Revenue. Not everyone can cut their salary in half or a quarter, just for fun. Weird to me how people think metrics don't matter. It's literally his pay for the week or whatever. You're all rich with other people's money, then, when it's your own money, now, you understand being underpaid.
I’ve been dealing classic cars since 1999, over 2,000 so far, and one of my dailies is a 55K mile 2002 Buick Le Sabre. Totally underappreciated, bullet-proof and quiete economical rides.
I have a 2002 Buick LeSabre also with only 106,000 mi on it and what you said is very true. And I love the car and its reliability I've had many other cars but I truly love that car don't drive it very much but I love it. I also love my 2001 Dodge Ram Cummins 2500. It's funny nobody asks if my Buick is for sale but I get somebody that comes to my door almost every month and asks if my Cummins is for sale, which I lightly chuckle and respectfully decline.
I.ve owned a lot of sought after cars, from a BMW 2002tii, an MGB, a Mk1 Rabbit GTI, BMW E92 3-series, and 3 MkV-Mk7 GTIs, and one car I've kept through it all is my 1996 Buick Roadmaster LT1. Unless you've experienced 90's-2000's Buick, I don't think you can comprehend how luxurious and comfortable these cars are. They are utterly brilliant
Well said. I agree very much so as I still have my 2002 Buick LeSabre 3800 106000 miles. My other bulletproof car that I will probably never sell is my 2001 Dodge Ram Cummins 2500 210000 miles. And you could shoot the Cummins engine and it would still probably keep going and just laugh.
Thank you for giving your subscribers what they want and not just playing to the algorithm. That's what makes you better than Doug
also doug is unbearably annoying to listen to
WAY BETTER🏼
That all sounds good, but he has to play to the algorithm. This is how he makes his living.
@@laytonwhiphe already made his living he got like $40 million from cars and bids
I like all your videos! You’re awesome
My youngest brother, a certified millennial, had that exact Buick in black. Every single time he flew away on business the battery would be dead AF when he got home. New battery, old battery, didn’t matter.
sounds like a skill issue
Gotta love GM and their current leaks.
Seems like an electrical failt one might want to inspect further
Can happen to any car... Something was staying on and draining the battery slowly.
The easiest to overlook is a glove box lamp that broke away from it's holder and never shuts off. Takes a few days to drain the battery to the point the car won't start, and will drain it to stone dead given enough time.
Buick dealership claimed it was the Onstar system and said they could not or would not disconnect it. My brother was a pro-hockey player, not an electrical engineer. He bought a Toyota and never had another issue.
That beginning voiceover sequence was both smart and hilarious! Legend has it, the camera crew is STILL soaking wet after 1:07 😅 sorry Jake.
Could hear that in Jeremy Clarksons voice 😂
Some say he downshifts in reverse and that he smells like the color orange. All we know is, he's called The Jake.
For me dude I don't watch the big fancy videos with the Lambos and the Mercedes and all that junk give me stuff like this. Happy to watch this
Love these videos. My opinion is that people just avoid a video or two after a bmw, Bentley, or high end car. Those are tiresome, and I "nope out" on those.
THESE are the Hoovie videos we want. Thank you!
I like to see complete stories on cars - Looking for one, buying one, fixing it, running it and then selling it (or keeping it and maintaining it). I do love to see Hoovie buying cars but kinda (ish) liked it when he had to Wheel & Deal to move up. In any case, I'm a big fan of all his stuff and I'm watching it!
Love your videos Hoovie. And love the Park Avenue Ultra but it should be said that boosted engines generally have shorter lifespans. Also the Lincoln Town Car engine is under-stressed and is legendary for its longevity. Probably slightly less good on gas than the Park Avenue but owners claim high 20s pretty routinely.
There are many supercharged 3800’s with hundreds of thousands of miles. Regular oil changes and they go forever
@@derekfelber743 good to know. Sounds like they are both wonderful cars.
@@sprezzatura8755 biggest killer to the 3800 is the lower intake manifold gaskets. Gm upgraded them to a metal version instead of plastic and they make it much better. One of my cars has a motor i swapped in that had 232k miles on it. Runs great and you would never know it has that kind of mileage on it
After the wizard recommended the 3800 several years ago, I got a 1998 olds 88. Except for a rusty subframe replacement and a hydrolock scare, it's been terrific. The garden variety 88LS w/o the supercharger needs revs to make hill climb power but you just downshift into 3rd. 15 mpg around town is a bit thirsty in the hilly NE, and I get 24-27 hiway here. Next time, it's a supercharged Buick; the Olds' A/C vents are exasperatingly low, so your hands on the wheel block the fan flow. But all in all, it's great.
Love those Ultras! I did have a 2005 Grand Marquis that got 27 mpg on a trip with no changes other than a K&N air filter. They’re not as bad on gas as people think. Certainly as good as most older SUV’s & minivans.
I'm exhausted with vehicle reviews and lifestyles I'll never afford. If I see one more review of a Porsche 911 GT3, my eyes are going to permanently remain rolled up in the back of my head. I've since stopped watching most car reviews. You got a click from me on this one.
My dad bought a Bonneville with the 3800 early this year and the tranny is already slipping during the 1-2 shift at 130k. It shifts ultra hard to compensate sometimes. We'll be putting a shift kit in it. Typical problem for a 4T65E. Something to watch out for with these. The 4T45E in his 05 malibu was having similar issues. Rust around subframe mounts and rockers (especially in the rear) is a common problem even for well-taken-care-of examples. Subframe bushings on this car are fucked as well. Why the hell would a car even have subframe bushings..... These V6s love to start shaking their harmonic balancers early on, which both his 05 LX9 malibu and this are doing. You'll see and hear the crank pulley bouncing. Other than that it's pretty nice. Road noise is surprisingly low. Still overall infinitely better than my nightmare of an E46 I had with similar low mileage.
UPDATE: THIS CAR IS NOW TOTALED AFTER SUFFERING A FIERY EXPLOSION due to a faulty fuel pressure regulator. To anyone on here considering a Buick 3800 equipped car, specifically an N/A one: MAKE SURE IT HAS AN UPDATED FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR. My father's '01 Bonneville suffered a fiery explosion earlier this year due to a faulty fuel pressure regulator that GM claimed was improved for the 2001 model year. Turns out that was a lie. The car was totaled. Upon researching the issue, there are thousands of cases, and even a recall, which DID NOT cover cars after the 2000 model year, even though it obviously wasn't fixed on the newer cars. Even a famous video of a 3800 impala blowing up in the exact same way at a shop after an oil change. So if you've got a N/A 3800 car from 2000 or earlier, make sure its had the recall done. If you have a 2001 or later, you'll have to do the job yourself or somehow verify its already been done without a recall sticker.
Hoovie, don't listen to your wallet, we love these videos 😂. Fr though this is the classic stuff we want. Views will probably pick up now that its around lunch time
I really like that Buick. The other cars are impractical to me and my situation
My grandmother had a Park Avenue from the mid nineties. Riding with her was exciting because like Mr. Magoo she wouldn’t wear her glasses. 😅
Bought a 2000 Ultra because of your old Ultra! Unfortunately, if that is a 2005, someone swapped out the one year only taillights :( I am surprised you've never gotten a Lucerne Super
I will watch the F**K out of more throwback hooptie videos. DO IT.
I saw the original title/ thumbnail to this video and then was disappointed by the rather childish changes to both later in the day. While it seems most of these UA-cam enterprises are driven by clicks, please try and refrain from sounding so desperate and needy?
Hoovie broke the golden rule of all shops AGAIN. Roll the gosh darn window down when you enter a shop! It stays down until it leaves the shop. Love you, kthxbye
I daily drive a 2004 Escalade ESV (the Suburban length version). It has been wrecked, rebuilt, had a remanufactured transmission installed, and uses a quart of oil every... frequently. All the oil leaks have been fixed and it is dry underneath. It has traveled 372,000 miles and shows no signs of giving up. I just took it to Detroit (an amazing and necessary pilgrimage for any car guy). I'd jump in and drive it to the east or west coast tomorrow. We purchased it in 2020 for $4000
Hoovie is the kind of guy who doesn't shill for electric cars.
You are the kind of person who has to post Doug DeMuro style posts on a Hoovie's Garage video...
@@Flies2FLL
Looks like it
He likes EVs though. Not really sure where this is coming from.
how many does hoovie have in his collection? didn't he say they were as disposible as cell phones?@@FSAPOJake
Even though he cries like a wuss when a Republican newsmedia picked up his video to criticize the new garbage Ford electric pickup truck? stay at Cadillacs Paulie its for better 😂😂
Tyler, you were never a broke Millennial. You were never a broke anything. Ever.
Just because his parents were wealthy doesn't mean he was.
Broke doesn't mean the same thing to everybody. Having $100K in your bank account is broke to one as having $5.62 is to another.
drove to florida from maryland in a park avenue when i was a kid....its like traveling in a cloud
Tyler, glad to see you reapproaching your roots; but $5500 for that Buick and its needs is neither cheap nor well bought…it may have been the right money to pay the little old lady though so good on you for that.
Buick has normally been reliable, but damn... Just look at it.
Ah, poor Jake. You know part of it might be the fear that such a cheap car is cheap for a reason, because otherwise you'd buy this for the same reason you'd buy an Impala, a comfortable 4 door family hauler that isn't a massive SUV. It certainly feels like Hoovie has been championing these as long as I've watched the channel Not counting Jake's I think I can recall like 3 of them.
My best friend in high school had a second gen Yukon Denali and it was fantastic. Super comfortable, relatively reliable, and more than large enough for any task. It was a great truck.
7:02 - I am so hear for the Killer Instinct reference! (ultraaaaa combooooooooo)
Seriously, these are three great budget buys. You could also get the HUD in Pontiac Grand Prix GTP (supercharged 3800) or GXP trim (w/5.3 v8). Both very underrated dailies, I think.
Loved the nod to the Top Gear! The voice over and camera work was spot on.
Hoovie, to be honest, I watch all of your videos but I’ve been losing interest. I dunno what happened to you. It has nothing to do with the cars you buy. It’s more of the reason I come to UA-cam. My Dad left my Mom and my brothers and I for another woman. Just walked away from us. As a kid I remember feeling I did something wrong. When you said in an earlier video that you met your new lady basically a year before everything hit the fan with your ex lady. It made me remember how I felt when my Dad basically started a whole new life with someone else. We weren’t sufficient or satisfactory to him. TBH I’m cool with people sleeping around but you go back home and be a daily figure in your kids lives, and you go back home and make sure your wife has no struggles and make the tough decisions with her when you have kids with someone, sleeping around is not the biggest issue, I remember later in life my Mom telling me that it wasn’t my dad sleeping around that made her mad, it was that she wasn’t supposed to be left to raise kids and live the rest of her life by herself, they both took vows to be together forever, she felt like she delivered on every front and was a good wife only to be tossed aside by a new younger prettier thing, it can be quite dehumanizing, it just doesn’t sit right when a family breaks up like that and when it sounds like your “new” adventure was actually someone you were with way prior you met her at previous barret Jackson events. I do NOT claim to know what happened but the pieces you left us with really didn’t leave me with the best view of you. You shouldn’t care what I think, I’m just saying that you were this goofy UA-camr that made goofy videos and did cute like Christmas videos with your happy wife and kids and you seemed like the person from humble beginnings and now you’ve lost interest in your humble beginnings and left not just your viewers behind but you’ve also from what you’ve left us with, you’ve left your family behind too for a prettier shinier newer thing. It makes me quite sad even writing this. The dehumanizing I felt as a kid, what did I do wrong, why is Dad leaving? You feel like discarded used up waste, he loved us when we were babies, but now that we are older, he doesn’t like us. It’s like we were old food, or whatever, we weren’t worth re-heating and ended up in the trash.
bro just stop
@titusbyzantine4949 yeah is this guy being fr 😭 it had to take bro 20 minutes to write that shi
His ex cheated on him
My brother in Christ go to therapy
I think it's simply the time of day and the time of the year for viewership. As far as the 3800? I joke that I've sold more of those than GM built. Anytime anyone would ask me, "What used car should I buy" I'd immediately answer "The 3800 that is taken care of and in your price range". Heck, I still own one even though I seldom drive it, it's always willing whenever I ask. ~ Chuck
I worked at 2 different Buick dealerships the owner drove a white Ultra Park Avenue. And my grandfather's last car was a Pearl white loaded Ultra.
Honestly, I started watching good morning youtube more and paying less attention to this channel. Now that I'm actually seeing this video, I love where this is going. I understand the super cars are cool but after a while I just stopped paying attention to hoovies garage because supercars get kinda boring after a while. I love this video!
My first car was a 2001 Park Avenue i bought 8 and a half years ago. Plenty of get up and go, surprising many people at the lights. Leather bench seat, ridiculously smooth ride and that heads up display. I genuinely loved that car and i think about it so often. I always will. They are just special.