What to do with Grandma's 99 Lesabre (paint content)

Short Story: Grandma moved from Arizona to VA, dad had her 1999 Buick Lesabre shipped out here and its sitting in his driveway. He said it may need a paintjob. I figured it might just need a good polish to bring it back...

Oh boy.

Hard to see with the lighting in the pics but clearcoat on all horizontal surfaces is completely gone. Many touch ups with white spray paint. Cracking paint all over the bumper covers under the spray paint.

I think the ultimate plan depends on what is going to happen to the car. I dont think Grandma is going to drive much anymore.

Plan A: My youngest brother may have himself a 1999 Buick Lesabre soon, his first car. Car only has 60k miles on it and apparently drives well, everything works, etc. I figure it would be fairly bulletproof for him. If the plan is for him to keep it for several years, I am thinking this is a good candidate to practice spraying some John deere blitz black and I can subject my brother to helping me do prep work. Might be fun. Might be awesome. Not expensive.

Plan B: Sell it soon. Fix the broken taillights, polish up the headlights, get it VA Safety inspected and sell as is, no paint work.

I am pretty sure if we are just going to sell it off soon, its NOT worth getting a respray. Am I wrong about that? I see a E36 M3load of prep work that if not done right would just make a respray terrible. And even with low miles I dont see 99 lesabres listed for much moneys so I am not even sure its worth the effort.

I vote Plan A. But open to suggestions.

I vote plan A. It's the kind of car I would keep as a dependable means of transport, aka beater.

Ruined paint means he doesn't have to spend time taking care of the paint, right? Doesn't have to care about minor scratches? Sounds like a great beater.

Sounds to me like a perfect first car.

Fix the lights and call the rest patina.

Go with plan A, except change the Blitz Black to your brother's favorite shade of plastidip.

Yeah, fix what it needs to pass inspection, rust proof whatever needs to be, and call it a day. No first car needs to be a prize pig as it were.

plasti-dip color chart a buick needs boat camo

Either A, or DIY bodywork and wait for the Maaco $299 sale.

I too would keep iy with that low of miles if it runs good, you'll never get much for it bc no one goes I really want a 99 lesabre, they will just see the paint and lowball you on it. I'd drive it into the ground

White Plasti-Dip,fix the broken parts so it will pass inspection, here's your car.

Let your brother worry about how he wants to bling it out..

If you decide to go with plastidip, have a look at the glossifier. This lets you have a shiny dip job. Some advocate normal clear over dip, but that just seems to make peeling harder.

That said, I like plan A.

I wouldn't go with black over a white paint job. I would plastidip it back to it's Moby Dick glory.

I agree. Fix the lights and DYI tractor enamel or MAACO.

The GM 3.8 will run 300-400K if you take care of it. Even if a teenager beats on it.

TIGMOTORSPORTS wrote: The GM 3.8 will run 300-400K if you take care of it. Even if a teenager beats on it.

This, I had some friends ( twins) with a Buick with over 200k miles on a 3.8. Their older brother and sister used it, it had been in 5 accidents, was rusting from 15 Wisconsin winters, half the paint fell off, it was covered in stickers, was beat on and everything. Half the car was worn out and dying fast, but the engine ran beautifully.

Personally I think blitz black looks worse than a peeling original paint job. I'd leave it as is.

Thanks for the validation and/or input.

It sounds like keeping the car may be contingent on if my brother actually gets his license this summer (he is 21). He's not much of a car guy obviously so I think any ideas (paintwise) beyond getting it through inspection would be up to him.

I think my 'rents would LOVE it if he would be able to drive himself back and forth from college with a massive sedan to carry all his stuff. Wasn't there discussion about tubas in cars around here lately? He plays the tuba in the marching band. Haha.

Application of roughly 1000 grm bumper stickers should fix it right up.

Just get one of these bumper stickers:

and the cruddy paint will become a humorous 'feature'

I like the plastidip battleship paint idea

Probably time to replace the upper intake manifold and lower intake manifold gaskets.

You could roll on white boat/tractor paint pretty cheap.

It's now a beater, so caring about the paint should be a low priority. Remedying the paint situation should be done at a very low cost if at all.

I'd make sure it's mechanically perfect and then run it until it starts costing too much to do so. I'm sure it will serve as fairly reliable transportation for a few years.

Yeah, fix the broken stuff and drive it. The bumpers look like the worst of it. Maybe pull them off and paint them alone?

A 21 year old who needs mommy to drive him to school? Sounds like in addition to a 99 Buick LaSabre, he also needs a swift kick in the nuts.