This car burned to the ground

My first car was this 1989 Buick LeSabre Limited. It was my dad's car until I turned 16, when he gave it to me (he liked it so much that he bought another one after that, a 1995). When I got the car it had 110,000 miles on it. It was in good condition, and had never really had any problems until it was in my hands, and later my brother's. But thats what happens when two 16-year old boys get a car. When I had it, it was in the shop about 4 times a year, every time there was something else that needed fixing- $400 here, $600 there, it was a money pit.

It wouldn't be right for me to assume that all 89 LeSabres are like this, because I drove it for 2 years starting when I was 16, then my brother had it for a year after that when he turned 16, and he had to take it in the shop about as much as I did.

Throughout the time I had it, I had to replace all but one of the engine mounts, fix the radiator, and have various engine work and later transmission work done.

To be fair, the car had the most spacious and comfortable interior of almost any car I've ever been in. There was plenty of leg room in the front and back, and there were times I fit as many as 8 people in it ditching school. The trunk was also enormous.

One day when my brother was driving it, the car just shut down- the engine, power steering, electrical systems, everything. He pulled it off to a nearby street, and walked home about 1/2 of a mile. When he went back with my mom to try and jump the car, a fire engine was there dousing it with water. Something in the engine compartment ignited and the whole thing went up in flames. It was a total loss.

So, if you're looking to buy an 89 LeSabre, I would definitely have a mechanic do a full inspection of everything before you go any further. We replaced so much of the car piece by piece that we always used to joke around that it was a "new car".