We're looking for a college beater for loved one. Just heard about people we know offering this for sale (moving out of state). I'm told engine runs fine. I'll talk to owner about trans. Is this something to stay away from? Asking price is $1900.
1994 Buick Century, 100k miles?
- Thread starter paulri
- Start date
- Joined
- May 16, 2022
- Messages
- 849
I purchased a a 94 V6 Century used 20 years ago from a family member for $650 ( Great Deals in family price paid ) , it was old lady owned, I put about 30K miles with zero issue. I had a buddy with a need of a good car so I sold the car to him for the same $650, he put 100K on the car and did nothing but oil changes, plugs and had a heater hose problem and need brakes once but was a great car until it simply got too old.
That was all 15 +/- years ago. The Buick was a GREAT car but its 2025 so how trustworthy can a 31 year old car now be?
That was all 15 +/- years ago. The Buick was a GREAT car but its 2025 so how trustworthy can a 31 year old car now be?
OBD1, 30 years old, 4T60E....Likely a 3.1L.
Most shops don't mess with pre OBD2 vehicles & some do a rolling 25 year cut off.
Most shops don't mess with pre OBD2 vehicles & some do a rolling 25 year cut off.
Yeah that's the main issue. Also, safety. It has an airbag and should have ABS, but the design is basically the X-car with a design that dates back to the 70's
- Joined
- May 16, 2022
- Messages
- 849
Just another thought, being a college beater, having a daughter in college and a son last year in High School I have been down the "dad I need a car road"
Me being "dad" and older and I guess out of touch, I had no idea to a teen the #1 need when it comes to a car is will it connect to a iPhone or Android, GPS this and that as you know that KID is NOT gonna use a printed map and my State just passed a law last month that you can't even pick up a cell phone when driving so If you could find something with bluetooth connection that college age driver would perhaps thank you? Hard to do on a budget, I know, trust me!
Me being "dad" and older and I guess out of touch, I had no idea to a teen the #1 need when it comes to a car is will it connect to a iPhone or Android, GPS this and that as you know that KID is NOT gonna use a printed map and my State just passed a law last month that you can't even pick up a cell phone when driving so If you could find something with bluetooth connection that college age driver would perhaps thank you? Hard to do on a budget, I know, trust me!
Probably has the 3.1 engine. I would buy it if the body is good. By now, the troublesome items have been taken care of. I would make sure there are no symptoms of intake gasket leaking coolant and the transmission is in good shape. Generally on a used car, I expect to do a brake job and a battery. At $1900, if you can get two years out of it, you got your moneys worth.
I always liked the this generation of Buick Century, Chevy Celebrity, Olds Cutlas Ciera, Pontiac 6000. And I knew plenty of folks who had them back in the day and these cars were decent. But that was back in the day when there was a warranty and parts availability etc.
However, it's a 31 year old vehicle. It really needs to be checked out before buying. And if purchased, it needs to be checked out again and driven for a while and gone through before just giving it to a college student. If I were to buy a car for my college student, I'd want to own it for a few months before handing over the keys. I mean, if college students is far away from home and father to call when something goes wrong, they are at the mercy of the local mechanic. If the student is local, well, that's different!
This would be more of a car for me to play with before I'd give it to someone else.
I'd even be leery of a 31 year old low mileage Accord or Camry at this point. And the Accord & Camry weren't good cars back in the day like the Century, they were great cars compared to the Century. But, 31 years old?
However, it's a 31 year old vehicle. It really needs to be checked out before buying. And if purchased, it needs to be checked out again and driven for a while and gone through before just giving it to a college student. If I were to buy a car for my college student, I'd want to own it for a few months before handing over the keys. I mean, if college students is far away from home and father to call when something goes wrong, they are at the mercy of the local mechanic. If the student is local, well, that's different!
This would be more of a car for me to play with before I'd give it to someone else.
I'd even be leery of a 31 year old low mileage Accord or Camry at this point. And the Accord & Camry weren't good cars back in the day like the Century, they were great cars compared to the Century. But, 31 years old?
Buy it before someone else does!
Yes, we only need it for next fall (fall 2026). My original plan was to buy something next spring, and drive it for a few months, but this deal does look pretty enticing. I'll have a few extra months to drive it around.
^^Good question. Sis sold her vehicle to a girl going to a college 300 miles away.
That, and trips home, is all she did with it.
Again, it's hard to engineer a "pretty reliable car". I'd say to check it out.
A neighbor had a '93 3800 Buick he left by a barn. It fired up and I hung a FOR SALE sign in it.
If they have been using it, and maintaining it in the recent years, its probably pretty good. If it hasn't "needed anything" for the last 10 years and sat a lot, it might need lots of things soon. When you look at it, give it a good stress test, and get the car warmed up and let it get a good heatsoak going, IIRC, some of these had electronics that intermittently failed with higher temps? Get it checked over, preferably by a mechanic that's seen one of these before.
It's easy to spend other people money, but it might be better to spend a bit more and get something 10-15 years newer, if they need the car regularly, or at all to go to classes.
I did one year of college needing a car daily, and the years without one, were better.
It's easy to spend other people money, but it might be better to spend a bit more and get something 10-15 years newer, if they need the car regularly, or at all to go to classes.
I did one year of college needing a car daily, and the years without one, were better.
For myself, I might jump, for someone going off to college, I might not. The aforementioned ODBI concerns, and the fact that it's just plain old. Around town needs, maybe, long distance driving, not so sure--those are gentle miles but getting it back up to snuff so as to trust it might be costly.
I might be thinking of my college career: it was 3 hours for me to go home. Wife had a 6 hour drive. Our daughter is currently about 5 hours from home. Lots of miles, some of it where the exits have long distances between them, and even now, still don't have cell coverage (maybe that's finally changed).
I might be thinking of my college career: it was 3 hours for me to go home. Wife had a 6 hour drive. Our daughter is currently about 5 hours from home. Lots of miles, some of it where the exits have long distances between them, and even now, still don't have cell coverage (maybe that's finally changed).
Well took it for a test drive. I think we'll pass. It is leaking freon, and AC isn't great (not horrible, but not very cold at all), and you can't see what gear you are in because the display that shows the gear, is blurred/scratched. And its 31 years old.
I still think it would be a very good deal for someone who is going to drive it locally, and especially if they are a mechanic. But I don't want to send this car several hundred miles away to a loved one in college.
I still think it would be a very good deal for someone who is going to drive it locally, and especially if they are a mechanic. But I don't want to send this car several hundred miles away to a loved one in college.
Probably a wise decision.
- Joined
- May 16, 2022
- Messages
- 849
Those Buicks were great used cars to buy but perhaps at 10 or 15+/- year used not 31? EZ to work for the most part but seldom failed. I liked and owned the Century with the 3.1 and it was smooth engine but IMO unrefined. I also owned a 93 and a 94 Buick Regal with the 3.8, I loved that 3.8 as it would pull you back in the seat and was fun to drive but I never owned a Buick I didn't like!
I'm thinking that is one of those GM cars where the compressor is famous for leaking at the shaft seal and compressor clamshell. Actually a pretty easy and inexpensive fix.
