Down For Repairs

Over the past couple of weeks I have gotten all dirty, greasy, grimy and sweaty countless times working on the '79 Buick and I have not minded one bit. There is something uniquely satisfiying about wrenching and working on a old car or any car for that matter.

My wife does'nt understand. I cannot fault her for that. She should not have to and I do not expect her to.

Not to sound sexist, and I apoligize if this does, but wrenching, taking apart and restoring an old car is a "guy thing" , It is manly work at it's best. It is a slow quiet conversation to mutual understanding between man and machine.

Categories: The Car

Description: 1979 Buick LeSabre Turbo Sport Coupe ... one of 3,582 made that year ... but this one has the factory optional 4 wheel disc brakes! It's only the second one I've seen with this option though there are unconfirmed rumors that there were only between 13 and 15 of this model made with 4 wheel disc brakes that year which makes it special!

This vehicle was a one owner car and now that it is in my possession a 2 owner car, a gift from my brother in law, and is currently under repair / restoration. Photos below.

This engine in this car is most known as the "Grand National" engine and, in it's day, cold beat the V-8 model in the quarter mile quite handily! See Chart:

Acceleration (mph)	LeSabre 350 V8 (sec)	LeSabre Turbo V6 (sec)
0-30	3.5	3.6
0-40	5.2	5.2
0-50	7.7	7.2
0-60	11.0	10.0
0-90	28.5	26.0
Quarter Mile	18.2 @ 76 mph	18.2 @ 79 mph
Results read from graphs published in Road & Track, 2/78

Hemmings published a great article on this very car in July of 2004! ... Click here to read article.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Ansel Adams, the renowned photographer known for the black and white images he took, used a technique he called "the Zone". His technique was to carefully study a scene, visualize the final print, then determine the correspondence between portions of the scene and tones in the print. His basic rule #1 was "Expose for the shadows; develop for the highlights."

Fly fishing also has a zone. In fact with a few slight modifications one could follow Ansel Adams technique and apply it towards ones fishing. Study the River, Visualize the environs where trout are likely to hold, determine the proper correspondence between the angler and the target. As a very basic rule, cast into the shadows and hope for some highlights.

Fishing was good Memorial weekend. After completing a lengthy wade one morning I waited atop a rise under the shade of an ancient cedar just off the bank of the South Branch for my fishing companion to join me. Having my camera handy, and feeling somewhat inspired, in the Zone and rather Ansel Adams-ish I snapped some pics which I present here.

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