JANUARY 2025: THIS 1985 BUICK LESABRE IS A FAMILY HEIRLOOM WITH A SECRET

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Neil Strembiski is the proud owner of an unusual family heirloom, namely a 1985 Buick LeSabre 4-door sedan.

The ’85 Buick was also kept in a garage and not exposed to winters during its time with Neil’s parents. Eventually Neil’s mother became the Buick’s owner, and it was still only gently used under her watch.

Neil wanted to keep the car in the family when he got the Buick but decided to add his own touches to the car.

A little Buick history is in order at this point. 1985 marked the end of an era because it was the last year a Buick LeSabre was a large car with rear wheel drive. In 1986, Buick’s LeSabre model would shrink in the wash and become a front-wheel drive car with a V-6 engine because many domestic cars got smaller bodies and engines to compete with foreign cars during the back nine of the 1980s.

As mentioned, Neil wanted to put his own stamp on his ’85 LeSabre, but he also wanted to avoid erasing its history.

Neil concentrated on a major power upgrade in his Buick when he swapped out its factory small block V-8 for a 403 cubic inch engine donated by a 1977 Oldsmobile. The 403 Olds donor engine was still a small block, but it was a solid candidate to get better performance with Neil’s game plan.

The tweaks included an aftermarket EFI system that replaced the engine’s original carb and helped boost the 403’s horsepower. Neil told MyStarCollectorCar he also added a livelier cam to get more performance out of the Olds 403, along with a dual exhaust system to help it breathe even better after the EFI conversion.

Neil decided to stick with the ’85 Buick’s factory 200 4-R automatic transmission because the GM overdrive transmission had a long history of reliability and could handle the engine swap to a higher output engine. Neil also made sure the factory transmission was ready for the horsepower boost.

The net result of Neil’s engine swap was a vintage 403 cubic inch Olds engine that now produces over 400 horsepower, basically a one-to-one ratio in the cubic inch displacement/horsepower department.

The Buick LeSabre’s family secret is now hidden under its hood because Neil built a real sleeper. He wanted the Buick to retain its factory roots in every other way, including its exterior and interior components because they are still in excellent condition.

A 1985 Buick 4-door sedan is an unlikely candidate for a major performance boost, but Neil knew his LeSabre’s new engine would ambush people on the road, while still retaining its luxury car ride and family heritage along the way. Mission accomplished in this department.

BY: Jim Sutherland

Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section. 

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