Talk:Buick Century

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The 2003 picture, I'm afraid, is a LeSabre, not a Century. Compare to the vehicle in the 2003 Century review in the External Links section. It's admittedly not much of a tribute to Buick styling of late years that such a mistake can be made. RivGuySC 03:31, 12 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Dang, you got me! Yum, crow... --SFoskett 13:23, Apr 12, 2005 (UTC)

Is it possible to provide engine options for the '30s, '50s, & '70s Cents? Trekphiler 03:29, 25 November 2005 (UTC)

1936 Century

The latest edit has added some very good information on the first Century. However, I think the article is now overbalanced to that one year, at the expense of the rest of the models. Also, are we sure that Mr. Breeze would be OK with his writing being used here? (The edit was by an IP address.) Some pruning, at least, is probably in order. RivGuySC 03:01, 11 November 2005 (UTC)

Was this published elsewhere? If so, it more than likely is copyrighted material, and should be removed. Owen× ☎ 03:40, 11 November 2005 (UTC)

I'm inclined to delete the cost of the fender-mount spares as unnecessary. Comment? Also, are there no public domain photos? No rodder or customizer with a '36 Cent that can upload a good one? Trekphiler 03:05, 25 November 2005 (UTC)

"Centuries produced between 1936 and 1942 were powered by the 320-cubic-inch producing 165 hp"

While the prewar Century was always powered by Buick's larger 320-cubic-inch eight, the power levels increased several times in the period. In 1936 it produced 120 hp, in 1937 130 hp (carburetion improvements, I think), from 1938-40 141 hp (thanks to domed pistons), and in 1941-42 the "Compound Carburetion" version (two two-barrel carburetors with a progressive linkage that made them work like a four-barrel unit) got to 165 hp. Compound carburetion was finicky to tune and Buick was beginning to tread on Cadillac's toes (partly because the big Buick Limiteds were encroaching on Cadillac's markets, and also because the Cadillac V-8 in this period was rated at 150 hp), so after the war it was gone and the 320 (in Roadmasters only after the Century and Limited were not resumed) was back to a single two-barrel carburetor and a 144 hp rating.

This information exists in many sources, "The Standard Catalog of Buick" would be one I can think of off hand. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 204.50.172.132 (talk) 15:46, 20 March 2018 (UTC)

Updates, 1936-1958

I have attempted to update the 1936-1942 and 1954-1958 Century narratives. In doing so I have removed a great deal information regarding wood framing, doors, spare tire options, etc. I also reworked the intro paragraph. I'd like to see this article streamlined and sourced, and I think these changes are agood first step. Stude62 14:47, 7 February 2006 (UTC)

Fourth Generation Engine Discrepency

The side bar infobox for the fourth generation shows for enging type only the LH0 T-code for production models 1997-2005. The linked section states that engine ceased production 1996, and doesn't list the Centuryas a model it was used in. Scrolling down to the section for the LG8 "J-code" engine, it states use in 1999-2005 Buick Century. Something I noticed while looking up info on my car. Can someone more knowledgeable on the topic confirm which is right? --Reverend Loki (talk) 19:52, 6 August 2008 (UTC)

Suggest this sentence is removed

Since the Century was sold in Asia, it should not be confused with the Japanese-market Toyota Century. It doesn't add anything to the article --Tundu (talk) 12:21, 12 February 2009 (UTC)

82-96

It would be interesting to know if the requirement for 1997 for dual front airbags forced GM to finally produce a new Century after 15 years of only fairly minor cosmetic alterations. They'd used the exact same dash from 1982, only changing the instrument cluster partway through 1994. To fit a front passenger airbag would have required designing pretty much an entirely new dash and HVAC system. The dash always had the issue of a ridiculously tiny glovebox (living up to the name by being barely large enough for a couple pairs of gloves) behind a quite large glovebox door. Bizzybody (talk) 08:59, 6 December 2010 (UTC)

Merger proposal

All of the GM FWD A-body cars except the Buick Century lasted one generation. This would clearly reduce redundancy by merging, and since the Century was the only one built longer than one generation, they should all be merged here. Jgera5 (talk) 16:54, 12 January 2012 (UTC)

• Strong oppose. This article covers a wide time period. Burying the information on the three other '82-'96 cars here will be immensely confusing for those looking for information on any one of the four, and it gives undue weight to the Buick by implying that it was the most notable/common of them. --Sable232 (talk) 01:07, 13 January 2012 (UTC)

• Oppose - I don't see how that would help anyone.  ⊂| Mr.choppers |⊃  (talk) 02:46, 13 January 2012 (UTC)

OK, would merging the three respective articles with Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera be a compromise? Either way, it's still badge-engineering. Jgera5 (talk) 14:04, 15 January 2012 (UTC)

• One person's opinion, but I don't think merging the three articles is such a good idea. Unlike many of the other badge-engineered cars, their production years were not identical with the Celebrity ending in 1990, the 6000 in 1991, and the Ciera in 1996. Additionally, there is already a GM A platform article; if the article gets merged anyplace, that should be the place because it doesn't "favor" any particular nameplate. But on the whole I don't think these articles should be merged; these cars had some significant differences from each other. ObtuseAngle (talk) 22:24, 15 January 2012 (UTC)

• Oppose - Mashing four distinct models (with varying features) together merely because they shared a chassis at one point in time is just, pardon the expression, an accident waiting to happen. And, as ObtuseAngle points out, would result in one section of an existing article suddenly ballooning in size three or four fold. IMHO, no further clarification or condensation is needed. JimScott (talk) 20:29, 24 February 2012 (UTC)

• Alternative - While I can appreciate a car "techie" wanting to be consistent regarding the chassis, I would better appreciate some reference within each car article citing the similarites of the specific models involved. In fact I came here looking to see if my 1994 Buick Century was a GM "twinned" car (see also Edmunds: http://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/twinned-vehicles-same-cars-different-brands.html#chart) for the sole purpose of working on mine. KyTourist (talk) 21:58, 3 March 2012 (UTC)

Comment You'll find that information in the "related" field of the infobox. IFCAR (talk) 01:44, 4 March 2012 (UTC)

• Alternative - If anything, they should be merged at Chevrolet Celebrity, precisely because it's a nameplate that lasted one generation and typically the Chevy version of any given GM car is better remembered than the other divisions. First choice would still be keeping things as they are, though. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.91.0.220 (talk) 13:24, 4 May 2012 (UTC)
• Oppose - Distinct models. They might have shared the same platform, but each GM division had their own set of interiors, layouts, options, prices, distribution networks and probably a lot more differences I can't think of. I should also point out that each one of these vehicles have extensive write-up and reviews from many car magazines, books and newspapers, all individually, thus all individually passing WP:GNG with flying colors. I don't ever recall a review of "GM's A platform cars." --Oakshade (talk) 04:05, 5 August 2012 (UTC)

Why so many edits and unedits?

I was trying to update the engine list/engine list in info box but the 60-degree v6 page and other A body cars have conflicting years for engines so I just reverted all my edits. Sorry for the inconvenience.74.218.82.179 (talk) 12:09, 10 July 2012 (UTC)

Yes, you can't depend on WP as a source. It could have been reverted more elegantly, but no one minds. Cheers,  Mr.choppers | ✎  16:16, 10 July 2012 (UTC)

A “ a mid-size car”?

I just came here after watching an episode of Kojak, and wondering at (what seemed to me) *huge* dimensions of the car he drove in a chase, and just how impractical it seemed for any sort of pursuit work, and indeed even for urban driving. It was a bit of a surprise to discover that the intro then talks about the Century as being a “a mid-size car”! Does “mid-size” mean something other than physical dimensions (engine capacity, for example)? If it is a physical size thing, then what was a small car, and what was a large? If “mid-size” is part of some recognized definition of car size, could such information be included in this or another article - that would be helpful. Jock123 (talk) 10:09, 29 October 2014 (UTC)

1973 Luxus Station Wagon

How Many Liters Were There in The 1973 Buick Century Luxus Station Wagon? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 184.91.215.160 (talk) 02:09, 15 March 2019 (UTC)

A 1973 Luxus station wagon was with a 350 V8 cubic inch displacement engine, which is 5.7 liters in Metric. Personally, owned a 73 Buick Century Luxus station Wagon. No 455 V8 c.i.d. were installed in wagons. 74.88.107.15 (talk) 08:22, 30 November 2023 (UTC)

Unsourced content

I have been consistently removing this section which claims the Buick Century was marketed a certain way, or was viewed a certain way, without any reliable sources.

Buick tried to position the Century as a lower-priced alternative to Japanese family sedans such as the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, since at a similar price point to the Japanese sedans' inline-4 cylinder trims, the Century offered a more powerful V6 engine, undercutting the Camry & Accord's V6 engine configurations by several thousand dollars. However, the Century failed to compete with them and was instead widely viewed as a car designed for an elderly target audience, an image not helped by the Century's assortment of senior citizen-friendly features such as extra-large dashboard buttons and an extremely soft suspension.

We should not have original research on this page. Other unsourced content is no reason to keep it here either. --Vossanova ^o< 15:52, 12 August 2019 (UTC)

It doesn't look too contentious from what I remember of the Buick Century when I used to visit the States in the 1990s, which I sense is the period that your paragraph writer has in mind. But in principal you are more than entitled to require a source, especially if there is stuff in it that you find questionable. Then again, you could make he same case for quite a lot of the paras in this entry. And in plenty of other entries.

Maybe there is someone reading this with a stack of old "Car and Driver" magazines in the loft including an article (or several articles) saying most the same same things about the Century. That - or maybe equivalent stuff already accessible online - could be added as a source to an appropriately adapted version of the para that troubles you. That's probably a more efficient use of people's time than going to war over the matter IM(H)O. Success Charles01 (talk) 16:37, 12 August 2019 (UTC)

Agreed the material is unsourced and would need a reference before it could stay in the article. Springee (talk) 17:52, 12 August 2019 (UTC)

I agree. The claims of being intended to compete with X, Y, or Z need some sort of sourcing. One can just as easily say "Buick tried to position the Century as a lower-priced alternative to the Regal." The rest of it is similarly bad - if it was "widely viewed" as that, then I'm sure there's no shortage of reputable publications with a host of remarks on that aspect so those need to be cited. --Sable232 (talk) 22:19, 12 August 2019 (UTC)

Wikipedia is no space for original research, thus the sentence definitely needs a reference. Otherwise it ought to be removed. --Johannes (Talk) (Contribs) (Articles) 06:57, 13 August 2019 (UTC)

Orphaned references in Buick Century

I check pages listed in Category:Pages with incorrect ref formatting to try to fix reference errors. One of the things I do is look for content for orphaned references in wikilinked articles. I have found content for some of Buick Century's orphans, the problem is that I found more than one version. I can't determine which (if any) is correct for this article, so I am asking for a sentient editor to look it over and copy the correct ref content into this article.

Reference named "kimes1996":

• From Buick Limited: Kimes, Beverly (1996). Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942. Krause publications. pp. 161–193. ISBN 0-87341-428-4.
• From Pontiac Torpedo: Kimes, Beverly (1996). Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805–1942. Krause Publications. ISBN 0-87341-428-4.
• From Buick Model B: Kimes, Beverly (1996). Standard catalog of American Cars 1805–1942 (third ed.). Krause publications. pp. 161–193. ISBN 0-87341-478-0.
• From Oldsmobile Series 70: Kimes, Beverly (1996). Standard catalog of American Cars 1805–1942 (third ed.). Krause publications. pp. 1061–1088. ISBN 0-87341-478-0.
• From Buick Straight-6 engine: Kimes, Beverly (1996). Standard catalog of American Cars 1805–1942 (third ed.). Krause publications. pp. 162–192. ISBN 0-87341-478-0.
• From Pontiac Streamliner: Kimes, Beverly (1996). Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942. Krause publications. ISBN 0-87341-428-4.
• From LaSalle (automobile): Kimes, Beverly R. (1996). Clark, Henry A. (ed.). The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1945. Kraus Publications. pp. 842–851. ISBN 0873414284.

I apologize if any of the above are effectively identical; I am just a simple computer program, so I can't determine whether minor differences are significant or not. AnomieBOT⚡ 11:45, 24 March 2021 (UTC)

Buick Century on Television

The Buick Century sedan has been neglected as being an iconic television car until "Kojak" used a 1973 Buick Century and 1974 Buick Century 455 in brown color. Personally owned the model and color. The 73 Century has a side marker light straight lined to the front bumper, whereas the 74 Century is above the front bumper. Toy manufacturers confused the 74 Century with the 74 Regal. The 74 Regal was introduced as a sedan in 1974 as an upscaled Century Luxus and there was a special badge on the fender opposed to the Century or 455 nameplate on a 1973 or 1974 Century.

In the "Kojak" television series, the main character would drive a unmarked police car. This sedan model, was a 1973 Buick Century Police detective car [*] with full wheel covers and a 1974 Buick Century 455 badged sedan with small wheel covers. Both cars were in dark brown colors (GM Nutmeg Poly color.) The "1973 grille (section above the bumper) has 3 horizontal bars while the 1974 has 5 horizontal bars." [*] A blue 1974 Century sedan was also driven. "Later in the series, the brown Century was replaced by a 1975 (copper color). "[*] In 1976, the "Kojak" TV series became popular in the UK, that Corgi Toys introduced a diecast 1:36 scale replica of the 74 Century car and indicated it as a 74 Regal.[*] In 2020, another toy manufacturer, Goldvarg Collection, created a 1:43 scale of the "Kojak" car described as "1974 Buick Century colour Nutmeg Poly."[*] — Preceding unsigned comment added by Antonio cruz wiki (talk • contribs) 08:58, 30 October 2021 (UTC)

Television appearances are generally not notable for inclusion per our project guidelines. --Sable232 (talk) 16:03, 31 October 2021 (UTC)

Photos update for 73-77 third Generation

1973 Buick Century sedan body style used from 73-77.

1974 Buick Regal coupe body style.

Suggest to replace the two images of 73 Century Gran Sports coupes in the article. Both of these car images are used in the Gran Sport article. A suitable replacement would be to use a 73 Century sedan that had the same body style for completely five years. The article focuses on 73-77 and only the sedan and the station wagon were same body styles all those years. The coupes were same body style for 73-75 and different body style design for 76-77. The next suitable replacement is to use a 74 Regal coupe to show how the front styling is different than the Century. Having the 74 Regal coupe would be good as that is the same front design for the 74 Regal sedan, which was introduced in 74.

1977 Buick Regal coupe.

In the article, there already exists pictures of a 75 Century Free Spirit coupe and a 76 Century Free Spirit coupe. Recommend to keep both as they were totally different body style designs and uniquely graphics designs per specific year. In the article, a 1976 Buick Century station wagon should be kept to show what a wagon body style from 73-77 looks. Although, those graphics and decals were custom by an owner, there is no other picture that could be suggested as a replacement. Lastly, to completely have a car from every year shown, a 1977 Regal coupe should be included in the article to show how the front is different than the 76-77 Century. The 77 Regal coupe had just a styling cue on having more chrome trim on top of the grill than the 76 Regal coupe. Having the existing 76 Century Free Spirit coupe body style image shows what a 77 Century coupe looks like. Plan to include the 77 Regal image and move the article information about 1977 cars to be chronological after 75 and 76 years.74.88.107.15 (talk) 03:41, 1 December 2023 (UTC)