"Lets Make A Deal" - early 1970's Buicks (part 1)

[PJAvenger]

Your videos have inspired me to buy a giant car with 15 inch steel wheels :)

[deltaray3]

Cents? What are those?

[daved1974]

at 609; i know why the guy really put his head down in his hands hes saying oh no, i was really trying hard to avoid having to pay taxes now im going to have to claim this over-sized monster on my taxes now

[MrVernonSmall]

Memory Lane, what great cars !

[PigsInBlanket]

I'd like to know how many of these people still have their cars.

[smurfnit]

$2,792 for an Opel Kadet sports coupe!

[vwbusssesareforever]

Pause at 5:10 to see something freaky! lol

[MrSebfrench76]

By the way,the guy how wins the Opel instead of the Riviera....

Won't probably see him as a tourist in Europe,heheheh!

[MrSebfrench76]

let me tell ya that i used to have 2 Buicks here in France.Not the best idea i had,rationnally speaking.....

But GEEEEEEEEE!What a car!!!!!!!I miss them everyday now!!

They were:a 86' Century and a 92' Park Avenue.Nothing rare for you,but jewels for my wife ,my childs and i.European cars are really boringi have a 98'Renault now,and it sucks.....

[MaestroTJS]

I would say, in general, GM had the best styling of the Big Three in the '70's. Compare these (and the Caddies, etc.) to the cars in the Chrysler video. These (the Opels excepted--ugh!) have fantastic detailing and character lines and are proportioned right. The Chryslers mostly look like snooze festivals or worse.

No idea which of the Three built the best cars in terms of durability, etc., however. I suppose that would be hotly debated.

[MaestroTJS]

I would say, in general, GM had the best styling of the Big Three in the '70's. Compare these (and the Caddies, etc.) to the cars in the Chrysler video. These (the Opels excepted--ugh!) have fantastic detailing and character lines and are proportioned right. The Chryslers mostly look like snooze festivals or worse.

No idea which of the Three built the best cars in terms of durability, etc., however. I suppose that would be hotly debated.

[buixrule]

Wow! That Rivvy at 1:35 isn't any normal Rivvy, it's a Rivvy GS. Check the GS fender emblem under the Riviera nameplate. Very cool ride and handling package.

[beyondtheforest]

That Riviera was unbelievable. It was so beautiful it made the woman cry.

[Tubewings]

4:16-5:06; The cars seen here were a part of the special episode shot at NBC Studios, former home of Let's Make a Deal. The story that I've heard was that Buick wanted to show their new models at larger facilities than the ABC Studios that LMAD was taping at at the time.

[swampwatch]

hahaha ... the couple didn't look very happy about winning an Opel ... lol!

[Christianpreaching]

those are gorgeous Buicks.

The days of gorgeous cars are way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, way, long gone.

[tomservo56954]

There is another one you have to include...circa 1975, when DEAL added a celebrity contestant to play for a home viewer. Zsa Zsa Gabor won an Opel wagon for someone.

[willyboi708]

I'll Take a couple of those Regals please!!!! DROOL DROOL!!!

[jdpeckham78]

love the girl's response at 0:33 lol

[Simon5005]

That Buick Rivera is one of my all-time favorite cars............what amazing styling! Cars are ultra boring today.

[Christianpreaching]

@Simon5005 i agree 1000%

[michaelpc64]

This is great!!! Let's Make a Deal always had the most cars back then...and they gave away some expensive ones, not like the econoboxes on the current show. Any chance of getting Oldsmobiles on here?

[WOPmic]

Thank you for taking the time to putt these collections together. Great for car enthusiasts and for those of us who grew up during this era. While it was a turbulent time, it sure looks innocent by today's standards. Now, what did I do with my baby blue leisure suit and brown butterfly keehana(sp?)-polyester shirt?

[alexander1485]

LOL for the wagon they said "crazy handling"

[alexander1485]

that is a pretty nice car lol

[1899lpv]

I lived those years and damn I hated every second of it...Why?...Everybody's clothes matched the interior of the cars...Ah those colors...

[bille77]

didn't know they had opel in the us in the 70s

[71CommodoreGSE]

@bille77 ...sold via Buick.

[auaiao9]

@bille77 yep, sure did, sold by Buick dealers

[TheMaz1964]

thats a 75 or 76 electra 225 and riviera

[12bucklemyshoe1]

They actually included the cents in the prices.

[iluvrachellef]

Ok as soon as i typed that,they started showing 73's....my bad LOL.Ill take the red Regal wow.

[iluvrachellef]

I hated those long and low headrests on the cars back then uughh.BTW these are mid 70s Buicks not early 70s.

[SteelCity1981]

@ 0:35 she is having an Orgasm.

[montgomb3]

I don't see none of those cars on the road today. Can't believe how ugly they were.

[craig1974]

@montgomb3 those cars were well built with class

[auaiao9]

@montgomb3 They weren't ugly at the time.

[lasuvidaboy]

Another issue w/the '71-76 full-sized GM line-up was they were heavier and more complicated to build than the previous generation of GM full-size vehicles. The '71-76 also had build quality issues that the previous generation did'nt have. The rare full-size convertibles were prone to rattles and poor body fit compared to the previous generation. Mechanically they were generally very reliable but often not very well built.

[kdemonde]

Buick was so famous and popular for thier wheels back then, they were the one division of GM that actually had sport "rims" @5:10 on alot of thier cars while alot of the other divisions mainly had rims AND hubcaps.

[oooowwwwdddd]

Well, it seems like they had contracts with Buick an Opel. The Buick's were beautiful but what were they thinking with those ugly cheap Opel pieces of crap?

[Duncan2037]

I can't even fathom all the drugs consumed back then.

[auaiao9]

@Duncan2037 I was around "back then" and didn't consume any drugs at all.

[ZenDriveSeven]

That creepy puppet on the lower right @ 1:57 freaked me out.

[divisioneight]

Quiet 1.9 liter engine? Those things could have been heard a mile away upwind.

[janknuckey]

Well I knew that the Riviera was a looker in 64, and 69 and 71...but I guess they lost it a bit after that !!! Oh dear

[Silver1Sprg]

Some of those cars were in the mid 2K range, but if you wanted A/C, it cost nearly 1/2 of the value of the car. Wow! Never realized that ..... LOL

[auaiao9]

Amazing how Carol Merrill could lean back without falling over.

[daveth121864]

and 19 cents!?

[Silvertrine]

I didnt even know they tried to sell Opels here.

[auaiao9]

@Silvertrine they did and sold them through Buick dealers.

[skiingpowder10]

I probably saw some of those shows....funny stuff

[kansascitycomputers]

wow..thats sweet electra.. 8 grand was a lot of money for those days .i didn't like the big cars when I was akid but i do now...lol!

[tyler2610]

I loved watching this on GSN. Seeing the old cars was my favorite part, especially the Buicks. They just don't make 'em like this anymore. The current large Buick looks more like a Skylark from this period with a price tag that is comparably more than an Electra 225. What a shame.

[lasuvidaboy]

The Electra, Le Sabre and Riviera were the full- sized Buicks. Those massive cars were a common sight on US roads in the 1950s-80s. They had the same basic dimensions as a Cadillac Escalade/Chevy Suburban does today.

[Pedrooch]

lasuvidaboy, actually an early 1970's GM C body, the Cadillac Deville/Fleetwood, Buick Electra & Olds 98 were nearly 1 foot longer and wider then a current Chevy Suburban.

[DTD110865]

@lasuvidaboy

Rivieras were mid-sized cars since 1963.

[lasuvidaboy]

@DTD110865 Rivieras were actually slightly larger than the standard mid-sized Buicks in the mid-1960s with their 117" wheelbase. They grew larger in 1966-70 w/a 119" wheelbase and became full-sized cars in 1971-1976 w/their 122" wheelbase. The 1971-76 fullsized Rivs rode on a modified/shortened 122" wheelbase compared to the 127" of the LeSabre. The Rivieras width was the same as all the 1971-76 full-size Buicks and shared the same dashboard and all mechanical parts.

[DTD110865]

@lasuvidaboy

True, but a lot of cars grew larger during the same period, and not just GM's. You just said yourself that the 1971-76 LeSabre(and of course the Electra and Centurion) were on 127" wheelbases.

Tell me something; Which do you like better? The Buick GSX, or the Buick GNX?

[lasuvidaboy]

@DTD110865 Buick GSX all the way. I'm generally not a fan of 1980s GM cars like the GNX. Give a me a '71-'72 Skylark convertible or a '65 Riviera Gran Sport and i'd be happy! BTW, I do like some 1970s cars like my '75 Pontiac Grandville convertible.

[BNforever2009]

Those Buicks were made like luxury Greyhound buses back then. You could hit potholes forever and you wont feel it in a Buick!!!

[ElectraGSX]

Those were great values in those days. A top line Buick is $40,000.00 today.

[TheLizardKing1967]

1975 Duce and a Quarter ..Ahhhhhh, the 1975 Baby Blue shit color.. LOL

[johntaheri]

i have rivera 74 with 455 and i love it and also have a buick electra 225 with 455 and have 625ooo miles no rust rebuld power train at 230000 .

[awteltelaw]

Those old Buicks and most GM cars back then were sorry. My parents bought a brand new 1974 Buick and the thing was horrible. Broke down all the time, started rusting within a year after purchase. Left us stranded many, many times. I can remember sitting on the side of the road many times and the warrenties were useless. My dad never bought American again after that Buick. Neither have his children. GM has lost many genereations of buyers because of their poor quality.

[auaiao9]

@awteltelaw Do you think maybe your parents just ended up with a bad one?

[ducatinova]

some of those cars were absurd. The Electra's were way to big. The Opels were just right

[dillonaire]

you can never have a car thats too big

[auaiao9]

@ducatinova They weren't too big for the times.

[Zippertheslipper]

Watching this video brings back memories and makes me want to go back in time, the price is right indeed back in the 60's and 70's.

[telebambam]

Those Buick Opel's were not cute.

[edndelb]

cars where made solid then.Just watched that old movie Car wash and it has me in the 70's car mood now.

[lasuvidaboy]

Actually Buick was an upper class car in those days. The LeSabres and Electras were priced below Cadillac and above Oldsmobile and Pontiac. Chevrolet and Pontiac were aimed at the middle class w/Olds and Buick priced for the upper-middle class. Many wealthy people who would'nt be caught dead driving a flashy Cadillac bought a full-sized Buick.

[kdemonde]

Yeah like i said, it was Cadillac, Buick, then Oldsmobile. However i don't agree that a "wealthy" person would be caught dead in a Cadillac, owning a Caddy was of prestigous stature then and now, but i guess it's really by choice, but nobody can say driving a Caddy is "distasteful" then and now.

[kdemonde]

Buick was extremely popular for thier stylish "rims" Pontiac and Buick were very innovative implementing "sport" rims on some of thier cars like the Electra and the Grand Prix. The Opel was competing with the Chevy Vega.... but lost badly.

[AK47Music]

@kdemonde The only reason Opel Manta lost to the Chevy Vega/Pontiac Astre was because the Opels were so much better built, and that the Vega/Astre was prone to SO MANY serious mechanical problems, you HAD TO keep buying new ones. When the syndicated nighttime 1971-79 version of The Hollywood Squares first gave them out to the big cash winner at the end of the show back then, you heard Kenny Williams (RIP) using the term "now with imrovements", you didn't hear that with the Opel lineup did you?

[kdemonde]

@AK47Music Thanks for the valuable information!

[AK47Music]

@kdemonde The only reason Opel Manta lost to the Chevy Vega/Pontiac Astre was because the Opels were so much better built, and that the Vega/Astre was prone to SO MANY serious mechanical problems, you HAD TO keep buying new ones. When the syndicated nighttime 1971-79 version of The Hollywood Squares first gave them out to the big cash winner at the end of the show back then, you heard Kenny Williams using the term "now with imrovements", you didn't hear that with the Opel lineup did you?

[kdemonde]

Buick was the middle class man's car back in the 70's, if you could do better than an Oldsmobile but could'nt afford a Caddy then you bought a Buick.

[idfeekid]

these are real cars not like the mexican built plastic shit boxes they make today!

douce and quarter with the 455 v8 4bbl!

made in the USA flint michigan!

[CDTbossy]

Yeah, it's too bad, and now those mexican plastic shitboxes is being slaughtered by ugly Japanese crappy blobs with wheels :(

I love watching these old Buicks and big ol' american cars on old movies and tv series on DVD, i love them and Im just 17!

[kdemonde]

I'm glad you appreciate the ol big boys from "yesteryear" These are really good cars young man believe me when i tell you. When i was your age i had Buicks, Caddy's, Pontiacs, Olds etc. they are American made machines unlike the Honda Civics and Nissans of today. Those are very good cars however, back then you got the best of both worlds... size and quality from those cars back then. You may want to look into purchasing "The Encyclopedia of American Cars" by the auto editors of Consumer Guide

[CDTbossy]

Thanks for the comment! Its funny that you mentioned that particular book, I ordered it from Miami a year ago, it took me only 3 days to get it here, overseas! I have always been a number one fan of american cars, and I will have an american car no matter what people tell me, preferably an "classic" or "oldschool" car. You are terrible lucky to have been a part of the "yesteryears" thats the years I should have lived in :D I would love to live when Elvis, Chrome bumpers, and decent TV was.

[midnitesquirldog]

i wish they would restore old cars to brand new condition and put them on the prices right lol..........

[hockeyboy1231]

they did that earlier this year with a Stingray. It was on the special couples episode. It was a beutiful car and they won it!

[lukeslandspeeder]

dam i used to watch and love this show.

will you take the box or the curtain?!!!...errr...ill ...errrr....dam i dont know...welll... errr...ill take the box!!! slobbers jumps around!!!...

he took the box!. ok pretty babe open the box to see what he got....drum roll..opens box... youve won a years supply of tube socks omg!!!. u could have had the mustang!.

[LOWRIDE74]

the chick at 2:26 is fine

[lasuvidaboy]

That's either a '75 or '76 Buick Electra 225 coupe. The 1976 was the last year of GM's massive full-sized cars. It is about 19' long and 6' wide.

[CrazyWedz]

It's funny seeing them get excited to win those tanks.

[kdemonde]

1975, the difference between the 75 and 76 Electra's were the front fascia by the headlights... on the 75, the grille venting design extended underneath the headlight display, on the 76, they eliminated the venting under the headlight display.

[PhilRacicot]

I used to have a '76 Electra Limtied coupe and I now have a '75 Electra Limited hardtop sedan. The front bumper is also different on both models, and the front side markers and cornering lights also changed. There were other changes too but they were minor!

[Tankboy26]

love the videos.... thanks for putting them up!!!

[spike555mr]

Wow.. what a size these Cars are... they are Mega large.. A real Motta.. all for under 10.000 bucks... If i won one of these things i would be doing somersaults..lol.. Pity they dont build these anymore.. but its obviuos they were a dying breed in to days Economics and

Efficiency. but true beauty buicks. Had a Buick Century once in Northeast Scotland.. I think it was the only one there..! sure was a Great drive, and had great fun going to fancy dress parties. as the blues Bros...lol

[greatwhitenorth112]

aircraft carriers

[68lincoln]

Great compilation. Thanks for posting. Wow, a brand new, fully loaded 1973 Buick Electra 225 (the silver one with the white top) for $6,500. AMAZING! I do remember how big and beautiful the Electra 225s were from 1967 all the way through 1976. Then GM downsized and cheapened them starting with the 1977 model year.

[skylark68]

I agree. The '77s were built well, but they didn't try hard to disguise the badge engineering in '77 on up. Give me a '76 or earlier anyday.

[Nessfiles]

Yeah they probabley thought they we're getting a good deal until they found out the things sucked about 13 miles to the gallon.....LOL

[skylark68]

Well, I don't think it was as much of a concern since even after the first gas crisis people started buying the big cars more and more. Some of the largest selling years of big iron were in the mid '70s.

[Nessfiles]

I own a 1963 Galaxie XL and it gets about 15 miles ot the gallon with a 390 in it.....lol

Maybe you own a Buick Skylark ?

[skylark68]

What gave you that idea... haha

1968 Skylark 2 door hardtop with the 350/4 in it. It has around 71k miles on it. As long as you don't dip into the secondaries (Quadrajet) I can average about 18 to 20 on the highway...

[Nessfiles]

Yeah I remember those Buicks around in the 70s and 80s. Not anymore though. I've always wanted a 63 Buick Riviera - so modern looking for it's time. I think my Galaxie gets about 18 mpg maybe on the freeway. I have electronic ignition on it so that helps. Holley 4 bbl double pump/manual choke, stock cam. Orginal wheel covers - I have kept it stock which is rare nowadays since everyone makes them custom looking and throws all the stock equipment out.

[Seattlecarnut]

I've never been a big fan of game shows, but whenever cars are involved as some of the prizes contestants, I've gotta watch. My least favourite has always been Let's Make a Deal, with all the costumes and make up look rather silly.

[minkajajany]

this is two much i cant believe the prices from the cars lol espically the electra lol too much

[tpep55]

I love that baby blue Electra at the beginning and at 5:15. I used to have one just like it except it was a 4 door. It is a 1975. Awesome clips!!

[skylark68]

I wonder if the girl dressed in the clown outfit still owns the Riviera? I thought I saw another emblem under the Riviera script... was that a GS or S/R emblem?

[chompychomps]

GS.

[landyachtfan79]

I don't know about anyone else, but as soon as I saw that the prize that I could have had was a car, I would have bwwn extremely adamant about getting a second chance to take the deal & I would not have given up until I got it, either!

[75RivGS]

Thanks for posting!!

[bajabusta]

as always, great work!

[BrentAudi]

This is Awesome!

Thanks for posting.

I was always a fan of Buick's back then.

My grandfather had this Riviera that is shown here. His was a light blue color. I can't remember how reliable it was, but I used to love riding in it! I would always make him promise that he would save it for me when I was old enough to drive.

He did not keep the bargain!

Brent

[geordo2001]

Makes my mouth water.