Le70sabre

Engines:
In 1969, both LeSabres and Wildcats came with the standard 430 cubic inch displacement 360 hp V8. In 1970 Wildcats sported a new V8 ...the 455 rated at whopping 370 hp. The basic 1970 Lesabre was powered by the reliable 350 cubic inch displacement motor with a 2-barrel carb, the custom had a 4-bl with either the 350 or the optional 455 cid.


From Wikipedia, here's some specs on features of 69/70 Lesabres; The 1969 LeSabre received new sheetmetal with more squared off styling than the 1965-68 models including a formal roofline on coupes replacing the semi-fastback of previous years. ...vent windows were dropped on all models. Headrests, previously optional, were now standard equipment , The 1969 LeSabre and other Buicks also received a new steering column mounted ignition switch that also locked the steering wheel when the transmission was in Park.> Also new was a variable-ratio power steering unit along with revised front suspension geometry for improved ride and handling under Buick's tradename of Accu-Drive. Steel rails were also built into the doors (and rear quarter panels on coupes and convertibles) for improved side impact protection as was the case with all 1969 GM B- and C-body cars. > Powertrains were unchanged from 1968 with the 230-horsepower 350 two-barrel V8 standard and available with a three-speed manual transmission or the two-speed Super Turbine 300 automatic while the LeSabre "400" package once again included a 280-horsepower 350 four-barrel engine and three-speed Super Turbine 400 automatic. > Only minor detail changes including grille and taillight revisions were made to the 1970 LeSabre. New features this year included a hidden radio antenna which amounted to two wires embedded in the windshield. Wheelbase was increased by one inch to 124 inches. Both base and Custom models were again offered. Engines were revised with the standard 350 two-barrel V8 increased in horsepower from 230 to 260. A new option for 1970 was a low-compression regular-fuel version of the 350 four-barrel rated at 285 horsepower and the high-compression premium fuel 350 four-barrel V8 was reworked with horsepower upped to 315 on a 10.25 to 1 compression ratio. Added to the lineup was a new LeSabre 455 line which was powered by Buick's new 455 cubic-inch V8 with four-barrel carburetor, 10.25 to 1 compression and 370 horsepower, which required premium fuel. > Transmission offerings included a standard three-speed manual with column shift for the base 350 two-barrel or optional three-speed Turbo Hydra-matic 350 automatic, which was standard equipment with the two 350 four-barrel engines. This transmission completely replaced the old two-speed automatic offered with the smaller base engines in past years, while the 455 was paired with the Turbo Hydra-matic 400. At the start of the model year, variable-ratio power steering and power drum brakes were optional equipment. Those items were made standard equipment on all LeSabres (and Wildcats) effective January 1, 1970. Power front disc brakes remained an extra-cost option. > For the first time since 1964, Buick offered a full-sized station wagon for 1970 under the Estate Wagon nameplate. Though it used the LeSabre's B-body, it rode on the C-body Electra 225's 127-inch (3,200 mm) wheelbase chassis. The Estate Wagon came standard with the 455 V8. Source: wikipedia.org > Options:
The 69/70 Wildcats came with front bucket seats, whereas Lesabres had bench seats.


Radios:
The standard issue radio for 1969 big Buicks was the Delco AM Sonomatic (model # 94BPB-1). The AM/FM monaural model carried the 94BFP code. It had an optional fader control (front/rear speaker balance). With an embedded aerial loop in the windshield, monaural units produced sub-par sound in noisy cockpits of convertibles. Since convertibles came with a speaker grille in the rear seat, the option of choice for these cars is the more powerful stereo model with its built-in fader control. The 69 stereo (model # 94BFM-1)--with amplifier mounted on top of main unit--had "buick" letters on the push buttons, whereas the 70 radios did not. The 1970 model had a "0" as first digit. The letter "B" denotes full-size Buick and is correct for Electra, LeSasbre and Wildcat. A unit with the letter "A" would indicate mid-sized Buicks (including Skylarks), and the letter "E" signifies Riviera and Toronado. All units with B or C letters are generally interchangeable since distance between knobs is 6.25 inches. Trailing digits 1 or 2 indicated a running change, and depending on production supply, some early 1970 Buicks could have had 69 radios installed at the factory. The 69/70 Lesabres and Wildcats have 10 OHM speakers ...and replacements should not be otherwise.
Since few 30 year plus cars are used in the daily commute, the latest fad in sound technology should always take a back seat to maintaining originality. Second or third owners sometimes cut the dash to install an after-market Radio/CD unit. Some, further defaced their vintage car by installing extra speakers in door panels. Who needs surround-sound powered by eight-inch subwhoofers, 9 speakers and 600 watts of amplification?
Thanks to iPods there is a common sense way to upgrade a sound system in 60s and 70s era cars: just replace any torn speakers and use the existing FM radio as receiver for signals broadcast by a slim MP3 player (loaded with your favorite tunes) plugged into the cigarette lighter socket. This portable gadget obviously eliminates the need for a messy stash of CDs.
New HD car radios rely on digital wireless signals rather than on traditional analog. It eliminates hisses and fades, leaving you with CD-quality sound. Digital receivers with multi-casting will eventually become the standard. They require new radio innards ...and will likely spark a another senseless wave of dash mutilation.

Spare Parts
After restoration is complete recover some of your costs by putting usable left-over parts on E-bay. If it's just a striped donor car shell -and money- you have left over, consider using rear clip from parts car as a matching trailer. Grand-pa used to brag about the utility of his sporty convertible; big back seat for the family (or mistress) and enoromous trunk for golf clubs plus camping gear. Why not extend life of parts car by converting rear clip into a rumble seat for the den. For a fitting end, see.

Now, for  all those Buick fans who travelled this far with me, here is a video of a vintage GM promo clip.


PS
If you think a Buick buddy would be interested in any of these pages, ckick on envelope icon. If you are bitten by the "blog bug", see post on advocacy blogs.