Hello, new here and to b bodies as well. Bought myself an 83 buick lesabre 4dr. I really like the front end of the caprices over the buick head lights. Does anyone know if the nose cone would swap? Or maybe the fenders and nose cone from a caprice of the same year to the buick? Thanks in advance, I know I should if just bought a caprice but the $$ thier going for is nuts, and the lesabre was a deal.
1983 buick lesabre
- Thread starter Bruno
- Start date
So I went to the junk yard today, the fenders are totally different, using the whole clip may still work I don't know. But! I did come across a 1984 buick regal four door. As I know the model is of a different class, I'm almost 100% certain the end of the fender lines are the same. I will take it later this week and find out for sure. This will give me the flat head light look as well as double head lights.
GoodOldsGuy
Member
Hello, and welcome
The Lesabre and Caprice were both B body’s in 1983, so there are many interchangeable parts between them, but I would consider the body panels to be the least interchangeable. The body panels, trim, interiors, badging, and some equipment options are what define the differences between the Bbody’s of the era. You’d need the whole front clip and possibly the doors, to have a chance of getting them to line up and there’s a chance the pillar posts won’t match even then. I’m not a body panel expert (or any other kind of expert lol), but I would label that task as Herculean, not to mention expensive.
My understanding is that the 83 Lesabre came with 4, 4x6” sealed beam headlights. Dual filament (both low and high beam) on the outside, and single filament (high beam only) on the inside, just like the Regal did in 84. So I don’t understand what you’re trying to gain with “dual headlights”. The 84 Regal is a G body (formerly A body) and shares no body panels with B body’s. While all things are possible with enough will, desire, and expertise, I would categorise putting a Regal front end on a Lesabre as impossible for mere mortals. Find the right pro, and throw enough money at it.. maybe, but it would probably be less expensive to just buy a Caprice.
It’s your life, your car, and your money, so you get to do with them as you please, but from an expense/budget aspect, I’d probably celebrate the fact that it’s a good looking, stylish Buick, special in its own right. That’s just my opinion, and I’m sure the body pros will chime in and point out aspects that I am unaware of.
Welcome again, and I wish you luck and happiness building the B body of your dreams.
PeaceI found out I have a 78 lesabre and the front clip idea won't work anymore. But I still think the nose cone of a 84 4dr regal would fit a 4door lesabre of the same time, the front fender lines are the same. It just would eliminate the angled look of the head lights is all, a more "boxy" look
GoodOldsGuy
Member
You have better chance swapping the front clip (both fenders, hood, header panel, bumper) from a 1977 through 1979, Olds 88 or 98 to get the desired “boxy” look for your 1978 Lesabre, still going to be a chore though. 1977 through 1985 square GM B body’s (through 1990 on B body wagons) are several inches wider than 78 through 81 GM A body’s and their name change to G body 82-87 or so. In other words, the G body (in this case an 84 Regal) header panel, bumper, and hood are too narrow to fit a B body, and I suspect the fenders are quite a bit shorter as well, not to mention that none of the mounting points for any of that stuff is going to line up on a B body. Again, with enough money and expertise nearly anything is possible (Jeff Bezos did build his own spaceship), but having similar style lines alone does not make body panels fit on chassis that they were not intended too. I’m confident that having G body stuff stretched to fit a B body would be more expensive and a lot more troublesome that buying a Caprice from the era. There may be some miracle conversion that I’ve never heard of, but these are box framed cars we’re talking about here. Those frames are not going to expand and contract (willingly) to accommodate body panels and bumpers designed for other frames.
Seriously, look at a similar year Olds 88 or 98 front clip (if you can find one) and find a good (and patient) body guy to make all that stuff line up . They have the more boxy front end, and that might be less expensive than a pristine example Caprice, but it’ll be close.
I’m not trying to rain on your parade and enthusiastic search for the easy way out, but it would be easier to make (forgive me for saying this) a Ford LTD/Crown Victoria clip fit your car than a G/A body clip, and it wouldn’t be easy either.
I gave up on it since it's a 78 nose cone is in-between fenders not on the end, but I'm tempted to swap that front nose cone from the 84 regal to the lesabre at the junk yard just to see if it works lol.
I gave 800 for the 78 lesabre, all the b body stuff around me is 4500 plus. I will just live with it lol
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