Buying a Laguna S3?

by BAS-Sr Sun Sep 07, 2014 7:17 am

I am toying with buying a Laguna S3.

Don't have the garage space right now, but these things always change! :-)

I like the sloped look of the '75 through '77 Laguna noses rather than the '73-'74's.

I have found a few that look interesting, unfortunately not close enough to go see so have to rely on pictures and seller information.

Does not have to be a show car or even a daily driver, don't need a motor or trans, have a '69 427 COPO motor and trans can always be obtained. Would like a more solid car, not a rust bucket. Swivel buckets, console, and dash instrumentation (tach/gauges) from the factory would be nice as well. Probably don't need AC, so if one came along without it, would be acceptable (especially since I have a pristine non-AC dash pad!).

Price is always a concern, the ones I am seeing right now are under $2k.

If you know of any, send me contact info and your input or comments are always welcome! :-)

by JB2wheeler Sun Sep 07, 2014 8:02 am

There are always good ones for sell, you just have to wait until they come along. You wont get much for 2K tho. It sounds like you are looking for a project car. If you change your mind and want a car already in top shape distance wont matter, you can call your insurance company and make arrangments to drive the car home. If you were as old as I am, you would remember when there was NO interstate highway system and driving across country was a royal pain. Thank you Ike! JB

by BAS-Sr Sun Sep 07, 2014 8:09 am

I am looking around, took me 2 years to find my '75 el Camino SS.

I am not adverse to a project, just no rust buckets. I would prefer to do mechanical work, not body or panel restoration.

Sounds like you are a bit older than me, they were building the interstate highway system when I was a kid!

by thatfnthing Sun Sep 07, 2014 11:53 am

If you should find one listed in my neck of the woods (Buffalo), I'm willing to go look at it for you.

by BAS-Sr Sun Sep 07, 2014 12:02 pm

Thanks, very much appreciated! :-)

I found a pretty solid one on Craigslist near Memphis, TN, here is the URL:

http://nashville.craigslist.org/cto/4646840982.html

I have a few pictures, just don't see how to post them here? Anyway I can post or attach some pictures to my post?

by BAS-Sr Sun Sep 07, 2014 12:08 pm

Forgot to mention, this one has the original drivetrain, 350 (been worked), Turbo 350, and the guys thinks it is a 3.42 gear posi rear.

I am thinking more about him keeping the motor and trans, I would be putting a 406 TPI SBC with a 2004r trans in it.

He wants $1500 for it without the motor or trans.

Opinions? Comments?

by dynchel Sun Sep 07, 2014 12:35 pm

Sounds like it would be a cool project. I say go for it, save it from the dirt track. jocolor

by BAS-Sr Sun Sep 07, 2014 1:32 pm

Does this site allow attachments to posts?

Some of the other sites I visit do, just trying to figure out how?

by BAS-Sr Mon Sep 08, 2014 6:03 pm

OK, this '75 Laguna has the original motor (350) and Turbo 350 trans. My first idea about having a Laguna was based on one I had seen that had no motor or trans. I have a '69 427 COPO motor that I had envisioned in it.

My question is are the '75 Lagunas bringing that much more money as an investment when they have the original drivetrain? Or would I be better off doing one with the 427 motor? I am leaning more towards doing one with the 427......

Thoughts? Comments?

by dynchel Mon Sep 08, 2014 6:06 pm

Laguna's are not collectable (yet) maybe their day will come, but currently a numbers matching Laguna isn't worth much.

by chevellelaguna Mon Sep 08, 2014 6:41 pm

I wouldn't worry about originality especially if you have the original drivetrain, shove that under the workbench and go with the 427! We'll all be dead before Lagunas may become collectable!

by thatfnthing Mon Sep 08, 2014 10:19 pm

x3. The car will actually likely be worth more with the 427 than with the original drivetrain. Stuff it in and go have some fun.

by BAS-Sr Sat Sep 20, 2014 7:28 am

I passed on the Laguna in TN, just too much to have it shipped....

I came across another one here in NJ, '75 that might be another possible candidate, have to go see it.

Here is the Craigslist ad:

http://cnj.craigslist.org/cto/4667277077.html

This one has swivel buckets/console, no tach gauges, guy says the trunk and floors are solid, surface rust under the doors, frame is solid just surface rust. Gas tank is out, straps are toast!

He said bottom line is $1000.

Opinions/comments?

by 1973montec Sat Sep 20, 2014 8:20 am

to bad its under all that stuff...

by Joe73 Sat Sep 20, 2014 8:22 am

I think that ones worth a look. Not too happy about it sitting in the weeds like that but worth a look.

by chevellelaguna Sat Sep 20, 2014 9:36 am

At least it's a complete car. There's going to
Be hidden rust issues. It's worth $1,000 in parts alone! Looks like a great candidate to drop your already built motor in it, freshen up all the mechanical parts, clean up the interior and exterior and Drive it!

by Mcarlo77 Sat Sep 20, 2014 9:55 am

I definitely think it's worth a look. As long as it doesn't cost a small fortune to get it home, it's hard to go wrong @ $1K for a swivel bucket Laguna w/350. Parts alone are worth well over that.

I'd sure want to look over the sheet metal underneath (and, in the trunk) if those gas tank straps were "toast". I believe those came with a galvanized-like coating to resist rust and held up very well when the rest of the underside was severely rusted. My rusted-out '76 that I ended up parting was a prime example.

Good luck...and, let us know!

by BAS-Sr Sat Sep 20, 2014 4:31 pm

2 questions:

Anyone make 1/4's for these?
Are the side window louvres standard on the S3's or are they an option?

by dynchel Sat Sep 20, 2014 4:46 pm

Partial quarter panels are available (they don't go into the roof line). The louvers (along with the nose) were standard on Laguna's.

by BAS-Sr Sat Sep 20, 2014 4:48 pm

dynchel wrote:Partial quarter panels are available (they don't go into the roof line). The louvers (along with the nose) were standard on Laguna's.

Where did you find the quarters?

by dynchel Sat Sep 20, 2014 4:55 pm

Original parts group, tabco body parts (I think has them)

by 454fourspeedss Sat Sep 20, 2014 5:38 pm

theres a set of nos quarters on ebay for 1200.00 along with a few singles for around 1000 each , I had twelve sets at one time and now only have one nos 74/77 set left along with a 73 nos set. I would let the 74/77 quarters go for 800.00 for the set. I am located about a half hour south of Pittsburgh pa. The best thing to do with these year cars is to find the parts before you buy the car because if you are in a hurry you wont like the hunt you go on to locate original parts or the prices people are asking !

by BAS-Sr Sat Sep 20, 2014 6:19 pm

I am going up tomorrow afternoon to look at the Laguna, can't take my trailer because I had my driveway sealed yesterday and its behind my garage!

This is going to be a long term project, have my '87 el Camino under going a full paint job, doors off, so I have to finish that at least to a point where it is driveable.

Not sure if I want to put the 427 in the Laguna or a '70 400 (actually 406 bored .030 over) SBC with a nice TPI setup I have.....I also have a 200-4R from an '87 Monte SS (CZF) that was recently rebuilt. I have some 3.73 gears for those years 10 bolt rears, so it would be a nice setup with the 400 TPI. The 427 would be too much for the 200-4R.

This Laguna is a 350 SBC with a Turbo 350 behind it. If I did the 427, then probably need to get the pedal setup so I could put a Muncie M22 4 speed in it.

I am going back and forth on the drivetrain, the 427 is a monster!!!!!! Really not a comfortable driving motor, just some real raw horsepower & torque, had it in a '69 Camaro for a few years back in the early '90's.......outrageous!

I'll let you know what I find out tomorrow. Probably buy it as long as its not a rust bucket. From the Craigslist pictures, hard to tell...........

by Joe73 Sat Sep 20, 2014 6:41 pm

I'm a 4spd guy, but if you have a choice of manual trans to go with, go with a 5 or 6 spd. The 4spd is no fun with 3.42 or numerically higher gearing. I have 4.10's in my car and I can take off at a light in 4th with no chatter what so ever. So highway driving is non-existent unless you like a screaming motor.

by driveit Sat Sep 20, 2014 11:54 pm

I like the door panels on that. I don't think I have saw those before.

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