buick portholes

I have a 98 Park Avenue that I'm contemplating adding the fender portholes from the 2003-04 Ultra. Has anyone tried this???

I have a 98 Park Avenue that I'm contemplating adding the fender portholes from the 2003-04 Ultra. Has anyone tried this???

People buy the fender vents for the GNX's and put them on the GN. Just requires some percise cutting and such

they should have an adhesive backing they are not functional on the new park aves. They most likely will fit.

I put a set of those portholes on my 95 Park Ave. Of course I have the plastic fenders so it was a snap. I took the measurements off an 03 Park Ave at the local dealer where I bought the parts - $18 ea. I think they look great. :iceslolan
I tried to install rear LED sequential directional lamps and gave up after 3 weeks and $300. The LED's did not put out enough light.
I bought my Park Avenue last year with 16,000 miles thru cars.com. Love the ride and the gas mileage 30+.

The portholes are functional on the newer Park Avenues, I know this because that is one one of the questions I asked when I took a tour of the GM Plant in Massena NY. They had a car display showing most of the GM cars. The ports work to cool the engine compartment.

what is the part number for the portholes

Jed - where did you get the portholes for $18.00??? Email me with the address of the dealer. They are much more than that in Rochester, NY !!

part number through www.buy-gm-parts.com is #25740950. I THINK this may be the GM part number, but not sure!

stupid questions:

what are portholes?
where are the located?
what do they look like?
anyonehave a pic or a link to a picture?

Here is a link to the buick site where the pictures are posted. http://www.buick.com/parkavenue/gallery/photography/exterior.html

ahhhh, nice! thats what I was thinking you were talking about.

they should have an adhesive backing they are not functional on the new park aves. They most likely will fit.

Thanks to JJ for suggesting Buy-GM-Parts.com and the part number. The website will not find the part by searching for it, but I called and they verified the PN and said they would add it to the search on Monday. I asked for a price and was quoted 18.55 per porthole ($111 for a set of 6).

My quesiton is this. Are there non-functional portholes available that can be applied adhesively. I really like the looks of the portholes, but I'm leary about cutting the holes in my fenders. I have no experience in body work, and I'm also leary about finding someone that can do a nice job without charging an arm and a leg to install (and still do a nice job). The adhesive, non-functional portholes would be great, since it's the look I'm really after, but I haven't been able to find anything.

Any help would be appreciated.

Kix

By the way, I love the Park Ave's, but I'm just a lowly LeSabre-owner. :) In addition to the portholes, I'm also wanting to install a rear spoiler. So far, the spoiler from an Olds Alero seems to be the style I'm looking for, although it might take a little sanding the base to fit it to my trunk contour. Any suggestions in the "spoiler" area would also be appreciated. I'm currently looking at a website called spoilerdepot.com. Not sure if anyone else has any experience on installing a spoiler on a Park Ave or LeSabre. Just trying to un-grannyize my LeSabre a bit... :)

I think that you can use the regular portholes without cutting into the sheetmetal. All you have to do is apply some adhesive to the back of the porthole. I'm not totally sure though, so correct me if I'm wrong.

I think that you can use the regular portholes without cutting into the sheetmetal. All you have to do is apply some adhesive to the back of the porthole. I'm not totally sure though, so correct me if I'm wrong.


Guys -

I have checked these out at two dealers. THESE ARE the adhesive backed port holes. You simply peal and stick. There are functional ones (the Ultra uses them) but the ones found on some LeSabres and Parks are the non-functional, peel and stick ones!!!

thanks Kix for taking this a step further. I will be getting in touch wth them and putting them on my PA for spring!!!

Guys -

I have checked these out at two dealers. THESE ARE the adhesive backed port holes. You simply peal and stick. There are functional ones (the Ultra uses them) but the ones found on some LeSabres and Parks are the non-functional, peel and stick ones!!!

thanks Kix for taking this a step further. I will be getting in touch wth them and putting them on my PA for spring!!!



Thanks, JJ.

I'm still waiting for Buy-GM-Parts to add the part on their website so I can order online (and hopefully see what I'm getting first). They said it should be listed on Monday, but still wasn't when I checked yesterday. I sent them the following email.....

I'm guessing this should be available from any dealer (albeit at marked up prices)....

If you know of any other on-line sources, it would be much appreciated.

Kix

--------------------------------------
I would like to purchase the following Buick part #25740950 online. I called on Saturday, and was told that it would be available on Monday to order online. The part is a fender porthole that fits a Buick Park Avenue Ultra for the years of 2003-2004. I'm really interested if the part is functional and requires holes to be cut in a fender, versus non-functional and installed with adhesive. Picture of the part would be nice.

Well....I took your lead JJ, and visited my Buick dealer (parts) after work tonight. The 25740950 part number from Buy-GM-Parts.com is the same as what he listed. Of course, his part diagram had a picture that was about as big as a pencil point (I could tell it was oval shaped, and that's about it). He didn't have one of the portholes in stock, but in talking with him, he said GM takes pride in "genuine" replacement parts. So his feeling was...if the original required holes in the fender, so will the replacement. But since there were no clips or fasteners listed on his parts drawing, he said it wouldn't suprise him that it WAS adhensive-backed, peel and stick part that also required holes in the fender.

LOL ... I'm getting this feeling it's going to cost me at least one porthole to find out if they require holes in my fender.

I asked him for a price and he quoted $24 something. So, from the Buick parts dealer, it would cost $150 for six, versus $112 from Buy-GM-OParts.com (but still, no listing or picture on-line yet).

Kix

The 25740950 portholes are approximately one inch deep and go 3/4 of an inch inside the fender. My 95 Park Ave has the plastic fenders and was easy to cut with a dremmel tool. I took the measurements off a new '03 at the dealer's lot.
I like the idea about the spoiler. Think I'll try that next.

The 25740950 portholes are approximately one inch deep and go 3/4 of an inch inside the fender. My 95 Park Ave has the plastic fenders and was easy to cut with a dremmel tool. I took the measurements off a new '03 at the dealer's lot.
I like the idea about the spoiler. Think I'll try that next.

Thanks, Jed.

LOL, I must have the worst timing in the world. The Buy-GM-Parts.com place never got the part listed and I got tired of waiting. So after work tonight, I stopped by a local Buick dealer and ordered one of the portholes. I figured I could do my "pondering" easier with one in hand, and if I go through with it, order the other five.

I checked my fenders with a magnet, and they're steel (or at least non-aluminum metal). Any ideas on how a person would cut through this. I had thought of using a Dremel tool as well. Do you think this would work on metal? A guy at work said he would probably use a "nibbler" if it was him (he thought using a Dremel might get to hot for the paint/polycoat in the near vicinity). I have neither a Dremel or a nibbler, but figured I would buy a Dremel kit, if it would work. Any thoughts? If the Dremel idea wouldn't work, then I have to consider the costs of a body shop to cut the holes (and risk a bad job on the cut and on the paint/finish). So, I'd be much more hesitant about having it done. Would appreciate anyone's input....

Also Jed, while I'm waiting for my porthole in the next week, can you verify that it's held in place with adhesive (peel-n-stick)?

Thanks again.

Kix

PS. I found a couple more spoiler candidates, aside from the Olds Alero. The 2004 Saturn Ion spoiler looks fairly nice, although it wouldn't stretch all the way across the trunk, and I also saw a early 90's Grand Prix spoiler that looks like it would look nice (but I'm having problems finding one with a picture on-line).

Yes it has peel & stick on the back. I had to go slowly with the dremmel because it melted the plastic/paint.
I wouldn't have done it if I had steel fenders.

Hi Jed,

Could you expand on that? Is the reason you wouldn't have done it on steel becuase it would've been harder to cut the holes, fear of rust, or maybe some other reason I'm overlooking?

Just curious...

Kix

Why are you cutting if they are peel and stick????

Why are you cutting if they are peel and stick????

JJ,

I still haven't got the part in my hand yet, but based on what I've read and researched, the part is peel-n-stick, but still requires holes to be cut.

The porthole actually consists of two parts (although handled as a single piece). The parts are not seperable.

There's a chrome oval-shaped trim ring that mounts flush to the outside of the fender. That part has a oval shaped peel-n-stick adhensive that mounts on the outside of the fender. In the middle of the chrome ovel ring, the actual porthole (black mesh) is recessed about 3/4 of an inch beyond the plane that the chrome ovel ring would sit on.

Since the black mesh part in the center is recessed 3/4 inch beyond the depth of the chrome trim ring, a person still needs to cut the holes for the mesh part to sit in (and then the chrome trim will be flush to the fender).

Kix

[QUOTE=Kix_N_Grins]JJ,

I still haven't got the part in my hand yet, but based on what I've read and researched, the part is peel-n-stick, but still requires holes to be cut.

The porthole actually consists of two parts (although handled as a single piece). The parts are not seperable.

There's a chrome oval-shaped trim ring that mounts flush to the outside of the fender. That part has a oval shaped peel-n-stick adhensive that mounts on the outside of the fender. In the middle of the chrome ovel ring, the actual porthole (black mesh) is recessed about 3/4 of an inch beyond the plane that the chrome ovel ring would sit on.

Since the black mesh part in the center is recessed 3/4 inch beyond the depth of the chrome trim ring, a person still needs to cut the holes for the mesh part to sit in (and then the chrome trim will be flush to the fender).

Kix[/QUOTE



Kix -

Bfore you go cutting - I would be very sure. I have seen TWO kind that look identical. The ones on the PA which are functional, and there is the other one (you find them on Lesabres) that don't have a screen - those are for the FUNCTIONAL ones. The non-funstional ones are merely painted black in the center. If you saw one you would see what I'm refering to. My email is Scooby1798_2000@yahoo.com. Drop me a line when you get yours!!

Mike

What year LeSabre? Except for the new PA's
I haven't seen portholes since the 1960's.

JJ,

I still haven't got the part in my hand yet, but based on what I've read and researched, the part is peel-n-stick, but still requires holes to be cut.

The porthole actually consists of two parts (although handled as a single piece). The parts are not seperable.

There's a chrome oval-shaped trim ring that mounts flush to the outside of the fender. That part has a oval shaped peel-n-stick adhensive that mounts on the outside of the fender. In the middle of the chrome ovel ring, the actual porthole (black mesh) is recessed about 3/4 of an inch beyond the plane that the chrome ovel ring would sit on.

Since the black mesh part in the center is recessed 3/4 inch beyond the depth of the chrome trim ring, a person still needs to cut the holes for the mesh part to sit in (and then the chrome trim will be flush to the fender).

Kix


Well.....I got Buick Part #25740950 from my Buick dealer last night. The part is basically as described above in message #22. It is affixed to the car adhesively (peel-n-stick), but it also requires holes to be cut to accommodate the recessed center portion of the part. This is a non-functional porthole. I'm sure a functional porthole would also require the holes.

If there is an alternative part that doesn't require holes to be cut, I haven't been able to find it anywhere on-line and the Buick Dealer isn't aware of any either. If anyone can point me to a part that doesn't require the holes to be cut, it would be very appreciated.

I'm not aware of any LeSabres (except maybe the older one's), that have portholes. My LeSabre is a 2000 model. I know that the 1992-1999 or 2000-2004 LeSabres don't have portholes (the 2003/2004 Park Ave Ultra's are the only recent ones that I've seen). But I'm a newbie in Buick-land, so I'm sure there's much I haven't seen....

Next step before I buy the other 5 portholes is to find out how much it's going to cost me to have 3 oval holes cut into each of my fenders. Also, the area of the porthole part that contacts the fender is perfectly flat. My LeSabre fenders are somewhat rounded from top to bottom. I'm going to have to figure out how much gap there will be since the part isn't going to be flush with the fender in the vertical direction. The adhesive strip on the part is made of a thin type of rubber, and looks like it will cause the porthole (chrome ring) to sit about 1/64-1/32 higher then the fender (there would be a small gap between it and the fender, even if the fender were perfectly flat).

Kix

PS. I found a custom spoiler that will fit a newer Park Ave or LeSabre at California Dream or Spoilers4Less.com. The spoiler sits about 2 inches above the trunk lid. They didn't have a picture oof it on a Buick, but showed a picture of it on a 1994 (or so) Monte Carlo. The spoiler has a LED light built into it (my third brake light is at the bottom of my rear window). My concern with the Olds Alero spoiler was that it was 3 inches high, had no LED built in, and would potentially block my rear window brake light.

Our local deal had 3 2004 Lesabre limited's with the portholes on them. They appeared to be TOTALLY surface mounted, but will go back out there this weekend and take a closer look. thanks for all the reply's and suggestions!

I can't believe there are 26 posts about portholes.
And I thought I had too much time on MY hands.

I can't believe there are 26 posts about portholes.
And I thought I had too much time on MY hands.

I'll trouble you and this board no more, Jed (and try to spend my time in better ways)...

Thanks to those that helped me. It "saved" me a lot of time, and hopefully, the 26 messages of notes above will help someone else in the future...

Kix

Kix, it's your dime so you can say all that you want.
I was impressed with the enthusiasm of all the guys who wrote in about an insignificant car part.
You sound like my kind of people.

If this was the honda civic board, would you complain about vynil decals that add nothing to the car? Probly not. Absolutly NO new cars contain portholes, except the new Ultra, so we want a unique way to jazz up out cars. If you have a problem with mods that add no functionality to the car, I invite you to vent in this forum:

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=661

If you continue to cause disturbances in the buick forums, all necessary actions WILL be taken.

Tman, please read my post carefully:
I said I was IMPRESSED with the enthusiasm of your contributors.

I don't have a problem with portholes. I PUT portholes on my 95 ParkAve last year. I LIKE THEM. They make the car look different.
I'm amazed they generated so much interest. I'm a retired service advisor (27 years) and thought I was the only one with a lot of time to spend on his car, or this Forum.

If anyone thought I was trying to censor their comments, I appologize. That was not my intention. I've been a car nut since 1955 and I would like to contribute meaningful ideas to this Forum.

Your first post seemed a bit negative, and I must have overlooked your second post, and needlessly overreacted. For that, I apologize.

Back on topic: Do you have pics of the portholes on your car? I want to do that to my 94 park ave, what basically is involved?

I can see where someone might have taken my post the wrong way. It is difficult to convey tongue-in-cheek humor in this text. I should have used one of those smiley faces to indicate a joke. :iceslolan

The portholes from the 03 PA's fit perfectly on my 95. You have the plastic fenders and will have no problem cutting the fender with a dremel (unlike JJ and KixNGrins who have metal fenders). I wouldn't have attempted it by myself if I had metal fenders because of the risk of ruining the paint and subsequent rust. It would have added to much to the cost to have a professional body shop do it.
I took the measurements off an '03 at the dealer for proper spacing. I put masking tape on the fender to draw the cut-out lines. I centered mine on a line 2 3/4 inches down from the fender crease. You will have to cut slowly because the heat from the cutting bit will melt the fender material and it will fuse back together. Use one of the little sanding wheels to smooth off the cutout. The curvature of the fender is covered by the peel-and-stick backing on the porthole.

I will have to wait for my son to come home from college to show me how to download pics from my camera to the computer.

Just so you know, the front fenders are really fiberglass...

What do you think about this ones?:

Portholes (http://www.esetz.com/index.htm)

Mike

WOW that's neat!
Saves a lot of work for a little more $$.
I should have thought of manufacturing these last year when I installed the GM ones in my car.
What will be next?

Wow, this is much more likely for me to install these now, I am seriously considering ordering these...

I ordered a set of 6 tonight from esetz.com. Will let everyone know how they look (soon I hope).

Estimate for cutting the 6 holes in my fenders was $200. I was willing to pay that, and ready to order the other 5 portholes from Buick. Figured with the ones from esetz.com, I'll save enough to pay for most of the spoiler I want. In addition to the $200 for cutting holes, I was told that "IF" some paint chipped while cutting, I could also pay $125 on each fender to be repainted (said it probably wouldn't happen, but wanted to warn me just in case).

My biggest concern with cutting holes, was the potential for rust down the road.

Esetz.com has a 30 day garantee. If I don't like them, I can return them and go with the Buick parts.

Kix

Ps. Thanks a lot for the alternative, Rotaran!!!!!

I saw the esetz-Portholes on a 92 PA, and they look great. Unfortunately i don´t find the pics anymore.

Mike

What do you think about this ones?:

Portholes (http://www.esetz.com/index.htm)

Mike


Hey guys -

These are the ones I have been telling you about!!!!!!!!! Mike, thanks soooooooo much for posting that website. I think it is worth the little extra $$$ to NOT have to be cutting fenders, etc.
Thanks to everyone that has been contributing to this thread. There certainy is a lot of interest in these again. Hope buick takes heed!!!!!!

Kix - let me know how you make out ordering the kit, and installing. Maybe you can post some pointers on your install!!

I ordered a set of 6 tonight from esetz.com. Will let everyone know how they look (soon I hope).

Estimate for cutting the 6 holes in my fenders was $200. I was willing to pay that, and ready to order the other 5 portholes from Buick. Figured with the ones from esetz.com, I'll save enough to pay for most of the spoiler I want. In addition to the $200 for cutting holes, I was told that "IF" some paint chipped while cutting, I could also pay $125 on each fender to be repainted (said it probably wouldn't happen, but wanted to warn me just in case).

My biggest concern with cutting holes, was the potential for rust down the road.

Esetz.com has a 30 day garantee. If I don't like them, I can return them and go with the Buick parts.

Kix

Ps. Thanks a lot for the alternative, Rotaran!!!!!

I got my portholes from esetz.com last week. I was out of town all week, but my wife said they showed up around Wed (Apr 14). So, it took about a week and two days from the time I ordered them on-line (to give anyone else an idea of turn-around time).

Costemetically, the portholes look great. I would have to say that the "quality" of them is much higher than the GM parts a person would buy from a Buick dealer (I did buy one of those as well). The esetz,com portholes are made of some type of chrome-plated die-cast metal, whereas the GM parts are plastic. Maybe it's a personal thing of mine, but after paying $25 per piece, I just feel better when the piece has a little weight to it. On the GM part, some of the holes in the center mesh area (around the edges) were filled in with plastic (kind of like a problem when molding the plastic or fusing the mesh to the chrome ring). The esetz,com parts did not have this problem, and the mesh area looks like it's a metal mesh.

Overall, the GM parts do look a little better, since they have more depth to them (3-D) and go into the fender. But I don't think that aspect outweighs the parts from esetz.com (considering esetz looked very nice as well, and didn't require holes to be cut in my fender).

From a price perspective, the esetz.com portholes cost a little more per piece. But when you factor in the costs and risks of having the holes cut in the fender (unless you could do it yourself), the esetz.com parts were cheaper by about $150 (and that doesn't include the cost of repainting a fender if it was required).

I got the portholes installed yesterday, and they look great. I didn't use the mounting template that came with them, because I wanted to increase the spacing between them a little more than the template provided. I used thread taped to my fender to create a straight line and mounted the portholes on top of the thread to keep them on an axis. Once I had the portholes loosely attached to the fenders, I pulled the thread out.

Thanks to everyone for all there input and help in the past couple months. I'll try to post a picture of my car in the near future (I got the spoiler installed as well).

Kix

You get those pictures up soon, or I will ban you!!!!

[hehe, I love making false threats like that!]

Took some pics at the park today....hope these links work.

Kix

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=14920&password=&sort=1&cat=500&page=1

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=14921&password=&sort=1&cat=500&page=1

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=14922&password=&sort=1&cat=500&page=1

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=14925&password=&sort=1&cat=500&page=1

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=14923&password=&sort=1&cat=500&page=1

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=14924&password=&sort=1&cat=500&page=1

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=14926&password=&sort=1&cat=500&page=1

May start a new thread on aftermarket moon-roofs sometime for PA's/LeSabre's. Will try the LeSabre board first, but if I don't receive any feedback, I'll be back.... Until then, hope everyone has a great spring/summer.

Kix -

How much farther apart did you place the portholes? I like the pics they look great. The PA has a slightly different curve to the front fender, so they have to go a little higher, but I like your spacing. i SHOULD by eight - like the Park Aves ( Electra) USED to have. That was the way to tell the diff between an Electra, and Centurys and Lesabres - Electras had 4 portholes on each side, and the rest had 3 on each side!!!
They look great!!!

Kix -

How much farther apart did you place the portholes? I like the pics they look great. The PA has a slightly different curve to the front fender, so they have to go a little higher, but I like your spacing. i SHOULD by eight - like the Park Aves ( Electra) USED to have. That was the way to tell the diff between an Electra, and Centurys and Lesabres - Electras had 4 portholes on each side, and the rest had 3 on each side!!!
They look great!!!


JJ,

On the template for mounting, the holes in the template was a little bigger than the actual part (maybe a 1/16 of an inch all the way around). I've thrown the template away already, so I can't give you the measurements of it. I choose 30cm spacing between portholes on my car (a little over 1 1/8 inches).

You're right about my mounting the portholes a little lower. It was due to minimizing the effects of the curvature on my fenders (I was concerned about having more gap at the top and bottom than on the sides). I'm somewhat of a detailed person (and a perfectionist), if you haven't noticed by my posts. I work in the quality department at an avionics company (we build electronic communication equipment that goes in aircraft, commercial and military), and it just goes with the turf (they're mighty fussy about things being close to perfect in aircraft)

Kix

I choose 30cm spacing between portholes on my car (a little over 1 1/8 inches).



did you mean 30 mm? 30 cm is close to a foot! :lol:

did you mean 30 mm? 30 cm is close to a foot! :lol:

3.0 CM. LOL

Kinda hard to tell that I actually have 10 ft fenders, isn't it?

Kix

30 mm, 3 cm, same difference :lol:

Anyhow, I hate to ask for more pics, but how about 1 with one sides portholes, and you holding the GM part for comparison?

Arrgghhh...the side turn signal is in the area for the portholes.
Any ideas? (except removing the signal).

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/150444seitenblinker.jpg

Mike

Is that your car? Maybe you could mount it lower, and use a porthole to cover it up.

http://hpbimg.buickparkavenue.de/Eigener_Heck_klein_2.jpg

Wow, that's really different than what we have here!

Sure, but i like the "american" look.
Can anyone post a picture of his hood ornament? I sell one at ebay and i´m not sure it´s the right one. Maybe a picture of the "hole" in the hood. Thx.

Mike

I know, it looks goofy in the back. Anyhow the hood ornament is like the one on the american C-pillar, except flush mounted to the hood.

http://hpbimg.buickparkavenue.de/Eigener_Front_2.jpg

I know, it looks goofy in the back. Anyhow the hood ornament is like the one on the american C-pillar, except flush mounted to the hood.

http://hpbimg.buickparkavenue.de/Eigener_Front_2.jpg


The Park Avenue Ultras had the flat hood ornament, and the standard Parks had the raised hood ornament.

JJ, that is not an american ultra. Your statements are true on 97 and up, but that is a european base park ave. look at the other pic, I was merely showing the difference


91-96, all american park aves has a raised hood ornament. I think it was in 1995, that a different grille was used on the ultra, but the hood ornament was still raised.

I mean all european PA have the flad ornament. I buy a raised one but it doesn´t fit. I will post a image soon so you can see why.

Mike

I mean all european PA have the flad ornament. I buy a raised one but it doesn´t fit. I will post a image soon so you can see why.

Mike


Nope, that is not true. Mine has the raised ornament. If I don't forget, I will shoot some pics.

@padriver:

Bei den Schweizern ists anders, ich weiß aber net warum.

Gruß Mike

Umm, Same to ya!

:lol: :lol:

gosh - I went back and looked. It IS different, especially the turn lights in the fenders. Thanks for the info. Ya learn something everyday!!!!