Out with the old, in with the old

Automatic Washer - The world's coolest Washing Machines, Dryers and Dishwashers

Help Support :

Joe -
That is one beautiful Buick!! That two-door hardtop styling is so classic and handsome! Love the color combination, too - the white roof and interior are fabulous. Wishing you many, many miles of happy motoring in that gorgeous ride!!
 
so many nice comments, thank you so much

A few questions answered...

 

I think there's a lot of difference between a 1965 Buick and a 2001. I drove that 62 Electra all over the place and never got stuck. Of course it was no fuel sipper but I remember a gasoline "war" where the price went down to 25 cents a gallon...sigh! I had my own Shell credit card at a very early age and my dad could not understand how I could possibly charge $40 in one month. The Electra had Dynaflow which was fine for surface street driving but on the many trips I'd make to the nearby Santa Cruz Beach through the Santa Cruz Mountains it was less than ideal. Going downhill in drive was like being in neutral. You had to use low and watch the gas gauge speed towards empty. 

 

The gas filler is located behind the emblem on the back above the license plate. It tilts down and away which is kind of cool. 

 

I don't believe there's a dome light but there are several courtesy lights that all work. There is no fold-down armrest in the back and I don't recall seat belts back there (remember I have not taken possession yet). The front belts are factory. I don't anticipate many back-seat riders. Oddly enough the back seat is original. The owner had the front buckets removed and completely redone including new foam. He had the metal frame of the seats powder-coated even though you can't see them. The seat backs lock into position. You can see the release button on the side.

 

I don't remember if the accelerator pedal is attached to the floor but it probably is. Not to worry, my stiletto heals are all too tight anyway. I think power steering and power brakes were standard. They're drum but all new. The owner put 5 new whitewall tires on the car too. The spare was perfectly fine but he wanted all the tires to match in case he had a flat...mercy! In addition, all the door and window seals are new along with the trunk seal. The car was sanded down to the metal and repainted the original "turquoise mist" color. There is no paint on any of the trim. The white metal top is factory. The headliner was redone to the exact original and I'm not sure about the entire dash but it couldn't look newer. Alright, now I'm bragging but I guess I'm just trying to justify my purchase, it was a difficult car to resist.

 

As far as the Thunderbird being awful, it certainly was for me. I'm 6'1 and lost my school-girl figure back in the fourth grade. Even with the seat all the way back and the telescopic wheel pushed all the way in it was very uncomfortable unless you like steering with your stomach. With the soft or hard top on the car it was super-claustrophobic. I could not stand being in there. Add to all of this the fact that it handled like one of those steer-with-your-feet wooden go carts you had as a kid. I used to call it a death trap and never drove it above 40 mph. The little T Birds continue to be very popular. To each his own.

 

PS...And as far as Palm Springs being Key West for grown-ups...being referred to as a "grown up" is certainly nicer than being called an old geezer.

twintubdexter-2015102109122208039_1.jpg

twintubdexter-2015102109122208039_2.jpg
 
E-X-CELL-ENT!

Great choice, Joe. I'm super jealous, in a congratulatory-way, of course. I hope you have many good rides and experiences with it, for as long as you wish to own it.

Really nice!
 
A beautiful car that brings back alot of memories. One of my very best friends thru Jr. and HS's parents had one the same vintage as this one only it was silver and I think had a black vinyl top but did have the same tri-shield factory wheels. Rode like a dream and you could tell there was a monster under the hood. Why they traded it for an Ambassador I will never know.
 
"Why they traded it for an Ambassador I will never know&

Probably because back at the time it was "just a car" like most regard new vehicles today. They weren't classics then. And people then like today want or need a new one after a period of time. And if they were driven in the winter on salt covered roads forget about it.

I always thought about the cars my father and later my parents had over the years and would think how Id like to have them now. But they were nothing special at the time. Just every day transportation.

OK...I did type a " after "know" and have fixed it three times. Why it keeps coming up with an & I don't know.
 
One of the nice things about the Turbo Hydra-Matic by another name in these Buicks is the "switch pitch" torque converter, sort of a hangover from Dynaflow. You get all the benefits of three forward speeds, plus the converter stator blades automatically switch angle, depending on throttle position, to give more torque multiplication on acceleration. At cruising speeds, the angle changes again to give minimum slippage and thus a little better fuel economy. A refinement soon done away with by corporate cost cutting.

The front drum brakes are aluminum, I believe, for better heat dissipation. I think only Buick and Lincoln had that, among American cars.
 
And I will bet

When you stick your foot in that old nailhead it will GO!!!!I had a 65 Ninety Eight with that 1st turbo hydramatic, it would really run even though it weighed over 4000 pounds, I also had a 63 Starfire, great engine, Terrible transmission!..I drove GM cars when I was a kid, the 65 Olds was the best GM I ever had,the fastest and thirstiest was a 68 Bonneville 2 door hardtop with a 428, about 12 mpg on a trip, but all the kids my age had Irocs and Firebirds and it would leave them sitting!!LOL...Maybe that's why I had GM troubles in my younger days..I don't drive like that now!..My favorite Buick is a 61, I love the Dynaflow, or as they called it then, Turbine Drive..
 
I dont know why it ended up as an Ambassador and why it wasnt another Buick. They could buy whatever they wanted but tried to instill in Gary, his brother and sister that we are to NOT flaunt what we can afford. His older brother said Corvette, Gary said a 2 dr, Cadillac which his sister agreed with. Their father brought home that Ambassador that screamed Rambler, all 3 of them went into being so embarrassed. His father said I am NEVER having a 2 door with you kids ever again. Gary ended up with that Ambassador and we beat the crap out it, but it was a '69 and that was a LONG time ago. And at 108,000 miles that engine finally died, darn, why did you strand us. And his parents only had LeSabres after that but came and rescued us in a 4 door LeSabre.[this post was last edited: 10/21/2015-19:32]
 
Oh my, what a great find. What's the right word for what I'm feeling... envious, covetous, :-)

Seriously great car in amazing shape, and the perfect color too. I'd be smiling all the way down the road driving that. Someday when I have my own place with an extra garage space or 3 I'll be on the lookout for something like this.

Hope you enjoy it lots!
 
I sold my 1996 Corvette today. A friend of many years bought it. It was a fun car to drive and I always liked the C4 styling. I guess it was sort of a mid-life crisis thing. almost 20 years old and 30,000 miles. At 65 I am too old for that kind of car even though the average age of Corvette owners is 57. I always rationalized and thought "hey, Larry Tate had one and he was sort of old too." I do have to admit that getting in and out of the Corvette became a real pain. When I drove it anywhere and struggled to get out people would stare like they were watching a sperm whale give birth at Marine World. Now I will have room in my garage for my truck and the Buick. They're a good mix. 

 

Once again, many thanks for all the kind comments.
 
....and it is too much to get in, out and drive it any more.

And that is one of the main reasons I bought a Nissan Cube.

I can get in and out with no issues whatsoever... AND I fit my Maytag in there :-)

Jim

warmsecondrinse++10-22-2015-00-18-11.jpg
 
Briefly back from the dead file...

It was only a day or so after I ordered vintage plates for my Buick that I realized it was probably a mistake...too corny, too cute. When I picked them up at the DMV the clerk looked at me like "what a weirdo!" I explained to her that they were for a 1965 Buick Wildcat but as a relatively young person I doubt she knew what a Buick was much less a Wildcat. I suppose I should be grateful 65PUSSY <span style="color: #008000;">was not available</span>

twintubdexter-2016022013250305329_1.jpg
 
Plates, etc. color,

last of the 401 nailhead V8. High compression. Awesome Flint built machine!
Mint green? No, it's aquamarine!
As for the gal at the dmv office, I'd have asked for a personalized plate "Purrfect" if that was taken, then 'snatchy".
 

Similar threads

F
New Member, Antique Appliance Lover
Replies
17
Views
18
fridgenut
F
drhardee
How about an electric car? BMW i3 for me
2
Replies
30
Views
31
davey7
D
aeoliandave
A new boat for Old Davy
Replies
13
Views
14
firedome
firedome
programcomputer
1989 KItchen Aid All Pushbutton Washer and Dryer
Replies
11
Views
12
supersuds
supersuds
K
Old Maytag DG 702 Dryer ForSale Working / Parts ?
Replies
0
Views
3
kib
K

Latest posts

Back
Top