Out with the old, in with the old

[washer111]

In Australia, we do have our own homegrown classics, and in-deed, my father owns a 1975 Monaro with Holden's (again completely homegrown) 253 V8.
Aside from the engine and transmission rebuild several years back now, the rest is completely original and in good condition for its age, although it does definitely need some TLC.

In America, you have a lot more choices, but at the same time, restoring cars (whilst an expensive hobby) is just so much cheaper than Australia, so more people USE their classics and aren't perhaps afraid of a repair bill like we are here.

For the record, I prefer a floor-mounted accelerator (like in my car, a 1993 european sedan). They're far more comfortable for long-distance driving.

You've picked up a seemingly beautiful example of a Buick Wildcat. I hope you get plenty of enjoyment from it!

 

[warmsecondrinse]

FWIW, I think the plate's great.

 

"... doubt she knew what a Buick was ..."

 

Don't tell me Buick is gone and I somehow missed its demise/departure?!

 

Jim

 

[twintubdexter]

just a thought...

With things improving between the U.S. and Cuba, I wonder how many of these cars will be like ET and find their way back home?

 

 

[twintubdexter]

that's correct Mike

The 401 "Wildcat 445" was one of the last of the nailheads, so named because of the small valves that hung vertically in the engine and resembled nails.  My first car, a 1962 Electra, had this same engine so this one is like an old friend. Buick was big into "mist" colors. The Electra was "Fawn Mist." The Wildcat is "Turquoise Mist." I remember those glitter-like "Fire Mist" colors Cadillac had in the early 70's. A friend had a DeVille Convertible in "Mauve Fire Mist." The neighbors talked.

 

[supersuds]

There's an episode of Ozzie and Harriet where they talk about the popularity of that mauve fire mist on Cadillacs, only they called it "heliotrope." Guess the name never caught on.

 

[vacerator]

washer 111,

I love the Monaro's. Even the last series, that was sold here as the Pontiac GTO.
I see some Holden Commodore's of later vintage here almost daily. Pontiac G8's.
Even the 1972 Statesman had Pontiac styling ques.
The Holden small block V8's were very similar to a Chevy small block. Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buicks were different in which sides the starters were on, distributor rotation direction for Olds, and a Buick had it's up front, like the V6's. Heads were all different as well. Oldsmobile engines had their own unique exhaust notes.
Listen to this one on you tube; Olds 455 with digital fuel injection. just type it in the search box.

 

[glomain]

LMAO

65PUSSY that's just too funny,but one beauty of a car,thanks for sharing

 

[firedome]

missed this car the first go-round last fall...

love it! GORGEOUS car and color. Neighbors back then had a '65 Wildcat in Basic Black: substantial, classy, all metal, and made to last.

I'm the same age and height and probably heavier, so know exactly what's meant by the getting-in-and-out issue. The wife's red Mustang convertible is a pain, literally, the seat way too low, although it's not claustrophobic inside. However our '58 Olds is much much more comfortable: seats like sofas, a soft ride, reliable efficient Jetaway Hydramatic, and the Rocket V8 will go! When finished it will be painted "Heather" and "Mountain Haze". Long live vintage GM!

 

[cycla-fabric]

Beautiful Car

Joe, the Wildcat looks great, I hope it gives you lots of fun. I love classic cars of all makes, and we all have our favorite car models that served us well. I remember a neighbor had a 1966 2 door LeSabre which was very similar. Enjoy the car, as people will give you looks and thumbs up as you drive it around town. My current classic car is a 1988 Lincoln Town Car if you can believe it. In NJ it is considered a classic antique, and I enjoy it very much as my 1971 Ford LTD convertable was totaled out. That was a beauty too.

Doug

 

[ovrphil]

I used to have(can't find it now)a 1985 Cadillac paint brochure that was freely available when I visited the GM Building on Michigan Ave. on my lunch hour. The enormous showroom allowed anyone to sit in the new cars and my last memory was a 1985 Eldo Biarritz in Autumn Maple Firemist. A freely available brochure(wish I had kept all these)included an enormous variety of paint colors - more than, even back then, seemed real! The firemists were my favorite.

Anyways- love your Wildcat, and the Caddie there. The factory air in that car and others from the era really cranked out the cold. That was air conditioning!

 

[davey7]

A Corvette?

Did you own a highbrow drive-in theater?

 

[vacerator]

Phil, Davey,

GM building on Michigan avenue? In Chicago, or Atlanta?
I didn't know Atlanta had a brick and mortar zone office.
Davey, a high faluten Laundromat, with a cafe', and a hair couffer, and a playroom for kids. A Christmas club also, but for in home laundry equipment savings, but you had to refer two new clients per month to get interest.

 

[bvf]

palms springs every one has classic cars

Hi nice car ,,,that is automobiling an art long forgotten ..I love your car its sad people feel like its bragging to show off ..I wish everybody did I try never to leave a responce without a picture ….keep bragging ….here is my latest fling ...

 

[philr]

I don't know how I missed this thread! Lucky you are to have this '65 Wildcat! This is my favourite car! I have a '65 too but mine is a hardtop sedan. I wish I could find a hardtop coupe like yours!

 

[twintubdexter]

Mark...that Lincoln limo is a project and a half! Once finished it will really be something special. One of the car club members has something similar, one of two made for presidential service with super thick glass, doors that weight a ton and a special place on the back for secret service members. 

 

Phil...several years ago 2 door hardtops or better yet convertibles were the vintage cars of choice. Today, 2 or 4 door sedans are very desirable too. All these old cars are getting more difficult to find. As far as 65 Wildcats, it's not uncommon to find cars for sale like this...

 

[ovrphil]

Mike - GM Building in Detroit

I worked on west Grand Blvd for NCR - little more than a year. I walked to the GM building there, just down from the NCR office.

I moved to Atlanta in 1996.

Hope that helps, Mike.

 

[philr]

Mine wasn't pretty when I got it, but it was free! I had wanted to buy this exact car when I was a teenager back in 1992 but I thought it's condition was too rough. It changed hands a few times and a friend of mine found it and got it in December of 2003 to use as a winter beater. That's what he used it for, but first, I had to fix a few things so he could use it! 

 

The first time I saw this car it had some very faded remaining metallic gray paint and it was aweful. When my friend got it, it wasn't much better and it had been repainted metallic green. Someone had installed the fuel door in the wrong way so it opened up rather than down! Here's how bad it looked when it was green.

 

The flasher stalk was in the glove box, the heater core was leaking (my friend knew about it before he bought it so we had towels to block the defrost outlets), I had removed the radiator cap too and drove it 40 minutes under the rain with the windows down, both wiper blades were gone and a lot of things didn't work that well.  Then I repainted it for him in less than ideal conditions in the small garage I rented back then with cheap products to keep the cost low. My friend wanted it to be black and I found that black happened to be the original color, code A!

 

There was a lot of body work to do and quite a few repairs that we did together. I got rid of that aftermarket mirror and I gave him the original type remote-controlled mirror which I already had. 

 

In the spring of 2004, he drove it in my driveway and he told me, it's yours! It needed minor but urgent repairs at that time just to be safe to drive! I since fixed quite a few things but it will never be a show car! 

 

These pics show some evolution of it since my friend and then I got it... As I say it will never be a show car but it's a 100% functional driver now. 

 

It lacks air conditioning (I wish it had it), cornering lights, power locks and tinted glass but it has most other options including 6 way power seat and vacuum-operated power trunk and power windows/vents, cruise control a 3.07 posi rear axle and an AM-FM radio with a power antenna and a rear window defroster. The original clock still works too.

 

I replaced the original wheel covers with chrome-plated rims and I fabricated 3 of the center caps with parts from extra wheel covers that I had and newer center caps from the 1970s. 

 

 

 

 

[supersuds]

The paint job looks good to me, Phil! And a 4-door hardtop is cool. Always like seeing your Buicks