1970 Wildcat CVT 3 speed

San Antonio Craigslist

http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/cto/4829767698.html

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Didn't dream that the big buicks of that era would have had 3 on the tree.

Brings back good memories, my buddy in highschool had a 1969 wildcat hard top same color with a 430 and a turbo 400 , that car was fun.

thanks for posting.

If the car is as half as good as it looks then that seems a bargain to me.......shouldn't last long.

San Antonio Craigslist

http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/cto/4829767698.html

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That would look GOOD wrapped around YOU, Willie.

Ben

been for sale for quite a while now

A 3 on the tree cruiser would have a very limited market still appears like a could car for the miney.

I spoke on the phone to a Wildcat collector in Canada.

He had an inspector look at that rare car, and the inspector

said that the floors were rusty. If the floors are rusty,

what other hidden rust might there be? he felt.

He did not buy it, but instead bought a different '70 Wildcat convertible.

This car was also mentioned on the V8Buick website.

There, one poster said he had owned that car years ago.

But someone get it and restore it! It certainly is unusual.

Certainly a rare car, and it looks nice in the photos.

Keith

Don't know too many Convertibles that don't have rusty floorboards . Kinda part of the deal owning one. Isn't this the same one that has been in the Buick Bugle ??

Talking to the Wildcat collector in Canada,

i got the impression that the rusted floors

were serious enough to reject the car.

If the car were excellent, few would reject a

rarity like that for surface rust!

Maybe there's a forum member who will

go see the car and report back on the Forum---

I'm trying to ignore this one, because it would probably make me fall out of love with my red 3-spd. 4-dr. hardtop (was in the Dec. Bugle), and I really don't have the room. This one has been for sale for awhile. It started out at $14,000 or so, and I actually made the seller an offer on it few months ago, but he turned it down. It has no A/C, so I suspect it was originally from a northern location, hence the rust--if there is rust--I have not looked at it other than in the photos. It is the only 3-speed 1970 Wildcat convertible that was ever made, so very, very collectible. I can tell you that my 3-speed Wildcat gets amazing gas mileage on the highway--lousy around town, but nearly 20 on a highway trip.

Pete Phillips

BCA #7338

Pete, I was thinking of your 4-door hardtop when

I first heard about the manual-transmission convertible!

YOU are the perfect next owner for this car.

If you're out of room, I bet garages are pretty affordable

to rent in small towns or rural Texas. Just imagine taking

BOTH of those manual Wildcats to a show and wowing people.

You would truly be the stuff of legend:

"I remember there was a guy back in the early 2000's who

had TWO 3-speed Wildcats!" "Aw, c'mon, I don't believe it!"

I called the contact a few days ago and asked about a/c (none as noted in a previous post). He did say the floor pans had been replaced. You don't need to drive on salty northern roads or beaches to rust a convertible --- they all leak and if not dried out properly, they will rust. Any buyer should do a close inspection of this or any other car at that price level. For me, lack of a/c is a deal breaker (I already have a non a/c CVT I'm trying to sell) and as neat as that 3-speed is, it would get old real quick of caught in a traffic jam!

Willie

I don't ever recall getting fed up with a STICK no matter how bad the stop and go traffic was, but then at 78, I STILL love to drive.

Dale in Indy

I talked again to the Canadian Wildcat collector.

His inspector said the rusty floor had been patched, but not very well.

He got the serial # (VIN), and a friend of his verified that the car

did indeed come with a manual transmission from the factory.

The engine # was not confirmed as original or non-original either way,

because the inspector neglected to look for the engine number.

The inspector took no note of filler in the body; but the collector

feels the inspector may not have been thorough in that regard.

After all, if the floors are rusted, one would think other parts would

also be rusted.

Amen to the RUST. I have done to many cars to know that rust doesn't just stop at the floors.

I would be very concerned about FILLER covering issues that will pop up soon.

Dale in Indy

If it rings the bell just buy it. Once it gets home poke around and if it looks too bad sell it and make a few bucks. It's never a total loss.

As for shifting, I would probably end up using second and third most of the time anyway. I found myself doing that naturally with the Packard last summer and that has the smaller eight.

Bernie

No wouldn't be a TOTAL loss, but a loss is a loss, and it could be a big loss.

Do your homework FIRST, IMO

I have to admit, I am a little more cautious than I used to be. Although I think I might be ahead on the overall profit and loss side, my biggest loss concern now is loss of space.

30 or so years ago I had one keeper and one "floater", a car that was always just passing through. Then I got a floater that turned into a keeper. Then there were three. That's when the disease took over.

All my keepers are impulse purchases. I tried the diligent homework and objective analysis a few times. Those cars never seemed to work out.

I can only imagine where I'd be today if my wife had done her homework.

Bernie

Hey, if YOU are happy, we SHOULD be too,

Enjoy,

Dale in Indy

Here's the information which I printed earlier from

the seller's ad on www.classiccars.com.

The ad is no longer posted on that website.

Odometer reading: 129,000

"1970 Buick Wildcat is ready for cruise nights! This is a great running car,

Blue paint is shiny, it has a 455 4-barrel, factory manual 3-speed on the tree

(1 of 18), new white power convertible roof with glass back window,

runs and drives great, everything works but the clock."

I had e-mailed the seller, and his name is Kent Hamel, phone 210-825-7470

in San Antonio, Texas.

The Canadian collector said that this is a rather low-optioned car, with

manual windows (and no air conditioning as previously noted). He said

it's as if the original buyer ordered as few options as possible!

I see from the 1970 Buick catalogue that Wildcats did indeed come

standard with a 3-speed manual transmission. I know that historically,

performance-minded drivers wanted as few options as possible,

to save weight.

I have very rarely bought a car just for profit. That just happens when I figure out I don't want it.

Bernie

I have been watching this post and honestly, If someone wanted a neat and unique convertible, this would have been the car to buy. It cost way more to restore a car these days. My prediction (just my own opinion), this car will be in the mid-twenties in 5-7 years from now. Great color combo, performance, and very stylish. ;-)