72Buickguy

The earlier -- up to 64 Twilight Sentinels didn't have the delay feature that the later ones had. On the early ones, the top part of the unit rotated to expose either more or less outside light to the photocell. Thats what triggered the lights to come on. It just turned the lights on or off based on when the photocell sensed light. Many times the photocell is cracked but they are replaceable.

From 72-till fairly recently, the big Buicks had a factory or dealer accessory that monitored the front and sometimes real lamps using fiber optics. Cadillac switched from separate lights on top the fenders to fiber optics in 71. Chevy was the first to use the fiber optic lamp monitors for most all their car lines from 68-70 too. They called their system 'Vigilite'. If the lamp sockets on your Electra have a provision for adding the fiber optic cables, then you can easily add the Buick option, but it wasn't offered in that year from the factory or dealer. If someone says it came that way for something unusual, then they need some documentation that explains why their car came from the factory with parts that the factory would not have available.

Its a thermal delay switch for the ventilation system fan. The fan is always on, except when the engine is cold. The switch tells the ven system when the engine is warm.

Thw wood wheel horn bar seems to have been poorly designed when new, so an intact one is very expensive. The rally wheel is shared with Chevy and the other parts to go with the wheel are available new, except for the horn button saying 'Buick'. The hard part is going to be finding a wheel and button in an odd color.

All you would need to satisfy doubts is a copy of an order sheet for the particular year Centurion you have doubts about. You'll see a listing for an option called 'High Performance 455'. Some people insist on calling it a Stage 1, but Buick didn't label it that way all the time. It was the engine used in the 71-72 GS Rivieras, and the engine included with the Riviera Stage 1 package in 1973. It was available in all the big Buicks as an engine option and again as a Stage 1 option package in Rivs for 1974. Just look for the W in the VIN.

To remove the turn signal lever, you'll need to remove the steering wheel, and also the lock plate to access the turn signal switch.. I have removed the levers, but never without the proper tools.

White was not one of the color choices Buick used in 72. White cars used black moldings. The moldings also came in silver, green, blue and sandalwood.

As of a few months ago, both the C and D horns were available. They cost about $30 from a Delco dealer. A Delco dealer is not the same as a car dealer. Many parts dealers also sell Delco parts. Car dealers usually cost the most for car parts. You may also call wrecking yards in your area to see if you can find the horns used. Horns are easy to test.

Cadillacs had an option called Trumpet horn. Its easy to figure out which years by referencing sales literature.

You can buy them brand new from a dealer that sells Delco parts. They sound the same as the older horns, but the new ones dont look like the old style. They look like a regular horn. The cast was about $30, more through a car dealer parts department of course.

is there any other info on your build sheet with the wire wheels, such as an option code?

Including which model Buick you need parts for may bring you more success.

I'd like to suggest a couple things to help on the unending quest for unusually optioned cars. The first would be a Kelly blue book or New Car Price guide for the years you are interested in. Either of those will give you information on which items were standard or optional for each model, along with option pricing. Back issues are available at used book stores and online. The second would be to browse through an auto industry book called Ward's Automotive Reports. This book was published every year and included lots of data for the previous years production, including option installation rates. These are available at larger public libraries and at university libraries. You can copy the pages that show option installation. I think these would be very useful for someone interested in options, and will answer many of your questions.

I used to own a 65 Chrysler New Yorker with the Perfect Circle type cruise control ( Mopar called it Auto Pilot). In addition to the cruise control capability, the system included a speed alert sort of feature where the gas pedal became hard to depress at the the preset speed. This was when it was not in cruise control mode and was pretty handy.

It sounds like time to buy some Buick sales and dealer literature for your reference material. A good collection will help you know what eqiupment was available for the years you are interested in.

The speedometer hole is the same, but there is an extra hole required for the wiring and vacuum line to the brake light switch. It's shown in the shop manual. The Buick transducer was used way past the 76 Buicks though. I see them in the junk yards on much newer Buicks.

I've done it, and it's not especially difficult. The hardest part is getting all of the parts, and getting working ones if you get them from a wrecking yard. The turn signal lever isn't too difficult to change, and that's the toughest part. The vacuum bellows that pull the accelerator don't seem to last well after 30 years. Don't forget to get the clip and stud that connect the chain to the carb, the fiber optic and cruise lense for the right dash panel, and the two switches/bracket by the brake pedal.

Also try Desert Dog Auto Parts for rechroming. They charge $250 plus shipping. I used DHL to ship my bumper and the charge was less than $13.

The fiber optics can also get damaged if bent too sharply. A quick check is to shine a light into the monitor at the fender and look at the other end of the fiber optic at the bulb connector. You'll notice the cable is composed of many smaller light conductors. If too many of the smaller conductors are broken, then it could cause that condition. Also, make sure the fiber optics are installed completely at the light socket. They need to be close to the bulb to work properly.

Yes, if someone wanted to pay a few extra $$, then they could order a non-standard paint color. If you call the Sloan museum in Flint and ask for the daily production report for your bodystyle, the report will tell you how many came in your color. It's probably more than 1 though. An alternative is to post on the v8 Buick board, www.v8buick.com . Some of those guys already have the production reports.

If you want your seats to stay correct, then you will need to stay with vinyl. That's the only material the factory offered on the bucket seat option from about 1966 to 1975.

In the 60's and early 70's Canadian Pontiac literature I have, the Canadian Pontiacs were trying to match the Chevy models. So the Parisienne had an interior comparable to Impalas, and when the Caprice came out, they combined the Chevy Caprice interior with the Bonneville exterior. They were probably using those models to compete more closely with Chevy, instead of being a more expensive car. So they used the cheaper components to reduce the price.

Try getting the horns from a Delco dealer instead of a Buick dealer, you may save money.

The speed alert was probably intended to save the owners from getting too many speeding tickets. Buicks were powerful, quiet cars with soft accelerator springs. I found the speed alert useful on the non cruise control equipped Buicks I owned. The buzzer would start to go off before the set speed though.

My car buying guide for 72 doesn't show the Regency option. It probably was a mid year addition, so wouldn't show up in the first editions.