BamaWildcat

I would put my money on the electrical connectors O-ring being bad. Congradulations, since it is a 1965 transmission, that is a switch-pitch model, which is very desirable. Google switch-pitch for an explanation. Reading my factory service manual, my 1964 non-switch pitch electrical connector has locking tabs on the back. If your 65 is the same, you will need to drop the pan, and then squeeze the tabs and the connector will come out, and which point you can replace the o-ring. It doesn't look like a horrible leak. I recommend parking on cardboard.

Agreed, I believe it will work 64-66.

Can you floor it from idle without the car dying? I've heard if the accelerator pump seal goes bad it will not retain that initial squirt you need to help start it.

eBay is about the only source. Nobody reproduces these at the moment.

You need to take the dust cap off and remove the large nut.

I did a little homework on this issue here: Want to upgrade brake booster, but need help finding measurement How do I convert my 64 Wildcat to a dual master cylinder? Here is everything in a nutshell: It looks like to convert, you will need to buy a 1967 booster, and a 1967 master cylinder. This is the first year of the dual master cylinder in a full size Buick. If you just put the 1967 master cylinder on the 65 booster, the snap that holds the cap on will hit the booster, making it unusable. The other hurtle is plumbing. The new master cylinder will use like a 3/8 and some bigger fitting, the factory lines are 1/4 (at least in my 64). Best bet is to re-plumb the entire brake systems so you do not end up with a bunch of ugly fittings and blocked off ports. Master cylinders with proportioning vavles and residual valves are not applicable to our wholly-drum brake systems.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> My question is, what is a reasonable price to pay for someone to recover the seats? I need both front and rear bench seats recovered, possibly with some padding replacement due to rot. </div></div> I got a quote of $700 labor to re-upholster my front and back seats out in my Wildcat from a local shop here in North Alabama. My seats are in pretty bad shape, so this includes foam and spring work, but not materials.

This is a great website for questions, and there is also a Classic Buicks section at www.V8buick.com. Plenty of people are sitting on parts they would sell if asked specifically.

Philippe is right on the money as to your two choices if it is an original carb. Once you let us know which pictures the carb favors, we can let you know where to look for the carb numbers.

I'd say the oil consumption is on the high side, but with a freshly rebuilt engine, things might need time to settle. Regarding leaded fuel, I've been running 93 Octane unleaded with no problems. I have read various places that the Nailhead heads are not as susceptible to the problems with lack-of-lead as other heads are.

I hope you were being sarcastic about short ones on the front, long ones on the rear. Each wheel of brake pads has to have a primary and secondary shoe.

Here is another angle: check to make sure you have a long and short shoe on BOTH sides, and not two long shoes on one side of the car, and two short shoes on the other. Don't ask me how I know about this.

I did the theatrical gel route. Before: After: Turned out perfect in my opinion.

Anyone ever used one? I'm looking for the instructions. My vacuum diaphram is shot. eBay

I've never seen the stuff in the trunk reproduced. Looks like burlap glued down with some really strong adhesive. I'd like some too if anyone ever finds a source.

In my Buick, I have both hot and cold idiot lights. The hot light is supposed to light up red, and the cold light is supposed to light up green. After 41 years in the sun, the background color of these plastic pieces fades away, and the bulb shines right through. In the picture you can see this phenomenon: The outer band of color is actually what the whole plastic piece should be colored. My question is, how do I go about restoring this? It doesn't appear to be sprayed on, it looks to be "through" the plastic, like the plastic's original color was the background. Can I put some paint on this, or what? Any help would be appreciated. Image attached.

Here is a '63 with power brakes that also has nothing on the raised area:

I know on the big cars the cruise control vacuum canister mounts to the firewall. I know nothing mounts to it in model year 1964- I've looked at a thousand or so 1964's on eBay over the years, and have looked at other '64s. I would like any input from 63,62,61 guys to see if there is something there in their model year.

The Opti-Kleen actually sits down in the passenger inner fender opposite of the driver's side battery tray on the big Cars. I guess even though your compressor is mounted there, there is no raised area?

Okay, on the driver's side of all my Buick there is this raised area between the battery tray and the horn relay. It is about four inches long, and has two areas pre-punched ready to be drilled. Why was this incorporated in the fender? I've never seen a factory overflow, so I can't image it went there. Was this just pressed in because back in 1961 a part mounted there or something? Curiosity is killing the 'Cat. Arrow to what I am talking about:

I've got two original 1964 Buick Wildcat's, they are both black under the hood. www.1964buick.com

It sounds possible. Provided the 62 engine you speak of is a Nailhead, it can have a temp gauge at the front passenger side of the heads or the back driver side of the heads. The Nailhead head is the same from left to right, so on the driver side head the temp gauge hole gets a plug in it which can be removed with a 3/8 drive ratchet. Anyway, I would need to see a picture, but if the 59's thermocouple was originally made to go down into a water passage, and has a nut around it, it would be a simple as getting a brass adapter that fit the nailhead head, and then screwing the thermocouple nut into it. This would only work if the thermocouple could extend far enough into the water jacket after the adapter to be submerged. Let's see some pics.

Great info! I had no idea what the nipple was for at the top back of the carb. (The heat riser set up was long eliminated on my car). Can you attach any pictures of your setup?

I am pulling a complete air conditioning system off my parts car onto my project car. I have already checked the suction throttle valve (STV), and it does not hold vacuum. I have been reading up on this valve, and it seems I have two options. One, buy the Year One STV rebuild kit, with a new diahragm, and O rings, and a clip, pictured below: While this looks to be a decent solution, I have read elsewhere where something actually deforms inside the STV, rendering this a temporary fix until it gets warped along with the other goodies in the vavle. The other option, which I have been studying heavily, is branded as an "update kit" which changes the system from an evaporative pressure system to a more modern thermostatic clutch cycling system. This is pictured below: The thing is, I can find no real information about this unit. A lot of people sell it, and it is part number 50-2500P everywhere, but there is never a mention of who makes it. Above all, I would just like to read the manual that comes with it. Has anyone tried this solution? What did you like/dislike? To me, I like the old system of the compressor staying on the whole time the A/C is on. While it is not efficient, it keeps you from playing with your carb getting your idle to work well with the system kicking on and off. But, if the choice is between cycling A/C and no A/C, it doesn't take much to make up my mind. Please let me know if anyone can shed some light onto this kit. Thanks!

I had the windshield pulled out of my Wildcat and need to locate a source for the clips that hold the moulding on. CARS in NJ doesn't seem to have them, neither does Bob's Automobilia. Help!