63 BUICK WILDCAT 401 4 SPEED - HOW MANY ARE OUT THERE?

[Pfeil]

28 minutes ago, padgett said:

No but a 401 was available, dual quads even. Was talking about instruments and better (8-Lug) brakes.

 

"Dynaflow is a "automatic" transmission and not a automagic" Gee gosharootie I never would have guessed

Actually the big aluminum finned Buick drum brakes with steel liners worked just as well and maybe better than Pontiac's eight lug aluminum steel lined drum. They were both finned, you just didn't see the fins on the Buick because they were on the inside and the Buicks Wheels ( 15") and drums were bigger than the Pontiac "14"). 

Buick finned drums were the brake of choice for hot rodders before disc brakes. Now the old school hot rodders are using Buick brakes again;

  

 

As far as automagic is concerned I prefer the correct nomenclature, Just sounds like you are trying to bring attention to yourself.

Edited August 10, 2020 by Pfeil (see edit history)

[padgett]

Canary Trap.

[rocketraider]

Anyone knows automatic transmissions work off magic. Who knows what goes on inside that box?

 

Story is the fellow who designed the original HydraMatic ended up in an asylum. Maybe he had no sense of humor or appreciation of silliness either.

 

I often told my powerplant operator trainees that big fossil and nuke plants ran off FM... Good an explanation as any. The graemlins certainly hung around the place. 

[60FlatTop]

It the days before SCR's and microprocessors became common I maintained four variable speed pumps for a dialysis unit that had Dynaflow-like fluid couplings. No magic allowed.

 

My '60 triple turbine Dynaflow hooked to a 325 HP 401 will still accelerate fast enough to make Scott Heise from the Finger Lakes Buick Club Chapter giggle.

[padgett]

I leave automagics to professionals. Not that I haven't rebuilt one (and revalved many) just that I prefer not to. Is just one of my trigger words.

 

Also prefer 1900-2000 rpm at 70 mph. Not easy with a 400.

[Robert Street]

On 6/26/2011 at 11:02 PM, Pete Phillips said:

There was a Buick Bugle magazine article on the '63-'64 Wildcats last year, and the article addressed the rarity of the 4-speed equipped cars. In addition, Mr. Corbin and I jointly own one of the 4-speed convertibles, which is under restoration now. We did some research on them and also had help from other Buick club members and historians.

I have to completely and totally disagree with Mr. Rohn's statement that production numbers and rarity have nothing to do with a car's value. What makes a '70 GS 455 stage One convertible so valuable? What makes a '49 Chrysler Town & Country convertible so valuable? What makes a '63 Chrysler 300 J so valuable? What makes the 842 Buick Skylark converitbles built in 1954 so valuable? What makes the 142 1961 Impala Super Sports built with the factory 409 engine so valuable? If 250,000 copies of each car I"ve just named had been built, do you think we would be talking the same values?! No way. It is a combination of rarity combined with desireability. Sure, there were some low-production cars that were never very desirable, and are not valuable today--Yugos would be one example. A '58 Studebaker Scotsman might be another. But to say that low production numbers never have anything to do with value is incorrect.

Pete Phillips

Leonard, TX

Pete, jus’ clearing the air. The 142 late 61 Chevrolet optional 409 motors were available for all full sized sedans and not exclusive to the part year 453 Built Super Sport cars.

I own a real 61 Super Sport coupe and yes one of the 142 1961 only 409’s

Robert