1970 Buick Wildcat

[Guest BJM]

My 1970 Wildcat 2 door hardtop was just delivered from Montana. I found this car on Craigs List in November 2011. I noticed in the photos it had factory buckets and console.

I had been looking for a 70 Wildcat project for quite awhile. They are rare and hard to find. When you do, they are typically bench seat cars. They made I think about 9800 1970 2 door hardtops. I suspect maybe 1000? were equipped with bucket seats and console. That's just my estimation. I have not seen another one.

This is a one family car since new. It has always been a Montana car. It has some dents and some rust but much better then midwestern cars.

It is complete. The family started a stalled restoration as many do, including me. I am in the process of removing parts from the interior.

The car is set up nicely with the following options or packages:

Deluxe Bucket Seats (Color Black)

Full length console

Air Conditioning

Rear Defrost

3.23 Positraction

455 (Standard)

Interestingly, it was not equipped with the Buick Road Wheels.

I am not a fan of the color but it appears to have been medium green with dark green vinyl roof.

Thought some of you would like to see what a 70 Wildcat (last year) with factory buckets and console looks like, even in project condition.

[JohnD1956]

I had no idea they used that slick shifter in these. This car does look like a project, but I bet you can handle it. Good luck!

[Pete Phillips]

A very worthwhile project, Jake.

There was a 1970 Wildcat convertible at the Salado, Texas Buicks & Bluebonnets show, low-mileage unrestored car with the black bench seats. I think he paid more than five figures for it. Will see if I can find and post a photo of it.

Pete Phillips

[Ted "Wildcat65" Nagel]

Cool project! I've been talking to Bob Tonsajunk and he is sota looking for one of the bucket seat 70's. He had found one the had no a/c- a deal breaker for a south florida location! Keep us looking...

Ted

[BUICK RACER]

Hmm, just came across this. Apparently, nobody looks at the Buick Club other links of interest!!

My Brother has owned 2 convertibles, actually 3, cause he parted two out, and I still have the title for one!

1970 Wildcat Information

[Guest BJM]

I was pretty close on bucket seat production. 1226 v my guess of 1000. I thought mine was NOT going to have Air Conditioning given it's Montana origins. I was hoping for a posi for that reason, extra traction in snow.

Thanks for the production figures Roberta.

[Guest BJM]

With some time today I wanted to verify the extent of soft trim (i.e. interior) restoration required.

The previous owner basically threw everything into the interior and trunk. Since some of the "coolness" of this car is related to the bucket seat/full console set up (1 of 1,226) I was worried that they had damaged the key interior pieces by throwing everything in.

In my experience, once a final payment is made on a project car, the previous owner doesn't care a whole lot about it.

Luckily I found the door panels to be near mint and the rear seat to be untorn except for a seam split at the rear seat speaker.

Rear seat needs "steamed" and all soft trim will need re-dyed black. Front seats are the only items needing re-upholstered, saving me about $1500.

Anyway, I located the build sheet under the rear seat.

A very interesting build.

[Guest BJM]

This guy had performance in mind:

G80 Posittraction

JL2 Power front disc brakes (still kind of rare in 1970)

F40 Heavy Duty Suspension

D55 Long Console

No power windows BUT rear defrost, Air conditioning, power trunk release and AM/FM radio, tilt steering??

Can anyone explain what WD5 Special GM Paint Means?

[Guest my3buicks]

I'm betting that car started out life as a GM exec car or show car - loaded up, and if had special order paint color

It will be fabulous when done