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LeMay Museum, questions about the fiberglass-bodied 1964 Buick Wildcat


Centurion

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As many of you know from prior topics on this forum, the LeMay Car Museum in Tacoma received the donation of a 1964 Buick Wildcat 2-door hardtop. I saw the car today, and it is beautiful!

The unique aspect of the car is that the body is constructed mostly of fiberglass, and was a concept proposed by the Ionia Body Mg. division of the Mitchell-Bentley Corporation.

Since production of the full-size, Ionia-bodied Buick and Oldsmobile wagons was slated to end at the conclusion of the 1964 model year, Ionia Body was actively proposing other projects to the auto manufacturers.

You will notice from these current photos that the front fender ornamentation differs from the regular production 1964 Wildcat:

1964buickwildcat021_original.jpg

1964buickwildcat016_original.jpg

Are there any 1964 Buick experts here who can respond to the following codes I've received from one of the volunteers at the Museum?

VIN located on door pillar 6K1221604

Engine # CK1221604

number stamped on firewall X 4459645

No trim tag found

I assume that the VIN and engine numbers should be identical, in which case the first character might have been mis-read on either the VIN or the engine.

Please advise if you can interpret any of the numbers.

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6K1221604

6 = Wildcat, series 4600

K = 1964

1 = Flint, MI

221604 = sequence number for car, range for Flint was 001001 to 233508

The engine should be the same, so probably a 6 and not a C at the beginning.

Sean, thank you so much for your help.

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Hey Brian, will this museum be a tour on next year's National Meet?

I would very much like to see that car up close.

John, it's unlikely that there will be a tour from Portland to Tacoma, which is 142 miles away. Perhaps it would be possible for the LeMay Museum to display the car in Portland, however. We do have some BCA influence at the Museum.

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I am already planning a sizeable side trip Derek. Much like Dandy Dave, I always wanted to see the west coast, so after the meet I am looking to cruise the Pacific Highway to San Francisco to see my wife's uncle, then to Sacramento to see my neice, then to Las Vegas to satisfy some gambling instincts, then possibly to Salt Lake City to see my sister. So you're right, what's another 142 miles? Hope I can pull it off.

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Guest Rob McDonald

Hey, you wimps! Mark Shaw and the BCA Pre-War Division is already planning to visit Tacoma and the LeMay Museum, as the traditional After Tour of the National Meet in 2014. If those pre-Nailhead crocks can make the journey, I'm sure our '50s, '60s, and '70s Buicks will be welcome to tag along. I'm hoping to drive my '57 to and from Portland, through Tacoma on the way home. Probably won't happen but a guy's gotta have a dream.

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Guest Rob McDonald

Then there are the BTE (Buick Trailering Enthusiasts) and my people, the BPE (Buick Procrastinating Enthusiasts), who will bring a car when we get around to it.

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