Buick Identification

[Guest]

I'm looking at a picture in BCA's photo gallery and noticed a picture of a red 1962 Wildcat. I'm wondering...is this really a Wildcat, or a LeSabre? I know Wildcats had the "vent" on the lower sides of the fenders, and the 1962 pictured actually has the three LeSabre ports. Did Buick not start using the unique "faux vent" trim in '62? (Was it just a special edition of the LeSabre back then, maybe?) <P>Just curious. <P>My folks owned a '65 Wildcat that we retired to a junkyard in '75, your typical victim of Michigan's rusting problem. So while I don't drive anything even closely resembling a Buick today, I'm still fond of the old Invicta/Wildcat cars from the 50's and 60's.<P><P>------------------<BR>

[Guest]

I too am a major fan of the Wildcat. My first two Buicks were Wildcats; a 1964 purchased in 1973 and a 1965 purchased some twenty years later! Both were wonderful, wonderful cars.<P>The Wildcat started life much as the Gran Sport did in 1965 with the Skylark. The 1962 to which you refer was indeed a sub-series, not of the LeSabre but of the Invicta model line. It was the first Wildcat of the nine year run; the two-door hardtop pictured had a sticker of $3927.00, and sold either 2,000 or 12,000 copies depending on which source you believe. In 1963 the Wildcat became a separate line and the Invicta was only available as a wagon. It was not unitl the 1964 model year that the Wildcat started using the "faux vent" trim behind the front wheel arches, and was the last year that the model used the shorter LeSabre/Invicta chassis. By 1965 the Wildcat was being built on the Electra frame, giving it a wheelbase three inches longer than the previous year but coming in four inches shorter than the Electra in overall length.<P>Those first three years are my very favorite, but the 1965 that I owned had the Wildcat 465 engine and a 3.42 positracton axle. What a thrill it was to drive that car after years of owing little gas-sipping four bangers! And what style that car had...<P>Matthew<P><BR>Sources:<BR>The Buick: A Complete History - written by Terry B. Dunham and Lawrence R. Gustin - copyright 1980<BR>Great American Automobiles of The Sixties - written by Richard M. Langworth and James R. Flammang - copyright 1992<BR>Original Buick sales literature from 1964 and 1965

[Guest]

The Wildcat switched back to the Le Sabre wheelbase in '69 & '70. A short wheelbase & the high compression 430 & 455 V8's of '69 & 70 were a great combination. The Wildcat name was retired after the 1970 model year and Buick introduced a new line to take it's place in '71 .. the Centurion. Centurion had neither Ventiports nor Chevrons (the trim behind the front wheel) and it rode on the 123" Le Sabre wheelbase. The '71 & '72 came with the 455 (lower compression now as The General decided it was time to get ready for low/no lead fuel) and the '73 came with the 350 (with the 455's still an option). The Centurion was discontinued after 1973.

[Guest]

Funny about Wildcat's engine sizing. Up until several years ago, I'd thought that the "445" on the air cleaner was the displacement of the engine. After reading my Big BUicks book, I learned that 445 was the amount of torque the engine put out, and the actual C.I.D. was around 400.<P>I'm remembering all those cool details inside (and outside) the car. The flip-open vent windows. The footwell vents that opened with dashboard knobs. The speedometer warning buzzer. A back seat big enough to store a full-sized bicycle in...STANDING UP. A "cold" engine light, which went off when she warmed up to operating temperature. (Helpful to know when to turn on the heat in winter!) The choke that didn't work properly...and the constant pumping of the accelerator to get it running. And that cool swing-down gas cap cover w/ the logo on it.<P>Our 1971 LeSabre was the real dud, but we held onto the Wildcat until 1975, when we bought a 1973 Pontiac Catalina. Poor ol' Wildcat just wasn't in the best of health. The Catalina also had a 400 engine, but only a 2-BBL carb. Talk about a slug! But after we had the Pontiac for a year, my mother kept saying how much she missed the Wildcat. And so did I!<P>I wonder how Buick would do a Wildcat today? A LeSabre body with Wildcat embellishments, w/ supercharged 3800? Hmmmm...<P><P>------------------<BR>

[Guest]

Hopefully by following in the Blackhawk's footsteps and doing a rendition of one of the Wildcat Motorama cars of the early 50's. That would be nice. Lets just hope it is not an overblown (and overpriced) sport ute.<P>

[Guest]

Wildcatfan wrote: Funny about Wildcat's engine sizing. Up until several years ago, I'd thought that the "445" on the air cleaner was the displacement of the engine. After reading my Big BUicks book, I learned that 445 was the amount of torque the engine put out, and the actual C.I.D. was around 400.<BR>Yes the 445 was a 401 CID and the 465 was a 425 CID. <BR>I too have always loved the WIldcat, One of my favorite cars is the 1965 Wildcat (just to interior door panels alone are enough) Many of you won't like this story but, Hey, it was a different time. Around 1976 my fathers 1955 Ford F-100 needed a tranny. He had installed a 364 Buick and a Dynaflow in it in 1965! One of my paper route customers had a 1963 Wildcat 4 door hardtop with bucket seats and a console and tach, holding a fence up in their side yard with weeds up to the door handles. The guy said $100.00 and it was ours. My brother and I went down to get it, he stuck a battery in it, a coil wire and cut off an inch or two from the leaking fuel hose and pushed it back on the carb, and fired it up! I am not exaggerating I remember it well, it didn't turn over more than a time or two and it fired up. We drove it home on four flat tires (it was just down the street) and put some tires on it so we could take it for a spin. It drove great, I remember it not having even the hint of a wind noise. Now the sad part, we pulled the motor, tranny, bucket seats,Tach, and a few other things and junked it. Even at 17 years old, I had changed my mind and I did not want to junk out this fine car, but I had to go along, it just was the practical thing to do. The motor lives on to this day in my Dads F-100 and the Tach is in my Truck (I installed it there the same summer)Sorry for the downer story but look at it this way...your original Wildcats are worth more today because of me. <P>------------------<BR>buickfam@aol.com<BR>Life long Buick Fan.<BR>1965 Skylark H/T<BR>1965 Gran Sport Convertible<BR>1948 Chevy Pickup with 401 Buick.

[Guest]

I hated to see our '65 Cat go to the junkyard. But it was ten years old, rust was eating away at it, and it had a few things wrong with it. Harder to start than ever (the choke never worked). And it was in a minor accident a few years prior when the brakes went out. We didn't have the money to keep it and eventually restore it. Heck, we didn't even have a garage back then! When we bought the '73 Catalina in '75, it was time to retire the Wildcat. At the time we were glad to see it go, but in later years we'd miss it. I hope someone got the engine out of it and appreciated it!<P>Funny how, back then, 10 years was about all the life you could expect out of a car, at least as a daily driver here in Michigan. Heck, our '71 LeSabre only lasted 7 years, and I don't think it even made it much past 80,000 miles! It had a multitude of problems. Blew radiator and heater hoses all the time, which would soak the distributor cap and leave us stranded in the worst places. The A/C leaked onto the floor, which rusted it out. The ignition system had a problem for a few months where the car would run very sluggishly. The last straw was when we were driving on the freeway and the exhaust dropped; the floor had already rusted through, and it had other things wrong with it, and amidst much swearing, my father decided to go out and buy a new car. (Little did we know the 1978 Chrysler Newport we bought would be the worst car we'd ever own!)<P>In comparison, I'm currently driving a 1988 Accord with 165,000 miles on it. Only a few rust spots, and I'm hoping to coax another year or two out of it. Just about any car these days can get over 100,000 miles on it without any major problems if they're cared for.<P>I remember the Wildcat show car several years ago, where they had it as a two-seater sports car. Nice idea, but I prefer the idea of the Wildcat being some kind of fast, stealth family sedan, ready to eat unaware sports cars without blinking. ;-) I could see adding an exciting new grille to the LeSabre, reintroducing the faux vents on the side, hopefully avoiding GM's practice of blacking out all of the chrome on the car...drop in a supercharged 3800, or maybe even a 4.5L V8. Leather buckets, sporty interior trim (which would hopefully avoid the Pontiac "boy racer" theme GM is so fond of), and a new Wildcat emblem.<P>------------------<BR>

[Centurion]

If I were asked to identify the single series of Buick that is my all-out favorite, I would say "Wildcat" without reservation. I learned to drive on my parents' '65 2-door hardtop, and I believe that this was one of the most beautifully-styled cars General Motors ever designed.<P>I have read some interviews of retired General Motors design staff, who said that they consider the 1965 full-size cars -- across the board -- to be the best designed cars they ever did. Buick and Pontiac received particular praise because of the "shape and style" from every angle. To me, the Wildcat was the best example of everything that was right about GM's styling of that period.<P>Rivieras and Gran Sports (the A-Body versions) receive the bulk of collector attention among Buicks of the '60's. Make my '60's Buick a Wildcat. With the right options, the Wildcat rivaled the Riviera for styling and luxury. Thirty-five years later, the Wildcat seems to be the more unique, more exclusive car. You'll see numerous Rivieras at any Buick gathering, but how many Wildcats will you see?<P>I love the big 'cats of every year, but here is my dream Wildcat: 1965 Wildcat Custom 2-door hardtop in Midnight Aqua with white bucket seat interior, chrome road wheels, cornering lamps, wood steering wheel, Super Wildcat (dual quad 425), 4-speed manual transmission, 3.42 positraction, and Buick's cool-looking power antenna option.<P>Thanks for letting me dream!

[AK Buickman]

Centurion, you really know how to get a Buick collector exited!!!<BR>Memories of my long-gone 1965 Wildcat 6667 Custom convertible got my heart pumping fast again!!<BR>This car was black, black convertible top, white custom bucket seat interior, factory Buick road wheels with the red "Buick Wildcat" center caps, 425 engine, dual 4-bbl carbs, stock dual exhaust, factory 4-speed transmission (yes, the numbers matched!!), and a 3:42 Positraction rear axle.<BR>This car SCREAMED on acceleration, moving its 126 inch wheelbase in a very quick manner!<BR>It was a typical Buick "sleeper". Sorry, you Riviera guys---my car blew the doors off of a 1966 Riviera Gran Sport one night---the awesome power of my Wildcat actually surprised me!! At about 100 MPH, the Riviera was really far behind me. I'm not cutting down Rivieras; I love them and I used to own a '66 Riviera Gran Sport--it was a very fast car and charged very hard when accelerating. But my 4-speed Super Wildcat was awesome!<BR>Wildcats forever!!<BR>AK Buickman...........

[AK Buickman]

Centurion- I forgot to mention something about my 4-speed Wildcat; it had the neat power antenna on the rear fender, AM/FM radio, and factory ))))reverb((((.<BR>The reverb effect sounded almost like soon-to-be-introduced stereo.<BR>AK Buickman

[Guest]

I never knew a Wildcat came with buckets, 4-speed (on the floor, or the column?), rally wheels, etc. Sounds sharp!!!<P>We had the standard Wildcat hubcaps, which I think were aluminum with the Kitty emblem in the middle. (Took Dad over a year to find a replacement when he lost one.) Ours was white, four door, had the standard bench seats, which were a silver/charcoal color. THe one seam was torn by the driver side...as Dad said, the original owner was quite heavy. ;-)<P>Did the '65 Cats ever come with options like A/C, or power windows or locks? Or even an FM radio option? (Didn't know about the "reverb"!) Doesn't seem to fit with the performance image.<P>I remember my grandfather's 1968 LeSabre having A/C and some power options to it. That was also a sharp-looking car!<P>-= Neil =-

[Guest]

My fav 'cat is the '64, but Wildcats have all the flair and following, while it's parent the Invicta is merely strange-sounding, unloved & forgotten. I wish my '59 Invicta was available with buckets/console, 4-spd/tach and some sort of road wheel to fit it's billing as 'the most sporting Buick'.

[Ted "Wildcat65" Nagel]

Now you guys have got me all excited! I was rebuilding my 65 riv engine and using the manual A LOT, and I saw the section a\on 4-speed transmissions...and wondered what Buick would have one of them? Wildcat. So I looked for a four speed car for 5-6 years-passed on 2 of them, but finally bought one this year. Anyway, I love the 65 model year for all reasons mentioned in other posts, in particular the Wildcat and Riviera. Now I have a Custom auto coupe, Custom 4-speed coupe, and wildcat custom convertible! Also trying to get a 4-speed convertible. All the cars need work. Thats why I have a job, so I have money for these toys. Ted Nagel

[Ted "Wildcat65" Nagel]

Oh yeah, about those options Wildcatfan!<BR>The Wildcat was Buick's Banker's hot rod, so it was available with all kinds of goodies.<BR>My convertible has w,pl,p antenna, signal seeking radio am/fm, Auto dimming headlights, cruise control, power trunk release, tissue dispenser, power seat, power top. Does not have the reverberator, but it was available!<BR>It has the 2x4bbl engine to get the 4600 lb thing going!

[Centurion]

I reluctantly sold a '65 Wildcat Custom 2-door hardtop in 1996. The car needed more work than I could afford to give it, but the car was factory-equipped with A/C, power windows, 6-way power seat, power antenna, positraction (3.23), dual exhaust, tilt wheel, cruise control, tinted glass, cornering lamps, door edge guards, chrome road wheels and vinyl roof. Burgundy Mist with a black vinyl roof and black interior, this car would have been stunning when new. The guy I sold it to has had it re-done, and it's flat gorgeous!

[Centurion]

By the way, Wildcat fans, "Collectible Automobile" profiled all 1962-1970 Wildcats (plus the Wildcat I dream car) in its December, 1988 issue. This is a fine article with great color photos. While more photos would have been even better, it was great to see these cars getting the press they deserve. Back issues of this fine magazine are available by calling 1-800-871-2022. In addition to the story on the cars themselves, there is information on the Wildcat promotional models offered for '64, '65, '69 and '70 (a kit was also offered for the '66) and Wildcat sales literature. I recommend this back issue for your Wildcat collections.

[Guest]

Which A/C did the '65's have? My grandfather's '68 LeSabre had A/C that used dashboard vents. But I also remember my Dad briefly having a '69 Chevelle wagon that had an underdash A/C unit, which looked clunky and never worked anyway. Not sure if it was an aftermarket add-on, or if Chevy (or GM) sold them that way.<P>This also reminds me a couple of cool cars my uncle owned. One was a '62 Electra, but I don't remember much about it. The other was a '69 Fleetwood, which had an angled (vs. straight up and down) grill. He also had a string of 60's Toronados, but I hardly remember those, except for the '73 that was red and had the gold instrument cluster.<P><P>------------------<BR>

[Centurion]

All Wildcats with factory A/C would have had the outlets located in the dash. Sounds to me like that '69 Chevelle you mentioned had an after-market, non-factory-installed unit.<P>Factory A/C grew steadily in popularity throughout the 1960's. I have heard estimates that about 50% of full-size Buicks had A/C by 1965, up from only about 5% in 1959. By the end of the '60's, over 90% of full-size Buicks had factory A/C.

[Guest]

Some actual full-size Buick A/C installation percentages were- 1959: 10%, 1962: 26%, 1965: 46%, 1970: 86%, 1973: 94%

[Centurion]

WF59B, thanks for the A/C statistics. This is great information; where did you get the numbers?<P>By the way, your '59 Invicta doesn't need bucket seats and chrome road wheels to look sporty. The car already looks like a rocket ship; who needs the other stuff? There are some of us who have not forgotten the Invictas. Have you seen any of the '60 - '62 Invicta Customs that were bucket seat-equipped? I do not know whether buckets were available on the '59 Invicta, but they were offered on that year's Electra 225 convertible. Does anyone have a '59 Color and Trim book to answer the question about bucket seat availability in '59?

[Guest]

I have a few books which list major option installation %s. Buckets were available as you stated on the '59 225 conv only. They are shown in the full-line brochure for '59. I did see a bucket-seat '60 Invicta Custom 2-dr hdtp on e-Bay earlier this year, so I guess it's up to 2 or 3 models by '60. I know the 59 looks like a angry rocket, but still, unlike early-mid 60s 'cats, it just wasn't treated & trimmed as 'specially' as it should've been. Buick has forced me to take matters into my own hands...

[Guest]

Speaking of Wildcat options, my 64 is one of the most factory lacking I have ever seen. All it has as options is a 425 w/ 2x4's, buckets with the long console, tinted glass (it was a Phoenix, AZ car all its life), positrac, and a radio, and the Formula Five wheels. Other than that, it was very basic-- manual steering, manual transmission (oh yeah), manual brakes, no trunk light, no undercoating, a minium of jute backing on the original carpets, single speed wipers, no driver or passenger door mirror, manual antenna, seats, windows. It was ordered by the original owner to go as rapidly from point A to B as possible. Oh, and get this, a Phoenix, AZ car from 1963 (Nov 23) until March 2000, triple BLACK with no A/C. Ouch. Summers were not a cakewalk in that car. Anyway, Wildcats of all years rock, it sure would be nice to see more of them out there.

[Guest]

Wildcat65 -- Did you say you passed up a couple of 4 speed Wildcats? Wow, how in the world could anyone do --- oh, wait a minute, so did I. Two of them to be exact. UGH! Somebody please draw and quarter me. Oh well, at least after NINE years, I finally have my 64 in the garage.

[Guest]

Ted - Cool. I know, it is a bummer that I passed on the 4 speeds I did. I, though, have no real reaon for passing on them, except that they did not have some option I thought I just had to have, like a/c, etc. In retrospect, this was an incredibly poor deciding factor. They would have been the perfect ones to have. If you hear of any 64 Wildcat 4 speeds, any condition, just let me know if you would like. Good luck, and have fun,<P>Matt

[Ted "Wildcat65" Nagel]

Kid4speed: Yeah, I passed up a turquoise 4 speed(you can see it on Bombsight-it has silver wheels) I was between jobs and could not justify a 3rd classic car, although it was close. Saw the SAME CAR last year, right after I bought my 65 Wildcat convertible-again, could not justify, I had zero storage. Last year on autotrader there was a non-running 4sp in kansas, it was pretty rough, so I passed again for lack of storage. Now my storage problem is solved, so none will slip by again! Found the one I have now in the "Leads" section of the Bugle! Ted

[Guest]

I had a 67 wildcat 2dr. What a fun experience with the switch pitch and the 430 motor, but my favorite is the 1970 model.I have had 3 of these in the convertible model.<BR>I let them all go but now am restoring a 1970<BR>number matching original convertible with 82,000 miles.Previous owner got from the original owner , his mother.He couldn't keep it running so sold it for 700.00 I put in a new coil and drove her home.Needs new top and<BR>am replacing front clip as rust has started.<BR>Plan on taking to Flint in 2003.

[palbuick]

Glad to see other WIDCAT fans. My Wildcat fever started with a 63 H.T, many years ago, and have been hooked on them ever since. My 70 2 dr Ht. all black, with bucket seats floor shift, A/C Windows and P/seat was on of the best I have ever owned, many of my friends didn't believe that is was an every day driver. Now I have the ULTIMATE Wildcat.<BR>1966 G.S.Wildcat Convt.With just about every option available fron the 2 X 4, to the wood wheel and cruise, windows, seat, tilt W/cornering lights 4 note horns, antenna, and bucket seats and tach. Of corse the car is RED with White top and interior. I am still trying to locate other owners of the GS<BR>convt, so far have found 3(out of production<BR> of 198) and a couple of leads.<BR>If any of you 65 Cats are restoring one I have a NOS front radiator core support for sale, but I will not ship, to big to package.<BR>I am located in the Rockford ILL. area.<BR>I also have a friend who has a 65 4 dr H.T with the factory 4 speed, not for sale at this time.<P>Jim Schilf / palbuick@aol.com

[palbuick]

A little bonus for wildcat fans.<BR>I have the dealer option list and codes for the 65 Cats. If you want copy send me E-Mail and I can E-mail one to you.<P>Jim Schilf / palbuick@aol.com

[Guest]

Oh man!!! The wildcat or as I like to refer to it as the "Wildkitty" sounds like something just ready to be unleashed from under the hood. I have a '67 and some kids pulled up to the light by me the other day. I heard them making comments about "look at the grandpa car" obviously too stupid to really know what all that horsepower was really all about. When the light turned green I made the "Wildkitty" scream like I had stepped on its tail, A few blocks later after the "cat" had settled down the boys in the car wondered what I had under the hood. I just smiled and said "A Wildkitty" No doubt the Wildcat is my favorite. It draws a crowd wherever it goes. My hat goes off to the people at Buick for making such a car. Dont get me wrong there are other great Buicks but the "cat" is my all time favorite.

[Centurion]

I once test drove a fine, original '66 Wildcat in the Seattle area. The owner had lived in Flint, Michigan during the late 1960's, and his media job enabled him to develop friendships with some of Buick's top brass during this time. He said that the Buick people were certain that they were building the finest car in the industry during these years.<P>When I reflect back on the great Buicks of this era, I feel confident that the Buick guys were absolutely right!<P>Thanks for sharing your traffic signal drag racing exploits, Wildcat675! It took me back to my teenage years, when I took on the Chrysler 300's and Olds 98's in my hometown with the family's '65 Wildcat coupe. Not only did the Wildcat always win, but it looked the best while it was doing it!

[Guest]

Centurion, you are so right about the Wildcat being the best looking while taking on the others. Mine still makes heads jerk when they see it. Some guy actually made a U-turn almost causing an accident just so he could catch up with me to talk about the Wildcat he used to own. The Chrysler 300's and the Olds 98's were no match for the "cat" as you say. I just wonder if the designers today could even remotely create a car that sharp today. Sure was nice to hear the the people in Flint knew they were building the best. Take Care.