CanadianWildcat Posted March 6, 2019 Share Posted March 6, 2019 I was browsing online one day contemplating buying an old classic car. I wasn't looking seriously, but when I came across this 65 Buick Wildcat I just thought it looked too good to not look into it more. So I hooked up the trailer and went for a couple hour drive north to take a look. It was a good deal and the car was in what I thought to be decent shape so we made a deal. Then as we were loading the car (not easy, barely fit on the trailer) I learned that the car owners wife had bought it for him as an anniversary gift three years previous with the intentions on restoring the car. I kinda felt bad as I was driving away to some tears. His plumbing and cottage renting business had taken off and they didn't have the time to do anything with the car. It had just sat in the laneway on a tarp. Long story short I got the car home... put it on the hoist and did a proper safety on it... fixed up a few things... and she is now on the road. It is an original Canadian built car with I am pretty sure the original driveline. I drive it all the time in the better weather and am looking forward to Spring. She needs some more work, and I got some more parts over the winter to do some sprucing up. But I don't think I want to do too much... she's a driver. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted March 6, 2019 Share Posted March 6, 2019 Buickful! I like the blackwall tires with the factory road rally rims! Tell us what factory options it has, if any. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianWildcat Posted March 6, 2019 Author Share Posted March 6, 2019 It is the custom trim level... I am not sure what the difference from the plain to custom. I have the original Buick brochure from the car, I will look in it later and see. It does have a vacuum trunk release (that count?), manual windows, bench seat in the front has a fold out arm rest / console. It needs a cup holder though... in the morning when I drive to work I am nervous putting the coffee cup on the dash. Interesting story about the first picture with the rainbow. That day my friend and I were about to head out to a small local car show to help support when it came across the radio that there was a tornado warning. Things looked pretty iffy so we decided to wait before leaving. We got a little rain (my friends new truck and his old car got the garage spots) but it cleared up and we got a nice day after. Once we got to the show we were sent a couple pictures from a friend who was out fishing on Lake Erie (about 20 minute drive away). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted March 6, 2019 Share Posted March 6, 2019 Yes, the trunk release counts...and I imagine your friend was not too happy about that water spout! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buicknutty Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 Hi, nice looking Cat. Great cars, as well. I see you are in Southwestern Ontario, I am as well. We (my wife actually) have a 1968 Wildcat convert, also an Ontario car, though unfortunately it also has the rust to prove it. I'm slowly restoring it for her, though life does get in the way. Keith 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianWildcat Posted May 8, 2019 Author Share Posted May 8, 2019 Got the cat out of its cage (storage). I installed the missing left eyebrow on the quarter panel extension that I acquired over the winter (from Arizona)... looks better now. Today after work I am gonna install the original steering wheel I fixed up over the winter. I found it in the trunk when I bought the car... it was terribly cracked and multi coloured. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianWildcat Posted June 5, 2019 Author Share Posted June 5, 2019 So I picked up an engine from a guy just up the road about 30 minutes. Its a 1964 401 that appears to be in good shape... the guy had big plans but decided to finish other projects so he sold it to me pretty cheap I think. He took it apart but everything is there. Casting number 1349046. Measured the bores and it is standard bore. I am pretty sure it would bolt up to my 65 transmission... anybody know for sure? Came with a 2 barrel intake... so I now have 3 different intakes to chose from. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thriller Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 Nice. If you want to get some provenance of the car, consider getting in touch with Vintage Vehicle Services in Oshawa. They have GM of Canada archives and can document how your car left the factory and the dealer it was originally sent to and such. Moving to Winnipeg was the first time owernship of my 1966 Wildcat left Saskatoon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianWildcat Posted June 6, 2019 Author Share Posted June 6, 2019 That is a good idea... I will do that thanks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RivNut Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 Was the car built in Canada? If not, check the Engine Production NUmber. Two barrel carb could mean a lower compression ratio. This page from the 64 shop manual shows two barrel carbs only available on the 300 small block engines. This illustration is for a 1966. M=1966 T = 401 with 10.25 compression ration, 4 bbl carb 123 = shift data, not applicable to displacement, etc. J=1963 K=1964 L=1965 M=1966 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianWildcat Posted June 7, 2019 Author Share Posted June 7, 2019 The only numbers I can find on the valley pan deck are B251154L. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted "Wildcat65" Nagel Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Do they match your VIN? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thriller Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 The data plate on the firewall will say something like GM of Canada on it if it is a Canadian-built car. Easy-peasy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianWildcat Posted June 8, 2019 Author Share Posted June 8, 2019 (edited) The engine that is currently in the car is a Canadian built engine that is numbers matching (as far as I can tell). This is another engine I picked up to rebuild and replace the current engine so if I blow it up I didn't ruin the original. The VIN tag you can see when you open the drivers door says GM Canada. I just want to make sure this 64 engine will bolt to a switch pitch 65 trany. Here are the pictures of the identification numbers of the engine in the car that I believe to be original. I was going to post the VIN but the site says I can only post so many MB of data. Edited June 8, 2019 by CanadianWildcat (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianWildcat Posted August 30, 2019 Author Share Posted August 30, 2019 Brought this home... the kitty is a bit jealous currently. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted August 31, 2019 Share Posted August 31, 2019 Nice '70. I like the shorty fender skirts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted September 1, 2019 Share Posted September 1, 2019 14 hours ago, JohnD1956 said: Nice '70. I like the shorty fender skirts. I concur -- and a GS to boot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianWildcat Posted September 2, 2019 Author Share Posted September 2, 2019 (edited) Thanks guys. I put them in the back yard and they seem to be getting along just fine. Everyone around town keeps asking what I am going to do with the Wildcat, and I keep telling them I am gonna keep her. I am trying not to have too many stories where it ends in "I never should have sold that car". Edited September 2, 2019 by CanadianWildcat (see edit history) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted September 2, 2019 Share Posted September 2, 2019 All siblings have their 'moments' -- I wouldn't worry about them; they'll get over it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianWildcat Posted September 9, 2019 Author Share Posted September 9, 2019 So with the rather larger trunk space that my old car possess I decided to conduct an experiment in order to find out the answer to everyone's burning question... how many cases of beer could you fit it the trunk? I had to make an empties run so I had the perfect opportunity to find out. Now there are a couple of small metal boxes screwed to the floor beside the quarter panels that reduced the trunk volume. Also the goal was to be able to close the trunk... which I was able to. A bunch of my friends had fun trying to guess how many from the picture... but nobody got the correct answer the first try. Any guesses? 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD1956 Posted September 9, 2019 Share Posted September 9, 2019 (edited) 16? And that must have been quite the party! Edited September 9, 2019 by JohnD1956 (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old-tank Posted September 9, 2019 Share Posted September 9, 2019 8 hours ago, CanadianWildcat said: empties Empties??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianWildcat Posted September 9, 2019 Author Share Posted September 9, 2019 Ya just an emptie run... I was bored. Nope 16 is light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 Next I want to see the Riviera edition of this challenge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted September 10, 2019 Share Posted September 10, 2019 How many cases of beer can you put in a 3/4 ton truck? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianWildcat Posted September 10, 2019 Author Share Posted September 10, 2019 Ha h aha you win. By the way she holds 21 cases. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Schramm Posted September 11, 2019 Share Posted September 11, 2019 And I should have added from the advertising for the truck,...."and more on smooth roads" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC1968Riviera Posted October 9, 2019 Share Posted October 9, 2019 On 6/5/2019 at 6:48 PM, Thriller said: Nice. If you want to get some provenance of the car, consider getting in touch with Vintage Vehicle Services in Oshawa. They have GM of Canada archives and can document how your car left the factory and the dealer it was originally sent to and such. Moving to Winnipeg was the first time owernship of my 1966 Wildcat left Saskatoon. What color is your Wildcat? I recently was watching a white 66 convertible for sale in central Canada that was in GREAT shape. It seems to be almost too much of a hassle to have a Canadian car transported to the US though. :-( On 9/1/2019 at 9:56 PM, CanadianWildcat said: Thanks guys. I put them in the back yard and they seem to be getting along just fine. Everyone around town keeps asking what I am going to do with the Wildcat, and I keep telling them I am gonna keep her. I am trying not to have too many stories where it ends in "I never should have sold that car". I love the turquoise 70! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianWildcat Posted October 11, 2019 Author Share Posted October 11, 2019 Ya it can be tough to see behind the Riv but the wildcat is black, if I remember correctly. You like the paint on the Riv eh? You may be a little biased huh...😉 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NC1968Riviera Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 5 hours ago, CanadianWildcat said: You may be a little biased huh You might be right about that... 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianWildcat Posted October 31, 2019 Author Share Posted October 31, 2019 Happy Halloween! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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