Low-price Three's "upscale" models

[EmTee]

I'd love to see a 4DHT, dual quad 425, 4-speed, console/bucket seat Wildcat or wagon.  I agree with Frank, probably none existed, but it's fun to imagine one... 

 

[Pfeil]

16 hours ago, 8E45E said:

Along with a 4-speed option.

 

Along with the Riviera Gran Sport, they were called a "Banker's Hotrod".

 

Craig

Isn't that what the 1936 Buick Century was called???

The Century name was based in part on a broad Buick claim that the car could do an honest 100 mph. “Watch the speed indicator climb, climb, climb until it shadows the 100 mark,” the factory literature boasted.  The power to perform this feat was supplied by Buick’s well-regarded overhead-valve straight 8, freshly reengineered for 1936. With 320 cubic inches of displacement, it was rated at 120 horsepower and was identical to the engine used in the big Roadmasters and Limited's. For comparison, note that the ’36 Ford offered 85 hp and Chevy a meager 79 hp.

With its 122-inch wheelbase chassis, the Series 60 Century was considerably smaller than the Roadmaster (131 in.) and Limited (138 in.) but a bit longer than the Special (118 in) at the bottom of the lineup. More to the point, the Century was 400 to 800 lbs. lighter than the big senior Buicks, depending on body styles. And naturally, the reduced weight was beneficial not just to acceleration but to handling and braking as well. At some point the Century picked up the title of “banker’s hot rod.”

 

Edited December 9, 2022 by Pfeil (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

This Spring will mark 45 years of owning my '64 Riviera. At 117" in the wheelbase I have always considered it a small car. Kind of like a luxury Skylark. And newer Rivieras I have owned had more elbowroom.

 

The four speed idea has crossed my mind a few times but I have owned a couple of full sized big CI 4 speed cars and didn't really care for them. A '64 Galaxie 500 convertible was referred to as "the row boat". After a short time I just stopped using 1st.

[JACK M]

The gentleman's hot rod, complete with four speed.

 

[8E45E]

4 hours ago, Pfeil said:

Isn't that what the 1936 Buick Century was called???

 

It would have been politically incorrect to call it a "Banker's Hotrod" during the depths of the Great Depression!! 😏

 

Craig

[rocketraider]

1 hour ago, JACK M said:

The gentleman's hot rod, complete with four speed.

 

Even though technically not a low-price three car, a Three Hundred four door hardtop would have fit in this category too.

[60FlatTop]

In my neighborhood the Chrysler 4 speed car belonged to the man with the Airstream trailer. I think a lot of people who pulled trailers were at an age where an automatic transmission was a "modern" option and not to be trusted. 20 years ain't long when you are talking to an over 40 car guy. Today a car has to be at least 50 to not get tripped over by most.

 

I see the '50s and '60s standard shift oddity cars pop up and instantly think "trailer".

[Crusty Trucker]

17 hours ago, Frank DuVal said:

 

Still would like to find a 63 Wildcat station wagon with the 4 speed and bucket seats. Probably none made that way....

Sorry, but Buick offered only three body styles in the 1963 Wildcat series: convertible, 2-door hardtop, and a 4-door hardtop - no wagon. 

There were two LeSabre wagons (a 2-seat model and a 3-seat model) and one Invicta wagon. Standard transmissions for LeSabres were a 3-speed manual, automatics optopnal.  Invictas had avtomatics as standard.

I could not find any information on optional transmissions, however I have seen a factory 4-speed 1963 Wildcat 2-door hardtop.

I guess with enough pull ($$$) you could have ordered a 4-speed on any full-sized Buick, or even configured a Wildcat wagon.

 

I did find a forum thread from 2011 about 1963 Wildcats:   

 

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

Rate this topic

 

---

 

By Guest KITYCAT
June 25, 2011 in General Discussion

 

 

 

 

Edited December 9, 2022 by Crusty Trucker (see edit history)

[Jim Skelly]

Besides being available on the '63-'65 Wildcat, the 4-speed trans was also an option on the '63-'64 LeSabre.  I've seen a '63 Wildcat sport coupe (black/red interior) and LeSabre 2-door sedan (gold/cream cloth interior) with it.  They aren't common, that's for sure.  The LeSabre was for sale for $1800 at the 1986 Fall Carlisle swap meet.  I should have bought it, but the front fenders were rusted out behind the wheels and the cloth interior was a mess.  If it was the hardtop with the vinyl interior like my folks had, I would have bought it.

 

The Wildcat pictured above has an incorrect white and aqua interior unless it was a special order.

Edited December 9, 2022 by Jim Skelly (see edit history)

[Frank DuVal]

On 12/9/2022 at 3:51 PM, Crusty Trucker said:

Buick offered only three body styles in the 1963 Wildcat series: convertible, 2-door hardtop, and a 4-door hardtop - no wagon. 

There were two LeSabre wagons (a 2-seat model and a 3-seat model) and one Invicta wagon.

Well, true there is no Wildcat on the side of a 63 Buick Wagon, but, Wildcat replaced the Invicta series, but I guess Madison Avenue thought Wildcat did not play well  on the side of a wagon, so they kept the Invicta name for that body style ONLY. All the interior appointments were the same between the Invicta wagon and the Wildcats, including the bucket seat option, examples known to exist.

 

Good article on 63 Wildcats in December 2022 Buick Bugle.

[58L-Y8]

To focus again on the initial topic of this thread, the 1965 Ford Galaxie 500 LTD and 1966 Chevrolet Caprice:

Edited December 12, 2022 by 58L-Y8
Added '66 Ambassador DPL photos (see edit history)

[8E45E]

On 12/9/2022 at 1:39 PM, 60FlatTop said:

In my neighborhood the Chrysler 4 speed car belonged to the man with the Airstream trailer.

I see the '50s and '60s standard shift oddity cars pop up and instantly think "trailer".

I know of two such cars, a 1968 Valiant, and a 1964 Chevrolet Impala wagon.

 

The 1968 Valiant was special ordered by someone who wanted to pull a smaller holiday travel trailer with it.  It is equipped with a 273 V8, and four speed, reportedly one of 7 Valiants produced in Windsor that year.  The 1964 Cheverolet wagon is a 409, with a 4-speed, and originally ordered by the purchaser to haul the largest Airstream that was available in 1964.  Both these cars survive; the Valiant seen regularly at shows here in Calgary, and the '64 Chevrolet Impala wagon was at MCACN a few years ago.

 

 

 

Craig

Edited January 7, 2023 by 8E45E (see edit history)

[rocketraider]

 

Thanks for the DPL photos. They can fit in this category too. They're so uncommon they get forgotten or overlooked.

 

Never knew they had that loudass houndstooth interior though!

[Pfeil]

If any of you had seen the movie Wild Orchid, you would have noticed this really nice FORD Galaxie 500 for the Brazilian market.

 

65  66 

 

[Bloo]

2 hours ago, rocketraider said:

Never knew they had that loudass houndstooth interior though!

I remember that well. I used to think they all had it, but it is so uncommon to see any 66 DPL. Not too long ago I saw an ad for one with a green interior that appeared to be original and did not have the houndstooth. Does anyone know if that's possible?

 

[Jim Skelly]

The '67 and '68 Eldorado also had a standard cloth houndstooth interior ('68 shown below).  The first-generation Camaro had it, too.  I wonder how many other cars offered it.

 

[rocketraider]

I knew about the fine houndstooth Cadillac pattern, and the larger one in the Camaro (available in ORANGE!😳) but that Ambassador's houndsteeth must have come out of a big clumsy dog!

 

It could grow on you. Certainly no worse than those loud plaids and multicolored brocades GM used in the 70s.🕺💃

[8E45E]

6 minutes ago, rocketraider said:

I knew about the fine houndstooth Cadillac pattern, and the larger one in the Camaro (available in ORANGE!😳) but that Ambassador's houndsteeth must have come out of a big clumsy dog!

 

It could grow on you. Certainly no worse than those loud plaids and multicolored brocades GM used in the 70s.🕺💃

Mustang had it on the ROOF!!

 

Craig

[58L-Y8]

7 hours ago, rocketraider said:

 

Thanks for the DPL photos. They can fit in this category too. They're so uncommon they get forgotten or overlooked.

 

Never knew they had that loudass houndstooth interior though!

Here is the all-vinyl 1966 Ambassador DPL interior which might be a tad more attractive to live with.

 

BTW: Does anyone have good photos of a 1966 Plymouth Fury VIP four door or two door hardtop and the interior?

[Bloo]

15 minutes ago, 58L-Y8 said:

Here is the all-vinyl 1966 Ambassador DPL interior which might be a tad more attractive to live with.

All vinyl?! That's probably what I saw in green. I assumed it was brocade or something.

[8E45E]

On 12/9/2022 at 1:39 PM, 60FlatTop said:

I see the '50s and '60s standard shift oddity cars pop up and instantly think "trailer".

Three-on-the-tree Full Size cars are the 'oddity' by then.   Curbside Unicorn Hunt : 1970+ Full-Sized Cars With Manual Transmission, Part 1 – GM Edition | Curbside Classic

 

Curbside Unicorn Hunt: 1970+ Full-Sized Cars with Manual Transmission, Part 2 – Ford Edition | Curbside Classic

 

(Stay tuned to CC for Part 3, Mopar.

 

Craig

[EmTee]

My '64 GP is an original 389/3-speed car.  No power steering, no power brakes -- BUT, rear window defogger and power antenna.  As Burger King used to say: "Have it your way!" 

 

I do think some people were distrustful of automatic transmissions.  The 'Roto Hydramatic' that was offered when my GP was built didn't have a stellar reputation for reliability.  That may have played into the decision to go for the HD 3-speed that the Queens shoemaker who originally ordered my GP made.  I suspect he liked to go fast too, as he subsequently retrofitted the Rally Gauge package.

[rocketraider]

Curious if that GP has a "Dearborn" top loader three-speed? It was in early 60s GM started outsourcing heavy duty 3-speeds from Ford because 1) their own flimsy 3-speeds wouldn't live behind BOP torque and 2) no more of them  than they sold it was cheaper to buy them from Ford than to design and build a good heavy duty 3-speed inhouse.

 

3-speed manuals were still standard equipment even on the "upscale" cars even though production was very low (as an example, once HydraMatic appeared, manual transmission was installed in roughly 2% of Oldsmobile production annually until the musclecar years). A 3-speed equipped Caprice, LTD etc would be uncommon, but bound to think that some were made by nature of their market placement.

 

 

[EmTee]

5 minutes ago, rocketraider said:

Curious if that GP has a "Dearborn" top loader three-speed?

Yes!  The car currently has a T-10 4-speed installed by the second owner (who I bought the car from).  I have all of the original pieces to return it to 'as-new' if and when I choose.  For now, I'm having fun rowing the Hurst stick...