New toy - '63 Buick Wildcat

[JJorgensen52]

Just thought I'd share a few photos of the car I just picked up - much like your run of the mill Impala, but with just a little bit more class

401CI 4bbl Nailhead under the hood, dynaflow automatic for now. Brandy new SS exhaust system. It runs good too! Hopefully will be getting a little cleaning up this winter and paint not too far down the line.

[Indian113]

I like it! My dad had a 63 Pontiac Ventura when I was in HS, used to borrow it for dates. It was a real good car for the drive in movies.

[alsriv2]

Fantastic car. Love the interior on those Buicks. My Father and grandfather had those cars back in the day and they were comfortable, and very well powered. Those old Buick nailheads were great engines that produced lots of torque.

Congratulations on your purchase!

[chevyrestoguy]

My Grandma had a car identical to yours except it had a gold interior and a bench seat. What a great car.

[Heavy Evy]

*****en!! Those 401 nailheads are rad motors.

[Sillyoldman]

Nice score!

[JJorgensen52]

So I've got no pictures yet, but I'm super excited. I found a complete factory stick shift setup for this car, minus the console shifter which I will have to fabricate myself (there were less than 20 '63 console shift cars made). Stickshift '63 Buicks are as rare as they get.

Anyway, once the parts arrive (enroute from the west coast) I've got a little clean up and restoration to do, and then I'm going to be installing a Richmond supersport 5 speed OD trans. This will really make the car come alive - the Dynaflow simply can't put all the Nailhead torque to the ground

[Zoomin]

Love to see another Buick getting back on the road!

[JJorgensen52]

Just a quick update post for this car -

1. I've got all the original Buick bits (most of which are '63 only) to make this car a stick! Regrettably the trans is back-ordered until July, but I'm making headway and may toss an M20 in there, just to make it driveable next month.

2. Started getting it stripped down for paint. I've only finished the rear panel and quarter emblems - there is a TON of trim on this car!




Have discovered the extent of damage from the bent rear bumper





Also found a few hidden rust spots in the trunk extension pan on the driver's side - mercifully, the inner quarters are rust free.



Rear Driver's trunk mount (below)


Front Driver's trunk mount (Above)


Rear Driver's trunk mount (Above)


Passenger's quarter, rear lower corner


Passenger's quarter, inner


Driver's quarter, inner

[Bishops Trucks]

Very nice car you picked up. My dad has a 66 wildcat with a 401 w/ dual carbs on it. They make great road trip cars.

[KShortell]

Cool find! The body doesn't even look too bad. Seems like a sold project foundation.

[PAPA KENT]

A great find for sure.I hav'nt thought about those double white walls for years.Looks like a super solid car and nothing compares to the ride.

Have fun with it.

Kent.

[Old Truck Man]

I like that your going stick shift ( real hot Rods have three pedals. I have a nailhead engine. And a trans adapter & lasale trans Someday If I live long enough Im gonna put it in a chevvy

[JJorgensen52]

Wow! I haven't updated this in ages - all my attention has been on my '50 GMC project of late.

So when last I checked in I was still living in NH - since then I've moved, bought two new trucks, and gotten all kinds of busy. But I've still been plugging away on this one on the side:

Teardown continues:


I bought a rattle can of the color I am thinking of painting it and sprayed the rear fender just to get an idea of the color. Man I wish the garage were still this empty!


Out with the Dynaflow - this one might be better called a DynaLeak!

You may also note my stainless exhaust. Very happy with that.

Now it's getting good! Factory original clutch setup installed (these are RARE!!!) - I had to splice two pedals together because of how unusual a manual trans car with power brakes is - Of the <3% of all Buicks made with manuals that year, 99% of those were base model, no option 3 speed cars with manual brakes.


Freshly restored original bell-housing (radius arm and clutch release parts still in storage)


And now to where I am at present - correct iron case '63 Buick T10! I found a box with the correct date codes for a '63 model car. It's VIN stamped for a Special, though. The tail housing you see here is a '63 Chevrolet unit which does NOT fit this car, but I have the correct housing I just haven't gotten around to swapping it yet.


I've also been accumulating a lot of parts, including a super ebay score for a set of Skylark GS finned aluminum valve covers, a full set of '64 only Buick road wheels, and I've got a complete Hurst Pro-Comp shifter for the car (which was OEM equipment!). I still need to fab up the mount and linkage, once I get the right tailhousing on.

[Advanced Design]

Very cool JJ, I love the Buicks!

[Zoomin]

That blue is gonna look sharp.

[JJorgensen52]

So way back when, in November, I put this car up on blocks so that I could swap the manual trans into it. When I got the box in the car, I found that the mount wouldn't line up with the tailhousing. More research led me to the right tailhousing, but that was a total momentum-killer on this car:


But, in the interest of the '50 GMC progress, the car needs to come down and get moved in the garage, so I had to swap the tailhousings out! Here you can see the Chevy tailhousing (installed) and the Buick/Pontiac tail, with dual mount pattern, in the foreground


I failed to take any interior shots, but after about two hours of cleaning, fiddling, tweaking, and re-sealing, here's the end result:


The trans is now back in the car, the mount is bolted in place, and I've got the correct (polyurethane) trans mount to go in the car so it can come down off the stands tomorrow and get relocated.

[Advanced Design]

JJ you are sourcing some rare parts to put this together. Takes a lot of time. Looks good. Buick going to storage until the truck gets done?

[JJorgensen52]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

JJ you are sourcing some rare parts to put this together. Takes a lot of time. Looks good. Buick going to storage until the truck gets done?

Thanks! Yes it's been (and continues to be) frustrating to try and find parts for this car, virtually nothing is reproduced.

Storage is such a strong word But yes, I'm shuffling it back into the corner so I can get the GMC turned around and really start rolling on that project

[JJorgensen52]

Success!!



Tomorrow the car shuffling begins, and I may pull the driveshaft out of this car so I can have a new one made while I'm working on other projects. We shall see.

[Advanced Design]

Always a good feeling when the parts go together!

[jbiel1]

Hi- Do you have any info on the dual master cylinder conversion (part #'s,
install tips)? Just got a Wildcat of my own and want to stay with the giant
drums. Thanks, John

[hounddogs!]

Originally Posted by jbiel1

Hi- Do you have any info on the dual master cylinder conversion (part #'s,
install tips)? Just got a Wildcat of my own and want to stay with the giant
drums. Thanks, John

Not apples to apples, but the M/C for a '69 Impala has worked out nicely in my '65 Skylark.

[JJorgensen52]

Originally Posted by jbiel1

Hi- Do you have any info on the dual master cylinder conversion (part #'s,
install tips)? Just got a Wildcat of my own and want to stay with the giant
drums. Thanks, John

Yes, I used an off the shelf unit, master and booster together, from a 1967 Wildcat, which still has the 13" front drums. It was an A-1 Cardone reman, 501104 I think?

I made my own brake lines, but there are parts available for '65-'66 B-body (Impala), I know at least Inline Tube and probably Classic Tube and Classic Industries too, have the lines and a distribution block that are close to a bolt in, you could tweak the lines to fit.