1969 Wildcat Custom with 28,600 documented miles.

Discussion in 'Wet behind the ears??' started by Wade Williams, Feb 16, 2019.

  1. Wade Williams

    Wade Williams Member

    Here is a long read if anyone has the time. It is worth it.

    An elderly lady whose house I take care of had a car under cover. I never asked her about it until one day she said her and her sister were tight on money. I did the work for free on their house and had materials donated when we could. If not, I bought them and lied to her about getting them for free.

    Anyways, When she mentioned money, I asked about the covered car. She said it was their mothers and then her sister drove it. It was parked in 1990 when something was wrong with it. They did not know what the issue was. Found out from her son, it was disabled so the daughter could not drive it. It sat under a patio cover that fell on it one board at a time. Had 12 car covers and tarps on it. New one every couple of years added. Was sitting in dirt with the tires flat when I pulled the covers back. The car is whiskey dented on every corner, back bumper and both doors. Paint is warn off on top of the fenders from the covers blowing in the wind.

    Found 2 rust holes at the base of the rear window the size of a quarter. Vinyl top is roached out there. I assumed that since it has been sitting in the dirt for 25 years, the floors and rockers were gone. So I looked around the interwebs and come up with a too high offer of $1200 for it. They were happy with that. I cleared the title in my name and it sat there for another 3 months. The weather finally warmed up enough to make a go at pulling it out. The rest of the patio cover came down. Had to move a dune buggy to get to it.

    I was bummed to see that it was locked. Asked if she had keys. “No”. So I drilled the drivers door lock. Then realized it was a locking steering column. Asked here if I could look in the garage for keys. It is a mess in there. She handed me her keys and I looked at them. Square and oval GM keys on it. Asked what those were for. "Do not know" was her response. Yep, those were the keys. Had been on her key ring of 5 keys for 28 years.

    Aired the tires up and pulled it out with a tractor. Everything rolled, no brakes except parking brake. As we winched it onto the trailer I looked under it real quick. NO RUST?????

    Parked it next to my building and covered back up. Sat until January 2019. Finally had time to work on my own stuff. I have retired 3 times and I am still too busy to do what I want.

    My intention was to pull the engine and transmission to stuff an 8.1l and 700r4 in it. This is going to be the tow rig for my 1968 Stevens flatbottom ski boat I am restoring. I assumed that after sitting outside for 28 years with no spark plugs, it was locked up. The starter was also sitting under the hood. So I assumed something was drastically wrong. I figured since I enjoy getting old stuff running, what the heck. Seafoam was added to the cylinders over night. Pulled the fan and pulley and put a socket and breaker bar on the balancer bolt. It moved with very little effort. I was excited and bummed at the same time. Now I needed to see if it will turn all the way over. Yep. No clunks or stops.

    Put the starter in it. Would not engage. Messed with it and my spares to make one good one. No dice. Put the starter from my boat on it and it spun over and blew the cob webs out of the cylinders. Doing all of this with a remote start switch. Put plugs in it and cranked it some more. Blew crap out of the exhaust. So it has compression. Oil pressure came up. No spark. New coil and points later and I had spark.

    I could smell 1990 gas at the carburetor. Accelerator pump is not working.

    Squirted good gas down the carb to see if it would fire. Cranked it for 10 seconds or so and let off the button. It was running. Just could not hear it. It dies. Another squirt of gas and cranked it too long again. It was running and idling, on 1990 gas. I could not believe it. Carb rebuild and fuel tank cleaning done next.

    Fires and idles a little rough. That got better the longer it ran. New fluids added and the transmission is dripping bad. The output seal was already changed before the transmission fill as those always go bad after sitting so long and then getting the drive shaft spun. Transmission leak was the pan. Realized while I cleaned the pan to remove it that only 3 bolts were holding it on and no gasket. Pulled the pan and found the other bolts in it. Cleaned the cob webs out and changed the filter. Now it holds fluid. Wheels spun sitting on the lift.

    Now onto stopping it. Master cylinder was dry and rusty. New one ordered along with wheel cylinders. Shoes were at 50%. New soft lines were added and hard lines flushed. Brakes bled and adjusted and the wheels quit spinning when applied.

    Removed and cleaned the neutral safety switch to be able to start it with the key.

    Out driving the car now.

    If you read this whole thing, you will notice that I was going to hot rod this. That is what I do for other people. No longer with this thing. As I went through the glove box, I found the Bill Of Sale for new purchase in Georgia, then oil change and inspection before being driven to Colorado in 1990 and all maintenance records. When I bought it, it had 28,420 miles on it. The interior is a 9.7 out of 10. Head liner is pristine, dash is not cracked or faded. Driver area of the seat is just starting to show cracking. Interior cleaned up nice.

    Did I mention that while it was on the lift, I inspected the underneath for rust. There is not any, zero, zilch. The undercoating looks show room new.

    This car will not be hot rodded. Can not do it to a nice low mile car like this.

    Working on the heater controls now.

    Thanks for reading.
     
  2. Wade Williams

    Wade Williams Member

  3. Quick Buick

    Quick Buick Arlington Wa

    Welcome. Cool story Nice Car
     
  4. BYoung

    BYoung Stage me

    Nice save!
     
  5. Briz

    Briz Founders Club Member

    Way to go!. This is not the first story I've heard where a car sitting in the dirt for years has a perfect undercarriage.
     
  6. The Big Guy

    The Big Guy Nailhead Nation

    Nice find! I'm a hot rodder and tinkerer and have a hard time leaving anything alone. But in this case, it's probably better to leave it stock.
     
  7. Wade Williams

    Wade Williams Member

    Now I just need to find someone who wants a survivor.
     
  8. Smokey15

    Smokey15 So old that I use AARP bolts.

    Nice score! I'd leave it alone, cosmetically, and drive it.
     
  9. Wade Williams

    Wade Williams Member

    I already have 9 vehicles registered and insured. I have to move this one around to do anything. Where is the best place to advertise these Buicks? I am leaving town until Sunday night, going to advertise it then. Was thinking on here and Ebay. Craigslist is just full of flakes now.
     
  10. Philip66

    Philip66 Well-Known Member

    Wade I'll give you $1200 for it. ;) LOL
    Just kidding...
    I lived in Colorado for a while and was always amazed at how dry
    everything was under a car. Pulled a tail light lens off of a '67 Cutlass to replace a blown bulb and it looked absolutely new inside. There was no condensation, no rust, no moisture of any kind! The silver reflector was bright and shiny! Even the gasket was soft and flexible; and this was an original-unrestored car!

    Congrats on a nice car and getting it running too.
    Oh, and welcome aboard! Glad to have you join us.

    Philip T.
     
  11. Wade Williams

    Wade Williams Member

    Thanks everybody. I just need to get the heat/AC and fuel gauge working.
     
  12. racenu

    racenu Well-Known Member

    Did you get the fuel gauge working? Nice find and I see it has the cornering lights option, my dad ordered his with that option, you rarely see them. Great find! Gordon
     
  13. racenu

    racenu Well-Known Member

    Can you tell if the car ever had a repaint, it’s weird to see the candy cane side mouldings along with the pin stripe. The pin stripes were painted on at the factory.
     
  14. Wade Williams

    Wade Williams Member

    It's all original. Not a repaint. Just been driving it when not snowing. Working on the 68 Steven's flatbottom boat this buick was supposed to tow.
     
  15. racenu

    racenu Well-Known Member

    I just re-read your story, so is this for sale? I know there are a few fellows on this forum looking for a clean 69 wildcat? If so maybe repost this on the cars for sale section? Gord
     
  16. Wade Williams

    Wade Williams Member

    That is the plan. I want to fix heat and fuel gauge first.
     
  17. racenu

    racenu Well-Known Member

    You will probably have to send the fuel sending unit out for a rebuild, no one makes a replacement. Many of us big car guys have had to get our sending units rebuilt the last few years, I guess it’s time?
     
  18. Wade Williams

    Wade Williams Member

    Disconnected the sending unit and checked it. Ohms seem to be ok. Getting full feedback from the gauge to ground. Something is shorted out.
     
  19. white72gs455

    white72gs455 Going Fast With Class!!!

    Colorado and no snow? I think this is all made up...:D
    Nice find , good story!
     
  20. Mike B in SC

    Mike B in SC Well-Known Member

    Nice score! Now lets hear more about that dune buggy!
     

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