Hi all. I was wondering if someone had a complete list of all the options available on the 1973 Electra. My Buick 1973 Brochure has a list at the back, but its not specific to the Electra. The list reads: -------------------- AM/FM stereo radio and tape player. My Electra has an AM/FM radio but no tape player. I doubt it is stereo since there is only a single center speaker in front. -------------------- Center consoles. What are these? -------------------- Climate Control air conditioning. Not in my Electra Limited -------------------- Power windows. Mine has it -------------------- Custom seat and shoulder belts. OK, what did this option include? -------------------- Electric trunk release. Not in mine -------------------- Sun roof. Not in mine -------------------- Soft-ray tinted glass. Dont know, I think mine has just a clear glass. -------------------- Rear window defogger. Mine has one -------------------- Sunshade map light. Mine has it -------------------- Electric clock Not in mine -------------------- Tilt steering wheel Mine has it -------------------- Cornering lights Not on my Electra -------------------- Speed alert. Mine has it -------------------- Front lamp monitors permits monitoring front light operation from driver seat Could someone explain this option ? -------------------- Sun Coupe What is that? -------------------- Luggage rack for wagons -------------------- Bumper guards and protective side modings Mine has those -------------------- Vinyl top My Electra has one -------------------- Styled wheels -------------------- MaxTrac I didnt believe this existed in 73 when I read about it -------------------- Automatic level control. If this is the air system in the rear shock absorbers, mine has it -------------------- Maintenace free energizer What is that ? -------------------- Beside all of this, Ive noticed that some Electras have stripes or rubber lists on the sides. For example on this Electra listed on eBay Was this original? And then one option not mentioned in the brouchure list?
Ozeki, Let me try to anwser a few right now and I'll dig up some of my literature to anwser the others. Taken from Phil Racicot Center consoles, you could have the mini console (referred to as 8-track storage bin) See THIS thread to see pics of it. Automatic Climate Control is a similar setup to what you have but instead of where the switch is for the fan you have a dial with numbers for the temperature you want the car to be in fahrenheit. You have what is called manual A/C or heater controls. Power windows are optional, but a large majority of the Electras were equipped with them. I've seen a few crank window electras.. Custom seat and shoulder belts, I believe is actually the belts matching the interior color. You should have should belts, I think that is standard. Electric trunk release is a solenoid mounted on the trunklid to open the trunk from inside the car. If the glovebox door is open on the top part there is a button that activates the solenoid to open the trunk. Sun roof, I'll have to dig up more about that for you. Soft-ray tinted glass, again most cars were equipped with it, its a very light tint. But I think it was new for the time so the advertising was there. Rear window defogger. Im glad you brought this up. You are correct in your terminalogy. This is a small blower motor and cover that blows air on the back window to defog it. Defroster is the lines across the windows like modern cars, not available on the Buicks of this year. Sunshade map light, a small light that is between both sun visors for easier viewing of things inside the compartment without turning on the interior lights. Electric clock, this usually came as part of the accessory group: clock, trunk light, courtesy lights, map light and license plate frame. I haven't seen a '73 without one yet. So you have the little black plate with the trishield above the radio where the clock normally is? Tilt steering wheel, identified by another stalk coming out of the left side of the steering column it allows you to move the steering wheel up or down for you comfort. Cornering lights, a somewhat rare, or its just desireable by many people and that makes it rare. Located on the forwardmost and lowest part of the front fender, between the bumper and wheel well trim a clean light is used to provide better lighting. Speed alert, a knob to the left of the radio allows you to move a yellow needle anywhere across the speedometer. Wherever you set the needle means it will activate a buzzer only when you go over that speed on the speedometer where the needle is set. Front light monitors, I think this is to help the driver better understand what lights are currently on. It is fiber obtics from the headlights, to turns signals and cornering lights if equipped. It lights up blue if the brights are on, flashes yellow if the blinker is on and yellow if the headlights are on. Sun coupe, not for the Electra. rather than a normal sized sunroof, Buick made it span almost the entire roofline for a bigger opening, available on the Skylarks of 1970-72 Enough for now.
options OK, thanks for the detailed answer. I can see from your pictures my Electra does not have the center console, havent seen one before So I have the manual A/C controls, and no air conditioning. I think Ive seen pictures of Electras with air con but with the manual A/C controls. So I guess there where two options here, the air con and then this gizmo for dialing the preferred temperature. On the clock, mine has one. I somehow mixed up the electrical clock and a digital clock terms when I was reading this :grin: Rear window defogger. OK, I was sure this was the defroster, that is the lines across the rear window. My Electra has those, and Im sure its original so this must have been an option in 73. There is a switch for it just right and above of the manual A/C controls, (right of the air duct) with a green light beside it to indicate whether its on or not. I Didnt know about the rear window blower. My Electra has a navy blue interior and seat belts to match. Didnt think this was an option What remains is: - Maintenace free energizer - Rubber lists on the sides, original or not (Ive seen 2-3 Electras with these and they look the same, perhaps it was something produced aftermarket in US which we havent seen in Europe) Perhaps we should make a complete option list for the 73 Electra, documented with text and pictures :Smarty: I havent seen one on the net, if someone knows about it please post the link.
Maintenace free energizer, it was just that. A completely sealed battery needing no maintenace. So no caps to add water to the cells like a normal battery. The rubber strips on the side, commonly called bump strips so if someone opens their door it hits that which has the rubber insert for cushion. Another trim option is the lower chrome mouldings. This is on the front fenders, doors and quarters. Avaialble on all electras. Also there is 6-way power seats for bench, 60/40 or buckets. Seat moves forward and back, back tilts front and back, bottom tilts front and back. Litter bin, it replaces the passenger side kick panel with a kick panel that has a small litter bin. There even more than that, I will do it after I finish working on the car tonight. :grin: :beer :bglasses:
Hello. Right after I bought my old 72' Electra back in early 2001, I was facinated on how "differently" or "oddly" the 60s and 70s cars were optioned and particularly, the 71-74 full-size Buicks. I had started a thread and I know that many of the members here will vouch (that are also on the BCA) that thread is pages long on the discussions of these cars options. Here is a direct link to page 1 of this thread.... alot of reading there.... http://forums.aaca.org/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=37234&an=0&page=0#Post37234 Phils replies to these questions are excellently answered. I can agree with Phil too- I have never seen a 71 or newer Electra without an electric clock, as it was supposed to be standard on the Electra. Another option that you did not mention that was in your brochure is the "fingertip control wiper" option. You may not have mentioned it, because it may have not been available in 1973, but it was on the 1972 models. I was very facinated by this one, because my old 72' Electra had that option and I had never seen one before with it. After that, I only saw ONE with the option. Only 7.9% of the 72' 4dr Electra Customs were equipped with it. Probably an even lower percentage on the other body styles / models. The "litter" receptacle was also pretty rare on the 72' Electras - as only 0.27% (or 283) were so equipped.
Yeah, there was a rear window defogger (blower type) and a rear window defroster (elements in the glass). That trim on the side is commonly called "side protective moldings" and it was optional. There were different types available. Some were metal (aluminum) and some were more of a rubber type, with the black strip in the middle. The black rubber strips on the bumpers were also optional- referred to as "bumper strips". Bumper gaurds were also optional. Sorry not for a 73', but here is a link to Kurts site about the options on the 72' Electra 4dr Custom, which should be about the same options that were available on the 1973. Not sure how much longer this site will be available: http://www.72electra.com/1972 PRODUCTION.htm
The note about the electric clock was just a misunderstandin as I mentioned before. So, the litter box was also an option. The fingertip wipe/wash was also available on the '73, my Electra has this option. Nice site on the 1972 Electras. Boy was I surprised when I found a picture of my own Electra under the 1973 section
Yeah, I had went back and noticed that after I had posted. The wash-wiper fingertip was probably rare on the 73s as well. Sounds like you have an rare one there. Which Electra there is yours? There used to be a photo of my old 72' on there under the "David Osborne" name, but photos are now gone. David was the guy that bought it from me.
Buick used to call the blower type defogger "rear window defroster". That's how the 1964, 65, 67 and 68 owner's manuals describe this option. Strangely, in the Seventies, both the bolwer and the heated glass became rear window defoggers, my '75 has the heated glass and look at the pilot light... And the first year for the heated glass in Buicks was 1969, It was first available in the Riviera and I have heard that some 1968 Rivieras had it too but I never saw one with this accessory. The heated glass wasn't available in the boattails (probably because of the shape of the backglass) but it was available in the Electra in 1973 (and before too, I think the first year was 1970). I have driven a 73 LeSabre that had this accessory. The switch for the heated glass is located in the same location as the one for the blower type but there is a small green pilot light next to it.
The finger-tip washer control is also referred to as the Demand Wiper System. It uses the same motor but adds a relay and second switch on the gear shift lever. I want to find that option, no luck yet. It was available in '73. I just made a long post on options available on the '73's specifically what was recommended for towing HERE. Shaffer, I read through a few of the pages and noticed you posted links for many of the full-size Buicks. I went back to #317939 - 08/16/05 01:28 AM and or august last year and the ebay link was my Electra. You were intrigued at how it is black carpet, dash, headliner and white seats. That is my car. :grin: I thought that was too cool. I love the interior white/black contrast. Anything you like about my Electra? :grin: o No: I didn't know there was someone so intrigued and interested in the 71-74 big Buicks more than I was. :grin: And yes I did get a good deal on it. $787. Love the car to death. Other options include MaxTrac, Guide Matic(Dealer Installed), Twilight Sentinel(Dealer installed), wire wheels, wheel cover, Buick road wheels, four-note horn. :bglasses:
Rob, on the shoulder belt I believe the lap belt was standard (I think required by law) And the option at the time was the actual shoulder strap. I could be wrong though.
Yeah, I remember that car and that thread. It was neat. I had never seen one with that color combo before. I think I liked that color combo too, but my memory is fuzzy, as that was over a year ago. Any link here to more photos of you car to refresh my memories? For $787, you got a super deal on that one. I had to pay $1500 for mine and $2500 for my Caprice, but a much better deal on my Grand Ville (on e-bay) for $1000 and I only had to drive 22 miles to get it. Yeah, I am intrigued on how these older cars are optioned and it all started when I got my Electra and started researching. I found out that all older cars- especially the full-size late 60s thru mid 70s full-size GM cars can be so strangely and differently equipped. My 69' Caprice is the same way - it is highly optioned, but I have seen other 69' Caprices with options that mine lacks, but mine has options that they lack. Yeah, I think on later models they called that the "demand wipers". Attached is a photo of my instrument cluster, but you can see a bit of the end of the gear shift that reads "wiper-washer". Sorry for the low quality, as this was taken in 2001 with my old camera.
Yes, Demand Wiper System in 1973. In 1971 the brochure refers to it as "Wipe-on-Demand." I never knew that it had "wiper washer" in the gear shift lever too, I assumed just the button. Even cooler. I really don't have any pics of the entire car besides when I first got it. This week hopefully I should have some nice ones. This interior pic should hold you over until then. :Brow:
The front shoulder belts were standard in all closed GM cars built after December 1967 except the 1973 Chevrolets with airbags and the 1974-76 Buicks, Oldsmobiles and Cadillacs with airbags. Front shoulder belts were available as an option in convertibles and rear shoulder belts were available as an option in closed cars. The Custom seat belts were those that had metal buckles. The standard seat belts had plastic buckles and only came in black while the Custom seat belts were matching with the carpet color (so they could be black too).
When you click on the 1973 link, you'll get thumbnails of various Electras. Mine is listed with the text Ozeki, Reykjavik, Iceland. A picture I took of it just outside of my house.
In the mid '80's,I had a '73 Electra Limited coupe that had about ALL the top options,including the electric sunroof. I think I may have a lead on where that car is now. It's probably pretty rusty by now,though,sitting behind a house in a field for 18 years. I should have hung on to that one. I have only seen one other '73 with a sunroof. I am going to check it out tomorrow. It's supposed to be a mile from where I store my cars at .
I personally have never seen one with the sunroof, only in photos. Hopefully it is still in presentable condition, or at least restorable. I know where the 72' Cadillac Sedan DeVille is that I owned back in 1991- which was my first car ever titled in my name. It has set in a field on the edge of some woods since 1992, so I know it is in bad shape.
