This steering was available as an option on the 1975 Century and it should eb the original. It wasn't available in the full size models back then but I added one in my former '74 LeSabre as it looked better than the standard steering. Do you have the matching horn cap that goes with it? Here's a picture of it: Automatic Climate control was a relatively rare option, even in the full size Buicks back then. It was available in the Century/Regal as an option from 1973 to 1975 and in 1976-77, it was replaced by a cheaper semi-automatic unit. Both the manual and the semi automatic unit have a control panel with two horizontal levers and the blower speed control at the left while the automatic unit has the temperature setting dial at the left and one horizontal lever. When the horizontal lever in is the "AUTO" position, the blower speed and temperature control are fully automatic. Here's a 1975 automatic a/c control panel from my Electra. The control panel is a bit different but the controls are in the same location as those in your car. Here is the semi-automatic a/c control panel that replaced the fully automatic unit in 1976-77 in the Century, Regal, LeSabre and Estate Wagon models ('76 Estate Wagon shown). The temperature control is still automatic but the blower speed isn't. Here is the more common manual a/c control panel (74 LeSabre shown).
i've got the same control panel as you got in your elecktra about the horn button it was missing but i'm about 30 minutes away from a holliday in Sweden. i'm going to the big meet ( www.bigmeet.com ) also there is a big yunkyard on the way there so i will go there and look for some hard to find trim ( including the horn button ) so i won't be ansering this post for some time :laugh: btw this is the pic of the int Greetings Lennard
Lennard, You are a very big inspiration to me. I have to do the exact same thing to my '76 century if I want to keep it. Only problem I have is I don't have a welder/ or grinder, and I don't have metal cutting tools or any metal tooling, for that matter, to make custom patch panels and such, although if I can, I plan to do that in the near future, or maybe have a machine shop/metal shop make custom patches for me and have a good welder tack them right into place! I think most people who restore older cars should do this instead of parting out cars. If we all were to do this, we might not have to worry about the demise of such wonderful automobiles. My car is a total rustbucket, but I am such a good photographer, that you don't see the rust in my pics. p Good luck w/ the resto, and you've done excellent work so far, keep it up man! I love these '73-'77 A-Body Buicks!
Lennard. Very nice work so far! The large window was a collonade coupe, then you had the other "formal" window treatment models Regal etc. It was interesting to see that GM welded in plates for these cars. I did not know that as all of my 73's are Collonade coupes. LOL finding parts as they are super rare and no one repops them at this time. Trim for the rear windows are over $500 a pair if you can find them,etc. LOL with the car and keep us all updated, I love the 73-75 Centurys :3gears: :bglasses: :beer
thanx guys i'm just back from my holiday in sweden. there where around to 10.000 cars on the meeting and not even 1 century coupe o No: very rare car i guess :TU: i also went to one of the biggeste classic american car junk yard in europe they also had a lot of other a body's ( le mans, olds 442, chevelle, ) but they had only one 73 century and one 76/77 century coupe's the 73 one was in quite good shape only missing the hood, engine and tranny ( all cars over there had no engine in it ) and the right fenden and the rear bumper. . . it once was a nice car it was dark green mettalic with a white int and i suspect a 455 ( said the fender emblem ) was in it since we where there very late 12.15 ( yard closed at 13.00 ) i didn't got to salvage much from the car but a qouterpanel ligcht ( side marker ) and my missing left rear wheelwell trim ( in perfect shape :eek2: ) i should have taken pics of it but because there was little time i kind of forgot it ou: the complete car was in such a good shape. Even the trunk floor was still almost intact ( very few pinholes in it ) oly the rear wheelarches had a lot of rust on them. Also the front wheel weel was also in good shape ( no rust on the batery tray area i also want a white int in my car and that one had a white int in quite good condition oly a bit dirty but complete so i'm thinking about going back there and salvage some more stuff from it however i don't know how much such an interior is worth and if it's worth the trouble to get it out of the car ( car was in a bad location lots of big bushes around it ) also at the meeting i found the paint chips of my car but i didn't bougt them insted i've bought the paint chips for a 73 century since i want to repaint the car in midnight blue. and that color wasn't avaleble in 75 so it was a nice holiday and i gues that i will go back one day for the white interior and some other parts . . . Greetings Lennard
well guys i've got some more new pics on the car today i've been bussy with ( of course ) the right quarter panel. althoug this one isn't a worse as the left one it does need quitte a lot of work also today i made a patch panel for the lower part of the quarter behind the door and i've cut the old piece out and cleaned the area behind it. here are the pics: before :ball: after welding a small patch on the inner and outher wheelwell ( not the best job ou: ) but i will get it straight with lead loading ( i hope ou: ) before cutting it out after it was removed it showed olny surface rust. no rust trough ( except for the bottom of the wheelwell ) here are the pics i also started grinding and blasting the rust of this panel. here are the pics of how it now looks :grin: Also very BIG news :Brow: I finnaly got my 455 :beer and i must say what a great feeling to get my first american made big block it absolutly felt great having it. i've got it from a damaged 73 riviera with damage to the rear of the car. when i first got it i spend the whole day making it a bit cleaner to work on. i'm planning on first getting the valve covers gasket replaced and the oilpan gasket replaced. Also i will give it a tune up and a hei ignition system I'm currently not planning on putting on performance parts but i suspect that that will change when the whole car is finished :Brow: :3gears: or do you guys think i should also do other things to the engine ??? so that's what i've done this week Ow wait almost forgot :spank: i've got some pics of the engine :laugh: Greetings Lennard :3gears:
update i've been busy again. I now welded in the plate i made earlier so this is how it now looks i will start this week on the lower quarter ( behind the wheel well ) this is also very rusty
Doing a neat job on all the rust repairs & its looking good nice pick up the 455cu Buick mtr. When it comes together it would probly be the nicest 75 century in Europe.
I know my car originaly had that colour on it. It's siver mist poly for how much would it go ? and indeed you don't see them to often on ebay. Especialy the 2 doors it looks reallly nice but i hope that mine will look better one day p Greetings Lennard
weel since i've been very buzy with getting parts and other smaal stuff i didn't spend as much time on my buick as is wished i've had still i've done some small things to it here are a few pics ( again p ) in the mean while i've also replaced the inner part of the trunk side floor ( don't know what it's called o No: ) I will take some pics of it later and show it here currently i'm making the bottom end of the inner wheel arch fit and i hope that i can weld it in tommorow. When that's done i will start on the outer panels. also i've got some small work to do on the engine ( the 455 :Brow: ) like gaskets and giving it a nice colour ( org buick red ofcourse ) then i will mock it up where it's suposed to sit when the car is finished Greetings Lennard
Lennard, A '75 Buick 455 should be painted metallic blue, probably the same color as your current Buick 350. I had mine rebuild a month ago and I couldn't find the correct color in engine paint since this color was used only one year. I had a spray can of base coat done in a similar color and they used it to do the final coat over the GM blue engine paint that was less expensive.
my 350 was indeed blue/green ( difficult colour ) but my 455 came from a 73 and should there for be red and 75 century's were never build with the 455. They oly came with that engine in 73 and 74 and i find a red block better looking :grin: Greetings Lennard
Well lately i've been busy again i've had some small stuff done to the engine like gaskets and freeze plugs also i've blasted some pully's and the valve covers since they were a bit rusty also i've had my timing chain off and decided to replace that also i also cleaned the timing cover ( in the dishwasher :laugh: ) I've also cut out a iece of the wheel arch on the right side because i thougt that there would be rust behind it since the sealent used between the inner and outer arch was dry rotted and had a bit a rust colour on it when i got the piece out to my surprise there wasn't hardly any rust. Only a bit where they meet ( inner arch and qoutere panel ) but i already was planning to replace that piece. Ive done that yesterday and it came out fine ( not completly done since i've got some more work to do on the inner wheel arch ) and offcourse i've got some pictures off it quite a lot actualy 24 to be right First some pics off the engine appart that one is good to replace . . . Some stuff in the timing cover off the 455 that's what made me dicide to get the freeze plugs out and flush the engine. When i had them out there was hardly any sort of dirt or so in the engine so that was quitte a relieve to me Does anyone know where i can get these plugs and what size they are ??? this is how the parts came out after blasting ( and the garage since i don't have a cabin for it ou: ) see next reply for more
these where the pics off the engine so far Now i will show some off the ( body ) work i've done yesterday You can see here the part thet i cut out i've done this to make sure there waren't any rust holes in the inner wheel arch. As you can see only the bottom where it meets the quarter is needed to be replaced. Iv'e done this yesterday here are the pics off it So that was it for today. I'm not so often more on this board since i'm very busy with my new school. This also means i haven't got so much time for my buick anymore. But i try to work on it every weekend ( by the way sorry for my bad english i can speak it better then write it p ) Greetings Lennard :beer
hey guys got some more ( bad ) work done i've welded some more metal temporarly in place to check if they would fit. witch they didn't. i'll show you the pcs off it and what tell what 've done te get it right it's clear to see what the problems are the panels i've made don't line up right but where was the mistake? wat the panel cut to short ? or was the other panel made to long ? well to tell story . . . you can see it on the next pics hmm a bit wrong but there's more It comes down to this: i've made the panel on the front ( by wheel ) 2 cm to short and the rear about 1 cm to short so i welded al small piece of metal in place of 1 cm at the rear and 2 on the front witch looked a bit better but still not quitte 100 % since the other panel doesn't line up correct. Since the other panel is to complicated to make ( again ) i figured to make a other panel wich was bigger and would fit in lpace. but i found an other problem . . . this : i've welded this panel in qoutte badly since i was borred then. But the problem is yhat the trunk exstantion is bended and to short ( and the welding doen wasn't to be called good ) also it was to far to the outside welded so the panel doesn't line up with the others. ou: **** happens . . . right now i'm also gonna cut out the trunk exstantion and make sure that it all will fit 100% together yep it's a big learning proces for me my firts real restoration :grin: Lennard
sorry guys the buick has to wait for this car to be finished it's a 79 ford capri wich i will use as my ( future ) daily driver. so the buick has to wait for this car to be done and then i will start working on it again . . . Also i'm very busy with school just to let you gus know what i'm doing and why there aren't any more updates Greetings Lennard
