Hi all, I need some advice vis a vis pricing. I placed an ad in Montreal Kijiji for buckets and console to convert my 68 wildcat from bench and column shift and I just received a reply. I know they can be hard to locate, but he said he has a set of factory correct buckets with tracks (in Black) a console with shifter and a matching tilt column. I don't know what fair market value for these parts would be. I'm waiting to hear back after I answered his ad and requested pictures. I was thinking a grand or so would be ball park. Has anyone purchased this stuff lately? and how readily available are these parts. The seats are supposed to be recovered. I'm thinking this swap would increase the value of the car substantially as well. Thanks for any advice, Gary
Update! I just heard back from the seller and he's asking $700.00 for both seats, console with shifter and the matching tilt column. I'm still waiting on the pics, but I don't think I can go wrong at that price. There is a language barrier as my French isn't stellar, but I'm pretty sure he understood what i was saying. I'm over the moon and hope he sends the pics soon! I can manage the seat and console install, but have never changed a steering column. Is there anything to watch out for and is it tricky? The carpet is shot as well so I also need advice on finding a supplier for new carpeting. Gary '68 2dr. Wildcat
These parts are definitely not easy to come by....value is ultimately about what the seller wants and what someone is willing to pay for it. Condition is also a determining factor. If the seats are recovered there is value in whether or not they have been done in the original pattern and material and if the correct seat buttons are still there. I would think $600-$800 might be a reasonable range. Just my opinion. Good luck I hope this works out for you.
Thanks for the sage advice David. I will try to post the pics if and when he sends them. The seats were removed from his father's car. My old bench seat is powered, so if this swap actually happens, is there any parts I should remove from the power bench before chucking it? It does all work in all directions and seems quiet when in operation. Or is it all pretty generic G.M. stuff under there. I don't imagine the mechanism could be swapped to the drivers bucket. Gary
If you aren't planning on keeping everything, I would keep the power mechanism base and tracks from underneath the bench. You can always sell it and recoup some of the cost of your buckets/console purchase.
I haven't found a picture of my seats looking at them from the front, but you can see a bit of the stitch pattern if that helps to identify the seats you are looking to buy.
$700 if the seats are recovered in original pattern is a steal in my book . Good luck! Column switches are not to bad . Do you have steering wheel puller and other basic tools?
First, David, Nice car! I think I have the same Buick 8 track player .Thanks for the pics of how the seats should look as I wasn't sure what year Buick went to the separate headrests.(I guess 69?) Now I know what to look for. Tony, I've already had the steering wheel off last fall (gorilla style no puller) as the horn kept blaring going around corners and I had to fix a wire that had popped out of place. I'm a retired mechanic and although most of my tools are metric( did Mercedes, Audi + V.W's)I do have enough inch stuff to work on the Buick so far. I'm thinking even if the seats aren't exactly correct, it would still be a good buy if there are good repro covers out there. Thanks for all the advice. I hope to get some pics of the seats soon. Gary
A really good buy at anything under a grand, because you always ask this question: ''If i pass on these, will I see others any time soon? '' I paid $600 for NOS (NEVER put on a car) unobtanium 1968 tail light lenses, rear quarter marker lights and all the badges and letters a few years back and I thought I got an absolute bargain. And I have never seen same for sale since.
The seller sent me the pics of the seats and console. They are not recovered as advertised and look like s**t, but look correct for a 68 Wildcat. The console is missing the shifter, but apparently the chrome is not pitted and the steering column is still included, but no pic was sent. I will forward the pics to my interior guy for his opinion, but my question is... Are repro seat covers available in this pattern and if so where? Is the shifter mechanism going to be hard to find to complete the console? I'm still interested in the seats as rebuildable cores, but not at $700.00. UPDATE I just heard back from my upholstery guy and he says he would have to scratch build the front bucket and rear seat covers in the correct Buick pattern as no reproduction covers are available for 68. He's asking $1,500 for all 3 seats (1,200 USD.) Is this ballpark?
You may be looking for awhile to find that shifter mechanism. Although if I'm not mistaken, the shifter was the same from '65-'69. The upholstery estimate sounds reasonable.
@68 Wildcat I just had my seats done a few weeks ago-- not even back in the car.... your price point is about right for Canadian -- at least based on Boston prices (metro area premium labor costs vs rural areas). You'll need new buns ($175 USD) and matching vinyl ($150 to 180 assuming $30 yd) and of course, all that stitching is labor intensive. You'll also need new rope trim, new bumpers, etc. You see how it adds up ;-)). FYI - Headrests were an option in 68 -- I added them because I'm tall. I was very worried they would ruin the look but they look just fine and should make it more comfortable for me to drive...
Thanks everybody for your input and guidance. I am waiting to hear back from the seller to set up a time to see the seats as it's a 3 hr. drive one way. Before I pull the trigger on the seats, I want to see if the tracks are sound as well as the back plastic shell and if all the remaining hardware is intact. I was more or less satisfied with the estimate for redoing the seats. When I was surfing for interior pics of 68 wildcats, I did come across one with headrests, so the fact they were optional clears that confusion up. As mentioned by David, the shifter seems to be unchanged for several years (saw one in a '64 that even looked the same) so I'm optimistic I will find one at some point. The carpet will need to be replaced when I do the seats and I have noticed it is readily available, but there seems to be 2 types. Sewn and molded . Price point is about the same. Any opinions on what way to go. I would like to have everything ready to go at the same time and would like to order stuff asap. Gary
Carpet; ALWAYS get a molded carpet. Several reasons. A molded carpet is already conformed to the curvature of your car. There are no seams to unravel, as the carpet is effectively one piece. Granted, a lot of cars use two piece carpets, separate front and back halves that are molded and have the ends tailored to prevent un-ravelling or fraying. The tailored end is usually only on one piece, which will go on top. Personally, I prefer ACC carpets, available from many vendors. Rockauto.com has great prices, in my opinion. Don't know how that works in Canada, though. Also there are STYLES of carpet, Some cars used standard nylon loop (back then it was called 80/20, but now is commercially better fiber wise), and plush (Essex, if I recall correctly). Mid 80's Regal Limited's and Electra's, ETC, came with the plush carpet. MUCH softer feeling, but a bear to keep clean, Dirt just seems to get a grip on the fibers more than it does on a loop style carpet. Also, PM sent.
Thanks, Steve for the tutorial on different carpet styles and construction methods. I will take your advice and order a molded nylon loop type carpet to match the original. At the same time, I will redo the floor with a coat of Por 15, once I've steel brushed the whole thing. Comes out of storage on April 1. I can't wait. I have been working on it in my sleep for weeks!!! Gary
I suggest you read more into POR... I does not like clean metal. It likes RUST; That is what it is designed for. I suggest a thorough cleaning, then a high build epoxy primer, or etching primer, followed by sealer, then a single stage paint.
Thanks Steve, I've used Por 15 before on past restos and really like the stuff. By clean, I just mean a quick steel brushing and vac for loose bits. I'm aware that POR likes rusty surfaces and won't adhere well to shiny metal. Since both front and back windows are coming out for a reseal as they leak, I'm not expecting the floor to be rust free. If on the other hand, the floor looks great, I will follow your advice. Gary
Success! Took all day driving there and back with my buddy who thankfully speaks French better than I do, but if you want something you better be prepared to put in the time. The seats and console were in a barn up in the loft way in one corner and the owner was a French Canadian farmer that doesn't look like he met to many Anglos in his lifetime and we spent some awkward moments in his kitchen before we found out the seats were actually a mile down the road in a barn without any way to get there unless you were willing to slog thru the snow is street shoes. We were both unprepared for that. It almost killed us digging them out and then down some rickety stairs and back thru the snow. The good news was he found the shifter minus the linkage but he threw it in with the console and seats for $500 bucks ( $400 USD.) A tiring but good day. I'm still missing the trim plate around the shifter, but once I get the bird poop off them, I might actually be able to save the passenger seat and only get the drivers side recovered. It will depend how dried out the vinyl is. Some questions if I may... The seats only have 3 mounting places, 2 on the outboard side and one on the inboard side. Doesn't look like any track hardware is missing, but They are the first buckets I've seen with this tripod mounting arrangement. Factory?? Also the console has a blank at the firewall end with a Buick logo. What goes there? Optional tach or vac gauge?? The whole thing felt like a French Canadian version Of American pickers with a bit of Deliverance thrown in, but all and all nice people and a pretty productive day. I also scored a nice little chrome tach with Buick written on the front and a dial for an extra pointer on it for $60 bucks Here's some pics safely back home in my garage.
