Seen Franks beautiful 70 Wildcat conv. over on "wet behind the ears" and was wondering which I enjoyed most. Of course I never had such a gorgeous Wildcat as that 70 Wildcat convertible that Frank has but did have a 70 Wildcat hardtop that I truelly loved. Bought that 71 riv in my avatar and through time and finances the Wildcat got parted and crushed, a horrific circumstance I know but at least I tried. Now it is hard to compare apples and oranges, but for those riv owners out there and wildcat owners out there, which do you regret letting go and which do you appreciate now having. I wish I had both becaue each had it's attributes. I can't say I went wrong in deciding on the riv, especially a boattail, your thoughts?
i own 2 wildcats a 68 and a 70 both 2 door hard tops, bucket set, consoles and my uncle has a 63 and a 65 riv and we always say that the one we own is better and say some day we will race to see, but i geuss it matters what your into because i love mine. from brian
A 1970 Wildcat is one car i consider missing from my collection. Not sure when or if I will obtain one, but do I have some big plans for a '70 Cat. Not big enough to replace my Riviera GS though.
I never had a wildcat of my own but my dad had a sweet 64 red with white painted top and red bucket interior. I think I liked it as well as my 64 Riviera I had at the same time. and I liked it better than the 74 Riviera GS I had later on. 64 cat to me is about the best!
OOOOH!!! Good one. I LOVE both models, have a '65 cat conv. Only problen I see is that the Wildcat (early on) had to be optioned up ( standard 401) whereas the 425 was standard in the Riv. (I believe). Problem w/ the Riv-no droptop. Would LOVE to add a '65 or '66 Riv to the stable (One for the sun, one for the rain):grin:
For the most part I like Riv styling a little more, but I don't care for x frame/ track link ride and handling as well as the B/C car boxed perimeter frame on the mid '60s cars-so I'll give a nod to the cats. No regrets on selling any in the past and I'm almost sure these things are procreating around here..must be about being shut away in a dark place over long winters...
I had a pair of '68 Wildcats (one was a parts car), and I drove a bucket seat version till someone made me an offer I couldn't refuse. I did miss it, and in the process of seeking a replacement, I discovered the Riviera, and gave up the search for a Wildcat. I like my Riv, and have spent a lot of time restoring it to new car status, without turning it into a 'Trailer Queen', so it can be driven and enjoyed by all. You just never know though, maybe someday that Wildcat replacement might show up ! :TU:
I had a '68 'cat that I purchased to use the 430 engine back in '92. I drove it and liked it, although it handled like a boat........moreso than my Riv. I later decided on using a Nailhead (hence the car in my avatar). I wound up selling the whole car to a guy who wanted the 430 for his Skylark, and sold the seized original 430 from the Riv to a kid at Boces for a school rebuild project for 10 bucks. It even had the SP converter still attached to the flywheel! ou: One thing a 'Cat has over a Riv IMHO, is that it does have a lot more trunk space, and a convertible is just way too cool.
Frank sorry I gave Chinamike credit for your 70 conv. Cat, I was mesmerized by its beauty. A drop top is especially nice.
I had a '76 and an '85 Riv-I liked both cars and have always admired the '66 as well as the boat tails.....BUT my biggest regret was selling my very first car, a loaded '68 Wildcat sedan. I've since found its twin, plus a few of its cousins! Wildcats all the way!:TU: :3gears:
I own both and I like them both but my favourite Buick has always been the 1965 Wildcat Custom hardtop coupe. I never owned a 1965 Wildcat hardtop coupe but I hope I'll get one someday.
Gotta be the Wildcat. I drove a 64 for a few years and more more T/As , Z28s and 260/280Zs fell to it's 425 than I care to admit. Picture this, we pull over so I can collect my winnings, and he says, "What kinda car is that?" "A Buick Wildcat." "A BUICK!? My granddad drives one of those..." (Walking away shaking head, mumbling.) "A f-n' BUICK..." :3gears::bglasses: The "word" was: Don't mess with that big purple (Claret Mist) Buick.
Hi Guys, Neat thread! I fell in love with a new RED 1969 Wildcat convert on the showfloor at Buerkle Buick when my Dad bought a used 63 LeSabre 2 door hard top.(8000 mile car, wish I had that one back!) I think the Riv's are drop dead gorgeous, 1970 being the exception! (sorry Dale and others!) I have a passion for the 1st generation cars and they are really my favorites, but I can live without the problematic hide-aways of the 65 Riv's. The 'cats do have a better frame set up after 64 and are much more spacious inside than a Riviera, so you can bring everything you need with you on a trip, but on a collector car, sexy beats utilitarian any day! Hope my opinion didn't offend anyone! Take Care, Tim
Some model year Wildcats I like more than other model year Rivieras. However, on the whole, I'd always go Rivieras. The 65-67's,the 71 and 72's. Even into the 79-85 styles. And I always loved the last Gen models too.
That's true exept for one thing, RUST! These frames are more prone to rust than the X frames of the 1963-70 Rivs and 1961-64 Wildcats. This is not an issue if you live in a dry state but here, it's hard to find a 1965 or newer Wildcat or Electra with an intact frame. I have seen Rivs with a lot of body cancer but their frames were still solid.
Phil, Good point on the rust issue! Unfortunately, Riviera floor pans and rockers that are rotted out is probably a bigger PITA to repair than sectioning in a frame piece or two. I spent a full day under Dan Lapham's 65 'cat with my wire feed welder and some flat steel and angle iron and reattached the front to the rear! (just hope the THM 400 never goes bad, it's only coming out from above! lol!) I was amazed at how nice the floor pans still were in that car when the frame had turned to thin swiss cheese! :grin: Take Care, Tim
