Well, thought I'd switch from my 60 Buick (headaches) to the new 64 4 speed Wildcat I bought on e bay, and get somethings accomplished starting by decoding my recent purchase's cowl tag. The car had been completely dismantled,blasted and primed black and I wanted to know the original paint code. So what do I find? A stamped star sign. One of my friends who had come over the night before was pumping me up for the restoration project by saying stuff like "Hey John this could have been a specially ordered Wildcat to be this stripped out of options and having a 4 speed!". He then says"This reminds me of something someone like Pop K. of Kenne Bell would run" I'm thinking "No, it's just really a stripped out car" to myself. But now I find this star on the cowl tag.....Soooooooooooo could this possibly be a car someone actually special ordered in some way or what? Does anyone else have or have seen this before on a 64 Cat? Judging by the area under the door panel (only place with color left from an extensive blasting) all I have found is white paint. Surely white isn't some "special order" is it?Or maybe that door was replaced, I don't know..... Any thoughts out there?
I can probably decode the data tag but what the star represents has never been officially confirmed. Theories abound but I have it on my 64 Electra covertible. Let me know what the paint and trim codes are and I'll try to get that for you. Larry
Jim, do you have any documentation on that? My Riv and convertible both have it and both are bucket seat cars. This would answer a long running question for us Riv owners. Larry
I have that same page on my 64 Chassis and Body parts book. I talked with one of the tech advisors for the first gen Riv and he said that all had buckets but not all had the star code. I wonder if the star code on the page simply denoted a bucket seat interior. You could draw a smiliar conclusion from the engine data on the other page with the star being for the optional engine upgrade. AGAIN. Larry
If you look at the Trim code tables throughout the years if the symbol is in the square on table for the trim code it is part of the code. If the "*" appears on the data plate after the word "Trim", and is preceded by a 3 digit interior code I see little room for debate.
Jim, the point rasied was, all 63-65 Rivs were bucket seat cars, but not all had stars on the data tag. If the star denoted buckets, wouldn't all 63-65 Rivs be star cars? Larry
A guess would be that unlike other Buick models, it was understood that all Rivs were bucket equipped and some of the operators felt adding a star was redundant for Rivs but was important and essential info for say a Wildcat which may have come either bench or buckets.
That still doesn't answer the question. In your documentation and mine, which is the same page in my 64 parts book, all Rivs had the star next to the trim code as well as all of the other models bucket seat trim codes. Where I think this arguement falls apart is there are both star and non star data tag 64 Rivs. This tells me either the star meant something else for Rivs only, or the star does not denote bucket seats. Who else out ther has a 64 with or without the star and with or without buckets? I had one guy email me that he has 4 64 Rivs without the star. Larry
Hang on guys Hey guys, I guess I'm to blame for this debate on the Riv's by not being clear enough. I am referring to the paint code on my car rather than the trim code. Here is a copy of what I'm referring to. I am also interested in the Riv info also though:TU:
On a 64 Wildcat sport coupe: "64"= 1964 model "4647"= Wildcat sport coupe "8685"= Body number "697"= red vinyl interior "*"= bucket seats "CC"= arctic white top and bottom paint "FB"= Flint plant "LR"= 401 Wildcat 445 engine "2"= 4 speed? doors? [Larry says 2L= 4 speed and R= rear speaker] "5Z"= seat belts?
I knew which star you were talking about. We Riv guys have been looking for the answer to this for years, and I mean years. I was really hoping for a solid documentable evidence to put this question to rest. I just can't see one rule for Riv's and another for everbody else. For all anybody knows it could have been the shift the car was built on or order status when ordered, special order for customer already sold instead of ordering for dealer stock. If anybody has another explanation I would love to hear it. CC paint code should be white on white paint. Larry
Seems a little bizarre for the seat option code to be after the paint letter code and right next to "Paint" but I trust ya Jim so I'll be going with that unless someone knows differently. Larry, Can't you ask something easy like what is the R&D Work Order number on the Experimental 4 Bolt main "Stage III" block or something?:laugh: Seriously though, hopefully someone will cruise through here and be able to give you the answer.Lot of smart cookies floating around here. Besides I want to know now too!
Woo hoo! Arctic White with the Red Vinyl interior. Makes your car the same color inside and out as my car. Might be a bummer for you if you were sold on the Black. See all the pictures of my color combo at Joe's LeSabre.
I must disagree with something Jim said about your codes. My documentation says 2L is 4 speed trans and the R is for a rear seat speaker. 5Z is seat belts. KT is the engine code for a 64 401 and only found on the block, not the data tag. Lets hear from other 64 owners with or without the star and buckets. Larry
