'67 Wildcat coupe - $2000

The frame is very clean it only needs the front floorboards and the trunk the rear floor is nice and shiny. tHis car set in the barn for some years before I bought it. The engine runs like a sewing machine.

 

Every bit of an impressive of an option lustcas thought

 

My favorite year wildcat

 

Marc, How would you overcome the fact that there is almost nothing available in the aftermarket (vis a vis body panels) for '67,'68 Wildcats? The floors can be dealt with, but where would you find quarter panels etc. I have found very little is available for '67, '68 Cats in general.

 

You befriend a very good sheet metal worker. You buy a few bottles of his favourite hooch and you pay him well. Then you learn patience, you develop a thick skin and you ignore what's flying out your wallet. You cry a lot. You try to learn how to carefully cut out things and bang out dents. Then you learn how to shoot paint. That's about the only way to get these cars fixed. There are no replacement panels for them nor will there ever be, and the stock of good stuff in wreckers is drying up. If you're lucky you'll only end up losing your shirt on a car like this.
To get this car done at a body shop would easily exceed $20,000 in just metal fabbing costs, if a real reputable shop does it it can easily be a $100,000 restoration. Most body shops will turn a car like this away, it can easily turn out to be a bottomless pit for them too.
It's just that the 2 door coupe has incredible lines and should be preserved, it's worth a try. This one looks like it's very well optioned out and would be a sweetheart cruiser when done. But.... I'm told that 3 people went broke restoring my Wildcat, which was the only reason it ended up coming back to me again.
I'm not sure I would be ready to tackle one of these again; but it is tempting. I hope this thing gets saved and restored stock, and not resto-modded.

 

Sometimes you just have to make what you need. I've made patch panels, rockers, floors, etc. out of necessity. If you can't buy it, you have to build it yourself. What's the worst that's going to happen? If you're unsuccessful at fixing it and making your own sheetmetal sections, you're only out your time and cost of some sheetmetal. Cheap learning experience as a failure, or cheap way to learn to fix your own bodywork as a success.....

 

I have restored many cars in the past and work to a pretty high standard. I do my own metal work,welding, forming panels and mechanicals etc., but at 61, I've learned to pick my battles. I bought the Wildcat because it was an original paint, mostly rust free car, but more than that I always wanted one. It's all about the lines of the car and I will do what it takes to get it done in the end. It just would have been nice to have at least some access to repro parts. I'm just not prepared to start from as far back as would be required to revive that Red '67. Here's a small example of the underneath of Mercedes I'm currently finishing and the engine I rebuilt for it. Can't wait to sell the Benz so I can move onto the Buick full time.

 

I had to hand form nearly both sides below the body line with new sheet metal. Got taught how to bend flat metal and use a MIG welder at the same time. I made every “bodywork 101” mistake there is to make on my car, then cut it all apart and started over more than once. You don’t build these cars; they build YOU! The shortage of ready made parts just builds character...

 

Thanks for the words of wisdom. The car I restored before the cash sucking Benz was a 1972 Cutlass and I just had to call Year One and they sent me everything I needed and perhaps I was hoping for a similar scenario in this case. Live and learn.

 

Man, I'd love to see more of that Benz...I've all but given up looking for a good Ponton, everyone wants a million dollars for rusty scrap.

 

Just for you Marc, Then back to Buicks

 

When it's finished, could I interest you in a convertible in trade? ...I'm in love.
Stunning car Gary, absolutely stunning!

 

Thanks, Marc. No room for any other cars, especially another 19 footer.