Hellow Everybody, I just got my grandmother's 1962 Wildcat handed to me this last weekend and I am still trying to get a good grasp on where it is vs where I can afford to get it. After a full hour looking for the hood latch release, I have found myself more acquainted with the poor condition of the steering linkages and random leaks (somewhere) on the power steering as well as the transmission. The car is (will soon have pictures :Brow white and two doors. Has a blue interior which is well worn and looks every bit of 40 years old despite being 52. One thing that I need help with for certain is figuring out what lights the speedo' and gage cluster and then I need to get that going b/c I can't see anything at night. ... Also need a heads-up on how the cigarette compartment is supposed to close... mine is hanging open. Look forward to delving into a bunch of issues and starting some conversations... like how the heck does the car have so much HP and have a tranny that makes it a complete dog... this thing is basically a 4 cylander worth of power or mine runs like crap. That said, the odometer says 39,400 miles which can't be right either. Maybe it rolled over??? How could I tell? AHHH so much to wrap my head around. Ryan in SoCAL
Ryan: Don't forget to put your first name in your signature :TU: And yes, we want to see a few photos of the Wildcat... Did you try to turn the light switch knob to illuminate the gauges? 1962 was the first year for the Wildcat, basically a sub-model of the Invicta, only available that year as a 2-drs hardtop. 1962 full size Buick brochure :Comp: The advertised hp is gross hp, that all changed in 1972, so you can deduct at least 100 hp from the 325 hp 1962 numbers:
Welcome to V8Buick! :beer Don't let the leaks get to you. Every time I fix one leak, a new one seems to make an appearance. That's just part of owning an old car! :laugh: In terms of the gauge lights, check for a blown fuse. The fuse block is located under the left side of the dash, right behind the parking brake. Otherwise the dimmer mechanism in the headlight switch could be faulty, or the bulbs could be bad. I'd start with the fuses and if that doesn't fix it remove the dash pad (I think there's only 6 screws) and replace the bulbs. I think the fold down cigarette lighter is spring loaded. I'll be honest, I've never had to take mine apart. I believe there are two mounting screws located at the very bottom of the dash. If you stick your head up under it, they should be obvious. The Nailhead was definitely overrated from the factory. In stock configuration, 260hp isn't an unrealistic expectation. It shouldn't feel like a 4 cylinder though. You might want to start with a basic tune up (plugs, wires, check timing, etc). Also, make sure the heat riser valve in the passenger side exhaust manifold operates freely, or at the very least is stuck in the "open" position. In addition, the Dynaflow transmission sucks up A LOT of power, and is often reffered to as a Dynaslush. Some people love them, but for performance they suck. There's no way to really tell if the odometer rolled over, but you could look for signs like interior wear, wear on the pedal pads, past repair receipts, etc. It likely has rolled over though.
Hello Erik Happy New Year to you and I hope that your weather in Holland is better than what it is here in South Dakota. How many Buicks do you and your family now own and are you going to become a "Wildcat":laugh: man or stay with the Boattails? Did you ever buy that 1959 that you once showed us on here? Take care John :laugh:
If a fuse is the culprit for your dark dash, your tail lights will be dark, too. They're on the same fuse. (Tail lights on the same fuse as the dash lights. Brake lights and signals are on another fuse) Timing (maybe plugs, too) and carb is probably the culprit for your sluggishness. My 322 with 236 hp in front of a Dynaflow pulls my 2+ ton Roadmaster around pretty good. And I've got some pretty steep grades around my house.
Love the set-up you have going there! I'm struggling with the though of changing anything on what is basically a survivor (A mechanic re-did the dashboard cover)ou: Is there a market for these things in the condition it is in? Pictures to follow ASAP !!! Promise.
What do you want for it? I love the Dynaflow, and I don't think it's slow at all. I might be in the market, if I can afford it. My (sold) '63:
A 407 is a 401 bored 0.030" over. The wheels are no-name 15x7 aluminum slot mags, likely originally intended for a Chevy truck. I picked them up on eBay for dirt cheap and restored them. They aren't 100% perfect but unless your staring at them from inches away you'd never notice.
THAT'S HILARIOUS!!!!!! I just looked at your avitar and you have the coupe version of my Cadillac DeVille! Mine is a sedan and i'm working hard to get her back up and running. It's got only 19,000+ miles on it but was left for years in a carport and ignored. Hoping that the 472 in it is going to live... That said your 63' looked like a million bucks. Seriously, that would be on my top 10 list. My #1 being a 71 cuda/barracuda. As for a sell price, I've got no idea what the car is worth and would be happy to hear an offer. Please send me a message with your phone number and i'll be happy to call you. Ryan
For sure~!!! I just got my hands on the Caddy on Saturday and the oil has antifreeze + water -- Looks like a tasty black/tan. It's going to be intriguing. That and sniffing out where i'm leaking copious amounts of antifreeze from. Hopefully it didn't turn acidic.
