New here. My story & the car question

Hello,

I'm new here. About 5 years ago, I ran across a 1965 Buick Electra 225 with all the original parts (including bias ply L78 tires) sitting in the back of a used car lot. I wasn't shopping for a classic car, instead I was checking out yet another PT Cruiser farther up the yard. (I collect those too) It wasn't restored, & had only recently been pulled from a 33+ year slumber in someone's barn. It looked pretty sad sitting there, shoved out of the way with a clearance tag (it was fall & light snow had started). I looked it over, having never seen one before, but as the wind came up, I headed home. They wanted too much for the PT Cruiser.

I had 2 weeks prior to visiting the used car lot purchased a semi-beat up 1982 full size Buick Estate Wagon, powder blue in color. It had seen better (& warmer) times, but I got it for about $100 bucks off a friend who just wanted it gone. I love the full sized wagons with the rumble seats in the back. So it was in my yard, but the rear passenger frame was pretty much completely rotted out. I kept thinking about that old 65 Buick out in the yard, just because it was pretty different looking then all the mustangs, chevelles, & novas that I would see in the summertime, prowling the streets.

So I talked to my bank, & drove the old 82 wagon down to the yard just to see if a deal could be made. As soon as I rolled up, the manager pos out of his office & tells me that he'll give me $500 bucks in cash for my old wagon. He was also a fan of the full size wagons. I asked about the old Electra out in the field, & got the story that it was part of a 6 car (all buicks) estate sale from farther up in my state of Vermont, & he really didn't do anything to it, except have it trucked to the lot, where it sat. He wasn't even sure it would run. But he had a gas can & a good battery, so we went over, & sure as all heck, it fired up & ran, tho not very well. I immediately fell in love with it. Sure it was dusty, grimy, needed some work, but something about it caught my eye.

A deal was struck, & he took my old wagon in trade for the 65 Electra. I got air in the tires, & actually drove it home at a blistering 23mph. I didn't dare go any faster because there was some serious flat spots on the tires, but I live only 5 miles away from the yard, so I chanced the trip.

Since then, I've rebuilt the lower half of the motor, redone ALL the wheel cylinders, lines & had the drums turned. Had to replace all 4 headlights because the the flat spotted tires knocked out all the filaments. The first thing I did when I got it home was to wash, buff, polish & wax the beautiful black paint until it shown. Then the inside got the same treatment. I have photos somewhere of the before & after photos. I also replaced the old rubber with brand new radials (I messed up on the size because I put on 235/60/R15's light truck with a whitewall stripe, when I really needed 235/80/r15's to match the original height that the bias ply L78's have). This past winter I managed to find new, a Carter AFB 4bbl carb rebuild kit. That was actually a fun project. It's had all brand new wheel bearings (inner & outer) as well as new sparkplugs, wires, a new coil & the distributor set up. I am keeping this car 100% stock. It doesn't need anything electronic to fail/mess up.

The thing I don't know where to find are new U-joints for the split driveshaft, & a new center support/bearing assembly. I have a humming / vibration at 50-65mph that I've traced back to that center bearing assembly. I'd love to just find a way to grease them up, but if I'm going to do it, I'd like to do the right thing first, considering the age of the car. I do have the 1965 Motors Manual, but it stops just short of the drivetrain setup


I apologize for the long rambling.

Vermont Bob

 

Bob:



Nice Electra, and since you mentioned the Carter carburettor, it came with the 401 Nailhead instead of the 425.

I see a customised PT Cruiser in your photo, what did you do to the rear wheel wells?



In case you need an avatar (small photo next to your board name above your posts):

Click here for the U-joints :Comp:

Click here for the drive shaft centre support mount :Comp:




By the way:
Please add yourself to the V8Buick board members map :TU:

Click image below :Comp:

 

lcome Bob,

Your Electra is a beauty love that year.

I recently did some work on the 2 piece drive shaft of my 1967 Wildcat and found the parts I needed from these guys. Very nice to deal with and parts were shipped promptly.

http://www.classicbuicks.com/C_Center_support_bearing.html



Kevin

 

Nice ride. Welcome from Texas.

 

That is a georgeous car--your elbow grease really paid off. So--you got the car for $100 essentially? That's awesome. And welcome!

Patrick

 

Welcome from west Michigan, Bob. You sure made a great swap. First guy I have ever heard of who collects PT Cruisers (?).

 

Greetings!!!

 

65 is "my" year-your find looks fantastic. Congrats and Please show us some more pictures!

 

Great story! That car looks brand new!

 

That is fine looking ride, great score and well worth the effort. Where abouts in VT are yah? Check into the links these guys are giving yah. If they cant help you then the best thing to do is take yours apart and take them to your local parts house and they should be able to find your parts using measurements off your old parts. Try to find an older fella behind the counter for this, most of these young kids these days can only use puters and dont know how to read the books no less a tape measure/caliper.

 

Welcome from NY.

 

Looks like the right rear 1/4 of a 78-79 Mercury Cougar too?

 

Yes, I was also thinking about a Mercury from that era :TU:

Edit:

 

Yes it is a 1979 Mercury Cougar XR-7 with a bored "30-over something" 351W. Not yet on the road, as the body kind of went to hell before I got my hands on it.

 

I have 2 PT's at the moment. The red one was turned into a Harley Quinn Edition. It's no longer solid red. It's half satin black & red. I have a lot of photos on that one as well. The other PT is a 2003 GT Turbo that dropped in my lap for about $500. Still got crazy plans for that one as well. With this being a Buick forum, I'm not sure if I can upload those photos with out being flagged for it.

 

Best 100 bucks I've seen spent in quite some time.

 

I live up in Milton, VT. Kind of funny you mention the parts guys. I'm 35, & work at Bond auto. I 'am' the counter guy. But I have very little information available to me in my work catalogs & computers when it comes to any vehicle older then 25 years.

 

Don't worry too much about that, it's part of the conversation in this thread.
So feel free to post a few photos of your other cars :TU:

 

I paid $100 for the 1982 Buick wagon. I ended up paying what the 1965 Buick cost retail in the bank loan & taxes. ( I think I paid $4500 for it when the loan was done)

I still have about $2500 in just the motor. It was making a funny ticking noise, so I replaced ALL the bearings in the lower end, front & rear main seals, had the crank polished, & had everything else inspected by a guy that knew the old motors. (He's no longer with us, so RIP)

Upper end of the motor doesn't need a thing. It's as clean as the day it was new.

 

Ok, good to know. I'll get on that when I get home from work tonight. I just have to find some good ones. I have quite a stable of cars up here in VT. I think the current list is: 1965 Buick Electra 225, 1977 Buick LeSabre (4dr) with a locked/seized up 350 motor), 1979 Mercury Cougar XR-7, 2001 PT Cruiser Limited/Harley Quinn Edition 5sp, and the 2003 PT GT Turbo Limited.