Barn Find: 1965 Buick Wildcat
Upon its introduction as a ’62 model, the Wildcat was Buick’s halo hot rod for a hot second. But pity the poor Wildcat, for the out-of-this-world Riviera supplanted it atop the model lineup a solitary year later and rendered it yesterday’s news. We all love a comeback, however, and the slinky ’65 B-Body gave the big cat a second chance, and all of a sudden Buick had two top-of-the-line cars with vaguely sporting intentions, and both are worthy mentions on any list of Buick’s most attractive vehicles. This North Carolina Wildcat is currently offered on eBay with a title but, unfortunately, no engine or transmission.
That’s too bad, because the standard engine was Buick’s torquey 401 cubic-inch “Nailhead,” which produced 325 horsepower and 445 lb.-ft. of torque. Indeed, it wasn’t the displacement or the horsepower rating listed on the air cleaner, but that famous Buick torque: “Wildcat 445!” Optional was the 425, and with dual quads (the mileage! the intake moan!) it became the “Super Wildcat.” For 1965, Buick’s Super Turbine 400 three-speed automatic was the most popular transmission, although a few manuals snuck out the door.
The full-size Buick’s dashboard received some criticism from those who rightfully argued that placing important gauges well out of the driver’s sight line was a triumph of form over function. It was unsurprisingly updated for 1966. Although one might expect a sporty console and floor shifter in Buick’s big sportster, it wasn’t standard equipment, and this one indeed has a bench seat and column shifter. In terms of condition, this example is rough, and Buick interior parts aren’t exactly something you find in the big-name catalogs. It will be an expensive proposition to restore this Wildcat.
But you want to, right? Look at the glorious W-shaped tail panel and semi-fastback roofline. The swoopy ’65 GM full-sizers were at least a styling cycle ahead of their competition, perhaps too far; some today still prefer the more square-rigged Fords and Mopars from that heady year of American motordom. But Chevy, Pontiac, Olds, and Buick all put on a show for ’65, and all have their fans today.
The seller of this ’65 gives us very little to go on in the ad aside from mentioning that more pictures are available upon request. It looks solid in the photos but dark colors can hide a lot of rust. Still, if you live near Fuquay Varina, North Carolina, it might be worth a look. The high bid is currently $1,825 with about four days to go. Will it end up with an LS-based engine under the hood? Another Nailhead? Will it be a parts car? Let us know what you think in the comments.
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Comments
Imagine the smile when the original owner, rolled this big Buick out on to the highway and punched it 😃😲😎
Imagine the smile any one of us would have driving this restored, punching the throttle, and hearing that Nailhead come to life!!!