1963 Buick Wildcat 2DRHT

1963 Buick Wildcat Description

This Wildcat is a real head-turner. I've always thought this year had tasteful flowing lines, with just the right amount of chrome. The opulence of the all-leather interior is something to be experienced. I'd never owned a Buick, and quickly learned to appreciate the extra care and quality GM put into the cars, particularly models like the Riviera and Wildcat back in the 60s. I purchased this example from its original owner, who like most Buick buyers, was very proud of his car and kept it in good running condition.
There is absolutely no rust under the car. Its frame is solid and undamaged. There are only a few minor dings and scratches here and there on the body. We chose to leave the original paint as-is, concentrating our efforts on fixing the mechanical bits that weren't working. We installed a new headlight switch (illuminating 4 matching T3 bulbs), turn signal cam, and glovebox. The old mufflers were shot. We located NOS exhaust resonators and installed a reproduction main muffler. The car starts effortlessly and runs and drives very well. The 401 Nailhead V8 accelerates this large car very nicely, backed by a proper functioning Dynaflow transmission. The brakes work fine and show no leaks.
The car shows very well. That said, there are a couple of very small spots of panel surface rust you can see in the photos. They're at the lower portion of a door and low on the right rear quarter by the wheel well. These spots haven't grown, as the car has been kept in a dry and heated garage. We chose to leave them until the time came to do a full repaint. There is no rust in the floor pans, trunk, or rockers. There is a split in the leather seat bottom on the passenger's side. My upholsterer says this would not be difficult to remedy. I would want to match the original Saddle Brown leather closely, and simply haven't had time to pursue that.
In summary, she is a beauty. It's time for another caring owner to either enjoy the car as-is, or take it to the next level with a new paint job and some more detailing here and there.