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Wikipedia: Buick Wildcat
Subtopics 1964 Convertible Customizing Kit: Buick Wildcat (AMT Model Kit) Page Sections History Reference Desk Photographs Documents Merchandise |
History
The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Buick Wildcat page on 2 December 2016, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The Buick Wildcat is a full-size automobile that was produced by Buick from 1962 to 1970. It took its name from a fiberglass-bodied 1953 concept car.
In 1962 the Wildcat was a Buick Invicta subseries, mating the Invicta's longer full-size two-door hardtop Buick body (known as the "sport coupe," body production code 4647) with a high-performance 325 hp (242 kW) version of the 401 cu in (7 l) Nailhead V8, known as the Wildcat 445 for producing 445 lb·ft (603 N·m) of torque. To further distance itself from the Invicta, the Wildcat had Electra 225-like taillights, a bucket seat interior, a center console with tachometer and transmission shifter. It had the famous Dynaflow transmission shared by all full-size Buicks, plus special exterior side trim, vinyl-covered roof (new for 1962), and its own unique emblem: a stylized head of a wild cat, located on each of the C-pillars. However, the Wildcat did share the LeSabre's and Invicta's trio of VentiPorts on the front fenders, a design cue lasting only through the 1963 model year.
1963–1964
From 1963 to 1970 the Wildcat was its own series, no longer an Invicta subseries. The 1963 model had a large aluminum trim panel on the side of the body that seemed to compete directly with the Oldsmobile Starfire, another full-size "sporty" model by GM. Wildcats built in the 1964 model year did not have the traditional horizontal VentiPorts like other Buicks, but instead had vertically situated chrome hash-marks on the lower front quarter panel directly behind the front wheel housings. After becoming its own full series in 1963, the Wildcat added a convertible and four-door hardtop sedan to the original two-door hardtop coupe introduced in 1962. In the four-door version, a bench seat was standard but the bucket seat and console interior used in the coupe and convertible were optional. In 1964, a pillared four-door sedan was added to the line and two levels of trim were available - standard and Custom, with a mid-line Deluxe sub-series added for 1965 only. From 1966 to 1969, the base (with trim similar to the '65 Wildcat Deluxe) and Custom trims were again the sole options.
1965–1970
In 1966 a one-year-only Wildcat "Gran Sport Performance Group" package could be ordered by selecting the "A8/Y48" option. Two engine choices were available. The single carb 425 CID/340 hp V8 was included in the base package price but a 360 hp (268 kW) dual-carb set-up was also available at extra cost. Initially, this 20 hp (15 kW) upgrade remained a dealer installed carb/intake modification bolted to stock MT-coded engines but eventually these "Super Wildcats" could also be obtained direct from the factory with MZ-coded engines. Rounding out both the base and Super GS packages were dual exhaust, heavy-duty suspension, posi-traction and updated rear quarter-panel "GS" badging in the new, initials-only format employed on all post-1965 Gran Sports. A total of 1244 Wildcat GS's were built by Buick during the model year. Of those 242 were convertibles and the rest were hardtops. A mere 22 (consisting of an unknown mix of both body styles) earned Super Wildcat decals.
A styling appearance was adopted from the very popular 1963 Buick Riviera where the beltline arched up over the rear wheels, a modifiction of an older styling element called the "Sweepspear", with later vehicles installing a rub strip along the entire side of the vehicle tapering down as it reached the rear bumper.
The Wildcat was offered only in Custom trim for its final year of 1970. It was superseded by the Buick Centurion for 1971.
Wildcat concept cars
Buick has used the name Wildcat for five concept vehicles, three in the early 1950s, one in 1985 and another in 1997. The 1953 Wildcat I, 1954 Wildcat II and 1955 Wildcat III were all designed under the guidance of Harley Earl. The I and II still exist today.
The 1985 Wildcat was a radical mid-engined, all-wheel-drive sports car with an exposed high-performance, double-overhead cam V6. The chassis was built of carbon-fiber and vinyl-ester resin and the body featured a 'lift-up' canopy for entry/exit. This futuristic vehicle is still owned by Buick today, and is still operational.
In 1997, Buick made a Riviera Wildcat concept car. This car had carbon fiber instead of woodgrain trim inside and black chrome outside and its engine was modified.
Reference Desk
The Crittenden Automotive Library's "Reference Desk" is a collection of materials that cannot be shared due to copyright restrictions. Information from these resources, however, can be shared. Go to the Reference Desk page for more information.
| Type | Title |
|---|---|
1968  Book | 1968 Buick Owner's Manual (LeSabre, Wildcat, Electra); General Motors Corporation |
| Date | Document Name & Details | Documents |
|---|---|---|
| 17 March 1967 | NHTSA Recall 67V027000 1966 Buick Wildcat Service Brakes, Hydraulic: Pedals And Linkages National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | Recall Page - 1 page |
| 6 October 1976 | NHTSA Recall 76V160000 1966 Buick Electra, 1966 Buick Riviera, 1966 Buick Skylark, 1966 Buick Wildcat, 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle, 1965-1966 Chevrolet, 1966 Chevrolet El Camino Fuel System, Gasoline:Carburetor System National Highway Traffic Safety Administration | Recall Page - 1 page |
| 6 October 1976 | NHTSA Recall 76V160000 General Motors Corporation |  PDF - 2.0MB - 25 pages |
| Type & Item # | Name | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Model Kit - AMT 6514-150 | Buick Wildcat | 1:25 scale, 1964 Convertible Customizing Kit, Customizations by Bill Cushenbery  |
