My uncle worked for GM. He had a beautiful 68 Wildcat. Dark blue, white vinyl roof. White interior. I was about 13 years old at the time. He promised me that car when I turned 16. Unfortunately he was a heavy drinker. At the time, I didn't understand that he was full of crap. No Wildcat for me. I still live with the emotional scars. LOL.
The way Adam shares his knowledge is wonderful. I can't let a minute go by without cussing and even I appreciate the way the man talks. It's super nice to be able to learn tons of automotive facts and history in such a pleasant and relaxing way. Thank you sir
In 1968, I was 23 and purchased my first new car. It was a 1968 Buick GS400 Convertable. RED/WHITE TOP/WHITE INTERIOR. Chrome mag wheels. LOVED that car ! It cost me around $3,400.00.
If only they made something comparable to that now... It's laughable that Buick commercials today try to convince us their entire line of just cookie cutter SUV & crossovers are actually beautiful.
Back when even cheap cars from America were built with quality, reliability, and were iconic for generations to come! Screw the modern-day cars, I'm all classic! 😎👍💪
@@matthewpaanotorres7309 I mostly agree with you!...But I will admit, that today's cars, though bland and boring, are much more safe, compared to those wonderful luxury barges we remember so fondly.
@@curbozerboomer1773 I partially agree along with how the interiors and exterior designs of every classic car had talent and soul put into them unlike classic cars!
The Buick Wildcats were the best all around cars Buick made!!! Style,performance,ride,handling,reliability & durability all define Buick Wildcats!!! I owned three Wildcats, a 64,68, & a 70!!! Out of the three, the 68 had the best styling, but the 70 had the most horsepower & torque!!! The 64 was also a great car with the bulletproof 401 Nailhead!!! The 68 had the 430 that was also a very strong reliable engine!!! The 68 had that cool fastback roof!! The 68 Wildcat is a true icon in styling alone!!!
My grandfather had a white '67 Buick Lesabre coupe, white with a black vinyl roof. It wasn't very equipped with options, but had a 350 V8 and plenty of power. It was his last car, as he passed away in 1970. I still remember that Buick and rides with him and my grandmother... who was always telling him to slow down! 🐌
I really enjoyed this one. My father bought a 1966 Wildcat without air conditioning. Big mistake. The family drove across the country on vacation that summer and were dying. As soon as we got back he traded it for a 1967 model with air which he kept for a number of years. You are certainly right about that being the golden age for GM. I wish we could have a car like that now. Great channel!
Man, I remember road trips to Florida before every car had air conditioning. I left my box of crayons on the package tray when we went in a restaurant to eat. Dad was not impressed with how they melted together in the Georgia sun!
@@richardmorris7063 Yes, having a car now without air conditioning is unthinkable. But back in the day that was just normal. Even in the south. I don't know how we did it. A/C is the best invention ever.
@@mikeweizer3149 Absolutely! They were so stylish and high quality compared to the plastic and technology riddled crap we have now. America used to make the world's best.
My dad bought his very first new car back in 1967...it was a Wildcat, with that very potent 430 engine!...Incredibly quick for such a large vehicle...my dad kept the car for 22 years, and over 300,000 miles...no major engine/transmission problems!..Just two sets of U-joints. As you mentioned, all the major car companies hit the high point of American vehicles during the mid-to-late 1960s.
Wow. My dad first brand new car was a dark blue 67 4 door hardtop. He kept his car for 20 years. He would have kept it forever, but the New York winters rotted and cracked the frame in several places.
My father owned a 1968 Buick LeSabre 4-door hardtop. I loved it. It handled well for a large car, and had plenty of power. I liked driving it because the steering wheel was smaller than in his other car, a 1968 Chrysler Towne & Country station wagon, and I could see over the steering wheel, where the steering wheel was larger in the Chrysler and blocked my vision. The styling of the Buick was more youthful and athletic when compared to the more stodgy Chrysler. However, over all, the Chrysler seemed to be more luxurious, the cabin was quieter and the ride was smoother. This Wildcat is absolutely beautiful a true work of art.
A '68, 69 or 1970 Buick Wildcat ... some of the most beautiful cars to ever come from Buick !!! Still my favorites to this day !!! Thank- you for this !!! I would take any of these ... right now ... today !!!
These mid 60s Wildcats are some of the most beautiful, performance, luxury cars of the decade. I face palmed when you reveled you passed on a 10K mile '67. Bummer.
All of the 1968 Buicks were beautifully designed, IMO. My 5th grade teacher had a 1968 Buick Electra that I drooled over. Huge, gorgeous car. He always kept it in pristine condition.
I got my license in 1982. Dad had a 1964 Buick Skylark that I learned to drive in. That will always be the most beautiful car in the world to me. Wish I still had it.
Back in the day cars were beautiful unlike the junk of today. I was 18 and could tell which car it was at a glance. Thanks for your videos brings back fond memories.
My 12th grade English teacher had a 1968 Electra. It was a blue-gray, with matching interior. I loved that car, and owing to my propensity to talk in class, I frequently needed a ride home when detention hall let out!
Oh yeah...perfection in every way. When you see one very very occasionally on the road these days they are so majestic and impossibly large, just fantastic.
In the spring of 1992, a work colleague who lived near me purchased a brown 1968 Buick Electra 225 coupe from an elderly retired dentist with about 26,000 original miles. As I recall, all hoses, belts, and, believe it or not, even the original tires were still on the vehicle and were replaced. He also converted it to electronic ignition, replaced the voltage regulator and battery, the water pump, fuel pump, and changed all of the fluids. It also got some dents repaired and a new paint job. I remember the separate shoulder seat belts being secured with a clip on top. The vehicle was roomy, and the 430 V8 ran smoothly with lots of power, though high test gasoline was a must (in NY, Sunoco sold 94 octane gasoline, which was the highest octave-rated gasoline available), and he had to add in lead additive every so often since the engine was designed to run on leaded gasoline in order to prevent that pinging upon starting from a dead stop. Dialing back the timing a bit also helped with the pinging issue. On several occasions, I had to drive the vehicle home when he had too much to drink at the nearby sports bar after work. Fortunately, he lived close by, so this was never a problem. I'm not sure how long he kept the vehicle since I moved on to another job in 1994, but I never forgot the experience of driving this powerful beast of a vehicle from a bygone era.
Our neighbor had a 1963? Buick Wildcat when I was young. I believe it was one of the first ones. It was really cool!! It was the envy of the neighborhood!! Blueish turquoise color!!
From the round marker lights in the rear, to the 'sweeping front fender' character line, to the chrome louvers/simulated extractors. Coincidentally, I grew up across the street from a guy named Ron Brock, and his Dad was a used car salesman at a local Buick dealer!
Yup...I owned the "cheap"model of the Skylark, called a Special...but it had the 3502bbl engine, that made it pretty quick, and still got decent (14-18)mpg...a lot of car for the money!
These cars are spectacular, and I have long thought that the 1965 - 1968 Wildcat coupes rank as some of the most beautiful American cars ever created. My parents owned a '65 Wildcat coupe, which I learned to drive on, and they traded it in on the Centurion coupe shown at the end of the video. Yes, that car was owned by my parents and, subsequently, by me for fifty-one years. I finally agreed to sell it in 2021, but only because I had a chance to buy a fine original '65 Wildcat coupe!
My family had a 68 Buick LeSabre 400 convertible, very similar in looks to the Wildcat. Not a 430, but a high output Buick 350 that would really move it. Metallic dark blue/green with black interior and convertible top. Stunning car and wonderful driver.
I literally hit the thumbs up button for this channel before I see the video…No lie. Dad had a ‘67 LeSabre…in white…no vinyl top…White all over…That car was built so well…it lasted years and he put it thru hell.
Lovely car. My grandparents had a 1968 Buick Wildcat. I was too young to remember the car itself. I only remember the car in the background with my mother holding me in her arms as an infant. The car was a few years old by this point.
I am so happy to see this video. I have a 1967 Wildcat convertible and I think it rivals the 1965 Bonneville in beauty and execution of the coke bottle motif. They are stunning cars visually and delightful dynamically
@@richardmorris7063 For me, the design of cars started to decline in the mid-80s to early-90s. That was when government regulations, focus on unreliability-cheapness-ugliness, weaker and unexciting engines, and more started to occur.
My goodness! My father had this very car. He hated it and only kept it for a year. The reason? Build quality. Squeaks and rattles. I remember riding with him on a dusty gravel road and clouds of dust poured into the cabin from the door seals. Styling aside, there was a lot to be desired here. Love the channel.
The Buick Division had some of the BEST metering from the Quadrajet of all the early GM's to use it, I had a '71 Lesabre that routinely got 18-20 mpg as well.
Of the very few classics I've owned since getting my driver license in September 1984, this is the one I miss the most. I had the 1967 hardtop, blue on blue, with the 430-4 and auto transmission. I see them every once in a while, but they're not too common. Thank you.
our Gardner back in the mid 70s had one, was a dark brown metallic, and had either white or a real light tan interior. beautiful car, he always had it looking like new
When I was young I hated this model. I owned a GS Skylark and considered the Wildcat as an old man's car. NOW I love this model and the Grand Prix. That older fastback style is cool. An executives sport sedan. I have grown older and can now appreciate this design.
When I was much younger I had a chance to buy a 68 two door Wildcat. Beautiful, like new condition. Dark metallic turquoise with a black vinyl top and black vinyl interior. Power windows, brakes, steering, rear window defog and AM/FM stereo. An older couple had just traded it in and it looked like it had just rolled off the showroom floor. I regret to this day that I didn't spend the extra money to get it.
Thanks for making this video. I never knew the LeSabre and Wildcat had different wheelbases! The parents of a friend of mine in high school had a 68 LeSabre and it was a 2 door with the same fastback roofline. I always loved riding in that car and it had a 350 cubic inch engine but it was the high compression 350 and had the "four hundred" small badging. This car was so smooth and powerful and I was surprised the "little" 350 could move that large car so easily and effortlessly. These are truly classic cars!!
My father's friend bought one of these new - White with Mag wheels and a black vinyl top. I loved that car. I remember when he came to our house with it. My dad had a '66 Wildcat - Medium Blue/Blue Int.
When I was 16 my best friend’s dad bought a new 67 Wildcat convertible. Fire engine red with a darker red interior. Cruising with the top down on a summer day was awesome!
The 1967/68 Wildcats and LeSabres are one of my favorite cars from the era. One day, I'll have one for sure. Love the styling and Buicks in general. My first car was a 1969 Buick LeSabre 400 I got 19 years ago when I was 15 years old.. Miss that car to death, and it sparked my Buick love to this day. Need another for sure!
My family bought a new Chrysler T&C wagon in 1967. It was a total family purchase and a huge lemon. 🍋When the '68 Wildcat came out, I swear my mom was ready to sell the T&C and all 3 of us kids and head for the hills. 😂 She loved that car and for good reason. The massive rear windows really accentuated the sleek roof line, almost as if it had been heated and stretched! Quite a head turner. I ended up owning a '71 LeSabre Hardtop Coupe in the late 80's. What a beast. It took two arms and a leg to open the door when parked on a hill. 😂 Thanks for your videos, your knowledge and articulate narration is second to none. 👍🏼🙏
My friend's mom bought one of these new in '68. We went out to dinner one night and she wanted to show off a cool new feature, a speed warning buzzer you could preset. In a large parking lot, she accelerated that big Buick to a respectable speed before a perimeter wall came into view and we came to a screeching stop. Never heard that buzzer but the car had brakes! 😅
In 1968 when dad was looking to replace his 1964 Buick LeSabre sport coupe company car, he first looked at a 4 door Thunderbird, which he really liked. I am pretty sure my grandfather, who was CEO of the company and quite frugal, vetoed the T-bird due to the cost. I went with dad to order a 68 LeSabre sport coupe, which although on a shorter wheelbase, looked like the Wildcat. We ordered a gold exterior with a white top, bucket seats with storage console in black, which was the only color offered with bucket seats; at least in the LeSabre. It was pretty well equipped for the era with power steering and brakes, AC, eight-track player, and 400 V8. The interior looked very similar to the one shown, although the upholstery pattern and door panels were different. When we picked up the car we were surprised to find a white painted top, not vinyl. It seems we checked the wrong box! The 64 and 68 both had bucket seats (the 64 a cool tri-tone red), I have never seen another so equipped.
My Dad had a 1964 Buick Electra 225 Convertible. His buddy and a 1967 Buick Wildcat Coupe & 1968 Buick Electra 225 Custom Convertible. My Uncle always had the big Buick's, '65 Electra 4 dr black on red. They were all awesome cars...
Great show, just texted, my buddy Joey, in Calif. His folks had one of these back in the late 60's when his family immigrated to the US, from Portugal. He always spoke so GOOD of this car how his dad wished they kept it. Thanks for doing a show on it, Adam.
I own a 68 two-door coupe here in Australia. There's one other near me. Not aware of any others on this island, but there will be a couple, I'm sure. I love their rarity, but surely there's more than 100 left in the USA? After all, 22,000 1968 Wildcat hardtop coupes were built.
You’re right about oil pump issues with the 430. My Uncles ‘67 Wildcat seized, although I was 14 years old, I was able to free the engine and get it running, for he had given up on it as it sat in the driveway. He bought it new right after the big 1967 Chicago snow storm, the drifts had completely engulfed the car in the dealership lot.
My first car was a 1967 Wildcat..! Yes, the 430 was a great engine, but quite thirsty. In my opion, the front end of the '67 is much better looking than the '68. The '67 grill was recessed further back, and angled. Very, very good looking car!
The one at the end of the video was purchased new by my father on Dec. 17, 1970. (He traded in our '65 Wildcat coupe.) I finally sold the Centurion in late 2021 after nearly 51 years of family ownership. The only reason I sold it was to buy a '65 Wildcat coupe!
@@brianlaurance8570 51 years? Wow! Mine was a '72, but was the same color and had the brown vinyl top and same rally wheels just like the one in the video. I had it from 1991 to 1997. It only had 68K miles on it when I purchased it and ran like a new car. Plenty of passing power. Mine had surface rust on the front of the hood, so I sanded it off and repainted it, but never got around to putting the Centurion hood emblem back on. I still have it to this day.
I have fond memories of our 1970 Skylark which shared many style cues of this 1967 LeSabre. The 70 was a major upgrade to our 1965 Skylark coupe. Great content, Adam!
In the mid 80's I had a clean fully optioned 68 Electra 225 that my Uncle and Aunt bought new. It was white with a black vinyl roof and interior. It was a wonderful driving car in town or on the highway. Looking back it seems that the mileage was very reasonable. I never really new what the gears were until now. The car was such a pleasure to drive so I was never in a hurry driving it.
In 1968, the standard axle ratio for the Wildcat was 3.07, just like the standard ratio of the Riviera, my first car was a 1968 Wildcat Custom hardtop sedan and it had the “performance axle” which consisted 3.42 limited slip option. The Electra had a standard 2.73 axle ratio that year.
In the early ‘70s, I bought a used ‘68 Buick Grand Sport in red with a black interior. The guy I bought it from’s family owned a Buick dealership. He blew up the original 400 that it came with. They had a wrecked Riviera that they took the 430 out of and dropped it in the Grand Sport before I got it. That was a fast car with the 4-speed. I eventually replaced the Quadra-Jet with a Holley. It ran much better but I missed that thrust you got when you punch the gas in 1st gear with a Quadra-Jet.
My first car was a 63 4 door Wildcat. It was a total beater. Yet, it made the trip from Pittsburgh to Biloxi and back....twice and then on down to Morehead NC . It was 10 years old and hard used when I bought it. It looked ugly, but that cat had looong fangs!
A grade school classmate's father had had many GM collectable cars from the late 1930's to the early 1960's. Their everyday family car was a pea green 1968 Buick LeSabre with a black vinyl top. It was around 10 years old but looked and drove like new.
All the 67’ & 68’ GM cars of this body type are like rolling art. I was lucky enough to have a friend with a 67’ Parisienne and it was a blast cruising up and down the rural 2 lane hwys in it. I thought Adam would throw out a few pics of his olds for comparison. 👍🏻
I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin. A man in town was a fairly prosperous Buick buyer. Every year he bought two new Buicks. Always an Electra 225 for his wife and kid’s and a second Buick that he used. In 1968 he bought a brown Wildcat 2 door hardtop.
So, while attending elementary school back in the late '70's, early '80's, there was a cool car that sat in the back yard of an old house next to the school. The car was to my mind a beauty, despite being faded and abandoned. It was of course a '68 Wildcat 2 door hardtop, in a champagne like colour with black vinyl top and interior. That once stunning car sat next to a plum tree, and my classmates loved pummeling the poor Buick's flanks with mushy plums. Even the little vents in the original hubcaps were pasted with plums! I always hoped that car would be rescued from that fate, but alas, what could a ten year old do??? It was still there when I finished elementary, but was long gone by the time I had my driver's license. By then I had to suffice with my sister's old VW bug. At least I still have that in my backyard...
I always enjoy these stories about cars. I was 14 years old in '68 & used to look forward to the new car shows at the dealers. This is a gorgeous example with the color combo, the rare buckets, & the narrator forgot to mention the almost as rare power door locks I noticed on the door panels. Wonder if it also had a power seat. The only thing I couldn't understand about 1968 Buicks was the one-year (thankfully) thumb wheel controls for the temperature & defrost settings. I don't know how many times you had to push that wheel top to bottom, but I think it's destracting. The fan & selector were fine.
We had a '68 Electra pillared 4 door, which had more rear room than the De Ville and a big trunk, and we filled it up for two cross-country trips and many shorter ones. My father suspected his 3 kids would be tall, but it was demoted to his commuter car in '73 because of frequent mechanical problems in '72. It was the first car I drove in traffic, but it was in decline by then. That front bumper was quite fragile. The HVAC thumbwheels were cumbersome and slow.
Growing up my next door neighbor worked for GM. He had the exact same Wildcat. White, Black vinyl roof. Every two years he would trade. Always a Buick.
My first car was a 73 Regal, loved that car!! Sensual kick up? Great reference/description. Those chrome wheels are so timeless, they still look great today! I'll be on the hunt for one of these also Adam!!
My uncle worked for GM. He had a beautiful 68 Wildcat. Dark blue, white vinyl roof. White interior. I was about 13 years old at the time. He promised me that car when I turned 16. Unfortunately he was a heavy drinker. At the time, I didn't understand that he was full of crap. No Wildcat for me. I still live with the emotional scars. LOL.
What happen to the Wildcat ???
@@dustin_4501I don’t think that Jason would like to think about that because he was quite hurt by his uncle’s drunken lies.
I am so sorry Jason, that’s something that we never get over.
Blame yourself.
I was supposed to get a '55 Chevy Apache, but dad sold it when I was 11. Had to ride a bike and a skateboard. How embarrassing.
👍👍 Most cars 1968 are beauties.
Had a ‘68 Riv
The way Adam shares his knowledge is wonderful.
I can't let a minute go by without cussing and even I appreciate the way the man talks. It's super nice to be able to learn tons of automotive facts and history in such a pleasant and relaxing way. Thank you sir
I appreciate that!
Agree 💯
@@RareClassicCars First class act all the way!
Ditto for me. I could not say it better.
Plus it is nice to hear about the full size cars that nobody else talkes about.
In 1968, I was 23 and purchased my first new car. It was a 1968 Buick GS400 Convertable. RED/WHITE TOP/WHITE INTERIOR. Chrome mag wheels. LOVED that car ! It cost me around $3,400.00.
Jackson Brown came to mind!
If only they made something comparable to that now... It's laughable that Buick commercials today try to convince us their entire line of just cookie cutter SUV & crossovers are actually beautiful.
Back when even cheap cars from America were built with quality, reliability, and were iconic for generations to come!
Screw the modern-day cars, I'm all classic! 😎👍💪
@@matthewpaanotorres7309 I mostly agree with you!...But I will admit, that today's cars, though bland and boring, are much more safe, compared to those wonderful luxury barges we remember so fondly.
@@curbozerboomer1773 I partially agree along with how the interiors and exterior designs of every classic car had talent and soul put into them unlike classic cars!
And this Buick is wearing the most beautiful wheels ever designed.
They are lovely. I'm surprised Ihat I haven't seen them before, I was quite a GM fan in the late 60's. They must not be available any more.
That's a hard call because the 63' wildcat wheels are also exceptional.
OMG!!! This is absolutely GLORIOUS!!! I didn't know the Wildcat came in a fastback. It looks like it's going 90mph while sitting still.
The Buick Wildcats were the best all around cars Buick made!!! Style,performance,ride,handling,reliability & durability all define Buick Wildcats!!! I owned three Wildcats, a 64,68, & a 70!!! Out of the three, the 68 had the best styling, but the 70 had the most horsepower & torque!!! The 64 was also a great car with the bulletproof 401 Nailhead!!! The 68 had the 430 that was also a very strong reliable engine!!! The 68 had that cool fastback roof!! The 68 Wildcat is a true icon in styling alone!!!
My grandfather had a white '67 Buick Lesabre coupe, white with a black vinyl roof. It wasn't very equipped with options, but had a 350 V8 and plenty of power. It was his last car, as he passed away in 1970. I still remember that Buick and rides with him and my grandmother... who was always telling him to slow down! 🐌
My Grandfather always had white cars that were impeccably clean. 50 yrs later I'm A detail nut on my Caddy.
Awesome story! 😂 thanks for sharing.
Rest in Peace to your awesome and rebellious Grandfather.
I really enjoyed this one. My father bought a 1966 Wildcat without air conditioning. Big mistake. The family drove across the country on vacation that summer and were dying. As soon as we got back he traded it for a 1967 model with air which he kept for a number of years. You are certainly right about that being the golden age for GM. I wish we could have a car like that now. Great channel!
Man, I remember road trips to Florida before every car had air conditioning. I left my box of crayons on the package tray when we went in a restaurant to eat. Dad was not impressed with how they melted together in the Georgia sun!
@@richardmorris7063 Yes, having a car now without air conditioning is unthinkable. But back in the day that was just normal. Even in the south. I don't know how we did it. A/C is the best invention ever.
........And also it's depressing in way that when people look at GMcars then and then today well, Frankly it gets DEPRESSING!!!!!.
@@mikeweizer3149 Absolutely! They were so stylish and high quality compared to the plastic and technology riddled crap we have now. America used to make the world's best.
My dad bought his very first new car back in 1967...it was a Wildcat, with that very potent 430 engine!...Incredibly quick for such a large vehicle...my dad kept the car for 22 years, and over 300,000 miles...no major engine/transmission problems!..Just two sets of U-joints. As you mentioned, all the major car companies hit the high point of American vehicles during the mid-to-late 1960s.
Wow. My dad first brand new car was a dark blue 67 4 door hardtop. He kept his car for 20 years. He would have kept it forever, but the New York winters rotted and cracked the frame in several places.
My father owned a 1968 Buick LeSabre 4-door hardtop. I loved it. It handled well for a large car, and had plenty of power. I liked driving it because the steering wheel was smaller than in his other car, a 1968 Chrysler Towne & Country station wagon, and I could see over the steering wheel, where the steering wheel was larger in the Chrysler and blocked my vision. The styling of the Buick was more youthful and athletic when compared to the more stodgy Chrysler. However, over all, the Chrysler seemed to be more luxurious, the cabin was quieter and the ride was smoother. This Wildcat is absolutely beautiful a true work of art.
Yeah. I always get confused whenever I look inside the interior of a Chrysler if not a Mopar. Dang steering wheels are too big!
A '68, 69 or 1970 Buick Wildcat ... some of the most beautiful cars to ever come from Buick !!! Still my favorites to this day !!! Thank- you for this !!! I would take any of these ... right now ... today !!!
My grandfather got one of these new. I remember being surprised that an old man would drive such a sporty looking car.
These mid 60s Wildcats are some of the most beautiful, performance, luxury cars of the decade. I face palmed when you reveled you passed on a 10K mile '67. Bummer.
All of the 1968 Buicks were beautifully designed, IMO. My 5th grade teacher had a 1968 Buick Electra that I drooled over. Huge, gorgeous car. He always kept it in pristine condition.
I got my license in 1982. Dad had a 1964 Buick Skylark that I learned to drive in. That will always be the most beautiful car in the world to me. Wish I still had it.
With that nice Nailhead V8.
68 was just a fabulous year for the Detroit auto industry. Beautiful wildcat is that 2door coupe
I always thought this is one of the most beautiful cars too. The 60s and 70s had the best style for cars, houses, music, decoration, etc.
Back in the day cars were beautiful unlike the junk of today. I was 18 and could tell which car it was at a glance. Thanks for your videos brings back fond memories.
My 12th grade English teacher had a 1968 Electra. It was a blue-gray, with matching interior. I loved that car, and owing to my propensity to talk in class, I frequently needed a ride home when detention hall let out!
Oh yeah...perfection in every way. When you see one very very occasionally on the road these days they are so majestic and impossibly large, just fantastic.
In the spring of 1992, a work colleague who lived near me purchased a brown 1968 Buick Electra 225 coupe from an elderly retired dentist with about 26,000 original miles. As I recall, all hoses, belts, and, believe it or not, even the original tires were still on the vehicle and were replaced. He also converted it to electronic ignition, replaced the voltage regulator and battery, the water pump, fuel pump, and changed all of the fluids. It also got some dents repaired and a new paint job. I remember the separate shoulder seat belts being secured with a clip on top. The vehicle was roomy, and the 430 V8 ran smoothly with lots of power, though high test gasoline was a must (in NY, Sunoco sold 94 octane gasoline, which was the highest octave-rated gasoline available), and he had to add in lead additive every so often since the engine was designed to run on leaded gasoline in order to prevent that pinging upon starting from a dead stop. Dialing back the timing a bit also helped with the pinging issue. On several occasions, I had to drive the vehicle home when he had too much to drink at the nearby sports bar after work. Fortunately, he lived close by, so this was never a problem. I'm not sure how long he kept the vehicle since I moved on to another job in 1994, but I never forgot the experience of driving this powerful beast of a vehicle from a bygone era.
Beasty Buick your friend had there! What happened to it though?
Our neighbor had a 1963? Buick Wildcat when I was young. I believe it was one of the first ones. It was really cool!! It was the envy of the neighborhood!! Blueish turquoise color!!
An unappreciated Buick -- I'm glad you featured it, and a loaded one too!
That side view of the Wildcat looks so much like the 68 Skylark side view.
From the round marker lights in the rear, to the 'sweeping front fender' character line, to the chrome louvers/simulated extractors.
Coincidentally, I grew up across the street from a guy named Ron Brock, and his Dad was a used car salesman at a local Buick dealer!
Yup...I owned the "cheap"model of the Skylark, called a Special...but it had the 3502bbl engine, that made it pretty quick, and still got decent (14-18)mpg...a lot of car for the money!
It looks more of a 1968-1970 Buick Riviera.
I learned how to drive on my Dad’s 68 Wildcat. It was silver with a black vinyl roof and red interior. Loved that car
Love the Wildcat!!! Such a great name!!
These cars are spectacular, and I have long thought that the 1965 - 1968 Wildcat coupes rank as some of the most beautiful American cars ever created. My parents owned a '65 Wildcat coupe, which I learned to drive on, and they traded it in on the Centurion coupe shown at the end of the video. Yes, that car was owned by my parents and, subsequently, by me for fifty-one years. I finally agreed to sell it in 2021, but only because I had a chance to buy a fine original '65 Wildcat coupe!
My senior year in high school 1982, I had a 1968 Buick Lesabre convertible. I loved that car.
Nice. I had a 1967 Electra convertible in high school- 1981
What happened to it??? 🤔
I am a lucky owner of a 68 Wildcat Custom 2 door Bucket seats w long console, factory 3.07 posi rear. I am determined to not let go of it.
My family had a 68 Buick LeSabre 400 convertible, very similar in looks to the Wildcat. Not a 430, but a high output Buick 350 that would really move it. Metallic dark blue/green with black interior and convertible top. Stunning car and wonderful driver.
The WildCat was a very popular car when is was growing up in Santa Rosa California, we saw and appreciated them in our neighborhood.
Thanks for this one, Adam.. You really cannot go wrong with a 1960s Buick Wildcat from the 1960s.
This is a stunning beauty! I remember as a teenager riding in the neighbors 1968 LeSabre and being amazed how smooth it was😃❤️❤️
Awesome car
I rode in one at five years old…what an impression it left on me to this day
I literally hit the thumbs up button for this channel before I see the video…No lie.
Dad had a ‘67 LeSabre…in white…no vinyl top…White all over…That car was built so well…it lasted years and he put it thru hell.
I do exactly the same thing. You just won't find any better than this!
Lovely car. My grandparents had a 1968 Buick Wildcat. I was too young to remember the car itself. I only remember the car in the background with my mother holding me in her arms as an infant. The car was a few years old by this point.
Excellent episode! My ‘64 425 equipped Wildcat was a wonderful car.
I'm building one now.
I'm building one now.
That really is a beautiful design and a beautiful example of it.
I am so happy to see this video. I have a 1967 Wildcat convertible and I think it rivals the 1965 Bonneville in beauty and execution of the coke bottle motif. They are stunning cars visually and delightful dynamically
What a cool looking car! Looks even better wearing the Buick wheels and whitewalls.
I never noticed how much styling they pulled from the full size for the skylark. Really neat.
I miss having cars with vent windows and I've never smoked.
IMO if you had to describe Buick of this era in one word it would be elegant.
1968 was one of GM’s best design years. My brother had a 1965 Wildcat that was gold with a black vinyl roof and interior. Thanks. Adam!
'64-'72 were pretty great times for GM cars. You could probably widen it to '55-'79 as times where there were great classic era GM cars available.
My Mom's car was a 1968 Buick Wildcat. I wound up taking my driver's test on it and it was hard to parallel park.
Absolutely beautiful. I was disappointed in the 69 models as a kid and I still feel the same way. Guess I’m a lifer by now lol
I think 67 was a peak for design for so many cars. 68 they started looking kind of chunky
@@richardmorris7063 For me, the design of cars started to decline in the mid-80s to early-90s. That was when government regulations, focus on unreliability-cheapness-ugliness, weaker and unexciting engines, and more started to occur.
My goodness! My father had this very car. He hated it and only kept it for a year. The reason? Build quality. Squeaks and rattles. I remember riding with him on a dusty gravel road and clouds of dust poured into the cabin from the door seals. Styling aside, there was a lot to be desired here. Love the channel.
The Buick Division had some of the BEST metering from the Quadrajet of all the early GM's to use it, I had a '71 Lesabre that routinely got 18-20 mpg as well.
Of the very few classics I've owned since getting my driver license in September 1984, this is the one I miss the most. I had the 1967 hardtop, blue on blue, with the 430-4 and auto transmission. I see them every once in a while, but they're not too common. Thank you.
our Gardner back in the mid 70s had one, was a dark brown metallic, and had either white or a real light tan interior. beautiful car, he always had it looking like new
I had a '68 four door hardtop Wildcat. Great car.
When I was young I hated this model. I owned a GS Skylark and considered the Wildcat as an old man's car. NOW I love this model and the Grand Prix. That older fastback style is cool. An executives sport sedan. I have grown older and can now appreciate this design.
My parents owned a 1969 Buick Wildcat. Beautiful. A stealth muscle car.
A beautiful car. The cars from the 60's are some of my favorites.
Adam, This Wildcat earns a 😸😸😸😸 rating.
My uncle Frank had several Wildcats, when they dropped that line he was very pissed off, He loved his Wildcats.
When I was much younger I had a chance to buy a 68 two door Wildcat. Beautiful, like new condition. Dark metallic turquoise with a black vinyl top and black vinyl interior. Power windows, brakes, steering, rear window defog and AM/FM stereo. An older couple had just traded it in and it looked like it had just rolled off the showroom floor. I regret to this day that I didn't spend the extra money to get it.
Thanks for making this video. I never knew the LeSabre and Wildcat had different wheelbases! The parents of a friend of mine in high school had a 68 LeSabre and it was a 2 door with the same fastback roofline. I always loved riding in that car and it had a 350 cubic inch engine but it was the high compression 350 and had the "four hundred" small badging. This car was so smooth and powerful and I was surprised the "little" 350 could move that large car so easily and effortlessly. These are truly classic cars!!
My father's friend bought one of these new - White with Mag wheels and a black vinyl top. I loved that car. I remember when he came to our house with it. My dad had a '66 Wildcat - Medium Blue/Blue Int.
When I was 16 my best friend’s dad bought a new 67 Wildcat convertible. Fire engine red with a darker red interior. Cruising with the top down on a summer day was awesome!
The 1967/68 Wildcats and LeSabres are one of my favorite cars from the era. One day, I'll have one for sure. Love the styling and Buicks in general. My first car was a 1969 Buick LeSabre 400 I got 19 years ago when I was 15 years old.. Miss that car to death, and it sparked my Buick love to this day. Need another for sure!
My family bought a new Chrysler T&C wagon in 1967. It was a total family purchase and a huge lemon. 🍋When the '68 Wildcat came out, I swear my mom was ready to sell the T&C and all 3 of us kids and head for the hills. 😂 She loved that car and for good reason. The massive rear windows really accentuated the sleek roof line, almost as if it had been heated and stretched! Quite a head turner.
I ended up owning a '71 LeSabre Hardtop Coupe in the late 80's. What a beast. It took two arms and a leg to open the door when parked on a hill. 😂
Thanks for your videos, your knowledge and articulate narration is second to none. 👍🏼🙏
My dad had a 1967 LeSabre. I always thought it was one of the most beautiful cars.
That 1968 Buick Wildcat is such a beautiful car. I would love to have one.
My friend's mom bought one of these new in '68. We went out to dinner one night and she wanted to show off a cool new feature, a speed warning buzzer you could preset. In a large parking lot, she accelerated that big Buick to a respectable speed before a perimeter wall came into view and we came to a screeching stop. Never heard that buzzer but the car had brakes! 😅
In 1968 when dad was looking to replace his 1964 Buick LeSabre sport coupe company car, he first looked at a 4 door Thunderbird, which he really liked. I am pretty sure my grandfather, who was CEO of the company and quite frugal, vetoed the T-bird due to the cost. I went with dad to order a 68 LeSabre sport coupe, which although on a shorter wheelbase, looked like the Wildcat. We ordered a gold exterior with a white top, bucket seats with storage console in black, which was the only color offered with bucket seats; at least in the LeSabre. It was pretty well equipped for the era with power steering and brakes, AC, eight-track player, and 400 V8. The interior looked very similar to the one shown, although the upholstery pattern and door panels were different. When we picked up the car we were surprised to find a white painted top, not vinyl. It seems we checked the wrong box! The 64 and 68 both had bucket seats (the 64 a cool tri-tone red), I have never seen another so equipped.
My Dad had a 1964 Buick Electra 225 Convertible. His buddy and a 1967 Buick Wildcat Coupe & 1968 Buick Electra 225 Custom Convertible. My Uncle always had the big Buick's, '65 Electra 4 dr black on red. They were all awesome cars...
Great show, just texted, my buddy Joey, in Calif. His folks had one of these back in the late 60's when his family immigrated to the US, from Portugal. He always spoke so GOOD of this car how his dad wished they kept it. Thanks for doing a show on it, Adam.
Lord, they did have beautiful wheels!
Wildcat,Riviera & GS. Wow Buick ,Pontiac & Oldsmobile had some beauties!
I have a 69 wildcat that I saved from Derby duty!! Got it for a 100 bucks! It's a bit rusty but solid!! Absolutely love it!!!
I own a 68 two-door coupe here in Australia. There's one other near me. Not aware of any others on this island, but there will be a couple, I'm sure. I love their rarity, but surely there's more than 100 left in the USA? After all, 22,000 1968 Wildcat hardtop coupes were built.
You’re right about oil pump issues with the 430. My Uncles ‘67 Wildcat seized, although I was 14 years old, I was able to free the engine and get it running, for he had given up on it as it sat in the driveway. He bought it new right after the big 1967 Chicago snow storm, the drifts had completely engulfed the car in the dealership lot.
My first car was a 1967 Wildcat..! Yes, the 430 was a great engine, but quite thirsty. In my opion, the front end of the '67 is much better looking than the '68. The '67 grill was recessed further back, and angled. Very, very good looking car!
Mid to late 60's GM interiors were so nice. It just drips quality.
Thank you Adam.
Wasn't expecting to see a Buick Centurion in this vid, let alone one identical to the one I owned. Mine had the 455-4 and I loved that car.
The one at the end of the video was purchased new by my father on Dec. 17, 1970. (He traded in our '65 Wildcat coupe.) I finally sold the Centurion in late 2021 after nearly 51 years of family ownership. The only reason I sold it was to buy a '65 Wildcat coupe!
@@brianlaurance8570 51 years? Wow! Mine was a '72, but was the same color and had the brown vinyl top and same rally wheels just like the one in the video. I had it from 1991 to 1997. It only had 68K miles on it when I purchased it and ran like a new car. Plenty of passing power.
Mine had surface rust on the front of the hood, so I sanded it off and repainted it, but never got around to putting the Centurion hood emblem back on. I still have it to this day.
Those cars were so classy
I have fond memories of our 1970 Skylark which shared many style cues of this 1967 LeSabre. The 70 was a major upgrade to our 1965 Skylark coupe. Great content, Adam!
In the mid 80's I had a clean fully optioned 68 Electra 225 that my Uncle and Aunt bought new. It was white with a black vinyl roof and interior. It was a wonderful driving car in town or on the highway. Looking back it seems that the mileage was very reasonable. I never really new what the gears were until now. The car was such a pleasure to drive so I was never in a hurry driving it.
In 1968, the standard axle ratio for the Wildcat was 3.07, just like the standard ratio of the Riviera, my first car was a 1968 Wildcat Custom hardtop sedan and it had the “performance axle” which consisted 3.42 limited slip option. The Electra had a standard 2.73 axle ratio that year.
In the early ‘70s, I bought a used ‘68 Buick Grand Sport in red with a black interior. The guy I bought it from’s family owned a Buick dealership. He blew up the original 400 that it came with. They had a wrecked Riviera that they took the 430 out of and dropped it in the Grand Sport before I got it. That was a fast car with the 4-speed. I eventually replaced the Quadra-Jet with a Holley. It ran much better but I missed that thrust you got when you punch the gas in 1st gear with a Quadra-Jet.
Sounds like a beautiful car!
Always one of my favorites. Beautiful automobile.
My first car was a 63 4 door Wildcat. It was a total beater. Yet, it made the trip from Pittsburgh to Biloxi and back....twice and then on down to Morehead NC . It was 10 years old and hard used when I bought it. It looked ugly, but that cat had looong fangs!
A grade school classmate's father had had many GM collectable cars from the late 1930's to the early 1960's. Their everyday family car was a pea green 1968 Buick LeSabre with a black vinyl top. It was around 10 years old but looked and drove like new.
I hadn't really noticed how many current model Chevrolets have that same swooping character line down the side. It looks better on the Buick.
Good education on this possibly forgotten car. Stellar interior too. Thanks for posting this..
All the 67’ & 68’ GM cars of this body type are like rolling art. I was lucky enough to have a friend with a 67’ Parisienne and it was a blast cruising up and down the rural 2 lane hwys in it. I thought Adam would throw out a few pics of his olds for comparison. 👍🏻
I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin. A man in town was a fairly prosperous Buick buyer. Every year he bought two new Buicks. Always an Electra 225 for his wife and kid’s and a second Buick that he used. In 1968 he bought a brown Wildcat 2 door hardtop.
So, while attending elementary school back in the late '70's, early '80's, there was a cool car that sat in the back yard of an old house next to the school. The car was to my mind a beauty, despite being faded and abandoned. It was of course a '68 Wildcat 2 door hardtop, in a champagne like colour with black vinyl top and interior. That once stunning car sat next to a plum tree, and my classmates loved pummeling the poor Buick's flanks with mushy plums. Even the little vents in the original hubcaps were pasted with plums! I always hoped that car would be rescued from that fate, but alas, what could a ten year old do??? It was still there when I finished elementary, but was long gone by the time I had my driver's license. By then I had to suffice with my sister's old VW bug. At least I still have that in my backyard...
I always enjoy these stories about cars. I was 14 years old in '68 & used to look forward to the new car shows at the dealers. This is a gorgeous example with the color combo, the rare buckets, & the narrator forgot to mention the almost as rare power door locks I noticed on the door panels. Wonder if it also had a power seat.
The only thing I couldn't understand about 1968 Buicks was the one-year (thankfully) thumb wheel controls for the temperature & defrost settings. I don't know how many times you had to push that wheel top to bottom, but I think it's destracting. The fan & selector were fine.
Every single model from GM, 68-72 was the best looking and engineered cars ever produced.
We had a '68 Electra pillared 4 door, which had more rear room than the De Ville and a big trunk, and we filled it up for two cross-country trips and many shorter ones. My father suspected his 3 kids would be tall, but it was demoted to his commuter car in '73 because of frequent mechanical problems in '72. It was the first car I drove in traffic, but it was in decline by then. That front bumper was quite fragile. The HVAC thumbwheels were cumbersome and slow.
Beautiful machinery. My father had one. I remember how plush the seat covers were. But he had the 225.
Growing up my next door neighbor worked for GM. He had the exact same Wildcat. White, Black vinyl roof. Every two years he would trade. Always a Buick.
WOW ADAM, I COULDN'T AGREE MORE WITH YOU-IT'S TRULY BEAUTIFUL, LOVE IT.THANKS FOR SHARING/POSTING
Gr8-Looking Car, The '68 Buick Wildcat......Looks like it's going 100 MPH when standing still, Owen😎👏
Such a great looking car
My first car was a 73 Regal, loved that car!! Sensual kick up? Great reference/description. Those chrome wheels are so timeless, they still look great today! I'll be on the hunt for one of these also Adam!!