It must have been next to impossible to decide which car to buy back in 1963. So many beautiful cars to chose from. Today you just pick a car and you have one that looks like every other car.
Building/own a '64 Buick Wildcat 2-door hardtop with a 425 (KW Code) with an original dual-quad setup from a '65 Buick Riviera GS (Gran Sport) 425 (LX Code). My favorite car of all-time.
Being 70 years old, I remember it well. Mom & Dad wanted to trade in their twin carb big block dual exhaust Rocket Super 88 for a new a/c car. Dad drove the Buick diagonally across the rr tracks at 5 mph and the flimsy X frame shook the car so hard that the fat salesman grunted and a hub cap came off the RF wheel, which the fat salesman picked up and threw in the back seat with us kiddies. Up next was a stunning red Mercury Marauder demo with 406 cu in engine with 2 4bbl carbs, solid lifters, huge dual exhausts, and every option available including power disc brakes and a hi-po "Merc-O-Matic switch pitch converter" tranny with a 3.91 rear axle. The car shook gently at idle, Ba- bump, ba-bump ba-bump, with the small console mounted tach hovering at 700 rpm. That's when I noticed the 6,000 rpm redline. The salesman tossed Dad the keys, the big stiffly sprung Merc passed the rr track test and we ba-bumped up to the red light at US1 and Bird road. Mom casually sucked on a Salem, I saw the opposing green light turned yellow, then red. Dad floored the accelerator a split second before our light turned green, executing a super hole shot, sending us down US1 with clouds of tire smoke, Mom's Salem lodged in the rear package shelf, the butt glowing a bright orange, as we sped back to Palmetto Ford. "Let's buy it" I announced with all the authority of a 12 year old boy. But Mom hated the ride, and Dad thought 5G's was too much for a fancy Ford or a sexy Chevy, so home we went in our '59 gunmetal blue no a/c Olds. I was desolute. The next day, JFK was killed. It took my mind off the dazzling red Marauder that I never saw again. There weren't many 406 Fords around but it didn't seem to much matter any more.
The '63 Ford Galaxie was nothing at all like the '62. ALL the sheet metal was new. The interior was completely new for '63, and carried over for '64. Cranks were added to the vent windows, and the steering column and shift linkage was, finally, fully enclosed, for the first time. The entire Galaxie lineup for '63 was a huge improvement over the much cheaper-looking '62.
My Aunt had a 63-64 Wildcat, don't know exactly because I was under 10 years old then but yeah it had that speed minder which she used to 'kick in' more than required. My Mother drove so slow and she had the Wildcat and wasn't shy about giving it some juice. it did have some highway performance, from there she went to a late 60's 4 door Electra 225.
Excellent tape. In 1964 GM used turbo hydramatic 400 in Full sized Olds ,Buick, and Cadillac. I am not sure about Chevy and Pontiac. I remember my father bought a new 64 Wildcat and it was so smooth I had to ask him when it changed gears. I am 83 and I love your video. Being an old GM man I vote for the Buick.
My first car (self-funded) at age 18 --- a 1963 Ford Galaxie 500 XL, 352, 3-sp AT, 4-dr, dark red color. Body was perfect, the engine not so much, but still lots of power. 8-years-old when I bought it, and it did tend to use a lot of gas. But, what a great car. Drove like a dream on freeways or winding highways. Lots of room for passengers, and a really large trunk. How I still wish I had it today! >> Special info: to open the hood, you had to putt up on the badge on the grill.
So by 1970 I had acquired a 63 Marauder 390 4-speed (S-55). Much nicer interior than the Fords. But I knew folks who drove the big Buick's and they were fine cars. On the street, you always thought twice about calling out a nail head... They were TQ monsters only topped by the Cadillac's. That 401 got shoe horned into a lot of stout street machines. Yeah, everybody was looking for a 409 or a 406 in the wreckers, but if you were building something and none of those were around, a 401 would light the tires just fine. You gotta remember that Firestone had just come out with the Wide-Ovals, PolyGlas were years away. The stickiest tires you could get were Atlas Plycrons from Chevron dealers. Next best tire was a Kelly Dual-90. Or, you ran cheater slicks. Any of the big motors could shred a Wide-Oval, even with an automatic. The weak link was traction. And most Buicks hoked up very well :-)
When I graduated from high school in 1966, I bought a fawn-colored 1964 Buick Wildcat 2-door coupe a month later. It had a 425 cubic inch engine with a Borg-Warner 4-speed. I paid $1500 OR $1600 for it. People couldn't believe it had a 4-speed. I lived only 25 miles from the Buick plant in Flint. I had never driven a stick before. It was hard for me to go through the gears without hitting 60 on our 35 mph street. I believe it weighed 4,080 lbs.
Good Stuff! Learned a lot. I also like them both but the Galaxy 63 1/2 Sport Hard top! Gets my nod. But for the right price, I would own either one. Thanks for sharing. Cheers from Motown.
I neighbor of mine bought a '64 Buick Wildcat convertible, shiny red with white vinyl interior and white top in 1968. It only had about 40,000 miles on it and it was a 4 speed with bucket seats. He had to replace the transmission and clutch 3 times in the two years he owned it. He eventually sold it and bought a used '68 VW Beetle that he had no problems with for many years.
The illustration of the red Buick that you've put up a couple of times shows a 1962 Wildcat. The Buick had much more class than the Ford. I'll take the Buick any day, especially over a Ford!
Back in high school my classmates took his wildcat with a 430 in it cruising With four passengers in the car we beat a 1970 corvette in a drag race. No kidding. The car has some tremendous torque.
I can promise you, there was no fitting 6 people in a Wildcat for '63. The bucket seat optioned car, anyhow. I had both a coupe and a convertible. Good cars. Also had a 427/4-gear '63 1/2 Galaxie. That car, too, was decent, but not nearly as friendly as the Wildcats. Finicky was an understatement.
@8:40 .... I'd love to have that burgundy convertible Galaxie 500 XL in new condition. Funny how so many car restorers like to restore Mustang and Camaro convertibles, but then when they take their old friends for a cruise with the top down, they get bombarded with demands from the back seat to take them back home as they are cramped up and uncomfortable due to the hard, small seats in back with terrible leg room. I, on the other hand, get offers of $20 to keep going in my '65 Galaxie 500 convertible.
There was 1 engine that was not even listed here in this video63 1⁄2Galaxy with the 427 425 horsepower. 4 speed Transmission with Hurst shifter. It was at that time Called the notch back roof.
How about some love for the Muscle ? cars of Studebaker Rare Yenko Nova vs Supercharged Studebaker Challenger R3 - 1/4 mile Drag Race Video - Road Test TV ® @
It must have been next to impossible to decide which car to buy back in 1963. So many beautiful cars to chose from. Today you just pick a car and you have one that looks like every other car.
Building/own a '64 Buick Wildcat 2-door hardtop with a 425 (KW Code) with an original dual-quad setup from a '65 Buick Riviera GS (Gran Sport) 425 (LX Code). My favorite car of all-time.
Being 70 years old, I remember it well. Mom & Dad wanted to trade in their twin carb big block dual exhaust Rocket Super 88 for a new a/c car. Dad drove the Buick diagonally across the rr tracks at 5 mph and the flimsy X frame shook the car so hard that the fat salesman grunted and a hub cap came off the RF wheel, which the fat salesman picked up and threw in the back seat with us kiddies. Up next was a stunning red Mercury Marauder demo with 406 cu in engine with 2 4bbl carbs, solid lifters, huge dual exhausts, and every option available including power disc brakes and a hi-po "Merc-O-Matic switch pitch converter" tranny with a 3.91 rear axle. The car shook gently at idle, Ba- bump, ba-bump ba-bump, with the small console mounted tach hovering at 700 rpm. That's when I noticed the 6,000 rpm redline. The salesman tossed Dad the keys, the big stiffly sprung Merc passed the rr track test and we ba-bumped up to the red light at US1 and Bird road. Mom casually sucked on a Salem, I saw the opposing green light turned yellow, then red. Dad floored the accelerator a split second before our light turned green, executing a super hole shot, sending us down US1 with clouds of tire smoke, Mom's Salem lodged in the rear package shelf, the butt glowing a bright orange, as we sped back to Palmetto Ford. "Let's buy it" I announced with all the authority of a 12 year old boy.
But Mom hated the ride, and Dad thought 5G's was too much for a fancy Ford or a sexy Chevy, so home we went in our '59 gunmetal blue no a/c Olds. I was desolute.
The next day, JFK was killed. It took my mind off the dazzling red Marauder that I never saw again. There weren't many 406 Fords around but it didn't seem to much matter any more.
The '63 Ford Galaxie was nothing at all like the '62. ALL the sheet metal was new. The interior was completely new for '63, and carried over for '64. Cranks were added to the vent windows, and the steering column and shift linkage was, finally, fully enclosed, for the first time. The entire Galaxie lineup for '63 was a huge improvement over the much cheaper-looking '62.
Between the 1963 Ford Galaxie and the 1963 Buick Wildcat, I find the Wildcat way more attractive.
My Aunt had a 63-64 Wildcat, don't know exactly because I was under 10 years old then but yeah it had that speed minder which she used to 'kick in' more than required. My Mother drove so slow and she had the Wildcat and wasn't shy about giving it some juice. it did have some highway performance, from there she went to a late 60's 4 door Electra 225.
Excellent tape. In 1964 GM used turbo hydramatic 400 in Full sized Olds ,Buick, and Cadillac. I am not sure about Chevy and Pontiac.
I remember my father bought a new 64 Wildcat and it was so smooth I had to ask him when it changed gears.
I am 83 and I love your video.
Being an old GM man I vote for the Buick.
In 1964 GM used the turbo hydramatic 400 in Full sized Buicks only. The other full sized got it for '65. Midsize for '67.
The earlier Buick Dynaflow was the smoothest as it NEVER changed gears in "D".
My first car (self-funded) at age 18 --- a 1963 Ford Galaxie 500 XL, 352, 3-sp AT, 4-dr, dark red color. Body was perfect, the engine not so much, but still lots of power. 8-years-old when I bought it, and it did tend to use a lot of gas. But, what a great car. Drove like a dream on freeways or winding highways. Lots of room for passengers, and a really large trunk. How I still wish I had it today!
>> Special info: to open the hood, you had to putt up on the badge on the grill.
So by 1970 I had acquired a 63 Marauder 390 4-speed (S-55). Much nicer interior than the Fords. But I knew folks who drove the big Buick's and they were fine cars.
On the street, you always thought twice about calling out a nail head... They were TQ monsters only topped by the Cadillac's. That 401 got shoe horned into a lot of stout street machines. Yeah, everybody was looking for a 409 or a 406 in the wreckers, but if you were building something and none of those were around, a 401 would light the tires just fine.
You gotta remember that Firestone had just come out with the Wide-Ovals, PolyGlas were years away. The stickiest tires you could get were Atlas Plycrons from Chevron dealers. Next best tire was a Kelly Dual-90. Or, you ran cheater slicks. Any of the big motors could shred a Wide-Oval, even with an automatic. The weak link was traction. And most Buicks hoked up very well :-)
When I graduated from high school in 1966, I bought a fawn-colored 1964 Buick Wildcat 2-door coupe a month later. It had a 425 cubic inch engine with a Borg-Warner 4-speed. I paid $1500 OR $1600 for it. People couldn't believe it had a 4-speed. I lived only 25 miles from the Buick plant in Flint. I had never driven a stick before. It was hard for me to go through the gears without hitting 60 on our 35 mph street. I believe it weighed 4,080 lbs.
Good Stuff! Learned a lot. I also like them both but the Galaxy 63 1/2 Sport Hard top! Gets my nod. But for the right price, I would own either one. Thanks for sharing. Cheers from Motown.
I neighbor of mine bought a '64 Buick Wildcat convertible, shiny red with white vinyl interior and white top in 1968.
It only had about 40,000 miles on it and it was a 4 speed with bucket seats.
He had to replace the transmission and clutch 3 times in the two years he owned it.
He eventually sold it and bought a used '68 VW Beetle that he had no problems with for many years.
My Mothers Sister had Wildcat back then, pretty sure it was a 63, yeah she was ALWAYS setting off that speed alarm and would use the 401
The wildcat is my choice
The Wildcat should be up against the Mercury Marauder not the Ford.
I totally agree. Its like some dealer training films that use their upper and top of the line against a competitors more basic models.
Its even worse
The illustration of the red Buick that you've put up a couple of times shows a 1962 Wildcat. The Buick had much more class than the Ford. I'll take the Buick any day, especially over a Ford!
That's a tough choice to make.. soooooo.. I'll take one of each, please!
Back in high school my classmates took his wildcat with a 430 in it cruising With four passengers in the car we beat a 1970 corvette in a drag race. No kidding. The car has some tremendous torque.
I can promise you, there was no fitting 6 people in a Wildcat for '63. The bucket seat optioned car, anyhow. I had both a coupe and a convertible. Good cars. Also had a 427/4-gear '63 1/2 Galaxie. That car, too, was decent, but not nearly as friendly as the Wildcats. Finicky was an understatement.
@8:40 .... I'd love to have that burgundy convertible Galaxie 500 XL in new condition.
Funny how so many car restorers like to restore Mustang and Camaro convertibles, but then when they take their old friends for a cruise with the top down, they get bombarded with demands from the back seat to take them back home as they are cramped up and uncomfortable due to the hard, small seats in back with terrible leg room.
I, on the other hand, get offers of $20 to keep going in my '65 Galaxie 500 convertible.
Wildcat!
Buick
The Buick all day long for me.
My older Brother had a 63 500XL 406 4-spd. My 1st car was a 64 500 390 t-bird eng/FMX. 12.9 his qtr, mine 13.4. Lotta $ to get there too.
Growing up as a kid in Kalamazoo, Michigan, The Kazoo police had the Galaxies with the 406 ci. I remember how I loved the 406 badging on them.
The Wildcat of course. More stylish. Wonder why he didn't mention Ford's 427 option?
Buick hands down.
The Buick was way nicer. And I was kinda a Ford guy
Which planet were you on where they didn't have the 427 engine in Fords in 1963? And the Mercury would be a much better comparison.
My parent s had a 1965 Wildcat, in the early 70's, The Ford is the better looking of the 2.
There was 1 engine that was not even listed here in this video63 1⁄2Galaxy with the 427 425 horsepower. 4 speed Transmission with Hurst shifter. It was at that time Called the notch back roof.
I had a 63 ford 390great car it could Cruise 120 all day
My parents drove a 63 Galaxie 500 XL 2 door when I was a preteen. So I would pick the Galaxie.
buick is nice ,,but gimme that galaxie
The 1963 Buick had a transmission that didn't do it any favors. It caused it to have a horrible gas mileage. In a race, it would be at a disadvantage.
How about some love for the Muscle ? cars of Studebaker Rare Yenko Nova vs Supercharged Studebaker Challenger R3 - 1/4 mile Drag Race Video - Road Test TV ® @