My father was a Buick parts manager for 33yrs. Past away at age 85 in 09', but I know he would have 100% enjoyed your videos. Thank you for the awsome presentation you do when you showcase vehicles from our past.
I’m very sorry for your loss. My father was also a parts manager at a Buick dealership. I remember going to see the new Buick’s unveiled in the 80’s when I was a kid. They still did that there for special ones. He took us all to the Dealership’s party unveiling the new Buick Grand National. We always had Buick Demo cars that he drove for the dealership as well to show off the new models. I guess those days are why I have a couple older Buick’s now that he and I and my son work on at times. A ‘62 Electra convertible and a ‘72 Electra Limited. It’s always a good time with them. Thank you Adam for the great videos!!! Keep it up!! More Buick’s is always a good thing too…
@@BuiElec225 I was driving a 68 LeSabre to high school in the 80s and appreciated it so much I got a little into Buicks. I remember stopping at a dealership to see the rare GNX they got a hold of and proudly displayed at the front. I was going to ask you if y'all had anything special with the Grand National but you said it already. My interaction with the salesman was memorable, especially since I had driven up in my 68. He didn't actually know as much about Buicks as I did, but he was just trying to do his job.
My dad had a '68 225 Convertible in Light Blue Metallic, with beautifull mid-blue interior. I drove my mom and sister all over the place in it as a 16 year old, while my dad was away. I basically learned to drive in that huge car. I loved it, especially going out with schoolmates - 6 of us with 2 in the front seats, and 4 in the back, to the movies on a Saturday. It was my Dad's last American car, as he switched to M-B S class in 1970. For it's final trip then, I drove my mom and sister 1600 miles when our family moved. My dad drove the moving van. Then I got my own car, a '54 Packard, and Dad traded in that Buick on the Benz. I loved that Buick Electra! So many high school and college memories...
Brings back great memories of my late Dad’s ‘70 Electra 225! The 455-4 would indeed pull like a freight train on the top end and was a superb highway cruiser. Desert Gold with a black vinyl roof, it just had a majestic appearance. it was his fourth - and best - deuce & a quarter and I was sorry to see it go thanks to the 70’s gas crisis. Great looking, great driving, great memories! Thank you!
I was starting to worry you had given up on TH-cam, you usually post 5-6+ videos a week that I greatly appreciate and enjoy. There’s a reason your channel really exploded…because you do such a fantastic job.
Also we had a ginormous snow and ice storm here in the midwest last Friday plus a week of -0 temps following that. We tend to take a break from many normal routines or hobbies to deal with cleaning and often repairs -many folks lost electricity, internet, SAT, so on. I did too......
@@jeffstonecipher1594I live in that area and have an outdoor job, I know how terrible the weather has been. I do an overnight trash route that was affected by everyone cleaning, and work on heavy equipment, I wish I could talk a break.
Sorry, I’ve been too verbose, but, I’m an old man and you’ve brought me back to being 16-years-old and my Sicilian Grandpa yelling about how his ‘69 Electra is falling apart after 2 years. His friend that bought the ‘66 Wildcat from him went to drive it for at least another 20 years. His ‘73 Electra was, Meh. But, His 1976 Electra Limited was one of the best cars I have ever driven. The build quality was circumspect, but, If, I had only one choice to drive one car for the rest of my life it would be a 1976 Electra Park Avenue. Huge, comfortable, sublime.
Milage and gearing can be a funny thing. For several year I drove daily a '68 Newport with a 440 in a milieu that almost never saw me get above 45 mph. When I changed the rear gear from 2.76 to 3.23 my gas mileage went up. Most of the driving was stop light to stop light, and getting that weight moving was just better with the 3.23.
You are right on the money! I always hated Cadillac for saddling my V8-6-4 with a 2.41:1 final drive ratio... It always forced your foot to be deeper into the throttle than it should be.
Learned to drive on my Grandpa’s ‘69. His favorite feature, as an immigrant Sicilian, was what he called the “Buzzard” the alarm clock feature that would sound a buzzer when you go over the set speed.
My mother had this car in gold with a white top and white seats. She loved it! She was so sad when the octane in gas was lowered causing the car to make a knocking noise when accelerating. She sold it and had several other model cars after that and always compared them to her Buick Electra 225 (It was the best). She finally bought a Buick Park Avenue (80's model) it was white with burl wood grain interior and tan velour seats. We called it the land yacht. LOL She loved her a Buick!! Thanks for the video and all the childhood memories it provided.
My parents still have their triple black 69 Electra 2 door hardtop. That 430 is a wonderful engine coupled up to the Turbo 400. We took it to the mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina from Texas. It’s an amazing highway car and had no issues climbing the mountain rounds. Think we clocked similar mileage on the freeway. Funny about the ‘70 but every one I’ve seen had a missing or broken front emblem like you mentioned. The 69 didn’t seem to have that issue. I remember the 11” drums and getting a crazy look from the guy that turned brake drums at the auto parts store. Fond memories.
When I was a kid in the 1970s, EVERY early Maverick was missing its 'bullhorns' badge on the grill - at least in my city. After a while, I made it a point to look at the grill whenever I saw a Maverick with small bumpers. Every single one I saw had a flat, bare, circular, argent painted spot with two or three little holes, in the center of the grill where the badge should've been.
I spent many hours in my Grandfather's 1970 225. I was small enough to use the front arm rest as my seat. If that's not dangerous enough for you, he also let me sit in his lap and drive it when we were on a family drive out in the country. Fascinating to see one again, especially in that condition. His seats were black, silken cloth with these oblong metal accent emblems in the seating area. Those things were super-heated in the summertime. I had to be careful when wearing shorts. He swore he got close to 25 miles/gallon on a cross country interstate drive from Nashville to Phoenix. Everyone doubted him, but having heard your comment on the drivetrain, I'm sure he was right after all. Enjoy all your videos.
Our nextdoor neighbor bought a new, dark blue, 1969 Electra, with the same body as the 1970. Wow. That was a classy car. And my Senior English teacher drove a gunmetal gray 1968 Electra. I loved that automobile. I spent a number of afternoons in detention hall, and was often chauffeured home in style.
In 1980 I was 16 and one of my running buddies was handed down his dad’s 1970 Electra 225. 455 cubes and the sound, steady judgment of a 16 year old kid. What could possibly go wrong? Later that year I got my own luxo barge, a 1972 T Bird 460. The one that pinged on regular despite having Briggs and Stratton style compression ratios. People were ditching big block cars left and right back then. $1 a gallon gas and all. For $1000 you could have a great car that would burn rubber for a city block while dragging the AC compressor. The good old days😎
Back in the early 1980s, I bought 1972 Electra. It had 90,000 miles on it...I proceeded to drive that beautiful barge for another 80,000, relatively trouble-free miles. The car was so huge, so comfortable, that it seemed that the car was staying in one spot, and the road was moving underneath you!...My detuned 455 still had considerable oomph!...I stenciled across the top of the massive windshield, "FOSSIL FUEL ELIMINATOR"....Some folks laughed, others shook their heads in disgust! I would joke to strangers, that the back of the car was located in a different time zone!...I miss these classy American cruisers...we will never see their like again.
I was 13 in 197” and the elegant Electra was one of my favorites. The white backup lights that glowed sort of pink with the small red bulb when the parking lights were on were so distinctive.
Adam, By rights, this 1970 Electra ought to be the most famous Buick of all but I feel that title will always be held by Kojak's Century. Who loves ya, baby 😉🤣
Nice review. I was exposed to several 1969 Electras and was always impressed with them, even though I was a goofy teen at the time. I always thought that the 69 and 70's were similar though as you note, there are several subtle differences.
The '70 B/C bodies were among the best lookimg of the big Buicks in history. While the Estate Wagons were B-bodies, they shared the grille with the Electra and they carried four portholes per side, and the only engine for the '70 Estate Wagon was the 455-4-barrel, High Compression. We happily stumbled onto a low-mileage example with the rare (only a few more than two dozen built) three-speed column shift manuals. No wood-grain, but it had the vinyl top and yeah, 19 mpg at 75 mph with the air on. Mom loved it, and it was a pretty cool hand-me-down when my Studebaker Commander rusted through.
I can really see a strong resemblance to the body shape and instrumentation of my family's '69 Olds Ninety-Eight, particularly from the side. Beautifully restored car.
Another TH-camr who was looking for a 1970 Buick GSX Stage 1 to restore, instead found a 1970 Buick Electra 225. He acquired it anyway, but found that many of the important structural features like the C-pillars of the cabin were completely rusted through, and he wrote the body off as being too unsafe even after restoration. But he saved the 455 for a "1970 Buick GSX Stage 1 tribute replica" restomod project. A person wrote in the comments section for this TH-camr's video about his 1970 Buick Electra 225 find "RIP deuce and a quarter". The TH-camr replied with words to the effect of "but the 455 will live on".
Thanks for the great vid, Adam. I was the 5th owner of the Estate Wagon version of this platform... incredible highway car as you noted and a solid machine! I still have fond memories of mine!
Being the owner of a '70 Electra convertible, I really enjoyed this and fully agree. To me personally, it's interesting to see the small differences between your 4 door Limited and my convertible. The convertible had to make do with plain jane vinyl bench seats instead of those awesome cloth ones on the Limited. Fun fact: Leather wasn't available on either on such an upscale car. Strange. Mine has A/C but not the automatic climate control, which again was not available on the convertible. I still own the original plastic front ornament, but it is in bad shape. I got a metal replacment which looks very close to the original but cost me around 500 bucks. I'm still trying to figure out a way to restore the original. Because as you said, it's gold dust. For me, the 70 Electra with it's premium fuel 455 and elegant design (yet undisturbed by strict safety standards), is the cream of the crop full size car and the one to own. Thanks for the great video.
My father had a 73’ Limited in Dark Green. The seats are excellent and it had good power as well. Love the 4 door hardtop, you don’t see them anymore with the roll over standards.
My father put in 40 years of seniority at Buick Motor Division in Flint, MI as a die maker before finally retiring. He bought all of the family cars through the "shop" as did all of the other relatives that worked there so Buicks were the only real automobile I ever knew. It's heartbreaking what has become of that "shop" in Flint as well as plants in many other cities also. My father also predicted it would happen as far back as the 70's and told me not to count on the auto industry for steady full time employment in my future. I still love Buicks today... wherever they're made.
My stepfather owned one of these! Not the limited; it wasn't quite as nice as this specimen, but it was and remains among my favorite cars of all time. While it was exceedingly comfortable and fast (for the era), it wasn't as reliable as newer cars, as might be expected. But then gain, parts were cheap then and these were rather easy to repair. Thank yo so much for sharing this video!
I worked in a 12 story elevator parking garage in Boston downtown in 1970, first job after high school. I drove all the cars new and old, domestic and foreign. Some cars you may have never heard of. Those years were some of the best in automotive history in my humble opinion. Later worked part time in 1975 just for the fun of driving those cars. I am not going to list all the models of cars I drove but I can list a couple of my favorites for personal reasons. 1970 225 was one, Mercedes 6.1 Liter sedan, MGBGT, Mercedes Gull Wing Coupe, Jaguar XKE, Olds Cutlass W31, Chrysler 300, Cadillac Fleetwood brome, Lincoln continental and the Mark III, Saab Sonett, Brecklin , Citroen Luxury sedan. And What cars did I buy and drive..?? The best cars ever made. 1971 Beetle and 1973 Volkswagen Super beetle. Most dependable car you could buy. They still hold the record of the most car models sold in the World. I Later Hot Rod my 73 with a custom built Motor from Claude’s Buggies built in California shipped to me. You can look up Claude’s Buggies on TH-cam.
Gotta love Buick. Always gave Cadillac a run for their money. Competition always breeds a good product., even if they were under the same GM umbrella. Love your channel.
Another beautiful car!! I was 7 years old when these were new. Cars dating back to the post war era, and through the mid 70’s, were (to me) works of art. Looked a little (or a lot) different from year to year, and before everything became completely plastic. Heavy, solid vehicles, I miss those days
I had a 1971 Estate Wagon with the 455 with that ridiculous highway gear and you are right, great low end pull, top end speed and 17 mpg. My 2004 Envoy XUV with a V8 gets the same mileage and has less room inside.
My fondest memory is being with my high school buddy when he could talk his mom out of the keys to her 1970 deuce & a quarter on a Friday night. That 430 big block rolled that behemoth past more than one wanna be hot rod. It was truly hilarious. 😂
My dad was "A Buick Man" back in those days. He owned quite a few of them. And, occasionally, and Olds. Anyhow, we would set the speed alert way down low so is buzzed at like 20 mph! We thought it was hilarious. Dad would be annoyed...or at least pretend to be. 🙂 The Buick 455s were "low RPM" engines just like the others. The tall 2.56 final drive kept the RPM low because that's where most of the (massive) torque was available. So, even at higher road speed the engine was at the sweet spot of the RPM range where the pulling power was available. Agreed on the fuel economy. One of Dad's Buick's back then was a GS400. It had a 2.93 final drive. He'd get 20 mpg on the highway if he went easy on the throttle. I well remember him remarking about the fuel economy. Alway enjoy your videos. Good work !
1969 and especially 1970 were my favorite full sized Buick’s. The 1970 was in a class by itself. I remember these when new. My parents owned a 1971 Electra which was a nice car, but it couldn’t hold a candle to the 1969 or 1970. I worked at a Buick Oldsmobile dealership in the mid 1970’s. I drove many of these and still fondly remember them. The woodgrain on the dash of these would deteriorate rapidly.
I recall Buick using the term "sweepspear" as a description of that diving side molding. I grew up in a 1969 Electra Sport Coupe with my siblings and me huddled around the central rear seat back mounted speaker set to AM radio.
-Of all the GM big block V8's, the Buick 455 was the one to have. This one easily bested the (fragile) Chever-Lay 454, the Pontiac 455, despite it's stump-pulling torque, the "intermediate block" Olds 455, and the Cadillac 472/501/425, which were supposed to replicate electric motors and nothing more. The Buick was the one engine that made the power, in a Hot Rod Magazine article about big blocks modified with similar specifications. It ran right up there with a Chrysler 426 Hemi for horsepower; They spent $5500 on 7 big blocks and the Buick basically won the competition: It made 550 hp, the Hemi about the same but with considerably less torque. This ain't no "nail-head" Bubba! Soundtrack: "Oye Como Va" by Carlos Santana
Buick made great, beautiful vehicles. I’m not a car enthusiast but I’ve loved Buicks since I can remember. Still love my Lesabre and supercharged park av.
I really enjoy these Rare & Classic videos, many interesting cars and interviews, I do wish you would cover a 1969 Bonneville 428, it was like a fullsize GTO sedan, my Dad had one, what a fast car it was. In 1970 the Bonneville went to a de-tuned 455. The 69 B body was a true race care.
Watch out for rust forming on the rear doors. By 1971, My Grandpa’s ‘69 rear doors were rusting. It was the first Car he ever had that had rust. We live in Minnesota
Love seeing your Electra again. I’ve driven a couple of 1968-1970 full-size GM cars and they just seem to have a far superior build quality than the 1971 to 76 full-size models. I know you’re not a fan of the early 1970s Cadillacs and wonder how those compare with the 1970 Electra.
What beautiful lovely designed cars back then inside and out, great outstanding design team, they deserve a big pat on the back and a big thank you, you were all brilliant and highly talented 😊
My grandparents on my mom's side were longtime Buick devotees. The earliest one I remember was a white Electra 225 with a red interior and an 8-track. Not entirely sure which year, but seeing the front of the 1970 is stirring some memories. I know that it got traded later on a 1977 LeSabre, which in turn was traded for a late-80s Century. Grandmom drove an early-70s Skylark. We kids liked to prank her by turning the speed alert needle down to 5 or 10 mph, so it would go off as soon as she pulled away from a stop. I also remember the HVAC switchgear - in the absence of a hyphen in 'Deice', Grandmom thought it was pronounced 'Deese'.
I was a little kid when these were new, and always liked them. They were long and elegant, almost exuding a sense of smoothness all the way to the sidewalk. Those headlight bezels suggest Cadillac to me. Star Wars air filter assembly on the 430! I love that sweeping character line down the side - it's an integral component of the car's overall image of smoothness.
Such a gorgeous car! I would definitely love to own one in mint condition like this one, and 19mpg is awesome back then and especially now because it’s a 4bbl 455 so I love that fuel economy and would drive it all around the country!
As a kid, our neighbour, Mr Walsh, drove a late 60s LeSabre. Red on white. He was retired, and it was his pride and joy. His house had a very narrow driveway, with a hedge to the right and concrete wall to the left, but he could thread that thing through without touching either. Perhaps that’s why I’ve always had a soft spot for the styling of these.
Interesting video. That brought back some memories. My parents had that exact 1970 Electra 225 Limited, same color, same seat fabric, same options, except it was a 2 door. I didn't have a driver's license yet, so I never drove it. Don't remember the reason, but I never did like it and was glad when they sold it.
Great video... make my Buck a 1985 Electra 4.3 diesel with the ultra rare keypad entry on the outside of the driver's door!!! I believe Buick had the keypad only 2 years... This 1970 is to die for, I love the brown and the green ones!!!!
My in-laws had a ‘72 Electra 225 Limited when I started dating their daughter and I had the opportunity to ride in it a number of times. I’m glad you pointed out that beautiful brocade upholstery and supremely comfortable seats, the feature I remember most about that car.
My Dad's 1972 Centurion had that 8 track mounted under the center of the dash too. We would jam to Hank Snow, Johnny Cash, Bill Monroe, Lester Flat & Earle Scruggs and more on those Florida trips when I was a 6-7 year old kid. 🤣🤣
My favorite Buick! My father a 225 Custom, the Limited was above it in the lineup. Nice car. Despite the vinyl seats, I thought it had a great interior - nicer than the '72 Cadillac SDV he replaced it with. Tremendous engine. He blasted the horn every time he made a turn.
What a majestic vehicle. Very Regal. The front end reminds me a bit of my dad's 71 Chevy Bel-Air coupe. This looks better than the 71 I think. To me. Nice video with great info.
This is wild. I’m in Louisiana, and my brother-in-law’s dad bought his mom an Electra just like this in 1970, except with a brown interior. She had been driving a 1963 Dodge 440 wagon, and this was a surprise gift for her. She was not happy and wouldn’t drive the Buick for months. Her famous line was that “the Dodge practically drives itself.” My sister mocked her constantly and couldn’t believe she wouldn’t prefer the Buick. My dad pulled me aside and told me this is why you never buy a woman a car without her input. Apparently he’d made the same mistake in the past. In 1976, my brother-in-law’s mother traded the Buick for a silver Lincoln, however that blue Dodge 440 wagon remained at their house well into the 80s. She really loved that car.
Adam, you do such a great job! I'd really enjoy a video sometime where you talk a little about how you manage your fleet of fine automobiles. I have enough trouble with 2 older cars and can't imagine what it's like to have 20, 30 or more! Of course, you don't have to reveal all your secrets and a little mystery is always good thing. 😅
My dad bought his first new car...a 1967 Buick Wildcat, with that excellent 430ci, 4bbl engine...He kept it for 22 years, racked up 320,000 miles on that beast, the only repairs being replacing the U-joints, twice. Finally, one night some drunk dude came around a corner, and slammed into the rear of the parked Buick...the frame was bent...my Dad cried quietly, as the tow truck took it away to the junkyard.
You raise a good point about how V8 cars from this era got decent gas mileage. My cousin had a '65 Chevy Biscayne four-door with a 283 V8 that regularly got 20 mpg on the freeway, and that was with three adults in the front seat and four kids in the back.
Adam, please let me share a tip regarding the front door pull straps. I learned a trick after inheriting my Mom's 1971 Firebird Espirit in 1979 from a junk yard employee when I was trying to find replacements for the door strap/inside hardware. He told me to tightly wrap the existing screw shafts in aluminum foil and then screw them back into the existing hardware. I did that and niether of them ever came loose again before I sold that car in 1985 at 225,000 miles. I wish to this day I had held on to that car. I've used that little trick on other cars and also at home when a screw strips out!
a former boss of mine back in 70 had the owned one with the same color and interior color as the one shown i loved that carhe let me drive it from time to time
These are among the most striking American cars of the era. . . . I note that you have not mentioned the exclusive semi-closed cooling system that Buick introduced for the 1970 models. This was, in my opinion, a very significant innovation that made it easy to monitor coolant level and add coolant. The best part is that there's no coolant loss on the pavement when stopping the car after a long drive in hot weather. . . . An altogether beautiful automobile.
My father was a Buick parts manager for 33yrs. Past away at age 85 in 09', but I know he would have 100% enjoyed your videos. Thank you for the awsome presentation you do when you showcase vehicles from our past.
Awesome. Thx for the note
I’m very sorry for your loss.
My father was also a parts manager at a Buick dealership.
I remember going to see the new Buick’s unveiled in the 80’s when I was a kid. They still did that there for special ones. He took us all to the Dealership’s party unveiling the new Buick Grand National. We always had Buick Demo cars that he drove for the dealership as well to show off the new models. I guess those days are why I have a couple older Buick’s now that he and I and my son work on at times. A ‘62 Electra convertible and a ‘72 Electra Limited.
It’s always a good time with them.
Thank you Adam for the great videos!!! Keep it up!!
More Buick’s is always a good thing too…
@@BuiElec225*Buicks
@@BuiElec225 I have 1972 also.
@@BuiElec225 I was driving a 68 LeSabre to high school in the 80s and appreciated it so much I got a little into Buicks. I remember stopping at a dealership to see the rare GNX they got a hold of and proudly displayed at the front.
I was going to ask you if y'all had anything special with the Grand National but you said it already.
My interaction with the salesman was memorable, especially since I had driven up in my 68. He didn't actually know as much about Buicks as I did, but he was just trying to do his job.
My dad had a '68 225 Convertible in Light Blue Metallic, with beautifull mid-blue interior. I drove my mom and sister all over the place in it as a 16 year old, while my dad was away. I basically learned to drive in that huge car. I loved it, especially going out with schoolmates - 6 of us with 2 in the front seats, and 4 in the back, to the movies on a Saturday. It was my Dad's last American car, as he switched to M-B S class in 1970. For it's final trip then, I drove my mom and sister 1600 miles when our family moved. My dad drove the moving van. Then I got my own car, a '54 Packard, and Dad traded in that Buick on the Benz. I loved that Buick Electra! So many high school and college memories...
Brings back great memories of my late Dad’s ‘70 Electra 225! The 455-4 would indeed pull like a freight train on the top end and was a superb highway cruiser. Desert Gold with a black vinyl roof, it just had a majestic appearance. it was his fourth - and best - deuce & a quarter and I was sorry to see it go thanks to the 70’s gas crisis. Great looking, great driving, great memories! Thank you!
I was starting to worry you had given up on TH-cam, you usually post 5-6+ videos a week that I greatly appreciate and enjoy.
There’s a reason your channel really exploded…because you do such a fantastic job.
Adam deserves a rest from time to time too😮.. and these videos are very thorough and well done and do take quite a bit of time I'm sure.
Also we had a ginormous snow and ice storm here in the midwest last Friday plus a week of -0 temps following that. We tend to take a break from many normal routines or hobbies to deal with cleaning and often repairs -many folks lost electricity, internet, SAT, so on. I did too......
@@jeffstonecipher1594I live in that area and have an outdoor job, I know how terrible the weather has been. I do an overnight trash route that was affected by everyone cleaning, and work on heavy equipment, I wish I could talk a break.
To me these were the nicest Buicks ever styled. Great in every aspect from style to handling and comfort.
Sorry, I’ve been too verbose, but, I’m an old man and you’ve brought me back to being 16-years-old and my Sicilian Grandpa yelling about how his ‘69 Electra is falling apart after 2 years. His friend that bought the ‘66 Wildcat from him went to drive it for at least another 20 years. His ‘73 Electra was, Meh. But, His 1976 Electra Limited was one of the best cars I have ever driven. The build quality was circumspect, but, If, I had only one choice to drive one car for the rest of my life it would be a 1976 Electra Park Avenue. Huge, comfortable, sublime.
I would love to have an older Electra. I had an 84 Electra that was absolutely perfect. But a 1970 Electra 225 with the 455 would be amazing
Milage and gearing can be a funny thing. For several year I drove daily a '68 Newport with a 440 in a milieu that almost never saw me get above 45 mph. When I changed the rear gear from 2.76 to 3.23 my gas mileage went up. Most of the driving was stop light to stop light, and getting that weight moving was just better with the 3.23.
You are right on the money! I always hated Cadillac for saddling my V8-6-4 with a 2.41:1 final drive ratio... It always forced your foot to be deeper into the throttle than it should be.
Learned to drive on my Grandpa’s ‘69. His favorite feature, as an immigrant Sicilian, was what he called the “Buzzard” the alarm clock feature that would sound a buzzer when you go over the set speed.
Beautiful and elegant car!
My mother had this car in gold with a white top and white seats. She loved it! She was so sad when the octane in gas was lowered causing the car to make a knocking noise when accelerating. She sold it and had several other model cars after that and always compared them to her Buick Electra 225 (It was the best). She finally bought a Buick Park Avenue (80's model) it was white with burl wood grain interior and tan velour seats. We called it the land yacht. LOL She loved her a Buick!!
Thanks for the video and all the childhood memories it provided.
Those 80's Park Aves bring back a lot of memories for me, and they sure rode nice. Interior much nicer than the base Caddys at the time.
What a beautiful classic. I remember seeing these everywhere when i was in elementary school.
My parents still have their triple black 69 Electra 2 door hardtop. That 430 is a wonderful engine coupled up to the Turbo 400. We took it to the mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina from Texas. It’s an amazing highway car and had no issues climbing the mountain rounds. Think we clocked similar mileage on the freeway. Funny about the ‘70 but every one I’ve seen had a missing or broken front emblem like you mentioned. The 69 didn’t seem to have that issue. I remember the 11” drums and getting a crazy look from the guy that turned brake drums at the auto parts store. Fond memories.
When I was a kid in the 1970s, EVERY early Maverick was missing its 'bullhorns' badge on the grill - at least in my city. After a while, I made it a point to look at the grill whenever I saw a Maverick with small bumpers. Every single one I saw had a flat, bare, circular, argent painted spot with two or three little holes, in the center of the grill where the badge should've been.
I spent many hours in my Grandfather's 1970 225. I was small enough to use the front arm rest as my seat. If that's not dangerous enough for you, he also let me sit in his lap and drive it when we were on a family drive out in the country. Fascinating to see one again, especially in that condition. His seats were black, silken cloth with these oblong metal accent emblems in the seating area. Those things were super-heated in the summertime. I had to be careful when wearing shorts. He swore he got close to 25 miles/gallon on a cross country interstate drive from Nashville to Phoenix. Everyone doubted him, but having heard your comment on the drivetrain, I'm sure he was right after all. Enjoy all your videos.
Our nextdoor neighbor bought a new, dark blue, 1969 Electra, with the same body as the 1970. Wow. That was a classy car. And my Senior English teacher drove a gunmetal gray 1968 Electra. I loved that automobile. I spent a number of afternoons in detention hall, and was often chauffeured home in style.
Thank you for giving us a tour of this stellar Electra Limited. There is a lot to appreciate here!
This is absolutely the best of the best !
I love the brocade cloth seats. I had those in my '73 225 Limited.
In 1980 I was 16 and one of my running buddies was handed down his dad’s 1970 Electra 225. 455 cubes and the sound, steady judgment of a 16 year old kid. What could possibly go wrong? Later that year I got my own luxo barge, a 1972 T Bird 460. The one that pinged on regular despite having Briggs and Stratton style compression ratios. People were ditching big block cars left and right back then. $1 a gallon gas and all. For $1000 you could have a great car that would burn rubber for a city block while dragging the AC compressor. The good old days😎
Beautiful car. 68 69 Skylark also had that unique swooping side moulding.
Back in the early 1980s, I bought 1972 Electra. It had 90,000 miles on it...I proceeded to drive that beautiful barge for another 80,000, relatively trouble-free miles. The car was so huge, so comfortable, that it seemed that the car was staying in one spot, and the road was moving underneath you!...My detuned 455 still had considerable oomph!...I stenciled across the top of the massive windshield, "FOSSIL FUEL ELIMINATOR"....Some folks laughed, others shook their heads in disgust! I would joke to strangers, that the back of the car was located in a different time zone!...I miss these classy American cruisers...we will never see their like again.
I was 13 in 197” and the elegant Electra was one of my favorites. The white backup lights that glowed sort of pink with the small red bulb when the parking lights were on were so distinctive.
Thank you Adam, this car is a large beautiful classic. I'm glad it's still around.
Adam, By rights, this 1970 Electra ought to be the most famous Buick of all but I feel that title will always be held by Kojak's Century. Who loves ya, baby 😉🤣
Nice review. I was exposed to several 1969 Electras and was always impressed with them, even though I was a goofy teen at the time. I always thought that the 69 and 70's were similar though as you note, there are several subtle differences.
The '70 B/C bodies were among the best lookimg of the big Buicks in history.
While the Estate Wagons were B-bodies, they shared the grille with the Electra and they carried four portholes per side, and the only engine for the '70 Estate Wagon was the 455-4-barrel, High Compression.
We happily stumbled onto a low-mileage example with the rare (only a few more than two dozen built) three-speed column shift manuals. No wood-grain, but it had the vinyl top and yeah, 19 mpg at 75 mph with the air on.
Mom loved it, and it was a pretty cool hand-me-down when my Studebaker Commander rusted through.
I can really see a strong resemblance to the body shape and instrumentation of my family's '69 Olds Ninety-Eight, particularly from the side. Beautifully restored car.
Beautiful Buiick!!!!!
Another TH-camr who was looking for a 1970 Buick GSX Stage 1 to restore, instead found a 1970 Buick Electra 225. He acquired it anyway, but found that many of the important structural features like the C-pillars of the cabin were completely rusted through, and he wrote the body off as being too unsafe even after restoration. But he saved the 455 for a "1970 Buick GSX Stage 1 tribute replica" restomod project. A person wrote in the comments section for this TH-camr's video about his 1970 Buick Electra 225 find "RIP deuce and a quarter". The TH-camr replied with words to the effect of "but the 455 will live on".
Came for the big Buick, stayed for Adam's 70's car buzzer imitation! I remember those buzzers.. They were pretty bad.
I have something like it in my 72 Caddy. It sounds like a choking duck (actually, it's my key alarm, not a speedo alarm).
Thanks for the great vid, Adam. I was the 5th owner of the Estate Wagon version of this platform... incredible highway car as you noted and a solid machine! I still have fond memories of mine!
About 10 years ago, Steve Carell was in a movie called The Way Way Back. Drives a pristine Estate Wagon from that era. 69 or 70.
I'm sharing this to a friend who's dad had a 1969 225 convertible medium blue in color. It was such a beautiful car with a white top...
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the brocade cloth from GM divisions from the 60s and early 70s.
Another gorgeous yacht! Thanks for sharing.
Being the owner of a '70 Electra convertible, I really enjoyed this and fully agree. To me personally, it's interesting to see the small differences between your 4 door Limited and my convertible. The convertible had to make do with plain jane vinyl bench seats instead of those awesome cloth ones on the Limited. Fun fact: Leather wasn't available on either on such an upscale car. Strange. Mine has A/C but not the automatic climate control, which again was not available on the convertible. I still own the original plastic front ornament, but it is in bad shape. I got a metal replacment which looks very close to the original but cost me around 500 bucks. I'm still trying to figure out a way to restore the original. Because as you said, it's gold dust.
For me, the 70 Electra with it's premium fuel 455 and elegant design (yet undisturbed by strict safety standards), is the cream of the crop full size car and the one to own. Thanks for the great video.
Adam, these are wonderful videos. Please keep expanding the envelope of topics.
My father had a 73’ Limited in Dark Green. The seats are excellent and it had good power as well. Love the 4 door hardtop, you don’t see them anymore with the roll over standards.
My father put in 40 years of seniority at Buick Motor Division in Flint, MI as a die maker before finally retiring. He bought all of the family cars through the "shop" as did all of the other relatives that worked there so Buicks were the only real automobile I ever knew. It's heartbreaking what has become of that "shop" in Flint as well as plants in many other cities also.
My father also predicted it would happen as far back as the 70's and told me not to count on the auto industry for steady full time employment in my future. I still love Buicks today... wherever they're made.
My stepfather owned one of these! Not the limited; it wasn't quite as nice as this specimen, but it was and remains among my favorite cars of all time. While it was exceedingly comfortable and fast (for the era), it wasn't as reliable as newer cars, as might be expected. But then gain, parts were cheap then and these were rather easy to repair. Thank yo so much for sharing this video!
I worked in a 12 story elevator parking garage in Boston downtown in 1970, first job after high school. I drove all the cars new and old, domestic and foreign. Some cars you may have never heard of. Those years were some of the best in automotive history in my humble opinion. Later worked part time in 1975 just for the fun of driving those cars.
I am not going to list all the models of cars I drove but I can list a couple of my favorites for personal reasons.
1970 225 was one, Mercedes 6.1 Liter sedan, MGBGT, Mercedes Gull Wing Coupe, Jaguar XKE, Olds Cutlass W31, Chrysler 300, Cadillac Fleetwood brome, Lincoln continental and the Mark III, Saab Sonett, Brecklin , Citroen Luxury sedan.
And What cars did I buy and drive..??
The best cars ever made. 1971 Beetle and 1973 Volkswagen Super beetle.
Most dependable car you could buy.
They still hold the record of the most car models sold in the World. I
Later Hot Rod my 73 with a custom built Motor from Claude’s Buggies built in California shipped to me.
You can look up Claude’s Buggies on TH-cam.
Gotta love Buick. Always gave Cadillac a run for their money. Competition always breeds a good product., even if they were under the same GM umbrella. Love your channel.
Another beautiful car!! I was 7 years old when these were new. Cars dating back to the post war era, and through the mid 70’s, were (to me) works of art. Looked a little (or a lot) different from year to year, and before everything became completely plastic. Heavy, solid vehicles, I miss those days
These Electras are among my favorite cars. I think they are more luxurious looking than Cadillacs of the day and nothing beats a Buick 455.
Cadillac 472 does, and I've had both.. Buick Electra 225 Limited is a fine automobile, but it's not a Cadillac.
I had a 1971 Estate Wagon with the 455 with that ridiculous highway gear and you are right, great low end pull, top end speed and 17 mpg. My 2004 Envoy XUV with a V8 gets the same mileage and has less room inside.
Adam, you sound just like the warning buzzer on the Buick, impressive!!! 👍👍🙂
What an awesome vehicle. Big and beautiful and a four door hardtop. That’s my kind of car ❤
I preferred the two door hardops, but that's why they made both.
The Buick Sweep Spear side trim appeared many times and harkened back to the one I believe first seen in 1949.
My fondest memory is being with my high school buddy when he could talk his mom out of the keys to her 1970 deuce & a quarter on a Friday night. That 430 big block rolled that behemoth past more than one wanna be hot rod. It was truly hilarious. 😂
My dad was "A Buick Man" back in those days. He owned quite a few of them. And, occasionally, and Olds. Anyhow, we would set the speed alert way down low so is buzzed at like 20 mph! We thought it was hilarious. Dad would be annoyed...or at least pretend to be. 🙂
The Buick 455s were "low RPM" engines just like the others. The tall 2.56 final drive kept the RPM low because that's where most of the (massive) torque was available. So, even at higher road speed the engine was at the sweet spot of the RPM range where the pulling power was available.
Agreed on the fuel economy. One of Dad's Buick's back then was a GS400. It had a 2.93 final drive. He'd get 20 mpg on the highway if he went easy on the throttle. I well remember him remarking about the fuel economy.
Alway enjoy your videos. Good work !
1969 and especially 1970 were my favorite full sized Buick’s. The 1970 was in a class by itself. I remember these when new. My parents owned a 1971 Electra which was a nice car, but it couldn’t hold a candle to the 1969 or 1970. I worked at a Buick Oldsmobile dealership in the mid 1970’s. I drove many of these and still fondly remember them. The woodgrain on the dash of these would deteriorate rapidly.
The "Fasten Seat Belt" warning in hoity-toity script amuses.
Ha! I noticed that, too.
I recall Buick using the term "sweepspear" as a description of that diving side molding. I grew up in a 1969 Electra Sport Coupe with my siblings and me huddled around the central rear seat back mounted speaker set to AM radio.
-Of all the GM big block V8's, the Buick 455 was the one to have. This one easily bested the (fragile) Chever-Lay 454, the Pontiac 455, despite it's stump-pulling torque, the "intermediate block" Olds 455, and the Cadillac 472/501/425, which were supposed to replicate electric motors and nothing more. The Buick was the one engine that made the power, in a Hot Rod Magazine article about big blocks modified with similar specifications. It ran right up there with a Chrysler 426 Hemi for horsepower; They spent $5500 on 7 big blocks and the Buick basically won the competition: It made 550 hp, the Hemi about the same but with considerably less torque.
This ain't no "nail-head" Bubba!
Soundtrack: "Oye Como Va" by Carlos Santana
That may have been, in common with the Olds 98, the finest all around vehicle ever produced by GM. Great summary.
I had a 1970 Olds Delta 88 with the 455 cu in motor. It was a boat and drove like a dream.
Buick made great, beautiful vehicles. I’m not a car enthusiast but I’ve loved Buicks since I can remember. Still love my Lesabre and supercharged park av.
I really enjoy these Rare & Classic videos, many interesting cars and interviews, I do wish you would cover a 1969 Bonneville 428, it was like a fullsize GTO sedan, my Dad had one, what a fast car it was. In 1970 the Bonneville went to a de-tuned 455. The 69 B body was a true race care.
Thank you for your report on this beautiful Buick.
That is back when a Buick was a Buick.
Watch out for rust forming on the rear doors. By 1971, My Grandpa’s ‘69 rear doors were rusting. It was the first Car he ever had that had rust. We live in Minnesota
Love seeing your Electra again. I’ve driven a couple of 1968-1970 full-size GM cars and they just seem to have a far superior build quality than the 1971 to 76 full-size models. I know you’re not a fan of the early 1970s Cadillacs and wonder how those compare with the 1970 Electra.
What beautiful lovely designed cars back then inside and out, great outstanding design team, they deserve a big pat on the back and a big thank you, you were all brilliant and highly talented 😊
My first car, same year and color as yours, but mine was a 2 door. Loved that car.
My grandparents on my mom's side were longtime Buick devotees. The earliest one I remember was a white Electra 225 with a red interior and an 8-track. Not entirely sure which year, but seeing the front of the 1970 is stirring some memories. I know that it got traded later on a 1977 LeSabre, which in turn was traded for a late-80s Century. Grandmom drove an early-70s Skylark. We kids liked to prank her by turning the speed alert needle down to 5 or 10 mph, so it would go off as soon as she pulled away from a stop. I also remember the HVAC switchgear - in the absence of a hyphen in 'Deice', Grandmom thought it was pronounced 'Deese'.
I was a little kid when these were new, and always liked them. They were long and elegant, almost exuding a sense of smoothness all the way to the sidewalk.
Those headlight bezels suggest Cadillac to me.
Star Wars air filter assembly on the 430!
I love that sweeping character line down the side - it's an integral component of the car's overall image of smoothness.
I want one. My dream Buick after the 65 Rivera
Such a gorgeous car! I would definitely love to own one in mint condition like this one, and 19mpg is awesome back then and especially now because it’s a 4bbl 455 so I love that fuel economy and would drive it all around the country!
As a kid, our neighbour, Mr Walsh, drove a late 60s LeSabre. Red on white. He was retired, and it was his pride and joy. His house had a very narrow driveway, with a hedge to the right and concrete wall to the left, but he could thread that thing through without touching either. Perhaps that’s why I’ve always had a soft spot for the styling of these.
Interesting video. That brought back some memories. My parents had that exact 1970 Electra 225 Limited, same color, same seat fabric, same options, except it was a 2 door. I didn't have a driver's license yet, so I never drove it. Don't remember the reason, but I never did like it and was glad when they sold it.
I had the sedan, not the hardtop, but boy was this an amazing car. The ride, the torque, the gas mileage!, I loved that car. A beast of a car.
Sedans looked heavier and clunkier.. I miss the old hardtops.. Hardtop two door coupe was best. Those were sporty looking.
My first car at 17 years old was a 67 Electra 225. It was awesome wish I still had it.
I always LOVED those seats!
I own a '65 225, 52k, mostly original paint. Amazing interior!
Lucky person! Love to see it .
Work of art on wheels
@davemcneil7834 And you can!!! I made a video a few years ago, purchase day, and posted it on ytube! CORVAIRWILD ELECTRA 225 should bring it up
Our ‘69 was a joy to drive. When dad passed away in ‘84 my sister drove it for another 10 years. An absolute tank in a good way.
Love to own one! Wish i still had my '70 Delta 88 had the police interceptor 455, disc brakes, hd cooling, shocks, posi...
Great video... make my Buck a 1985 Electra 4.3 diesel with the ultra rare keypad entry on the outside of the driver's door!!! I believe Buick had the keypad only 2 years...
This 1970 is to die for, I love the brown and the green ones!!!!
My in-laws had a ‘72 Electra 225 Limited when I started dating their daughter and I had the opportunity to ride in it a number of times. I’m glad you pointed out that beautiful brocade upholstery and supremely comfortable seats, the feature I remember most about that car.
Enjoyed Buicks in the 60s and 70s
Great cars
Great speed and comfort
My grandfather had one, great car from what I remember. I had a ‘75 and that one was fantastic!!
Great channel... Awesome content... U just made me wanna get a 1970 225!
My Dad's 1972 Centurion had that 8 track mounted under the center of the dash too. We would jam to Hank Snow, Johnny Cash, Bill Monroe, Lester Flat & Earle Scruggs and more on those Florida trips when I was a 6-7 year old kid. 🤣🤣
No Hank Williams?
Now that you mention it, yes him too. @@MarinCipollina
Great video
Beautiful car
Thanks for the memories
Your mileage was right on!
My favorite Buick! My father a 225 Custom, the Limited was above it in the lineup. Nice car. Despite the vinyl seats, I thought it had a great interior - nicer than the '72 Cadillac SDV he replaced it with. Tremendous engine. He blasted the horn every time he made a turn.
What a majestic vehicle. Very Regal. The front end reminds me a bit of my dad's 71 Chevy Bel-Air coupe. This looks better than the 71 I think. To me. Nice video with great info.
Actually, the Regal was a much smaller car.
My dad drove deuces and wildcats. This project a lot of memories.
This is wild. I’m in Louisiana, and my brother-in-law’s dad bought his mom an Electra just like this in 1970, except with a brown interior. She had been driving a 1963 Dodge 440 wagon, and this was a surprise gift for her. She was not happy and wouldn’t drive the Buick for months. Her famous line was that “the Dodge practically drives itself.” My sister mocked her constantly and couldn’t believe she wouldn’t prefer the Buick.
My dad pulled me aside and told me this is why you never buy a woman a car without her input. Apparently he’d made the same mistake in the past.
In 1976, my brother-in-law’s mother traded the Buick for a silver Lincoln, however that blue Dodge 440 wagon remained at their house well into the 80s. She really loved that car.
Adam, you do such a great job! I'd really enjoy a video sometime where you talk a little about how you manage your fleet of fine automobiles. I have enough trouble with 2 older cars and can't imagine what it's like to have 20, 30 or more! Of course, you don't have to reveal all your secrets and a little mystery is always good thing. 😅
Thanks for the idea!
My grandma always had Buick Electra. I remember us kids getting her to make the speed control buzz.
Memories of Grandma's 66-67 ,430-225.She was SO proud of out-running everyone on the hwy.I remember the power,almost got to own it.❤😎👍✌🇨🇦good vid!
My dad bought his first new car...a 1967 Buick Wildcat, with that excellent 430ci, 4bbl engine...He kept it for 22 years, racked up 320,000 miles on that beast, the only repairs being replacing the U-joints, twice. Finally, one night some drunk dude came around a corner, and slammed into the rear of the parked Buick...the frame was bent...my Dad cried quietly, as the tow truck took it away to the junkyard.
@@curbozerboomer1773 I would have cried too.Oh,to get your hands on that idiot and bend HIS damn frame! 🤬👍✌🇨🇦
You raise a good point about how V8 cars from this era got decent gas mileage. My cousin had a '65 Chevy Biscayne four-door with a 283 V8 that regularly got 20 mpg on the freeway, and that was with three adults in the front seat and four kids in the back.
Adam, please let me share a tip regarding the front door pull straps. I learned a trick after inheriting my Mom's 1971 Firebird Espirit in 1979 from a junk yard employee when I was trying to find replacements for the door strap/inside hardware. He told me to tightly wrap the existing screw shafts in aluminum foil and then screw them back into the existing hardware. I did that and niether of them ever came loose again before I sold that car in 1985 at 225,000 miles. I wish to this day I had held on to that car. I've used that little trick on other cars and also at home when a screw strips out!
That 3/4 rear shot... that trunk is disproportionally huge! A great Mafia staff car, you could fit a lot of bodies in there.
Wow, what a beautiful car is the '70 Buick Electra, Adam😍🙌
a former boss of mine back in 70 had the owned one with the same color and interior color as the one shown i loved that carhe let me drive it from time to time
These are among the most striking American cars of the era. . . . I note that you have not mentioned the exclusive semi-closed cooling system that Buick introduced for the 1970 models. This was, in my opinion, a very significant innovation that made it easy to monitor coolant level and add coolant. The best part is that there's no coolant loss on the pavement when stopping the car after a long drive in hot weather. . . . An altogether beautiful automobile.
Radiator overflow tanks were a great addition.
I had a 1970 Estate Wagon 455. Best car ever. Great fun shutting down Corvettes at stoplights. Same colour as the 225 depicted herein.
You know you’re in a luxury car when “fasten seat belts” is in a beautiful script to gently remind you.
Beautiful car!
I had a 70 225 convertible. It was a fabulous car and another one I wish I had kept.