MAY 2011:1963 BUICK WILDCAT- THE RESULT OF A CLASSIC AND RARE CAR GUY LEGACY
Cathy Ironside inherited this rare and immaculate 1963 Buick Wildcat but she did so with a fair amount of reluctance. This is a scenario that plays out far too often in the old car hobby.
A car guy dedicates years of hard work to a car project, passes away and leaves a great automotive legacy behind for future car guys.
The Buick is one of those examples...
This car has the legendary 401 Buick engine but it also had the rare 4 speed option checked off on the 1963 option sheet-that makes it really rare. Cathy reported, "it was rumored to be a moonshine car because it was originally from the Arkansas or Tennessee area".
The car was low mileage and very solid as Cathy said, "it was a pretty nice car when he got it". That didn't stop her husband from taking ten years to complete the project. As Cathy explained, " he got it in parts so he worked up north all winter and played with it in the summer". Along the way three other Buicks were sacrificed to the car gods for the salvation of this one including a 401 automatic car.
Over that time the car was detailed with beautiful pearl white paint, bumpers chromed, new interior-the list goes on and on during a ten year re-build process, but the car does retain its original status because things like stock wheels were found in the trunk.
In 1992 he finished the car and now it's showing 42,000 miles on the odometer. Cathy explained, "he only had it in 3 car shows because he wasn't a car show guy but he did take it in a few trips".
He passed away in March 2010 after many good years with the big Buick and now Cathy is the owner of his dream car.
She admits that "I'm having a few problems with the transmission because I'm not up to the 4 speed so the future of this Buick is less than certain". However this story unfolds, this rare Buick stole the limelight when Cathy brought it to a show
Yet another car legacy ending- the artist may be gone but his canvas lives on forever...
Jerry Sutherland
For more car guy stories please follow this link...http://www.mystarcollectorcar.com/2-features/stories.html
