'66 BuickStreet

Craig's '66 Buick Electra Custom Specifications: Year: 1966 Make: Buick Model: Electra 225 Custom Body Type: 4 door Hardtop Engine: 401 Nailhead V8 Transmission: Super Turbine 400 Gear Vendor Overdrive Location: Washignton USA Craig writes... This car was given to me by some elderly folks that bought her new. All the door pannels and carpet are original and the odometer reads an amazing 66,000 miles (which I believe to be correct). When I got her she needed everything mechanical. The motor had thrown a rod and ruined the block so I had to find a donor block and build it up. I had the rotating parts balanced and bored it out .060". The heads where ported and polished for better flow. At first I installed a dual-quad set up but at 6 or 7 miles per gallon it soon became clear that that set-up wasn't going to last long. Back to the stock 4bbl I went. I also 'fabed-in' some headers for the car. Sandereson makes a block hugger style that fit awsome!! I just had to torch out some of the frame, put on a 2.5 in dual exhaust system with flowmaster mufflers and now it breathes nicely! On to the trans. It is a newer TH400 with a nice firm valve body in it for tire chirping 2nd gear shifts! After the trans I installed a (bullet-proof) Gear Vendor Overdrive unit that gives me a cruising rpm of 1800 - not bad at 65mph and it's like having 6 speeds, it rocks!!! I found and installed a positraction diff out of a Wildcat. Now I pitch it side ways if I'm not careful! 1.25 inch diameter front and rear sway bars where also fitted. The suspension is all new, right down to the brake hoses. The tires are very close to the skirts. It was a real feat. I had to grind off the rivets that hold on the drums and beat out the stock lug studs so I could the longer studs from a 1/2 ton Chevy truck. This was necessary so they are long enough to hold the 17 inch wheels on. The interior has a few custom touches as well. I'm particularly pleased by the custom seats and I modified a 71 GS wheel to fit my tilt column. An impressive sound system takes care of 'non-mechanical' tunes for cruising and I must admit I probably spent a little too much on the sound system but the car is so big that there is room for all sorts of goodies. I always thought the way that the tail lights blink in sequence on the T-Birds was cool so I put in a tail light sequencer and with the full width tail lights of the 66 Electra it looks way cool! Installing an overhead console out of a newer minivan was a good idea as it I now have extra storage and lights. The windows have been tinted with a limo tint which certainly keeps everything cool inside. This car had sat for so long that the grease in the electric motors for the 6-way electric front seat had become rock hard and I had to dig it out and fill with fresh grease. The body modifications include a grafted '65 front bumper which I fabed to include driving lights and fitted a polished aluminium '66 LeSabre grill. A scoop was also fitted to the hood to allow hot air to escape. The dual antennae on the back are off a '63 Impala. A Tri-power carb set-up is also in the works. I love my Electra but want a two door car. Soon my boys will be all grown up and wont go to as many places with me any more so I dont need the big car except to tow our 24ft trailer with. Regards Craig Owning a 66 Electra myself I obviously have a soft spot for them. Craig, your Electra is a spectacular success as a 'mild custom'. Your choice of colour works well with the massive body and the mods are tastefully executed (the 66 LeSabre grille is a nice touch). Thanks for submitting your Electra, it makes a perfect addition to number '66 BuickStreet. Bill S.

Tony's 1966 Buick Riviera Specifications: Year: 1966 Make: Buick Model: Riviera Body Type: Coupe Engine: 425 'Nailhead' V8 Rated Horsepower: 340bhp @ 4200rpm Rated Torque: 465 lb-ft @ 2800rpm Location: Sydney, Australia Tony writes... "...Well I fell in love with these big monsters of cars and after visiting the Wintersun Festival on the Gold Coast (a Nostalgic Hot Rods and Rock n Roll Festival) wanted to get behind the wheel of my own large American Car. I went back and looked in Unique Cars magazine and found a 66 Riviera which I had never before seen in the flesh, advertised in Queensland. I started searching for information and pictures on the Internet and quickly grew to love the shape of this model. The 66 is the first of the shape and 69 is the last but the front fenders and hood of the 66 are something else. There are angles going everywhere which give it some really interesting reflections. A friend of mine, Rick, who has had American Fords for years lives in Queensland so I asked him if he would go and check it out for me, which he did and he was happy. It was a sound car with no rust. He doesn't really like anything but Fords so Rick's word was good enough for me. I negotiated a great price and decided not to waste money on air fare but just have it shipped down to Sydney. The transport company charged me double the going rate when I told them it was about 6m long! When it arrived on the truck it looked beautiful. The paint and the upholstery where good (upholstery was a bit bright but tinting the windows helped). The guy started it up to drive it off the truck and it sounded beautiful. I took delivery of it in July 2001. It hadn't been driven for about 18 months so consequently it needed a bit of attention to mechanicals. Cosmetically I've had the bonnet resprayed after removing the centre chrome strip and the front springs reset 3cm lower and the Billet wheels and fat tyres put on with drop pipes behind the rear wheels. There was a box in the boot with old magazines and lots of receipts for repairs and parts from the US, plus the name and phone number or the original owners who actually restored the car in the mid nineties, this retired Queensland couple completely restored the car at a total cost of A$30,000. (approx. US$15,500) It's extremely reliable now and ready to drive to Wintersun Festival 2002 on the June long weekend. I can't wait to see how many Buicks we see there but I think mine will be the only 66 Riviera and that's the nice thing about Buicks. They've got a heap of luxury appointments, a ton of grunt, good looks and they're rare as proverbial rocking horse sh.. Now you can't say that about Mustangs or Chevs can you?" Tony, it's cars and stories like yours that make BuickStreet.com worth all the effort. I'm glad that the photos tell it all because that glass-like paint job defies description. Thanks for sharing your car and your story with us. - Bill More info - including a short video - can be found at http://www.mako.com.au/buick/. - Bill