Nice to finally introduce myself officially. My name is Brent Lee and I believe I am the youngest member of the Buick Car Club. Here is my short story on how I came to be part of this great club and how I came into possession of my own muscle car. I have been interested in cars for a long time, however specifically muscle cars began to grow my interest in the last 5 years. Finally I decided to go searching for a car of my own.
My Uncle John has invested many years within the Buick car club and being very handy has repaired and remodeled many cars. This was a source of inspiration for me and is partly the reason why I became part of the club. John came across this relic in a warehouse in Victoria and suggested I take a look into it. I remember him saying to me ‘I think this could be a good buy’. I spoke to the seller who mentioned that the car had been previously bought brand new in Sydney by a farmer from Warrangambie. Besides the car covered in 10 years worth of thick dust, it looked promising with its sleek body lines and very unique shape. I took interest in it straight away. Funnily enough my father Warren Lee being a car enthusiast himself beat me to it, buying his own 1970 emerald green Riviera GS. He will never admit that this was an impulse buy, especially because he couldn’t let his 25 year old son beat him to owning such a beaut classic car. Nevertheless I think I have found mine. I thought to myself, I think I am someone who likes to take a risk, and can be spontaneous. The thought of purchasing a relic without seeing it in the flesh actually was thrilling. It was the fun of it! When it arrived and I gave it my first look on the back of the truck you think I would have been thrilled. But to be honest, I was utterly shocked. I was thinking, ‘Is this really it?’. I almost felt like Clint Eastwood would step out of the car due to its weathered and rustic appearance. But I thought, oh well I guess it’s mine now.
Since that day, let’s just say I put in a lot of time, money and effort to tweaking and making this car one of a kind, but also keeping its patina, sealing the paintwork with a waxed finish protecting it from the elements… Later on through more research about my particular model, I found out that my car is one out of very few models remaining in Australia.
Some specific works completed on the Wildcat:
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New disc brakes conversion kit (supplied by Tony Gentilcore, installed at Burt’s Brothers.)
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New White-wall tyres (Ray at Trend Tyres, Taren Point)
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New Suspension
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Springs and Shocks
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Control arm & Stabilizer bar bushings
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Front & Lower ball joints
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Full Engine rebuild (by Wayne at ‘A1 Automotive Miranda’)
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Stage 1 Edelbrock Camshaft and Lifter kit
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Edelbrock B4B Intake Manifold
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Valve springs
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Timing chain set
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Push rods
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Fuel Pump
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Oil Pump
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Intake & Exhaust Valves
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Harmonic balancer
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New Large Radiator
- New mufflers and cross-bar on the existing exhaust system.
I hope you enjoy the before and after photos.