Photo: YouTube/What the Rust?
There was a time, many oil changes ago, when cars had personality, identity, panache, and charm. I'm not saying that today's SUVs and crossovers and other urban-oriented vehicles are boring, but they all look and feel similar. But six decades ago, there was a car for every taste, purpose, and preference. There's a 1966 Buick Sportwagon that's proof of that, and it hasn't been running in 30 years.
Of course, the car is far from presentable or even decent, having been exposed to the Tennessee weather fashions for a long time with most of its glass removed. Why is just one of the many mysteries surrounding abandoned cars and how they ended up as neglected reminders of an era of Detroit greatness.
But there’s a solid reason why salvaging wranglers swear by the mantra “They don’t make ‘em like they used to.” No car is too bad until it’s little more than a pile of rust, cracks, and dents with a half-completed engine full of rainwater, and even then, I wouldn’t bet that there won’t be someone willing to give it another shot.
However, this old wagon is still in one piece and complete under the hood, which is a good starting point for a 'Will it work?' project. The reason for this resurrection is that the owner intends to sell it, but hasn't set a price yet, according to the heartbreaking duo who set out to get the rare station wagon back up and running.
Photo: YouTube/What the Rust?
What the heck? YouTube duo Richard and Christina Rust are responsible for getting this midsize Buick CPR, but it looks a lot easier than it actually is. With 25,009 miles (just under the 40,250 km mark) on the odometer (which is either a full-blown “No Way!” or the more likely 125,000-mile/201,000-metric-click rollover), this Buick’s Wildcat 375 (more on that later) is free-revving and spotless inside.
A borescope inspection reveals clean cylinder walls and heads, which is good news in itself, but one valve on the odd-numbered bank (the left one, as seen from the fan to the bellhousing, or the passenger side, to eliminate any confusion) appears to be stuck. The balancer doesn't move when the crank is turned, but that's nothing serious, just a stubborn spring that eventually gives out.
This Buick is the top-of-the-line Custom Sportwagon with three rows of seats, all facing forward, unlike other station wagons of the era, where the third bench allowed its occupants to see where they had been. This particular configuration was the least rare of the Sportwagon line, which consisted of four variants. The two base models were the six- and nine-passenger longtops, while the Custom repeated the architecture of the living quarters.
Photo: YouTube/What the Rust?
Of the 21,610 midsize station wagons assembled for the 1966 model year under the Skylark series, the three-passenger Sportwagon Custom was the best-selling model, with 9,510 examples. Our hero is one of those: not exactly rare, but not a junkyard regular, either. Whoever ordered this car new dug deep into their pockets, checking the box for air conditioning, a painfully expensive option at $430.
Considering the car's starting price of $3,286, the climate control system was anything but affordable. But the list doesn't end there. An automatic transmission added another $245 to the price, and the four-barrel Wildcat V8 cost an additional $64.
The torque-converting Super Turbine automatic transmission offered only two forward speeds, but the 340-cubic-inch engine was good for 260 hp and 365 lb-ft (264 PS, 495 Nm) thanks to a high compression of 10.25. The drivetrain was complemented by a 3.23 rear axle.
By all accounts, the radio, power brakes, and power windows would have added another $200 to the asking price; whoever bought this car new spared no expense at the grocery store. An intriguing feature is the stark contrast between the overall condition, all covered in rust, trim, and glass stripped, and the V8.
Photo: YouTube/What the Rust?
The engine bay may not be a model of cleanliness, but the valvetrain is suspiciously clean. True, this car hasn't been used in over thirty years, apparently, and there's some gunk in the oil passages, but the condition of the rocker arms, valve springs, and crankshaft has vloggers giving credit to the low-mileage version.
After some tweaking to the carburetor, the old Wildcat V8 fires up, but it doesn’t look healthy at all: the Carter four-barrel is the suspect in this case of sabotage. Bottom line, the rough Buick is still alive but not yet healthy, and the YouTubers will be making another trip to the property to get it running properly.
It's hard to say what the car will look like after a good bit of detailing, with all the missing pieces put back in place. The price for this old true GM is only what someone is willing to pay for it. If nothing else, this is still a good, solid Buick wagon, and there's still enough bone to make it worthy of someone.
