1960 Buick Electra 225 convertible in-depth look 

That’s an awesome car I made a Facebook page which I’m going to eventually link to the RU-vid channel for everyone to show me what rides they had to make a community of car people which will be cool I just haven’t figured out how to make it public so I can have other people share on there without going through me.. if that makes any sense =)

1965 to 1968 are my favorite years for Electra 225. Particularly the pillared 4 door sedan. My mom had 1966 2 door hardtop.

Entirely different car than a 60.

Much like the 1964 thunderbird almost like a thermometer going across or different from that? I love the 50s and 60s era cars because each brand decided to do things differently. And each brand had their own quirks and features.

Oldsmobile of this period was green 0-35mph, orange 35-70mph, and red above 70mph. I think Buick was red all the way across.

Your welcome.. I’ll be doing a tribute episode soon with my dads first car, I wasn’t around and it’s not his car but one close to it same year just not same color. =)

Thank you so much for that added information! =)

The thumb wheel on the left of the speedometer was the adjustment for the speed limit buzzer

Awesome thank you for that information.. I forgot about the speed warning buzzer system. =]

I actually own a 1960 Electra base 4 dr. hardtop. Absolutely beautiful. I'm in the process of restoring it to a nice driveable and presentable condition. Just to add to the starting process, you do depress the accelarator and there was a linkeage hooked up to the carberator that closed a set of contacts (to mine understanding) that then allowed the flow of electricity to the starter. Very interesting and neat way to start a vehicle. I am replacing the carb with something more modern and will be replacing that system with just a push button start.

The starter switch should be adjusted so that it operates at half throttle, not full throttle, as flooring it opens the choke, which will cause hard cold-starting.

Thank you so much for that added information =) I’m glad you like the channel

Sort of the way a teleprompter works especially for the teleprompter used by politicians such as president. The speaker is reading the speech off a mirror rather than the teleprompter itself.

That was a great story thank you so much for sharing it =) When you were hauling down the road the faster you went did it feel like you were hovering? 88 Lincoln was like that over a certain speed it didn’t feel like I was on the road but hovering above it such a smooth ride

The speedometer only goes to 120 mph.

One of my uncles had the 4 door hardtop of one of these cars. He was a mechanic for Whitney Buick in Oregon Illinois. I think Buick brought back the Roadmaster for a while in the 1990s . The car looked like a bathtub turned upside down.

I thought the same thing this is a really good example, really honest car

Thank you so much it really means a lot =)

Thank you so much for the positive vibes glad you liked the episode

Awesome thank you so much for watching I’ll put the 1959 Electra on the list of cars to do =)

Awesome =) I personally love the survivors because you can actually use those and not worry about a lot of things there is to worry about with the pristine car

Thank you so much for watching about adding that information/story I was born way to late I wish I grew up in the 50’s love that time period style and pastel colors

Lol..that little magnifying glass used to amaze me as a kid too- and the mirrormatic speedo

Thank you =)

Totally agree if it was my car I’d change the Rear and put a different transmission in

I wish I could have drove the Electra.. weather has been eh here.. thank you you for watching =)

=)

=)

Great story and memories that you got sharing =)

Awesome information thank you so much for sharing =)

Thank you so much for the added information =) I looked for footage of 1960 Electra driving around I came across a commercial explaining how the turbine drive automatic transmission work and I was going to use it but I couldn’t get the picture edited right.. so I didn’t include it which was a bummer because I was like adding commercials or vintage reviews of those cars back in the day and there just wasn’t hardly any that I could find on the Electra which was really sad... The way I understood it was that transmission doesn’t shift gears per say it shifts fluid. General Motors made a three turbine transmission that was discontinued in 1959 the one in the Buick Electra is the twin turbine version and what I found was I guess that was the more superior option because you could push start that car if you wanted to whereas with the three turbine you couldn’t. Who knew push starting your car was a selling point.

@@What.its.like. , 😲Wow ! Good research 👍 I think you’re right about the transmission design.

The cover in the trunk is the top boot. 60 Buicks didn't have a spare tire cover.

Thank you =)

Great story thank you so much for sharing =)

Thank you so much for the positive vibes I’m glad you like the video more Great wants to come for sure

Thank you for watching =) more awesome cars coming

Awesome story thank you so much for sharing =)

I really dig the lines of this car but I don’t know which one I like better I think I like the 59 better I just wish they had a better transmission it’s like it’s Achilles’ heel

These look awesome now

Thank you so much for sharing that information I didn’t know about that I knew some nashes did that sort of thing but I didn’t know that Buick offered that feature

I love this design =)

=) happy you found this video things have definitely come along way since then definitely have to cover that electric 225 again

That book said that wasn’t a great Buick... to me 59-60 was close to the top from this era with the only one car higher than it, which is the 1963-1965 Buick Rivera which is/was one of the best cars of the 60s that is underrated.. my opinion tho

@@What.its.like. Now there's a car you should do a video on. The '63 Riviera!

Thank you glad you dig the video I have a friend who has a 59 it’s coming eventually =)

I’ll have to watch that video again

what about "FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH", with" BRAD HAMILTON," and his blue" BUICK LESABRE"!!!!!!

it was the "CRUISING VESSEL" !!!!!

=)

Awesome information thank you so much for sharing =) I should have said fluid drive would have been better =)

@@What.its.like. Fluid Drive wouldn't be correct either. Fluid Drive was a semi-automatic transmission that Chrysler used into 1953. It consisted of a fluid coupling(like the GM Hydramatic) and either a 3 or 4-speed manual type transmission. In the high range, depending on the model of transmission, you would start in 3rd and when you got up to speed, you would lift your foot off the gas pedal and a shifter motor would shift it into 4th. The 1953 1/2 fully automatic 2-speed Powerflite replaced the Fluid Drive. The first Buick DynaFlows used a fluid coupling but soon switched to a torque converter with twin turbines. The next upgrade was a variable pitch stator in the torque converter(electrically operated). Then, the final one was re-named the "Flight Pitch" DynaFlow, which had 3 turbines inside the torque converter, like the unsuccessful Chevrolet TurboGlide. This is the transmission in the 1960 Electra 225. In 1963, the "Flight Pitch" DynaFlow was phased out and replaced by the ST300 2-speed fully automatic transmission(Buick's first). In 1964, Buick introduced the ST400(which we know today as the TH400(or 3L80). Cadillac used this transmission after they ran out of HydraMatics. From 1965-1984, Cadillac used the TH400 in it's RWD cars(behind traditional cast iron Cadillca V8s). Oh, the ST transmissions used a conventional torque converter but with the variable pitch stator into the late-60's. With the tall first gears of the ST300 and ST400, the variable stator gave it a little bigger push.

Thank you so much it means the world I honestly don’t think that I have a good voice and I was really putting off doing the whole RU-vid thing because I don’t like the way my voice sounds sometime little bit of a subconscious thing but I’m trying to get better at it I have a speech impediment problem, But trying that comment meant a lot to me thank you so much

Me two I would drive that, because it’s awesome and different and can find it in a Parking lot because it’s different

Thank you so much for that correction

Hahaha awesome =)

I know, that’s something I have to work on I think because the channel is so new realistically it’s only six months old I started back in September 2021 I think with time I’m gonna start putting that in as a tag I think overtime it will get there because I think it’s a stellar name, and I don’t really want to change it.. Thank you so much for liking the content =)

I had as my first car a 1970 Chevy and to access the engine you pulled a lever just behind the grill to open the hood. One night a thief took advantage of that and stole the battery. I later found out that he could have stolen the carburetor if he had had the right tools. I am so glad that nowadays you can’t open most car hoods unless you are inside the car. 😌

Yeah for sure just have to find one =) Thank you for the request

I have to do a 59 and see what that dash is like

Yeah totally agree =)

I believe it

Awesome information thank you so much for sharing =)

It’s not mine or would set something up =) I believe it sold this was a survivor car

@@What.its.like. thanks for fast reply

Yeah I noticed that this morning I’ll message him and see if it’s still available he was trying to sell it for the original owner I just linked the main page to it so there would be a phone number hopefully number is a little bit hard to fine but if you go all the way down to the bottom of the screen it’s right there give them a call they’ll tell you how much it was that one didn’t have a price tag on it so I think it just showed up To be sold everything else is on their website

@@What.its.like. I'm just curious. I'm saving to buy a '69 Corvair convert, and a 2004 F350 motorhome

If you have Facebook here is my what it’s like page send me a message on there I’ll give you the guys phone number facebook.com/107924541676287/posts/158066919995382/?d=n

Haha yeah

Awesome =) I wish it was hot here.. The weather has been so crazy here for instance he gets up in the 50s and 60s and then it supposed to snow this weekend and then go back to 60 and70 and it’s been like that for about a month or two now.

@@What.its.like. I live in far NE upstate New York, but I found work in S Florida, I've been here most of the winter. Getting paid and few distractions

@@What.its.like. how much is the 225? Underneath rusty? Just curious. I didn't watch the video, sorry

Thank you for that correction

62 was the year the Electra was no longer in the model line up.

Thank you for that correction

I have a speech impediment problem I’m sorry

It's treble. Changes the sound of the music from more bass to less.

@@1940limited thank you for telling me something I didn't already know.

That would be Tragic

GM didn’t ‘standardize’ until 1965. And amazingly, even within their product lines the shift quadrants varied. For instance, the 1964 Olds 98 still had reverse all of the way down: PNDSLR, while the Cutlass had: PRNDL. I personally preferred the PNDSLR, but the government decided to listen to Nader. Starting in the 60’s, Ford had some issues with cars jumping out of Park. “On June 10, 1980, NHTSA made an initial determination of defect in Ford vehicles with C-3, C-4, C-6, FMX, and JATCO automatic transmissions. The alleged problem with the transmissions is that a safety defect permits them to slip accidentally from park to reverse. As of the date of determination, NHTSA had received 23,000 complaints about Ford transmissions, including reports of 6,000 accidents, 1,710 injuries, and 98 fatalities-primarily the young and old, unable to save themselves-directly attributable to transmission slippage. As detailed below, this defect finding eventually resulted in a pseudo-recall wherein Ford agreed to mail warning labels to 23 million owners of Fords with these transmissions rather than recall them for mechanical repair. The Center for Auto Safety first called NHTSA’s attention to the problem in July 1977, and shortly thereafter NHTSA instituted an investigation into 1966-79 Ford vehicles with C-6 or FMX transmissions.” Now ironically, because of the meddling ways of the Government, along with Nader, cars that slipped out of Park would, by law, be slipping into Reverse, and therefore move away under power. Of course, the actions by Nader, Inc. didn’t cause the design flaw which lead to the Ford’s driving off, but their rationale of having R next to Park demonstrates that ole Nader wasn’t nearly as smart as he would have had you believe.

Awesome thank you so much for that information =)

@@What.its.like., I share the information that I know, having rebuilt those transmissions of the past, most failures were due to the owner running the transmission out of fluid due to seal leaks, and cooking the band/ clutch packs!!!!

The powerglide was a self shifting two speed automatic, and the dynaflow was two speed also, but had to be manually shifted from low to drive, but in normal driving, low range was not used. Dynaflow also had a variable pitch stator in the torque converter which the powerglide did not.

@@craigcardwell4143 , you could manually shift a powerglide from low to drive , you are correct about the variable pitch torque converter on the dynaflow. you could change the characteristics of a transmission by changing/ modifying the "VALVE BODY"

Thank you so much for that correction it didn’t use gears it moved fluid nick named fluid drive.

The Dyna-Flow was a torque eating monster, without a doubt