1965 Electra 225 included in Hemmings "$5000 challenge."

[elagache]

Dear mid-60s Buick lovers, 

Kurt Ernst has posted on the Hemmings blog his selections for possible entry level classic cars.  The premise behind this advice is as follows from the article's introduction:

"Inexpensive and affordable are often two distinctly different things, particularly when it comes to entry-level collector cars. While it can be tempting to plunk down $5,000 on a well-worn sports or luxury car, such transactions don’t always end well for the buyer. The cost of repairing (or even maintaining) exotic beasts can be daunting, which is why the smart money is on more 'middle-class' classic cars."

The particular category of this irregular column is: "cars that a middle-class family may have purchased new."  Here is the link to the article:

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2018/04/27/the-5000-challenge-middle-class-mashup-edition/

Right in the middle of the recommendations is the very Buick and mid-60s: 1965 Buick Electra 225 four-door sedan!  While not a Buick A-body, it is still nice to see mid-60s Buick getting some favorable press!

Cheers, Edouard 

[schlepcar]

If you look at the hitch on that Buick and figure it would likely tow as good as most any new 1/2 ton....it turns into an even better buy.

[elagache]

Dear Dan and mid-60s Buick owners with towing aspirations,

If you look at the hitch on that Buick and figure it would likely tow as good as most any new 1/2 ton....it turns into an even better buy.

Well as it turns out I have a certain interest in the 1965 Electra 225 because I have a digital copy of the 1965 Buick towing guide and I've been attempting to make a decent guesstimate for a rear-end ratio for my trusty wagon.  According to that guide, no 1965 (or 1970 for that matter) was rated to tow more than a class III load: 5000 pounds.  I don't know what is the stock rating of a 1/2 pickup these days.  Perhaps they are also limited to class III.  However, certainly the Chevy Suburban and that crowd and take on a class IV load of 10,000 pounds.  Of course with that tow package I suspect the noise level increases a bit as your gas mileage decreases! 

Cheers, Edouard   

[schlepcar]

I see a lot of goofy characters on the road these days pulling 8,000 lb campers with 3500 lb vehicles,so maybe in 1965 the engineers had more sense when they rated the towing capacity....lol. In most cases the towing capacity vs. the tongue weight limit are an issue,but I think with good brakes on the car and trailer you could pull most realistic double axle trailers. Most of the crazy stuff I see pertains more to the ability to stop because we all know the Buick will go as good as anything. It would look pretty cool with a skylark on an aluminum trailer behind it or a 60's airstream.

[campfamily]

Any of you remember the Lucille Ball / Desi Arnaz movie "The Long Long Trailer"? A true classic.....

[elagache]

Dear Dan, Keith, and mid-60s Buick owner dreaming of road-trip with style,

I see a lot of goofy characters on the road these days pulling 8,000 lb campers with 3500 lb vehicles,so maybe in 1965 the engineers had more sense when they rated the towing capacity....lol.

I think everyone, including drivers, had a better sense of what was realistic back in the mid-60s.  Most families did at least some maintenance on their cars, so they were familiar with how they worked.  It isn't like today when people are clueless about how car's actually work.  Under those circumstances, all they could do is accept the manufacturer's recommendation if they even bothered to look!

Also, trailers were lighter than they are today.  Today's Airstream models are heavier than models of the same length built back in 1965.  Back in the day, SUVs weren't a dime a dozen and Airstream had to have trailers that could be pulled behind the family sedan or wagon.

Most of the crazy stuff I see pertains more to the ability to stop because we all know the Buick will go as good as anything. It would look pretty cool with a skylark on an aluminum trailer behind it or a 60's airstream.

Well I'm trying to get my Buick Special to pull a vintage Airstream or comparable trailer.  If fact there was an awful tempting Streamline Princess trailer that was eBay recently:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1968-STREAMLINE-PRINCESS-Compact-Well-Preserved-and-READY-TO-CAMP/282942476940

There is even a walk around video for the curious:

https://youtu.be/_e8-NKeluEc

It looks like this trailer sold locally, it was really a great buy.

According to the 1965 Buick towing guide, only the Sportwagon could handle a class III load, but I think that's smoke and mirrors since the Sportwagon had the same drive train as the Skylark and Special.  If you went with the same rear end ratio that was recommended for the Sportwagon, any Buick A-Body should have been fine.

However, to really succeed at towing this heavy a consist, some serious upgrades are highly desirable.  That's why I have been working hard to make my trusty wagon a good deal more capable than a stock Buick A-Body.

Cheers, Edouard 

[Super65lark]

over in my neck of the woods, we have a lot of people pulling trailers. There's the only OHV sand dune area in CA.
But if you're coming from the North, you have to go down 'the grade' which is a 7% grade, I think a couple miles or so.
Inevitably, every year, you have people who have no idea how to handle their load. And much of the time, they spill across the lanes. I don't even drive it that much but I watched someone fishtail in my rearview practically the entire way down. How fun.

But I know there are folks like Edouard who strive to do better. 

[elagache]

Dear Iain and mid-60s Buick owners who are as mature as their cars, . . . .

over in my neck of the woods, we have a lot of people pulling trailers. There's the only OHV sand dune area in CA.
But if you're coming from the North, you have to go down 'the grade' which is a 7% grade, I think a couple miles or so.
Inevitably, every year, you have people who have no idea how to handle their load. And much of the time, they spill across the lanes. I don't even drive it that much but I watched someone fishtail in my rearview practically the entire way down. How fun.

. . . . Obviously that's an example of something that has not been allowed to "properly season" . . . . . .  I'm not talking about the vehicle - I'm talking about the drivers!!! . . . . .  It's people like that which make the idea of self-driving cars appealing! . . . . . . .

But I know there are folks like Edouard who strive to do better. 

Well, I do have a PhD, but even before that, I had made a point to learn from other people's mistakes.  I knew I could not live long enough to make all those mistakes myself! . . . .

Cheers, Edouard 

[SBRMD]

Edouard's post:
{According to the 1965 Buick towing guide, only the Sportwagon could handle a class III load, but I think that's smoke and mirrors since the Sportwagon had the same drive train as the Skylark and Special.  If you went with the same rear end ratio that was recommended for the Sportwagon, any Buick A-Body should have been fine.}


Actually, Sportwagon and GS got bigger brakes and and different rear axles.  Rear axle bearings are specific to Sportwagon and GS, different than the rest of the Skylarks and Specials.  Also, all Sportwagon frames are boxed (I think...).

[elagache]

Dear Steve and mid-60s Buick owners with road-trip aspirations, . . .

Actually, Sportwagon and GS got bigger brakes and and different rear axles.  Rear axle bearings are specific to Sportwagon and GS, different than the rest of the Skylarks and Specials.  Also, all Sportwagon frames are boxed (I think...).

Yes all you are saying is true, but the brakes could be upgraded on the Skylark and Special as well.  The differential could be swapped into the other A-Bodies as well.

However by 1970, Buick reversed their position and claimed that no A-Body could handle a class III load.  Of course 1970 was the debut of the Estate Wagon meaning that once more Buick had a full-sized wagon for the first time since 1964.  Combining all the evidence, it suggests that Buick decided to rate the 1965 Sportwagon at a class III load so that they had a wagon with that tow rating - even if it was pushing the limits.

Nonetheless,  a Buick Special with a big-block can handle a 6000 pound trailer load - it has been done.  Arthur Throckmorton used a 1965 Special wagon to haul his 1968 GS to the Buick Grand Nationals one year.  The epic journey is documented in this photo gallery.

https://gmcguy.shutterfly.com/pictures/622

I have studied these photos carefully - in order to avoid as many of Arthur's mistakes as I could! 

Cheers, Edouard 

[Super65lark]

wicked awesome. that must have been a fun trip. (minus the overheating bit)

[Rollaround]

Glenn, check out picture number 71.

[elagache]

Dear Iain, Kevin, and mid-60s Buick owners who seek "fun" without the sarcasm! . . .

wicked awesome. that must have been a "fun" trip. (minus the overheating bit)

I dunno' . . . . Starting over that slide show and knowing that Arthur Throckmorton has never tried doing it again, . . . . . my feeling is that "fun" in this case looks more like this! . . . .

Needless to say, my trusty wagon as a heavy-duty aluminum radiator, transmission cooler, high-efficiency aftermarket air conditioner, . . . . . . . etc., etc., etc., and that's just my first take on Arthur's experiences on how not to tow 6000 lbs. trailer through desert heat!

Cheers, Edouard 

[telriv]

Those clam shell Estate wagons had the towing capacity because they ALL HAD ONE TON LEAF SPRINGS FROM A PICKUP TRUCK IN THEM


Tom T.

[elagache]

Dear Tom and mid-60s Buick owners with road trip aspirations,

Those clam shell Estate wagons had the towing capacity because they ALL HAD ONE TON LEAF SPRINGS FROM A PICKUP TRUCK IN THEM

Tom do you (or anyone else for that matter) know what the 1971-76 Buick wagons were rated for towing?  Could they handle a class IV load?  I picked up the 1970 Buick towing guide and it still claims that all the full-sized Buick cars were nonetheless limited to class III.

Just curious . . .

Edouard