Backup light delete plates???? - whata' da' big idear????

[elagache]

Dear mid-60s Buick owners who are also parts hounds,

Brian has an unusual item for sale on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1964-1965-buick-skylark-GS-Special-reverse-light-Deletes-back-UP-deletes/202395322518

Okay, I'll admit my naivety.  So what is the big idea behind removing your backup lights? . . . . 

Signed definitely puzzled, . . . . . Edouard 

[TrunkMonkey]

They were not a requirement, and like other "options", in the day and people being frugal, the "deletes" were a big deal to a lot of folks.

Austere was not seen as a bad thing, but excess and "loading a car" were seen by some as indulgence and extravagance and showed one lacked self control.

(My grandparents, born at the turn of the century, had a large influence in my upbringing.)

[Nailhead]

Which was more common, backup lamp delete or radio delete?

[TrunkMonkey]

Most likely, radio.

The radio was about $50-70 dollars depending on the features.

Revers lights about $10.

Figure about 10x dollar amount for inflation. $500-$700 was a pocket full of clams.

[gssizzler]

Would say the backup light delete is more common same for both years 64-65 ! But the rarest delete is the heater delete! Or a car that had the fire wall cut for A/C and had block off  plates! With no A/C!

[dsags]

Would say the backup light delete is more common same for both years 64-65 ! But the rarest delete is the heater delete! Or a car that had the fire wall cut for A/C and had block off  plates! With no A/C!

We have at least one of the latter variety in our group.

Dan

[Brian]

Backup lights and Radio were not always a delete.  On a base model special, those were both options, as were alot of other items you would expect to be standard equipment on a skylark like 2-speed wipers with washer for example.  The 65 Special 4-dr I used to have came from the factory with V6 engine, 3-speed manual on column, manual steering, manual brakes, single speed wipers, and no backup lights.  That was all standard equipment on a Special.  Only three options on the car were AM radio, remote drivers side mirror, and the day/night rear view mirror.  The mirrors were most likely added at the dealer. 

[Mark Ascher]

Would say the backup light delete is more common same for both years 64-65 ! But the rarest delete is the heater delete! Or a car that had the fire wall cut for A/C and had block off  plates! With no A/C!

We have at least one of the latter variety in our group.

Dan

The white car?

Mark

[dsags]

White with red interior.

Dan

[elagache]

Dear Michael, Nailhead, Dan, Brian, Mark, and mid-60s Buick owners with a taste for history,

They were not a requirement, and like other "options", in the day and people being frugal, the "deletes" were a big deal to a lot of folks.

Well silly me I had assumed backup lights would have been required by 1964.  However I found this Chicago Tribune newspaper article on automotive history with some surprising dates:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1996-06-16/travel/9606160396_1_four-wheel-drive-first-auto-cadillac

According to the article the first backup lights show up in 1922.  However they don't become standard until . . . . . 1996!!

Certainly not what I expected! 

Cheers, Edouard 

[superlark]

Edouard,

It appears that it was a typo, and that they meant 1966?

John

[elagache]

Dear John and mid-60s Buick owners should be careful with information!

It appears that it was a typo, and that they meant 1966?

Oops!  That certainly is a typo, but I didn't help myself in my haste!  Since there was a lot of information in that article and I was (as usual) short on time, I just did a search for the word 'backup.'  I didn't take the time to look at the context so all I saw was the date of 1996 and I dutifully copied that.  Definitely a case were haste did make waste!

Thanks for the correction!

Cheers, Edouard

[TrunkMonkey]

Why didn't you just back up and delete it...  You had the option.

[option B9]

       Hi  Special & Skylark owners (Edouard)
 My 65 Special does have those factory reverse light delete plates. I picked up a good set of reverse lights in AZ in 2004, but then decided to keep my delete plates. It makes the Buick kind of unique. The Special was also a radio delete from the factory.  First owner had a change of heart and had the Dealership install a Motorola (not a Buick) AM Radio and Antenna.
    . The Motorola radio stopped working in 2016 while on the trip to the Show in Macungie PA. Finally last year i installed a correct Buick radio in the dash, looks so much better than the Motorola. This 1965 Buick Special was purchased by my Grandfather in the Spring of 1966 and has been in our family ever since....   

                                             Tony

[elagache]

Dear Michael, Tony, and mid-60s Buick owners with an interest in history,

My 65 Special does have those factory reverse light delete plates. I picked up a good set of reverse lights in AZ in 2004, but then decided to keep my delete plates. It makes the Buick kind of unique.

As long as you don't need the backup lights it is extremely unique.  It is the last year you could get a car without backup lights.  That's Special!  (pun intended!  )

The Special was also a radio delete from the factory.  First owner had a change of heart and had the Dealership install a Motorola (not a Buick) AM Radio and Antenna.

So your Grandfather picked up this car after only a year.  We weren't so lucky.  We didn't get our wagon until she was 2-1/2 years old.  Do you have any pictures of the aftermarket Motorola radio?  Of course it won't look as good as an OEM Buick radio, but it is still a bit of history from the day when cars didn't always come with a radio.

    . The Motorola radio stopped working in 2016 while on the trip to the Show in Macungie PA. Finally last year i installed a correct Buick radio in the dash, looks so much better than the Motorola. This 1965 Buick Special was purchased by my Grandfather in the Spring of 1966 and has been in our family ever since....   

You know I'm a big fan of any Buick that has been part of the family for a long time!    . . . Still, I don't get it.  So how does that Buick radio pick up Bluetooth? . . .

Cheers, Edouard