Tilt Wheel question

[65gs76limited]

I was doing some research and came across Option S7 (tilt wheel) which is required with B9(ST 300 automatic trans).It says that B9 is part of the performance group.I've seen a lot of automatic GS' over the years and very few had a tilt wheel.If the car has a ST 300 it should have a tilt and i know this is in correct.What am i not understanding here?                 Tom

[halfmoontrail]

Great question, I have a '65 GS convertible automatic, and some of the people on this site suggested that the "S" on my trim cowl tag indicated tilt column. My column is not tilt (wish it was), and appears original to the car.

Steve

[Mark Ascher]

Tom,

As I understand it, tilt was only available with the ST300, not with the manual trans cars.
So it's the reverse of your statement - if the car has tilt, it should have the ST300.
I've never seen a tilt 65 in person, but I know they were made.

Mark

[65gs76limited]

Mark,next time i'am at my storage building i'll take a few pictures of the one in a GS convertible.Thanks for the reply.I get it now.If you wanted a tilt wheel the auto was required.   Thanks. P.S. Wait till you guys see th condition of the steering wheel.

[wildcat65]

My 4-speed has a tilt column-
All the cars had some sort of floor shift,
I don't see why the 4-speed + tilt would
require anything different from ST300+ tilt??

[Mark Ascher]

I don't know enough to tell you 100% what was offered then. What the literature stated and what they actually built could be two different things.
I know Brian Stone's 4 speed car has tilt too, but he just parted an ST300 car with tilt.

Mark

[Loren At 65GS]

Mark, you never looked too closely at my GS .

I was told at one time, tilt column was not used in a manual car due to the launch ability of a manual car and the tilt could release it's position , causing the steering wheel to move down.
Just hear-say .
Over the years, I've met so many older Buick people [older then me,lol]. Wish I could remember the guys name I met at a BCA nats that was involved with the '65 campaign GS cars. He was very interesting to talk with. He explained that those cars had different cams  and carbs while they were being run for competition then were stock. When the cars were sold ,the stock parts were put back in.
Then there was the guy that designed the sport wheels. That is when I found out about the differences from year to year. He had a set of original "65 wheels that were never on a car. Wouldn't sell them either.

The list could go on

Loren

[65gs76limited]

Ted,does your 4-speed car have the S7 option on the cowl tag?

[Chris]

Loren,

Was the guys name Dennis?  I can't remember his last name but I think I know who you are talking about.  Our buddy John Egle would know if we could ever get him on the site.   ;D

As far as I know, there is not a letter in any of the groups that shows up for tilt steering.  I can go back through the registry info and see if there is a pattern with all the cars listed with a tilt.

To date, this is what I have for cowl tag codes:

First Group
E = Tinted glass (all windows)
O = Two tone paint
T = Might be power drivers seat ???
W = Tinted windshield
X = Power Windows

Second Group
B = Three speed trans
F = Consolette for 3 or 4 speed trans
G = Long auto console
K= Air conditioning
L = Four Speed
P = Back up lamps
R = Don't know (rear speaker) ??
X = St 300 auto trans

Third Group
B = Rear window defogger
H= Optional exterior trim (Deluxe trim / wide belt molding)

Fourth Group
F = Remote controlled outside driver's mirror
S = GS code?      Let's talk about this....   ;)

Fifth Group
K = Door edge guards
W= Deluxe seat belts with retractors

I'm currently working on a part of the website that will list this infomation and detail exactly how to read a cowl tag.

More to come...

[Loren At 65GS]

Chris,

  I honestly don't remember his name.  I talked with him at the '92 BCA nationals at Overland Park, KS. He was reminiscing about the time he was with Buick in '65 and involved with the GS's that were campaigned on the dragways. Very interesting conversation we had. Unfortunately, I was trying to prep my car for being judged in the show at the same time. I was a little distracted, to say the least.

 Funny thing , that same show was when John Egle and I first met.  I've come to learn that is what sparked him to finish his first GS.

Loren

[Chris]

John has told me about that chance meeting before and how much he respects you.

Now if we can just get John on this board!   ;D  (acutally I think he's working on it)

Dennis Manner was the person I was thinking of, but since it was KC and they had a plant there, I betcha is was someone different and probably a local person who working with Buick. 

I believe that Dennis was / is still a Flint fellow.

Chris

[Loren At 65GS]

Wish my memory was better about that experience. Unfortunately, tring to ready a car for a national judgeing takes alot of time and care . Time was short right then as I was also a judge in another class that day. Our car took a gold and also received a senior division award.

Loren

[nut465gs]

Guys,

Well, I'm on board as of today.  Just needed Chris to shove me in the right direction. Thanks.

Loren, at the 1992 BCA Nationals, you were more than generous with the time you spent with me.  You did inspire me to finish the restoration of my first GS that I've had since high school (1970).  I can never thank you enough for all the help and information.  No, I do not know who that other guy was that you made reference to.

I do have tilt wheels in both the white hardtop and the silver convertible that I'm currently restoring.  Both are automatics.  However, both were built in Fremont. CA and options codes are not stamped on Fremont built firewall trim tags.  Sorry, I can't help with the tilt wheel code.  Mark, were you too busy smoking the tires on the white hardtop to notice the tilt steering wheel?

John Egel (to clear up the confusion, it is pronounced "eagle")

[Mark Ascher]

Hey John!

What me, smoke the hides??!! Your right though, I never noticed the tilt in the White car!
Brian just parted a Fremont 65GS w/tilt. I couldn't talk him out of it though. It had the CA emissions air cleaner and hardware, which I am very grateful to be getting.

Mark

[Mark Ascher]

Funny thing , that same show was when John Egle and I first met.  I've come to learn that is what sparked him to finish his first GS.

Loren

Thats two you've corrupted now.

Mark