Buick "Free Spirit" Indy 500 Pace Car Replicas

Submitted by Rich Menga

Many moons ago I asked my father what car he missed the most out of all he’s ever owned. While not particularly a car guy, he did own some pretty decent rides of the day (including a late 1960s Pontiac Firebird, an early 1970s Dodge Challenger, and an early 1970s Oldsmobile Cutlass S to name a few). He thought about the question for a moment, then looked at me and said …

“The pace car.“

I was 15 years old at the time I heard that answer.

I replied, “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

The Pace Car was a 1975 Buick “Free Spirit” Century Custom Series Indianapolis 500 Pace Car replica. Pop and I never referred to it as The Buick or The Century. It was always The Pace Car.

I thought to myself, “Okay, how hard could it be to find this car?” Let’s just say it took me seventeen years to find one. More on that later.

In my research of any and all Buicks labeled as “Free Spirit” cars, I discovered there were three of them, those being the ‘75 Century Custom, the ‘76 Century (also an Indy 500 pace car) and the ‘76 Skyhawk (not a pace car). These rides all had ginormous graphics on them.

The ‘75 Century pace car replica (pictured above) is a rolling American flag. It brazenly displayed its red and blue placards (yes, placards, not decals) along with the hawk image seen on its hood and front quarter. And trust me, there was no way you could mistake this for anything but a Buick, especially considering there was a giant “BUICK” on the top of the nose and the rear quarter and the trunk lid. (And you thought the Pontiac “screaming chicken” Trans Am hood image was huge.. ha! These graphics covered the whole car.)

Buick continued with the big-ass graphics in ‘76 with the Century pace car (above). This time around they ditched the red/white/blue and went with silver/orange/black (note that the wheels are also orange). However it should be noted that the consumer version of the Indy 500 ‘76 doesn’t look like the actual pace car. The hood bulge isn’t there, nor are the big “BUICK V6″ hood graphics. The bumper is not painted, and a large portion of the front quarter graphics are absent. I’m sure that ticked off a few people back then.

Each of the cars are outfitted with Hurst Hatches, known to many as “T-Tops.” In the 1970s General Motors announced very loudly, “We're not making convertibles anymore”. So to provide an open-air solution, Hurst made manual removable panels--and thus the Hurst Hatch was born. So if you were ever wondering why “T-Tops” existed in the first place, it was due largely to GM’s anti-convertible point of view at the time.

As any owner of a 1970s (or early '80s) car with Hurst Hatches is aware, they creak, leak, rattle, shimmy, shake and rarely keep a good fit. In fact, there was a recall on them the year the ‘75 Century was released to market due to such issues. With the hatches it wasn’t a matter of if they would develop problems but when. If Hurst Hatches were made with today’s tech, I’m sure they would hold their fit much better as the materials and manufacturing process today obliterate what was available in the mid-1970s.

The performance of each of these cars is not what anyone would call stellar. The ‘75 was outfitted with a Buick 350 fed by a 4-barrel carburetor, which was arguably the best of the 350s--and yes there is a difference between a Chevrolet 350 and a Buick 350. Still, however, it was barely adequate to pull along the eighteen-foot-long patriotic hauler. The actual pace car had a 455 under the long hood, but this never made its way to the consumer replica version.

The actual ‘76 Century pace car had a turbocharged V-6 (and was the first V-6-powered car ever to pace the Indy 500), but this didn’t make its way into the consumer version either. The driver was left with a rather weak application at the end of it all. Granted, the V-6 engine it had was nice, but the engine simply didn’t do the car justice--especially considering the car looked like it could melt pavement wherever it went.

Free Spirit Buicks are arguably the most “un-Buick” cars ever put to market. They looked fast but didn’t go fast. They all sat on dealer lots for months on end back when they were new. Nobody wanted them and happily bought LeSabres, Electras, Apollos and Rivieras instead. These cars were cast aside without a second thought. In fact, Free Spirit cars were so unloved that dealers purposely removed the graphics on many and sold them as regular coupes just to get them off the lots.

This was the fate of any Buick Free Spirit car.

Fast-forward to present.

After 17 years, I finally found a ‘75 Free Spirit Century. It’s sitting in my father’s garage right now. She’s a bit beat up, needs some mechanical treatment and has to have her stripes put back on as well as a whole host of other to-dos (mostly cosmetic), but yeah, I got one.

I was fortunate enough to acquire one in an unmodified state (i.e. original block, original transmission, etc.). It’s an unfortunate truth that many owners over the years “enhanced” their cars with different non-original transmissions and engines which completely destroys any collector value, so I was lucky to acquire one that hadn’t been screwed with. I have “matching numbers,” as they say. And yes, it counts. A pace car deserves no less.

After I acquired The Pace Car I launched BuickFreeSpirit.com because Free Spirit Buicks had almost no presence on the Internet. Shortly after that I started getting e-mails from people thanking me for putting the site up. I also got emails from several Free Spirit owners as well and other Buick collectors. I was even contacted by the graphics shop in Michigan that originally put the stripes on the car back in ‘75!

For those that would lambaste the Free Spirit cars, yes, I can understand why you would. They’re big; they’re garish. Some might even call them ugly. They have 1970s cheese written all over them. They’re a mash-up of steel, weak engines, rattle-top hatched roofs, vinyl, plastic and naugahyde. However if there’s one thing proven from all the Buick love I’ve received since putting up that little web site, it’s that people were dying to find out what happened to this car. It wasn’t forgotten--not in the slightest.

I’ll put it to you this way: It’s an extreme rarity when Buick lets a flashy car out of the barn because that’s not their focus. But when they do, oh yes, they make a splash and then some. The Free Spirit cars are the most flashiest Buick ever produced. Nothing they’ve made before or since says “LOOK AT ME” more than the Indy 500 pace car replicas.

But that’s not the reason I like the car so much.

This is why:

The Pace Car was my father’s car. He is seen above, in 1975 (the year I was born), in all his '70s-styled plaid-pants glory.

Stylin’, to be sure.

I had to get the car back for him. No question. This is one of those father/son things that can’t be described. Most sons always want to get back that car that their fathers owned. In my case, that car was The Pace Car.

I asked Pop later on why he even bought one to begin with.

His reply was that when he first saw it at the ‘75 Indy 500, he said, “I’ve got to have that car.” Shortly after that he bought it for $7,200 in Massachusetts. Bear in mind the price for a standard Century was a tick over $4,100 back then. But when a guy wants a car bad enough, it’s worth the extra cash to get it. And it was worth the wait to get it back.

--Rich Menga
Menga.net
Buick Free Spirit.com

Comments

[...m... on January 28, 2009 at 03:46 AM]

...wow!..

...great story of an epic trek into obscurity; it's fascinating how the most garish/lackluster/disposable cars of their latter days transmute into the most precious objects of lust with age, and i say that with utmost respect...i've recently been digging around affectionately for some of the 'god-awful' contemporaneous cars of my youth, and they're *far* more rare than any given exotic collectable, let alone in well-kept form...

...i had no idea that the nighthawk graphic was in use throughout buick's lineup...

...you're absolutely right about leaking t-tops, but my first eighty-one mercury capri instilled an irrational love for the form factor that i'll never outgrow...at least the interior of my lotus is designed to withstand the occasional droplets which find their way around its targa, but the perennial mildew smell in my twenty-five year younger capri was a permanent fixture of gulf coast storm living with which i learned to accept with a grin and a shrug - and maybe a bit more rust than i'd have preferred...

[Cookie the Dog's Owner on January 28, 2009 at 04:08 AM]

'I had to get the car back for him. No question. This is one of those father/son things that can’t be described.'

I understand completely. Well done, sir.

[Rob the SVX guy on January 28, 2009 at 06:02 AM]

I understand keeping things original to maintain the value, but NOT if the original car was underpowered and choked with emissions crap. I'd consider keeping the original engine on a stand, and get something more fun. Having a car that is all bark and no bite is kind of a drag.

[Rich Menga on January 28, 2009 at 06:55 AM]

@Rob the SVX guy - You're correct, many cars of the mid-70s were choked with a bunch of emissions crap, no question. As I tell anyone who asks, the car is a cruiser and not a racer. She's meant for show. So even though she's weak, that's fine. It's the look of the car that matters more than the performance (or lack thereof).

[Chris Hafner on January 28, 2009 at 07:58 AM]

"For those that would lambaste the Free Spirit cars, yes, I can understand why you would. They’re big; they’re garish. Some might even call them ugly. They have 1970s cheese written all over them. They’re a mash-up of steel, weak engines, rattle-top hatched roofs, vinyl, plastic and naugahyde. However if there’s one thing proven from all the Buick love I’ve received since putting up that little web site, it’s that people were dying to find out what happened to this car. It wasn’t forgotten--not in the slightest."

Beautiful. Thanks for sharing, Rich - these are (with no irony) beautiful cars.

[That Car Guy on January 28, 2009 at 08:49 AM]

VERY nice story, Rich. I really like the way the vintage photo has round corners... a nice touch! I tested a Reatta convertible (The 3rd one made) on the TV show way back - occasionally Buick does make something a young person lusts after!

[Rich Menga on January 28, 2009 at 09:46 AM]

@Chris Hafner - Yeah, I think they're quite the lookers if I do say so myself. :-)

@That Car Guy - Good spot on the rounded photo corners. The original photo did actually have those so I purposely put them on there. And yes, the Reatta is another car on my to-do list. Lots of "digi-everything" in that car (which I dig a lot actually), gorgeous design.

[That Car Guy on January 28, 2009 at 10:06 AM]

Rich, I firmly believe the car we tested was the same one used in the "California Raisins" commercial back around 1990. We had a hand-built one, it was $37,000 back then, blue, and had a manual top. The first line I wrote for the review went something like: "Until now, there haven't been many Buicks that Junior would beg the keys from Dad for..." From the "Road Test Magazine" TV show.

[Scott on January 28, 2009 at 10:11 AM]

It's hard to believe anything could be too garish in the '70s, but it looks like these were for some people. I love them, and although the '75 and '76 are so different, I couldn't choose one over the other.
I've already been to your site. I surfed in from here: http://www.beforeblack.net/ Lots of great stories on both

[Anthony Cagle on January 28, 2009 at 01:03 PM]

"these are (with no irony) beautiful cars."

As you know, I heartily agree. =) (Well, the '75 anyway, the other one, eh)

Even though I loathed my '75 Century with the fire of a thousand suns (and that's an understatement!), I still love the way those coupes look. I'd still be tempted to replace the engine. . .or most likely modify it a lot. But maybe not. It's something I go back and forth on. Maybe modify it just enough that you can still drive into a headwind at speed.

[Rich Menga on January 28, 2009 at 01:04 PM]

@Scott - I actually link to Before Black on BuickFreeSpirit.com in reference to the 1981 Buick Pace car (http://www.beforeblack.net/81pace.htm) because of the fact it had both removable panels *and* a convertible top behind the 8-inch roll bar. Odd design for sure, but it works - and it looks really cool. :-)

[Mark Benenson on January 28, 2009 at 04:45 PM]

The original Century, I think in 1936 or 37, featured Buick's biggest engine, a 320 c.i. straight eight, in the smallest body. It was arguably capable of 100mph. The last such Century, in 1941 or 42, had double carburetors, 165hp, and would inarguably break 100. It is a shame that Buick dropped the performance part of this icon after WWII. GM kept the name but lost the charisma.

[Christian on January 28, 2009 at 05:09 PM]

If it's any comfort to you I have a 2002 Z28 with T-tops and they work great.

[That Car Guy on January 28, 2009 at 05:34 PM]

I hear the softer you keep the weatherstripping on the T-Tops, the better they work. Wanna know my all-time fave rubber and vinyl preservative? (Drum roll here, please...) ---> Lemon Pledge! <--- :)

[buzzricksons on January 28, 2009 at 07:17 PM]

That was a very touching story. Thanks for sharing it!

I'm partial to that '76: there's something about the mid-70's that has "orange/brown/black" written all over it. That color combo from back then is like an old friend, especially with that uber-70's "The Waltons" style typeface on the car's graphics.

Thanks for sharing such a nice part of your family life with us.

[Hucbald on January 28, 2009 at 08:09 PM]

ROTFL!

Ah, the memories. I graduated from high school in 1976 - THE BICENTENNIAL YEAR! - and remember those days as a freer, more innocent era... if a bit on the weird and tacky side. Strangely, at the time, we all looked back on the 1950's as the freer, more innocent era.

For the record, I drove a Chrome Yellow 1974 Fiat X 1/9 back then. Still my favorite vehicle of all time, though I've had several BMW motorcycles (Still have one) in the intervening years, and I do love my current RAM 1500 Quad Cab 4x4 Sport. That X 1/9 was a blast on curvy roads and chicks LOVED IT!

[...m... on January 28, 2009 at 08:13 PM]

...ah, but the seventy-five is sporting colors of full evel knievel glory!..i have to say that the seventy-six just doesn't do it for me in the same way, especially with its half-hearted attempt at cosmetic replication...

...i'm still floored that you managed to find one, rich - that's just epic coolness...

[Pete on January 28, 2009 at 10:31 PM]

What a blast from the past!

Are you ready to do a feature on the 1973 Olds Cutlass Sport? Mine was the first car I ever owned; it had a "Rocket" 350 with 4-barrel carb, bench vinyl seats, and was gold with a brown vinyl roof. GM liked vinyl in those days!

That car saved my life when I wrecked, rear-ending a big flatbed truck in the rain one morning on the way to school. Typical rookie driver's mistake, I was following too closely. I was doing a pretty good clip when I hit that guy, but all that good American steel in front of me did its job. I wasn't hurt.

I wish I'd held onto it. That 350 ran like a top, and the TH350 tranny was bullet-proof, too. The car rusted a bit, but nothing some fiberglass and paint wouldn't fix. It was easy to work on, just needed some basic tools, a dwell meter and timing light, and a few other odds-and-ends, and you were good to go. The only time it gave me trouble was when it was foggy, sometimes it didn't start too well.

Just AM radio stock, but I hung an aftermarket casette player under the dash and played music that way.

That car had an actual spare tire, too, not some pint-sized doughnut like they do now. And what a big trunk and back seat, too.

Didn't corner or handle all that well, but rode smoothly on the highway, and accelerated quite well. And nothing beat the sound of that big V-8 rumbling away...

I've since regretted not owning a 4-4-2, especially a 1971 or 1972 hardtop, but maybe I will one day. The Sports are unappreciated gems, though... and if you don't mind turning a wrench, they can be modded to be quite impressive beasts.

[That Car Guy on January 28, 2009 at 11:11 PM]

Pete, those are some of the best cars GM ever made! My sister had a '73 very similar to what you describe. The Cutlass, Monte Carlo, Malibu, Regal, LeMans, and others all used that body... it was mid-sized then, but they are huge now!

I sympathize with you about the radio. But at least it was a standard size, and JP Penney had some good ones to stuff in there! I just hope you cut out the rear speakers instead of surface mounting them! Ha! The memories!

[Dave on January 29, 2009 at 06:57 AM]

Wow. It has been a while since I've seen the likes of one of these. I owned the 1975 Regal version of it. I think I paid $750 for it 1985. After replacing the rear end with a better ratioed posi, and putting in a better carb, it brought out more of the potential of the 350. Of course, I blew the tranny shortly there after, but it was worth it. The next junk tranny (paid $50 for) lasted for the life of the car. I drove it till around 1991. Fond memories.

[Duke DeLand on January 29, 2009 at 07:13 AM]

Is it just me, or does the white car w/all those graphics resemble just a bit an on-the-road ad for the U. S. Postal Service?

[John B on January 29, 2009 at 09:09 AM]

I always liked the look of the early (73?...small bumpers) Cutlasses and Buicks of that 2-door body style.
They would be even neater with the T-Tops.

As usual with GM cars of that period, the longer they stayed around the uglier/more garish they got.
Still I applaud Buick for trying to expand its customer base to those below retirement age.

[Rich Menga on January 29, 2009 at 09:46 AM]

@Duke DeLand - No, I will not convert my '75 Free Spirit to right-hand drive nor will I put a "This vehicle stops at all railroad crossings" sticker on the back. :-)

[salguod on February 07, 2009 at 07:49 PM]

I always loved those 70's GM intermediates. Dad did too, and when the downsizing was at hand, he bought a '77 Cutlass Supreme. Mandarin Orange Metallic with the Light Buckskin trim (Landau top, pinstripes & moldings) with the Olds 350 4 bbl. I learned to drive in that car. I often wished it had the T-tops.

I very nearly bought a '75 Hurst Olds with the Hurst Hatch, but it was a real project and I was headed to college. The leaky tops had trashed the interior and the roof was cracked halfway across between the panels. I still wonder if I made the right decision to pass on that one.

I saw a real nice '75 Free Spirit at last year's Arthritis foundation car show here in Columbus. Check it out in my photo gallery here:

http://www.salguod.net/gallery/arthritis-foundation-2008/gallery/1975_buick_century.php

and a picture of the Hurst Hatch logo here:

http://www.salguod.net/gallery/arthritis-foundation-2008/gallery/1975_buick_century_hursthatch.php

After lusting after T-top cars throughout my childhood, I finally got a car with them in the form of an '88 Nissan Pulsar NX SE. They were steel, not glass, which was a bummer, but when ever the temp was over about 50, they were off in the trunk anyway.

[stanczyk on February 10, 2009 at 12:15 PM]

I've weakness for cars that replaced Muscle cars in image department- personal luxury Monte Calrols, Eldorados,..etc..
T-tops were cool,...
I belive GM was a KING in this cathegory

best personal luxury of all time?:
I would mention:
Riviera boattail and rivieras from 90-ties, Monte SS from 80-ties,
Lincolns from 60 and 70-ties, and last generation was also nice..

I missed them ,
why they stop with Poesonal luxury segment..

I belive there's place on the market for this cars:
Eldorado based od CTS (Sixteen concept, or XXL XLR..), Monte Calro SS..etc..
Riviera is gone...is chinesse brand now :)
maybe Lincoln..?

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