Highlights
There's an old saying among hot-rodders and customizers that warns, “It is just as easy to insult the subject vehicle as it is to compliment it.” We've all seen certain custom cars that suffered at the hands of their makers instead of benefiting from their efforts. You know the drill. Garish neon colors combined with poorly executed flames. Mile-high hood scoops covering tame engines drenched in chromed gadgets. Geometric graphics randomly applied to bodies without regard for the shapes pressed into the sheet metal below. When it all goes wrong, the result is obvious.
The 1962-Buick-Special now known as Bu`Wicked shows that savvy customizers know they can gain a head start to a successful outcome by starting with a popular model. In the world of Buick, classics like the Riviera and Skylark GS455 often form the basis for the more desirable customs and hot rods. But in the case of Buick enthusiasts the selection of a 1962 Buick Special just seems a bit awkward. Even though Motor Trend magazine awarded its coveted Car of the Year trophy to the 1962 Buick Special, in the years since, car enthusiasts of all stripes have only been lukewarm to the model.
For 40 years, this car lived its life as a bone stock, all-original 1962 Buick Special. When it was acquired by Ted and Sue Richardson in 2002, everything changed. Ted partnered with Ryan Butler of Hot Rod Fabrication in Auburn, WA, to bring to life his vision of what would become the first of its kind in the custom world. The goals were simple: build a sleek and drivable car with an awesome power plant and stance to compete for the 2003 Street Machine of the Year. They wanted to do this while maintaining the overall look and feel of the original car, yet build it to drive and handle like a true high-performance machine.
The build started in September 2002, and by June 2003, Bu'Wicked was ready to revolutionize the custom car world. At the heart of Bu'Wicked is a Pro-Charged, fuel-injected 455 Buick big block putting 555hp to the rear wheels through a Richmond 6-speed manual transmission. The car sits on a custom Art Morrison Chassis, suspended with a custom coilover suspension. It rolls on 17” Budnik Arrowhead wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot sport tires, all brought to a stop by Baer Pro 13.5” rotors with Baer Alcon 4-piston calipers.
Under the hood, the Richardson's elected to combine Buick heritage and modern technology. Though a turbocharged V6 crossed their minds – it was decided that the rumble of a massive V8 was the only way to go. But to keep Bu'Wicked all Buick, the usual Chevy swap was skipped in favor of a true Buick 455 short block. Topped with a set of T/A Performance aluminum Stage II Street Eliminator heads and forged J&E pistons delivering 8.5:1 compression, the squeeze is just right to live a long, healthy life with a belt-driven ProCharger supercharger making 8 pounds of boost. Ryan Butler fabricated the custom intake manifold, blower plumbing, headers and exhaust system.
Controlled by an Accel/DFI computer, 1,000cfm throttle body and 55-pound injectors, this hydraulic roller-cammed thumper makes 700 horsepower and 750 ft/lbs of torque. In true Pro-Touring/G-Machine fashion, where an undercurrent of SCCA road race functionality trumps Pro Fairgrounds fluff, a Richmond 6-speed stick with double overdrive ensures a complete driver-car connection. Bullet Custom Engines of Medford, Oregon, put it all together and, while the car has never been to the drag strip, the 700 horsepower and 3,400-pound weight should deliver mid-10 second passes – with proper drag slicks.
The interior features Fiero bucket seats up front with a custom-made rear seat and full roll cage. The door panels were custom-made to match the lines of the front fenders of the car, with everything upholstered in hand-stitched green leather to match the two-tone paint scheme.
After making its debut, Bu'Wicked went on to be a top-five finalist for Goodguys 2003 Street Machine of the Year. Since then, the car was on the cover of Custom Rodder in the January 2004 issue, was featured in the December 2003 issue of Popular Hot Rodding and was profiled by Popular Hot Rodding in their March 2004 issue. In addition to the magazine articles, the car has been immortalized in videogame history as a playable car for all to drive in Sony's “Gran Turismo 4,” released in December 2004.
Precious Metal Classic Car Sales is proud to offer one of the most famous custom cars of the modern era! If you'd like to learn more about this amazing car, call or text Tris at 574-276-1326. If email is your preference, you can contact us at [email protected].
