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A collection of before and after photos documenting the
changes that were done to Biquette as part of her
drivetrain upgrade and modernization. Clicking on any
photo in this section will open an online gallery with higher
resolution images.
Biquette's overall appearance - 2010 and 2019
Biquette in 2010 - front passenger side
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Biquette after Orinda Motors restored the car to safe
operating condition in 2010. The rally wheels and
tires were brand new but much smaller than her
current configuration. The paint was only 15
years old. The car was repainted in 1994, but the
color wasn't matched correctly. Note the black
aftermarket side view mirror and the small exhaust
pipe below the rear bumper.
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Biquette in 2019 - front passenger side
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Biquette in 2019. The paint is now the
factory correct Seafoam green. The side
view mirrors are a reproduction of the 1965
Buick mirrors. Behind the rear tire is the
chrome plated exhaust tip for the 2-1/2"
dual exhaust system.
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Biquette in 2010 - rear driver side
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Biquette in 2010. Note the old-fashioned hitch under
the license plate. It was the same hitch fitted
around 1970 to haul our first boat. If you look
closely, there is a dent in the tailgate to the right
the "Buick" logo and about 1/2 down toward the bumper.
It was caused by accidentally striking a light pole
while carrying a bike on a hitch-mounted carrier.
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Biquette in 2019 - rear driver side
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Biquette in 2019. The paint is new and the
dent in the tailgate is repaired. You can
see how wider the new tires are compared to
the 2010 tires. The old hitch has been
replaced by a modern class-IV hitch receiver
and is protected by a receiver cover in the
form of a scuba diver's flag.
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The engine bay - before and after
Original engine bay - passenger side
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Biquette's original 300 cid V-8 engine after its
second rebuild in 2001. Photograph was taken while
accident damage from November 2010 was being repaired.
Note the "Chevy blue" paint on the engine components.
The engine was repainted in this color in 1979.
While I did request otherwise, it was once again
painted "Chevy blue" for the second rebuild in 2001.
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Restored engine bay - passenger side
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Biquette's 445 cid big-block Buick V-8 in
2015. Note the large chrome-plated
compressor in between the valve covers and
the radiator. It is part of the Vintage Air
aftermarket air conditioning system that was
added as part of the "restomod".
Also note that the valve covers are once
more the original 1965 Buick factory color
nicknamed: "Nailhead green."
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Original engine bay - front
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Biquette's original 300 cid V-8 viewed from
the front while body repairs were
continuing. Note the steel cable in
the center of the picture. It was
used to lock down the hood to prevent
tampering while I lived in San Diego.
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Restored engine bay - front
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Biquette's 445 cid big-block Buick V-8 in 2015. Note
the "EZ-EFI" electronic fuel injection
"computer" (Engine Control Unit or ECU) in the upper
left corner of the engine bay.
This has since been replaced with a FAST Sportsman
electronic fuel injection system.
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Original engine bay - driver's side
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Biquette's original 300 cid V-8 engine after its
second rebuild in 2001. Note that the master brake
cylinder was added in 2010 as part of the safety
restoration. From the factory in 1965, Biquette
did not have power brakes and there was only one
reservoir of brake fluid.
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Restored engine bay - driver's side
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Biquette's 445 cid big-block Buick V-8 in 2015. Note
that the distributor has been since upgraded so that
the FAST Sportman could also electronically control
the ignition.
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The interior - before and after
The dash before restoration - passenger side
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Appearance of Biquette's front interior just before
the seats were reupholstered in the summer of 2010.
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The dash after restoration - passenger side
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Appearance of Biquette's front interior after the
restoration and addition of air conditioning. Note
the OEM 1965 outer air conditioning vent on the
right side of the dash.
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Instrument cluster before restoration - passenger side
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Appearance of Biquette's instrument cluster before
being restored and modernized. Note
the ruler in front of the steering column. The photo
was taken as part of the redesign of the space.
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Instrument cluster after restoration - passenger side
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Appearance of Biquette's instrument cluster after
being restored and updated. Note the chrome steering
column, gauges, and center air conditioning vents.
In the lower left of the picture you can see one of
the two kick-panels with speaker.
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Old Custom Autosound stereo
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The Custom Autosound stereo I install back in the mid
1990s. I modified it to use the original
1965 knobs, but otherwise it hardly resembled the
1965 AM radio. Note the original appearance of the
panel above the stereo where the center vents would
be installed.
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Modified Custom Autosound stereo and center A/C vents.
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The Custom Autosound stereo 630 stereo modified to
look like a 1965 Buick radio. This stereo was
designed to look much more like a vintage radio.
The modifications make it look like it could have
rolled off the assembly line in 1965. Note now the
center vents look perfectly correct and match the
round design of the OEM outer A/C vents.
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Original instrument cluster - driver's side
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The original 1965 instrument cluster and steering
wheel. Note the cracks in the steering wheel and
the metal surface where the driver's side outer A/C
vent will be fitted.
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Instrument cluster after restoration - driver's side
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The restored and upgraded instrument cluster. There
is no comprehensive way to restore a 1965 steering
wheel, so it has been replaced with an aftermarket
model. However, the horn button is from an early
1960s Buick Invicta and gives the wheel a
period-correct appearance. The steering column is
chrome-plated after-market model with the transmission
gear indicator on the column. That freed-up the space
for the tachometer. The outboard air
conditioning vent is a restored 1965 original.
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The original glove compartment box
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The glove compartment liners in 1965 were made of a
extra thick cardboard and were surprisingly durable.
Nonetheless, after many years they would degrade.
As can be seen in the photo, the shelf was especially
vulnerable. The cable in the photo is actually
connected to an iPod Classic resting on the shelf.
At the time, the iPod was connected via a third party
adapter that connected to the stereo and even charged
iPod.
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The replacement glove compartment box
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The aftermarket A/C evaporator assembly
takes much more space behind the dash than
was used in the 1965 factory configuration.
As a result a custom glove compartment liner
was fabricated. To recover as much space as
possible, the liner was fabricated out of
steel instead of cardboard. The cable in
this photo is for the microphone. The
Custom Autosound 630 can be used make
hand's free phone calls when connected
to a Bluetooth equipped smart phone.
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The cargo area before restoration
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The cargo area just before being restored by Armand's
Auto Upholstery in 2010. Even after some attempt to
repair this area in 1994, it shows the wear and
damage one would expect for a station wagon with
many years of service.
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The cargo area after restoration
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The cargo area after restoration. The side panels
have been reupholstered and the cargo area has new
carpeting.
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