Any big 1965 model GM car looks amazing in pale yellow, color code Y. Chevy called it Crocus Yellow, Pontiac called it Mayfair Maize, Oldsmobile called it Saffron Yellow, and Buick called it Bamboo Cream, which is the color seen on this gorgeous 1965 Electra 225 Sport Coupe (unless these sunset-bleached pictures are playing tricks). Some car fans chuckle at the “Sport Coupe” epithet, because a gigantic Buick hardtop from the mid-1960s is anything but our modern definition of the term, but it is indeed what Buick called it, so that’s what it is. It is also an “older restoration” that is “fully refreshed and…ready for its next owner.” Barn Finds’ Buick-finder T.J. saw it on craigslist in Woodbridge, Virginia, and with a price tag of $17,500, will you be the next owner it’s ready for?
The standard engine in the Electra might make a claim that the Sport Coupe moniker isn’t all that far out of line; after all, the torquey 325-horsepower 401 “Nailhead” was capable of accelerating a 4200-pound Buick with aplomb. The Super Turbine 400 automatic was standard, as were power steering and power brakes. The seller says that the engine was “refreshed” when the car was restored, and that it “[runs] and shifts great.” The engine is numbers matching, too, which is easy to spot on a Nailhead: the car’s VIN is stamped onto the front of the block in front of the valley pan. The carburetor has been replaced with a new Edelbrock four-barrel, a common swap for cars that were originally equipped with Carter AFBs such as this one. The Carter was a very good carburetor, but sometimes the original parts are simply worn out or corroded (especially at the exhaust crossover) and the Edelbrock is a “close enough” swap that is easily tuned to make it run better.
The interior is labeled as a nine-out-of-ten and is advertised as original. If so, this is an interesting case; it appears to be an Electra 225 Custom, which had a split bench with armrests in the middle and a “vinyl [interior] so soft and supple you’ll find it hard to distinguish from real leather.” The Custom Sport Coupe cost $4,179 compared to the “standard” Electra 225 Sport Coupe’s $3,999, and it outsold the standard car 9,570 to 6,302; this one, however, has no air conditioning and no power windows. The lack of air conditioning will limit its appeal to some, but as I’ve mentioned before, I’ll personally sweat a little and enjoy the simplicity of the engine compartment.
It does have a power rear antenna and one of the biggest trunks in the industry, if they are any consolation for the lack of power options. A digression: can you imagine how bad your day would be if you had to crawl all the way into that trunk to yank out that spare tire on a dark, rainy night? Or any night?
Regardless of those minor inconveniences, I’ll continue to beat the drum that there are few collector cars that are better than old Buicks. Sure, it will be hard to find a parking spot with its prodigious 224.1 inches of length, and you’ll be sweating in that Virginia traffic, but looking stylish in a pale yellow (ahem, Bamboo Cream) Electra will make it worth the effort.
Ha! I knew you would appreciate this car as soon as I saw it, Aaron! It is more common to see 4 door versions, of course, they made considerably more of them. The color is outstanding, in my opinion, and I could get by without air conditioning. My parents never had a car with air conditioning when I was growing up, so no big deal for me – you just put the windows down, head out on the highway and step on the gas!
I rarely turn down a ’50s or ’60s Buick on the tip list. :)
“Wouldn’t you really rather have a Buick, a Buick, ’65 Buick,,wouldn’t you really rather have a Buick,,,than any other car this year”,,,
You can thank the lovely Linda November for that, Howard. Have you seen the You Tube video?
Hi Bob, yes I have. I remember that ad originally in 1965 watching the Packer game. One of the 1st in color, I think. She was also known for other ad jingles, including Meow Mix, Burger King, Chicken of the Sea, Doublemint gum, and many others, almost 22,000! It was well known GM gave Dinah Shore a new Chevy every year, but it’s not clear if GM ever gave Ms. November a new Buick, even though she helped sell a bunch. She’s still around at 81, and still singing.
My first car was a 1965 Buick Electra 225. Exactly this color. but a four door. No AC or power windows. I always joked about holding Friday Night poker in the trunk.
Lack of AC not a problem here. Install from the company “Vintage Air” I have on 2 restorations, and it works better than trying to maintain that antique contraption. Also roll down windows would be a treat. “One less thing to go wrong” as most of our dads always said. This is a beautiful 2 door land yacht and will ride like a cloud. Just don’t count on getting those up-close parking spaces at the grocery store. This baby needs its own room, way out there!
Buick ruined the dash that year. Beautiful car on the outside but the dash is gone!!! Our 64 had those two huge pods, they made a Buick what it was!
Even the Riveria had them until 66.
I meant to say when the pods were up high and that silver dash was there. I still do like that those giant pods are there but it is gone in comparison just turning into another GM car.
The 64 we had was a 2 door also and it was a beautiful car.
Not to mention a 50 yd turning radius.
Since I already own a ’70 Charger, if I was going to spend $17.5k, I’d buy this instead, source a set of Buick Road wheels and cruise this delectable mid sixties creampuff! GLWTS!! :-)
I love these Electras mid 60s through about 72. This model looks like two different cars. To me, the back half looks like the height of modern styling for the time, and oh so cutting edge cool. The front – ehhh…..a little more “dated.” But all in all, a very cool car.
man, what a nice clean duce and a 2dr. always 4drs. love the colors. set of Buick Road wheels and dual and you’re done. could not buy it and restore for the asking price
How about that? I was just talking to a customer about a customer I had many years ago with the near twin to this one. And speak of the devil! Anyways there was this old widower in the home town that had the 225. He never allowed it to warm up; he just started it and drove it to the local grain elevator (he was an agent for the wheat pool), then started it and drove home. After several thousand miles the car was stoved up solid.
He had it towed to our shop.
Well, there was new invention called KLEENS. It was definitely the laxative for cars; like, it “Cleaned Like a White Tornado!”
I got the guy’s car situated in an area where I could make a quick getaway with my foot to the floor. Engine hot, I removed the air cleaner then trickled the can of KLEENS into the carb, taking care not to let it stall or hydraulic the engine. The last few drops I let the throttle close off and stall the engine.
Gave it a good half hour then got in, started it up, put it in gear, and drove off like I stole it. It detonated and shook at 45 mph and didn’t want to go any faster. The temp light started to flicker but I held it to the lumber. With smoke billowing out the tailpipes it started to pick up speed, the detonation stopped and the car eventually topped the 100 mark.
About five miles up the road, I turned around and headed back to the shop, again with my foot buried in the carpet.
That old Nailhead ran like a sewing machine. Drained the oil (which was blacker than Tobey’s backside), tuned it up and it was ready (for another ten years of cold starts and stops, and idling back and forth to the elevator).
Skuttlebutt says that the car now belongs to the guy’s grandson somewhere down the left coast. I hope he keeps it hot and cleans the carbon out…
Yeah those older cars needed you to “feed it the onions”or “give it the beans”, “ blow out the cobwebs” from time to time. I have the vision of the black smoke blowing out the tailpipe. Bring it back home and no more rough idle or lack of pep. I’m ok now, I’m back in 2026. I was in the 60’s for a moment. Wow
Every time I say on here that GM had some of the most handsome cars in the 60’s……
Well…………
Here you go……….
Can’t add anything positive here that wasn’t already said ( or typed rather). Just absolutely beautiful.
This is a super nice deuce and a quarter. Not very far away from me either. I really have to exercise restraint here. So here goes. I would have to do some storage cabinet removal to fit in my garage. The ‘52 Plymouth will have to head outside under a car cover. The wife will kick some sand about why I need another vehicle. There, talked myself out of it. GLWTS.
Don’t do it. I have 3 cars myself and my wife has hers. So 4 cars 2 drivers. I don’t dare consider buying another car. If I did, I’d have to sleep with one eye open !!!
I bought a ’65 Electra from a Professor at the UofI in Champaign,Il. It was a 4 door hardtop. He had purchased it for trips to Florida and it had a factory 425 with 2 four barrels and finned aluminum valve covers. I wish I would have kept it just because of the engine. It ran and drove great but sometimes we have to sell one thing to afford the next toy
Had a friend Jimmy in high school whose father had one of these, but a 4-door. He used to drive it and would say ‘I have to be super careful. This is a SIX THOUSAND DOLLAR CAR!’. You could get a Ford Galaxie for less than half of that. We thought ‘yeah, Jimmy, you better be super careful’. Sounded like a king’s ransom to us, which of course it was at that time. Equivalent to over $60,000 today.
The valve were not the only thing aluminum, the tappets were aluminum with a steel insert. I started hearing this ticking noise and noticed reduced power. I isolated to one side. I took off the valve cover and got a nasty surprise. One of the tips had broken off. I proceeded to do a top end rebuild, cams, lifters (they were hydraulic) and had the heads redone. I put it all back together, hoping I got everything right. I did, boy howdy, I did. It was spectacular. I had that car another three years and it was working flawlessly when I traded it in on my next car, but that is a whole other story. (I traded it in on a Toyota Celica)
Jeff, some of my neighbors think that we are running a used vehicle lot. Twenty feet of Buick would certainly add to the rumor.
Your neighbors need to learn to appreciate the old classics . And those big Buicks take up some space. Yeah, many folks think more than 2 cars is too many.