One Great Looking Sedan: Oldsmobile’s 1961 F-85 Deluxe “Senior Compact” (and Cutlass)

[@Doc1855]

Beautiful example of the F-85

[@chrissunde1104]

Always nice to listen to Mark's aesthetic explanations. Very interesting distinctive style.

[@giggiddy]

Yes. His unique choice of words describes these cars and designes so perfectly. My vocabulary just doesn't work like his. Always a pleasure to see Marc.

[@clevejason]

The gentleman speaking in this video has so much knowledge thank you for having him on your channel to document it

[@929cbr_rr]

One of my brothers had one that he bought used in '63. I always liked the style of it. You guys chose the perfect period correct building to park that in front of.

[@RareClassicCars]

Yes. That was Marc’s selection

[@clevelandmaker386]

@@RareClassicCars as a black man from the south...I love this style... especially the Cutlass... cause....the South...where the Cutlass and the Caprice are law

[@blautens]

Nothing better than you two talking about styling in front of a beautiful rare specimen.

[@stevenolson8504]

Growing up we had a 62 f85 three seat wagon. It was the family’s primary car for several years. By the time the car was replaced several of us kids were starting to drive so my parents kept it as a kids car. The trans finally went out at around 90,000 miles. Dad had it rebuilt but is was never right after that. We also had a 63 Buick skylark as a kids car with the Buick version of the 215. I liked the styling of the 63’s better the the 61 or 62’s. The primary problem we had with the engines on these two was when the temps were below zero they wouldn’t strart without plugging them in. Living in northern Minnesota below zero was encountered every winter. Thanks for bringing back memories.

[@christopherkraft1327]

I've always liked these little Oldsmobiles!!! 👍👍🙂

[@giggiddy]

Marc has a very relaxing and elegant vocabulary. He must be quite a gifted designer as he not only has an eye for design but he can fully articulate every nuance of said design. Very impressive

[@winthropthurlow3020]

Another great video. From a styling standpoint, GM's senior compacts did a terrific job of taking the styling cues from their full sized siblings and shrinking them down without making them look oddly proportioned. I think the first generation Corvair deserves a lot of the credit for the basic shape. That pronounced horizontal character crease running along the top of the fenders is straight from the Corvair. It accentuates the openness of the greenhouse and gives the car an illusion of size.

[@bretfisher7286]

Good observation. I agree. And I also have always been impressed by the early Corvair styling. It was quite unique and very effective.

[@nicengel9004]

I had one of these. It proved to be a great car. The only problem I ever had was a broken fan belt. Otherwise it served me well in all types of weather (cold and warm) and never failed me. It reminded me of the larger Olds 98.

[@cdstoc]

I agree, I see many Corvair styling cues in this car. Mark is right about the body sounds, I grew up with a '64 BelAir and '61 Corvair wagon and the sounds of the doors, the trunk release, the hood are all very familiar. So are the interior bits, those door latches and window cranks are exactly the ones our '64 BelAir had.

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

Cars like this are always so much better looking in white. When you have a car that looks this good. You don't need loud colors or metallics to make it interesting. The simple white with the natural shadows is all you need

[@dukeallen432]

And black

[@darnel322]

In the fall of 1961 my folks bought a ‘62 F-85 wagon equipped very similarly to this car (although ours had a radio). We drove it until the fall of 1966 with about 85000 miles, and as I recall, we had no major mechanical issues with it. I still think it was a very handsome car.

[@davidklauer3422]

Awesome car Can’t believe a more door like that has survived Museum piece for sure

[@bobcoats2708]

Thanks Adam and Mark, for your thorough review of this rare and beautiful vehicle. Pity that mechanical issues and changes in buyers’ tastes sent the Senior Compacts to an early demise.

[@radioguy1620]

62 years old and in nearly new condition, totally amazing !!

[@markdc1145]

Great to see Mark featured again, you guys are a great team!

[@rightlanehog3151]

Yes, Marc adds a lot to the channel.

[@daddythomas1389]

Mark is great!! Love is keen eye and the great explanations he gives! Great video!! Thank you so much!!

[@ghall7763]

The XF-85 “Goblin” was a parasite fighter designed to be carried by the B-36 in the Bomb bay for long range fighter support. Interesting that Olds chose that name for this Car.

[@DGillyy]

I really enjoyed this video. It reminded me a lot of a Steve Magnante video, except this wasn't rusting in a junk yard in Massachusetts. One feature i liked was the "F Eighty Five" spelled out on the dash but numerically on the exterior body.

[@stephendavidbailey2743]

Fascinating. A brilliant design. Thanks for sharing.

[@hughmackellar7941]

So informative. Mark weaves all these forces into a cohesive thread.

[@Doc1855]

My grandpa ordered an 84 Oldsmobile for my grandma and one selling point was that the body was still made by Fisher.

[@annenelson5656]

My grandpa worked for Fisher

[@MicroSoftner]

I used to deliver acetylene gas to fisher body in Ewing NJ in 1992, now the whole plant is gone...

[@weegeemike]

​@MicroSoftner you knew the end was near for Fisher Body when, in the late 80's, they removed the "Body by Fisher" plate from the lower interior door trim. Same thing happened to AC and Delco, Saginaw division etc. Part of the super-consolidation of GM in the 80s/90s under Roger Smith and his successors which also ultimately led to the lack of differentiation between GM divisions during the period as well...which of course led to Olds and Pontiac being expendable and their ultimate demise years later.

[@tombeyer375]

Yes, I remember the "Body by Fisher" badge well!! Back when they made real cars!!

[@tombeyer375]

Doc1855. My mother's last car was a 1984 Delta Royale! Bought one of the diesel versions that had failed, due to the failed diesel program, and you could buy them dirt cheap. With the help of my dear father in law, we converted it back to a real beast, with a rebuilt 455 motor, 400 Trans and Flowmaster dual exhaust! Mom loved that car, as we always had big block Oldsmobiles growing up!!

[@doubleaaaron]

It's great to see some love for the lost and under appreciated side of the automotive world. I love seeing these rare beauties.

[@nickmatoic9096]

1962 n 63 models were called Jet Fires factory V-8 aluminum block with a Air Reasearch turbo andwith a glass bottle for the alcohol fluid injection .

[@georgekrpan3181]

I sure loved those American "compact" cars from the early 60s.

[@otisthetowndrunk3613]

Parked right by that mid-century building, perfect 🙂

[@lklpalka]

It really is a good looking well balanced design. Perfect proportions and elegant in simplicity.

[@ComblessMan]

1961 is my favorite year for GM design. Really interesting, elegant and such departures from the the 1960 vehicles. Thanks for this, really a nice car.

[@roberthoffhines5419]

I don't know how much effort went into finding that building in the background...but it's absolutely perfect.

[@chrishottle4376]

I love Mark's design interpretation. He makes one think, and see a totally new perspective.

[@damianbowyer2018]

Wow Marc and Adam, the stylish lines of this '61 Oldsmobile F-85 Deluxe are unique and very aeronautical, as well. Compacts from this era are always terrifically well-designed cars😎🤘

[@davidbroughall3782]

Saw this in Ed's Auto Reviews. He filled me in on what the rest of GM was doing while Chevy was pushing the Corvair.

[@Lasuvidaboy-jp4xe]

I use to see a few of these while growing up in Pasadena California in the 1970s. They seemed to be driven mostly by senior citizens who probably didn’t care for the giant 1960s full size cars. Great to see a beautifully preserved 1960s 4-door sedan!

[@VAspeed3]

Thank you for featuring this car! When I was a year old my father bought a white '62 F85 Cutlass with the high compression 215 ci V8 and four on the floor. He let me steer it from his lap when I was about 8 years old. He drove it for I think 14 years and almost 200,000 miles. He would ONLY fuel it with Amoco "white gas". Ours was the two door. So cool to see one after many years.

[@brianhamel493]

I have loved these since i was a boy and my brother had a 62 convertible. thanks for this!

[@petestaint8312]

Love this car! Thanks for posting. 👍

[@hughjass1044]

Nice car! Don't see many for sure so a nice example like this one is good to see.

[@Johnnycdrums]

Love the shape and color.

[@leestamm3187]

I was 12 when I rode along with my dad on a test drive in one of those back in 1961. He wanted to know what kind of passing power it had. I remember him saying "Let see what happens when you pour on the coal." He floored it at 60. It zipped up to 80 in no time, which he said was "adequate."

[@danscott3880]

A designer and a Finance guy working together. Nice to see 😉

[@RareClassicCars]

We agree!

[@jazzfan6]

Thanks to this video, I have a greater appreciation for how interesting and innovative the F-85 was.

[@anthonywalsh2164]

A handsome car, thanks for showing us Mark.

[@danielthomas3057]

Back in late 90s a friend and I drove about 6 hours away in my 88 Caprice wagon to see a 61 Olds F85. It needed a lot of help but was drivable. It had the 215 aluminum block V8 with 3 on tree manual transmission. He ended up buying it for 1G, got a trip permit and drove it back. I remember following behind seeing the swirls of blue smoke eminating up from the tail pipe. Everytime we stopped he had to add a litre of oil. Fun trip.

[@EdsWorld56]

Always a delight to listen to Mark. The front and rear windshield shape, scultpted sides and sloping trunk design are echoed in the GM UK 1961-1964 Vauxhall Victor FB series of my childhood.

[@johnlawfourtyfyve]

The emblem is an upside down rocket. I had a neighbor who bought a blue 61 F-85 wagon new and drove it several years. Rear gate was a one piece hinged at top which was unusual at the time. I always liked the appearance of early 1960s Buick Specials, Pontiac Tempests and Olds F-85s.

[@royarchibald6392]

I had a 65 Olds F-85, white/red, 2d, with a 330ci v8, when I was a senior in high school. I really liked the car. I lost my job so I could't pay for it so my Dad took it and drove it for several years.

[@MostlyBuicks]

Very nice. Love the 1962 Cutlas hardtop and Skylark hardtop. Sedans are okay.

[@dukeallen432]

Sedans are better cars. Stronger. Quieter.

[@MostlyBuicks]

@@dukeallen432 Having owned 86 cars in my life, including a 1962 Buick Skylark 2 door hartop and several 1964 to 1972 Skylark 2 door hardtops and many GM 4 door hardtops, Thunderbirds, Rivieras, on an on, they were all quiet and well built. Since the 1970s they stopped making hardtops because sedans are less expensive to build to get the same rigidity and quietness as the B-pillarless cars. I am left to own 1994-96 Buick Roadmasters and Cadillac Fleetwoods. I miss my 2 door hardtops immensely.

[@hangonsnoop]

As always I enjoy hearing Marc's informed design perspective. And for what it's worth I like seeing mid-century cars in a mid-century setting.

[@AndreChavesDamasio]

As it is the case in all videos you made together, the chemistry is really a pleasure to watch. You both enhance and elevate each other's deep knowledge about cars

[@dansmusic5749]

Here, here!

[@OLDS98]

Thank you for bring your designer friend back. Thank you for sharing this 1961 Oldsmobile F-85/Cutlass. It is appreciated what was shared and the family resmblence to the larger Oldsmobiles( 98 and 88). I was glad to hear you guys discuss the length. This car is the same size as a 1980's A Body Oldsmobile Ciera and a 1988-1997 Oldsmobile W Body Cutlass Supreme. This car was considered compact by the period it was in, but this car became midsized by the 1980's. The F-85 by Oldsmobile indeed. Thank you so much Adam.

[@flubberlane8437]

Nice looking car. I also like the speedometer.

[@Primus54]

As a second car, my parents bought the Pontiac version of this platform… the Tempest. My favorite version was the Buick Skylark because the front fenders carried the same shape as the one-year only full size design. I think of the cars on this platform as the ‘60s version of the ‘80s X-cars… small on the outside, but deceptively roomy interior.

[@stanmarcusgtv]

GM forced Pontiac to take the Olds body as a cost saver - they originally wanted Pontiac to take the Corvair and modify that but DeLorean demurred. The Tempest your parents got won Car of the Year because it was the most advanced of the trio with the transmission in the rear, giving it 50/50 weight distribution and little or no transmission hump. The Tempest also had an independent rear suspension.

[@dillonvossen1144]

Mark is awesome!!

[@radioguy1620]

1961 Valiant was probably the best running small car of the year. from a former Falcon owner.

[@TwoDollarGararge]

Until it rotted out

[@Primus54]

@@TwoDollarGarargeLol… All cars of the era rotted out. Some more quickly than others.

[@Johnnycdrums]

Falcon was pretty reliable from my experiences.

[@TwoDollarGararge]

@@Primus54 Yes all it takes is a trip to my local junkyard anything from the '70s or before no floors usually no frame in general The doors Fall off when you open them because there's nothing supporting us that rotted out

[@Primus54]

@@TwoDollarGararge I grew up during that era and people regularly replaced cars every two to three years not because they were shot mechanically, but because they were rusting… at least that was true in the Midwest. 😉🤣

[@elliotdryden7560]

Wow that "baleen" grille was what popped into my mind when I first saw it, too. Never knew this car even EXISTED! Thanks!

[@errorsofmodernism7331]

Beautiful in white. Marc does an excellent design analysis once again. I rode in one of these in 1968 driven by a girl, one of my mom's French students.

[@CadyCTSlover]

Always great to see Mark on the channel, and this car certainly fits the description of a Rare Classic!

[@jefweb5043]

Not to be repetitive; but I feel so smart after listening to Mark! That goes to both of you...but Mark is so great to have on! And did I hear mention of a '73 Cutlass?? The body lines, the style of the console and shifter...the '73-'77 Cutlass will always be my favorite!

[@RareClassicCars]

Marc is a horrible guest. He will never be back ;)

[@rightlanehog3151]

Adam has a 1973 Cutlass which has appeared on the channel once or twice. It is one of his few 'Intermediates'.

[@OBC-radio]

Always enjoy your collaborations with Marc. I’m in complete agreement with Marc’s opinions on the F-85 styling. My first “classic” was a Buick Special, and my current classic is a ‘61 Corvair Monza Coupe. The first generation GM compacts were each very unique in their own ways, and very stylish compared to the rest of the compact market segment at that time. The F-85 looks great in white. Beautiful car Marc!

[@michaelpennington7800]

The styling is beautiful. My sister and her husband purchased a new 1961 f-85 when I was 7 years old. Theirs was the four door, shift on the column and Garnet Mist in color. The car had no mechanical issues and I always thought the design was outstanding. My parents purchased a new 1961 2 door bubble top coupe Pontiac Ventura. GM styling was outstanding for 1961.

[@johnplovanich9564]

This is one of the most interesting videos I have ever seen.Mark is spot on and such an interesting person and eloquent speaker.I live on Eluethra and there is a gentleman that has a 61 F-85.He is an ex-pat from the UK.I have actually rode in his car a couple times.Its red with white interior

[@kevinkool3]

My parents had a 1961 Olds F-85, in tan color, with A/C. It eventually had major transmission issues, for sure. I remember it going in & out of the mechanic's garage often. My mother never felt safe in it because of its small size as compared to the much larger 1956 Olds 98 that we had prior to this car. There were six of us so comfort was also an issue if we all traveled somewhere together. So glad that years later my mother bought a 1965 Chevy Impala SS 327 convertible, also with A/C. lol I loved that stunningly beautiful "work of art" in cobalt blue with white top.

[@DanEBoyd]

It's not ugly, but it is rather funky.

[@gregrogers6886]

Like all three 61 GM compacts, they are neat-looking little cars. When we moved out of Los Angeles in 2006 you could occasionally see one of them still on the road.

[@steveoh9838]

I love those early compacts. Awesome content. Thanks to you both👍👍

[@ronsmith7527]

I love how you drove your immaculate Toronado to the F-85 interview at the elementary school

[@gormanwpjr]

I have always loved the styling of these. Simply a very sweet looking car. Fantastic grill/front bumper/front fender creased design - very refined when compared to what the other manufactures were building, not to speak of foreign made cars of the time. With all of the body side sculpting, the body section modulus must have benefited. Futuristic instrument panel and eletro-imbossed door panels and seats are eye candy as well. Your car is white with the correct white wall tires, shows how really attractive the design is.

[@jroeger]

I always thought these were very attractive cars , nice to hear the design explained. Thanks to both of you!

[@mataman99]

My dad bought me one of these back in 1984 as my 1st car. He paid $35.00 for it. That engince smoked out of the oil filler cap like a train. People would alway pull up next to me and say "kid your car is on fire" ... I would reply no it just does that. Later i tried to get engine rebuilt and the mechanic said can't rebuild that has an aluminum block...just put in a chevy 327 and new trans. My dad sold the car shortly after that for $200 dollars. The car was my 1st car and still miss it.

[@dannyg6592]

Great episode and styling analysis. I think GM styling in 1961 really brought in the modern era and made a fairly clean break from the excesses of the 50s. I do prefer the cleaner front end of the '62.

[@brianhdueck3372]

Great to see Mark back! I love the line of this little Olds. My former neighbour still has a maroon 62 F85 also with the aluminum small V8. Not as well cared for as Mark’s example but still a nice driver. Thanks for sharing.

[@rbcrain2469]

I like how the upper grill reflects in the bumper, making it look fuller

[@pierrevoyemant7137]

Thank you so much for again highlighting GM’s bold effort in presenting these 1961 compacts. They were full of pioneering features. You also teased us with a mention of the Achieva., which along with the Lemans and Skylark I always considered another bold move away from the conventional offerings of the era.

[@alecfromminnenowhere2089]

We had a 1961 F-85 Oldsmobile station wagon. It's the earliest car I can remember. The wagon version had a ultra modern feature that some European cars had. A hatchback door. It even had a manual rolldown window. That's what I remember the most because it was my job to roll it up and down depending if we were leaving or coming home on the dusty gravel road. It got clogged up along the rails and was extremely hard to turn the handle. After my Dad rolled the car and totaled it the Ford Fairlane wagon they bought had a electric rear window so I wasn't to blame for all the dust that got in the car.

[@TheMormonPower]

I guess me watching this documentary on an obscure 61 Oldsmobile sleeper, aptly called the Senior, just goes to show, that I'll watch anything Adam comes out with on this channel, just for his expertise, quirks and personality 😮

[@dansmusic5749]

I just love a car that is “sculpted”. This car, in particular, seems perfectly balanced and quite beautiful. The sculpting also tends to make the car look more expensive and interesting to look at. My memory of these is that they looked old-fashioned as they had already gone out of style by the time I started noticing them in the mid to late sixties. But now they look so beautiful! GM had always seemed to me to have a tighter, denser or more integrated look than other makes. They always appeared, to my eye, to be higher quality. They generally had tighter lines than the competition. Perhaps this was simply a styling trick or just my own bias but other makes, at first impression, looked more “tinny” than a General Motors car. For example, compare this car to a '60 Falcon (a very nice, good looking car) or the hideous (IMHO) ’60 Valiant, both sculpted cars, and the Olds looks much more expensive, to me anyway, which it was. This impression does not appIy to every model, though. Also, I am not saying that other makes actually were of lesser quality. It just seemed strongly evident that GM styling, as a corporate brand-look, tended to convey the appearance of quality better on average than Ford, Chrysler and American Motors. This is just an opinion and I am certainly not a styling expert but this video reminded me of this. But I now see them all in a different and more favorable light which makes them hauntingly beautiful and desirable and I often wonder what has changed. lol

[@Atomwaffen-y3s]

The Falcon looked great in the 60-63 style, but I can’t but wonder why anyone would even consider buying a Valiant.

[@dansmusic5749]

The over blown Virgil X styling with that clattering Slant Six. It’s funny, when X was good, he was very good, but when he was bad... lol@@Atomwaffen-y3s

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

I've gotta get a classic car. Something from the 60's would be great. But anything before the 90's is good enough for me

[@dukeallen432]

Recommend pre 81.

[@opus27no2]

Beautiful Mid-Century design. I’ve never seen one. Thanks for this one.

[@novabig]

Another great video. I always like to see Mark and his take on style designs. One of my favorite Oldsmobiles from the early 60's. Thanks Adam & Mark!

[@clarkstreetcustoms]

Great video again Adam. The design language of these senior compacts was reflected in the General Motors-Holden cars of the same era. I was instantly reminded of the 1962 EJ Holden when I looked at the F-85. The interior of the later EH Holden (introduced in August 1963) is very similar to Marc's car. What a treat. Thanks again.

[@cabaneencac5168]

Guy walking around the car as your guest using rich, appropriate vocabulary and lots of historical design culture helps describe the lines of the car and make a very interesting review . In short we learn more here than by listening to Raiti's Ride which flatters modern sheets metal .

[@stevevogelman3360]

What a neat little car,the front reminds me of my 64 rambler 770. I’ve never seen one of these before. Very very cool.

[@Freedomquest08]

In the mid '70's, when I was about 6 years old, a hard core Old's guy down the street from me built a '62 F-85 for his high school son. It didn't make mechanical sense to me at the time, but I remember his telling stories of the major problems he had engine swapping it. He somehow fit a Olds 425/TH400 into that little car. That F-85 absolutely dominated everything in my neighborhood. The whole group of older kids in my neighborhood were wild, pretty much the real life version of the punks in the movie Wraith, and there several really fast cars. Every road was covered in burnout snakes...and heavily patrolled for those menacing kids- lol. Unfortunately, this guys son was the '70's equivilant of Whistlin Diesel, and his poor F-85 was beat on until it died, including being rolled at least once. But while it lived that car was untouchable in my area.

[@steveflor9942]

Interesting car. Interesting story. It really is a smart design.

[@markbehr88]

One of GM’s best looking small cars. I have it on my to buy list

[@davidfoley9642]

Interior has great visibility!

[@michiganmotorsports]

That's a pretty special car.

[@ryanelectra225]

Great style for a compact. I’ve never seen one in person

[@Koulis_]

I love learning about these lesser known American cars, thanks!

[@pyrexmaniac]

The interiors of the GM "Seniors" were remarkable in their sense of spaciousness. The greenhouse and slim pillars were the biggest factor. To my eyes, the "pod" dashboard with the cowl panel pushed forward under the base of the windshield was the biggest reason for the feeling of space. Honda's 1984 Civic models were very similar in concept, dash-wise. Honda's design for 1984 seemed so incredibly advanced I wondered why other automakers never did a similar design.......except GM, of course, in it's golden years of the early sixties.

[@harrysgarage1440]

My parents had a skylark that looked similar. All I remember is it liked to breakdown on holidays so we couldn’t make it to family parties. LOL

[@mikev2558]

My grandmother had one, it was blue/green. I’ve always liked them. I remember hearing them talk about when she had to slam on the brakes, the engine slid off the motor mounts and into the radiator! She didn’t keep it too long.

[@bobbywason9572]

Always loved tha cool lookin' design, shape, & lines of tha Olds F-85 for '61. Bob The Builder 👷

[@fleetwin1]

I grew up around these cars but don't think I ever rode in one... I really love Mark's colorful design descriptions. Did Mark have to rebuild the tranny? Where did he find someone to do that job...

[@int53185]

GM styling was a usually very elegant in the 60's. Love it.

[@2packs4sure]

Awesome but I really wanted to hear some details about the roto hydramatic in those cars and what was it that failed and obviously he's had his rebuilt and how the rebuild went and if any changes-upgrades were made during the rebuild to improve reliability.....

[@Sedan57Chevy]

Cutlasses! This f85 is a really sweet car. I don't know how anyone wouldn't appreciate marc, and certainly his collection of vehicles. I'm so glad that one of these has been preserved, and that he was able to introduce it to some of his coworkers at GM. It's almost kinda sad to think that some of the people working at an automobile company don't know much about the history of said company's various designs. While you can't drive them all, it's not too hard to pick up something like the encyclopedia of American cars and get a glimpse into the past. I think it speaks volumes to how GM is more focused on profits than cars. Compare to the designers of the 70s who were always looking to bring back classic elements of the 30s, or a guy like Bob Lutz who cares so much about cars.

[@TheSpritz0]

My FAVORITE F-85 is the 1970, if you look at the brochure from back then it was made on the Cutlass body but you can get a 6 cylinder engine!!!

[@dannyschoolcraft5984]

I remember a 70 F85 back in the early 80's. It had the 6cylinder and 3 speed on the column. The Cutlass was first an upgrade trim and option package, before becoming its own model beginning in 68. The same type used for the 442 also. Beginning, I believe 62 with the Cutlass and 64 the 442. These all are my favorite's. Great video Adam and Mark.

[@higgs923]

I test drove one of these after doing some lube room work in a gas station in the mid-Sixties. It was surprisingly fun to drive - especially in the middle of the Muscle Car era.

[@8632tony]

My first car was a '62 F-85. It was a two door post, lots of chrome. 215 cu. in. aluminum V8 with a 4 barrel carb. Three speed automatic. I bought it from a retired teacher for a very good price. She was a homebody and the car had very low mileage, almost new (I bought it in 1969.) It was definitely a sleeper and would really scoot when asked. Transmission was mostly solid but would occasionally "get lost" on the shift between 2 and 3 and just rev like neutral until I let off the gas and let it coast for a moment. Then it would catch and it was all good again. I had to pull the heads and have helicoils installed due to stripped spark plug holes. It was a very good car, even if it was ugly as a mud fence. I traded it in on a '70 Boss 302. Turns out I traded down because the Mustang started rusting out almost immediately.

[@roncarguy6361]

Drove my '63 Pontiac GP the same way. However that slippage was a harbinger of doom that would raise its head sooner or later. I had my Slim Jim rebuilt twice in 3 years after 50K miles. To answer an earlier question regarding the ability to drop a Power Glide in as a replacement... no. The "Rotos" had a very narrow tunnel in the front floor, hence the nickname Slim Jim. No other tranny was narrow enough to squeeze in that space. That 215 Buick was no prize either. Aluminum tech was not fully under stood in 1961. Rambler had a similar issue.... cast iron block with aluminum heads on some of the 195 sixes, and they warped or became impossible to remove due to galvanic action between the two metals.

[@TheOzthewiz]

I bought a "sister" car of this F-85. It was a NEW 1961 Buick Skylark with the 3.5L aluminum V8 and "three on the tree" in the 2-door model. I loved this car because it was SO smooth and quiet. But then, I heard that Buick was bringing out a 4-speed CONVERTIBLE for '62. I HAD to trade for the '62 Convert, which I owned for 6 years that I drove to TECH SCHOOL. The car was kept in PRISTINE condition with minimum use on "salted" roads. But, when I finished my schooling in 1968, I wanted something FASTER and Flashier. I ended up (reluctantly) trading it on 1968 Shelby Mustang GT-350 Convert and I was NEVER happier in my 24yr old life!!! CHEERS!