The Old Guy

The 320 inch engine has a three piece manifold for the single carb only. Both dual carb set ups have a two piece exhaust manifold

It is a fact that when you reduce back pressure ,to make the engine perform,you shuold go up 2-3 jet sizes. Then you car will really come alive.

wwwfactoryautomanuals.com will hook you up with Dan Bower ,and he is the best! I do not usually recommend people,but Dan is as honest as the day is long

The stage one heads were the same number as the standard head. They just installed larger vales by machining the heads differently. If there is more than a thumbnails thickness between the valve ,you have standard heads.The heads are interchangable and will fit either side . I have no info on the numbers ,but if the heads have a long thin slot for the manifold heat they are 70 or earlier. If they have a rectengular hole ,they are 71 up .If the block has two elongated holes and two bumps on the top of the head surface it is a 71 up block

The only difference between the AC and non AC pump is the number of vanes on the impeller. They probably sell the AC pump for all applications. When trying to remove the bolts from the pump , hitting the bolt head with a hammer several times will sometimes help loosen it ,and believe me you will need all the tricks you can find to get them out without breaking.<BR> Good Luck

The thick oil will make the car ride so stiff you will think they welded the suspension solid

Bruce has indeed done a lot with the 61-63 Specials ,but I think even he would cringe at the idea of a 455 installation.It would require a COMPLETE front end redesign as the original spring towers are too close together and I doubt the engine would fit

There are many dedicated people in the BCA,and we have been fortunate to have them running our organization through the years. The term limits were originally put in place to keep one person from becoming to much in power. The lovely thing is that Jeff will get a well deserved year off and then hopefully we can coerce him into running again. <BR> <BR>Joe Taubitz<P>Joe Taubitz

The 322 and 364 manifolds are not interchangeable. Measuring between bolt holes will tell you which manifold it is. The 322 is 8 3/8 inches ,the 364 is 8 3/4 inches ,and the 401-425 is 9 1/8

GM dealers have an aerosol spray called "Heat valve Lubricant" under their Goodwrench label. This is the best I have found.

Are you looking for a finished car or a project?? If you would like a project ,there is a 1937 special coupe in the Flint MI area for $2200 .Call Dale Barker<BR> 810 -695-7700

I just did a little more research and found that in 1937 the rumble seat option was only available in the 46C and 66C

In 1937 the side mounts and rumble seat were both options. You could purchase a 46S and what you got was a pair of opera seats . The 46 had nothing behind the front seat. There was a small hump in the floor and that was it.

I have to believe that the thick stuff would make the shocks VERY stiff,and the car would beat you to death

I have been in the car hobby for 45 years and it is still the same. I started out with a hot Rod and got into antique cars because my boys were breaking my race car.I bought Buicks for my antiques because I had 6 kids and they would all fit in my 32 model 97. Through the years I have been involved with the BCA and have been to every national meet. My children are all grown now and I own both original and modified Buicks . I have watched some of the younger BCA members come into the group with a modified and in 5-7 years they have built some of the finest originals around. I personally do not like to see a nice original modified,but it is less expensive than doing a basket case. I spent more on the repair of my 37 street rod body than I wouuld have had to pay for a nice original,but this way no one can say I destroyed a good car. If we do not get young people interested in old cars by whatever means we can, our hobby will die. There is a lot of talent out there building street rods ,and that sams talent will build some great originals.

The carbs were 2 barrel with a 3 bolt base. The Ford carbs(stromberg 97) had the same base size. The proper carbs had the fuel inlet on the back and the starter switch on the front carb.The back carb as stated in the other post had no choke and it also had a weighted butterfly under it so when the throttle was floored ,the second carb didn't come in until the RPM was high enough to handle it.

The 46 was a business coupe with just a floor in the back. The 46S had opera seats .Tha 66S is a rare find,and if you find one with side mount tires,you have hit the mother lode.

The 46 and the 46S share a common wheel base. The 66S has the 320 engine and is longer from the cowl forward. They share a common body but the 66S has a longer hood and has a 126 inch wheelbase while the 40 series has a 122.

There was a repair unit made years ago that worked quite well. It was a piece of heavy tubing that had a 1/8 hole .This hole had a hardened shaft in it .To repair the seal you put a piece of .080 wire with one end pointed in the tube,put the flat end of yhe wire in the tube and drive the wire between the block and the seal. You then removed the seal half from the main cap and put in two or three pieces of wrapping cord. This effectively forced the main seal into contact with the crank and dried up the problem. I have used this system on numerous straight 8 Buick engines ,and it really does<BR> work.

In the Flint MI area ,we have numerous muffler shops that do an outstanding job of pipe bending. I would wager that in your area you will find a shop that all the street rodders go to ,and they will do a very satisfactory job. It has been my experience that the systems purchased from the vendors still need a little tweaking to fit properly.

Kimberly, If the rebuilder of the engine satisfied you,ask him about rebuilding the heads.After installing new valve guides ,the valves will need to be reground, and that requires special equipment. <P> Joe Taubitz

Steve, thank you for catching my goof. I was thinking of the earlier trans for nail heads.

The ST300 will not bolt up to a 430. The th400 if it is the one with the short tail shaft ,will work. You will need new motor mounts and a different drive shaft as the fron yoke for the TH400 is larger.The 430 is a high compression engine and need 93 octane or better.The 2.78 axle will work,but you will need a posi or you will melt the right rear tire.You should help your 1/4 mile time by a second or more depending on how the car hooks up

Merry Christmas Sid and Tina. I hope your new job comes through. It would be great to have a chapter in your area. I think you will find that any help you need can be found in the BCA and BDE .<BR> Have a good Holiday<BR> Joe Taubitz

The use of a later model frame is a sensible way to make your car more drivable. The suspension parts are easier and cheaper, and they handle much better. Fisher body did not change the line they ran the bodies on for many years consequently the body mounting areas were the same. You will have to measure your particular vehicle and see what frame is the closest match.The thing to watch for is the rear upper arms which will protrude into the back seat area.