JohnD1956
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Posts posted by JohnD1956
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Maybe we all ought to combine on one of those lotto tickets... I'll add in # 56
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It just reminds me of my 56 before I isolated my plug wires and stopped the crossfire.
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You know of any Fo sale? It needs to be a rag top, in good drivable condition, and, like the baby chicks say, Cheep, Cheep, Cheep!
Dandy Dave!LOL DD. You may as well require a Marilyn Monroe look-a like too since a drivable ragtop, cheap, is surely a major fantasy.
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Have you tried retightening the Torque Converter bolts to the Flywheel? And have you considered faulty sparkplug wires?
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Has the engine or trans been removed from the car? Or is this something that just came up?
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The nice part is no one will complain if the finish isn't smooth and glossy.
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One more thing I learned from experience. I have had a good number of Buicks over the years and I have found that between 80-125K practically all of them need the timing gears and chain replaced. If a motor has been sitting a few years then this will happen sooner than later. Many times people find this out when they start the car cold, and it drops dead a few moments later, never to start again. I have seen this time and time again, so if I was in your shoes, any motor I found would get a new timing chain and gears before the engine is installed in the car.
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Good enough to see that yes, the original engine will definitely need some work.
Looks like a 70-80's Chevy 350 in there to me. The Buick engine would have more spunk than that Chevy motor if both were side by side and original. By 74 or so all the GM engines were being detuned with an eye towards higher gas milage and reduced Insurance liability from the Muscle car era.
The 68-70 Buick 350 can be either exactly what you want to find or another non performer. In these years the 350 was outfitted with various carb and compression ratio modifications from the factory. A 350 with a 2 bbl carb will be among the lower horsepower units and I have two friends with these engines. One loves his, the other says his is a dog. Who knows? Here's what I'd watch for:
In 68 there was a 9:00-1 compression ratio engine producing 230 HP at 4200 RPM. This had a two barrel carb.
There was also a 10:25 -1 engine which produced 280 HP at 4600 RPM with a 4 BBL.
In 69 the 9:00-1 engine produced 230 HP @ 4400 RPM while the 10:25-1 remained the same.
In 70 the 2 bbl 350 and the 4 bbl 350 were basically the same but there wa a third 350 which had 10:25-1 ratio and produced 315 HP at 4800 RPM. That would be in the GS 350 car.
In 71 the engines were downrated, with the 2 bbl running 8.05-1 ratio and still geting 230 HP at 4400 RPM. The 4 bbl also running 8:05 - 1 and with 260 HP @ 4600 RPM, and the base GS with 9:00-1 and 285 HP @ 4600 RPM.
All these numbers come from the Standard Catalogue of Buick. You can find these motors in Skylarks, Lesabres, and the smaller Stationwagons. I believe any of these engines will bolt right into your car with the possible exception that you may have to get new motor mounts now due to that chevy motor in there. I'd look for a lesabre 4 door with factory Air for the best chances of finding a 4 bbl engine with the higher hp ratings. The best news is if you can find a trashed one that is running chances are it will be unbelievably cheap, and most likely a good motor.
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My NAPA also got me a tube style high pressure line filter with an optional orifice tube, which we snuck into the line down low. In the 69's case I left the orifice tube out and did replace the reciever/drier.
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Jay, You might be refering to rear axle problems. I don't know what the problem was but I'm sure any 54 you find that is still runing today has had this issue resolved. The rear axle was all new for 56. And many 56's had, or can be fitted with, dual exhaust. Earlier cars may need frame modifications to beef up the exhaust.
Still, most any of this tri year combination, and many other years also, are wonderful cars!
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Does Chrome and a lot of it appeal to you? If not, the 56 Super has less intrusive chrome trim than either the 55 Century and Super, or the 56 Century.
Pete has a good point about the master cylinder. However I am happy to report that the M/C on at least my 56 has been very reliable.
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Well, I gotta pack it in for tonight anyway. AS a famous poster ( or Im-poster) has said, Hi ho hi ho, it's off for work I must go.
Speak to you guys tomorrow?
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That one on e bay sure looks nice. That would be a tough decision. Maybe you ought to go for the one on e bay AND then restore your rusty one? A His n Her's?
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Can there really be 46 people viewing this forum right now, and no one is posting any comments?
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I am not aware that the nailheads had a lot of valve problems. Of course I say this knowing that my 56 did have a burnt exhaust valve on a 70K motor. Does anyone have any knowledge of this and what may be the root cause?
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Thanks. Sounds like I might be patching it then, huh? It's a reallllly long drive from here to the nearest place that doesn't soak their roads in salt for 9 months of the year.
I would do my searching online and then call the yards. I once bought a door for my 2 Dr 69 Electra from Desert Valley Auto parts. That freaking door was almost as tall as me, 5'10". The price was very reasonable! and the door was solid as a rock. Of course, this was before the cost of shipping everything became so expensive, but those Souther USA yards have some very nice stuff and they realize that they have to ship stuff to make the sales. Just beware, you probably have to have convertible parts because often the frame on a convertible is boxed, and this may cause a change to things like floor pans and trunk panels. But your best bet for finding convertibles is in the souther tier of the USA.
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BTW, don't let anyone talk you out of that console and bucket seats, unless you ever find you have to junk the car. Those things do command a decent price. Also I notice your dash bezel has nice chrome plating still. Do what you can to preserve it. Never use any chemicals on it and always clean any spills immediately. I would not use anything other than a new clean damp microtowel to preserve that finish. That stuff is a bear to have rechromed!
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I see you have a disc brake car. So this vehicle is already pretty well optioned.
It is nice to keep the original numbers matching engine. Does the engine in your parts car run? If so you may want to drop that one in there while you tackle the rebuild. Here's a few more things I'll offer.
First off I am not the last word on anything. Please be sure to get a variety of opinions and then go with what makes the most sense to you.
Next, Consider the total value of the car in question. A 72 skylark is a nice car but the big money cars are the GS's and the GS Stage 1's. This is because of their low production numbers. I don't know what your car may be worth restored but with 34K production, you have to be careful of your investment. So I would say if you can find a good running Buick 350 from the 1968-1973 years, you may want to just keep the original engine on hand without a rebuild. A good Buick 350 will have at least 20 lbs of oil pressure when warmed up.
One thing you will need to address soon is the rear window channel. The original glue holding the window in has probably deteriorated and is letting water into the trunk and under the back seat. If you plan to paint the car then you would want to pull the rear and front window before painting and then get the channels scraped, treated, primed and painted with window channel primer. You should look for an automotive paint shop and go there in the afternoons to see if they will give you some advice on products available. My local paint shop is a wealth of information with some great guys who are genuinely interested in these types of projects. But mornings are their busier times with commercial customers getting their days supplies.
When you say it came with the original 350 engine, are you saying there is already a different engine in the car? Can you post some pics of the engine?
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I'm sure Lamar will help him drive that fity-fo around!!
LOL...I 'll agree on this comment!
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A 2 dr hatchback may be of more interest to the consumers than a 4 door. I'd be interested to know what options the car has. Rally wheels, bucket seats? A/C? perhaps.
Also any pictures? While I could not afford even the insult offer, this would be a great car to own and treasure.
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Hey Folks, I'd like to nominate Pete Phillips for the Buickman award. I can't count the number of times I've seen him chime in here when someone needs parts that most would not keep. And of course I think he deserves the nomination for being the editor of the Bugle too.
Glad you're here Pete.
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OMG! What a beauty Bob. How are you gonna decide which one to take to shows?
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Hi and welcome to the forum. Great Buick you have there. It ought to be a fun and reliable car and you may find that it is highly desireable. What I suspect you'll find however, is that the cost of having someone do a full restoration way outstrips the market value for the car. This is only a problem if you think you might ever need to get your money out of the car, which from time to time, most of us want to do.
I don't think you'll find many of the 4 door parts are useful. Most of the body is different as well as the interior parts like seats and door panels. You have a great interior combination with the bucket seats and white coverings, and practically all of the interior is reproduced today in exact original style. So I would suggest you try to get the 4 dr running and if the motor and tranny is good, pull them and then get whatever else you need from it and dispose of it. Bumpers, dashpad, instruments, and check to see if it has a positive traction rear axle. If so keep that too. Also check to see if it has the disc brake package up front. You may want that in the future.
Feel free to put up more pics of both cars and ask questions about your project. I suspect you can get a lot of experience from looking around at this site and may want to take on some restoration steps yourself, which would lead to great satisfaction in doing it yourself.
Also join the Buick Club of America. There are lots of friendly people willing to help you as you discover the hidden beauty of your car.
Good Luck.
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PS: Nice job on the frame too. Makes me jealous.
Dandy Dave!
51 SPECIAL NO START CONDITION
in Buick - General
Posted
I'm thinking you have a rusted section of the metal line from the pump to the tank.
If you have a vacuum guage maybe you can pull off the line to the fuel pump and crank the car over for two or three rotations and then see if you have a vacuum reading?
Does you car have the short rubber fuel line between the metal line from the tank to the fuel pump? If so try putting a new piece of line on that.