GM A Body parts interchange

[Guest Anyholer]

I am restoring a 67 Buick GS 400. I am looking for information on what body parts might be interchangeable with other 1967 GM A Bodies such as a chevelle. I need to find 2 fenders and a door and they are hard to find. Chevelle is easy to find. Is there a chance that these will fit from car to car? Thanks Regards Jim

[rhb1999]

Th wheelhouse openings are different, on the '67 Buick and Chevelle as well as the bone line (is that term right?) or body crease.

[joe_padavano]

No exterior body parts interchange across divisions on the 64-67 A-body cars. Each division used unique sheetmetal. In most cases, the sheetmetal does not even interchange from year to year within a division. Floorpans, firewalls, inner wheel houses, trunk pans, and roof are the only common sheetmetal parts across divisions.

[Guest Anyholer]

No exterior body parts interchange across divisions on the 64-67 A-body cars. Each division used unique sheetmetal. In most cases, the sheetmetal does not even interchange from year to year within a division. Floorpans, firewalls, inner wheel houses, trunk pans, and roof are the only common sheetmetal parts across divisions.

Thanks Joe for the response. Not good news but much appreciated.

Regards

Jim

[joe_padavano]

Thanks Joe for the response. Not good news but much appreciated.

Regards

Jim

Unfortunately the 64-67 cars are not well supported with aftermarket panels. If it's common with a Chevelle or GTO, it's readily available (thus the floorpans, trunk pan, etc), but there isn't much for the Olds and Buick A-bodies from those years.

[Guest Anyholer]

Thanks Joe for the response. Not good news but much appreciated.

Regards

Jim

Thanks Joe. That is exactly what I have found out. They are fairly rare compared to chevelles and GTOs but are not very valuable on the collectors market. Not sure if there just is not a following for buicks or what. I am rstoring the car for me but if I ever decided to sell would be nice to know there was a market where the car would go to a good collection or owner.

Thanks again

Jim

[NTX5467]

Anyholer, there IS a big following for the Buick A-body cars, especially the "muscle car" variations (which also share many "normal" items with the regular Buick A-cars). Probably the earliest Buick A-body you'll find an exterior body part interchange is the 1970 Skylark 2-dr hardtop, which uses the same deck lid as the same year Monte Carlo.

In the earlier times, Fisher Body was trying to get as many "same parts" as they could, which (as Joe stated) were usually unseen parts of the underbody structure. Possibly even frames, if the wheelbase was the same, between the Chevy-Pontiac-Olds-Buick A-cars. An interesting thing is that when I was looking at exhaust systems for the various A-cars in a Walker Exhuast catalog, in the later 1970s, some carlines had very nice exhaust systems until you got to the muffler, the inlet would be large, but the outlet would be small (generally on Chevys), with Pontiacs having their own sizing orientation (smaller muffler inlet than exit?). I don't recall what Olds and Buick did, but each one had their OWN unique exhuast sound back then.

What is your location? Key thing to finding good, used items is to search salvage yard in general regions where many Buicks were sold, which can be highly variable throughout the USA. Chevelles and LeMans sold much better than Buicks generally did, back then, which is probably why you're finding more of the Chevelles and LeMans-type cars in the salvage yards.

What kind of parts are you needing?

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467

[Guest Anyholer]

Anyholer, there IS a big following for the Buick A-body cars, especially the "muscle car" variations (which also share many "normal" items with the regular Buick A-cars). Probably the earliest Buick A-body you'll find an exterior body part interchange is the 1970 Skylark 2-dr hardtop, which uses the same deck lid as the same year Monte Carlo.

In the earlier times, Fisher Body was trying to get as many "same parts" as they could, which (as Joe stated) were usually unseen parts of the underbody structure. Possibly even frames, if the wheelbase was the same, between the Chevy-Pontiac-Olds-Buick A-cars. An interesting thing is that when I was looking at exhaust systems for the various A-cars in a Walker Exhuast catalog, in the later 1970s, some carlines had very nice exhaust systems until you got to the muffler, the inlet would be large, but the outlet would be small (generally on Chevys), with Pontiacs having their own sizing orientation (smaller muffler inlet than exit?). I don't recall what Olds and Buick did, but each one had their OWN unique exhuast sound back then.

What is your location? Key thing to finding good, used items is to search salvage yard in general regions where many Buicks were sold, which can be highly variable throughout the USA. Chevelles and LeMans sold much better than Buicks generally did, back then, which is probably why you're finding more of the Chevelles and LeMans-type cars in the salvage yards.

What kind of parts are you needing?

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467

NTX5467,

Thanks for the information. I am located in VA. I have been slowly extending my search. I need sheet metal - 2 front fenders, lower qtr panels and left door. I have searched salvage yards (via internet) for NC, FL and so on. I am now extending to texas, arizona and ca. I am using hemmings and internet to search. I see that 68 - 72 cars were more interchangable. Unfortunately the 67 is not.

regards

Jim

[NTX5467]

Check Wheatbelt Auto in Carrier, OK. His specialty is Buicks. If he might not have what you need, he might have an idea of where to find it. I'm not sure if an Internet search for salvage yards with particular parts might be really productive. Not all yards are on the Internet, I suspect, BUT they usually have some sort of regional locator service between themselves which might be more productive. Only thing is that unless you can build a relationship with the operator or a sales person at the yard, you can also end up with some items you requested which might not be as good as you wanted them to be. Many metro areas have some larger yards, so they might be some of the first places to physically visit. Many "pic 'n pull" yards might have some of what you want. Only thing about the lower qtr parts, they'll want to sell you the whole quarter panel, rather than just a section of it . . . unless the front section is good and the rear part is crumpled. Front fenders might be better to get as a "front clip", too, which will get you more parts than you wanted, but can also yield "cleaner" parts than if you find an individual fender somewhere.

I looked in shermanparts.com to see if they had any qtr panel patch panels, which they didn't. They do catalog the floor pan items, though, plus rocker panel items.

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467

[joe_padavano]

I looked in shermanparts.com to see if they had any qtr panel patch panels, which they didn't. They do catalog the floor pan items, though, plus rocker panel items.

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467

Which, not surprisingly, are common with the Chevelle...