SpeedyBuick Posted December 13, 2020 Share Posted December 13, 2020 This project came about after my 66 Skylark GS got totaled by a hit and run driver. I bought the Special with the idea of dropping the GS engine in it. As you will see it snowballed into much more. I located the Special in Eastern Idaho and went back and forth about buying it because i really didnt want an A/C car. finally I gave in and bought it sight unseen other than pictures sent by the seller. much to my delight what arrived on the transport was a completely original unmolested car with literally no rust whatsoever. it did have it's fair share of senior citizen dings and scrapes but thats it. it even had the California smog equipment still on the car and fully functional. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted December 13, 2020 Author Share Posted December 13, 2020 more day one pictures 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted December 13, 2020 Author Share Posted December 13, 2020 so the first thing i had to address was the boogered up point on the hood. luckily i had a 66 Special 4 door I had parted out and i still have the hood. then I had to install some Buick Rally wheels 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted December 13, 2020 Author Share Posted December 13, 2020 first order of business before i could swap the GS engine into this car was to get the GS disassembled and gone(wifes orders). I had it all apart and the body off the frame in one Saturday 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted December 13, 2020 Author Share Posted December 13, 2020 got the GS all parted out and sold off the stuff I didnt need. my next move was to start disassembling the Special to facilitate the drivetrain replacement. I stalled on this for a while because I'm borderline OCD and I know how these types of projects tend to snowball for me. finally I started the task of removing the old engine. I knew I was going to be rebuilding the fropnt suspension and adding disc brakes so removing the old stuff before puling the engine made perfect sense. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted December 13, 2020 Author Share Posted December 13, 2020 Then IT happened. I told myself "it's just the front clip" " it'll make the engine swap easier and i can clean everything up real good" I was struggling with getting the front of the frame degreased and with not painting the rest of the frame and then I spotted my excuse to go further. smashed body bushings.. of course I cant leave this like this. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted December 13, 2020 Author Share Posted December 13, 2020 (edited) one Saturday morning my wife headed out to go shopping and I'm tinkering in the garage. she wasn't gone even 5 minutes and i started moving the car out of the garage and she came home to this. all she could say was Oh No, we're THOSE neighbors now. Edited December 13, 2020 by SpeedyBuick (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted December 13, 2020 Author Share Posted December 13, 2020 I started to clean the bare frame with manual labor but that was tedious. so i took it to a local sandblaster and saved myself much misery. then i went over the entire frame and fixed all the poor factory welds and removed all the excess splatter and dingle berries. washed the frame in POR15 degreaser and metal prep and painted the entire frame with the POR15 chassis black. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted December 15, 2020 Author Share Posted December 15, 2020 now that the frame is clean and painted it's time to start assembling. I took the original stock lower control arms an welded in the factory style braces for cars equipped with rear swaybar and installed new bushings and hardware. then I was able to install the 3.42 ratio Buick 10 bolt rear. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted December 15, 2020 Author Share Posted December 15, 2020 project is moving along nicely now. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted December 15, 2020 Author Share Posted December 15, 2020 7 hours ago, Mark I said: What did you do with the AIR pump stuff from the 300? Mark I gave it to the person who bought the 300 engine from me. I doubt he used it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 What is wrong with that two-door sedan missing its front clip in the driveway? Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The 55er Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 I'm assuming the disassembled Skylark GS in the driveway is the one that was totaled by a hit and run driver. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GARY F Posted December 15, 2020 Share Posted December 15, 2020 Nice car to start with and you are doing great work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted December 16, 2020 Author Share Posted December 16, 2020 10 hours ago, 8E45E said: What is wrong with that two-door sedan missing its front clip in the driveway? Craig it was rear ended HARD. that coupled with heavy rust issues in floors and trunk as well as every single piece of interior and exterior trim being pitted beyond repair made the car less than a viable candidate for repair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted December 16, 2020 Author Share Posted December 16, 2020 1 hour ago, GARY F said: Nice car to start with and you are doing great work. thanks, it is probably the easiest project I've ever tackled simply for the lack of rust or corrosion. even the bare steel underside of the rear filler deck is free of surface rust which is unheard of Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted December 16, 2020 Share Posted December 16, 2020 1 minute ago, SpeedyBuick said: it was rear ended HARD. that coupled with heavy rust issues in floors and trunk as well as every single piece of interior and exterior trim being pitted beyond repair made the car less than a viable candidate for repair. That is a shame. From what I can see in the photo, it appears to be a very well equipped car, with more options than the car you have replaced it with. Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted December 16, 2020 Share Posted December 16, 2020 This '67 GS California shows up regularly at local car shows here during the summer. Craig 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted December 16, 2020 Author Share Posted December 16, 2020 I've had a few 67 GS cars over the years including this GS340 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted December 16, 2020 Author Share Posted December 16, 2020 so i cleaned up the 401 and set some of my trinkets on it to see how i like the look. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STEVE POLLARD Posted December 20, 2020 Share Posted December 20, 2020 Very nice work ! How long have you been working on it ? Steve 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted December 20, 2020 Author Share Posted December 20, 2020 11 minutes ago, STEVE POLLARD said: Very nice work ! How long have you been working on it ? Steve just for a few months when i have an extra hour or two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted December 20, 2020 Author Share Posted December 20, 2020 got the front suspension installed and bent up new brake lines. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted December 20, 2020 Author Share Posted December 20, 2020 then i dropped the mock up engine in place to make sure there were no fitment issues. the combination valve interferes with the drivers exhaust manifold position. not enough clearance 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted December 21, 2020 Share Posted December 21, 2020 19 hours ago, SpeedyBuick said: just for a few months when i have an extra hour or two. Then you are working extremely quickly! I can only agree with you: no rust on the underside of the package tray is a rarity! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted January 1, 2021 Author Share Posted January 1, 2021 after giving it much consideration and going back and forth I decided that i didnt want to remake the brake lines and relocate the combination valve. I pulled the mockup 401 engine and installed the mockup Buick 455 and st400 transmission. everything clears just as if it's made for it. had to relocate the crossmember about 4" back. now other than the driveshaft the rolling chassis is complete and it's time to send the engine in to the machine shop and to move the body in to the garage for the next phase 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted January 3, 2021 Author Share Posted January 3, 2021 took a look at the fuel tank and didnt like what i was seeing. Ordered a replacement and proceeded to remove fill neck from old tank and install on new tank. the pickup assy didnt look any better so I ordered a new improved version with larger feed and return connections. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted January 25, 2021 Author Share Posted January 25, 2021 some parts have arrived for the new engine. things have begun to get out of hand a bit. (dont tell my wife) drilled and tapped holes for the oil baffle in lifter galley, it eliminates the need to use the bath tub style intake gasket. wanted this done before the block goes to the machine shop so i'm not creating metal filings after final cleaning. notice how much lighter the new piston and rod are compared to the original parts. 136 grams is a decent reduction and the new pistons are forged and larger. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted January 25, 2021 Author Share Posted January 25, 2021 moved the body into the garage and up on saw horses so i can store the finished rolling chassis under it when not working on it. engine is in machine shop and things are moving right along now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 With different pistons, you will have to balance the crankshaft/pistons assembly. I'm sure you know that! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted January 27, 2021 Author Share Posted January 27, 2021 On 1/24/2021 at 11:57 PM, Roger Zimmermann said: With different pistons, you will have to balance the crankshaft/pistons assembly. I'm sure you know that! oh I'm aware. there are NO shortcuts being taken with this project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted March 20, 2021 Author Share Posted March 20, 2021 now that the chassis is completed I started on the body. The underside didnt have any factory undercoating and just a light coating of road grime and oil from the 55 years of use. sprayed it down with brake cleaner to dry out the oil and then went over the bottom of the car with a wire wheel on a drill. next i degreased it with ZEP505 and rinsed with hot water. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted March 20, 2021 Author Share Posted March 20, 2021 (edited) going on the 3rd month of having my block at the machine shop for cleaning and sonic checking. I can't imagine how long it will take for actual machine work based on the time frame thus far. I do have a complete running 66 GS Nailhead setup I could put in the car instead. Edited March 20, 2021 by SpeedyBuick (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Zimmermann Posted March 20, 2021 Share Posted March 20, 2021 Nice underbody! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted March 20, 2021 Author Share Posted March 20, 2021 10 minutes ago, Roger Zimmermann said: Nice underbody! This car has been a dream with no rust and corrosion . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted March 31, 2021 Author Share Posted March 31, 2021 started painting the underside last weekend. body will be back on the rolling chassis soon. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted April 6, 2021 Author Share Posted April 6, 2021 I got motivated Saturday and put the body back on the rolling chassis. all new body mounts and hardware. I put a bolted body mount in place of the rubber puck puck to give the car a little stiffer chassis. Still a lot more work to be done but every step is progress. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted April 17, 2021 Author Share Posted April 17, 2021 I ran the last two brake lines needed to complete the brake system. Since these are visible anytime the hood is open they had to be just right. A certain member of the AACA forums has a 38 Century for sale and I'd love to replace this car with that Century Hint Hint..lol 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedyBuick Posted April 24, 2021 Author Share Posted April 24, 2021 for me this makes all the effort and sore back muscles worth while. started test fitting front fenders and core support to get a baseline of shims needed 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AutoMechanic Posted April 25, 2021 Share Posted April 25, 2021 Nice project. Sorry about your other car being totaled. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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