Buick test run - 10,000 miles at 120 mph

[RivNut]

I posted this a number of years ago but there are so many newbies that I think that they would like to be reassured that driving a 325 hp 401 powered Riviers on the highway at sustained high speeds is nothing new and will not harm that nailhead under your hood.

 

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/buicks-innovative-1960-torture-test-at-daytona/

[lrlforfun]

The guy who got this video in the mix was a Texan I believe, Jim Romer....not sure. He had a 65 Riv all black including chrome.  Mitch

[NTX5467]

Mr. Romer was an interesting car guy.  The black Riviera was a GS model that had been lowered 1" for a more sinister look.  Also had a 425 2x4bbl engine in it.  He showed the car in indoor car shows and also drove it some back in the 1980s.  The car also starred in a "Walker, Texas Ranger" episode, shot in Downtown Fort Worth.

 

The day of the filming, he said he arrived at the appointed location to hand over the keys of the car to the production crew.  They also explained the time line for their need of the car.  Also suggesting some local food/drink establishments he could use to wait in.  So he said he chose one and went in for a while.  After his meal, he thought he would wander outside to see what was going on.  About the time he got to the sidewalk and looked around, he heard some activity and looked to see his black Riv doing a 4-wheel slide around the corner of the Court Building, with the perp leaving the scene of "a crime".  With those 2x4bbls gasping for all of the air they could consume.  Probably seeing what he was not supposed to see as it happened.

 

Then, when production had finished, he went to the appointed location and met the staff again.  They talked a bit, did their business work, and he left.  The car apparently none the worse for wear.  Who'd ever thought a Buick could or WOULD be driven that way?

 

Jim also had a Turbo GN, also all black.  That was his daily driver car.  It had also made several trips south to get "enhanced" by the GN guru of the times.  Upgrades to powertrain as well as chassis.  At a time when the ZR-1 Corvettes and GN turbos were the fastest production street cars being built.  One night, he said "what he thought was" a ZR-1 went by him, so he tried to pursue it.  That was when the handling dynamics of the Corvette chassis proved to be superior.  No body damage, just a scare.  Which generated another "trip south".

 

During those times, Jim was a member of our North Texas Chapter, BCA.  One of his running buddies was a car broker in the area, who became a stunt driver for some of the "Walker, Texas Ranger" productions.  We were at a consumer Ride & Drive event at Texas Stadium.  A Buick Zone Rep also came to many of our meetings back then, so he advocated that our chapter members go to the event, which we did.  The cars were the new Regals and Regal GS cars, in the late 1990s.  Jim's friend and his girlfriend were there.  He was changing his position in line so he could drive one of the new GS (supercharged) models.  When he got to that car, we heard lots of tire noise on launch and in the corners of the driving course.  We chuckled that that Product Presenter in the front seat got a ride he didn't get from other attendees that day.  Again, the car was driven in a "non-Buick-like" manner, but one which the chassis was certainly capable of doing.  Another of the "fun times" we had in our chapter, back then.

 

The interesting thing was that soon thereafter, CAR AND DRIVER did a comparison test between the Regal GS and the similar Grand Prix GT, and Autobahn Package Olds Intrigue.  All had the same Goodyear Eagle GT tires in the same size.  The interesting thing was that EACH car's suspension calibrations were different, but the handling numbers were identical.  The GP had the "street fighter" feel, the Olds Intrigue was refined (with its 4-stage valved front struts) for a more refined ride, with the Regal GS being in the middle as to handling feel.  An extension of "Fast with Class", it seemed.

 

Y'all enjoy!

NTX5467

Edited October 27, 2023 by NTX5467 (see edit history)

[XframeFX]

Seen the Youtube clip awhile back but not this Hemmings article. Good to see the video again. Must be boring to non BUICK and non Car People. Just like trying to get me excited over Pickleball!

Interesting to note, 15 gallons every 30 minutes. The 401 exhaust has a nice note but being the 2nd year for the 401, proves it to be thirsty!

No OD transmission and I believe 1960 Buicks had that heavy torque-tube. At 120 MPH, the 401 is turning what? About 5000 RPM with the shallowest axle ratio?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 30, 2023 by XframeFX (see edit history)

[NTX5467]

I'm going to suspect the cruising rpm is closer to 4000rpm @ 100mph.  I recall that the car came in every so often for an engine oil check, but no mention of how many quarts of motor oil was consumed.  Interesting "in flight refueling"!

 

NTX5467

[RivNut]

https://spicerparts.com/calculators/transmission-ratio-rpm-calculator
 

 Found the diameter of a vintage 7.60:x 15” tire, used the most common rear gear, and 1:1 as the final transmission ratio.  That car could have had a 2.XX rear gear, who knows what size NASCAR tires, and I have no idea about the actual final gear of a Dynaflow but even a sustained 4500 RPMs for that long of a period of time would have to give you some faith in the longevity of your engine.

 

I just realized that the link dos not include the figures that I enteterd.

 

3.07 Rear gear

 

28.7 tire diameter 

 

and 1 as the transmission gear.

 

use the calculator and play with your own numbers.  
 

I looked but couldn’t find a calculator that worked by using speed to find RPMs

 

 

Edited October 30, 2023 by RivNut (see edit history)

[RivNut]

10 minutes ago, NTX5467 said:

I'm going to suspect the cruising rpm is closer to 4000rpm @ 100mph.  I recall that the car came in every so often for an engine oil check, but no mention of how many quarts of motor oil was consumed.  Interesting "in flight refueling"!

 

NTX5467

As I listened, I gathered they never shut the engine off. How were they effectively measuring the oil level?

Edited October 30, 2023 by RivNut (see edit history)

[MikeJS]

2 hours ago, RivNut said:

As I listened, I gathered they never shut the engine off. How were they effectively measuring the oil level?

Ed, good day.

 

They appear to be checking the dipstick at about 10:50 of the video (and probably every other 2-hr pitstop), but no way of knowing if the car is turned off. I've never checked the oil while the car is running, and something I've never even thought about, but would it be possible (in theory) to calculate how much of the engine's oil capacity would be in circulation while the car is running and how much would be in the pan at any particular moment. Thus giving the 'engineers' some level of oil use. Sometimes, engineers have (or like to believe they have) an answer for everything...

 

Later,

 

 

[NTX5467]

Perhaps they had an auxiliary oil tank they used, not unlike a dry-sump system?

 

Seems like it was in the Grump Jenkins engine book that they discovered that with a dry-sump system installed on a race motor, that a small block Chevy motor only had about 1/2 quart "in the engine" with the engine running.  Measuring the amount of oil in the oil tank.

 

As to oil level checks with the dipstick and the engine running?  Probably not accurate considering all of the oil mist slinging around within the crankcase?  Have to make sure the dipstick was clear of the spinning counterweights, too.

 

NTX5467

[RivNut]

I don’t know the answer to the following question but perhaps someone does.  Does the nailhead crank splash in the oil in the pan? If not, a determination could be made as to where the “full” line would be on the dipstick.  If the crank does splash, then a dipstick reading would be nearly impossible.  All we know for sure is that the trials were completed to the satisfaction of Buick. 😁

[XframeFX]

I too wondered about oil level and that 10,000 miles is way beyond service interval.

They added a vent to the fuel tank AND red/green level switch to stop 60 psi fuel xfer.

So, maybe they added a level switch in the oil sump. Knowing how much of oil capacity is in windage, they could determine a safe level above the pickup tube.

My thoughts.

[NTX5467]

Think "oil mist" in the crankcase, from windage and how much oil is thrown off from the main and rod bearings' "leakage".

 

3.23 gears with later H78x15 tires is right at 25mph/1000 rpm.  With 2.76 gears, it gets to right at 29.0mph/1000rpm, but seems like a 2.93 axle was available, so that might be closer to 27mph/1000rpm.  NOT allowing anything for the DynaFlow's torque converter slippage.

 

Somewhere in my archives, I have a VHS copy of that tape, but it's been ages since I looked at it.  Quality was not that good, but good for the time.

 

Although I was young at the time, I don't recall hearing of Buicks having issues with high-speed travel.  My uncle had a '60 LeSabre 4-dr ht and he and his wife liked to drive fast on the highway.  He did have some issues with the Carter fuel pump's internal valves failing until he finally had to buy a new one.  The ears holding the valves would straighten-out, rendering it useless and resulting in a trip interruption.  He carried a rebuild kit in the trunk and could do the "fix" there.  One day, it happened on their way back from a trip and he didn't have a rebuild kit with him.  A guy in a late model Oldsmobile took him to the nearest town to get a rebuild kit.  After that, he got approval to spend the $20.00 or so for a new fuel pump.  End of issues.  That was in about 1964 or so.

 

I suspect that driving that Buick must have been exciting and boring at the same time?

 

NTX5467

Edited October 31, 2023 by NTX5467 (see edit history)

[RivNut]

My dad was stopped by a Wyoming State Trooped back in the late 60s for driving 93 in his 1963 Wildcat.  The trooper let him go because he “appeared to be in control” and just advised him to slow down. Dad set the speed minder on 80 and continued his trip.  He was in no hurry, just said that at that speed the car seemed to be in its comfort zone. 

[NTX5467]

In watching that video again, a few things stood out.  Other than the fuel tank and refueling items, that exhaust did not sound "stock".  I suspect the suspension was of the "Export" variety in order to run that fast without feeling as soft as the normal suspension might at those speeds, much less at normal 65mph speeds.  In one of the radio transmissions, the "level check" stated that the manifold vacuum was about 4.5" Hg, which would mean the engine was not at WOT, but close and also probably into the power enrichment area of the fuel curve.  As atf temp was about 210 degrees F.

 

Neat to see all of that stuff going on!

NTX5467

[Silverarrow]

 Love it.