Intakes are year-engine specific....the bigger the engine the wider the bolt spacing, yes, you can use an adapter on some. 6x2's are different as they are two manifolds connected with hose and will work on most of the nailheads.
Yep they must have one and a throttle body of some sort to regulate the amount of air getting stuffed into the cylinders.
That's something I've been wondering about since I've been frequenting this site for the past year or so. Terminology. I thought I'd remembered hearing the vertical valve Buicks referred to as "nail valve", not "nail head" engines. Seems like some article in a very old Rod and Custom magazine claimed the nickname came from them having really long valve stems and small heads compared to most other engines making the valves look like a nail. Am I misremembering?
I have heard them called both ways all my life. The name comes from the smallish valves as compared to other engines of the period and they were notorious for not breathing well. That is a combination of small valves and port layout.
'54 up Century, possibly other series had solid cam, 4bbl, higher compression available if you knew what box to check ... "Export" comes to mind. There's a LOT of Buick people here - do a search ...
'55 322 Nailhead with an old Edelbrock 6 x 2 and other goodies just installed last night. Ran on the dyno and sounded nice, a little lope/bump to the idle
How expensive are adapters to put a manual behind a nailhead? Or is the auto trans good enough? I have access to a 65? Wildcat. Air cleaner says 425 Wildcat on it.
I picked up my Cragar for $125. That converted the nailhead to an early Ford. Tony over at Ross Racing threw an additional adapter on to take it to a 5-speed.
I had heard that they were stout. I need to get it mocked together to see what will fit with my giant ass in there. I'd like to have 3 pedals, but that might not be possible.
The Buick stick bellhousing will take GM four and 5 speed trannys..........................................I can't see how the adapters are any cheaper or better. Am I missing something?
It is a Spalding Flamethrower, expertly rebuilt by @GMC BUBBA. You can find them easy enough for SBCs etc but for a Nailhead....not so easy.
Lobucrod: "The TH400 behind the later nailheads are super tuff. " Yea!! That '65 Wildcat should have one, also called "switch pitch" trans. '63's no! (Not sure about '64's, but '65's definitely.) If I had another NAILHEAD I would stay with an automatic. (And the holes in the fenders were called "Ventiports", but they'll always be PORTHOLES to me.) (They were used for stuffing kotex in to keep Dyna from flowing.)
The Jalopy Journal
