Projects ‘28 Buick- ‘40 Cadillac combo....

I traded for a pretty complete ‘28 Buick body, frame, frontend last week. The next day I lucked onto a very complete 1940 Cadillac 346 sidevalve and transmission. I’m hoping to use as much of it all as possible.


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I like your start.... good luck.

Here’s mine...


Rusty, Greasy, Noisy

 

That's a big car. Very intriguing
build though

 

That has the makings of a really cool car! I like the looks of that Buick body and always like when Cadillac engines get put in things. subscribed

 

Love those Caddy flatheads

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Two door ?!?! Rare and cool !

 

That will be one heck of a combination! To luck onto that body was pretty cool but the Cad engine also was really sweet. Were there many performance parts for that engine? That's the first one I've seen.

 

To bend light wall tubing for the body lay the piece over two four by fours spread apart and lay a strip of plywood on top of the tubing then use a two pound sledgehammer to put the bow
In it , try it , be gentle - then cut strips of 18 gauge steel , weld to the tubing and slip into the edge of where the wood was and spot weld . built a model a trunk lid that way once , used roof skin from a 63 galaxy, worked well .

 

.....that truck looks like a blast

This body has had all the wood replaced with tubing. The welding is terrible but the fitting is pretty impressive. They used the top out of maybe a 1970s station wagon, left all the inner bracing in when they grafted it in. I’ll have to redo some things but mostly just pick up where they left off.
It IS a big car for the era, it may make axles and such easier, especially since I want to stick to pre-1950 GM parts as much as possible. Drum brakes, manual steering, etc. I had an A coupe, chopped 5 1/2”, just TOO small for me/the wife.
The Caddy engine really is exciting, I had planned to put a Pontiac straight 8 in, this should be easier.
Thank you for the well-wishes, I’ll post more pix as I go....



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There’s a 2X2 intake and aluminum heads out there but $$$. I’ll split the exhaust but probably leave the manifolds there.


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This looks interesting. I'll watch.

 

The radiator and shroud seem to be in really good condition. It’s way bigger than a model A.


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Good luck with the Buick. Here is my 27 - very similar

 

Nice looking car. I like dark green.


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Trying to stay GM where possible, I found a complete 1950somethin’ Chevy truck front axle. I’m going to go low$$-lowtech with the whole project, reuse and repurpose anything I have or can find easy/cheap. The Buick front tread is 56 1/2” and this axle is 58 3/4”. I’ll cut 2” out of the middle and make a pair of 1/2” thick sandwich plates to drill/bolt the axle back together. Not sure on the steering box yet.....



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I’ve got the “trailer” springs I took off the frame, the Chevy axle springs, and 2 sets of springs off of my old camp trailer. I should be able to come up with something acceptable. The front axle travel likes like a decent amount and will put ride hide right where I want it.


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Today’s score, drums, shoes, spring kits for the front axle. $60- parts were ran 200 miles from new. 4 steel wheels $60


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Got a king pin out. .875 makes the a 1/2 ton between 1941-55, perfect


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@hotBUICKrod congrats on your evolving project...there is a Really well done Big Sedan I posted in the Homogonized Thread...I will post it for inspiration when I find it...Sedans are more space friendly than the Coupes...

 

Thx for the encouragement I hear ya on the coupes being much smaller. I had a ‘28 Model A with a 5.5” chop, kinda hard to breath sold it.


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This Chevy front axle tread is 59” and the Buick’s would have been 56”. I didn’t want to narrow the Chevy a full 3” because the spring perched would end up too close together so I settled for 57” (2”cut out) As promised mods are LOW TECH. What would I have done in 1955?



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I cut a 2” piece out and butt welded the axle together. (I sighted down it for straightness) Then flush ground the top and bottom. I cut a pair of 3/8” thick plates and welded them to the sides. I’ve found that if you keep welds lengthwise rather than crosswise there is virtually no stress raiser. Forged mild steel patched with mild steel plate makes for a very strong repair. In 1955 I would have either brazed it or stick welded it. (I did cheat out of laziness and MIG welded it)


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A pic of the axle with new kingpins and bushings. I was very pleased with how tight thing turned out.


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When I took the hubs off I found ball bearings, this axle had never been upgraded to tapered rollers.
The bearings looked like new and were swimming in Alemite grease “juice” so I just cleaned everything up and reused it. The wheel seals were oooooold school sandwiched-felt-style soaked in Alemite, still in excellent shape so I put them back in. One hub was very early style and still factory riveted to the brake drum. I left it that way but replaced the lugs as 2 were broken. The drum had no wear, strange, oh well.
NOTICE the outer (smaller) wheel bearings aren’t even the same size! The smaller was in the older hub. I put a new drum on the other side. New wheel cylinders, shoes, and springs.
I really like how it turned out.

 

Oh, the center of one cupped washer cracking out so I brazed it up. When I put the washers behind the inner bearing races I put a healthy amount of RTV behind them to prevent it happening again.


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I bought a 2X2 aluminum intake, hopefully it will get here sometime this week.


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