Tri-Five Buick/Oldsmobiles 54-55-56

Whats your plans for it? Gotta lot of potential to go alot of different directions. If the engine in your avatar is in that car, thats a sweet set-up

 

www.rodandpiston.com/pictures.asp?id=cruise/sandr09i&pic_count=25 is a link to a few pics of my 56 olds with a flamed paint job done by a local hot rod chopper builder now I want to go out to the garage and uncover it and snap some good pictures for this thread

 

thanks to rodster for posting the pic for me in another thread

 

I actually like that flames on that car alot. Usually I dont like white base color but that looks good.

 

man i like that 56 with the flames......................john

 

Well, I can imagine. can't I ? Got this done at a car show this past Fall. Thanks again for the continued support of this thread. Clubs here are often overlooked, but I hope we can revisit this thread from time to time even with the same cars for updates. Would like to share the things I've found about our cars (54 thru 56 Buick and Olds) that others may use. Technical or style questions will probably be answered best by those of us with the same cars and interest.
You all game?

 

Yep. Speaking of help. I have to replace the brake line that runs to my rearend, since I swithed it out for a 56 olds. its a small little line I think quarter inch. Can I use a bigger size for that line or is the size designed for a reason.

 

guess I better join the party.

hers my '55 super 88 at the moment original 324 and hydro. plan is a 455 and TH400 and probably a *cough* jag front end. so I get ball joints and r&p power steering etc.

 

Stutz....... The brake line size should be the same on your Buick as the Oldsmobiles. The size of the line will probably be dictated by the size of the fittings going into the wheel cylinders. You'll need to deal with the same thing on the junction block and out of the flex line. Not sure how you'd change the size without a lot of trouble. Once the lines are full no matter what the size, the pressure should be the same, but why take the chance? I actually found the flex line I needed on Ebay very reasonable. Made all my other lines by hand without a problem. If you have any of the old lines, I used the fittings without a problem. Good luck! Sir Woosh/Jerry

 

Here's a nice Buick from my local area-

 

I only wish this thread included 57s. Mine would be here.

 

Beautiful car Flatoz. I've been following your 55 since it first showed up. Good selection for the engine/trans upgrade. I did an Olds 350/350 combo in one of my 55's.

As for the front suspension, do you already have a jag front end to use? Do what works best for you if you already have it figured out.

I was extremely happy with the way a 74 Trans-Am subframe worked under my 55. Instead of only grafting the 2 main rails, I ran the subframe tails run back and tie into the X member. Stronger set up with less frame twist. The new engine cradle made it a lot better to place the newer engine too. The forward steering box gave me better header clearance and easier access to mount a firewall master cylinder and lines and electrical hook up in the area. The frame horns in the front required very little work to remount the bumper and reset the front clip. I now have two forward mounts for the front clip which makes it more adjustable to line up the whole front end.

Just an idea, but it worked for me............ Again, great car you have there! Sir Woosh/Jerry

 

Kan........ Bring on the 57. While primarily thinking of the interchangeability of the 54 thru 56, your 57 is certainly a brother. I posted my 57 Olds earlier on up. Plus there's a 56 Olds owner that tricked me good by mounting a 57 roof and front end on his. Now that's an interchange piece of magic!

 

Not to hijack the thread, but I bought a '56 Olds 88 2 door post parts car last fall and I will be parting it out this spring, if anyone wants the parts to convert a 4 door post to a 2 door I'll have all of that stuff, doors, quarters, and seats. Should work for Buick Specials as well. They do look nice as a 2 door post. I'll have other parts too, I bought the car for the front fender headlight sections.

 

Yeah that sneaky little Devil Had me going too.



As far as my break lines, that 56 olds rearend has that sweet original line that hugs the housing and connects at one point on the vent bolt. Just put that on tonight. the Buick orig set up split closer to the front and ran to different lines. I am only replacing one line in a straight line back. Works out in my favor. Love that when it happens. I was pondering my parking brake also. the factory one (still intact in my car but hangin at the moment) was hung off the torque tube. I am not sure as to were to go with it now that it is open drive and even if it will be close to the right length. I just kinda set it up to see and it looked to long. any ideas gang?

 

Oooooo the pain. Another Olds bites the dust for it's cool custom headlights. Just kidding. It's a tribute that the headlights are so sought after. I'm a little far off for parts, but here's a chance for you others to pick up on possible missing parts. Hope Ryan doesn't mind the yard sale on this thread. Don't forget to put the parts on the classified page too. And thanks for giving us first dibs............

 

Amen to that... ill prolly be hitting you up for something. Curious... Do you think there is any interchange on the 54 Cadillac Drag link and 56 Olds? I know that prolly way off but since I am mainly a Buick guy cant hurt to ask.

 

Sure wish I had one of those interchange books for our year cars. Buick and Caddy's are so close in features that I'd think the drag link would work. NAPA has the best books for match up around here.......

 

It was already used once as a parts car for another Olds that got restored, I don't think it's a fixable car anymore, but I'll try to save whatever can be reused.

Also, there's a local junkyard near me that has a few 54-56 Buicks and Oldsmobiles in it, so if anyone needs anything, let me know, I can check into it once the snow melts off.

 

Was Olds in the higher class (or Price range) closer to Cadillac or was Buick, or were they both Mid range?

 

holy crap, i love this thread, here's mine. Haven't done a whole lot to it, mostly get it running again and toss the 63 wildcat rims on it with new skins. plans are to shave the hood and trunk, shave the door handles, and update a few things with the suspension and engine. keeping 322 and ditching the dynaflop and torque tube

 

BTB Rocco I love how that year is the only one and came to a point in the front. They had a neat looking face.

 

Buick was above Olds. A little more refined, a little more banker and doctor oriented. Buicks were for people who were ALL grown up. Oldsmobiles were for the guys that weren't quite there yet. Or didn't have the coin to step up a little farther and didn't want to drive one of those ugly Pontiacs.

 

Jerry,

thanks, main reason for the Jag is its easy to obtain in Australia and parts are readily available etc. we don't have any of the regular suspects you US guys use for subframe swaps and I don't want to go local holden. So grafting the jag into the existing frame will work well. I won't have to worry about mounting location for sheet metal etc. I think it was Z man that did a full front and rear out of a jag in a '56 buick on here.

the jag front ends are cheap enough here. personally I don't like them used in any 'rod' as such but in these larger cars that it can't be seen that had IFS anyway, I can learn to live with it. I looked at a scarebird kit, but as the parts used are foreign and not available to me locally the $$ for parts is steep. then the inner tierods aren't available new either so that was when I scrapped the scarebird idea.

As I drive this as an everyday I want something that I can replace easily as its going to get the miles up on it. Also want discs up front and power steer so the wife is happy to drive it too.

 

Hahahha, thanks Belair. that was a spot on explanation.

 

hey, i have a hollender interchange that does 49-59. so jerry just ask away........................john

 

Yeah, i like the 56 buick better(comes to that nice point like you said) than the 55.... 55's tooooo flat in front. but, to each there own.. forgot to mention, i'm swapping the buick dash for a 56 olds dash....way cooler in my opinion.

 

I like the Olds dashes because of the glove box in the middle. Makes a sweet place to stash stereo and toggle switches and shit

 

I got one for you... 54 Cadillac Center/Drag link (whatever they are called) with a 56 Olds.

 

Well, she's broken in Moses lake, but soon...really.