1952 buick, special indeed, made it home.

I can't seem to recall when John and I talk this deal over, I know it was some months back.
We came to an agreement, and he traded his 52 Buick special for some of my dead presidents.well time went by and just a few day ago, on monday my car was delivered to my door.
The over alk condition is good, solid body and about 95% complete, minus engine and trans wich i had been working on for the time beeing.
The floorboard is where it needs the work, there's swiss cheese and then theres this....lol.should be fun tho.the trunk is solid, so is the gas tank to my surprise.
Also included in the deal was a dashboard upgrade from a Buick Super..nice!
The car it self was pulled from what appears to be a forrest in Chena River, AK.
Not bad for having sat near a river, alot better than xars you find here in soCal near the beach, salt is the worst!
Ive included pics for a better understanding of what i just said.
I have tried to upload more pics but there's a limit, bumner.I can take this to facebook and upload as many asI please but what's the point. This thread didn't work out as I planned..oh well.I tried

 

looks good

 

Hell yes!

 

good start!

 

She is in great shape. What are your plans? Got a few links you might be interested in for parts.

http://bobsautomobilia.com/

http://www.oldbuickparts.com/catalog/

Subscribing to your thread.

 

My plans are to incorporate small buick features, such as the rounded lower front door corners found on the super and higher models, this is done by extending the fender pass the door.this allows removal of the fender, I will round the hood in a similar fashion and hide the seem right underneath the belt line.I will remove the front bumper all together and shortened the grill to make room for a 52 Olds 88 bumper.ill ve replacing the stock taillights for older 49 buick units,placed upside down of course.
I will chop the roof, but not much, ill do so with a 52 special hard top front and rear glass. There shorter by 1" or so.
My goal is to keep it looking factory but at the same time throw people off and leave them wondering.
I will call it the 1952 Buick Limited.
This idea and name are taken!
Patten pending, or more like taken...lol

 

Viva la buicks! that side trim is kool!

 

Gearslammer, you rolling a 54 Buick in your avatar?

Buickvalvenut, looking forward to your creation. What motor are you looking to put under the hood? There is a slick 53 by me that the owner put in a Buick 455. Truly a ground pounder.

The links I gave you for parts are good sources for odds and ends. New badges, dashboard items, etc. When I purchased my 54 Special and went looking for parts I was astonished at what was available.

Buick. The Beautiful Buy.

 

The stock straight eight, with a lil more work than the usual .my goal is to keep it stock yet add a lil thump to the back bone.
I'm going to port the head for better air flow,tho ill be running stock valves for now, ill be upgrading to chevt valves and stems along with a dif cam.
I have a factory dual carb setup that will feed it from the start.
For now my intetions are to get it going, repair the break system, reinforce the floor and drive as is.

 

I'm pretty sure gearslamer is rolling a 54.the hood looks round compared to the 55, wich is flat.def not a 53.
By the way, thanks for the links 54buick.i have those saved in my android.

 

Awesome you will use the straight 8. She is a work horse. I guess the original torque tube and axle are still there?

 

Its a hard top 54 for sure.

 

Yes, still there, I want to keep the labor to a minimum so it will do.I am however going to change the gears, wich I have a second axle.ill be swaping out if the second set proves to be a better candidate.
Ill be swapping the stock portholes with later 53 as well.

The tires appear to be new, beeing that i dont have nowhere to store it, but were its sitting.anything i can do to keep them from drying and cracking?

 

1954 buick special hardtop w/ all original organs.

 

No heart transplant, wich makes it a 264, If I reckon. Any pics?

 

Planning on hoppin up my 263 this winter myself .

 

Mine is the 48D C-dan. 264 and 3 on the tree.

The tires I would coat in armor all to help prevent cracking and dry rot. The transmission for the straight 8 will be a dynaflow?

 

yup still using the 264/dynaslow.....ive been thinking about getting a 401 and slowly rebuilding it.

 

A few pics.its on stands kuz im switching the coils out.

Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

very nice gearslammer

 

Yup..what he said.

 

Porting the heads alone makes a dif.the problem with those heads is the valves..to thick.wich is why I'm going with small block cheby valves. Better air flow!
A cam will also make some dif.not much to play with but what you can do will cost.

Any pics of your mill?

From what I know buick engine have always been the mill they look at when they need serious torque.
The straight 8 was used in the old Flxer busses and then the nailhead in the GM/GMC 2/rear wheeler trucks..buick was on to something.
Wich by the way, if I remember correctly, the Flxer buses had two water pumps and for sure had a thicker fan felt..
The actual name was Flexer, but to be able to claim rights to the name they took out the ".E"
Pretty clever ay!

 

My 1951

 

1951

 

One more

 

Yes, but not any Dynaflow..let me explain.
From the begging of time up thru 1952, the dynaflow remained the same.in 1953 it changed to a twin turbine.with that change came a dif flexplate.
Out of all the straight 8 the 53 is the dyna to be had.the flex has the same diameter as a nailhead flex with the straight 8 cranck mounting holes.you guys with me?
So that 1yr only flex along with the 53 dynaflows bellhousing one could run any dyna from 53 up to 56, wich for the S8 would be a big dif, the 56 beeing the best of all 4 will change your world. And thats exactly what im going to do.back my S8 with a 56 twin turbine Dynaflow.

 

263

 

Really nice Timelord, one day mine will look alike.
Have you done anything to the straight 8?

 

Swert lookibg compartment.did you find any cracks on your exhaust manifold..they tend to cracks with gaskets.I have two and thwre both cracked..oh well.

 

The coil for the fuel looks like your answer to vapor lock.