Hello. I recently got a 64 Buick Riviera with a 425 nailhead. A few months ago I got it running for the previous owner just by bolting on a Edelbrock carb to see if it would run. I recently bought the car and when I brought it home I noticed that the car was missing . Ends up the previous owner threw it in his fire pit cuz he planned on replacing it with something else and melted the old carb. My questions would be what would be the best carb to replace it with . . I no nothing about nailheads just looking for options . Thanks in advance for any info .
Sounds like it's a square bore intake....if so I would go with an old real Carter AFB. If you really want fun look for the spread bore intake with a Rochester quadrajet or the Factory dual 4s with AFBs.
It would have had an AFB from the factory, which is what design Edelbrock carburetors are based on...and who the hell over the age of 10 throws carburetors in a fire pit and melts them?
I guess I’m confused. What carb is on it now? As in which one went in the fire pit. Or was the Edelbrock you put on still on it. Or once you got it running you took it with you.
There is no carb on it right now . We had a spare Edelbrock laying around so just bolted that on to see if it would start and then took the car back off when we were done getting it running.
I have read some about the trans kickdown would need linkage made if I ran a Edelbrock. But I can't find a lot on it online .
The original Carter AFB designed by Carter, tested by Carter engineers, then tested and approved by Buick engineers is probably the best choice unless the engine has MAJOR modifications. Not only will it perform better than anything else, everything fits! Jon
The transmission kickdown is an electric switch that can be adapted to the Edelbrock without too much effort. I put an Edelbrock 800 CFM on my 401 but you have to modify the primary bores in the intake slightly for the throttle plates to clear or use an appropriate carb spacer. My motor has been modified though. I think the original AFB was rated @ about 635 CFM. Jon is correct about the AFB being the best choice as the fuel inlet and PCV connection are in the correct location. He can probably fix you up w/ the correct carb. The 64 ST400 transmission is a little different than the later turbo 400 ones Buick used and is a one year only deal.
Here’s a picture I stole off the net (from a Riv site) on mounting the switch to an Eddy. Just a starting point for you. But it’s a Riv, even if not pristine. Keep looking for the right carb. I’m glad you’ve got it before your friend got a bigger fire pit.
As others have said, the original carb was an AFB Carter. That's what I have on my 65 401. The 66 nailheads had Quadrajets on them. The 64 Buick TH400 trans has a torque converter with a fixed stator. The 65-66 versions had a 2 position stator that was electrically switched. It gave you a hi-stall, lo-stall option.
Yes that is the pic I seen that had me questioning what I was going to do . I think I'm going to find a stock rebuild carb if I can . The car is pretty nice still . It was parked for 30 years in a garage ..then about 6 years ago it got moved to the back yard on the grass . I'm glad I got it out when I did .it was tarped so that was good .
I would get the correct number for the original AFB (check Carbkings website) and buy the nicest one you can find on eBay and rebuild it, if you plan to leave the engine stock. They work well and everything is there to hook up correctly. If you’re going to swap cams and stuff and hop it up, you need to make carb sizing and choice part of your hop-up plan. You may want something a little bigger.
The original AFB carb number should be 3635 (std.) or 3665 (auto). Jon should be able to help you. As @jaracer stated, the 64 tranny was a one-year fixed stator model, and the shift lever only had drive and low without the ability to choose second only. Some tie in a hot wire through a toggle switch into the passing gear circuit to hold it in second if needed.
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