I have a 53 Buick and I am going to do a frame swap anybody have and ideas on a frame that would match up to the Buicks wheelbase, and front and rear track. If anyone has done this or has any ideas let me know modern running gear works alot better with todays driving.
I'm told a 77 caddy works perfect for width and length. I used a 77 Pontiac Bonniville on my 53, but the frame had to be lenghtend 5 1/2 inches.
This idea keeps surfacing and I have to agree with the majority opinion.........it's not a great idea. The frame under your Buick is a particularly stout unit, far superior to any later model chassis............For less work and a better outcome, you can change the components, i.e. front and rear suspension and driveline and end up with what you want. Using a GM front 'clip', from say a '76 to '79 Caddy Seville for example. The Seville was a heavy car and the control arms, spindles, brakes etc are sized accordingly and retain the same wheel bolt pattern on '78/'79. The '79 is best in my opinion, as it has the largest brakes and bearings etc. In the rear, you can use any of a variety of GM 10 bolt or Ford 9" rear axles with the "Truck arm" rear control arms and use you existing springs and track bar. Do some research and you'll find this and other choices. I fully understand the allure of changing frames and "PRESTO CHANGO" all your wishes are met. If only it were that easy. If you want a quality result, changing frames will entail a great deal of detail work, mount fabrication and so on. In the end, it is your car and your time and money..........so do what you want......but you have been cautioned. Ray
If the frame is fine just go through everything maybe throw some new bushings on there and grease everything up and you might be surprised at how well these heavier cars drive. Keep in mind the vintage tires do have some effects on steering as well when you get on highways that truckers r on then ur fightin rutts!
I used to have a 53 it was on an Olds chassis and now we have a 50 sedanette on a Cad 77 frame by clipping the Buick x-frame with 77 Coupe de Ville front and back. Rags
Odds are, after a frame swap, any tangible benefit of that will be elusive. A '53 Buick drives/handles well at left lane speeds. Already. Want to stiffen up the ride a bit? Add sway-bars and stiffer shocks.
I totally agree with the potential of Jag suspension...........very easy adaption of XJ & XJS crossmember.............and rear end too,for that matter............ Ray
I'm in the middle of a frame swap on a '55 Special, using a 78 LeSabre frame. Not a easy date for sure. My reasons were that the 55 frame, while rust free had some pretty severe problems from a collision previous to my buying it in '79. The left rear frame rail was kinked, the rear crossmember should have been replaced and the frame was not square. Clipping the front end was looked at also, but after looking at several donor subframes, it seemed to be less hassle to swap a later model frame than to re-engineer the original. And a aftermarket such as from Fatman was considered and rejected due to the cost, about 3k for the front end alone. Issues we ran into was that the rear axle "hump" in the floor pan lacked the clearance necessary for the new frame. Solution was to cut the floor pan until we are finished with the swap, then build a new floor section back there. Another was getting the body to sit low enough on the frame. I had limited communications with another poster here regarding his 77 Caprice frame swap to his 55 Buick. He stated that he had problems with the body being too high on the frame, about 4". The only thing that I could see causing this was the shape of the rear frame rails due to the difference in frame angle in the trunk area. Without a lot of explaination, our fix was to cut the rear rails behind the rear suspension towers and make out own rear frame section out of 3"X1/4" square steel. This was we were able to make the body sit on the frame in the approximate same relationship to the original frame. Our new problem is mounting the front sheet metal as the core support is "free floating", meaning that the front clip is supported by the fender skirts instead of the core support like Chevys used. Again, your results may vary. This was made easier by a lot of factors, a hoist available instead of other makeshift body raising devices,a plasma cutter, Mig welder, a son in law (kinda sorta) and a friend of over 40 years with a lot of hot rodding experience fabbing also. He is more skilled in that part, whilemy talent is in visualizing and the engineering of the whole product. Not that I can't turn a wrench, I'm better at rebuilding and restoration than the actual fabrication of articles. So, it's not for the faint of heart, I'll testify to that! And we are still working on it, the frame is almost completed. Started in October last year, another couple of weekends and the frame will be at the sandblaster.
My Olds has been running around for the last decade with the original 56 stuff under both ends. I think its going to need an idler arm soon,($50.00 Kanter) Honestly, these old cars drive very well, and ride great. I really wouldn't scrap the stock frame. Scarebird makes a really slick rollerbearing/disc conversion (type "scarebird" into the HAMB search) there is a really well photographed thread, involving an early 50s caddy. As for the rear, NASCAR fellas have been converting all those newer chassis, to the long rear trailing arms, just like your Buick has. All the "upgrades" of the 70s were usually cost cutting measures, that old Buick's frame is not inferior, It was just too expensive to keep building them like that. Lube it up, change the worn out stuff (kanter) save your money, and drive it. HOWEVER, if the chassis is unsaveable, Pay the money, drive the donor car home, cut the body off the floorpan. Cut the floor out of the Buick and weld the two together. If you can do it without having to bleed the brakes, Its probably worth it. But If you got to do a bunch of fabricating, its not. BTW. I think the big rounded 90s caprice is long enough but awful wide for deep wheels
My53 has dropped uprights and four bar rear with bags all round and drives great for 1953 but i only cruz it not flog the shit out of it!!!
'53 Buick locates the rearend using the torque tube, has a swaybar and coil springs, no trailing arms. At least that's how the one I had that when I bought it was sitting upside down was. We had a '54 someone ruined by trying to clip with a chunk of later model frame. With today's technology and parts availability it shouldn't be a big deal to put in a different crossmember and brackets to run a trailing arm coil spring suspension. Having worked around later model GM frames, (77-up), I would never use one under an older car. They flex too much, they're not very strong, and they're terribly rot prone.
Heavier than what? At 3,845-4,150lbs. they're barely heavier than a 4 door Honda Accord and lighter than a lot of other new stuff.
Put me in for a vote on not doing frame swaps, unless the original frame and floors are completly junk. Doing late 70's gm frame swaps are very common but In my neck of the woods they rust out ten times faster than original 50's frames. Try your best at repairing and or modifying what you allready have. The car as a whole will be more desireable the less out of place the parts it is made up of are i.e. honda parts generally don't look good on old american iron. Same as a 70's frame does not look correct under a 50's car. As far as "modern" running gear being better for today's driving a 53 was built to run on very rough roads alot of dirt roads then also more open roads. Today you have traffic. If you want to feel like you are driving a honda but look like you are driving a classic car you are missing the point. My 57 sails the freeway at 80 like a clipper ship on smooth waters. Anyways the only thing anyone needs for todays driving is to be able to text and drive at the same time and that does'nt require a frame swap.
I get 18 mpg on an all stock motor. Old stuff works it's all in the tuning and how you use it. Suspension, steering, brakes, engine, and trans adjust them to meet your needs. In city driving I can downshift my auto trans and barely use my brakes at the same time listen to my pipes rap. But on another note I had a hell of a time doing a front wheel bearing conversion to tappered bearings but that is because I wanted to keep the drums. Imo drums can perform, and offer less rolling resistance than discs just not cool down as fast but with knowing this I don't abuse my drums. Little tricks like using bigger car or station wagon wheel cylinders help. Remember semi's use drums.
This is my second 53 project. On the first build I used a camaro clip and a 9" ford rearend. For this build I put the body on a 73 riviera frame and drive trane. Had to move the mounts inside and use the tail off the original frame but other than that its a pretty simple swap. You will spend more on the wheels as they are 5x5 and due to the width you will need to use a plus 35 offset. (two inches from mounting flange to outer flange on wheel. Max 2.5)
You suppose the original poster is still debating what he's going to do 9 months later? Well, I suppose he could be, but it's building a car, not giving birth.
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