To buy, or not to buy -- 1962 Buick Special Deluxe

Step away from the moredoor. Hold out for a two door, leave the four doors for Grandma, like they were in the old days.

 

Regarding comments about the alum 215 Buick/Olds/Pontiac based engines, I found this on the web:

215 CI Aluminum V8, Traco F5000 Heads, Isky valve gear, Crane cam, race pistone, Chrome-molly push rods, ***anium valve caps and solid lifters, steel bottom end with girdle plate, dry sump oil system, weber 500 carburetor (used to run 4x48 IDA wber carburetors on custon intake) on custom intake, dual point Mallory distrubutor, Superlite flywheel, hydraulic Compe***ion clutch.

Is Isky valve gear, a Crane cam and a Mallory distributor American enough?

BHP = 340, Rev. range = 4,000 - 8,000

 

Better in a bunch of ways how? Don't worry about talking down to me, I'm totally ignorant on this topic! Better in terms of frame, body style, engine? All of the above?

Thanks!

 

Thanks so much, will let you know if this one doesn't work out!

 

What started this all was my 1964 Buick Special four door, and it WAS my grandmother's car. And there my love of Buicks began. I know I'm in the minority, I love granny cars!

 

A 1964 or newer Buick Special shares the same ch***is and suspension with other GM intermediate cars (Chevelle, Lemans/GTO, Cutl***/442) so stock or high performance parts are a lot easier to find - brakes, suspension, that sort of thing. The 1962 is a neat little car, but you'll probably have to work harder to find parts for it.

 

Hmm... impressive.

I bet you couldn't find all those parts for that motor though without some serious looking.
And then even if you could, you're making a little above stock Nailhead power. The RPM range is nice though. How many torques?

 

So how do you put a value on your car, to know how much to insure it for? Do you recommend getting an outside appraisal? Talked to a woman at Hagerty who was snippy as hell!

 

My dad had a '62 Buick station wagon with the 215 V8. Pretty cool car!

I thought the '61 Tempest with the 4-banger (half of a 389!) 3-speed stick complete w/transaxle was even cooler! I'd love to find another one....

 

That wagon must have been cool for sure, I like the look of them.

Hope you can find another Tempest!

 

I've got a 62 Olds F-85 wagon, same basic car as the Buick (the doors even interchange). They are very cool cars and are rarely seen, which is a plus for me. Just be aware that parts are difficult to find and are expensive when you do find them. Brake shoes, suspension parts, and steering parts are only available from specialty houses like Kanter, and are priced accordingly ($130 for ball joints - APIECE!!! ). Parts are unique to the 61-63 Special and F-85, and in some cases the 63 parts are different from the 61-62 parts (the steering linkage, for example). You can sometimes find NOS brake and suspension part on ebay for reasonable prices, but that's hit-and-miss.

Surprisingly, you CAN get repro weatherstripping from Steele Rubber, and upholstery and door panels from SMS. The side gl*** is flat, so replacement is easy.

I'm not saying that you should avoid this car (I love my Olds), but just be fully informed about the maintenance costs. Also, since these cars are unibody, carefully check for rust on the underside. No one makes repro sheet metal or trim.

 

they got fantastic mileage, big + today