This car has been in the family since bought new by my Great Grandfather. I havebeen the care taker of it for almost 10 years but it hasnt seen the road since 1956 and tucked away in a sideyard from 56-2002 and then moved to where I pulled it from today. This will probably be a slow build with lots of fab work involved. The major idea is to make changes to improve driveability/safety and cool mods that can always be reversed to original. With that said plans include Custom built front suspension. New upper and lower A-arms with ball joints designed around late 60's impala front spindle. Making a upper control ARM mount that bolt into the stock cantelevar (sp?) Shock location. Building into the design 6 degrees caster,4 deg neg camber and probably 8 deg anti dive into the upper A-arm mount. I plan on using off the shelf bushings. And to top the suspension off a set of D2600 slam specialty air bags. Steering- I will convert to gm small car power rack and pinion unit. Also will make new steering arms to adjust ackerman angles and shorten the arms to correct for the loss of travel due to the rack and pinion. Brakes- add disc brake via scarebird kit or built by me kit. Hydroboost under the floor with new master cylinder. Motor- a 51 320 (i think 51)was rebuilt in 56 with a 3/4 race cam , I don't even know what that means, and fired for cam break in and never started again until I got it fired 1 year ago this month. I have a single 2 bbl intake on it now. Also have a 1941 2 x 2 bbl intake and exhaust but I plan on making my own 3 x 2bbl progressive log style intake and dual headers. Still researching what would he a good design. Will run a pontiacs HEI.I Will also add power steering pump from an s-10 and am looking for an engine driven York air compressor. I will convert to 12 volts and an alternator and will turn new pulleys for the front of the motor. Transmission- I will be installing a t5 in place of the 3 speed using the stock bell housing with an adapter that is 9/16 thick and the stock fork. Adapter built by me. rear end- out of the same impala I get the spindles from. I am lookin for a whole rolling frame. The track width of my Buick is .1 inches wider then the rear of the impala. I know track width depends on center of tire and not drum to drum but I ***ume it is close. So I have been planning this for along time and doing a lot of research. Hopefully everything looks good in my plans so far. This is by far the oldest car I have owned and built. I have mostly owned late 60's pontiacs gtos and lemans along with many other OT vehicles. Like I said I plan on lots of parts fabbed by me so this will be a long on going project. I will update when progress is made. I hope to take lots of photos and do***ent it well. All parts that are removed will be cleaned painted rebuilt and stored as time allows just encased in another 40 years the family, my son 4 years old right now or his son to be able to put it back to stock. So I am posting this from my android phone and this post alone has taken me 45 minutes . Thanks, Ken
Is that a 70 or 80 model? It's huge, dual sidemounts, I love it. With that cam and the 2x2 manifold you will probably have loads of torque, perfect for the big car - try getting it running with that, maybe fab up some headers. Yes, please, lots of pictures. Small and light is fun sometimes but not as stately - I'm working on a 39 Chrysler, same concept but not quite as big.
Something kinda cool. Rear tires are still holding air from 56 the fronts I replaced in 2002 after they exploded once we moved it the first couple inches.
The car is a 80 series.133 inch wheel base and 4500+ lbs curb weight originally. The car is big to say the least.
Well it's a Buick so it's got that going for it. Can't go wrong with a Buick in my book. I see it completely original looking with wide whites and perhaps just a little lowering, you know, real gangster looking. Make the neighbors bring their kids in when you come down the street. I like it.
Also, that car is a "full cl***ic" - see here: http://forums.aaca.org/f115/discussion-full-cl***ic-status-1936-39-a-196095.html "As many of you know, the Cl***ic Car Club of America (CCCA) has compiled a list of cars that are recognized as full Cl***ics. These cars, built between 1925 and 1948 -- the so-called "Cl***ic Era", are the most costly and luxurious automobiles that were produced during that time period. The CCCA accepts cars like Deusenbergs, Pierce-Arrows, and V16 Cadillacs, but popular production models are typically excluded. Regular production Buicks that have achieved full Cl***ic status are the large series 90 Buicks produced from 1931 through 1942, as well as the series 80 Limited produced in 1940. In addition, coachbuilt cars built on lesser series Buick ch***is have also been accepted as Cl***ics."
CCCA Ful Cl***ic = just some extra bragging rights, I figure, and maybe some more $ at sale time. And if you hot-rod it, you can make some people mad at you for "destroying a cl***ic", which can be kind of fun too. Basically they were top-of-the-line luxury for their time.
Well not going to be selling. Been in the family 71 years already. It will be hot rodded to fallow my grandfathers build. But as I mentioned nothing will be modified that can't be returned. I don't really care to much about 100% stock restos. Usually they r cool cars but would gto boring in my mind. Thanks again Ken
Well not going to be selling. Been in the family 71 years already. It will be hot rodded to fallow my grandfathers build. But as I mentioned nothing will be modified that can't be returned. I don't really care to much about 100% stock restos. Usually they r cool cars but would get boring in my mind. Thanks again Ken
Well I have been out looking over the car and I don't think air bagging it would be a good idea. With how the fenders are designed I don't think I could dropped the car much with the bags. So I may looking to build the front suspension around impala drop spindles. Time will tell. Also I want to keep my stock rims as I have all 6 rims and they r in good shape and I have a set of nos hub caps I want to use. I was looking at tires from coker and want to know if I can run radial. The weight difference is huge. I was thinking about 215/75/16. The car has 7.5 x16lt on the car now. But would like to run a radial with white wall. Can i weld up the rivots that hold the rim to the center section and run tireless or maybe run tubes with the radials? Any help would be great. Ken
It's great that you're carrying on your grandfather's tradition! You can run tubes in radials, just get "radial" tubes from the place that sells you the tires..... with all the fabwork you're doing you're in for a really long haul with this build unless you have a lot of time to devote to it on a weekly basis - and what father of a 4 year old has that? If I could make a suggestion.....get it running, get it driveable, and then do the upgrades a little at a time - that way you can get some use and enjoyment out of the car along the way, and it will keep you interested. Tires, brakes, get the motor running and so on, then maybe do the suspension one month, something else the next ..... good luck!
I will get it running and driving first. I am worried about the brake system though. he brake r why the car wasn't ran after break in the MC went bad. Was replaced and brakes were being bleed when my grandfather got his draft notice. And the car sat ever since. That is why I was goin to fab the front suspension with disc brakes and not worry aboit rhe stock stuff yet but I might as well try it out and see the condition.
Nice car. I say keep it as stock as possible, lower it a little and build it into a reliable cruiser.
Okay my Buick has been home a couple weeks and I've done a little tinkering and was tryin to get the starter to engage. I can get it the starter to spin but solenoid won't engage.When I last started the car I engaged the solenoid by prying the solenoid in with a screw driver. I have to make a trip to my grandfathers because he says he has the keys with the rest of the stuff that belongs to the car. I can touch the small leads to the positive cable and you see the top of the solenoid move but doesn't pull in the solenoid. Could it just be dirty contacts inside the solenoid? I cleaned the battery terminals and cable contacts but that didn't help. I removed the wiring to the car and running starter and 12volt coil only.also using 12 volt battery. Any thoughts would be appreciated.I may pull the starter and clean it up good and take it apart. Just need radiator hose and fill the cooling system. Already flushed the radiator. Then change oil with zinc additive and I will fire it up. Thanks Ken
Just a small update. I haven't gotten the car running yet but the only thing stopping me now. Is I am goin to drop the pan and clean it out really good just to make sure I don't **** up any ****. I have been drawing up parts that I want to build for the car and decided to start small with makin my own valve cover but @ almost 35 inches I guess its not to small. So here is what I have dome so far. Breather ,oil fill, and a place to hide a pcv valve. The valve cover will probably be finned but haven't made up my mind exactly how it will look. Nothing special but I am now 1 hour closer to having my valve cover. They are 2 inches in diameter and 2.25 tall. I didn't want them really big because the valve cover is only 5 inches wide.
buicks used a switch on the carb to engage the starter.. it was operated by the gas pedal. somewhat problematic when old and gooey so alot of them were byp***ed with a regular push****on switch. jsut a tip.. not sure if itll solve your problem or not.
That system was byp***ed by my grandfather long ago. I found a push ****on but it was the solenoid that was all dirty and got it working now. Thanks Ken
I'll be watching with great interest your build on the 1940 Buick. I inherited a 1937 Buick Roadmaster (Series 80) from my Grandparents that looks very similar to yours. I also played in this car as a kid, but your car is in nicer condition. I've only been researching for 6 months how to upgrade this car. Upgrading the front suspension and brakes has been my largest focus. Like you, I would like to keep things reversible. The latest option that I've been researching is using upper control arm from a 1995 Chevy full size Van and possibly brakes from an similar year Astro van. I think our suspensions will be very similar (see attached picture) I ran across the following description written by a hotrodder named Rgreen on: http://forums.aaca.org/f120/37-buick...-195177-2.html Rgreen wrote: "Re: 37 buick suspension upgrade -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, just in case anyone wants the final version. I did the upgrade, am willing to share more details but here is the quick and dirty. I used the stock Buick lower arms, welded in a plate to accept a 90 astro van ball joint. used the 90 astro van spindles, brakes, hoses, calipers and 12 inch vented rotors. Used a 90 full size van upper arm, used the same 90 upper bracket which the upper arm is bolted to. Unscrewed the buick tie rod end and then just screwed in the astro van tierod end fit perfect. Used the astro van power booster and proportioning valves. Since I used the stock steering box, tie rods, and lower arms there shoulb be no bump steer. If you want specific details as to how I set it up for caster and camber and antidive please feel free to contact me. This front end set-up was basically free since I paid 200 for the van, sold the trans for 100, sold the tires for another 100. And still have parts to sell. It took about 20 hours to make the change overs, including cleaning and painting it. I saved all the parts I removed and just in case someone wants to take it back to orginal all you would have to buy or find is stock lower arms. Thanks for the interesting chatting, to begin with I was afraid of the tech aspects, but after hours of internet searching I feel very comfortable with this upgrade and it was easier than I expected." I've been trying to contact Rgreen (Ray Green of Sacramento), but no luck so far. He was also a member of Hotrodders.com in 2004. 1) I would like to find an option that does not require welding on the original lower spindle. I'm not a machinist, like you, so want to find doner parts where possible. 2) How did you come up with your "6 degrees caster,4 deg neg camber and probably 8 deg anti dive into the upper"? 3) Please attach details on the suspension setup as much as possible because I have never set up a suspension and it would be a great help since our cars are so similar. 4) I'm exploring only steering & brake components from the full size van as well Thanks <!-- / message --><!-- edit note --> <HR SIZE=1><!-- / edit note --> <!-- controls -->
Thank you for check-in out the car. Things r goin to be slow. for a while. I got the specs I mentioned just by researching anything I could. Check out this link. I got alot of ideas from it. http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/wiki/1937-1957_Buick_Oldsmobile_Pontiac_suspension_upgrade It's a good read and really helped me understand the steering/brake upgrades. I want to build everything around a set of late 60's impala spindles because they have the 5x5 bolt pattern and are already rear steer. They mention using a different spindle in that article which would work but I want to find a impala ch***is as I would like to use the rear end and trailing arms also since the track widths between the two cars is off by only .1 inches. And yet again same bolt pattern. If all goes well mine will be running soon. I broke my thumb at work month in a half ago and haven't been able to touch the car due to working 12hour.days.and family. I miss my kids.but will be back on it soon. Good luck with the car. U don't see many of.them out there can u post some pictures?? Sorry about all the typing errors. Posting from my Droid and Its got a shattered screen Thanks, Ken
I have read that wiki on upgrading suspensions and found it very informative. Kinda abandoned that approach because a) the '58 pontiac lowers arms are rare and expensive and b) I've never set up a suspension so I wasnt confident I could fab and set up to that level. Maybe if I watch you do on this thread I'll reconsider it. Also could not find a local shop willing to do this mod. I think it's probably a liability issue. In that Wiki, they did not use the 59 & later lower control arms because they were different with a "completely different control arm mount". Are you accomodating this difference with by "making a upper control ARM mount that bolt into the stock cantelevar (sp?) Shock location."? I attached some pictures of my car. Obvious differences are the headlights & front grill. My car has all original drivetrain and has not ran since 'about '52. Thanks
These cars are rare to begin with. I joined the National Buick Club in 1995, have been a Buick Fan since I was a kid (See my '53 Special in my Albums Section.). They only produced about 3,800 of the Series 80 like yours and the price in 1940 was close to $1,600. A similar equipped '40 Ford checked-in at $800.00 ! Repair, restore & drive that cl***ic Buick ! It doesn't need much to be a GREAT Street Rod: as others have stated, get the driveline, powertrain, body, interior & paint done. Lower it a little in the process, then leave it alone. IT'S COOL JUST AS IT CAME FROM THE FACTORY ! Jonnie King www.legends.thewwbc.net
Yes I am makin a new upper control arm mount along with complete new upper and lower arms with ball joints.then I will set all the original stuff in a box to store it. Also while I am at I am goin to install a power rack and pinion.
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