So I have been thinking. So my dad just bought me a 1958 Buick Special 2dr. The primary purpose of this car will be cruising or a nice weekend drive. It doesn't need to be crazy fast or practically a race car or anything. It just needs to get out of it's own way and be fun to drive. Because I would like to be able to do some longer drives in this car, I have a few things that are important: 1. The drive train can't be so rare as to make repair parts impossible to find except on the internet. I'm not sure how the nailhead, dynaflow, and torque tube fits here 2. The drive train needs to be reliable. Not sure the Dynaflow fits here. 3. It has to be able to hold car seats in the back safely. I guess I need to add some seatbelts. Right now I'm leaning toward doing a dark blue paint job with the white top with a little pinstriping or gold flake highlights in tribute to my Father who is a retired policeman. The interior would be blue on white as well. I'm thinking of going to an open driveline using a truck arm setup from a chevy pickup because I think it is in my price range and skill ability. Any thoughts on my plan so far? Also remember the planet seperates me from the car so this is mainly a research idea phase. <!-- / message -->
So I've done more looking around and think I have a plan. 1. Replace the 364/Dynaflow with a 425/SP400. This seems a good way to keep the buick engine but get a more common transmission. I don't want to just go to a sbc but I feel the later engine combo has better chances of finding parts. 2. Change to an open drive line using a truck arm suspension in the rear off a 60's chevy. 3. Disk breaks up front. 4. Add seat belts all around. Anyone see issues with the plan?
good luck with disk brakes. i was looking for some on my 58 olds, no dice. but if you think about it, drum brakes are better brakes. yeah they take some adjusting and checking every now and then BUT they offer a far larger surface area to brake your car with and that means shorter stopping distances. you might try http://www.transmissionadapters.com/ they have a kit for your original motor so you can drop a chevy trans (i'd choose a 700-r4) in it for mabye the same price of fitting a whole new drivetrain. plus, you would get an overdrive with that. if your worried about finding parts, like say if your on a road trip, just keep a couple spares in the trunk. seriously what could go wrong? water pump? thermostat? belts? alternator? they dont take up THAT much space. you just have to think ahead. good luck dude!
Sorry your Olds is a one year kind of thing, but the Buicks are easy... http://www.scarebird.com/index.php?id=1 He gets a lot more from the 425/SP400 swap than just a transmission, more easily available parts and a bunch of power. And really the Nailhead can pull a nice highway gear and still get up and go without the OD. And the 700r4 would be a tight fit, if you were to go for an OD I'd say 200r4, should go with no floor pan work, though I am not a fan of those adapters at all. The only thing you list there that could be an issue is the water pump, and that's where the 425 wins again. That's the water pump that most of the stores will actually have in the warehouse. Maybe not in the store but close enough that you're not stuck... Thermostat, belts, and alternator are all standard stuff.
i've done just about all of this to my 58 if you need any help let me know. 425 cid 700r4 (trans adapter) ford 8.8 rear end (disc brakes) front disc brakes
which is why EVERY p***enger car and most trucks built in the last 35 years has front disc brakes... even though they are more expensive for the manufacturer.
hi . im building a 58 4 dr hardtop century wagon.. blown 468, 700r4, lincoln 9" narrow/ centered,,(( 5 on 5 bolt patern same as buick) using 72 chevy truck trailing arms.. if i recall i used 72 chevy 1/2 ton front rotors .. bearings fit perfect.. dia and width... also 5 on 5 lug patern ( i made my own caliper brackets)..i used a later saginaw steering box. .. it bolted right up( had to slide column down 1/4 " ) buick pitman arm bolted right up in same location.. maybe this will help.... i have seen someone on ebay,, selling the caliper brackets. hope this helps. don 619-980-1243
58sled, I like the looks of your car. I got a couple questions. What made you pick a 700R4 over the SP400? Did you just add tabs to the stock frame for the truck arms? Are you having any issues with trans adapter? What spindles are you using in the front for the disk brakes? But most importantly, just how well does that 425 move the big Buick? Coolforschool58, I'm with Scarecrow, I think I will go with the disk breaks. Drums may have more surface area but disks keep cooler and have a uniform wear pattern. Yeah, I'm going disk breaks with seat belts.
Thanks. I picked the 700R4 for availability and knowledge. I did just add the tabs to the stock frame but also made a pan hard bar for the rearend. the trans adapter is great i bought it several years ago from http://www.transmissionadapters.com/ Pricey but the fit and machaine work is great. spendles are stock i bought the caliper brackets and instructions from http://www.discbrakemike.com/ and its ok there are a few others on the market now. I have been working on this car for 7 years now and I have not driven it yet but the engine fits fine the only modification was i had to replace the rag joint with a ujoint because the rag hit the exhaust manifold.
58sled, 7 years and you haven't been able to drive it? That is rough man. I won't be able to get at my car for another 9 months until I get off this deployment. The one good thing is that the depoyment money should allow me to get busy on this car when I get back. I'm not sure how crazy I want to go and how fast. I'm pondering getting the body sand blasted. My car is pink right now so that has to go as soon as I get back.
Yeah 7 years has been rough but as you may already know this is a labor of love. Hopeful real soon probably this fall she take her maiden voyage. I wasn't trying to make a super fast car either. Actually my stock 364 was locked up and as I was about to take to the machine shop for a total rebuild a 425 with fresh rebuild presented it's self for about the price of the 364 rebuild. I didn't have to do the math there. I wanted to update the drive train mainly because the cost to get into that closed rearend and dyna flow was more than switching everything out and I got some piece of mind. One thing I regret was not having the body blasted inside and out while it was off the frame. My was originally a pinkish red color (I call it dusty rose) ugly as hell. Good luck with you car. Post some pictures when you get it and let me know if you need any help.
The Jalopy Journal
