Technical 65 Buick Special

Biggest problem with putting a Nailhead in it is finding the rare 65-66 GS exhaust manifolds. I am building a 65 Skylark clone and had to pay a premium for them. Also need a rear sump nailhead oil pan which is not so hard to find.

 

These?



This is Not going to work if you’re trying keep factory stock. But easy to do because I fabricated log manifolds (headers) for a 66 Skylark GS when I was 17 yrs old. Out of Stupidity and handy availability I used schedule 40 weld type pipe fittings. Same style of fabrication as a guy would do with tubing.

 

Just built an intake and exhaust manifold/headers out of same stuff. Works great.

Ben

 

the 350 story is true. just finished building my own 350 s/p intake(about 10yrs ago) and installed in a Skyhawk sq tube ch***is car. the engine was +30 hyper pistons w/stock rods. balanced and b/p'ed. cam was t/a .530? lift, 1.65 rkrs and 2 1/2 headers(modified chevies). didn't know at launch it broke the top of the rear shock. at 1/4 it started to go to the wall, looked at tach and it was 10k. my thought was it was gone. nope. hit the wall, knocked out, woke up and it was idling down the track. they said I was on 2 wheels going to the wall. that's where the 10k came from.
people on the v8buick board know who I am and what I do and have done with the 350. the 350 is a great engine when built properly. currently it runs forged 283 pistons(can't go any further out), roush ford nascar rods w/honda 1.88's, modified 340 d/q mopar intake for the blower, 650 holley and various other parts. plain 10-30 amsoil is changed every other year and no oil filter on it. we have gone 9.0@147 with a "kentucky windage" tune up. it is just a r&d project for me.
please tell me what i am doing wrong with this engine..........

 

It does not sound like your doing anything wrong but you sure ain’t using much Buick stuff either lol

 

@gsjohnny Well...for starters...............just kidding

got any pics......not for proof.......just sounds like something it would be a pleasure to see.!

Ray

 

N

Not a simple bolt in, but a pretty easy swap really.

 

Yes those are the 65-66 GS manifolds.

 

sorry for late reply. hurt my back, again, getting ready for the snow storm.
back when I started the 350 project there was really nothing available w/o paying an arm/leg. parts wise, it's a one off engine, thanks to ebay. plus I like driving my machine shop crazy. lol. it would take 4 times the money to do what's in it today.

 

I think all the 455 and Cadillac talk drove the OP away.......
Too bad, I was hoping to learn something about 350 Buick’s.


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There's one of these cars - a 2-door hardtop - sitting behind a house on the alley to my home. Pretty perfect unrestored condition from what I see every day. Never saw it run or move for that matter. Body looks absolutely straight and I don't remember any rust. Will say the gold paint looks original but needs attention. All trim looks straight - body doesn't have any damage. Never asked about the car. Parked on gr*** beside the rear driveway. If you don't live here you won't know it exists. Can post a pic tomorrow when the sun comes up.

 

Pic of the 1965 Buick Special parked in my alley.
Last registered 2015.
Recently gone derelict, being used for storage.

 

My mom had a '65 that she purchased in '66 new in '66 so when the ***le came it was ***led as a '66 (some states did that). We put a big nail head in it on a weekend that she was out of town and using my car for whatever reason. It was work but we got it done and it was pretty funny to see her leaving the driveway with it.

If I had a running V6 special I would probably not buy a smogger motor to put in it. There are just too damned many better options.

 

The original Fireball V6 that came in Specials is the same basic engine that morphed into GM's 3800 series V6 after GM sold the engine tooling to AMC/Jeep in 1966 then bought the tooling back in 1973. You could build a Buick GNX turbo V6 engine and simply bolt it in.

McLaren developed the GNX engine and it WILL run. Here's a pic of a car I crewed for at 1984 Le Mans. It was a test bed for the GNX Buick engine that was sold 1986 and 1987. Notice the sponsor is Buick with McLaren support. (Car is a March 84G) Dallas-based team: drivers Wayne Pickering, M.L. Speer and Georgia guy Ken Marsden. For a time it held top speed record on the Mulsanne.

 

Thanks for sharing but not a 65 its a 66 or 67 I also had one of those too, My uncle bought a good running 4 door that he wound up putting several miles on as a work car...the same people that he got it from also had a 2 door like this one, only blue that had a bad oil pump..guess which one I bought...