I found my old '63 Skylark in the paper and am buying it back. It was my first old car but it is kinda like getting my first car back. I have a couple questions. 1. Has anyone ever switched one of these over to a 5 lug pattern? I am more concerned with the front since I will probibly swap out the rear. This way i would have the shance at disc brakes and aftermarket wheels as well. 2. Where is a good place to find info as well as parts for these cars. I did not have a computer the last time I owned it. I figure now it will be easier to find parts since I have web access. 3. Any suggestions on lowering one of these as well as putting bags on it? 4. Anyone ever put a different engine in one? It has the 215 motor but I was thinking and wanting to use the Nailhead I have for it. Any ***istance would be great. Thanks
www.oldbuickaprts.com www.cl***icbuicks.com www.buicks.net theres a yahoo nailhead group www.v8buick.com www.buickbombsite www.taperformance.com there website is hard to find **** on buickworld.something who wont answer emails there is alot of others out there Tom Telesco Are own suedesled has some buick knowlege and goodies so dose zman who I secretly hate untill I get my own 57.
The car is a ***** to lower, you may have to switch to a one peice driveshaft and/or do some cutting and reshaping of the driveshaft tunnel.
The nailhead I have is out of a '64? Riv. The plan would be to put an overdrive behind it. Switching the driveshaft out is fine with me if I need to. I figure I will end up doing the rear also to go to the 5 lug. I just need to figure out the front to 5 lug. leadsleadolds, thanks for all the sites.
Well nothing is a bolt on transfer for these cars but, you will have to do something upfront if you put that nailhead in. The car is set up for a very light engine, the 215 weighs about as much as a cast iron 4 cylinder and would get real squirly with anything as heavy as a iron V-8 in it. I think you should just keep the 215 in cause it's a kick*** engine and putting anything else in would be a rather major project. I would save the nail for a future project.
The aluminum engine is very light. A friend discovered just how much after swapping in a small block Chevy which caused the front end to sag so the car was not drivable. He had to beef up the front suspension and steering but otherwise the Chevy was a good fit. Why not get one of the BMC Rover evolved 215s? Yeah, too modern.
I checked my Delco brake book and the 61-63 Specials and 61-63 F85 used the same brakes. The fronts are Delco #171-75 and the rears are #171-74. Unfortunately they are orphans - NOTHING else used those brakes. The seals on the front hubs were only used on the 61-63 Special, 61-68 F85, 64-66 Tempest and 64-66 Olds Jetstars. You might check a bearing book to see if the same bearings were used on the 64-66 Tempest, 64-68 F85s & Jetstars. They would have five bolt hubs. Their brakes are also 9 1/2, like the Specials, but are wider.
I found a guy on one of the Buick boards that used a Willwood kit on his '62 Buick Special so I will go that route. His car is also bagged so he is getting me pics of it as well. As far as the engine swap was concerned. The 215 has a bad cylinder on it. I was unsure how bifferent the Nailhead would be so I was thinking it might work. Plus it would fly down tha road with the hp from the nailhead. Right now it is just in the thinking stages. Withe the air ride I am thinking it would make up for the difference in weight from the larger motor. I have to send someone to get the car so once it shows up I will be able to get pics and look at things better.
I've put a 64 buick 300 in a 61 special. Motor mounts are the same. The rag joint on the column has to be changed to something slimmer, I used one out of a mazda p'up. Biggest problem is with the ****** hump and tunnel. The original dual path was tiny so they don't have much room, I stayed with a 2-piece drive shaft. The 64 is aluminum except the block and still pretty light, has alot more torque, gives you the 64 up BOP bellhousing and most people will think its stock. 61-3 Tempests have 5 lug wheels( ford pattern) and may swap since they are sister cars. The buick front suspension comes out whole with 3 bolts as I remember, don't really know about the pontiac but I can check if you are interested.
As far as brakes go I will use the Willwood setup the other guy did. I will probibly swap the rear out for something a little stronger. As far as engine swaps what motors would have the same mount other than the 300? Would a later nailhead be the same by any chance, I just think it would look cooler.
My thoughts on the engine swap is: don't. That car is set for a VERY light engine, which does NOT mean that it just has lighter springs in it. It's lighter everything; frame, spindles, suspension, everything. The guy who said that an SBC caused the front to sag so much that the car was undriveable should be a clue. That a nailhead weighs about 200 pounds MORE than an SBC is another clue. Airbags ain't gonna solve the light build problem, they'll only keep the front end off the ground until something else breaks, be it the frame, control arms, spindles, whatever is next. Want more power?? Find a Land Rover. There pretty cheap most cases, as they're pretty unreliable, and the yuppies get tired of them being in the shop alla time. But the engine is largely the same. My two cents, Cosmo
The Jalopy Journal
