I recenly got my grandfathers 30-31 model A coupe body home from wyoming and I've decided to try and build it this year but i'm sort of at a dillema on my drivetrain for the car. I have a decent running 57' 283 out of a p***enger car that I can't really use in any of my later model projects because it only has provisions for front motor mounts. So I have been hanging on to the engine for a while till I found some project to use it in. I figure with a few slight modifications it would be a great runner and would get decent gas mileage. Which has become an increasingly large burden on going to car shows lately with my family. But I also have a 1972 buick GS 2dr hardtop ram air posi trac car that has a rebuilt 455 big block in it and a rebuilt turbo 400 trans that I think would be an awsome power plant for my model A being as it will shred the tires on the back of the big 2dr gs its in now. But I know I wouldn't get very good gas mileage with that engine/trans setup probably, plus I'd prolly be smokin the tires every chance I get which could in turn get me into more trouble. One other problem I have is the buick is almost half way redone. The chasis was pulled out from under the car and all the suspension/brakes/frame rebuilt painted and reinstalled in the car. Then the engine and trans were redone including the positrac rearend thats in the car. So theres already a chunk of money spent on this car. The buick is a very solid car and could be finished rather easily with just body/paint and the interior redone. I've drove the buick and its pretty quick like it is, so I know it would be fast with the drivetrain installed into my model A. But I also found out that they only made like 1015 of the gs 455 coupes with an automatic floorshift in 1972 so I kinda hate to destroy it in order to build a model A coupe that ford made a ton of. I don't have time or the cash to finish redoing the buick without messing up my build plans for the coupe, so I'm thinking about just selling it to fund the model A or trade it for some other kind of old truck or car I could drive while I'm building my coupe. I never thought I'd have to worry about gas mileage on one of my old cars instead of horsepower just so we can still go to the shows and stuff. But untill money loosens up with people and my business picks up its a major concern with the shows that aren't real close to us. (Which is almost all of the shows we go to) So I'm thinking real hard on putting the belly ****on 283 in my car with either a 700r4 trans or a turbo 350 I have and just adjusting the rearend gearing accordingly for cruizing. I have some cool speed equipment for this 283 also where I don't have any kind of cool speed equipment for the 455 that isn't on the motor and doesn't scream 1970's-1980's. What would you hambers do if you had the choice between the two setups?
Yeah I vote 283 also it is as traditional as SBCs get... but sell the slushbox and build a hotrod. 3 pedal cars are where its at!
One more vote for the 283. Sounds like the buick is already turning into a nice ride dont tear it up only to have two unfinished cars. Besides a 283 is traditional and to anyone who knows Chevys its not just anouther 350/350 in a model A.
Go with the 283 and back it with a T-5 and an 8" or 9" rearend for a dependable ride. You can do 2 of the old Carters or Rodchester on a dual intake and have a sharp looking car. Add the new Alt that looks like a generator and a set of ram horns and you would have a nice looking period car that would get good mileage and be able to burn rubber if you run a 3:50 to 4:10 gear. Finish the other car later--don't try doing two at once. Dutch
I would do the 5speed But the way I'm wanting to build the car I don't think my big feet and my 6'5" self will accomodate a 3rd pedal. I know I can do the automatic. Plus I already have an automatic trans for it that I think might be good. Besides egay where would probably be my best bet for selling or trading the buick stuff off since its to new to sell on the hamb? I don't deal with alot of muscle car stuff anymore so I only know the egay route on selling but that costs money in order to try and sell the stuff. Oh and as far as I know you can't trade on egay either
use the 283. 283's are not belly ****ons. there're cool. don't get me wrong, hemis, nailheads, olds, buick and caddilac motors are sweet, but so are 283's. what speed equipment do you have the 283?
I'm no SBC fan, but I wouldn't strip the Buick for the drive train. A 283 will haul an A along right smartly with any trans you choose to put behind it. 700R4's are not built for front mounted engines, they may crack the bell. Those older 283's had cast bells for a reason!
I figure if I use the 283 with a later trans I'm going to make some kind of a mid plate or some kind of mounts that will help support the center of the motor and trans. Anyone want a buick haha!...
Actually the value of a good Buick muscle car is probably more than the A will ever be worth, so it seems kinda like a very poor move, financially, to gut the Buick and put the engine in something that's worth less.
Don't sacrifice the Buick, those cars are worth a lot of ching to the right folks. Use the 283 in the A.
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