Ok well let me start off by saying I bought a 54 buick 46r 2dr HT. It's in really good shape and I even got the motor running "sort of". There's a couple question I have first, wtf is it so hard to find parts lol. Second is I just bought a rebuild kit for my carb and when I took the carb off I noticed what looks like a hole inbetween one of the runner's on the intake manifold. But it's been painted over, so is there supposed to be a hole there? I know a picture would help but I don't have one . Third and last question is. Is it worth sticking with the 264 that's in it? I figured I'd stick with it for now seeing how I have no money right now then later on putting a 350 or something in it. I really don't want to go that route but I know nailheads are very expensive to fix/build plus I'd really like be able to lay down some rubber . So if anyone has any words of wisdom that would be great. Thanks -Zipp P.S. anyone know of somewhere I can get an adapter plate to put a different carb on incase this rebuild doesn't work? It's a 2 barrel stromberg btw.
If you decide to replace the engine, you'll also have to replace the transmission, the enclosed driveshaft with the rearend, and the whole rear suspension. Your Buick has a torque tube driveshaft that also locates the rear axle so an engine swap is a fairly involved process. Can't help on the intake question without a picture.
Thanks! I know the engine swap is going to be pretty involved I just want something that is pretty reliable because I plan on driving this a lot. Plus I'm going to bag it so I figured while I'm cutting it up I might as well do all the driveshaft/rear/trans etc. while I'm down there. I will take a pic of the intake today. But for now I want to just drive it until winter and I'm hoping I can get it running with the carb.
Buicks are cool engines and dress up well. I'd rebuild the one you have, or find a newer, bigger one that'll fit your driveline. Nothing sounds like a "Bubbler"!
I put a 4 bbl from a Roadmaster on my 54 Special convert (which I have since sold) and could not believe what a difference it made. Also a Pertronics ignition which also helped a lot. You will never lay lots of rubber with a Dynaflow and a 264.
The hole on the intake manifold is for copper tubing connected to the carb to heat the choke. It just pushes into the hole but does have a connector at the carb side. My info is from a 265 L8 Pontiac but it has the high compression head (hahaha 7:1). I rebuilt it (pricey) and it runs good, but even with a bigger carb, you're not going to be "laying rubber" without some serious mods (turbo/blower if possible).
My 55 buick is a 264/std, and it runs just fine. Won't jerk the front wheels off the ground, but if you like driving a couch, you'll be more than satisfied. I got a ticket in mine for doing 74 mph coming out of Coleman one night, hadn't really gotten it spooled up to the "happy place" yet. It's not an engine that others will envy, but it IS a nailhead, and that gets you in the club. There are parts out there to beef it up. Just don't put Top Fuel expectations on it. 54-57 Buicks kill, so just let the car be what it is-a good looking, smooth-riding car that will be the ONLY one like it for miles around.
Oh no I don't plan on making this something it's not, I would love to keep the nailhead in it. I just don't know if I can afford it. The guy I bought it from claims it only has 5k on the motor and trans but there is some work to be done to it. I can't get gas to it from the tank so something is blocking it up but there is a whole tank of what smells sort of like gas in the tank. So I have to figure out what to do with around 20 gallons of old *** gas. The cool thing would be to have a huge fire but I'm getting a "little more wise" than I used to be. So if it runs good and I can keep it from breaking my bank account I won't mind keeping a nailhead in it even if it won't be too fast. Thank you all for the help/advice
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