Projects Will these tires/wheels fit my Buick...

Those Germans, always so innovative!

 

Try these rims! I had to put spacers behind the front ones because the hub is a bit bigger than later Buicks

 

Those look pretty good, Rusty. Factory Buick's from, what, late '60's - early '70's? How far did you have to space to clear the hub? BTW, while cleaning out the trunk, I found a set of those rear fender caps. Wondered what they would look like installed. Now I know - not bad! Second BTW, what year is your 45R, '52 or '53?

 

@Lowell C. Miller I just had to do this same thing a couple weeks ago. 61 Pontiac. I scrounged up 4ea 5 x 5 15s mounted old, crispy tires that hold air and hauled it onto the trailer. This car has left hand threads on driver side
Save that Buick

 

Thanks, wheeldog57! I'm trying to invest as little as possible on the very front end of this project, and get the wife on board at the same time. Eventually, I would like for the car to be part shop mule, part promotional tool. New World Speed and Custom's logo would look perfect in the rear side gl***!

 

You'll be able to mount tubeless tires on those rims as long as there's enough rim left to hold the air in and as long as the valve stem hole is still round so you can pull a valve stem through it. I've done it many times and have not had a problem.

As for the Jeep wheels, anything that's free and works to help move the car is fine by me, but I think you're going to have a really hard time stuffing those big wide meats under the rear wheelwells, they're going to rub, and on the front I think they might contact the steering drag link. You certainly won't be able to turn very sharply.

Did you try to pump up what's on there? I know they look like garbage, and I wouldn't put a ton of PSI in any of them, or have my face too close to them when filling up. But I've had good luck getting air into old tires like that, at least for 15 minutes or so, long enough to get the car out of its hole. It's worth a shot.

 

Thanks, Squablow. Yeah, the Jeep tires ARE awfully wide. Contact on the insides is my biggest concern. Im hoping I won't have to make spacers just to put free wheels/tires on the car just to move it, as much as I enjoy my lathe and milling machine time. I tried to air up two of the tires on the car, and quickly became convinced I would get more/better results pushing wet rope uphill. I'm preparing myself for the probability that I'm going to have to buy some tubes and round up some tires to contain them...

 

Tubes are a last resort. If original wheels ain't rusted thru tubeless will work, like squab and others say. If you mount em yourself, be sure and get a can of starting fluid.

 

Most likely the brakes shoes are also frozen to the drums, so the tire route will be only half the battle. Probably the easiest thing to do is hire a roll back to carry it home. The previous advice of buying another car is sound as if the floor pans are rotten, deep pockets it is.

 

I want to apologize. I should have worded that much differently.
My tongue in cheek satire comments sometimes do not work out.
One thing I hate is when one makes another feel small. That’s was not my intent yesterday.
I feel I may have done just that.
I want to help. I want to be honest. I want to encourage. I want to share past experiences good or bad.
Mr. Miller I do apologize.

 

First, to F-ONE: Your comments were as humorous as they were honest, and I felt neither small nor offended. And your concern over them now speaks volumes regarding your heart. The fact is, even if I get the Special running and driving, there will always be a "For Sale" sign in at least one of the windows. That was a bit of a promise to my wife. The fact that the "okay, I can let it go for..." number will go up with every improvement just happened to not get mentioned... Seriously, I know I'm going to have to do some very wise planning to avoid getting underwater in this project. From time to time, gentle reality checks from you guys (and gals?) will help. Thanks for looking out for me, and protecting me from myself!
Now, back to our regularly scheduled program - I started cleaning at one of the spare wheels this afternoon, and if they all clean up like this one, it will be no big deal to bead-seal some tubeless tires on them. They're only going to be short-trip lot units anyway. I had started shopping for some aluminum wheels on ebay, then I saw the later factory wheels on Rusty Heaps' Buick. Those sure do look slick. Wonder how much a quartet of those will set me back...
Bangingoldtin, you're probably right about moving the car to the residence. It sure would simplify working on it. Maybe once the wife decides it might be kinda cool to ride or drive around in a big, long, fat, 2-ton sled. But we enjoy the privelege of owning the property the car sits on, so it's not in anybody's way but ours right now.

 

That a hardtop? As close as you are to me please tell me it'll be more than I can justify when it's for sale. Last thing I need is another project lol. But I'm sure at some point I could make room for an early 50s gm hardtop lol

 

Yes sir, 'Pope, it's the 45R Riviera hardtop. Took me a ton of research ( shout-out to Hometown Buick's website!), but I finally figured out, just moments before locating the body tag, that it's neither Roadmaster nor Super, but Special 45R. As much as I like the looks of the Sedanette, the Riviera is starting to grow on me. I can't envision it ever coming off the market, 'Pope, and the asking price probably won't ever be outlandish. Maybe just ridiculous!

 

See here's where it'll get funny. May possibly inspire this build if you decide to keep. The recent barris 53 olds find really appealed to me. And kinda thought building a hardtop variant wouldn't be outlandish. For the right price the Buick would be close enough. And by the time body modifications were done it'd be closer. Take as long as you can so I can get closer to the road with my 53 and actually pick up my 54. At least then if I get persuaded to buy I could have justify it lol

 

Planning to keep the original drive train?

 

Hey, 'tin. Yes sir, at least initially. Longer-term plans include a 502ci big block Chevrolet, 5-speed manual to replace the factory 3-speed, and a 12-bolt rear axle hanging from a 4-link. All with an eye towards pulling it all out and returning it to factory if a future buyer wants it that way. Sounds a little ambitious, even to me. But without a plan and a dream, every day we're just going through the motions...

 

If you do mount some roller tires without tubes, another thing I've found to be very helpful is to put some bead sealer not just on the beads, but also around the valve stem hole before you pull the stem through. I do that on pretty much every tire I mount now, and it really helps, especially on wheels that had tubes, as that seems to be a common leak point.

Maybe it's just because I'm in Wisconsin and my standards are so low they're basically underground at this point, but that car really doesn't look that rough to me. I'd like to see what it looks like pulled out, scrubbed off, and vacuumed. I've seen way rougher **** get fixed.

 

Squablow, you are correct. Especially with steel wheels, or the plated aluminum ones where the plating is flaking off at the bead flange, I've found it can be a pretty far throw to get to "too much" bead sealer. The amu*****t/theme park I work for has an auto shop on property, where all the equipment and vehicles are maintained. I've been in there so much using the tire equipment and their bead seal, I really kind of owe them a fresh big can.

 

I'm late to the party but a 235 65 17 tire is 29 inches tall and 9.3 inches wide.
Snooping says that the 50 Buick had according to Coker:
The 1950 Buick Riviera likely originally came with 6.70-15 bias ply tires. Coker Tire suggests using 205/75R15 tires as a cross reference for these original tires. Those are 27.1 inches tall and 8.1 wide. The height probably won't be an issue but the width might be a tight fit in the rear wheel wells.

I can't believe that that many people read your first post and cannot grasp the concept that you are asking if a set of loaned rollers will work to roll it out and up on a trailer to get it home. Not as a permanent fix.

If you were close I have a pair of 5 on 5 Chevy pickup wheels that we had on my wife's 79 Caprice for a while with snow tires on them that are only good for rollers that you could have for hauling them off
The issue on that car is getting oversize tires in the rear wheel wells without a fight.

Probably the least expensive to go out and buy and easiest to find are stock steel wheels off a 71/87 Chevy 1/2 ton two wheel drive pickup. Big Buicks, Cadillacs, Olds, Pontiac and Chevy Caprice had 5 on 5 lug pattern from the 50's though 86 if you had the big brake package. You have to be sure of what you are looking at on Olds 88 and full size Chevy though as many came with 5 on 4-3/4.

 

Since it is a 3 speed, that makes it a little easier to get the original drive train up and running. The 263 straight eight is another matter as parts are hard to get and expensive. Maybe one of these?

 

Dang! That IS pretty ***y. Long block 502 with furniture is in the $10k neighborhood, $14k with TPI installed. That would be a lot to put into a car only to pull it later at the buyer's request. But then, it could go in a '65 Impala SS...

 

Although production numbers for the 45R that year are just north of 16K, probably not many that want it original. I would also investigate the GM trunk arm route in lieu of the 4-Link.

 

Hmmmm.
That Fireball Straight 8 and 3 speed is very interesting.
That would make a neat power plant and power train for a.....
3 Springer....
4 Springer using an old ‘30s maybe GM frame.

That would make a neat rod.
A manual Fireball 8, old frame, old cowl a tub or a bobber cab.....
Neat stuff.

 

Hey, Moriarity. You're right, if I'm going to stray from traditional style or near-factory engine/drivetrain/suspension, the car belongs in the Off-Topic category. No worries, however - those plans are a LONG way down the road. And, there's always the chance that I'll find it impossible to live without a 6-volt inline 8 in my life before the money for the big block materializes. Just sharing the pipe dream.

 

'Oldtin, can you 'splain this GM trunk arm you speak of? And F-ONE, I think I get 3- and 4-springer, but just in case...?

 

The whole story is that the whole of the car may end up not fitting into any single category on the forum; it will likely end up part traditional hot rod, part traditional custom, and BIG part off-topic. Much like a Suzuki build I'm in the middle of, that overlaps bobber, Cafe and naked sport. The Special will probably start its life in with the hot rods, then wander around as it progresses. I understand, Moriarity, and respect that you're trying to preserve the integrity of the forum. I want to ***ure you that the last thing I would want to do is to violate that integrity. In fact, right now, all I want is to get the silly car out of the weeds!

 

I think he maybe meant "truck arm".......