Projects RainierHooker's '38 Buick Special Business Coupe

Great looking car. Personally would love to see it as a mild 40s custom with slight nose high stance, teardrop skirts, appleton spots, and wide whites, leaving the rest as is.

But 50s hot rod may be cool too, just seems like a car as elegant as a 38 buick would make more sense as an early custom. Just my opinion though.

Im sure it will look great however you plan to do it.

 

I guess my terminology was a bit off in my earlier posts. I guess by definition that the look I'm going for is late-40's to early 50's mild custom. In the end, outside of an altitude ajustment and maybe some skirts (I've nixed the visor plans since my innitial post) the exterior is going to remain fundamentally stock. Maybe some 'interesting' wheel covers too.

Really, the big plans are going to be confined to the engine compartment. Califorina Bill's "Speed Manual" has become something of a bible to me. I've just got to find a few more Holley 94's...

 

I guess I owe it to let you guys know what my final plans are since I've had more than enough time to sit and think a spell since my first post...

The big picture will be:
-Repaint in the original Color of Windsor Grey (a Metallic Charcoal)
-Steelies and pinstripping in Dante Red (in other words Buick's "Fire-Engine-Red")
-BF Goodrich Blackwalls, just to be a little different...
-Original Interior trimmings in "Bedford Tan Cord"
-2" Drop all around
-Rebuild/Refresh of the Strait-8 including a bump in compression and -maybe- punching the bore out to a 263"
-Mid-50's Roadmaster Rear-End to drop the final ratio a tad
-A home-made quad-94 intake taken right out of the '54 California Bill's Book
-Something interesting for wheel covers, maybe sombreros, maybe flippers, maybe something else.

Well, in the upteen-million times I've built, and rebuilt, this car in my head, that's what I've come up with. Now comes the hard part of putting the ideas on the pavement. However long that takes...

 

Sounds like a good plan!

Here's some proof that blackwalls can look good on customs! (as long as they're bias )

I would ask Rikster or James D for a photoshop in your vision so you can really get all the perfect details worked out.

 

Beautiful car!

 

You might also check evilbay for the intake. I've seen some strange ones pop up from time to time. One of the more interesting ones was the high rise crossover 4 barrel intake for a chevy inline 6.

 

Yeah, I've been on the hunt for something similar on the ePay, Swap Meets, etc. but as yet haven't found anything. If I come across an already made-up one, or one of the '41 Buick "Compound Carburetion" intakes I'll be a happy camper.

In the mean-time, I've found a place that has templates for all the flanges I'd need, so it won't be too difficult to make a Log-Manifold. All I need is steel, a welder, and some ingenuity and I think I can make it work.

The thought of four 94's all in a row makes me feel all fuzzy inside...

 

drain & flush fuel system start with fresh fuel

 

No need to drain and flush the fuel system. I've gone through two tanks of gas just driving the thing. Runs great...

Anyway, one of the original brochures for Buick's 1938 line up has my car's model shown with the same color scheme as mine had when shipped out the factory door as evidenced by the firewall tag...


That's the color scheme it will be returning to, Whistler-Grey on Dante-Red wheels. At first I was hesitant to do the oft done grey on red wheels, but hell, I've got a great excuse in what's stamped on the firewall! Its a cool grey too, its an almost black charcoal grey with a very, very, very fine metallic. Envision the above pic, without white-walls, a little lower stance, amber fog-lights, and red pinstripping on the beltline, grille, and anywhere else it suits my fancy without going over-the-top.

 

Damn I love dem Booicks....

Rat

 

would love to see this photo photoshopped with a roof chop and wide whites...anyone? I know it takes time though... thanks in advance to anyone for the help. The illustrations always make 'em look lower in the roof than in reality i think too

 

Have you tried looking for an Ingles intake yet? Granted you'd have to use Webbers but it would be totally cool to see 4 dual webber sidedrafts on that engine.

 

It's not that picture, but here is two that I was playing with of mine, chopped and lowered.

 

My project.
Yourse is in good shape

 

Here's some pics of my 37 buisness coupe.Sorry for the dirt it's been covered up for the winter it's never been this dirty but just don't have room inside.It's the original paint so not too big a deal.It's a 248 with edmund intake, dual carbs, pertronix ignition,custom tube headers,700r trans,disc brakes,S10 rearend and air bagged.I like the blackwall look just thought I would show you what blackwalls look like on one of these.

 

Car looks good. Your pipes don't look like they have much ground clearance.

 

Great looking Buick. Welcome to the fold. You'll find 2 things with an old Buick. Women & Geezers love 'em. Don't let a restorer swindle you out of the 2 trim pieces on the sides of the headlight buckets. They are made of unobtanium. My rust situation sounds about like yours. I did find a place about 3" in diameter at the right rear corner of the cab. And 2 places about the same size in the tail pan area of the trunk.

 

Hi Guys,
I'm a proud Owner too of a rustfree '38 special coupe.
I hope i can finish my work on the new overbored 263 in this days
(The crank and adapterflywheel,Dynaflowcrank-Synchromesh, is to the
Machineshop for balancing)
My Car is absolut hopped up traditional with bigger (7.50x16) WW in the rear
it run 5 miles faster at the same rev. than with the 6.50,thats nice
I run also a '41 comp.-carb-system with german Zeniths.
Here starts now the season and i'm can't wait to drive with the new Motor.

(Sorry for no pics,but i'm not good with the Computerthings)

Wish you all a nice Season

Jenz

 

Thanks for the pics. Great looking car. If you ever decide to part ways with that Edmunds Intake, let me know

Thanks. Unfortunatley the trim pieces on the light buckets are already missing. Although there doesn't seem to be anywhere to attach them. Either they were never there (who ever ordered this car originally was -really- cheap the ONLY option on this car is the heater and there seem to be a lot of deletes) or whoever removed them did a good job filling the holes...

Klingt wie Sie haben ein gutes Auto. Ich möchte dein Bilder zu sehen, ob Sie jemals sie auf. Wie sitzt der hinteren Raeder in den Flügeln?

Bestens!

 

Hi Rainier,
The Tyres have no contakt to the Fender or something else,the Car is,of course
a little higher in the rear but, what else....
If you want to see my Car(and of course the Tyres),there is a video on jutube it calls: Teterow 2010"Anschpoähn

(Do you use a translationprogram??
if yes,sorry but it's not good understandable :- )

 

Its been a long while since I've spoken any German. My German grandparents are long gone and I haven't been over there in years. I did have to use a translator to fill in some blanks. I guess I'll have to buckle down and try and bring my speak up to snuff.

Danke...

 

I have to admit I ve been too lazy to watch all the video about Teterow.
Do you have an exact link showing your car ? I only could seen the rear and the blue paint

Do you also have details about your engine ? Is it a 248 overbored up to 263 ( which I think is not possible ), or a 263 bored with new pistons ?

 

I'm pretty sure the 248 and 263 used the same block. According to the 1954 California Bill's Speed Manual, the 263 is a 248 block with the stock stroke of 4-1/8" but with a larger 3-3/16" Bore. Stock 248 bore is 3-3/32".

Later in the book, it says "the small buick engines may be bored .125" oversize without danger of going into water or weakening the walls excessively," and ".125" oversize bore on the 248 engine will provide you with 268 CU in." I know there is a lot of meat in those cylender walls, so when the motor comes out of mine when it goes in for paint, if there is any sort of out-of-tolerance, mine's being punched out to a 263 or 268...

 

The 248 and 263 don t share the same block.
The most visible difference is the 263 has ribs on the cylinders, while the 248 has not.

There s a lot of info about the differences on teambuick.net .
A lot to read here :
http://www.teambuick.com/forums/showthread.php?12146-Anything-new-from-the-straight-8-hot-rodders

 

Yes,I have now a 263 with near 1/16" overbore (Pistons from a 316 BMW)
I try it this Season with the Head in original Condition,next Winter(this Winter was too short) I put in bigger Valves with smaller Stems (from a Deutz Dieselengine) an,of course, a milling like 5/32" (my old 248 runs great with this..).
In the Moment I wait for get back the balanced Crank,then I have the last
Miracle(?) with the custommade Flywheel and the Jeepclutch.
"Buick Guy" from the Buickstraight8-forum wrote Years ago,it works
(I hope...
Then I'm back on the Street.
OK,I try a Link to the Youtubevideo with my Car,hope it works..
http://www.youtube.com/results?sear...0604.0.61995.23.23.0.0.0.0.129.2538.1j22.23.0.

 

What mm (dimension) are those pistons? Stock rods?

Thanks! John

 

They have 84 mm diameter and a 22mm Pistonpin.
For that i open up the stock rod a little bit.
Its a trial with this Pistons.....

 

I forgot: The Pistons have nearly the same Compressionheigh like the
stock Buickpistons.They come from Mahle (Made in Germany)complete with Rings and Pins,have all the same weight.
And for me here, easy to get for a absolutly "correct" Price

 

Have Anybody of you maybe an Idea for a better Crankshaftdamper ?
Thanks ahead

 

Maybe ATI.
See here, it s for a 320, not a 263

http://www.roadmachine.fi/Buick/jan-feb2010.html