My wife had decided about a year ago that she wanted her own HotRod car, so one day while we were out driving around she saw a 1957 Buick Century 2 door hardtop coupe and decided that was the car she wanted. "Grandbaby" safe, that's her words, and she only had one simple rule, " The car has to be where I can get in it, turn the key, it starts right up, no hidden buttons, no air ride, no loud ass exhaust and I want to drive it, no trailer". So, with that edict in mind, I put the car to the side for almost a year right afte rI yanked the motor and trans out of it and sold that off, bout a LS-5 motor and trans up in Moultrie, a 8.8" explorer rearend with disc brakes, 3.73 gear and posi, and 1961 Impala buckets for the front seating. Now almost a year later, we are starting up her project, she is paying for it with her own money, she will be the guiding force behind it and I am just the gopher and head monkey boy on this project. The car is off to the chassis shop to get a 1969 camaro front clip, the rear installed, the engine and trans installed and then back to me to lift the body off the chassis and put the body on a rotisseerie to get the body work and paint going while I do the chassis cleanup, plumbing and wiring. Should be alot of fun!
Before we sent it to the chassis shope, I freind Marc and myself and Marc's son Marc all helpped in getting the interior stripped out and the glass out so we could get a better idea of what had to be done. As a tradition in our group, we also had to give the ol girl a name, so the Buick is now known as "Buella".
LS-5 engine my guess is F/I with overdrive trans should be a super driver engine love the lines on the old girl
Your wife has great taste in cars! Looking forward to following along. Of course I wouldn't be doing my job as a fan of Mr. Watson if I didn't suggest that a great flame job would be just the thing to make her Buick Special really special!
Looks like a cool project. I also am building a 57 Buick and have three parts cars it you are looking for parts. http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?242437-Updating-Suspension-in-a-57-Buick
I have been following your build for awhile now and you are the one who has inspired us to do this in the first place, so I will strive to do a car that is somewhat of a tribute to your building skills, but with my own flair. (as long as the wife approves, it is her car).
We have the rearend almost complete and the front clip work starts next week. I'll get some pictures over the weekend and get them posted!
Looks like a pretty solid car and I like your ideas, I will be following your progress. Any thought as to color of exterior and interior?