I've got a 54 210 laying around, growing moss & collecting dust. It's a complete car, I've had it running before actually. Not driving but running. Anyways, I have it slated as a project car for my wife. She likes the car, it's very buildable, clean title, plenty of good metal to work with although it will need some normal patch work and complete interior.. it just needs everything that they all usually need I guess. I'm pondering a bit of a hop up for the old chevy, a V8 swap. I have been looking at an old 4 door 63 buick with a 401 nail head and an auto trans. Sort of eye balling that engine and trans for the 54. Needless to say, It would force a 12 volt conversion and a new rear axle (non torque tube) along with a bunch of mount fabrication, possibly firewall/floor clearancing, probably some exhaust manifold issues at least on the steering box side... In the end it will cost more than a sbc swap, But it would be cooler, no?
Yes, it would be cooler. (And this is from a guy with a SBC 350 in his '53 210!) If I'd been able to find a nailhead donor 12 years ago I'd have dropped it into my Chevy in a heartbeat. And if you get a complete running car you can use a LOT of bits and pieces, which cuts down on the fabrication quite a bit.
I been reading about the nailhead. Small valves, obviously. Hence the name, valves like the head of a nail. But they came loaded from the factory with a lot of valve lift, the rotating guts are supposedly forged steel in all the nailheads, and it sounds like they made respectable torque. Besides all that, it's a cool looking engine (IMO) I'm thinking we might do this. What do I need for a donor rear axle? nova/skylark 10 bolt? The 63 wildcat rear is going to be too wide (I assume)
63 Nailheads came with a Dynaflow automatic, not what most consider a decent transmission. If you could find a 64-66 ST400 transmission from a Buick, that would be a big improvement. The torque tube elimination should be easy, considering you have leaf springs in the 54. Probably an S10 rear end would work for you.
Hell yes. Nova and 4 x 4 s-10 rears are two that I've seen used in swaps. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
2nd gen Camaro/Firebird 10-bolt is a drop in with 2" blocks. Plenty of info on that can be found with a little searching. Rod & Custom featured an orange '50 Fleetline with a 401 in it a couple years ago, if you can dig that up (it was on the cover and the centerfold) it might help sort out what manifolds to use and so on.
Thanks guys. Thanks D2 Willys for the tip on the trans. I really didn't know what to think of the dynaflow, I know nothing about them. I'm assuming the st400 you mention will pair up ok with the 63 nailhead?
it works, but. The starter interferes with the stock pitman arm. when you turn the wheel, it hits the solenoid. when we did the swap, we brought the starter to generator specialties in st paul, he machined the starter housing to move the solenoid to the bottom.
I've always heard them called dynajunk! But I have no experience with them. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Yes it will cost more then an SBC swap and it will be a pain in the ass and that is putting it mildly. The 12V conversion is the least of it. Will it be worth it? It would for me, but I am a glutton for punishment, only you will know if it is a worth while conversion for you. Will it be more cool? Probably depends on who is looking at it, some would think that an LS swap would be way more cool and others would think that an inline would be way more cool. What does your wife think? its going to be her car.
She's eyeing the dual quad setup I have laying around for a sbc. Or at least she was. I told her about the nailhead idea and she is digging it. That's good info on the pitman arm. I hadn't even noticed it's a LH starter. We'll see. The EASIEST way to go would be to rebuild the 235 that's in it.
I would be willing to clock that starter solenoid for you free of charge Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
The ST400 from a 64-66 Buick with Nailhead will fit, except you need a bushing for the ST400 torque converter snout. Do a Google search and you will find them, usually on EBAY.
Go for it! Buicks tend to have loads of torque so a bone stock 401 will move the car nicely...it certainly did a good job with the Wildcats. .
I wonder if the starter problem would go away with a mini-starter? I just installed one on my S-8. Works like a charm. Same man makes them for the Nailhead. Ben
Yes it can be done and its not all that hard. Below is a pic of a 401 in my '50 Sedan Delivery. No clearance problems with the stock steering. Close but no interference. No cutting on the floor pan and only had to cut the ribs off the firewall.
The Jalopy Journal
