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Swedish Buick Skylark -63 project

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Vincent, Feb 5, 2006.

  1. Vincent
    Joined: Aug 28, 2005
    Posts: 76

    Vincent
    Member
    from Sweden

    Hi
    I´m a 20 year old guy living i Sweden.I thought i would be nice to hear what people have to say about my project so i hope i fits here on the H.A.M.B
    It´s a -63 Buick Skylark 2-door Hardtop wich i bought when i was nineteen.
    My plans for the car is first to get it on the road again,it hasn´t been driven since 2001 when the engine and gearbox were taken out.
    It´s been 20 owners on the car before me so there are alot of personal mods on it from each and every owner :(
    Here´s a list over the most important things that need to be fixed before i can drive the car.
    The front fenders need som rust fixed
    Mount the inner fenders
    Front fenders and hood need some paint
    New windshield
    New electric system (wireing harness?) in the whole car
    The engine and the gearbox has to be mounted but i haven´t decided if i´m gonna go for the Buick 300" i bought or if i´m gonna try to find a 215" wich was mounted there originally.I think i´m chosing the 215" if i find one.
    The interior has to be mounted
    New exhaust system made in rustfree steel maybe i´ll do the last ca 40 inches in copper for the sound :D
    New tires
    Flamethrowers
    Vinyl decals on the hood 215" 200 HP
    And of course the thing that takes most of the time,mount all the small parts and fine adjustments
    Ive got some work ahead :)
    By the way,i´m sorry for my bad english.If you guys don´t understand what i mean please tell me so that I know.
    Here´s some pics of the car:
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    And the 300" V8 -64 with gearbox:
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    Some pics on parts for the rusty front fenders.
    Made them out of 1mm (sheat?) steel/metal one is TIG welded and one is welded with MIG/MAG,one with good result and the other one not so good,it´s hard to copy the first piece you do,but it´ll do for now :p

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    The front fenders is almost done right now,just need to be welded a litte more.
    I´ll put up som pics if the during this week.

    /Michael
     
  2. I would pass on the 215 and the Buick 300.

    You should be able to find a late Rover. It is basically the same motor only larger, more refined and not that far out of date. Run an Edelbrock intake and 500 CFM carb and convert to an HEI ignition. Buick 300 exhaust manifolds will fit and flow a little bit better. Although it looks like you have the skills to build your own headers.

    The original transmission, stick or automatic, is junk. If you want an automatic the 700R-4 out of a 60 degree V6 Camero or S-10 can be adapted. Expensive. If you are going manual the five speed out of an S-10 is a good choice.

    I recently sold a Buick/Olds 215 four barrel intake to a gent in Germany. He wanted to convert his Rover to a four barrel but also wanted a "stock" look for inspection purposes. I see them advertised on eBay and they typically sell for $75. The only bidders are European. Mostly British.

    Here are a couple of links that you might find usefull:

    http://www.britishv8.com

    http://www.aluminumv8.com
     
  3. Vincent
    Joined: Aug 28, 2005
    Posts: 76

    Vincent
    Member
    from Sweden

    Yeah i know about the Rover engine,but I rather have a Buick motor in my Buick even if it´s basicly is the same engine up till 1989 or something.
    I´ll go for the 215" if i find one.
    Building my own headers is not a big problem,i can build them myself but i don´t have/own any of the equpiment i kneed.
    The car is gonna be original in the drivethrain,don´t want to put down more work on it than i kneed beucause i´m gonna sell it when it´s finished :D
    Thanks for the links.I appreciate it,but i already knew about them:rolleyes:
    Didn´t got any pics of teh fenders today.I forgot the camera :mad:
     
  4. Bigcheese327
    Joined: Sep 16, 2001
    Posts: 6,694

    Bigcheese327
    Member

    I really like the '61-'63 A-bodies. I wish we could see a clearer overall pic of your car. It looks neat.

    I have another engine idea: The V6 originally standard in the Special (I think Skylarks only came with V8s) is potentially a great motor - being the same as the 3.8L V6 that was available in GM vehicles until the last year or so (the 3.9 that replaced it is supposed to be related, but I'm not sure). Remember the '80s? Buick T-types were cleaning up on the dragstrips with turbocharged versions of those engines. I've seen at least one Buick Special/Skylark that had a complete T-type drivetrain included.

    I'm old fashioned, though. I want a '61 coupe with a 401 - essentially creating my own GS 400. Howitzer with windshield wipers indeed.
     

  5. Jessie J.
    Joined: Oct 28, 2004
    Posts: 410

    Jessie J.
    Member

    If the 300 is in half-way decent condition you might be better off sticking with it and just giving it a basic rebuild, hone it, new rings, bearings, timing set, and rebuild the heads, for about what it will cost to get a 215 core that would still need the same.
    These engine designs are virtually identical other than the iron block and the 85 extra cubes, why would you want to lose the 85 additional cubic inches of the 300? Over here guys routinely go to considerable expense to adapt the 300 crank into 215 block just to gain 50 cubes (more or less)
    Other than the bragging rights of having an "all aluminum engine" (sic) there really isn't a great deal of difference in the finished weight, and the 300's greater torque and Hp will be far more noticeable than will the small additional weight. The difference in fuel consumption will be minute, as the 215 would need be thrashed harder to achieve performance the equal of the lower stressed 300, the heavier throttle openings routinely applied to the 215 may well prove more inefficient than the extra cubes in the 300.
    This is generally the case when comparing engines similar in design other than displacement, this is why the 283-305-307 SBC came to be virtually displaced by the 350.
     
  6. Vincent
    Joined: Aug 28, 2005
    Posts: 76

    Vincent
    Member
    from Sweden

    I´ll take some more pictures of it outside the barn where i stands now,if only the damn snow could melt :mad:
    I don´t want no V6 in my car but i have to admit that it´s a cool idea.It would be nice to have the wholl T-type drivetrain,duo you have any pic of that Special/Skylark??

    Well if i´m gonna put the 300" into the car i will have to build a new gearbox tunnel cause the gearbox behind the 300" is hell of alot bigger than the 2 speed that comes with the 215".That is one of the main reasons why i just want a "bolt-on" 215,you see the barn that the car i standing in on the pictures.Thats where i´m building on the car and right now its about -11 degrees (Celsius).There is no proper electric system in the barn where i can put in the welder or any other tools i will need.I will also have to modify the driveshaft and have it balanced and i feel that it´s to much work for a car that will be sold when it´s finished.
    It´s not about the extra cubic inches or the fuel consumption,it´s not supposed to be a racecar anyway ;)

    I appreciate the comments,its fun to read and discuss it,keep writing :D

    I´ll try to remember to bring the camera with me tomorrow so i can take som pics of the frontfenders,they´re almost finished :)
     
  7. Bigcheese327
    Joined: Sep 16, 2001
    Posts: 6,694

    Bigcheese327
    Member

    Unfortunately, no, but it's not hard to picture. Imagine a plain-jane dark blue '62 Special (post model) with Centerline mags (something I'd change) doing a wheelstand. It was very cool. Were it mine, I'd have changed to skinny whitehwalls on black steelies with chrome lugs and left it at that.
     
  8. the fenders definetly look like their in good hands.As for the engine and trans combo,I would try for a 200-4r o/d trans instead of the turbine 300 2 spd you have now. it has the GM universal bell houseing (buick,olds,pontiac,caddy, as wellas the chevrolet patterns)and is really,really close to the same size as the original 2sp.hence, no floor cutting.Since the 215 and 300 are externally,visually twins, keep the 300 and go with the smaller automatic with o/d just paint it rustolium aluminum silver and only YOUwill know for sure ;) thats my 2 pfennigs worth(Sweden does use pfennigs?or do you call them something else?:D )The only real STRONG advice I have is use a high quality anti-freeze/coolant AND a corrosion inhibitor! You have 4 or 5 different metals reacting with each other and causing electrolosis errosion.Cast iron block,aluminum heads,copper,and lead solder inthe radiator. All with a 12 volt battery hooked up to it can and will corrode like crazy if not maintained well. This is the voice of experience as this happened to my 65 buick skylark with the alloy headed 300.
    best of luck to you
    R.R.
     
  9. Jessie J.
    Joined: Oct 28, 2004
    Posts: 410

    Jessie J.
    Member

    Hey Vincent, I can sympathize with you, my shop here in Michigan (brrrrr) is uncompleted, and has no heat, and I just get temporary power out to there when needed with a huge industrial sized extension cord, so can use my welders etc. (also got a O/A set-up)
    Big Cheese has visited here, and can confirm that with all my 'projects', 7 "oldies" plus parts at present, I'm a-busting-out-at-the-seams.:)
    Yep, I can agree that the 300 and trans would be more work, but that old two speed was nothing but crap even when new, (I've owned and driven several with that tranny, and it was about the worst part of the whole car) and just about any other tranny is going to require the same mods to make it fit. Myself, I 'd be glad to do (or have done) a little tunnel modification to get rid of that tranny, once done the floor work is relatively permanent and trouble free, whereas that particular trans will suck big time, all of the time.
    Of course if your just looking to get it running so you can get rid of it, there is no reason to do anything to "improve" it, however in that case, seems like you would be time, headaches, and money ahead by just dumping it as is.
     
  10. Jessie J.
    Joined: Oct 28, 2004
    Posts: 410

    Jessie J.
    Member

    You did such a nice job on those fender sections, wouldn't seem that crude floor-pan mods would be much of a challenge by comparision?
     
  11. Bigcheese327
    Joined: Sep 16, 2001
    Posts: 6,694

    Bigcheese327
    Member

    Indeed! It's the largest collection of Studebaker and Cadillac parts I've ever seen in one place. It was like heaven!

    Our shop is also waiting for heat. It's all plumbed and the heaters are installed, but there's no pig and we have a leak somewhere we need to track down. That probably won't happen until spring, though. :(
     
  12. Vincent
    Joined: Aug 28, 2005
    Posts: 76

    Vincent
    Member
    from Sweden

    Jessie J.
    Well it´s not the making of som new floorpans that is the big problem but as i wrote before i don´t have or can borrow any of the equipment i need to do it.
    Like you write i´m only trying to get it running and then sell it,but i can´t agree with you on selling it like it is right now.I bought it for about 1500$
    And when ive put down about 2500 in the car i can probably get about 5-5500$ for it.Maybe doesn´t sound like much money for you guys but that´s alot for me.
    If i keep it (you never know ;) ) i will probably modify the drivetrain.
    Hers some updates on the fender work.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    The fenders will be "tinned" to after the welding.
    I don´t know what it´s called in english but you take tin or maybe you say lead and heat it up and puts a coat of it on the steel.
     
  13. lowlow
    Joined: Sep 7, 2005
    Posts: 63

    lowlow
    Member
    from Sweden

    Hey Vince! The Word is Lead.. The gift from the gods! I guess you are heading north this weekend? To the raceswap in Norrköping that is.. Bring some sheetmetal and templates, and you can use my E wheel, bead roller, and other tools to make the floorpanels.. Nice work so far, but i would go for a chevy 250 six for motivation..
     
  14. Vincent
    Joined: Aug 28, 2005
    Posts: 76

    Vincent
    Member
    from Sweden

    Yeah i agree,lead is really nice to work with ;)
    Sorry i won´t be able to make it to Norrköping,no money and no car running :( I would love to use your e-wheel,have never used one befora,maybe i can come up someother time :D I guarantee you i will be building more cars haha
     
  15. lowlow
    Joined: Sep 7, 2005
    Posts: 63

    lowlow
    Member
    from Sweden

    Anytime man! Just tell me a day or two in advance, so can clean the shop a little bit. Looks a little bit like Beirut right now. The Jokers kar kraze is coming up you know. I really think its nice to see you youngsters can build a good looking car, without bondo and duct tape.

    Rokkenråll!
     

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