Projects Fireball 8, how much is too much...?

Null

 

Given the low miles I would keep the straight eight. Clean it, paint it, tune it up, change the oil and leave it at that.

When you have finished everything else you want to do to the car, start driving it and see how you like it. The ol' straight eight will have all the power you need for normal driving. If you find it is just too slow, you can think about hopping it up or changing to a different motor.

 

You mention Gasser, if you want traditional, a gasser was usually a light car to start with, not the heaviest tank you could find. Buicks did not gassers make!

 

Do you have a Roadmaster engine to put in it? More inches is always good. Have you seen Jeff Brocks Buick 8. Or any of the other Buicks at Bonneville? They will run and run well if you put the effort into them. Check Salt Cat Racing for a very fast Buick 8

 

My experience with fast Buick 8s is limited to standing near a few. But all that I know of were the 320 size.

 

Back in the 60s, a guy in our neighborhood had a 55, or so, Cad Sedan de Ville that he pulled the front bumper off of and cranked about 50 of those aluminum spring spacers in each front coil. He thought he had a gasser
We laughed at him behind his back
Do you see where I'm going with this??
Fix up the Buick, drive it and look for another car. When you find it, sell the Buick and build your gasser

 

Here are two Buicks whose owners did not take a poll. They did it. Also a construction of a fuel injection that I made for a Buick 8. The Salt Cat guys working in the wilds of Montana using a drill press and a torch made the stock Buick head into a 16 port head. You can do what ever you want if you really want to. Or if you don't want to, you can find plenty of reasons not to do it

 

You say you like the car?????

It is not a hot rod or a gasser but would make an awesome custom or cruiser. Start by cleaning, painting, and generally restoring to good driving condition. Maybe a cool paint job and custom upholstery. Lower it a little, add some wide whites and go.

If you like it great, if you don't like it you can always sell it.

I don't like the idea of changing the engine. That model Buick has the torque tube drive and coil springs on all 4 wheels. If you want to change the engine you pretty well have to yank the whole drive train then design and build a whole new rear suspension, etc.

This seems crazy to me, when you have a good running low mileage motor in there already. Get a repair manual and learn to fix the old motor, it isn't that hard.

Or, just buy a newer car that has a V8, auto trans, etc etc etc in other words if you want a Camaro buy a Camaro. Why knock yourself out trying to make a 52 Buick into a 72 Buick when you can just go buy one.

 

The sad part is with a few hours work you could have that motor eating out of your hand. 27000 miles is barely broken in. The Buick Eight was an expensive car in 1952, even the Special, and out shone the common Fords and Chevs in performance and class.

It may not be a fast car by today's standards but will still cruise down the hiway at 60 - 70 with no trouble.

It would drive me crazy to see you throw away a perfect low mile motor to put in some junkyard reject with 100000 miles on it.

 

run the straight 8

 

The neighbor use to race a 39 coupe with a swapped in petty much stock 320 dual carbed motor ran in the 14.20s.

 

that's the whole reason to do it, follow your own path

 

If Ak miller could make 115 mph with a straight eight in a 32 roadster, with twin carbs an a special cam, you can make a good driver out it, that can bring you around in style!!! Even reasonably fast too

Keep it, use it and love it!!

 

Well I am not a resto guy so if I got an engine that is too big a pain I look for a different engine. The Buick is a little heavy for the gas class crowd but the first Flintstone Flier was a big ol boat so I guess it could be done. I am going to say this just lifting a car does not make it a gasser.

I am going to say this, I am lazy so if I owned a boat I would not try and make an airplane out of it. I would use it as a boat.

 

that would make a great "bajito"!

 

Good motor. Mulit carbs, headers and a cam would make it a cool motor. The rest of the car is a 4-door. That might make an OK custom or lowrider, but not a hot rod.

Take a look at the cars in the gas class back in the day. You'll see right away. I agree with " beaner", use it as a boat.

 

Fix it, drive it.
Ya cant eat racoon if your chasing a skunk.
That would make a fine cruiser, but a gasser?? nope.
You'd have to start your turn a block away due to lateral sway. (I like that)
Save the funny money for a worthwhile build-it-up project. I helped a guy swap a 455 in place of a 268 in a '49.
I wanted the I8 because the car I got for free had a big hole in the side of the motor. That was 1993.
I drove mine as soon as the swap was done and his still sits. Still.

 

Get all that crap cleaned off of it, give it a nice paint job and get it working nice and they will be beating down the doors to buy it. No wonder no one digs it now, it looks like a giant turd. Forget the motor, that is the least of your problems. Geez.

That is such a great old car. Even the chrome is all there and in good shape. I know it looks bad but that could be fixed with a little effort. You are killing me.

 

I think the turbo, would work, but so would a super charger! And better? No need to do and intake and a exhaust manifold with a blower. But two 4bbl, a better intake and a custom bring cam, and a good ones over and it should pull a sleek custom very good!
No need to go that fast, when you can travel in style.


If you choose to pull it, despite good judgement, sell it to someone willing to do this!

 

Make a nice family cruiser and enjoy as is (engine wise ) stab it and steer it.

 

Rusty is right. Fix the body and interior and drive it. Or sell it before you screw it up so bad that it is just junk.

 

Having just lost a favored OT daily driver to a neighbor's tree felled by a severe windstorm, I am in a pissy mood. I have been reading this thread since it's beginning. You, the OP, are hurting my head. You don't know siccum about what you want or how to get there if you did. And, if I had lost one of my HAMB friendly cars, I'd really be in a mood to let you have it!

I agree with those who have posted that your best course of action, for the Buick's sake, more than yours, is to sell that poor car to someone who will appreciate it for what it is and treat it appropriately.

Ray

 

You got the car for free? If you sell it for a six pack of suds you've made a decent profit on it. Now if you bought it for a grand and sold it for 750..., well that sounds like something I'd do.
-Dave

 

Suggested course of action, based on 50 years of messing around with old cars-

Start by cleaning it out and sorting out all the parts. Don't throw anything away. That weird piece of rubber or metal that can't be a car part, will turn out to be some irreplaceable thing.

You can throw away the dried up pens and McDonald's wrappers lol.

Make a list of what it needs. Break it down into mechanical, body and paint, and interior. Map out a plan to fix everything in that order. Make up your mind if you have the time, money and inclination to see it through. If you quit half way through you will be throwing away your time and money. You would do better just to sell it.

Start by doing the mechanical work. You don't need new plug wires, they are metal, they will keep working till the insulation rots off and they will still keep working if nothing shorts them out. Adjust valves (if they are solids) clean or replace the plugs, points, do an oil and filter change. Oil bath air filter, clean and refill with 50 weight oil.

Clean and paint the engine and engine compartment. You don't have to do this but I like to do it. Doesn't cost much, and I get a kick out of a clean engine compartment.

Go over the car, fix brakes, lights, steering, tires, everything to make it safe and road worthy.

Weld up the rusty areas or have someone do it for you. Fill and sand. Sand the car down and give it a coat of primer. If you can't afford a paint job do it in flat black primer then seal it with a coat of clear. This is important, primer is porous and soaks up water. If it is not sealed it will rust.

Clean the chrome with copper scrubbing pads and Pledge. This is for the bumpers or rusty areas. Then polish with Flitz, Simichrome or your favorite chrome polish. For non rusty areas just use the chrome polish.

Ok now you have a sharp looking, good running car. For the interior I don't know, it is pretty far gone. Maybe you can fake something up and throw Mexican blankets over it. DO NOT discard the original seats or try to bolt in some other seats. This is too schlocky and never works.

By this time you should have about $2000 and a few months spare time work in it. Around here a car like that would be advertised for $12,000 and someone would snap it up too.

I leave it to you if you want to drive it or sell it, but once it is done you will probably want to enjoy it for a while.

 

Keep the 8,look for the 1941 double carb set-up add a cam,and drive it all day a 100 miles a hour! My stock 1947 ran at 80 to 100 all the time stock and gave me 22mile per gallon at that speed. the 3.60 gearing helped,not a dyaflow,but a 3 speed ! Great motor! Uncle Bill

 

Keep the 8,look for the 1941 double carb set-up add a cam,and drive it all day a 100 miles a hour! My stock 1947 ran at 80 to 100 all the time stock and gave me 22mile per gallon at that speed. the 3.60 gearing helped,not a dyaflow,but a 3 speed ! Great motor! Uncle Bill

 

"It's an odd ball car..."
Hey man, that's the point!
Beautiful car and engine. I say leave the I8 and have fun.

 

This has to be the most depressing thread I have ever read on the HAMB. It's obvious that this young man does not know half as much as he thinks he knows. It's obvious he has no interest in traditional or should I say real hot rodding. Which is all about improving, fine tuning whats there, making due, the fun of squeezing more HP out of those engines and not using a bunch of bolt on crap.
I watched the video and one thing is clear, the absolute contempt this kid has for this car. I guess something that's free is worthless to some.....even if it's not.

I think of my son. He really loves cars like this. He would be so proud of it more doors, rust and and all. Did anyone notice the dang dome light still works?
It's just depressing.

 

Given the right budget, skill, and imagination that ceiling can be raised as far as you like.
Nine-main crank out of two suitable small diesel cranks sitting in a cross-bolted main bearing cradle?
Fabricated 32-valve DOHC cylinder head?
Multi-sidedraught carb set-up?
Supercharging/turbocharging?
Making a T56 etc. work with the torque tube?
Porsche 928 transaxle and IRS (different torque tube)?
The sky is the limit.