Hot Rods 32 cabriolet that was in same Spokane family 75 years now DRIVING with 425 GS Buick engine!!

No pictures but I'm glad to report that I finally got that dang driveshaft unbolted. Checked the rear ratio during one of my "breaks." 3.42 as expected. Boy I hate to leave that 12 bolt posi in that car. Under the 32, I could run a dually look with the rear from the Riviera!
Hope to get engine picker to shop and see what happens.
A pal has figured that the new engine/trans combo will be about 245 lbs heavier than the 4 banger and 5 speed in it how. The car will weigh just a bit more than it presently does with me in it... before I get in!
Stay tuned.
Slowly but surely Al

 

I took my engine hoist over to the shop with my Riviera parts car and decided I was going to see how far I could get toward pulling the engine and then I'd try to round up some help.

Decided not to call anybody.
Luckily, a friend stopped by at the perfect time to help me get it into my pickup.


Apparently I hadn't gotten all of the water out of the engine.

On the way home. Now to make room in the garage!
Also, we gotta find that exhaust manifold!
Thanks to all for your help and encouragement.
Looks like we might just do this thing!
Tired but Happy Al

 

I love your truck Al!

 

^^Thanks for the kind words about the truck. On New Year's Eve, it will be 9 years to the day since I first drove the pickup out of the garage where I built it... with my lovely wife riding with me! It was far from complete but I was still very happy. It turned out even better than I expected and has gotten far more attention than I ever expected.

Now, to the 32 cabriolet; it seems I have gone too far to back out on putting the big Buick into the little Ford. I could quit on the project and put the Buick in something else or sell it but I think I'm going to proceed with working toward making the change. I still don't plan to take the little Ford apart until I have everything mostly figured out and all the needed parts and pieces on hand. Charlie and my pal in New Mexico, Larry, among others can still hold out hope that I'll change my mind but I do think the output would be an awesome car to drive and I also feel like I'll be positively contributing to the car's long, long history and hope that I add to the legacy of a car that began May 5, 1942 by a heck of a man and a whale of a mechanic; Doug Turnwall.
I unloaded the engine this morning. I emailed this picture to several of my pals and told them I wish Elizabeth Montgomery was still around to twitch her nose and put the Buick in the cabriolet.
I've been gathering pictures of a number of cars with big Buicks in them to use as a reference when I'm trying to figure out the fine points of getting the engine in the car and how it will be configured. I have to say that I have really been impressed by some of the creativity shown. I'll have to work very hard with my meager skills to even get close but I'm gonna try. I would love to figure a way to include a mechanical fan in the solution but I'm not certain there is enough room. Another "opportunity" will be what to do with the suspension on the front end; back end, too, for that matter when you consider the magnitude of the horsepower and torque that Buick will produce!
All of these challenges are really just what I call opportunities... opportunities to succeed!
I really wanted to keep the 5 speed but it will be so much simpler to retain that wicked switch pitch transmission that I plan to do just that but use a shifter like or similar to the old Hurst Dual Gate shifter that came in my 67 GTO so long ago. I'm thinking that will satisfy my need to do a little "shiftin'" now and then.
Stay tuned... and please keep an eye out for that exhaust manifold we need for the driver's side.
Tom T used a slightly different one in his coupe he is completing:

I'll be happy with anything close.
Thanks again for all the interest and encouragement,
Al

 

Late today I ordered engine mounts, biscuits, and a bolt-in engine crossmember... it goes from one frame rail to the other and already has the engine mounting points welded to the crossmember at the correct distance to mount the Buick. The fine fellows at Heidts were very helpful and did some internal consultation with some of the Chassis Engineering transplants before calling me back with a recommendation. Spent rest of day scraping crud off engine and transmission. I also researched and determined which transmission electrical circuit did what. The transmission was missing the original electrical plug so the old Gran Sport hadn't utilized the switch pitch torque converter or passing gear in some time. Of course, the car hadn't really been run at all for maybe 10 years and was so rusty that it shouldn't have been driven!
A bit of wiring trivia is that the switch pitch transmission has a horizontal connection spade with a vertical connection spade below it. The horizontal one controls the switch pitch which goes from 1,800 stall speed to 2,600-2,800 stall speed when 12 volts supplied! The vertical spade kicks the car into passing gear when 12 volts are supplied.
The way it is set up, you get both when you nail it! Makes for a very impressive launch... even in the 4,000 lb plus Buick… not to mention the added boost from both of those 600 cfm four barrels going to full throttle!
I can't wait! Of course, I suspect that the little Ford is going to go up in tire smoke instead of launching if I get too heavy footed. I do plan to add positraction and am thinking the present 3.00 ratio, or there abouts, will be fine given that the big Buick had 3.42 posi rearends as standard equipment. I don't think the car will use any lower gearing to do anything but smoke the tires since the Ford is so much lighter. That make any sense?

 

I had some family stuff and seasonal parties to attend but I kept plugging along on cleaning the Buick engine and transmission. Things went slow but I was making progress so all was well until I went to remove the thermostat housing... I knew I might be pulling too hard on that last bolt!
Dang thing rung off!

The good news is that I was able to drill it out... in a number of very calculated steps. I chipped out the leftovers in the first few threads and was able to eventually clean it up with a tap. It was slow and tedious but I kept working at it and backing up and cleaning everything and trying again.
I stand by my claim to preferring being more lucky than good!
The remnant on the right is the biggest piece to come out. Luckily, the bolt went all the way through the housing so this piece got pushed out the bottom. The mechanical gods were certainly smiling on me today! Twas a great Christmas present!
The cleaning up and sprucing up is going pretty well and I have to replace the rubber gas lines with fuel injection hose as the parts store inadvertently gave me regular gas hose and I didn't notice until I had cut the first two pieces.
Another upcoming opportunity will be how to recycle the excess gas coming from the fuel filter back to the gas tank? I've found some check valves that could be put in a line going back to a T in the line somewhere before the mechanical fuel pump.
Anybody have experience with this?
Still chasing that elusive exhaust manifold but found a fellow in NC that might be able to help but he's off to see his family for Christmas so we'll know more later in the week; next week at the latest. I was told the manifold likely came on a 1957-1960 LeSabre that had single exhaust; that's why the one we're searching for dumps straight down... presumably to a crossover tailpipe.
Hope to find one soon. The main hardware for installing the engine should be here soon... maybe Santa will bring it!
Thanks for the continued interest and help.
Merry Christmas to all!
Al

 

The fabled LX engine code for 1965 Buick Riviera Gran Sport with 2 fours.
No clue what 398 means.

 

I'm pleased to report that I found the exhaust manifold as well as some new stainless steel plug wire holders for my engine for sale by the same vendor. Hope to have the parts here from CA in a week or so.
I'm still sprucing up the engine and looking pretty good from the top. Still need to clean the less accessible bottom side and will after I get the desired exhaust manifold.
Also tweaked the new Allen Grove alternator mount for the new Powermaster alternator that I had from another project that has since gone down the road.
I've located a workable top pulley but believe I'm going to have to do like TomT and have someone remove two of the three existing grooves on the stock bottom pulley to get the needed clearance.

 

Well, I've got one valve cover in the cabriolet.
Thanks to some great help and insight from one of my fellow LARS 2016 pals (he drove the other 36), one valve cover is looking pretty good and the other one is well on the way to looking this good as well.
They won't be the prettiest or the most polished but that is not a main goal. The main goal is to get the rest of the big Buick into the 32.
Besides, remove two bolts and we can return to make the valve covers even nicer looking.
They already look better than I expected at the start.
Stay tuned.
Happy New Year!
Al

 

After the picture, I found a new fan belt that fits in my "inventory." You can also see where I elongated the holes to get the pulley to work. New pulley is same diameter as original on the engine.
Ordered B&M shifter and flex fan today but won't get them until next year!
Other valve cover now looks just as nice as this one... that cleaning and polishing is something very close to work!
Happy New Year!
Al

 

Looks like you had a Great Christmas. This should be a Fun ride, but I do Love that truck! Happy New Year Al.

 

We're having fun and I'm glad you like the pickup. I actually thought about selling the cabriolet as is and just putting the big Buick in my pickup... but what would happen to this thread?!!
And then what to do with the Australian Ford engine in the pickup?
Happy New Year!
Al

 

Tough decisions, I'm sure you'll figure it out. How about the Aussie engine the Deuce?

 

Then I'd be changing two engines! Also might start getting "opinions" about messing with that pickup!
I'm thinking this Buick is gonna be a lot of fun in the 32 if I can get it in there without too much struggle.
Won't really matter once I get started... as they say, "You do what ya gotta do!"
Just a matter of how long... and how much money!

 

Sorry to put ideas in your head, stick to your plan. I know you will share with us, Carp.

 

Several things to report:
Most importantly, I got the manifold from CA and it looks good. The seller included a very slightly damaged three belt bottom pulley for me to cut down so I wouldn't have to alter the good pulley on the engine.
Today I ended up cutting the bottom pulley down and kept tweaking it until it cleared the new flat front fan that came yesterday. I want to run a mechanical fan if I can.
It is a good thing these flex fans flatten out as the engine revs go up! Things are dang close!
Still waiting on Heidts but they are scrambling to get my order to me. I'm customer number one apparently for these items since taking over CE stuff.
No pictures but in other news, I found a $18 fuel check valve at Advance and put together a T to go in the fuel line before the mechanical fuel pump and also added fittings to the check valve so that the extra gas coming out of the fuel filter via a separate outlet can be routed through the check valve back to the new T I plan to put in the gas line from the gas tank. Looks like it will all work but y'all know how that too often turns out!
Gas lines are 3/8" but fuel overflow outlet from fuel filter is 5/16" back to the T. The check valve will keep any gas from being pumped into the fuel filter overflow outlet. The gas being pumped out the overflow outlet of the fuel filter will be under some pressure and should push through the check valve to reenter the gas stream coming from the gas tank. I'll add some pictures when it all gets put together.
You can't really tell from the picture but the tops of the bolts holding the fan on are almost exactly even with the end of the water pump center shaft. The leading edge of the flat front fan are only about a quarter inch beyond the end of the water pump shaft. I'm doing all I can to make the overall length needed as short as possible.
BTW, I tried to get someone with a lathe to shorten that pulley but one guy's lathe was down waiting on needed parts and the other local guy was not available. It was no walk in the park and took a lot of time and more patience than I thought I might have but it seems to have worked out just fine... unless there is a lot of racket when I start it!!
Also, the valve covers look better each time I go over them with that wonderful Mother's Mag and Aluminum Polish. Many years ago, I contacted Mother's and became the first guy to sell it this side of the Mississippi.
I was very small time but mainly just showed how well it worked to other rodders at several national events. I even developed a small network of dealers. I had a lot of fun watching folks test Mother's on the old weathered American mags on my small trailer that I pulled behind my 33 Chevy 2 door sedan.
More later.
Thanks for the continued interest in the car.
Looks like we might be putting the biggest engine ever in this little Ford over it's 75 plus year life as a hot rod. I'm hoping the original owner is smiling somewhere. I'm sure he'd be interested in seeing how we pull it off.
I'm still in contact with the family and have kept them abreast of the updates and other changes I've made to the car. They are very pleased that the car is being used and is out and about in our little town and being shared, once again, with the public. I always make certain to give the original builder credit for building it and credit to the family for preserving it so well for so long.

 

The B&M shifter I got ratcheted up through the gears but not down so I returned it and bought a Hurst Pro-Matic 2 shifter that ratchets up and down through the gears... if I can figure out how it works!
I got the new shifter today and think it will be fine once installed but that is a ways off. I bought the unit for a truck in order to have a little taller shifter.
Still waiting on Heidts but I'm sure they are working on getting my stuff to me.
Tentative expected overall clearance of the Buick engine in the 32 is less than one inch! Might require some added "adjustments!" It will be exciting to get to that point in the build but I expect resolving the final installation to be a bit of a challenge. I'm sure many of you can identify with the feeling as y'all have been there and done that.
Thanks again for the continued interest,
Al

 

Yesterday I removed the transmission pan and cleaned it up and then painted it. Today I sealed new gasket to pan and tried new trans filter but it would not fit... close but no. Since fluid and pan inside seemed pretty good and it was obvious the pan had been off; I figured they had already replaced the filter at least once. I emptied the old filter and got no foreign matter that I saw and it didn't seem restricted so I resorted to reusing the old filter. It did need the O ring replaced and that did fit from the new kit!
I've got it all back together and am still making room to work when the 4 banger gets removed and we shoehorn the Buick into the 32.
Stay tuned,
Al

 

Can't really tell from pictures but valve cover gaskets are now attached to the valve covers. Can't put them on until after engine in car to keep from getting damaged.
The good news is with them off the car they are easy to pick up and polish a little more with Mothers to improve the shine a bit more.
Starting to measure more and more to plan the engine change. The engine is pretty much ready now.
Got to work on plans for gauges. May just keep my under dash panel until have something better that works in my 1940 Ford dash panel.
Opportunites!

 

Got the parts from Heidts, painted them and installed the engine mounts.
Made more progress on making room to do the swap and also cleaned out a bunch of junk and got many nuts and bolts back into the proper storage bin.
Hope to start on pulling the 4 banger soon.
I started at the back of the car.
Stay tuned.
A bad cold postponed much progress for a couple weeks but getting back up to speed.
Hopefully the pace will pick up soon.
Thanks for your interest,
Al

 

Thanks for the update.

Phil

 

Been wondering if anything was going on lately.

 

The weather was great so I took the cabriolet out for likely its last ride with 4 banger power. I also took a potential buyer for the 4 banger engine and transmission combination for a test ride. He went on and on about how well the engine ran and was really impressed with the difference the 5 speed made. I'm thinking to myself, "Why am I changing this setup?"
Later I took my granddaughter for a spin as well and had her do the shift from first to second... just like she used to do in several of my 1940 Ford pickups many years ago.
Here it is backed in for surgery with the big Buick to the right:
I still hate to take a well running car that is fun to drive as is and take it apart but I keep thinking what it will be like with the big Buick engine along with the switch pitch automatic will be like... it should be a big change from the present. We're going from 50 HP to 360 HP... that is quite a multiple. Should be fun!

 

So it begins.

After opening up the floor, I unhooked the exhaust system and the coil and the manual wire to the choke and also disconnected the gas line... being careful to catch any spillage.
Then removed the front headlight bar with headlights. Also removed the license plate holder that had our club plaque on it. Ready to lift off the hood but waiting on some help.

 

Almost like opening a time capsule. Keep 'em coming, Al.

 

When you realize that the guy that built the car and made so many changes over the years actually passed away in 1996 and here we are reviewing how he did it so long ago. I've got the engine tied to the hoist now and just disconnected the transmission bolts so should be about ready to come out but y'all know how that sometimes goes!

Anybody looking for a great running drivetrain for a TROG like car? Not so sure how well they'd like the 5 speed but I've never been accused of building one of my cars to suit somebody else!
It sure is fun to drive. The package will include alternator with new voltage regulator, exhaust system, and hydraulic clutch from everything after disconnecting from clutch pedal cylinder with all hoses, fittings, etc. Such a deal...

 

On the way out.

They are almost exactly the same length. Now for some shadetree engineering to see what will be in the way. I'm hoping to keep from splitting that genuine 1932 Ford wishbone but keeping it might get too tricky. We'll see.
Opportunites!

 

I still haven't figured out what the 5 sp trans is. Not a T5, might be a Ranger.

 

This shot also posted above is the most I can give ya. Note the trans adapter to extreme right about half inch thick. The shifter handle has been modified in a number of directions until he got it where he wanted it.

 

Looks like a foreign manufactured box used in Ranger pickups.
https://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/ManualTransmission.shtml


Phil