My '56 Buick build *or* How to completely destroy a car

So as mentioned in my intro a while back, i'm working on a 56 Buick Special 4-door and i am a complete idiot. That might be overstating it a bit, but i've definitely never done this before. So i figured i'd start a thread and let everyone watch me ruin a car. Here's a before picture:



I'm trying to keep the plans fairly low-key and simple, so as not to ridiculously outstrip my limited abilities. I had originally planned to replace the 322 Nailhead with a later 425 and matching trans, but i had forgotten about the arms that come off the torque tube. Moving to an open drive would require me to move those elsewhere, and my skills just aren't up to that right now. Maybe in a few years. So for now, here's the bullet point list of goals i am hoping to accomplish.

• Pull the engine & transmission, rebuild both with better performance in mind
• Rebuild the front & rear suspension, all my bushings are rotted and the metal is rusted. Add some sway bars to stiffen up the ride.
• Convert to disc brakes in the front.
• Take some scotch brite pads on a sander or angle grinder to the underside of the car, get rid of as much rust as possible and then apply POR-15 liberally.
• Replace the springs & shocks, drop the ride height about 2".
• Potentially rebuild the rear end, if it's necessary.
• Rechrome pretty much everything.
• Switch to electric windshield wipers.
• Go in and fix the door windows. They are a bit tough to roll up and down currently.
• Strip the entire car & repaint.

It doesn't seem like a lot, to look at it. But i'm sure i'll blow it somewhere along the line. Thusfar, i've started the process of pulling parts off to get ready for pulling the engine. It's taking awhile for me to bag and label everything i pull, so as not to end up with a pile of parts that i have no idea what to do with. I'm having a bit of trouble with nut being rusted to bolts, and i'm hoping a propane torch i bought will help me out with that. Here's an idea of the underside of the car and the engine:





That's pretty much the story, as it sits. I'll continue with progress updates as i go, and everyone can be amazed at my catastrophic failure.

 

Sounds as though you're a rookie. Your list of changes are simple. Just take your time, follow instructions and ask questions if you're not certain you're doing something correctly.....Good luck...........Mike

 

Been there many times. Tackle one step at a time and you'll be fine. Keep it driveable as long as possible helps out too. Good luck man! Keep us posted.

 

I love 56 buicks, I have a wagon.. Call me crazy, but I actually really dig the vacuum wipers.. When the motor is in good shape, that is.. Have fun man!!

 

I am 100% with you on every thing but the repaint. Unless you have very deep pockets the paint can get can away from you fast plus the paint that is on it look good to me. You might consider doing every thing but the paint and then see how you feel and how you bank account is feeling.

 

I totally agree. Have your chrome done first......After the chrome is re-done, IF you have extra money left, then worry about paint. It looks like it only needs minimal paint work.

 

Take your time, keep it rollin as much as possible and you'll be fine. Everything on your list except the paint is relatively inexpensive and easy to complete.
At least you had the smarts to bag and tag your bit's as you disassembled it.
I didn't bother with my Plymouth build...5 years went by between disassembly and assembly......yep, ...there were 'F' words.
Cool project....I can't see you wrecking it.......wade in...you'l be a lot more confident by the time you're done.

As for the underside...a suggestion,

Clean all loose rust off by whichever means, wire brush, wire wheel on a die grinder, etc,etc.
Then coat the whole shebang with any milky white type of rust converter preparation like Plasti Coat Rust Not (An American made rust converter product)
Next, get a coupla gallons of tarry type underseal and lay it on nice and thick, by brush or with a compressed air applicator.
The finish will last longer than you will, there will be no more rust, easy cleanup, and the products store well for use later on.
Nothing against Por15 but it ain't the last word....I did a battery box in that stuff and within a short time a leaky battery chewed thru it bigtime,and ruined the job, plus if you get it on you (easy to do when you are under a car) it takes quite a while to wear off, and once opened, it goes off fairly quickly even if stored as per instructions.

These are just my experiences with the very job you have on your bullet list and like anything, there are many ways to skin a cat. This approach has worked well and been inexpensive, for me.

 

Have some faith in your self.

 

I am sure we will be amazed by your catastrophic success! Good luck with the build it will turn out great no doubt. I look forward to the updates as it comes along.

I am no expect but I know that even experts make huge mistakes - good luck

 

I like your sense of humor,but don't be too hard on yourself...Think every step through before you start,and whenever you have those WTF moments,stop,take a deep breath,and ask questions here.Lot of help from the folks on the HAMB,and a lot of people here who know their shit...I'm not one of them,but I'll watch your progress,too...Good luck,cool car

 

If you come across any parts you need hit me up. I am not that far away and I have a couple 56 Buick parts cars.

 

My golden rule: The only stupid question is the one you don't ask. Hey, and don't forget: all of us here had to make a start from the exact same place you're at now. I myself started with nothing, and I've still got most of it left........

Good luck, you'll have a shitload of fun with it.

 

Thanks, everyone. I am a complete rookie, but i'm *mostly* joking about annihilating this car. Keeping it simple should prevent me from doing a lot of damage, i'll just take my time.

You guys might be right on the paint. The paint as it stands is pretty decent, it's just kinda...thick. And was layered on over previous paintjobs without taking those off first. I don't have any good detail shots of the paint to show that, but you can kind of make it out here:



But i'm still a good ways off from dealing with paint, so i'm sure i'll come around and ask more advice when the time comes.

Same with the underside. Digging around on here some, POR-15 seemed to be the preferred method of handling the amount of rust i'm facing. But I'm definitely not married to the idea, Amaverick, especially if the cost is lower for something else that will hold up longer. Thanks for the input.

 

Any updates in the Buick?
Did you call the scrapper yet?

Seriously, I'd like to see what you've been up to...

 

I know this is an old thread, but since someone else brought it back up, I thought I'd put in my two cents. I bought a '51 Ford in about this shape th 1987. I spent the next winter underneath it in the garage sandblasting the whole bottom. I then POR-15'd the whole thing. It still is holding up and still looks good. I agree about not getting it on you; I bought a box of 50 pairs of nitrile gloves, and that saved me. (Can't say the same for my coveralls, though.) The main thing about POR-15 is that it doesn't stand up to UV light very well; not a problem if you're doing the underside of the car. Also, I don't know anything that will stand up to battery acid on a previously rusted surface.

 

It's been a bit since i updated this thread. Work got crazy, then life got crazy. But now things are less crazy, and i have made progress!

Before the winter hit, i stripped a ton of parts out (radiator, fan shroud, fan, wiper motor, etc), and got the front clip off so i could pull the engine out easier and give me a lot of access to the front end when rebuilding time comes. Then it just kinda sat for a while as i moved and the weather got cold. Working in a driveway means i'm subject to whims of the weather.

BUT the weather warmed up, and i set about undoing the engine and transmission mounts, and removing most of the linkages that needed removing. And this past weekend, my buddy Roberto came up, i rented a hoist and a sawzall, and we pulled the nailhead and dynaflow right out, with a minimum of fuss. Here's some photos:

With the chains on it, Roberto getting ready to saw.


I'm going to switch to dual exhaust, so we just took the sawzall to the rusted exhaust instead of fighting trying to remove them.


It's coming. Bonus airplane!


After forgetting a few connections (oil pressure and coolant temp), we got them free!


After all that, we got some Wendy's and talked about next steps. When we got back to the house, a neighbor had wandered over to check out our work. Turns out he's really into old cars, races boats, and has air tools that he brought over so we could take the transmission off and put the engine on a stand. Pretty nice dude. Also: air tools are way more useful than fighting these bolts by hand.

So that's where i'm at. Engine is out, and i'm trying to figure out what to do next.

I also need to find a place (hopefully locally) that could rebuild the Dynaflow. I think that's going to be hard.

If i had deeper pockets, i could be on the road by summer. But budgeting probably won't allow that to happen. I think my next real step might be rebuilding the front end, since that kit is only about $400 and change. Plus POR-15 for the frame, and eying that Scarebird disc brake kit...

For fun, here's a photo of Berto's ride. A 1965 Malibu SS. Crate 350. Not sure if it's HAMB approved, but it's real fun to ride in.

 

Since my social groups where i posed the question seem to be a little quiet, i'll post the question here. Since the cost of a rebuild kit for the nailhead is about $1600, is it easier/possible to buy an already rebuilt 322 for that price? It would take away the fun of doing it myself, but it would save me time and get me on the road faster. Another idea would be just replacing the parts that are obviously broken, but if this is something i want to drive pretty reliably, should i be concerned about the wear that parts have already taken?

 

Whenever your buying someones supposed "rebuilt" motor you are gambling on it actually being legit. I would get some serious documentation if you go that route. If it was me I would rebuild it or send it out, that way you might get some kind of warranty.

 

Personally, I'd rebuild what you've got...that way you know what's been done...buying someone else's "rebuilt" engine could turn into a nightmare, unless you know them personally and can take their word for it...you wouldn't be saving any money in the long run...

R-

 

There are two main paths from which to choose on rebuilding your engine. The 1st is a general overhaul as opposed to a full rebuild. Think piston rings, valve job and engine bearings and gaskets/seals. To start, get a reproduction Buick Shop Manual (www.faxon.com) for specifications and assembly instructions etc. You will need to buy or borrow measuring instruments (micrometer set and bore gauges). If your cylinder bores and piston are within wear limits, you do not have to rebore the block and buy new pistons, etc. If the crankshaft journals are within wear limits and round, great, just put in new bearings.

The point is, if the existing wear is mild, you can do a simple overhaul and get years of use from your engine at a relatively modest cost. If examination of the parts shows everything is well worn, then option #2 is obviously necessary.....a full rebuild with boring the block, turning the crank journals and so on. While that is nice...if it isn't really necessary, you might want to avoid the time and additional expense.

Ray

 

Why do you want to rebuild the engine? Did you do a compression check? How is the oil pressure? Did you put a vacumn gage on it? If these checks were OK, or even just decent, your money may be better spent at this stage getting the suspension, brakes, chrome and interior cleaned up. Once you get into the motor, you are committed to spend whatever it takes to do it right. Personal observation: A 56 Buick with a 322 or 264 will never be fast (and still be drivable or within a normal budget),so go for the cool cruiser. Ride in Berto's car when you want to go fast.

 

Good advice there... and you may not have to do as much as you think, before you buy a kit have someone that knows what they're doing measure the bores and see where they are at. Could just need a little freshening.

And I highly doubt you will find a legit rebuilt 322 for $1600.

 

If your Motor is the original, the 1956 322" is the best year of the 322". The earlier years were not as powerful, or refined.

I have a 1956 322" that was in my Pickup when I bought it.
It was very tired and I did a total rebuild on it. New parts, and machine work were over $4000.00 and I did all the assembly work.
I already had a new Edelbrock Carb and MSD Distributor on the Engine prior to rebuild.

They are expensive to build, but they are Cool as hell!
Lots of Low RPM Torque to move that big Land yacht.

Early Engines ran on Non-Detergent Oil often suffer from Oiling issues due to Gunk Build up in the Engine.
The Nailheads rockershafts are where build up can often be found. If your engine is in good running condition, maybe all it will need is a gasket set, rocker shafts cleaned inside and out, and a detailing.

Good luck with your project!

 

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I hadn't thought about just a basic refreshing of the engine. So for now i'll probably just take the engine apart, clean it to within an inch of its life, check to make sure everything is within tolerance, and replace what needs to be replaced. A neighbor who lives behind me came by while we were pulling the engine. He could probably help me check tolerances.

I haven't done a compression check yet. I guess my reasoning behind rebuilding the engine is that i want to drive the Buick almost daily, and i figured it was best to expend the effort on making sure the engine was up to that? Maybe i was overthinking it.

Oh i'm definitely just aiming to cruise in this gal. Fast is not a priority, though i'd maybe like to squeeze some extra power out of this engine.

 

Leading up to this weekend, i spent some time with a wire wheel on my drill to take off some of the crud that had built up on the suspension over 50+ years of this car's life. It worked pretty well, but was real slow going. Here's a shot after a bit of going at it.



After that, i borrowed a power washer and tried to blast the gunk off with oven cleaner and a lot of force. The power washer i borrowed didn't do the job, so i dug out the big chunks with a screwdriver, and i'll overkill it with another power washer and MORE time with the wire wheel.

With stuff somewhat cleaned up so we could see components, my neighbor Jack came over with some air tools and helped me start to tear down some of the suspension.

We started here:


We hit the easier stuff first. Sway bar came out, then the center link. Unfortunately, we forgot to get a pitman arm puller, so we haven't pulled the steering *quite* out.

I did, however, get myself a loaner spring compressor from Autozone. And after taking the shocks out, we partially disassembled it so we could get it in the spring. The lower control arm has an opening that is (clearly) smaller than the spring, so we had to take one of the wings off the compressor, slide it in and then reattach it. But it worked, and we compressed away.

Once the spring was compressed, we got to working on the control arms. Unbolted the upper arm, and tried to get the knuckle off, but there's some weirdness in how it was threaded, so we kinda let it be for right now. Then we undid the lower arm, and let the whole affair just come loose. I'll spend more time later taking it apart, so i can send the arms to the blaster maybe. Is it safe to send the spindle to the blaster, too?

It was good times, took maybe a couple hours of slow going and doublechecking work. We only got the driver's side undone, but next time should be faster. I'll say it again, air tools are awesome and i should get some instead of trying to muscle everything.

Here's some photos.

It started off easy...


Center link and sway bar are off.


Spring compressor, in action!


Upper arm is loose.


I don't have any photos of after we pulled everything, i was too busy cleaning up quickly so i could finish putting up a shed. Busy sunday. To make up for it, here is a photo of my gorgeous girlfriend posing with my Buick that i took for a contest that we didn't win.

 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Spitbucket
Why do you want to rebuild the engine? Did you do a compression check? How is the oil pressure? Did you put a vacumn gage on it?... Personal observation: A 56 Buick with a 322 or 264 will never be fast (and still be drivable or within a normal budget),so go for the cool cruiser. Ride in Berto's car when you want to go fast.


i TELL YOU WHAT! I bet that nailhead stock with a nice quality rebuild would give a small block a run for its money.My first car was a 55 buick super 322 all stock that thing was a 4200 lb car that motor moved that thing down the freeway at 100mph in a hurry with no problem... I now have a small block chevy in my buick that runs good but not as the original motor... In the near future i would like to locate a 56 322.. like was said earlier thats the best of the 322..Youll be able to cruise and pass when needed!

 

have faith in your self and jump in! everyone has their own opinions, just learn what you can and figure out the rest as you go. this is a great forum tool to use.

 

I agree. My old wore out 322 in my 56 runs pretty good on the freeway. As it says in the manual, press the accelerator and there is a surge of smooth power

 

Took a little break from the suspension work this weekend, and started in on the fun stuff: disassembling the engine.

It was kinda slow going, i didn't have access to any air tools and also i'm an idiot, so i took my time and just pulled things apart slowly, bagging and labeling all the weird bolts i removed.

I pulled the heads on saturday. There was a TON of old oil sludge around the valve springs, but everything looked in decent shape. Pushrods were straight, rocker arms didn't look worn out or damaged. The valves are a bit rusty, but they'll get replaced. There was a little wear in the camshaft, but i think the machine shop can fix that right up. Everything here was fairly smooth going, i stopped when it was time to flip the engine over. That i put off till sunday.

There's a solid 1/2-3/4 of an inch of semisolid sludge in the bottom of the oil pan. Oil pump intake is gnarly with sludge. I'll probably replace the pump, and just clean the pan to within an inch of its life. Water pump, timing chain and cover all came out. One weird thing is that the water pump was full of some kind of seed. The same things that are covering the engine (see the photos). I guess this car sat outside with the hood up for a long time?

Crankshaft looks pretty decent, a few lines from rod bearings. Again, machine shop should clean that right up. I knocked a few pistons out, and i think they look pretty alright...some carbon buildup, but no damage. Cylinder walls (so far) look smooth and undamaged. I only took out 4 pistons, i got stuck on a main cap bolt that just wouldn't budge. i had no air tools, so i just fought with it until i realized it was a lost cause. Hopefully tonight my neighbor will loan me his air tools so i can finish taking it apart and knock out the rest of the suspension stuff. We'll see.

Photos! Not a ton, because my hands were black with grime and i didn't want to get that all over my phone.


One head off, looking pretty dirty.


Both heads are off, and it's still gross.


So. Much. Sludge.


Rusty valves.


Dirt and junk everywhere, but the cam looks decent.


There's still a lot of antifreeze in the block.


Crankshaft exposed.


Pistons! If you look close, you can see where i used whiteout to mark which cylinder they came out of.


Here's a question: These holes are for the generator bracket. When i took the bolts out, coolant started pouring out of the lower left hole. Is that normal, or is something broken there?

 

It´s normal that coolant is coming out of these holes.

I used some ARP sealer when I put new screws back in there.

And I recommend to remove the freeze plugs.
My nailhead got a lot of sand behind the plugs!