Hello all I am new to the board and want to tell you about my project! My dream car has always been a 1935-1936 Auburn Speedster, but even if I had 300k I would not spend it on a car! I decided to do the next best thing, build one!!! First I located a body, I believe it is a California Custom Coach. I have assembled the body, now the doors swing deck lid is cut in (this model never had a deck lid so I added one, but opened the cockpit up to 43 inches from 37 as I am 6'3" tall I have also decided that this should have a straight 8 engine, V8's are just too short for the long nose! I decided if it were going to have a straight 8 it needed to be as modern as possible so I decided to use the Buick 320! It has a counterbalanced crank, insert bearings, valves in head and TONS of torque!!!! This is coupled to a t56 transmission and tied to a 9 inch posi with a 4.11 ring The chassis is a 1975 lincoln chassis stretched to 127 inches! If I can figure this out I will post pictures!! It is coming alsong very nicely, it is still a long way off but it is a great machine!!! Please let me know your thoughts Thanks again Dave
No replicas have cowl vents this one does!!! Cord has very similar size so we fitted a pair of cord cowll vents The deck lid is for a Speedster motorcars but we had to use what we could to make it fit The cockpit is 6 inches longer now! As soon as the engine is installed I will post more Thanks I hope all are belivers now!!! Dave
Thanks for the compliment! I will keep all posted on the progress I plan to have the engine down in there in the next week or so I will probably remove the body though as it will make it a bit easier to move around. As soon as it is sittingin there I will snap anoter picture It is a long way off but I will know exactly what it is made of! Thanks Dave
Sorry, can't find it right now, but there is a Buick forum with a lot of info on developng the 320. Some guys are even going to Bonneville. Probably not news to you.
yeah it is a really cool engine, and has a bunch of torque. They seem to be popular on the salt lake!
I love the idea! What is the width of that rear end? It looks a tiny bit wider than I'm used to on this type of car - front as well. But its hard to tell.
Teambuick.com would love to see the build up of the motor tranny..lots of very knowledgeable guys there. I have a 320 in my 40 buick and planning on installing a t5 possibly. What did it take to get the t56 hooked up?
OK If you have been on team buick there is a pretty cool cat over there that goes by the handle of "jyrki" he has a muncie I believe hooked to a standard buick bell. I am a true FORD guy at heart I know I may catch some slack for it but I love fords always have, but I ALWAYS give credit where credit is due, GM truly had standard specs that they used! I took my original gear box off the 41 engine took it down the road to a buddys place that just happened to have a like new muncie rock crusher! I put the input shaft of the 3 speed torque tube tranny to the machined surface of the muncie, and the shaft length to machined surface is identical between the two! This told me that mathematically it SHOULD all line up! I then bought an adapter plate that adapts a t56 to a muncie bell (remember if a muncie fits in length I can machine the hole to fit as Jyrki did!) I chucked the bell up in my milling machine indicated the exisiting hole on centerline and opened the bore to fit the muncie adapter! I then center punched the adapter and redrilled holes to make it all bolt up to the buick bell! My plan is to use the buick pressure plate and a 26 spline clutch disc. The only other piece I will need to do is make a pilot bearing as I am sure it will not fit. You do need to have a LT1 shaft added to your tranny to make the adapter kit work My tranny will be rebuilt to stock specs plus an LT1 shaft ( I thought to add tougher internals but a stock t56 can handle over 400 hp and 400 ft lbs of torque) I will be really lucky if this engine hits 250 for HP and 300 for torque! Remember minus the engine this thing weighs 1800 lbs! Add the 1000 for the drive train and we are just under 3000 lbs This engine was designed to push a 6000 lb car And later used in Greyhound Busses before Diesel engines were used! These make torque! I will post some pictures of the bell and the adapter so you guys get the drift It is amazing how easy it fits! Thanks again I like seeing guys as excited about this project as me! mosy of these replica cars have 350 chevrolets of 460 fords and these just look corny with a v8 and an automatic in them! Dave
fyi My wife and I are expecting our second Daughter (second child) we just bought this house and the garage was the bonus plan!! The previous owner was a wood worker and this was his shop! That garage is Heated, air conditioned and is MASSIVE 40 X 50!!!! I plan to have it full of cars and parts by spring There is a ton of room now but engines trannys and cars hog a bunch! Dave
OK here are some pictures of the transmission adapter and bell housings The rusty bell is a 1939 but basically the same as the 41 The painted black bell is the 41 that I modified for the adapter The adapter is between the two, and bolts to the face of the bell and transmission This is the adapter installed on 41 bell This should work out perfectly I will know after I get the proper input shaft and the tranny rebuilt I am very excited but as with all projects it takes time and MONEY Thanks again Dave
I am using the chassis the Replica required, I think with the proper "thin" tires on wire wheels it should be pretty close, but I think you are correct about width! Hot rod wheels offers new spoke wire type wheels that you can order with offset to compensate I will probably go that route I currently have a set of 53 Chrysler imperial wire wheels that are set up for "snow" tires (painted black and NOS but it may be tricky to make them work I can get them powder coated but they were set up for drum brakes all the way arount and the discs and calipers are giving me some grief I may just part ways with them and buy the ones that I know will fit! I am a long way off of wheels! I will get the front clip out there this week and set it on and snap a few more pics I need to get the hood figured out before I can install the clip Once again Thanks for the kind words Dave
This is a very interesting project! I have always liked the lines of the Auburn speedster, and I believe Rick Dore customized one few years ago. It was stunning!
Looks good, Dave. Always nice to see something a little different. Nothin' like a big Auburn speedster. The Buick straight eight is perfect for it. Can't wait to see this one goin' down the road! Congrats on the new place, and soon-to-be newest addition to your family.
thanks rickybop! It should be a sweet ride but again it will be a while as with all projects I think this board will prove the be a massive wealth of info that will make this easier Thanks again Dave
I have to add as well that this looks very interesting ! I like the engine choice ,and the cowl vents are a cool idea...its the cool details like those that will set it apart!
Auburn 320 posted: "This engine was designed to push a 6000 lb car And later used in Greyhound Busses before Diesel engines were used!" A friend has one of those Greyhounds. That thing doesn't have an engine compartment, it has an "engine room" in the rear.
No doubht! Those engines are massive hunks of iron! I may be wrong but I have been told those have actually been bored to .200 over on several accounts! Man those were made in the good old days men knew how to run machinery, they knew how to read measuring equipment and they built things to last! I love new cars but I doubht I will see 2012 toyotas or fords for that matter in 70 years running! I love the older technology it was simple reliable heavy and proven! Thanks for all of the great support guys, this makes the project that much more fun when I have several people that are interested in the progress. Dave
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