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School me on 54 Buick's

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by colorado51, Dec 20, 2006.

  1. colorado51
    Joined: Feb 24, 2003
    Posts: 1,576

    colorado51
    Member

    Ok,

    I'm looking at a 54 Buick Special. The car is basically stock; it has the 322 nailhead and automatic.

    I don't really know too much about these things. I know it has coil springs all around (easy to bag?), and the trans has some kind of lever that you pull to put it in overdrive (I think).

    I'd like to maybe change the rear end, engine and trans at some point, will any nailhead fit in place of the 322?

    It has a heater under the drivers floor, is it a pain in the ass to run dual exhaust?

    Thanks,

    Dave
     
  2. Judd
    Joined: Feb 26, 2003
    Posts: 1,894

    Judd
    Member

    If it is original it is a 264 2 barrel. Any 322 will bolt up to the Dynaflow trans 56 4 barrel motor is best for power. 57 up Nailheads have different bell housing pattern. 56 Dual manifolds should fit you may have clearance problems with the brake master cylinder but duals have been done before.



     
  3. ChuckleHead_Al
    Joined: Mar 29, 2004
    Posts: 2,001

    ChuckleHead_Al
    Member

    I own one... It has 56 Packard tailights now, frenched headlights and other stuff, rebuilt my 264 Nailhead motor, bigger pistons, cam and all that stuff... Here's a few old picks.. Buicks are the best, I had more fun driving it around than my 30 Coupe...
     

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  4. Brad54
    Joined: Apr 15, 2004
    Posts: 6,021

    Brad54
    Member
    from Atl Ga

    If it's a Special, it is a 264 Nailhead, not a 322. Everything will interchange with a '54 322, except the block and pistons. The block was a unique casting, only for the '54 and '55 Special. Canadian Specials, however, did come with a 322. A 264 block CAN NOT be bored out to 322.

    Heads must match the pistons, due to combustion chamber/dome design. '53, '54-to mid '55, mid '55-to '56 are the interchanges.

    '53-mid '55 had an oil fill tube with breather, and solid nice looking stamped valve covers with the Buick crest embossed in them, and stamped metal spark plug covers. Mid '55-56 got breathers in the valve covers, and the hole for the fill tube was left off the valley pan.

    Spark plug wire looms bolt to the valve cover hold-down bolt on '54-up, but they bolt to the back of the head (cleaner) on '53.

    '56-'58 (maybe later, but not on 401) used an aluminum water neck/thermostat housing that bends toward the radiator (401 had the hose exit straight up). '53-'55 used a cast iron water neck.

    401 aluminum rocker arms are 1.6 ratio, 322 and 364 use iron 1.5 rockers. The 1.6's will interchange. '59 used iron 1.6 rockers.

    I've been told that the front timing cover from a 401 will bolt on (it's aluminum), letting you use the more available and less expensive 401 water pump and fuel pump.

    '53-'56 used a dual-action fuel pump. Expensive, and ugly. Looks like two fuel pumps stacked on top of each other. '57-59 big Chevy trucks used 322 Nailheads, and they had the more familiar single action (regular looking) fuel pump. Keep an eye on ebay. I have two now, so I'll share that tip!

    Any complete 322 will bolt to the bellhousing and motor mounts.

    Bellhousing pattern is unique to '53-'56 Nailheads. Special bellhousing is smaller than a 322 bellhousing, which is very hard to find (manual). Century and Super used a bigger bellhousing behind the 322, and a much stronger 3spd trans with a 6-bolt cover on top (Special had a smaller trans with a 5-bolt cover).

    The drive shaft is enclosed in a tube (called a torque tube) that bolts to the back of the transmission. There is only one u-joint, off the back of the trans. It's in a ball where it meets the torque tube. At the rear end, the drive shaft slides onto the pinion stem (splined) and is pinned in place. The torque tube locates (and holds) the rear end front-to-back. Change the trans, and you'll have to swap the rear end, and figure out a way to locate the rear end (GM truck trailing arms, 4-link, etc).

    No Posi available.
    No overdrive available.

    There is a big "X" frame under the car, like on a convertible. There are no holes in that frame for dual exhaust. That doesn't mean you can't cut your own.

    The master cylinder is mounted under the floor on the driver's side, as is the clutch linkage. You will have to route exhaust by this. It can be done.

    The "sister" set is '54, '55, '56. Lots of interchange between them.

    '56 was first year for dual exhaust--they moved the master cylinder to the toe board at the bottom of the fire wall. The '56 Dual Exhaust driver's side exhaust manifold looks like a cast iron header. The '56 Single Exhaust driver's side manifold also looks like a cast iron header, but dumps out the front, routing the cross over pipe under the front of the engine. Find one of each. Put the single exhaust manifold on the passenger side (no dumping in the back) and you've got nice looking cast iron manifolds.

    Conversion bellhousings show up on ebay a good bit, if you want to put a different trans behind them. Wait for the Cragar-to-late '50s/early '60s Ford trans adapter, or the de$irable TransDapt to-Chevy 4speed bellhousing. I'm not positive, but I think there are auto trans adapters available for the 322, but they're expensive. (Judging by the 364 and 401 I know the companies make)

    Road Master radiators are larger, bolt in on the Special, and come with a cool metal fan shroud.

    Rear shocks are expensive-to-rebuild hydraulic lever action shocks that bolt to the back of the brake drum. '56 had a cross member with tube shocks.

    '56 also had a front spindle with a few degrees of caster in it, rather than being straight up and down like the '54 and '55. TSBs and Motor Trend-type mags of the time said this made the car corner and recover a little better. They're a bolt-in.

    I got JAMCO 3-inch lowering springs for mine, and it was great for a nice mild look and completely driveable. Drove it every day for a year and a half, until the fragile trans broke. Plans are for a '56 322, Weiand 2x4 intake (avoid the Offy intakes: readily available, but flow like crap--watch ebay for Weiand 2x4 and 3x2; usually go for around $225-275; bellhousings seem to go for $250-$350), Trans-dapt and Chevy 3spd manual with OD, '57 Chevy rear hung on factory coil and panhard brackets, with '60-'72 GM truck trailing arms to locate it.

    -Brad
     

  5. colorado51
    Joined: Feb 24, 2003
    Posts: 1,576

    colorado51
    Member

    Thanks for all the good info, guys.

    Here is what I'm looking at:
    [​IMG]

    Its pretty much stock, except it's been lowered.

    So if the stock auto had no OD, then I think that the lever on the dash is for a low-range gear(?).

    Also, is the stock rear set up like a 4-link?
     
  6. Brad54
    Joined: Apr 15, 2004
    Posts: 6,021

    Brad54
    Member
    from Atl Ga

    Nice car!
    I don't know what lever you're talking about on the dash though.
    To the right of the steering wheel are a couple of sliding knobs in a bezel--that's for air vents. To the left of the steering wheel is a pull knob for the e-brake.

    The stock rear has two coil springs and a pan-hard bar.
    The torque tube, connecting to the transmission, is what locates the rear end. That one tube could be described as being all the links of a 4-link, rolled into one big non-rodding friendly piece. It locates the rear front-to-back, and keeps it from pivoting.

    Brad
     
  7. The Buick Dynaflows are two speeds.
    Called Dyna-Slush back in the day.

    They worked pretty well and low range would run the speedometer up over 50 with no probs,

    I know folks love Nailheads and they're great engines, but you may want to consider the later model 430 & 455 V8's that come with T-400 attached.

    Very torquey engines with 510# torque rating on the 10/1 compression 455 engines.

    Engines are lightweight - weigh 15# more than an SBC if you swap the heavy intake manifold for an aluminum one.

    Exhaust manifolds may work for you, they look like they flow pretty well.
    I was going to use them in my 462" (.030 overbore 455) powered 32 roadster, but the turndown at the back interfered with the 32's toe boards.

    They have front distributor, easy to adapt to side motor mount pads and the starter is on the right side.
    Oil pan is a rear sump.

    Quite a bit of speed equipment is available for them, but it's a little higher priced than the run of the mill Chevy stuff since the Buicks are a low volume item.
    Regardless, you don't have to do much to the big Buicks to make em a strong street runner.

    A darned near stock 455 with some reasonable gearing and decent tires ought to yank the car shown above into the 13's fairly easy.

    13's may not sound like much nowadays, but it is very good street performance.
    Especially when you consider that a lot of "10 second" street cars have a tough time hitting 14's when they get to the strip....
     
  8. They are big, heavy and mostly ugly. Other than that, they are cool old cars.
     
  9. Out of all the cars I have owned, my 54 is the one I miss the most. It started life as a 54 hardtop Special. The prior owner cut the roof off before I got it so I tried to make the best of it. I got it on a trade so free works for me.
    I had cut coils all the way around, drove great. Had duel exhaust (straight pipes), rebuilt 322 with the dyno trans. Never, ever had a problem except for the starter and carb but had those rebuilt with no problems. Might have to talk Chucklehead out of his 54......
     

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  10. ChuckleHead_Al
    Joined: Mar 29, 2004
    Posts: 2,001

    ChuckleHead_Al
    Member

    Dude I just got the motor back!!!
    Whenever you are ready baby, make me a deal...

    Kustom55 had one of the baddest Buicks I have ever seen....
     
  11. Thanks man. The way it looks in the pix was just the beginning. I had planned on purchasing a roof from a donor 54 and making it a chopped hartop. I was also going to lower the rear wheel opeing by taking the entire rear end of a 55 Pontiac and adapting it. However, the thrill of buying a house took over and I sold it to someoene in Costa Mesa. Im sure it is around OC rotting somewhere
     
  12. Tin Can
    Joined: Nov 18, 2005
    Posts: 2,096

    Tin Can
    Member

    kustum55 that is one sweet ride.

    This posting is full of good info. I have a 53 special with a straight 8 but the rear end is setup the same.
     
  13. 55chevy
    Joined: Sep 27, 2006
    Posts: 280

    55chevy
    Member

    54 Buicks have the coolest looking front end of all of them, I love em, wish they were as plentiful as Chevies.
     

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