Flt Blk came by yesterday for the first crank up of the Buick 430 that I picked up just a little over a year ago. I was told it was a runner but you just never know. After Tyler dumped plenty of gas to the carb while I was working the ignition switch, it fired right up.Motor sounded really good.I feel like I've hit a milestone just being able to hear it and know it's O.K.I hope to get a 2X4 setup before it hits the rode. After that we headed to the pool with my son Seth for a little R&R while the motor cooled down.Tyler knocked my son off his scooter and took over. This may be his new thing since he's getting completely away from old cars now. Bass and Honest came by today and twisted my arm into cranking it for them. My neighbors love me and my freinds.
Sorry I missed it...stayed out to late Sat. night! Lookin' good, probably sounds a lot better So you gonna drive that thing tomorrow night? Oh, and I'll bring the wheels this time!
That God Damn 430 ran pretty good. Paul, the pool is in his backyard and has at least 6' of vert on the deep end, impossible to ride.
Hey cool motor! If you need any help working on that Buick, give me a holler. I've been building those big block Buicks for about twenty years and could steer you clear of a few pitfalls. I even have a 455 Stg. 1 in my 32 coupe thats getting a 6-71 blower next year. Just tryin to help. Al
Thanks 70 GSX, I'll keep ya in mind. Still gonna be awhile before the car is on the road but at least I'm a little closer than I was. Post up some pics of that 32.
Here a shot of my car. By the way, even if you don't do anything else, get a replacement oil pump for that 430 and use the white spring in the kit.That's the 60 lb. relief spring (same as a Stg.1). Your 430 probably has the factory 40 lb. spring which won't allow you more than 40 lbs. of pressure. Kit should cost about 25 bucks and will probably save the engine.
I'm a diehard Pontiac guy but whenever I read about those engine shootouts in the performance and musclecar mags, the Buick 455's [big brother to the 430] always seem to stomp on the 455 Olds, Pontiacs and even the 454 chevys. And their lighter too! I like 'em.......congrats.
Thanks for the tip. Oil pump and spring may have already been changed. We were getting about 60 lbs on the gauge when we cranked it. I'll check into that later.Doubt it has but that is the reading we were getting. Don't know much about this motor other than it was a runner and was an 80,000 original mile car it came out of. (supposedly) It had been sitting about 6 months before I got it and a year since I got it. Guy got it out of his grandmothers 67 Wildcat and was gonna put it in his truck but had to get rid of everything.Thats the story I was told. I was kinda waiting to hear "And she only drove it to church and the grocery store" I only paid $100 plus he threw in a aftermaket bellhousing that was brand new so I could run a standard transmision.I think I could have gotten it cheaper. His mom was putting the pressure on him to get it off the driveway. She was gonna have it hauled off till he bought a little time to find a buyer. He said the bellhousing cost him $80 so I figure I got the motor for $20. All I know is that it does run and it ran pretty good.I think it was money well spent.
Bitchen! I love that first fire up! The smell, the oil... (the leaks) THE NOISE! WHAT WAS THAT? I CAN'T HEAR YOU!! I'M REVVING MY ENGINE UP WITHOUT ANY MUFFLERS ON IT!!! WHAT?! HUH?!!! Sam.
Thats exactly how it went down. Plus my face hurt cause I was cheesing so much. I also had the camcorder set up just so I could relive it forever.
Too bad you didn't grab the automatic behind the 430. That 67 should have had the very desirable Turbo-400 switch-pitch trans. It has an electrical switch that controls a high and low stall setting torque convertor. I'm diggin the manual trans idea anyway as my 70 GSX is an original 4-speed and my plans include a 5-speed for the coupe eventually. I know a guy who is repro-ing the almost impossible to find inspection plate for Buick manual bellhousing if you need it. 80 K on the engine? Just getting broke in...haha. I've torn 430s and 455s down that had over 100K still had no ridge on the cylinders. Al
I'm felling even better about it now. The rebuild kits for this motor are not exactly the most econimical choice for budget minded hot rodders. I tried to get the trans also but he had sold it already.
This makes me really happy. I cannot wait to line up next to you at Little River! This year, next year, or whenever it happens. I'm stoked that the motor sounds good.
A 430 Buick in a Model A? Think you will have enough torque to get that thing off the line? I have one in a 69 Electra that I used to drive that would pull a 40 foot trailer over the Rockies.
Congrats Phil - you musta been grinnin' ear-to-ear when that thing fired! Tyler looks like he's ready for the local troop's production of 'Solarbabies'.
>>67Imp.Wagon]I'm felling even better about it now. The rebuild kits for this motor are not exactly the most econimical choice for budget minded hot rodders.<< So what? Look at what you have when you are done.
My dad had a 69 Electra 225 I used to drive ocasionally in high school. I did'nt drive it too much for fear of messing it up. It was dads favorite car of all time. When I got the motor he was the first that I called to ask him if he thought it would have enough power for the Model A.
Are you kiddin me? That's one of the great things about the big block Buick engine, it already has 500 ft.lb. of torque stock.Add a cam and headers to that 430 and it'll be around 450 HP. Did I mention that I do Q-Jets for all my Buick buddies?... Check out these sites, www.paeenterprises.com www.taperformance.com
Oh brother , here we go again. BTW, I think you should change your HAMB name to G.D. 430! Heck, I will set you up with a new avitar of the mill in the car for it. And I thought the Hudson vs. Wagon stuff was hard to go through...you are gonna be dangerous now. Oh the stories you will tell....
Yeah, I tend to be a chevy guy for the most part but I do love the big block Olds, Buicks, and Pontiacs and pretty much prefer them over the 396 and 454 (I do like the W's for fun of course and the new 502's are dang cool). I love the torque and how well they respond to mods...I still really love the pontiac 400's (esp. Ram Air's from the late 60's early 70's) and have toyed with putting one in the next car I build. I have seen some super bad Pontiacs and Olds in my day...I never ran across a really monster of a Buick personally but I know what they can do. Phil's A is gonna be cool...except for the 80's sissy color he picked LOL! Tyler is too much of an influence on you
GSX, since you put it that way and got me thinking different, I guess they are a good value if you break it down for dollar per horsepower. I remember looking in a catalog for rebuild kits and my eyes popping when compared to the chevy 350 rebuild kit. I've looked at taperformance before but not the other. Thanks for the link.
Buzzard, no spotting. Merc is bad talking yer shifting but I'm the guy who more than once missed going from 2nd to 3rd by manually shifting the wagon that has a TH400. It's gonna be a joke for me to hit 4 gears. You just stay close to tell me who to call to get the trailer when it's broke. Merc, you know Tyler is my goto guy for the engineering aspect of the car not color choice. If that color is sissy 80's you better get that 80's gold off your car too. 80's are coming back soon anyway.It does'nt matter what color you got anyway when you got a G** D*** 430 in it. Bass has done gave me the go ahead on the color choice. It's gonna be the hot color after everyone switches from Gold to the new Rootbeer, It will be the hot color to follow. After the Rootbeer phase people will be lined up to talk to me and Bass about our special paint mix. Yep I can't wait for the 2012 Roundup or the 2012 Day of the Drags. Its gonna be a good year when that car rolls out.
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