The Silver Buick's well Silver Buick!

[HillbillySailor]

Re: The Silver Buick's well Silver Buick!

I've always like the "Disco" body style. Great job on the engine! Any chance you could find an aftermarket tach that would fit in the original tach's place?

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: The Silver Buick's well Silver Buick!

Not likely, I could probably really hack one in there, but I like the stock look. I figure I'll eventually break down and cough up the ~$250 or so to a company that professionally rebuilds them. I don't have any pictures on hand, but normally the aftermarket tach resides in where the ashtray goes, the ashtray door even closes when it's in there.

[HillbillySailor]

Re: The Silver Buick's well Silver Buick!

I can undertand not wanting to hack it up. I'd like to see the "ashtray tach" though!

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: The Silver Buick's well Silver Buick!

I'll see about getting a picture. The Tach should be in the car now and I can take a picture tomorrow. I just realized I hadn't posted pictures of the headers in this thread so I'll do so now =)

Pretty much copied from the "Mail" thread. They need to be coated, but I need to put an Oxygen sensor bung in one of them first. Here are some pictures:



Passenger Side Comparison:


Driver Side Comparison, my Skylark had some good clearance around the steering coupler, so I don't expect a problem there.


Outlet difference:


And a quick picture of the intake, head and header side by side.

[HillbillySailor]

Re: The Silver Buick's well Silver Buick!

Man. that thing has to breath better with those new headers! Geez, I think the only stock exhaust manifolds I've seen worse than those are some of the 70's Mopar "log" manifolds.

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: The Silver Buick's well Silver Buick!

Ford FE engine ones (at least on my T-bird) are certainly worse. The manifolds though do curve fairly nicely inside, they are just way to small for the application, 2" collectors for the 400cid to 455cid.

[Scott Liggett]

Re: The Silver Buick's well Silver Buick!

Randal, why is there still a shifter on the column? You didn't go back to an auto trans, did ya?

I didn't notice the dash when I saw the car on the anti tour. I guess I was too busy dumping my crap in your car for the autocross.

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: The Silver Buick's well Silver Buick!

That dash picture was taken during the manual trans installation, it had yet to be removed. It's long gone now ;)

[HillbillySailor]

Re: The Silver Buick's well Silver Buick!

Another question. What rear end do you plan on putting in once the motor is installed. I wouldn't think that 7.5 would last long...

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: The Silver Buick's well Silver Buick!

I've hmm'd and hawwed between a Ford 9" and a beefed up GM 8.5". I can get an 8.5" off an X-body between '76-'79, I just have to find one with an 8.5", and I have seen a few in the Junkyards in California, unfortunately I never have a truck to pull it and bring it back to Ely. The beauty of the 8.5" is I wouldn't have to modify the spring/shock mounts. I would have the tubes welded in place, then buy the extra goodies for the carrier and axles. The 9" I would have to pretty much have made for it, and axle shops are no where around here. The general consensus is from some I've talked to is an upgraded 8.5" should suffice for my purposes (namely 450Hp).

[Scott Liggett]

Re: The Silver Buick's well Silver Buick!

That dash picture was taken during the manual trans installation, it had yet to be removed. It's long gone now ;)

DF may have a ton of pet peeves and violation lists, but one that really irks me is when someone goes to a floor shifter and doesn't take that shifter off the column. This is especially annoying because it take ten seconds to knock out that pin.

PS, that trunk of your T bird or the even more massive one on the LeSabre will hold a rear diff quite nicely. Wait a couple of weeks and I'll take pics of my 12 bolt getting a ride in the trunk of the Impy from Sacto to LA.

Those 8.5 inchers stand up behind cars running 9's, so I think you can make it live behind your 455. When it's ready to go in, make sure you film the destruction of the 7.5.

[HillbillySailor]

Re: The Silver Buick's well Silver Buick!

Have you considered the 8.8 out of a Mustang? I know Car Craft did a story on retrofitting the 8.8 in different cars a while back (a year or two?).

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: The Silver Buick's well Silver Buick!

The entire time I've owned the car I've had that pin backing out and had to keep pushing back into place, I didn't even have to grab a screw driver or pliers, I just pulled it out, ha. The rear would probably fit in the Centurion with careful organization of the trunk (and pull the 2 12" sub's out of there).

As for the rear end. Like Rebeldryver said, the 8.5" set up right should last into the 9's and the housing would be a bolt in deal (read I have NO fabrication skills ). If I think I need to step up from that I'd go to the max so I never would have to touch it again, so the 9".

[tiresmoke!]

Re: The Silver Buick's well Silver Buick!

You know, it didn't hit me'til now, but there was something about your Nova/'Lark that seemed kinda neat.

I remembered what it was.....it's reminiscent of my second car, a '75 Olds Omega(in that same light metallic blue, but with a Landau top).

Had the 3.8, ran like a top....had plans for a 455/TH400 swap, but sold the damn thing 2 months after I bought it.

In a way, seeing you with your 'Lark is like watching my Omega live on....LOL

[NASBackyard]

Re: The Silver Buick's well Silver Buick!

That is a really cool project with some really cool history! Those cars are starting to get a little attention. I remember when they were new, it was a bad time for cars in general. But it looks like your taking care of the powertrain shortfall. My sons 75 Ventura SJ has the same body but has the Olds 260 V8. It does have a cool console and TA buckets though. Good Luck with your car!