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In this Discussion
- Oldcar_Mechanic April 2009
- Snake-Man April 2009
Just Cruised In
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Hello there. My real name is Nate, but you can call me Snake. I found this site and thought it looked interesting. I live in a town of 17,000 in Northwestern Minnesota. I have 2 classic cars: one is a 1963 Chevrolet BelAir 4-door sedan that is a mild custom; and the other is a 1953 Buick Special which is my current work-in-progress. Going full hotrod with the Buick with a new engine and drive-train, so if anybody wants any stock Buick parts (straight-8 engine, 3-speed manual tranny, torque-tube rearend) let me know.
Here's some pictures:
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Welcome to the group Snake
Do your plans for the Buick include anything like a chop for the top or anything? Keep us posted and show a lot of pictures.
Ron -
Plans for the Buick-- gonna' keep the roof stock height. Seen a lot of customized '53 Buicks with the stock height and it looks good. Might remove the stock hood ornament and fill that in. For paint, the outside is going to be suede black with blood red pinstriping, and for the roof I'm thinking red metalflake, or maybe a lace pattern. On the inside, the interior will be red and black tuck and roll from EZ-Boy rod interiors, and the dash will be 2-tone gloss-black and blood-red. Keeping the gauges stock, but the clock's getting converted to quartz movement and the amp gauge will be converted to a volt-meter. Entire electrical system is being converted to 12-volt, and I'm hand-wiring the whole car myself with original style glass fuses and NOS sockets...keeping the car as original-looking as possibe while still hotrodding it. Here's what I'm doing on the hotrod aspect:
Engine: 1970 Olds 455 Rocket (using custom motor mount from TransDapt)
Transmission: GM TH-400 automatic with Gennie shifter. (custom driveshaft)
Rearend: GM 12-bolt from a '67 Chevy 1/2-ton pickup with 3.73 gears.
Suspension: Front--stock '53 Buick with lever-action shocks. Rear--Chevy truck-arm suspension with coil springs and tube shocks.
Brakes: Front--Disc brake conversion kit from Scarebird Mechanical (rotors are '76 Riviera, calipers are Chevy Astro Van); Rear-- '67 Chevy truck drum brakes, 5 on 5 bolt pattern. Using a universal dual-action master cylinder from Speedway Motors that is the same style as the stock buick master cylinder.
Exhaust-- Hedman block-hugger headers; electric cutouts; lakepipes; and Smithy's glasspack mufflers exiting through a pair of huge chrome tips with flamethrowers in the rear.
Wheels/Tires: Stock '53 Buick steel wheels and hubcaps with Coker radial wide white walls.
I know some of you classic Buick purists will probably hate me for not keeping it all original, but...I like customs and it's my car.
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Why not go with a 700 R4 instead of the 400? That way if you cruise the highway you will have an overdrive.
Post the pics as you go along.
Ron -
Oldcar_Mechanic wrote:Why not go with a 700 R4 instead of the 400? That way if you cruise the highway you will have an overdrive.
Post the pics as you go along.
Ron
Because I'm not really a big fan of the 700R4's...every one I know that has had one, has had problems with them. That, and a buddy of mine found me the TH-400 in good working shape for $150.
