# The Buick.
**URL:** https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-buick/153328
**Category:** Builds
**Created:** [April 13, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-buick/153328 "2010-04-13T19:12:03Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Transporter7220](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Transporter7220)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-buick/153328/1 "2010-04-13T19:12:03Z")
So… my Father and I have a new project… should be a bit more fun than the Cav 🙂
1940 Buick Special, with a 1986 Z28 front suspension, 8.2" 10 bolt rear end, power disk brakes, a 350 swap and a Chevy 400 3 speed auto on the floor… Runs and it’s road legal. It needs some work, but there are some quality parts on it. It’s set up to drag and my Dad is looking for a cruiser, but I think we can come to a good middle ground 🙂
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### Author:  [@Karter](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Karter)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-buick/153328/2 "2010-04-13T20:17:44Z")
someone spent some money on that car.
and fire whoever filled the fuel cell, seriously wtf. its a basic system, squeeze fuel comes out, unsqueeze and wait for the handle to drain hahaha.
looks awesome, how much did you pick it up for? I love old school cars like this. anything 57 and older rocks
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### Author:  [@ultradriver10000](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ultradriver10000)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2010, 8:21pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-buick/153328/3 "2010-04-13T20:21:04Z")
So cool!
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### Author:  [@Carnut](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Carnut)
#### Post date: [April 13, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-buick/153328/4 "2010-04-13T20:26:27Z")
Looks like you have a lot of work ahead of you. That thing needs some TLC.
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### Author:  [@Transporter7220](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Transporter7220)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 7:13am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-buick/153328/5 "2010-04-14T07:13:44Z")
> [@Just Karter](#):
>
> someone spent some money on that car.
>
> and fire whoever filled the fuel cell, seriously wtf. its a basic system, squeeze fuel comes out, unsqueeze and wait for the handle to drain hahaha.
>
> looks awesome, how much did you pick it up for? I love old school cars like this. anything 57 and older rocks
That’s what happens when you try to use an old ass steel fuel can with no spout, lol.
Guy wanted $13,500 for it, we drove away with it for $5,500 😃
> [@Carnut](#):
>
> Looks like you have a lot of work ahead of you. That thing needs some TLC.
That it does, but for a 70 year old car, it’s in pretty good shape. Wire clean up and battery relocation are some of the first things on the list to do. Then getting a a power steering pumped hooked back up, lowering the rear end, wheels and replace the fuel cell with something less… hacked, lol
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### Author:  [@sevenonesixcavy](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/sevenonesixcavy)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 3:10pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-buick/153328/6 "2010-04-14T15:10:21Z")
very cool :tup:
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### Author:  [@Transporter7220](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Transporter7220)
#### Post date: [April 14, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-buick/153328/7 "2010-04-14T18:53:59Z")
Bit of tinkering tonight, I got the voltage gauge working, which was only connecting two wires, lol, and dug a bit deeper into the car to check things out. The fuel level sending unit was also wired incorrectly.
But, we found out it has an Edelbrock Performer intake manifold and a Summit Racing 4 barrel dual pumper carb on it 🙂
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### Author:  [@TrueBlue](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/TrueBlue)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2010, 7:05am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-buick/153328/8 "2010-04-15T07:05:52Z")
That’s a cool project, drop that bish into the weeds :tup:
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### Author:  [@Wahoo](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Wahoo)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2010, 7:20am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-buick/153328/9 "2010-04-15T07:20:36Z")
Cool project! LS1 swap 🙂
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### Author:  [@Transporter7220](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Transporter7220)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2010, 9:21am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-buick/153328/10 "2010-04-15T09:21:52Z")
Psh… LS1… needs LS9 😃
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### Author:  [@LUKE\_L](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LUKE_L)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2010, 10:03am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-buick/153328/11 "2010-04-15T10:03:39Z")
Nice project.
Plans thus far?
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### Author:  [@Transporter7220](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Transporter7220)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2010, 12:25pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-buick/153328/12 "2010-04-15T12:25:21Z")
Tentative plans are to relocate the battery to the trunk, clean up all the wiring, tuck the engine bay, lower the back end, wheels, shave the holes in the front bumper, buy headlights with the amber signals built in, LED tail lights, custom fit reverse lights into the bumper holes in the rear bumper and get the wipers working. Then we’ll probably swap to the stock fuel tank, move the engine back, and about an inch higher.
For the interior we want bucket seats for the front, but the back is going to stay a bench. decent sound system, with everything hidden, and a radio that looks like it came in the car. Possibly a 10" sub hidden in the trunk, nothing huge, just so it sounds nice.
Long term we want to switch to EFI, have the interior redone perfessionally, better brakes, and of course, more POWAAAAA 🙂
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### Author:  [@08GT500](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/08GT500)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2010, 12:28pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-buick/153328/13 "2010-04-15T12:28:22Z")
Definitely a sweet project. Keep those progress pics going.
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### Author:  [@Transporter7220](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Transporter7220)
#### Post date: [April 15, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-buick/153328/14 "2010-04-15T18:50:04Z")
We got the plates on tonight, and pulled the stupid front plate mount off. I figure if I can drive around with no front signals, no reflectors and no seat belts completely legally, they can shove their front plate right up their ass Click here to enlarge
Took it and got it washed, looks much better without bird shit all over it, haha. Pics of it clean tomarrow.
This car is beyond awesome to cruise around in, it’s a hand full without power steering and just a gear steering box, but I kept finding myself grinning ear to ear. Stopped to get gas, everyone just stops and stairs at the car, start it, everyone stops and stairs at the car, rev it a bit to smooth out the idle, lady turns and gives me a dirty look 😃 Go to the store, everyone stops and stairs at the car, pull out of the store, one guy actually stopped and pointed, hahahaa. Man what an experience… And wow does it pull at 60mph, it just GOES.
My Cav isn’t going to get any attention at this pace…
Also, found out the extra pair of chrome exhaust tips I have that didn’t fit on my Cav, fit the Buick perfectly, so they might be going on soon.
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### Author:  [@Transporter7220](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Transporter7220)
#### Post date: [April 17, 2010, 3:26pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-buick/153328/15 "2010-04-17T15:26:25Z")
Found the reason that our fuel gauge wasn’t working, turns out the magnet that closes the reed switches fell out of the float, luckly we found it on the bottom of the tank.
That led us to a new problem though, we’ve tried switching all the wires we can, but no matter what we do, the Autometer fuel gauge shows full when it’s empty, and empty when it’s full. Any ideas?
We also went down to the junkyard and pulled a power steering pump off of an 89 Camaro RS, it cleaned up nicely, but I think I’m going to have to emphasize the use of masking tape and light coats to my father…
Then we started pulling the front end apart to make room for the power steering pump and a cooler that we ordered from Napa.
We just have to make some brackets to mount the power steering pump and alternator.
Power steering cooler will be going on the front side of the radiator, and we think we’re going to hide an electric fan up there too, so we can ditch the engine fan.
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### Author:  [@Transporter7220](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Transporter7220)
#### Post date: [April 20, 2010, 6:28pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-buick/153328/16 "2010-04-20T18:28:36Z")
A simple power steering pump installation has escalated quite quickly… hahaha
Pulled the whole front end off, and found out that the radiator was all plugged up and unfixable, so, a new brass radiator with the tranny cooler built in is on the way. I think we might possibly run the old tranny cooler as an oil cooler. Not sure yet. Also pulled the fan the second pulley, and painted the water pump black.
Power steering pump has also been mounted, lines will be hooked up once Napa gets them in.
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### Author:  [@Transporter7220](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Transporter7220)
#### Post date: [April 21, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-buick/153328/17 "2010-04-21T18:06:23Z")
Alternator bracket has been started, and we installed the water pump. We also decided we wanted a different mount for the power steering pump, so we are working on a new mount for that also.
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### Author:  [@Transporter7220](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Transporter7220)
#### Post date: [April 28, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-buick/153328/18 "2010-04-28T19:00:47Z")
We went down to Spring Carlisle last weekend, picked up a few cool parts for cheap 🙂
$10 for a Buick air cleaner stud, it was the only one we saw there all day and the guy kind of flipped out on us when we asked to buy just it, since it was paired with a really small Buick air cleaner. Turns out we were like the 20th person to ask to just buy the stud, haha. We set it down and turned to walk out and we here from behind us… “FINE, $10! I’m sick of people asking about the damn thing!”
We also picked up a chrome flywheel cover from the same guy, we were missing one and it was only $20.
On to the progress… we picked up a Zirgo 3000 CFM electric fan to replace the engine fan, with a wiring harness and electric thermostat… Still waiting on the radiator re-core to come back so we can mount everything.
The power steering pump lines we picked up turned out to have different threads than the gear box that was on it, so we ran down to the junkyard and picked up a different gear box. Brought it home to take it apart, and when we tapped the spindle to take the linkage off, the back of the housing just snapped off…
Luckly! That cover just swapped from the old gear box. We also realized that the splines were different, so we had to tear the gear box apart and swap the valve. Very cool how these old power gear boxes work…
All installed, just waiting for the radiator since the low pressure line runs out in front of the car as an oil cooler.
We also finished up the accessory mounts, still room for an A/C compressor 🙂
Interior isn’t half bad for being 70 years old…
Worlds biggest back seat… I wonder how many people got laid in the back of this thing… LMAO
Lastly we pulled the valve covers to clean the chrome up and check the rockers out… turns out it has 194 cast iron heads, which aren’t crazy for power but they are bullet proof, some porting will fix that though 🙂
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### Author:  [@LUKE\_L](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LUKE_L)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2010, 4:51am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-buick/153328/19 "2010-04-29T04:51:28Z")
Nice progress. Keep it up :tup:
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### Author:  [@Onyx\_Z32](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Onyx_Z32)
#### Post date: [April 29, 2010, 5:52am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/the-buick/153328/20 "2010-04-29T05:52:39Z")
You’re going to re-skin the seats right? They look like a prison mattress from a horror movie, lol.
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