how-do everyone new to the site, was surfing the web getting info on my bro's car that i am going to be resurecting for him. it is a '62 buick special station wagon that was bought brand new by his grandmother and passed on to him and he has kept it ever since. have to say it is in pretty good shape and has gotten him thru his school and college years and now wants to take his darling daughter and wife for cruises in it. will post pics when i get it to the "skunk works" shop at the house. car is all original and in very good shape. car has v-6 with auto in it, but it may be retro-fitted with a 60's era corvette 327 very soon(have engine with nothing to put it in). it is currently in his garage with old gas and worn points, bad plugs in it. going to get running to drive from austin to bulverde texas to begin the cardiac work. i will be searching for tech info on the transplant as well as other info to get this one back on the road. i am thinking 327 with tbi injection and 700r4 auto trans. any thoughts on this.......thanks in advance for any and all help bill
Welcome to the forum. That engine/trans combo should be real good for the wagon. Good, interesting project to work on...... Marshall
Bill, Welcome! I've restored a 62 Buick Special before, but not the wagon version. And this was back in '87, so I'm a bit foggy about most of it. First thing to go is the memory, you know. And the second thing is... is... shoot, I can't remember what the 2nd thing is. I built the car for my then girlfriend, turned fiancee, turned nothing, so I do try to block out those days as much as I can. It's been over 20 years. Almost there. Just a few more sessions. Yeah... anyway... are you sure that's not an aluminum 215 V8 in that wagon? They're so small they can easily be confused as a V6. Those cars usually had that engine, which was pretty slick for it's time. The one I did had a 4-barrel carb and really pulled well. Quite an amazing little engine - and car (I have pictures around here somewhere, but that was before digital. Ah shoot, I'm crying again). The Buick Special/Skylark shared the same body/frame and really, you'll have a pretty tough time (if I'm recalling anything even close after all these years... and mental blockages) squeezing a small-block Chevy motor into that. I suppose if it will fit you'd have the true embodiment of "shoe-horning" an engine into something. Would be a go-faster wagon if you can pull it off. Indeed, though... (Always wanted to use that emoticon).
Welcome aboard! It seems the Buick Special came with a V6 or V8 (optional). http://www.tocmp.com/pix/Buick/images/part2/62Buick04-or.jpg http://www.tocmp.com/pix/Buick/images/part2/1962caroftheyear-Special.jpg I don't know much about them, except that a friend of mine used the engine parts out of the 300 V8 for his Rover Engine. http://www.rickwrench.com/index79master.htm?http://www.rickwrench.com/roverspecs.html http://www.rickwrench.com/index79master.htm?http://www.rickwrench.com/rovershortblocks.html You might search around for what fits as a swap for the Buick V8 in one of those beauties. Here's another pic: http://www.motorcarportfolio.com/product.php?id=2993 Some of these sites might be useful too: http://buicks.net/show_and_shine/taliesin1999/ Production info: http://www.buicks.net/years/62.shtml This one gives the VIN decoding too! http://www.tpocr.com/buickbp2.html
The standard engine was the 198 V6. 225 was optional and then the 215 V8. Ultra rare is the turbo charged 215. What a hot rod those were.
