1967 Gold Mist GS400 Project

Discussion in 'Members Rides' started by DauntlessSB92, Jul 9, 2017.

  1. johnriv67

    johnriv67 Well-Known Member

    For you, I’m expecting first run of 15.10 and then down to 14.50 by the end of the day

    Can’t wait!
     
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  2. Grandpas67

    Grandpas67 Well-Known Member

    Awesome job, Jacob! Congrats!!! You beat me and my bro by driving it first. Our engine is heading to the machine shop after a failed break-in. hopefully in the next couple of months we'll be joining you on the streets!!! BTW, I just subscribed to your channel...hoping to see more videos soon.
     
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  3. DauntlessSB92

    DauntlessSB92 Addicted to Buick

    Bummer about the engine! What happened?

    Interior is in, I chickened out on the headliner for now. I don't want it to hold up on driving the car. I still need to determine if my transmission is okay and dial in a few other things so I will put that on the back burner. I am going to try changing the fluid and filter again and hopefully that will work. If not I guess I'll have to use a plain jane th400 for now.

    I took my seatbelts apart (which really sucks by the way) cleaned them up and sandblasted the slider/adjuster. I still can't adjust the belts smoothly. I am not sure what I am missing.

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  4. Grandpas67

    Grandpas67 Well-Known Member

    Very nice...interior is looking great!!!

    Wiped out the mains. bad timing. carb needed adjusting after being rebuilt. kept fighting to get it right during break in and we also didn't have the rotating assembly balanced. Lesson learned I guess. The cam survived, so that's good, right? We'll see what the machine shop has to say.
     
  5. DauntlessSB92

    DauntlessSB92 Addicted to Buick


    That stinks, always a few bugs to work out with a new engine but its the worst when you have to tear back into it. I had a lot of machine shop induced errors with my last engine build, it sapped a lot of my motivation and I allowed my 72 to go to the back burner. It sure feels horrible to have problems after all that work and money but the only way to make it all worth it is to get it driving and enjoy it.

    I swapped on a set of 215/70/14 Maxxis MA1 whitewalls and I am pleased with how they look. It might not be for everyone but I think it suits this car perfect.

    I put almost a hundred miles on the car just driving some back roads. I have a few issues to address but doesnt seem to be anything major. I may not have been alive in 1967 but it sure feels like a time warp cruising in my GS. I look forward to attending a few car shows even if this car isn't much of a looker.

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  6. wkillgs

    wkillgs Gold Level Contributor

    Wow, great to hear you got it on the road! Driveable restoration projects are the best. You get to enjoy driving AND get to work on it and watch it improve little by little every weekend.
    If you are considering a black top for the car, you could strip the roof and just put some black primer down. It'll look better than what's on there now, and from 20+ft way it'll look like vinyl! Or use gloss black for a 2-tone.
    The rest of the gold paint might clean up very nicely with some rubbing and polishing.

    Are there bolt-on oiling mods recommended to keep that ole 455 alive? Such as the oil pump plate and higher pressure springs. I'm not a 455 expert but others here are.

    Have fun cruisin!
     
  7. DauntlessSB92

    DauntlessSB92 Addicted to Buick

    I have considered doing something about the roof, but not sure how long I am going to wait before restoring the car. I guess once I drive it for a bit I'll have a better idea of what I want to do.

    I originally intended to do a full restoration before even driving the car, but this thing is so complete I hate to take it all apart just yet. I would really like to throw another top on even if it means taking it off in a couple years, but that will probably cause more headaches than it is worth.

    I also have to do my headliner at some point. I got antsy and put the rest of the interior in beforehand just so I can drive, but I do have a new light fawn headliner ready to go in.

    I did go through the 455 and rebuild the oil pump. TA sells a nice booster plate and rebuild kit. I have 25psi of hot idle oil pressure which makes me feel confident this engine should be good enough to putt around with until I build the 400.
     
    Last edited: Apr 12, 2019
  8. wkillgs

    wkillgs Gold Level Contributor

    The problem with full restorations is it can take much longer than originally planned.... 5, 10, or 15+ year long projects are not uncommon in our hobby.
    Good the hear the 455 is prepped with a good oil system.
    Drive it! Enjoy it!
     
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  9. DauntlessSB92

    DauntlessSB92 Addicted to Buick

    One of the issues I noted during my drive last week was a clicking sound from the right rear wheel. I figured it was a wheel bearing and no big deal. I guess unfortunately for me the 67 GS uses a uniquely sized wheel bearing that is no longer produced. Luckily, BrianTrick had the RW507G bearings I needed.

    I pulled the drums off the car to check out the brakes and decided to pull the axles to see how bad the bearings were. The driver side seemed okay but the passenger side is definitely shot. Plenty of play in the bearing. I just hope the axle is okay.

    I'm not sure when the last time brakes were done on this car but they look pretty good to me 20190416_165609.jpg 20190416_165644.jpg 20190416_165651.jpg 20190416_171318.jpg 20190416_171354.jpg
     
    Last edited: Apr 24, 2019
  10. DauntlessSB92

    DauntlessSB92 Addicted to Buick

    I replaced the bearing on the passenger side axle with no issue. This week I decided to replace the driver side bearing just to be safe.

    Looks to be a pretty serious casting flaw. Now I am on the hunt for another axle shaft.

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    Attached Files:

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  11. telriv

    telriv Founders Club Member

    Jacob,

    IF that was a picture of the R/R brake assembly the shoes are on backwards. Big shoe rear. Small shoe front.

    Tom T.
     
  12. johnriv67

    johnriv67 Well-Known Member

    I'm thinking its left rear
     
  13. DauntlessSB92

    DauntlessSB92 Addicted to Buick

    Despite running a carb 25 years past due for overhaul and a clogged up radiator, John (johnriv67) convinced me to take the 2 hour trip up for Buick day at Lebanon Valley Dragway.

    Considering the carb in need of a rebuild, 2.93 gears and a worn out low compression 455, I was expecting a time somewhere in the high 15 to low 16 second range.

    My second pass was a 14.08 @ 96.57, I couldn't believe it. I came off the line part throttle to about the 30ft mark and then progressively got into it, manually upshifting from 1-2 and then 2-3. With a 2.2 60ft there is certainly plenty of room for improvement. I didn't bother bringing my slicks for a supposedly stock 72 455 powered car but I wish I did.

    It was a pleasant surprise, I guess the $400 455 I bought has some sort of very mild cam in it. The idle sounds pretty stock.

    I made 4 passes that day, other than my 14.08 run everything else was either tire spin or carb issues so they weren't anything remarkable. I am excited to see how the 67 will do with some traction and a freshly rebuilt Qjet.


    This car rides so nice for its age. 70mph on the highway and it just glides along. Not sloppy, but comfortably absorbing bumps in the road. I intended to replace all the suspension but that may end up waiting until the car comes apart. I'll stick with just doing steering linkage for now.

    The brakes work great as well. I replaced all 3 hoses and the 2 front wheel cylinders. After a few drives and some brake application in reverse the brakes adjusted up nicely. No shakes, no pulling. I made the first turn off at the track without drama. The shoes have plenty of meat left and the drums look okay so I won't rock the boat there.

    I just have a few more issues to iron out and then hopefully I can spend the rest of the season cruising. I will have to make some tough decisions about how to proceed with the car come winter.

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    Last edited: May 27, 2019
  14. gsfred

    gsfred Founders Club Member

    Congratulations, Great run for the 1st time out with it.
     
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  15. pbr400

    pbr400 68GS400

    Don’t you love it when you get more than you were expecting? Great running car.
    Patrick
     
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  16. breakinbuick11

    breakinbuick11 Platinum Level Contributor

    Love the thread. If your planning on keeping the “patina” for a few years, have you considered trying to buff out the paint? My charger’s paint was in similar condition and came back to a really deep shine. I can PM you pictures. I don’t want to muddy an awesome thread with MOPAR junk! :D
     
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  17. DauntlessSB92

    DauntlessSB92 Addicted to Buick

    I would certainly like to see the pictures. I have considered trying to buff the original paint, maybe even go so far as to put another vinyl top on. It really all depends on what sort of timeline I set for this project.

    Despite looking a little rough, I have never owned a classic car as nice as this 67, I would be perfectly happy leaving it as is. At the same time, once I start getting into rust repair, it will be tough not to have the whole car painted afterwards.

    For now my plan is to fix the car as I drive it. That way I hopefully minimize the cars downtime. Even if it takes longer overall, at least I can continue to enjoy it throughout the process.

    It would be a darn shame in my eyes to strip this car down to nothing when it works so well the way it is now.

    With most of the mechanical issues sorted I now find myself trying to track down the remaining missing pieces for my car. I bought a 67 steering wheel today which I am thrilled about. The sport wheel is nice but I much prefer the car to look original.
     
  18. Ant Legrand

    Ant Legrand Well-Known Member

    Nice times, I’m impressed! What rpm did you shift at?
     
  19. DauntlessSB92

    DauntlessSB92 Addicted to Buick

    Sorry for the late reply, I honestly went by ear and seat of the pants as far as shift rpm. The console tach isn't too accurate and it is tough to remember to look down at it during the 1/4.
     
  20. DauntlessSB92

    DauntlessSB92 Addicted to Buick

    I drove the Buick to my new place in Indianapolis yesterday. It was an almost 800 mile drive but the 67 did not let me down.

    The biggest issue I had was some sort of intermittent fueling problem. At 70mph the engine would occasionally cut out. This could be overcome with a bit more throttle or downshifting to second. I am not sure what it is yet but I did it with both the Qjet that came with my car and the rebuilt unit.

    I have replaced the fuel pump and I dropped the tank to clean, inspect and replace the fuel sock before I ever drove the car. I have replaced every piece of rubber line as well. I tried removing the gas cap for a few hundred miles amd that didn't make a difference either.

    I'll have to stick a fuel pressure gauge to the hood to see if it is in fact a delivery issue or something else. I have considered the possibility of it being ignition related but I don't see how something like that would only happen when the car has been driving at highway speeds for an extended period of time.

    I also need to find out why this engine likes to ping at wot. I have tinkered with the advance curve and vacuum advance plenty and it always seems to ping a little bit in 3rd gear. My timing is all in at 32* which should be conservative for an almost stock 72 455. I even tried going from 89 to 93 octane gas to see if that made a change. It improved things a little but it would sting ping a bit.

    The last concern is the rear axle. After it warmed up there was some rumbling and minor vibration at 70mph. It could be u-joint related but I am leaning more towards carrier bearings as the noise would quiet down a bit in the curves.

    A refresh would be a good opportunity to swap in an eaton carrier although I don't know if I would switch gear ratios without an overdrive. 2.93 is the sweet spot for highway cruising and with big block torque I don't really find myself wanting for more gear.

    The cooling system seems to finally be dialed in. I recently added a 7 blade clutch fan and shroud and that has made a big difference together with the 4 row radiator. I made need a high volume water pump for idling on hot days, but temperatures while cruising were perfect. 180-185* the whole trip.

    All in all, for an untouched 50 year old car with a $400 engine, I was pretty impressed. It made the entire trip at 70mph, I even had a few hundred miles in pouring rain to endure. I averaged 15mpg for the trip. Not too shabby in my opinion. I can't even imagine what one could achieve with overdrive and fuel injection.

    The front and rear windows will need to come out and get resealed as the butyl tape has long since dried up. The vent windows also let a bit of wind noise creep in so they could use new weather stripping.

    The car rides wonderfully considering all the bushings and linkages are probably original. The shocks and springs have to be at least 35+ years old. You could let go of the wheel at 70mph and the car tracks nice and straight.

    The brakes are excellent too. There might be a tiny bit of air in the lines from when I changed hoses and wheel cylinders but I really didn't find myself missing disc brakes.

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