1964 Lesabre lots of questions

Discussion in 'A boatload of fun' started by Quenton96, May 9, 2016.

  1. Quenton96

    Quenton96 Member

    Hello,

    I just joined this forum because even though there is the world wide internet of "Knowledge" some things are best passed down.

    I am looking for a lot of information.

    A little about myself. I am a college student with a great passion for the automotive world. I have two projects. I have a 1982 Z28 Camaro that i want to make into a performance build and my 1964 Lesabre with 355 wildcat.

    Some issues that i am running into include suspension parts, cruising, engine parts, etc.

    Is there any aftermarket support for the 9 3/8" rear end? I would like to find some gears larger than the 3.07s in there. or do need to swap out the rear end? If so, what rear end is best for this?

    I would like to make this car a daily driver. when running down the highway at 65 mph it seems to be running at higher rpm. After getting a new fan clutch, flushing and refilling the radiator, and changing the oil to 20w - 50 it seems to run at about 240 degrees. I currently have a th350 out of a donor truck that i bought for the engine for my camaro and i am wondering if i should rebuild this trans and swap it in for the extra gear or save my money and look for a 200-r4 since it has 4 gears and an overdrive.

    side question: where would be the bet place to find emblems? i would like to freshen up its look.

    Disc brakes? i know scarebird sells brackets but are there other options?

    i would like to run a larger wheel but i like the stock rims. Anywhere to find rims that hold a larger tire?

    Finally my question about suspension. I know rock auto sells oem style replacements but i would like to lower my buick and give it a more aggressive stance. i looked into cutting the springs but they are not the correct type to be cut. My next thought was to try and find coil overs for some added performance but i havent found anything. Airbag suspension is far out of reach of my budget. So i am wondering if my 64 has any siblings in the buick or gm family that it share parts with or that could easily be made to work. Where could i find suspension parts for my car and if i bought lowering springs for my car would it greatly affect suspension geometry? how low should i go?

    Thanks.
     
  2. nekkidhillbilly

    nekkidhillbilly jeffreyrigged youtube channel owner

    307 rear and 200-4r is what a lot a b bodies had in the 80s so its not a bad set up. deeper rear would make it better though. most emblems ive found on ebay. you may look into impalas to see whats the same or will work. idk what all will. your rims will hold larger tire than stock how big do you want. if you want the 17 inch look you will just have to get wheel that looks similar to the buick wheels or find some of the rare 17s buick wheels and pay a fortune for them.
     
  3. SpecialWagon65

    SpecialWagon65 Ted Nagel

    That 3.07 seems like a pretty good gear for the highway. I've got a few cars with this rear; that is
    the most prevelant and i've never seen a lower numeric gear. Most seek higher numeric performance
    gears! No support whatsoever for the 9 3/8.
    So transmission is probably what you need... those 2-speeds are pretty limited. Your chevy transmission will probably not fit unless it has the bellhousing that fits both BOP and chevy. Like the Nekkidhilbilly says...
     
  4. Nailhead

    Nailhead Gold Level Contributor

    Your car could have the ST400 3 speed automatic---it would still only have 2 positions on the shifter, D and L. If you can't tell from feeling it shift look at the transmission pan and the shape will tell you if it's ST400 or ST300.

    Not much crossover of Chevy parts to fit your car, but pretty much all mechanical parts can still be found.

    Post some pix!
     
  5. nekkidhillbilly

    nekkidhillbilly jeffreyrigged youtube channel owner

    the 200-4r has both patterns if the car is a bop though you can buy the 40 dollar adapter from speedway and use a 700r4. on a th400 car I would use the 700r4 its the same size pretty much and has a deeper 1st gear for that 307 rear. plus they are cheap. I like the 200-4r better but both do job and its a easier swap on a job with a 700 on a th400 car. I think a 64 would have been a 340 and st300. though.

    the lesabre vs the impala I wonder what could be made to work. the cars share platforms so im sure some things could be done.
     
  6. 66wildcat

    66wildcat Well-Known Member

    If it's the base 300/2-barrel, it will have an ST-300, the 300/4-barrel will have an ST-400. The Estate Wagon had the 401/2-barrel.
     
  7. Nailhead

    Nailhead Gold Level Contributor

    The ST400 was not available with the 300 engine at the start of the model year---I have a copy of the announcement when it became available. Will have to check as to whether it was restricted to 300/4 barrel.
     
  8. Quenton96

    Quenton96 Member

    Hey yall thanks for all the input
    This car was a factory 4 barrel and had the quadrajet on the engine. It should be an st300 and have the bop bolt pattern i have a th350 from a first gen 350 chevy but i also have a 700r4 sitting in my 91 camaro parts car. So far i have been unable to locate a 200 r4. Parts are scarce in iowa. The rear end should be a 3.07 but it did come with a 2.73 i believe on the lesser optioned vehicles. I thought i read somewhere that the st400 didnt come until 65 unless you had the larger motor plus it only shifts twice anyways. This car is awesome for cruising around town but todays highway speeds seem a little to much for it. I wanna be able to take it to car shows and eventually on hotrod power tour.

    Also any suggestions on some power boosters that i could throw on the engine?

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  9. Quenton96

    Quenton96 Member

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  10. Quenton96

    Quenton96 Member

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  11. Quenton96

    Quenton96 Member

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  12. Quenton96

    Quenton96 Member

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  13. Quenton96

    Quenton96 Member

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  14. nekkidhillbilly

    nekkidhillbilly jeffreyrigged youtube channel owner

    a built 700r4 would work fine too if you have it. the lower 1st would help with that 3.07 rear. really the cheapest option and direct bolt in would be a later buick 350 built up or a bbb would be awesome too. the 300 is a little small imo for the fullsize cars and plus parts for them cost double the later engines. very cool care I would like to have a 4 dr big car to cruise around in budget wise.
     
  15. Quenton96

    Quenton96 Member

    Seems reasonable, i think ill just keep this one as a cruiser

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  16. Quenton96

    Quenton96 Member

    I wish i had the money for a 425 nailhead but i need some powerful wishes for that

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  17. flynbuick

    flynbuick Guest

    Are you saying that a 64 LeSabre came from the factory with a 9 3/8" rear or it was later added?
     
  18. Quenton96

    Quenton96 Member

    It came with it

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  19. lapham3@aol.com

    lapham3@aol.com Well-Known Member

    After the nailhead went away from the LeSabre, the OE rear would be the smaller Skylark sized unit
     
  20. Nailhead

    Nailhead Gold Level Contributor

    That is true beginning in 1965, but the 1964 LeSabre has the same rear as Wildcat and Electra.
     

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