I have searched through this section for examples of PT 66's, but haven't really found much. Porsche Audi VW group is more my scene, but i have loved muscle cars my whole life and have been around them since I can remember. Im just getting done with my GS clone, and now just picked up a super clean 1966 Gran Sport with factory buckets and PS/PB, Air and a 1970 455 Stage One in it! One owner car. Needs some work, but I think since it doesn't have the original motor in it, I wanna take it the Pro Touring route. I don't know much about the aftermarket scene for these cars, as I restored my last one to original. What are some suggestions yinz have? Im looking to make it quick in terms of handling and stopping, the 455 has enough power for me. I want it to be able to go around a corner correctly and and have it stop. What are some suspension and frame setups you guys have been running? Along with brakes. I was looking at Wilwood brakes as they are renowned, but what do you guys think of them? Heres the car below, might flip it over to a 4spd. PS: How do I know if its a true stage one motor? Seller has no proof.
anything that fits a chevelle suspension wise will fit this car. ive been building a pt 66 for the past years mostly parts collection due to other things coming up. 4 speed in a pt car isnt idea. step up to a t5 or t56 if you want a stick or get a 200-4r like i did if you want an auto. you have a 455 so it will be cheaper for you compared to a nailhead. if its a real gs you have a boxed frame. convert it to disc brakes, add better front and real control arms, better springs, add big sway bars and lastly add some wheels. those things alone will make it a great pt car.
regarding your question if its a true stage motor, can you see the vin on the block? if so post the numbers here or a photo for the experts should have SS letters stamped in the serial number. If vin is gone you may be SOL? here is some info for you to look at. http://www.buicks.net/shop/reference/engine_ident_63_75.html Gord
BellGS, Welcome to the world of 66 GS's. There are several individuals that will chime in with info. Check out the link below and see what he has done to his car. Lots of performance and suspension upgrades. PM him and he will be more that willing to give you the info. Was the original nailhead available with that car? That the one on Ebay a few weeks ago? http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?277256-66-Skylark-gets-some-PT-love
this car was on ebay a week ago. what are you goals are you going to race it or just want something that you can occasioanly track.
Yupp, Im the one who picked her up! And just something I can have fun with, and occasionally autocross it. What are some brands I should be looking at? Is Summit Racing a good vendor to be browsing on?
UMI, Hotchkis and Ride Tech out to be your first stops. Sway bars, shocks and springs will totally transform your car. If you've got more money to spend, go with coil overs.
look at pro-touring.com read up on the chevelle/gto builds and see what all they used. how big of budget do you want to have. you can do some things cheaper. like the ebay knock off control arms and fbody front sway bar for example. you can mod the front drum calipers to accept disc brakes too. if money is no object umi rears spc fronts hotchicks sways and willwood brakes.
budget is the biggest thing... First they never made a stage one motor in 66 and their should be a nailhead in their if it was orginal. As stated before if it is a real gs it will have a boxed frame which is the same as the convertible. Front suspension. Sway bars are huge when it come to the pro-touring scene. I run DSE front billet splined sway bar.. think I paid $1000.00 for the bar,ends and end links. I ran a 1.250 umi bar before that. I ran hotchkis springs , qa1 coilovers and now run Ridetech shockwaves with ridetech lower control arms and hotchkis uppers. I run C5 corvette brakes with billet alums hubs from Kore3 with b body spindles that are modified. I will be switching to a ridetech spindle when funds allow. Rear suspension run a adjustable upper control arm and tubular lower. umi make nice stuff and run a gd quality rear sway bar. I still run ridetech bags in the rear with adjustable shocks. Run a quickstreet performance 9" rear end with GM ends and rear Corvette C5 brakes. I do run a c5 master cylinder. DSE swaybar $1000.00 hotchkis uppercontrol arms $600 ridetech lower control arms $600 ridetech front Shockwaves$900 C5 front and rear calipers and rotors GM drilled and slotted $850 Kore3 hubs $350 Bbody spindles $100 c5 abudment adaptor $75 C5 master cylinder $150 braided brake lines $110.00 rear umi control arms upper and lowers $350 Rear strut brace $100 rear umi sway bar $180 9" rear with Detroit lock, 3:55 , nodular iron case , billet pinion support with gm ends, 31 splined moser axles, powdercoated $2000.00 Rear Ridetech coolbags $350 Rear adjustable shocks $200 Ridetech compressor pod and controller$1800.00 I am missing out on a bunch of stuff but this is the setup I run in my pro-touring, turbo charged buick nailhead . I do have a build thread on pro-touring .com http://www.pro-touring.com/showthre...-skylark-turbo-Buick-nailhead-build&highlight feel free to ask question.. I have been their and I did do all the fabrication work, paint work and years of saving and hustling to buy these parts. it isn't a cheap hobby..
mines a little cheaper since on a budget boxed rear stockers 30 used hotchicks front bar 85 used addco rear bar 50 ebay arms 300 72 steering box 35 brakes using stock machined drum spindles only have about 200 still gotta figure out shocks and spings and i may step up to some better rear control arms. but it should make a really good cornering car for not alot of coin. my rear is a 71 8.5 i can run fbody rear disc but i like a disc drum combo actually somewhat better for durability.
Yeah, I'm looking to spend somewhere around the same amount, under 3-4k. And yeah, as I stated earlier the 401 was taken out in the 90's and the original owner put in a 455, says it's a Stage One, but its all hearsay as he doesn't have any proof. I think I am gonna go with a flat grey color with the bumper and most of the trim coated in flat black. I loved how that looked on your car! The car will probably have a frame off resto, all done by me. Did you keep all the original parts? Or did you sell them off to afford your PT upgrades.
run ridetech coilovers, spindles and control arms. spend the money their and do ssbc disc swap and some umi control arms and sway bars. their coilovers are fox shocks and are insane for handleing with their setup. get on pro-touring .com and start seeing what works and doesn't. seen their setup in vegas racing against dse and all the heavy hitters in the pro touring world during the ultimate street car challenge.
Priced out a cart on RideTech.. HQ Coilers front & back, spindles and upper and lower control arms for $2500 shipped. Might go for the Hotchkis sway bar set, front & back. Putting me at $3k for suspension so far... what else would I need.. I don't care of about ride quality, I'm looking for track ability. Next question is.. Baer or Wilwood for brake kits? I see most guys going with SSBC on the PT forums, but they really don't pop out to me.
im having the bumpers and trim done to look like a satin machined aluminum with powder coat great minds think alike.
I am gonna go with a flat grey color with the bumper and most of the trim coated in flat black. I loved how that looked on your car! The car will probably have a frame off resto, all done by me. Did you keep all the original parts? Or did you sell them off to afford your PT upgrades.[/QUOTE] I don't have a or had a big budget but did hussle to buy what I wanted. when I bought my car it was a basket case and came with a bunch of parts. I did sell, trade and hold on to parts so I didn't waste. I had it for 10 years before I even touched it but would build other projects , primary jeeps and sell them after I built them to buy parts. I cut and tucked in the rear bumper to be flush with the quarter and cut the front up ALOT to get it where I wanted it. took 1.5 out of each side and remade the complete middle. reshaped the top where it comes around the front fender .. I enjoy metal work but don't be surprised to put 20-30 hours into a bumper. I used hot rod satin on the front and rear bumper and I powdercoated the grill and bezels at my house with my eastwood kit and a house oven. I ended up using some duc work to make the oven bigger for the grill. I took all the stainless windshield trim and used 600 grit to give it that brushed aluminum look.. lots of hours Don't forget a nice steering box, new rag joint and I went with a flaming river column so steering is extremely tight. what are you looking at for tires and wheels. try to stay at 200 treadwear because of some protouring event. bfg and nitto make some nice 200 tw tires. For brakes pbr is the company that cast a lot of calipers that come on mustangs, corvettes trucks and sport cars. It all depends on price but afx (1k)makes a spindle that accepts factory corvette hubs and brakes. any of the companys you mentioned make great setups. I took my c5 calipers.. machined corvette off them and powdercoated them. my cars stops like a modern car with the c5 setup in it and make sure you get the right size master cylinder bore to match your calipers. Paul turbocharged nailhead
I don't have a or had a big budget but did hussle to buy what I wanted. when I bought my car it was a basket case and came with a bunch of parts. I did sell, trade and hold on to parts so I didn't waste. I had it for 10 years before I even touched it but would build other projects , primary jeeps and sell them after I built them to buy parts. I cut and tucked in the rear bumper to be flush with the quarter and cut the front up ALOT to get it where I wanted it. took 1.5 out of each side and remade the complete middle. reshaped the top where it comes around the front fender .. I enjoy metal work but don't be surprised to put 20-30 hours into a bumper. I used hot rod satin on the front and rear bumper and I powdercoated the grill and bezels at my house with my eastwood kit and a house oven. I ended up using some duc work to make the oven bigger for the grill. I took all the stainless windshield trim and used 600 grit to give it that brushed aluminum look.. lots of hours Don't forget a nice steering box, new rag joint and I went with a flaming river column so steering is extremely tight. what are you looking at for tires and wheels. try to stay at 200 treadwear because of some protouring event. bfg and nitto make some nice 200 tw tires. For brakes pbr is the company that cast a lot of calipers that come on mustangs, corvettes trucks and sport cars. It all depends on price but afx (1k)makes a spindle that accepts factory corvette hubs and brakes. any of the companys you mentioned make great setups. I took my c5 calipers.. machined corvette off them and powdercoated them. my cars stops like a modern car with the c5 setup in it and make sure you get the right size master cylinder bore to match your calipers. Paul turbocharged nailhead[/QUOTE]\ Where should I be looking for a good steering rack/box? I didn't even think of that. I don't think PS will be fun when whipping the car around! And as for me, I'm looking to spend 3-5 on the actual parts, then another couple grand for unforeseen problems or expenses, plus the price of restoration, which for me will be cheaper, as I have access to a body shop to do all my work in. I don't wanna go belly backwards on the car when it comes time to sell, but I wanna have fun! I was gonna go with those 17/18" rally wheels they have these days. I want the stockish look as far as wheels. I do wanna take out air as well. That's why we have windows! Thank you all for the info as well so far.
i would want power steering. alot of pt cars have ps. you can get your box rebuilt to a quicker ratio. also for cheap the 69 up boxes are a quicker ratio too.
Where should I be looking for a good steering rack/box? I didn't even think of that. I don't think PS will be fun when whipping the car around! And as for me, I'm looking to spend 3-5 on the actual parts, then another couple grand for unforeseen problems or expenses, plus the price of restoration, which for me will be cheaper, as I have access to a body shop to do all my work in. I don't wanna go belly backwards on the car when it comes time to sell, but I wanna have fun! I was gonna go with those 17/18" rally wheels they have these days. I want the stockish look as far as wheels. I do wanna take out air as well. That's why we have windows! Thank you all for the info as well so far.[/QUOTE] I Run Strange steering box that was rebuilt. Think it is a 14:1 or 12:1 box. I run a gm type 2 steering pump with AN fittings on it and I made sure I bought a pump that I could change the flow valve in it. I ended up building a serpintine belt setup for my nailhead because of fitment. I used stock tie rods but did use PST billet tie rod sleeves. I really like those rally wheels but I would get your brakes and spindle setup figured out, so you can measure for backspacing. Make sure you don't have any interference issue with the caliper to inside of wheel, lower control arm or sway bar. measure backspacing on the rear end to inner wheel house to get right backspacing. I can walk you throu it or post a video on youtube for you but really helps to get the widest tire availbile possiable.
