Sweet, that you have a bender. Most guys don't. Makes you a step ahead of the game. I hope you do a build thread so we can watch your progress, Dave.
A gentlemen on our board used a S10 frame for his 62 sky wagon twin turbo LS build. Here's a link... might give you some ideas or insight... http://skylark616263.forumotion.com/t18-62-buick-wagon-two-door
Thanks so much. I thought about this last night, this might work. I will try to get a hold of him. Note it was late last night, I could not sleep due to my racing mind. I want to back half the back end so I will have to cut the frame. Thus the longer wheel base will not bee an issueI'm ok with cutting the fire wall and floor if I have a full frame and cage. Time to call Art Morrison
Just thought you would like to know buick sold the 215v8 moter to rover. So a range rover 3.5,3.9,4.0, and 4.6 will drop in
Dave ,one of the guys that was in the Penn/Ohio chapter built a cool 62 or 63 with a v6 turbo in it, called it Baby GN, totally streetable and ran very low 11's. Motor fit like it belonged there. gary
Ive wanted a 61/62 special forever and may have just scored one so I'll be building one myself here very soon as my track toy. Here's my take 1. The car needs either a pair of square rails running from the cowl to the rear or a 25.5 cage. A 25.5 cage is the route I'm going. Absolutely no need for a full frame swap. 2. The whole allure of the ybody is its weight, 2800lb race weight is very doable. 3. Fox body front suspension is your best option, cheap easy and proven to work. You can even just get a foxbody tublar cradle and modify it and or the rails to come together which gives you excellent OE brake selection, junkyard availability, rack and pinion steering for cheap and more. 3. Rear suspension simple Back half, ladder bar if you want to keep the back seat, 4link if you don't . stock style 4link if you want to just mini tub or keep it factory looking. IMO opinion these cars BEG for at least some 325'50s on 12in rims. 4. Don't let the unibody scare you, it makes doing cage work so so much easier. Just remember you not only need to cage the interior you also need to web the underside. Use either square like mentioned above or I prefer a larger diameter bar for the parallel main floor bars, 1 5/8 moly everywhere else. When I'm helping my friend who does race car fab we move them around the shop with an engine hoist hooked to the X in the roof. If done properly they are as stiff as stone 5. On the engine turbo 6 is an excellent platform , the sky is the limit as far as HP, 750hp with stock block is NO PROBLEM, but with 2600lb to haul around a simple 550/650 HP turbo 6 would absolutely fly. Tons of used stuff out there to piece one together. Big block yea it would look cool but be nose heavy as hell. 300/350 would be a good platform long as it had boost, I wouldn't waste my time with NA on those engines, a GM straight 6 would be cool and different you can make RIDICULOUS TQ with them , fitment would be questionable. NA 4.1 Buick with the Stage 2 heads would be fun, they can make 500+ NA without much trouble, be super light and Rev to the moon. Wanna go even lighter and be even more different ECOTEC, they will support 700+ HP without to much trouble then overall weight would be like 2300lb 450hp would scare the hell out of most people in that little of weight.
If by chance a buick turbo 6 interest you I have a good many connections in the turbo Buick world, and some stuff left over from previous builds, most importantly a turbo V6 swap harness new from Casper's, and know several guys with tons of stuff stashed away, one fella local has probably 20 sets of Stage 2 heads and intakes
This won't help anyone but this talk about BBB in a 62 brings back memories of a 1962 Skylark 2 door I put a 430 in with TH400 and a 57 olds rear end with 3.90 gears. Did this back in 1969. Lots of welding and fabricating in the engine compartment and the floor pan. Engine was a 68 430 with original B4B intake,Holley 950 3 barrel carb, Sig Erson 310 hydraulic cam and stock exhaust headers,didn't have room for headers besides we didn't have the skills to fabricate them. This thing was a super street sleeper. I should have kept it and tried improving the mistakes I made, the thing left rust and bolts on the ground from being shook to death by that engine lol. Unfortunately I got interested in 4 wheeling for a while and I pulled the engine out and put it in a fiber glassed body CJ 5 but that's another story. On The Eighth Day God Created Buick
Hi first time posting here after joining yesterday while looking for info. This is super helpful! I have a 1962 skylark and have been trying to figure out what to do with it. After reading this I think I'll go with a mustang 2 front and some kind of mild cage. Will still have to cut a new tunnel for a sbc/turbo 400. Not sure yet whether or not to back half it. It's just going to be a rat rod street car.
Where do you live. Sounds like a good plan. I may mini tub or back 1/2 mine. I finally have time to work on it.
I'm in Corvallis Oregon. Had the car in my garage for like 8 years. Before that it sat at a shop here for 15 years. Oddly enough the headliner looks almost show room perfect, but not much else.
I understand the bones on mine are good its a California car. Interior, wiring and paint not so much. Plan to start in on it tomorrow. I retired from teaching in 2019 and weld on the side. I'm turning away all low paying jobs I want to get working on this thing.
There is a Facebook group which is dedicated to our cars https://www.facebook.com/groups/11237273044 Lots of good info and people there
Not a skylark....DeLorean during the Christmas shut down put together 12 1963 Pontiac Tempests called super duty's with big blocks in them..... https://www.hagerty.com/media/car-profiles/pontiacs-stripped-down-63-tempest-was-super-duty-quick/
