I'm new to the site so I don't know where this message is going to end up. Sorry in advance if I screw anyone up. I just bought a '58 Century and I plan on replacing the drivetrain with that of a newer model Buick. I wanted to buy a running driving mid 70's Riviera or somthing and transplant the engine, trans and rear suspension into my '58. I was wondering if anyone knows of a certain year that will fit or at least have the least amount of modifications necessary. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
I'm doing this on my 58 special. You will have to do some mod's to create a rear ladder bar or 4 link the stock ladder bars are mounted to the drive shaft tube which you are about to remove so the only thing you have holding the rearend is the panhard bar and springs. I'm putting a brand new ford 8.8" rear end with disk brakes and 3.55 gears and a 700r4 trans with a trans adapter to still run the nailhead. The ford rearend is almost bullit proof and I only paid $350. and it's only 11/16" longer over all than the original. I'm doing a four link with air bags. The drive shaft will have to be custom built but after all is done it should be a little over a $1000 (rear, trans, adapter, and drive shaft) Hope this helps and good luck. Love to see some pics also.
I'm in the midst of doing this on my '58 Special as well, and I ran across a tech article with pictures that may be of interest. It's on Webrodder.com. Here's the link: www.webrodder.com/article.php?AID=207&SID=1 Hopefully, this will work for you. If not, just go to www.webrodder.com and link to the tech articles. The car in the article is a '51 Buick, but the principles are pretty much the same. I was originally going to use the rear end from a mid-80's Monte Carlo mainly because the rear axle width is favorable. Wouldn't the Late-model Riviera axle be a little wide? At any rate, I'm going to try to use the stock rear axle. There's nothing wrong with it, and I can retain most, if not all of the stock suspension pieces. I've got a TH350 mounted to my 364 using a Bendtsen's adapter kit. I ordered a 4-bar kit from S&W Race Cars myself, but it's very similar to the kit used in the tech article, but it's not powdercoated so, consequently it's cheaper. Anyway, good luck with your conversion. When I get to the point where I've got pictures to share, if there's interest, I'll put them up.
rear end swap just finished converting my 57 spl to open drive line. thanks to some good info on the buicks.net site, you can swap out the third member with one from a 61 or 62. then allyou need are some ladder bars. :bglasses:
I just picked up the new Custom Rodder Mag. and they have a '58 Buick Wagon featured in it. It says this guy used a '64 Buick rearend but doesnt say what type of Buick. Just some thing to check out...... Its a real nice looking 58.
I read another story on this car, in Super Rod, I think, and it also said a '64 Buick rearend was used. It must have been out of a full-size car because it was narrowed three inches, according to the article. I'd be curious to see the installation myself.
Hey guys I am wanting to do the same to my 59. What year did buick go to an open drive shaft? I would be interested in pictures. I have a centurion with a 455 that I want to use as a donor. Really lots of options if you aren't afraid of the fabrication. I did a 39 buick and used trailering arms from a chevelle with a camaro rearend. It was on the stock springs and trailering arm. Not that hard to do if you can weld. I like the idea of the 61-62 third member change if it'll work. TP
I have done this to my '59 Invicta. Dana 60 truck rear w/ new thicker tubes, 4-pinion posi, 3.73s, adjustable coil-overs. Fabb'ed a new Panhard bar and 36" ladder bars- the length of which required altering the rear floor pan slightly the front edge of the rear seat bottom (seat bottom still fits fine w/o also being modded). Rear frame rails were redone also, so it was not a 'snip-snip-drop-in' project, but it sure fits purty now; the 'victa swallows 315s in stock fenderwells. :TU:
