New to me 1972 Centurion Convertible

Discussion in 'Wet behind the ears??' started by Justin DeFiore, Jun 24, 2018.

Page 1 of 2
  1. Justin DeFiore

    Justin DeFiore Member

    Hello, I just picked up a 1972 Centurion Convertible. I was wondering if anyone could provide some details for me? According to the VIN the car has Engine code "W", which is a modified Hi-performance 455, what does that mean though? What gas do I need to use? Do I need special oil? What weight oil should I use? Is there any special unique internal pieces? Thank you for any help.

    And now to introduce "Maxine"

    20180614_174107.jpg
     

    Attached Files:

    Justin DeFiore, Jun 24, 2018
    #1
    Mike B in SC, Chi-Town67 and Electra Bob like this.
  2. Electra Bob

    Electra Bob Well-Known Member

    Nice!

    I'll let the more knowledgeable members answer your questions but welcome to the board.

    Bob
     
    Electra Bob, Jun 24, 2018
    #2
    Justin DeFiore likes this.
  3. BYoung

    BYoung Stage me

    Welcome! You will have plenty of fun in that car. She’s a beauty.
     
    BYoung, Jun 24, 2018
    #3
    Justin DeFiore likes this.
  4. pbr400

    pbr400 68GS400

    I really like Centurions, and that one is nice. The W engine is said to be the same as the Riv GS engine, which should have a more agressive cam than the standard 455 (but milder than Stage 1 specs). It may have Stage 1 (bigger valve) heads, but I’m not sure. As for gas and oil, it’ll probably want 91 or more octane and will have less trouble with rubber hose decay, carburetor deposits, etc if you avoid ethanol blends. Oil is a funny question-a lot of people worry about the lack of zinc in modern oil, and I would too except (maybe) a seasoned hardened internals engine. So, read up here, then decide whether to use a high zinc conventional or synthetic or add zinc to store bought oil. Weight should be whatever gives you 10psi/1000 rpm fully warm. Most of our cars seem to be in the 10/30 to 15/40 viscosity ballpark. (If she doesn’t have guages for temp and oil pressure it’d be a good idea to add them).
    Welcome by the way!
    Patrick
     
    pbr400, Jun 26, 2018
    #4
    Justin DeFiore and PGSS like this.
  5. Brad Conley

    Brad Conley RIP Staff Member

    The Modified High Performance 455 in the Centurion included the large valve heads (but not the swirl polished valves in the Stage 1 heads), different timing specs, different carburetor specs, a mildly more aggressive cam and dual exhausts.

    Regular 87 octane is fine but you may want to consider oil including less modern levels of zinc such as Brad Penn oil. 10w30 or 10w40 will work. You really should have an oil pressure gauge to accurately determine your pressure. Shoot for 10-11 pounds per 1000 rpm.
     
    Brad Conley, Jun 26, 2018
    #5
    Justin DeFiore and PGSS like this.
  6. PGSS

    PGSS Gold Level Contributor

    Wow, this mid type performance package I did not know..Any reasons why? maby a bit smoother running for the Centurion line?
    How about the rear end?

    Justin, Maxine is a beauty:)
     
    Last edited: Jun 26, 2018
    PGSS, Jun 26, 2018
    #6
    Justin DeFiore likes this.
  7. gsfred

    gsfred Founders Club Member

    Welcome aboard from NY.
    Fred
     
    gsfred, Jun 26, 2018
    #7
    Justin DeFiore likes this.
  8. Brad Conley

    Brad Conley RIP Staff Member

    Exactly correct...a bit more "mature" if you will cam-wise. Mine is equipped with a 2.93 limited slip. Standard ratio, optional limited slip. 3.23's and 3.42's were, if I'm not mistaken, optional in 1972.
     
    Brad Conley, Jun 26, 2018
    #8
    Justin DeFiore and PGSS like this.
  9. Mike B in SC

    Mike B in SC Well-Known Member

    Beautiful car! I love Centurion convertibles! I use Quaker State Defy 10W30 in my 68. It has higher levels of zinc.
     
    Mike B in SC, Jun 26, 2018
    #9
    Justin DeFiore likes this.
  10. My3Buicks

    My3Buicks Buick Guru

    Looks like a beautiful example, have have had 2 of them and one was fire red like yours. Fantastic road cars.
     
    My3Buicks, Jun 26, 2018
    #10
    Justin DeFiore likes this.
  11. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

    Welcome, good looking Buick, gotta love the big cars. Sure, it will run just fine on 87. There were only 2 distributors fitted to the 455's in 1972. One was the 1112110, and the other was the 1112016 (Stage1). If you have the 1112110, the sticker in the engine compartment will say your initial timing should be 4* BTDC. Look on the circumference of the distributor at the cap parting line. Buick detuned the 72 motors in the name of emissions. If the engine is all stock, you can make big gains by optimizing your ignition timing.
     
    LARRY70GS, Jun 26, 2018
    #11
    Justin DeFiore likes this.
  12. My3Buicks

    My3Buicks Buick Guru

    I always found mine ran "fine" on 87, but much better on 93
     
    My3Buicks, Jun 26, 2018
    #12
    Justin DeFiore likes this.
  13. 2001ws6

    2001ws6 last of the v8 interceptors

    Welcome aboard! :cool:
     
    2001ws6, Jun 26, 2018
    #13
    Justin DeFiore likes this.
  14. Brad Conley

    Brad Conley RIP Staff Member

    Justin, related to John????
     
    Brad Conley, Jun 26, 2018
    #14
    Justin DeFiore likes this.
  15. Justin DeFiore

    Justin DeFiore Member

    Thanks for the info. I'm really excited about the car and look forward to talking with everyone on the board.
     
    Justin DeFiore, Jun 26, 2018
    #15
  16. Justin DeFiore

    Justin DeFiore Member

    YEs, he's my dad. Here is my 72 with his electra72
     

    Attached Files:

    Justin DeFiore, Jun 26, 2018
    #16
    Electra Bob likes this.
  17. Justin DeFiore

    Justin DeFiore Member

    [​IMG]
     
    Justin DeFiore, Jun 26, 2018
    #17
  18. Justin DeFiore

    Justin DeFiore Member

    [​IMG]
     
    Justin DeFiore, Jun 26, 2018
    #18
  19. Brad Conley

    Brad Conley RIP Staff Member

    Tell him he has all my respect for serving on the BCA BOD's, especially over the last year or two. I'm sure he (and maybe you) will understand.
     
    Brad Conley, Jun 26, 2018
    #19
  20. BuickV8Mike

    BuickV8Mike SD Buick Fan

    beautiful car I love the red paint
     
    BuickV8Mike, Jun 26, 2018
    #20
    Justin DeFiore likes this.
Page 1 of 2

Share This Page