How hard is this swap? Im seriously considering my next project being a wagon of this year range rather than going with another regal. I am looking to keep full weight and run the piss out of it. Im just curious what are the main requirements for a swap like that? What about headers? And would anyone know the approx weight for this car? Any other info would be helpful. Thanks Justin
Just when I was thinking about selling you my white Regal when you came back from Turkey with pockets full of money.
Here's the picture you requested...sounds like a cool swap. I had a half-cocked idea once to build a 2dr sedan version, with tunnel ram, Nailhead power, striaght axle, and radiused rear wheel wells. Maybe a chrome push bar rear bumper...kinda of "the Buick gasser that never was" deal.
Sounds like a migrain in the waiting....but 10 stars in the coolness factor. That is what the wagon looks like I was actually pondering the idea of inquiring about the one in the for sale ads on here... And hey id gladly take another regal I dont know about the pockets full of money but who knows? If you are serious pm me some details on the car and pics. Hasnt this swap been done before!?!? or could I be a pioneer!:3gears:
Pretty sure the '62 Special was a unibody - no frame. I have seen GN Turbos swapped into a '62 special - I think there was a lot of fab work to find something to bolt the motor to. Then you have to consider how to keep the doors operational when you start bending that thing up with 455 torque. Love to see it done though...
Any serious attempt at this swap should include at least fabricating and installing subframe connectors. I would probably just notch the factory floor and add some chassis members, ala 70's ProStock. A 5 point roll bar would also help. The bar fits my hypothetical gasser build but may not be what you had in mind. Whatever you do remember safety.:TU:
I met the guy doing this in Norwalk...he is from Iowa or South Dakota and was talking about having to widen the area between the front suspension for the 455 to fit. He is a welder by trade and seemed happy with the progress at that time last year...maybe we will see him in Norwalk again.
Mr. Big and others. I looked at building a 61 or 62 NSS car when I built my 67, but at the time a 61-63 Buick Special was not legal in NSS with either the NSCA or the NMCA. I might have been able to got it in NSCA but have never had any luck getting any ruled changed at NMCA. Since NSCA has gone out of business, it's a good thing I didn't. They let the little 61-63 Pontiacs run but not the Buick or Olds. Guess this is because Mickey Thompson and "The Farmer" ran them in the day. You need to fab a complete chassis to keep from killing your self with one of them. Jim Netherland 2007 NMCA NSS World Champion
So many choices.....I have plenty of fabricaters and chassis shops in ohio that im "in good" with from the track ill have to give them a call for an estimate on how much this money pit would cost.
...while that 62 in the for sale section might buy you a cheap "entry" ticket it sounds like you'll more than makup for it later on. If an early wagon is your thing just move up the calendar a bit until it went to afull frame -- 64 ?? 65 ??
There is lots of info on these cars (Tempests) on the Performance Years forum. Lots of guys swapping in 455 Ponchos, subframe conectors, ladder bar suspensions and disc brake swaps. The Tempest is basically the same car and most of this would apply to the Skylarks, except the engine swap. I had the same idea a few months ago, but the cars are not light enough to make it worth all the extra hassle vs. building a '64-67 car IMO. You could probably swap in a 350 Buick pretty easily though and put on one of those new turbo kits............:3gears: Brian
I called Chris Alston Chassisworks lastnight and for a full tube frame including brakes front and rear center section with the guts and 4 link setup...all the interior tin....and 14pt roll cage it would run about 8-10k then someone to install. That was actually really encouraging to me because I was thinking 15-17k for chassis and then the price of installation and setup. If I took on something like this it definately would not be done for the 09 racing season but 2010 would be a great year....unless I get deployed for 6 months then maybe all that money will allow it to happen earlier. I remember seeing that car at some race and it was very sexy. Id be curious who he went through for chassis setup.
It's Eric Ruge, he participates on V8 Buick. I'm guessing he does his own stuff, but I could be wrong.
This is exactly the project that I'm working on - BBB in my '62 Special wagon. Currently working on getting the body in primer before I start cutting/fabricating. Right now the plan is a big block with a power adder including front and rear fabricated subframes if not an entirely fabricated frame/chassis. The only parts I want to keep are the body parts including the flat hood and roof rack - it's got to look like a wagon on the outside. My goal is 8.90's on a 10.5" tire. At 2700 lbs stock, it's already more than 1000 lbs lighter than my current Sportwagon.
That is my car in the video. I couldn't see anyway to stuff a 455 in there and retain the stock front suspension and be able to work on it and run headers, etc. It is a chromoly round tube chassis, strut front end, and 4-link rear suspension with a 12 bolt rear end. I am not much of a chassis fabricator so I had Holzman Race Cars in Wichita KS. build the chassis, rearend housing and do all the tin work. I had a friend do the paint work and I did everythig else. Here is a couple more pictures. Eric
