I just want to put this out there for guys like me in Indy. I live 2 miles from Lucas oil Raceway and I need a Machine shop here to work on my Buick engines. I will work there but don't have the money to start the shop. Vic Holley had a shop and he did great work on Buicks but he sold the shop. I want to start one but don't have the money. I know it will be busy because componet machine didn't have time to do my crank. They sent it to another shop that cut it to low and I had to make adjustment to get it tighter. I can't build Buicks without good machine work. I have a 350 that needs work and a couple of 455's that need work but I will not let them go anywhere around here to get it back and go damm it's F===ed Will some one with some money try it here in Indy? Please???
I feel your pain Ron,I have a very reliable guy that I deal with here in MI.,I would hate to have to train some one else.:eek2: You could ship your stuff to Tri Shield,Finish Line,or AM&P until you train some one near you. Goodluck,I hope you find some one. Derek
It would be great to go to work knowing that I was going to port a set of Buick 350 or 455 heads. Ahh the good job! Then the next job, ok we need .002 clearance on the mains and rods in this engine. Check mains and then hone ok crank check then check bearing thickness then check crank, ok grind or high or low crank grind then bam .002 clearance yea! Here is your parts, let me know if the clearance is not correct and we will fix it at no extra cost! If we screwed up it's our fault not yours, we will make it right. Did a machine shop ever tell you that?
Not in so many words,but basically if my guy gets it wrong(which isn't very often),he makes it right. I'm a little ways away from you,if you were closer I would hook you up.(he is appointment only,and he doesn't advertise,resonable pricing) Derek
BES racing engines is probably 1.5 hours away, straight down I-74 towards Cincinatti in Guilford, Indiana. They can do whatever you need. Also, Mike at AM+P does excellent work as well.
A Ford guy friend had him do some work and he was there most of the time and heard there was some problems there also. I went to Richards with a clean 403 crank and block to get the block magged and the crank polished. It was suppose to be 25 for the block and 35 for the crank and now it's $100 so I told them not to do anything else. I'm taking the 350 crank to Component to see if they can polish it since they stick to there prices. They also said they could deck the block. I just hate doing that work for 9 to1 compression so might dump some money in some flat tops.
Guess what? I might have found one. ray: Richards Cylinder Head Repair at Kentucky Ave and 465 polished my 403 crank and checked the block for cracks and the crank looks like new! Looks like they even chamfered the oil holes more than what they were. I'm building a 91 Buick 3.8L and I need to bore it out. I called them and asked if they had torque plates for a 3.8L and he was talking to the main man JR and he said yes! I thought no way. Then I asked him if he had them for a 350 Buick. He said he thinks he loaned them out and will check but I never got back with him to see if he found them. Here is a pic of the 403 Olds crank.
Cant believe you race a buick,and live in Indy, and have not heard of Gary hersche racing engines!!ou:
I can get you in contact with Gary Herche. He is in North Vernon Indiana. I would also mention, Fred Catlin in Elibethtown Indiana. Zimmerman Brothers in Greensburg Indiana is where Gary goes. Fred has a different place.
FINALLY!!! I called Hoosier Parts in Seymour, In today and talked to Tom who must be the owner. I had some Buick work done there 25 years ago and did some Dyno work with Fred there. We were talking and he said something about some guys dynoed some Buicks there a long time ago. I said you know Fred and he said yea that was him. I told him I was there trying different headers on a 13 to 1 118 cam motor to show how the KB pulse headers had more power than the others. I told him Greg and I did all the work and he said Fred was having a candy bar or what ever he was eating!!! The only thing I don't like is I have to pay up front. He said alot of people didn't pic their engines up when he was done. I said you want have to worry about that cause I have alot more than that one that needs done!
Ron, A very long time friend ~1977, Brian Densford, used to manage a good part of Hoosier Parts, parts business. His younger brother Kelly, who was my age and my closer friend of that family was a machinist there 1982-1988. Any chance you knew either of them? Troy
Fred helped me out with some machining a few years ago and we used Jimmie's Motor Machine in Seymour, 812 524 2526. Good guy to deal with and did what we asked.
You guys are bringing back lots of memories of Seymour. I lived there and graduated from Seymour H.S. in 1983. My dad was 3rd in command at the Seymour Indiana State Police post. Great place, love the Octoberfest!!!! Troy
