Thread: 1951 buick special

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I've got a 1951 buick special 4 dr. I just had the motor & trans pulled. Now the" PLAN " is to rebuild the straight 8 & trans that was in it . But for now, I would like to put, a open drive shaft in it ( it had the old closed torque tube) . with out switching the rear end is there a way to make this happen? with little money?

I looked at ways to do that on a 54 chevy truck and finaly gave up and left it alone. Someone more inventive than me may have an idea though. Hey if you are looking for resto parts Try the buick farm and there are a couple others too but parts sure aren't easy to find for old buicks. I got a 73 electra show car and it is real hard to get stuff for. Roadmasters and wildcats and GS's seem a little easier so I look for stuff from them that interchanges sometimes. Engine parts anyways.

73 ' Bet thats nice! Ya,.. I was starting to think I might have strayed "a little to far off track for my wallet" . Hope my skills make up for it!? If you have any links, I'd sure appreciate any help I can get. And I've got a 49 chevy and it didn,t have the torque tube ? so did some one switch it ?

repost this maybe someone can help, or has an idea of where to go 2 get help . thanks for reading

Originally posted by treekiller
I've got a 49 chevy and it didn,t have the torque tube ? so did some one switch it ?

What is your '49 Chevy?

Cars and 1/2-ton trucks had the torque tube originally. 3/4-ton and larger trucks had an open driveline.

I know pickups went all open in '55. I know a '55 Chevy car was open driveline, I'm not absolutely certain '54 Chevy cars were torque tube, but I think they were.

Hey Tree Scoll down to 55MDL48 post and check out what he did. very nice set up. Here is the link.
http://v8buick.com/showthread.php?threadid=22506

thats a good idea , I was thinking of something along that line to build or ( have built ), But I didn't know how to get the contraption to balance, I'm trying to get ahold of him now I wish there was just something I could go and buy $ ,"I dont like haveing to worry about something not being perfect under there!" . AND OLDSub that chevy that I was talk'in about is a 1949 model 3/4 ton pick-em-up. I kind of figuered it was the original rear-end , since I could only get about 55mph going down the road , But could move a house if I needed to.

Originally posted by treekiller
I kind of figuered it was the original rear-end

Sounds like it is original. But its more than 50 years old, and could easily have been replaced. The important thing is whether it does what you want it to do!

Originally posted by treekiller
? If you have any links, I'd sure appreciate any help I can get.

Did someone say links?

http://www.kanter.com/p16-bun.html

http://www.oldbuickparts.com/nos/51parts.htm --> look deep into their site and they even have 6 volt electronic ignition kits for your car.

http://www.buickclub.org/westmich/plugs.htm Nice tip on getting that straight 8 to stop missing

Need rebuilt carbs?http://www.vapinc.com/carbs/Downdraft/buick.html

Those few will get you started.

Abe