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I had my old friend Mr. Swenson - never did know his first name - bore the block out .125". Shows you how little I knew about motors. I got some Jahns 11- 1 pistons from Cal Van on Kingsway. For the valve train I had Jack Shadbolt grind an Isky E2R cam, his store then was down on Broadway, just 2 blocks from where I lived. This was a solid lifter cam, so since adjustable rockers were not available, I found some Gotha adjustable pushrods. Not much in the way of choices back in the day.
I had to stay with the stock intake manifold but bolted on a '64 Corvette carb. To do that I had to grind out the bores on the manifold and drill new mounting holes. That's a story all by itself.
So the old 6 banger came out of the '55, and then Cliff (30 Chev on this site I think) helped me to do the actual swap. Of course there was some cutting and fabricating to do, but I already had a set of torches by then. I think this was either 1963 or possibly 1964.
We eventually got the thing running, and I couldn't believe how much torque this thing had. I used to drive down 16th avenue towards UBC heading up a steep hill. I would put the car in high gear at 800 rpm and floor it. It would go up that hill like it was a flat road, incredible.
Eventually sold the car and ordered a brand new '65 Chevelle from Dueck on Broadway. The only options were 327, Muncie 4 speed, radio and backup lights, which were a $10 option.
That's funny.Coco, your story brings back several memories. Thanks. Yeah 16th hill up to Dunbar was a test we used often. With the average cars we drove then, if you got a good run at it you might make it up without grabbing 2nd. I don't remember your '55, but it sounds like it would have been a real sleeper. I'm sure I did meet you with the Chevelle at Kings Burgers on Kingsway shortly after you got it, and thinking it too was a great unsuspecting sleeper. I couldn't afford a new car, but dreamed about a new 327 Nova post, like Grumpy Jenkins', so settled for a '62 Acadian in which I swapped a 283 with a Corvette AFB intake and a Duntov cam & solids. That cam was the first time I hadn't gone to Roy Shadbolt for a regrind. It seemed Shadbolt's favourite specs were 3/4 race Ford intakes with Chrysler exhausts. When Roy moved from his Broadway shop, he bought my Dad's shop on 5th Ave. The sleepers were so much fun, especially if you could beat the muscle cars that the rich kids were talking their mothers into buying.
Why did I say Jack Shadbolt...? Must be confusing him with Jack Williams, who did the driveshaft for the '55.
An easy mistake. Actually Jack Shadbolt was Roy's brother. Jack is the renound Canadian painter.
OK, back to another Buick story.
In about '89 or so I built a T-bucket from scratch. I intended to use a 400" Buick and tranny out of my Buick wagon. But unfortunately I managed to seriously overheat the engine and ruined it.
Ended up finding a stock 455 with 7.87 compression. This was by actual measurement. Bolted that to the turbo 400 and dropped it into the T.
3.42 gears in the back, and my driveshaft was 11" long from the centre of one u-joint to the next. Hardly even had room to fit a driveshaft loop in place.
Took it to the old car drags in '91 and ran 11.47 @ 122, but couldn't get it out of the hole to save my life. Fun car.
First of all where are ya going to put all this stuff ???/ Obviously you live in a residential subdivision. I thought at one time you were planning a move to BC.....has that been shelved?
Awesome looking oil pan by the way !
I'm intrigued to see the shop come together. Is that a 12' ceiling height or door opening?