Secret experimental 1964 GX 455

[elagache]

Dear Bill, Brian, and mid-60s Buick caregivers who life adventurous lives,

So its been a few days. Pat survived the Florida trip.
. . . .
I stay home to watch the dogs LOL...
. . . .
Her surgery, after a harrowing 24 hour drive and arriving sunday evening, was Monday afternoon. She's been pretty sore and has begun a rebound today. Thats cool. She's one tuff gal.

Glad all is well after an "adventure!"    I think you pulled the better duty with the pooches! . . .

Pulled the valve covers off to re-seal them with some Right Stuff. Decided to upgrade to the chrome ones that had been shelved for 4 years with < 1 hour on them. They leaked (repops) and now with some right stuff maybe not. We'll see.

I certainly approve of the decor!     I do hope you succeed in getting them sealed.

Picked up an Art Deco aluminum air cleaner for 40.00 The stoopid edelhosers' (hate to advertise for a 3rd rate company!!!) are as much or more. This guy is chinaluminum Im sure, but fits well and is polished on the ribs. It sits just as high as the stock 455 cleaner tho, so its a hole in the hood (maybe a 'glass 1964 skylark hood?? Hahaha) to clear this unit.

Good luck with the air cleaner.  These engines definitely sit tall in the engine bay so air cleaners are a challenge.

After lifting the port side cover, I remembered that I had chipped one of the rocker arm buttons. #1 port was turned sideways and the rocker was riding off center. Not too bad, but not correct. I ordered 4 more at .99 each. I guess pulling the covers was a blessing. Hafta wait for the parts tomorrow to finish closing it up. Maybe its gonna run better and not be a gusher this time. Ill settle for a "duster".

You are such a big spender at 0.99! 

The gas tank pad is OEM ca. 1964, re-used, like new,  with no lousy build sheet underneath.   

Still making progress and no need to get new if the old is in good enough shape.  As you have discovered the hard way, often reproductions aren't nearly as good as the original 50 year old parts!

Thanks for keeping us posted!

Cheers, Edouard 

[yachtsmanbill]

So on the advice of a fellow 2nd generation (1965) Skylark colleague, We are coming to the conclusion that a 1964 and a 1965 hood are interchangeable. Hmmm... I know the fenders and core supports are different and THOUGHT the hoods were as well. I have a near perfect (sans patina) 1964 hood and dont really want to hack an air cleaner hole in it especially if its got ONEYEAR-ITUS.

The two top pics are mine and the next three are a 1965 GS I was looking at but too much $$$. Neat car though... AC and a 4 speed to boot!

If both years fit, that doubles the odds of finding a spare. Some where along the line, someone posted a pic of the differences. Anyone care to field this one? Any input is appreciated!   Bill

[gssizzler]

Bill only difference in hood is the 65 special deluxe,sport wagon, skylark, gs models are drilled for a hood ornament! A 4 speed air car!  Is not that common in 65! Rare would be either a skylark or gs convertible
Model with air!!

[GS66]

Bill, if you pass on the 65 will you be sharing it as a lead? I might want to look at it. What were they asking?

[yachtsmanbill]

Thanks on the hood tip! Thatll help find a donor!

The 65 with  AC and a 2x4 425 with a 4 speed is pretty rough. I think the guy wanted 6500.00 and wouldnt budge. I looked at that last year (virtually) when we drove to Texas to look at Capt America (1969 SS 396 chevelle that was roached). If yer still interested, Ill try and find the guys info. Im not sure but Im thinking St. Louis??   

Check out the link here (#6) from racing junk...  Bill

https://www.racingjunk.com/news/2019/05/24/tech-tips-shop-floor-wisdom-for-your-gm-muscle-car-part-6/?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Burnoutnewsletter#Tech-Tips:-Shop-Floor-Wisdom-for-Your-GM-Muscle-Car-Part-6-slide-1

[yachtsmanbill]

Oh, and one for fun...  Bill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6AFUVMdVJY&feature=youtu.be

[elagache]

Dear Bill, Jon, Jim, and mid-60s Buick lovers, 

Oh, and one for fun...  Bill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6AFUVMdVJY&feature=youtu.be

Thanks for the video!  How did Pat enjoy the ride?

If you want to be a bit safer taking videos like this, you might want to get one of those smart phone cradles with a suction cup that secures to the windshield.  I've been promising to get one of those for - oh at least a year! . . . .

Cheers, Edouard 

[yachtsmanbill]

HEY !!! At least homey dont text and drive LOL... Pats still on R&R and can't remember what the call that speed gage thing; "is it accurate?" ... Its close. And the gas gage is NFG as discussed. Fifteen gallons gave it a buried "FULL" mark on the gage. Its just a reference thing with me...  Bill

[GS66]

Thank you Bill.

[yachtsmanbill]

If you want to be a bit safer taking videos like this, you might want to get one of those smart phone cradles with a suction cup that secures to the windshield.

They haven't made one that holds my crack phone yet; oh wait, I take pics with a camera. Hmmm. Like in drivers ED class, the best offence is a good defense Ed.

Whatchfull eyes get no surprise...

Hindsight is just as important as foresight...

The car to watch is the car behind the car in front of you...

I just drive the car and let the camera do the work. 
   A few years ago I was following a stinkin' Lincoln on the spreezway. He was rolling about 90ish reading a paper! I paced him a 1/4 mile back. The local gendarme zips up and stops on the overpass and shoots with with the X box gun. GOT ME! So the cop asked me whats the hurry? I replied that I was just pacing the guy now long gone. I also told him that this was my first stop in 20 years. "This is your lucky day". UH-OH! The guy wrote me for 82 in a 70 (thanks!) so at least it wasnt a wreckless driving ticket (20+ over). The gun printed out the specs like a gas station receipt with the actual speed showing at 91 mph. I laughed and the cop didnt get it. I dont usually get pinched. Young Bucks!!!   Bill

[elagache]

Dear Bill, Jim and mid-60s Buick owners who have to deal with that new fangled technology, . . .

HEY !!! At least homey dont text and drive LOL...

By all means no criticism intended.  I have promised the gang here a video on Biquette prancing around, but I really would like to have some way to secure my smart phone before trying it.  One of these days!

Pats still on R&R and can't remember what the call that speed gage thing; "is it accurate?" ... Its close.

I suppose it isn't essential, but Biquette finally has an accurate speedometer after 6 years.  It is convenient to know and obviously if you want to track mileage and gas mileage it is important.

And the gas gage is NFG as discussed. Fifteen gallons gave it a buried "FULL" mark on the gage. Its just a reference thing with me... 

Biquette's remains broken and I haven't decided what to do about it because I'm itching to go with a larger gas tank.  Still, I thought there was a way to solve the gauge problem.  My understanding was that the Spectra Premium tank had a way to adjust the impedance of the sending unit.  Biquette's gas gauge was working fine before the engine went back to TA-Performance and the tank sat empty for a few months.

Does anybody know more about setting the impedance of these aftermarket tanks?

Cheers, Edouard 

P.S. Thanks for the picture of Bertha out in the sunshine! 

[yachtsmanbill]

All I know is what Loren had posted about the sender being a 90 ohm unit. Hmmm. My new "1964-1967" sender read 19-94 ohms- Full to Empty on my bench. The trade off is to install a 1965 gage. I thought mine worked at first. I put 5 gallons of fresh gas in the new tank and it registered 1/4. A trip to the gas station and it was bouncing on empty after a 6 block test drive. The sender connection and the frame ground should be good; at least they were last week LOL.

There should be a way to install a resistor in the sender line to collaborate the system. Any electronics' whiz kids on board??   Bill

[GranSportSedan]

Looking good. I have a soft spot for those early post cars and you've nailed the stance on that one

[yachtsmanbill]

Thanks Bob! Everyone thats seen it seems to agree and it even feels good driving it. I think it looks just aggressive enough myself!

So my gage problem reading PAST FULL all the time with 15 gallons of gas in the tank may be due to no 12V+ to the gage, as in a bad fuse. I do know the radio croaked the first time I livened it up on the battery. Same fuse? I dont know.  These guys seem to think no power to the gage makes it go 100%, Yet pull the sender off the tank and itll do the same think. Then ground the sender (tan wire) and it should go full EMPTY.  I thought I was done underneath for a while.

BTW, the one VID shows the gage resistor off a chevelle and what it does and doesnt do... Read up! Quiz tomorrow, first thing LOL... Loren advised me of this and said the 64 to 65  is different at the gage or the sender, and that the two years are NOT interchangeable. Hmmm. I doubt some one pulled the resistor off my gage, but ya never know...  Bill

https://www.google.com/search?q=calibrating+1964+Buick+gas+level+gage&rlz=1C1SQJL_enUS805US805&oq=calibrating+1964+Buick+gas+level+gage&aqs=chrome..69i57j33.11846j1j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[TrunkMonkey]

I took a post 1965 fuel gage and patched around the traces/circuit board on the gauge to match the Printed Circuit Board of my '64 cluster since I have a Spectra Premium EFI tank with integrated sender/pump.

I had looked at using a slider potentiometer to adjust the resistance.
To do that, add the pot, fill the tank, adjust the pot so the gauge reads full.

Since full is adjusted and 0 Ohms is empty, then it would be accurate at full, and become "more accurate" near Empty, but sorta "iffy" in the middle.

That would be fine for a the type of driving you do.

Since I am running EFI, I try and keep above 1/2 a tank anyway. (because the Spectra uses a "bread box" baffle, and not a full ribbed baffle across the whole tank, and I have "leaned" enough the EFI Nazi says: