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What was the Buick Special?

What was the Buick Special?

The Buick Special was an automobile produced by Buick. It was usually Buick’s lowest-priced model, starting out as a full-size car in 1936 and returning in 1961 (after a two-year hiatus) as a mid-size. The Special was built for several decades and was offered as a coupe, sedan and later as a station wagon.

What engine was in a Buick Special?

They started with the 215 V8, and by removing two cylinders and by casting the block and heads in cast iron instead of aluminum, Buick came up with an economical six quickly and cheaply. The initial displacement through 1963 was 198 cubic inches, and its horsepower rating was 135, only twenty ponies shy of the 215.

Is a Buick Special A Skylark?

It now used the same 116 in (2,946 mm) wheelbase as the Buick Skylark four-door sedan and the now-discontinued Buick Special four-door Station Wagon. It became, in effect, a Buick Skylark four-door station wagon in all respects but the name.

When was the Buick 40 made?

1930
Although the failing economy would fall even further in 1931 and 1932, 1930 — the year the 1930 Buick Series 40 Phaeton was introduced — was not destined to be a very good year, either. The folks in Flint, Michigan, had introduced the 1930 Buicks on July 28, 1929.

How much is a 62 Buick Special worth?

The Value Of A 1962 Buick Special The V6 models were originally priced at $2,587 and can be had for anything between $10,000 and $25,000 today, depending on the state and condition of the vehicle. Barn finds that need new engines and transmissions can be had for less than $5,000 even.

How much is a 1963 Buick Special worth?

VIN Decoder **Figure based on a stock 1963 Buick Special valued at $9,000 with ON rates with $100/300K liability/UM/UIM limits. Actual costs vary depending on the coverage selected, vehicle condition, province and other factors.

Why is a Buick engine called a nailhead?

While it was officially called by Buick the “Fireball V8” it became known as the “Nailhead” by enthusiasts for the unusual vertical alignment of its small-sized valves, features that were the result of putting both intake and exhaust valves on the intake manifold side of the “pent-roof combustion chamber” used in this …

What color were Buick engines?

Buick used red on the ’66 425 engines and 401 used in the Sky GS. The others are green except silver in ’63 Rivs.

What year was the best Buick Skylark?

11965–1969 Buick Skylark GS The Buick Skylark, also known as Roadmaster Skylark, witnessed many upgrades to beat its rivalry muscle cars on the market at its time.

Is a skylark the same as a Chevelle?

(first posted 8/20/2013) As has been oft-repeated, the A-body GM midsizers were all new for 1968, with swoopy, near-fastback styling in all Chevy, Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Buick flavors.

How much did a 1955 Buick cost in 1955?

CENTURY SERIES

Model 61-Four-Door Tourback Sedan Model # Style # Price Weight Production 55-61 55-4669 $2,548 3,825 lbs 13,629 13,269
Model 66R-Two-Door Riviera Model # Style # Price Weight Production 55-66R 55-4637 $2,601 3,805 lbs 80,338 80,388

How much horsepower does a Buick nailhead have?

The basic design of this engine is generally attributed to Buick engineer Joe Turner. Displacing 264 or 322 ci, the new Buicks were state-of-the-art, powerful, overhead-valve V-8s. The 322ci version was designed with an industry-leading 8.5:1 compression, and churned out a respectable 188 hp.

How much horsepower does a Buick 401 nailhead have?

325 hp
This is why Buick labeled and advertised their nailhead engines on their torque output, not the horsepower. The numbers resulted in some confusion though. For example, the Buick Wildcat 445 in the 1966 Skylark GS was actually a 401 cubic inch mill that developed 325 hp and a whopping 445 lb.

Is a 425 nailhead a big block?

The Nailhead is not a big block. Buick small blocks are 215, 300, 340, and 350. Buick big blocks are 400, 430, 455.

Is a Buick Skylark considered a muscle car?

Sharing a General Motors A-Body platform with the Pontiac GTO and Chevy Chevelle among other famous names, the Skylark can sometimes get a bit lost in the shuffle. Make no mistakes though, the Skylark is a legit muscle car and one that’s on the more affordable side as well.

Is a Skylark the same as a Chevelle?

What is Buicks version of Chevelle?

The Buick Gran Sport and Chevy Chevelle are two of the coolest GM-made muscle cars from late 1969, albeit notably different. The Gran Sport was, at the time, the most luxurious sports coupe from General Motors. Cadillacs were the only GMs that offered more opulence, but they lacked the performance.

What years was the Buick Skylark made?

Starting out in 1953 as the 50th-anniversary special car, the Buick Skylark has upgraded over the years to produce pretty interestingly fun to drive cars and has ended with the sixth-generation Buick Skylark in the year 1998.

What size engine is in a 1955 Buick Special?

264-cid
Under the hood, the Special was powered by a new 264-cid V-8 engine that generated 146 hp when paired to a three-speed manual transmission, and 150 hp when mated to the Dynaflow automatic shifter.

How much does a 1955 Buick Special weigh?

1955 Buick Specifications / Specs

General Information Special Series Super Series
Height (at normal load) 60.2″** 62.4″
Minimum road clearance 62.2″ 62.5″
Shipping weight* – Synchromesh 3,742 pounds
Shipping weight* – Dynaflow 3,866 pounds 4,239 pounds

Why do they call it a nailhead engine?

Why is the engine called a nailhead?

Gearheads nicknamed the new V-8s nailvalve or nailhead motors because the intake and exhaust valves were relatively small in size and installed vertically.

Why is a 401 Buick called nailhead?

Buick’s legendary V-8 engine from the mid-fifties to the mid-sixties is often called the “nailhead” motor due to its long, thin-stemmed valves with small diameter heads that resemble vertical rows of nails.

Why are Buick engines called nailheads?

What is an A-body Buick?

The GM A platform (commonly called A-body) was a rear wheel drive automobile platform designation used by General Motors from 1925 until 1959, and again from 1964 to 1981. In 1982, GM introduced a new front wheel drive A platform, and existing intermediate rear wheel drive products were redesignated as G-bodies.