Well I finally lashed out and bought a 57 Buick. I was initially looking for a 55~57 Chev, but decided they were too common. I like the look of the 57 Buick, especially the unique 3 piece rear window and nicely curved side spear. I bought the 57 Special 2-door Riviera, model 46R, currently all white.... but that may change in the future. I don't know too much about them at all, and would like to know a little more about the motor and trans. I realize the Special had the lesser power output (250hp) compared to the Century and the Super and Roadmaster which had 300hp. So what is needed to release a few more ponies from the 364 Nailhead? I don't want anything radical.... but if there are some easy mods to gain some horsepower, it's worth chasing up. And what about the Dynaflow trans? Is it capable of holding together with an increase of power and torque? Is there a known established torque rating for the '57 dynaflow trans? Any useful info, or leads to suppliers of performance parts would be appreciated. cheers tom (from the land down under..... Australia) :TU:
Welcome to v8buick, one of the best BUICK sites on the internet !! Nice choice of cars - it's a great challenge to own something a little different. Good luck, and happy motoring with that '57 mate, enjoy !! :beer :TU:
It's good to see you've bought it. You'll be happier with your Buick over a Chevy. Does your 57 have dual exhaust? How about carburetor, is it a 2 barrel or 4 barrel? Behind the Dynaflow is a torque tube. Changing transmission means changing torque tube to open drive shaft. Also the axle would have to be changed.
Welcome! That's one nice ride you have there. I too think the 3 piece rear window setup is attractive and unique, and for me makes the 57 Buick (and Olds) the most attractive of the GM bunch that year. Enjoy your new ride !
Thanks for the warm welcome The special has the 2 barrel carb and lower compression compared to the 4 barrel 300hp century/super/roadmaster. Are there any other differences? I'm assuming a change out of manifold and carb to 4 bbl, with a shave of the heads to increase compression would at least reclaim the 50 less hp between the models.... or are there some other variances between the 364 nailheads. Were the cam grinds identical? I have so many questions I could ask. I know chevys quite well, as I've spent the last 15 years building up a 68 Corvette convertible. I'm running a 475hp 383 small block stroker in that. But I know zip about nailheads. The aftermarket performance products for chevs is unlimited. I would like to know where to look at performance parts for Buicks, and in particular, performance parts for the 364ci motor in my '57 There appears to be a lot of gear available for the 401-425 motors. But I know so little about Buicks. Did the change in engine size in '59 come about with a new block? Or can the 364 nailhead be stroked or bored to 425ci? I guess I need some direction to information that's available. The car is totally original at present, and I want to keep it looking like that. Ideally what I want to do is maintain the same appearance under the engine bay, but obtain as much performance as possible. Any info will be appreciated cheers
You could install a 401/425. Mostly a bolt-in. Electronic ignition, 2x4, Using a '59 or '60 AFB for the rear carb. to keep the pedal start. Many options are available including a set of "My Rockers". Do a search on "toms roller rockers". Tom T.
Yep , what Tom says and go to the wrenchin secrets section and check out my Docs cheap tricks sticky there .... therin is a lot of stuff that you can do to your riv and they really work and dont cost a arm and a leg.... My folks had a 56 super that some how got a 300 horse 364 in it and it would really run... if you put a 401 or 425 in it it will really move.... then there is my doc dual plane mod that you can do to the intake manifold and pick up some power for less than $15.... recurve the dist,, make up a ''cold air intake for the air cleaner.... but to do that you will have to go to a later model one.... but it will be worth several horses.... Love the 57's.......
Thanks for the leads...... What about the dynaflow? Will it cope with additional power put through it? Are there any tricks to strengthen them? Mods to improve their efficiency? cheers tom
A dynaflo that is in good shape is as tough as a boot....and puts plenty of power to the ground....they are very unique in the fact that they never shift.... believe it or not i once had a 57 chevy with a 283 in it that had a dynaflow from the factory,,, the only one of those I have ever seen.....
Thanks Doc. You say it doesn't shift? Are you meaning that in D it only uses a single gear? How does that relate to good performance? o No: Where can I find some info on the dynaflow.... regarding its operation. I have so much to learn. cheers tom
Thanks Bhambulldog The last two pages contained some good info... So if I understand it correctly, if the lever is set to D, then 1:1 gear ratio is selected, and acceleration is purely a function of the variable pitch of the stator. No physical change of gears occurs. However, if L (low) is selected, then the planetary gear set is engaged to provide gear reduction in addition to the torque multiplication to provide maximum accelleration. So there is NO kickdown to low gear when in D (drive)... only the change in stator vane pitch to increase torque multiplier effect. Interesting. That might explain why I felt the Buick was sluggish when I test drove it. I only had it in D. The car is currently in transit from US to Oz. Can't wait to try it again in L when it arrives home. :3gears: hmmm.... I'll need to find a smilie with one continuous burnout cheers
The only thing that connects the engine to the rear end in drive is FLUID!!!! All it is is a FLUID coupling. In Low as stated it relies on the planetary gear-set as well as reverse. DO NOT & I REPEAT, DO NOT shift from Low to Drive with your foot into it. It WILL destroy the trans. in short order.
Hello and welcome from Milwaukee Wisconsin. All good advice above. My understanding is that the guys that really know how to(and are willing) work on these trannys are far and few between. If you keep it, I would do as telriv suggests. And beautiful looking car you got there.
Thanks guys. I'm glad you told me NOT to do all out power runs from L to D, as that is what I would have tried at the first opportunity. :eek2: OK... so I'll have to be content to keep it as a boulevard cruiser In all honesty, it's too nice a car to chop up and change with all the go fast goodies to make it a pro street show car. ( at this stage ) All it needs is a bit of a tidy up under the bonnet. I'll pull the motor out and repaint the engine bay and motor. The interior is exceptional, and the body is very straight, clean and rust free. All the chrome was redone a few years back and looks great. Reliability is what I'm after, so I don't want to make mods which will affect that. It does need a new exhaust, so I'll put on something a little less restrictive, without being loud. Maybe a 2.5" twin system with a single muffler on each pipe. Currently there are 3 mufflers on each pipe! :shock: 6 in total! I don't want resonant harmonics (drone) so it may require additional muffling? Anyone have suggestions on what type to use? what works best. I will go through and check timing and adjust stock setup and see how it feels after that. Above that, maybe opt for a 4 barrel manifold and carb. I can hide that mod under the aircleaner, I want to keep it looking stock at this stage. That might have to be it until I feel a "Need for Speed!" and go all out with a custom rebuild. I've seen some awsome pics of custom 57 Buicks. :TU: They really make my heart skip! cheers to all tom
There has been much discussion of late regarding engine paint and color; http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=207375&highlight=Engine+Paint Four barrel were offered for 1957. Obtaining a stock four barrel air cleaner and manifold should, perhaps, not be difficult.
I'm sure I can speak for all when, your car arrives in Australia, we would like to see pictures. Pictures , before, during, and after, of the spruce up. :TU:
some current pics.... It's not clear in the pic, but there is paint flaking off the engine block around the water pump housing and the inlet manifold. In the brief inspection I made prior to purchase I noted some fluid leakage in the same area.... It appeared/smelt like glucol based coolant. Looked like the original radiator top plate has been fitted to a new radiator core. A new battery was fitted. The previous battery must have split, as there was evidence of acid etchings into painted surface under battery and down to chassis rail underneath. Only surface finish was affected.... requires good cleanup and repaint. The motor ran beautifully. It was a warmish mid 80's day when I drove it, and the temp gauge remained nice and steady. I checked the oil after. It was quite clean, even though owner stated it hadn't been changed since previous summer. The car had not been driven much at all. Trans fluid was also clean and smelt good (didn't smell burnt, like in some cars that I've looked at) I do recall noting significant effort was required to make the change selector shift from L to R and vice versa. Is there a trick to that? There was also a "thunk" when the shift was engaged. (from L (lo) to R (rev), and R to L). No noise at all once engaged, but noticeable when selected. Not sure if that is typical? Possibly a worn uni-joint in the driveline perhaps? How do you get at them with that torque tube hiding everything! I'll have to read up the service manual.:TU: Car drove nicely on the highway, although the 15 year old bias ply tyres did wander a bit at speed. I bought some Diamond Back 3" wide whitewall radials and they are arriving with the car. P225/75R15. Cooper brand? They should look good on the chrome wire wheels. A bit wider tread than the BFG Silvertown 760-15's on there at the moment. I'm hoping that will improve the ride. Suspension was quite good. Looking underneath the car, I could clearly see new rubbers on all the visible suspension joints. Shocks looked like they had been replaced too, and the car did remain reasonably steady on the road over the undulations. The brakes required a heavy application... quite a bit more than I expected for a power assisted package.... but then again it is a heavy car and it only has drum brakes.... just a matter of familiarisation, and maintaining sensible road speeds A quick inspection under the car showed some visible oil/grease grime in vicinity of inside face of front brakes... possibly a minor weep from brake cylinder... or just excess grease from the ball joint adjacent ??? Won't really know till I clean everything up and look for new leaks. I also noted a bit of sideways play (top to bottom) in front right wheel whan I shook it by hand. Might be indicative of wheel bearing issue, or possibly just requires shimming endplay? Haven't looked in service manual to know what specifications are. I didn't expect everything to be perfect, but I am very happy with the general condition of this car. The exterior is beautiful. The interior is even better. And the A/C worked very well too. Can't wait for it to arrive. cheers The front seat has a clear vinyl covering? Not sure if is just a protective skin or if that is how its supposed to be. The rear seat doesn't have it. All the door trims and roof lining are almost like new. Just a slight discolouration with age. Odometer shows ~28000 miles . Hmmmm. o No: But overall condition of car shows it has certainly been looked after pretty well in the past. I don't think the radio works... I never tried it during the test drive. I seem to recall someone saying that radio tuning could be done with a foot switch??? Never tried it, and don't know whether to believe that was the case... Anyone care to comment on that? I've got a lot to learn. The 50's was a golden decade where lots of engineering concepts were introduced to give each brand a marketing edge. So much variety in what the manufacturers produced. Not like today where every car looks like a clone. Did I say I can't wait for the car to arrive? :laugh:
