Hi New to the classic buick world. The wife and I have saved for some time to get our ride. With our first son due here in July we jumped at an opportunity for our family cruiser project. A 1967 boat. Little did we know the 340 is impossible for parts. I'm hoping this forum can help. 548xx original miles. All original parts. I was told the gas tank has a hole. I plan on dropping it out tomorrow. Can anyone help me with advice for parts and what way I can take this motor. It runs. We drive around town with a 1 gallon gas can under the hood. Lol help of any kind when it comes to the 340 please maybe a 4b so I can ditch this 2b.
Do a Google search in your area for gas tank renew/renu. It’s best to have it professionally cleaned out and resealed. There are products you can do it yourself Which I have used, but I feel it’s better left to a professional. Your LeSabre looks like a nice unmolested original, burgundy must is a very rich color Once you get a clean fuel system in oreer and ckean ( make sure you Change the gas filter) . An oil change should be high on the priority list as well. I would probably replace the spark plug wires, spark plugs, distributor cap, and points. Make sure you check all other fluids as well, I probably would change them as a precaution. Check condition of all your belts and hoses as well. You should be able to buy any of that stuff that I mentioned at a good auto parts store
The Four barrel was optional on a 340, so you should have no trouble finding what you need to replace the two barrel if you desire.
I'll be honest I'm pretty stressed out. There is alot of rust under this car.... it didn't look to bad at first because it's under coated and the floors are solid. How bad is to bad?
Well it was undercoated. The floors are solid the frame has surface rust and the undercoat is flaking off the frame. Idk what you mean by scake? I am working on dropping out the old gas tank. New tank is on the way. When I was under there. Behind the rear driver side tire in the "down curve" of the frame heading to the back..... I stuck my finger right through the bottom. Sides are hard but there is a thumb size hole now. Once I get the tank out hopefully tomorrow afternoon I will be able to look at more. Also there is black sludgy stuff coming out of the rear dif...just a little bit. I mean I am planing on a long project. Something in the family for as long as possible but I'm a foundrymen with a baby due in July and I guess what I'm asking is over time.... how do I gauge when to quit or if it's worth the time and effort. It's basically a personal preference huh? I drive a 2003 Buick Lesabre limited every day it was my first car after graduating rehab and beating a long addiction. My wife and I saved for a classic buick. She believes in me. Doesn't know how bad it is. She just sees the perfect interior and perfect chrome. We have cruised to friends houses in the small village we live in she thinks it's perfect and I guess I'm freaking out....
First off, calm down. There's nothing on that car that can't be fixed. First off, what Keith means by scale is shaling, where the steel looks like a swollen piece of drift wood and is starting to flake apart. You're a foundry man, I'm sure you know what rotten steel beams look like. Surface rust is no big deal. So the undercoat is coming off, here again, if you see paint under it, no big deal. holes, yes, that might be an issue. To have holes in the trunk by the kick-up is common, the body mounts there usually rust out. That might be your frame holes, I don't know. That can be fixed. Holes in other parts of the frame may be deliberate, you'd have to get a picture of them and post it. If you take a pick-hammer to the frame and it sticks or goes through, yeah, there are issues; if it glances off, that frame will hold up for years yet. Second; sweating rear axle, - keep the fluid level up and it'll be fine. Remove the drain plug, stick your finger in, and if you feel wet or fluid, it's usually enough. Fill till it starts to flow out the hole, no more. Is it grease from a u-joint, or is it actually a rear axle leak? Where I'd be concerned is if the rear tires are wet on the inside. That would indicate axle seals are gone and your rear brakes are useless. The tank is pretty easy to take out, where it can go wrong is the carriage bolts. They might strip. You might want to look at new ones. That's hardware store stuff. Parts for a 340 are still pretty easy to get. Check online, there are numerous sources. It's easier to find parts these days than it was 20 years ago. For a 4 bbl manifold, go find a LeSabre 400 at a wrecker, either a 66-67. It'll have an AFB on it as well, and that's about as bullet proof set up as you're going to find. But, the 2 barrel wasn't bad either, I drove a 67 LeSabre all over Alberta as a winter beater 10 years ago. It had enough power and wasn't bad on gas. Tuning is the key, and making sure that transmission is still in good shape. If you're going to get serious about maintaining that car, start by getting a factory chassis manual and a body manual. Both are easily available online. Then head off to your public library or online and start reading books and articles on those engines and the cars. You've come to the right place, the guys on the board here are very good at offering advice and sources for bits and pieces. The good news is you've bought one of the easiest cars to maintain; those cars from the late 60s were reasonably well built and not overly technical, they're not rocket science. They're still the cheapest to fix. They could still be tuned up with a vacuum gauge a couple of wrenches and screw drivers and a good ear. In fact, if I was starting over again, the first thing I'd buy is a vacuum gauge and I'd learn how to use it. It will tell you everything you'll ever want to know about the health of that motor. Good Luck, and enjoy the car.
Yes. Ok cool. I calmed down. Dropped the tank. Full of rot. The outside and inside of this car look awesome underneath is rough but the body meaning floors etc are all still pretty solid. There's are holes either side of the body mounts in the trunk but the rest of it is still solid. Like factory blueish speckled paint solid inside. Factory trunk mat jack tire etc all there. I'll have to do what you said with a pick hammer. I have my grandpa's tools he passed at 102. Pretty much has all I need. Except that vac. My next move is to put it up on 4 jack stands pull the tires and go from there. Check the breaks. Maybe get all new suspension parts. Most of what I see that looks rusty are suspension components. I'll look into the frame information more. I can hope in at any time and turn the key and she fires right up. There is a picture of the hole in the frame. And that could be scaling but I think it's just the undercoat coming off because it's pretty solid. I'll check with the hammer tomorrow. There is also a picture of something and idk what it is because I don't know much of anything....but there is black in the hole on either side of the dif and you can see it kind of coming out the bottom. Also It's where the axle and u-joint or whatever meet and the time side of the dif.... just black slug in random spots of the rear end... I didn't get picture of all that though. Gotta get my tank to a renu in Elkhart IN it's the closest to where I am in Michigan. I'm excited again. Talk to my wife about my boy taking this to his prom in like 2033/2034. Just slow and steady it goes I guess.... Unless you see something I dont.
What I'm seeing in those pics is nothing to worry about, in fact it looks pretty solid. The black crud could be flung grease, nothing more, I don't think anything is leaking. The frames were made out of welded C beams, what you've got going on is typical. What worried me more was the brake lines on the top of the differential, they're old and they could use some attention. And they are an issue on the 67 model; every 67 I've had had rotten lines up there that needed replacing. I'd make plans on replacing them this winter when you lay the car up. (I hope you're not going to winter drive it) There is a vent off the top of the diff that has a hose coming off of it, this is your differential vent, and it could have crud dripping from it. That's normal. Congrats, your car is perfectly healthy and should be around for a few years to come yet.
