New Guy With a Question ~ (California GS?)

Yes it could be a 67 GS California.
Your engine should have the VIN stamped on the front face behind the AIR pump and Power steering pump- hard to get at, but it should be the same as VIN.
I have one too- it also has numbers that would be for a special V6 but instead has a 340.
Ted

IMG_20110317_092334.jpg
 
Also, there were a couple different placements of the California emblems. Yours looks like it was along the beltline. I've seen them there on other cars. A quirk of the way they were built.
Ted
 
Thanks! I was nearly certain, everything seems to check out.
It just seemed to good to be true!
I'll get to checking the Engine VIN ASAP.
 
So, I guess if anyone’s interested, I have some 67' Special fender vents and emblems for sell.:clonk:
Now I have to try and find 67' GS fender vents. :bgrin:
 
yes, ALL California GS cars are built on a v6 VIN and a post roof ( not hard top ) model, which is then optioned up to a v8 and a special California GS trim package.

there are even some extremely rare 'Carolina' and 'Colorado' GS cars, which was just dealers in the relevant state ordering a Cali GS car and installing their own state trim pieces.

your VIN begins with "43307" which decodes as
4 = Buick
33 = V6 base car
07 = 2dr Post roof

so alles gut.

there used to be websites devoted to these cars but i think they're gone now.
 
Thanks Bob! I love the signature quotes you have there, a steadfast reminder for those who know.
Being my surname is Bourgeois, I know that quote all too well.
The second, is why I operate a private school.

Fun Fact: The timing cover on my 1982 El Camino Conquista V6, fits on my 1967 California 340 GS V8!
(It's a Buick 231 under the hood, OEM)
 
Your body tag and your VIN both indicate V8 and match perfectly, it's just that Fisher did things differently on the body tag than Buick did for the VIN in 1967, this makes 1967 one of the most confusing years to decode. For 1967, Buick changed their VIN scheme so V6 vs. V8 is coded in the VIN by the 8th digit. If the 8th digit is a 6, then the car came with a V6 otherwise the car came with a V8.

Read this thread (start at the beginning even though it might not seem relevant):
https://www.teambuick.com/forums/showthread.php?24461-215-casting-number-quot-3-quot-first-digit





433077Z1xxxxx
4 = Buick
33 = Special
07 = 2-door thin pillar coupe
7 = 1967
Z = built at Fremont, CA
1xxxxx = sequential number, starting at 100,001 for V8 and 600,001 for V6




11C
ST 67-43407 BF XXXX BODY
TR 111 CC PAINT


43407 = Fisher body style number
4 = Buick
34 = Special V8
07 = 07 = 2-door thin pillar coupe




1962 was the first year for the six cylinder engine (after six cylinder production ended for the 1930 model year) and 1972 was the first year the VIN contained a digit that identified the specific engine the car came with. So, for 1962-1971 you can tell if your car came with a six or eight cylinder engine from the serial number or VIN using this:


-For 1962-1964, if the first digit of the serial number is a letter (A, B, or C), then the car came with a V6


-For 1962-1964, if the first digit of the serial number is a number (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, or 8), then the car came with a V8


-For 1965-1966, if the third digit of the VIN is an odd number, then the car came with a V6


-For 1965-1966, if the third digit of the VIN is an even number, then the car came with a V8


-For 1967-1971, if the 8th digit of the VIN is a 6, then the car came with a six cylinder engine


-For 1967-1971, if the 8th digit is anything other than a 6, then the car came with an eight cylinder engine
 
Thanks! Lots of valuable info there, Buford26.
Now, I really only see one option.:hurray:
 
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Fun Fact: The timing cover on my 1982 El Camino Conquista V6, fits on my 1967 California 340 GS V8!
(It's a Buick 231 under the hood, OEM)



don't go feeling too froggy. at least, not until you've swapped timing covers with a TVR.

the 215ci v8 is the forefather of the SBB ( Small Block Buick ) engine family. this family includes the 300, 340 and 350ci Buick engines, as well as all of the Buick v6 engines ( 225, 231, 3.8L, 4.1L, 3800, series I and II ).

the Buick v6s were derived by knocking the front two cylinders off of the 300ci v8, so they are a shorter deck height than the Buick 340 and 350 although the 231ci has the same bore diameter as a Buick 350.

less well known ( but we're doing our part to fix that ) is that Buick sold the 215 aluminum tooling and designs to British Leyland back around 1965. Leyland / Land Rover kept the basic v8 engine in production up through 2004, although they converted it to all metric dimensions and called their 215ci a "3.5 Litre". Rover took the displacement up to 4.6L and there other other British manufacturers that licensed the engine and took it out to 5.0 liters. TVR is one of them.



Thanks Bob! I love the signature quotes you have there, a steadfast reminder for those who know.


yeah, reading The Communist Manifesto was extremely depressing for me.

Karl Marx declared war in 1848 and demanded that the Proletariat genocide the Bourgeoisie. and we've been losing for a hundred and fifty plus years now.

mostly because we refuse to acknowledge that the murder fields of Cambodia and Mao and Lenin were all intentional and by design.
 
the 215ci v8 is the forefather of the SBB ( Small Block Buick ) engine family. this family includes the 300, 340 and 350ci Buick engines, as well as all of the Buick v6 engines ( 225, 231, 3.8L, 4.1L, 3800, series I and II ).

the Buick v6s were derived by knocking the front two cylinders off of the 300ci v8, so they are a shorter deck height than the Buick 340 and 350 although the 231ci has the same bore diameter as a Buick 350.

less well known ( but we're doing our part to fix that ) is that Buick sold the 215 aluminum tooling and designs to British Leyland back around 1965. Leyland / Land Rover kept the basic v8 engine in production up through 2004, although they converted it to all metric dimensions and called their 215ci a "3.5 Litre". Rover took the displacement up to 4.6L and there other other British manufacturers that licensed the engine and took it out to 5.0 liters. TVR is one of them.

Yeah, I ran across this story while researching the 231ci. Buick motor. If I remember correctly, it was called the Odd Fire, then the Even Fire/Fireball. Also, it was even used by Jeep somewhere in the story.
 
Here's a video of me firing here up for the first time in well over 10 years.
She had a leaky head gasket when I got her.
I was a young and eager Bench Mechanic at the time.
I pulled the engine out, gave it a bit of an overhaul and some fresh paint.
In my haste of rebuilding the top end and putting her back together in my father's driveway....
I neglected to bolt the torque converter to the flywheel!
Needless to say, it was a noisy mess when she fired up.:smash:
After bolting it together correctly, the transmission wouldn't go forward.
She's been immobile ever since. Last winter I found an ST300.
It came from a an old 60's car that had an electrical fire, and was parted out.
Got time to put her in last month, no more Switch Pitch though, shucks.
I installed a push button for the kickdown, so I don't have to go WOT to downshift.

[video=youtube_share;t4Hj6tBkHk4]https://youtu.be/t4Hj6tBkHk4[/video]

I had originally titled this video as, "1967 Buick Special".
Then I did some research, and got some help from you guys :thumbsup:. Thanks!
Going for a body off frame restoration.
Luckily, I have a engine machine shop in the local community, and it's a very small community.
I don't know the last time somebody's opened up that that crankcase. So, better safe than sorry.
I already gave the engine bay a touch-up, rebuilt the carb, cleaned fuel tank, and put on a few new parts.
 

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if you're that fixated on the SP, an ST-400 ( mid-60s SP variant of the TH-400 ) will also bolt up to your block. you'll probably have to shorten the driveshaft.

the 200r4 is your go-to choice if you want OD.
 
if you're that fixated on the SP, an ST-400 ( mid-60s SP variant of the TH-400 ) will also bolt up to your block. you'll probably have to shorten the driveshaft.

the 200r4 is your go-to choice if you want OD.

Thanks, I was wondering if it was possible to take the switch pitch out of my original transmission, and place it in the new one?
As I understand it, the switch pitch is in the torque convertor and it's activated from inside the housing.

I have a TH400(not 200r4) lying around, and a 3 speed Saginaw. I don't think I'll like the results of swapping either of them in.
I have a 4 speed Hurst shifter and nothing to hook it up to.....yet.
I do enjoy climbing to 65MPH in one gear and would like to know the difference the SP makes.
The engine didn't run great before the valve job and head gasket change. So, I never got to feel her true power.
She pulls great now, but I'll be taking the engine out soon. The local machinist can't help but stare as I idle bye to get groceries.
She has a stock rumble that resembles my 454 big block with a full Edelbrock intake and headers. Not quite, but it's close.
From the MSD timing advance module, and the Holley 500 carburetor, I'm thinking this girl may have had a little time on the circle track.
Holley 500's are mandated on some tracks. Maybe that's how she got the new fender, who knows?
I do have a Quadrajet as well. I'm thinking that is the best way to go. What say you?
 
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I was thinking this might do better than hood scoops.
The engine is nicknamed, "Wildcat 375".
It's a California version, and the California's wildcat is, the Mountain Lion.
I'm no sports fan, but this Sacramento Mountain Lion logo, works for me (with slight alterations).
I'll be doing it in paint, not decals.
The third image is the hood I did on my El Camino.
 

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how are you going to actuate it?

the OEM SP has a plug on the side of the case and wiring inside the case to convey the position signal to the stator.

do you think you're up to fabbing something like that? sounds like some machine work to me, getting the signal into the spinning torque convertor.



I'm thinking this girl may have had a little time on the circle track.

while it is possible to race oval without touching anything, circle track tends to be heavy on the body contact. had the car been raced for any length of time, it's hard to imagine that they got out of it only needing to replace one fender.

also, pretty much every racing series requires the removal of all glass ( except, perhaps, the front windscreen ) and exterior plastic. and the interiors get stripped simply to save weight and simplify installing the roll cages. therefore, i doubt that the chassis has seen any time on a circle track at all.

Holley 500s are a common rule requirement for Street Stock classes, so that may be why the previous owner had one laying around. and, if the engine was used in a race car, it's probably got a cam swap in it. which is why it sounds so lumpy.

back in the day, Holley also had some 2v 600cfms.


I do have a Quadrajet as well. I'm thinking that is the best way to go. What say you?

a properly functioning Quadrajunk will definitely have better part throttle response than that big 2v Holley, because the primaries are smaller. and there's no comparison with WOT, when the secondaries open up. be careful not to overtorque the housing though. they twist easy and then they don't seal up.

Buicks, both big and small block, tend to like a LOT of carb.

whil
 
Thanks, I was wondering if it was possible to take the switch pitch out of my original transmission, and place it in the new one?
As I understand it, the switch pitch is in the torque convertor and it's activated from inside the housing.

Yes, you can use the SP parts and add them to any 65 and up 400 transmission. The switch Pitch transmissions use a special front pump and input shaft, the associated wiring, and of course the converter. There is also a passageway in the case that gets plugged with the SP. The SP transmissions also had specific valve body calibrations. You cannot use a SP converter on a fixed pitch transmission, and visa versa. More information below.

http://www.buickperformanceclub.com/switchpitch.htm

http://www.buickperformanceclub.com/SPTrans.htm

http://www.v8buick.com/index.php?threads/vp-converter-trans-visual-id-guide.143723/
 
how are you going to actuate it?

I still have the linkage, and the old tranny has been in my trunk for over ten years.

i doubt that the chassis has seen any time on a circle track at all.
Thanks

it's probably got a cam swap in it. which is why it sounds so lumpy.
I was thinking cam swap could have happened, too.


a properly functioning Quadrajunk will definitely have better part throttle response than that big 2v Holley, because the primaries are smaller. and there's no comparison with WOT, when the secondaries open up. be careful not to overtorque the housing though. they twist easy and then they don't seal up.

Buicks, both big and small block, tend to like a LOT of carb.
Thanks, again!
 

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