Dear Buick enthusiasts, :shield:
I working to restore a 1965 Buick Special Deluxe wagon that has been in the family since 1968. Among other troubles, the shop who have been doing the mechanical repairs (beyond my limited skills) have found that valves are wearing out on the 300 cu V8. This engine has been rebuilt twice in its 270,000+ mile lifetime. The second rebuild was only 9 years ago (about 50,000 miles). Neither rebuild was a stellar success. After the first rebuild we had to have the valves redone again after about a year. Given all these troubles, I've been given the advice to abandon the engine and capitulate to a modern replacement Chevy small block (oh the shame! :blush.
Now the goal here isn't to recreate the 1965 factory condition, nor is the goal to create a racing crate. The car is really part of our family history - that's what I'm trying to preserve.
That being said, I finally have crew of mechanics who seem genuinely prepared to dot every i and cross every t. So my question is should I be stubborn and try to save this engine has been such a recognizable sound and presence in the household for 42 years. Since I can't take on the rebuild myself, what are the sorts of "gotchas" I should be worried about? Do these engines have intrinsic weaknesses that might have contributed to the short life of rebuilds? On the flip-side, what are common mistakes and pitfalls that might cause a commercial team of rebuilders to screw up this engine - even if they are dedicated and familiar with restoring other engines of the period?
Any thoughts, opinions, and advice would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Edouard in Orinda, CA :car:
P.S. Suggestions on modest performance improvements would be appreciated too.
I working to restore a 1965 Buick Special Deluxe wagon that has been in the family since 1968. Among other troubles, the shop who have been doing the mechanical repairs (beyond my limited skills) have found that valves are wearing out on the 300 cu V8. This engine has been rebuilt twice in its 270,000+ mile lifetime. The second rebuild was only 9 years ago (about 50,000 miles). Neither rebuild was a stellar success. After the first rebuild we had to have the valves redone again after about a year. Given all these troubles, I've been given the advice to abandon the engine and capitulate to a modern replacement Chevy small block (oh the shame! :blush.
Now the goal here isn't to recreate the 1965 factory condition, nor is the goal to create a racing crate. The car is really part of our family history - that's what I'm trying to preserve.
That being said, I finally have crew of mechanics who seem genuinely prepared to dot every i and cross every t. So my question is should I be stubborn and try to save this engine has been such a recognizable sound and presence in the household for 42 years. Since I can't take on the rebuild myself, what are the sorts of "gotchas" I should be worried about? Do these engines have intrinsic weaknesses that might have contributed to the short life of rebuilds? On the flip-side, what are common mistakes and pitfalls that might cause a commercial team of rebuilders to screw up this engine - even if they are dedicated and familiar with restoring other engines of the period?
Any thoughts, opinions, and advice would be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Edouard in Orinda, CA :car:
P.S. Suggestions on modest performance improvements would be appreciated too.