Network
With a job, family requirements, and a little thing we call life, project completion dates can be quite fluid. Jim Shannon knows all too well how other pressing, and what some would consider important things like food and shelter can influence how much time we allow to tinker on our rides. Understanding completely the value of having a place to sleep and food to eat, Jim’s ’47 Buick project stretched out over approximately sixteen years – over a decade and a half – before finally being completed. At least for Jim, his long-term project picked up speed once he retired, but there was never any question as to what would power it. For him, one thing that was non-negotiable was that his Buick would be, well, all Buick. Jim has been a long-time Buick fan and admits, “The ’65 Riviera is one of the prettiest cars there is!”
I thought it was a novelty when I bought the car. – Jim Shannon
Jim’s ride originally left the factory with Buick’s famous, or infamous depending on who you talk to, Straight-Eight powerplant. Known as the Fireball 8, the bulky engine was labeled as infamous to all who ever tried to lift it or rebuild it. While the laws of physics will never change, engine design does. As such, the engine still succumbs to that notoriety, which was only partially alleviated when Buick gave the engine insert bearings to hold the crankshaft in place in 1947, the very year Jim’s car was produced.
But these days, Jim’s ride still has eight slugs, only now, they are laid out in a “V” pattern. To power this 1947 Buick, Jim located a 401 cubic-inch Nailhead engine from a ’65 Riviera. The engine has obviously been rebuilt, at which time Jim upgraded the ignition system to an HEI-style distributor. He then mated a Super-Turbo 400 (Buick’s equivalent of the TH400) behind it to round out the powertrain. By upgrading to the Nailhead, Jim not only upped the performance considerably, but he also shaved more than 120 pounds of weight off of the front of his cruiser!
Other upgrades use components within the Buick family, like a set of 5 on 5-inch bolt pattern wheels that surround a set of Park Avenue front disc brakes; the calipers are held in place by custom brackets of Jim’s making. Other upgrades not necessarily from the OEM family, include the Lokar shifter and aftermarket A/C system that keeps him cool during Summer driving in Florida.
There were quite a few things that Jim felt Buick did right when they built the car way back in 1947. Thing like the gauges are still original and dutifully transfer information about the vehicle’s speed, water temperature, rate of charge/discharge, and oil pressure. They serve to show Jim everything he needs to know about what is going on under that funky-hinged hood, so they were simply restored to match the impeccable, current condition of the car. Also, that iconic tilt hood still operates like it did when the car was new. Although, Jim admits it can be trying to get everything to line up like you want. “I thought it was a novelty when I bought the car!” he says.
Thankfully, Jim had some help from like-minded Buick folks, as he’s a member of the Buick Rod & Custom Association, and was a member of the now-defunct Buick Street Rod Association.
This 401ci Nailhead Buick engine looks right at home in Jim's '47. The Wildcat 445 moniker on the air filter denotes the engine's torque. Since these engines were built to provide smooth torque and not horsepower, why not market them as such?
Other challenges were dealt with accordingly. As you can imagine, after so many years of use, rust was not kind to the car. After replacing various panels such as the rockers and other areas, it was painted this nice shade of Golden Bronze. While it may not be a factory Buick offering, it’s hard to argue that it looks right at home on the swoopy lines of this post-war ride. Jim saw the color on a Ford truck and instantly knew that it was interesting and classy enough for use on the curvy body of his Buick.
The inside of Jim’s Buick is just as classy in appearance, with a nice contrast of brown and tan that hearkens back to an earlier time, before metal flake was even a shimmer in it’s creator’s eye. The soft hues used inside the cabin make it difficult to distinguish whether or not Jim’s Buick might have been originally offered by the upscale manufacturer in this configuration. The aftermarket sound system, floor-shifted auto trans, and A/C ducts poking out from under the dash clearly eliminate that possibility. But the way they seamlessly blend with the original design of the interior, one could easily see how Buick might have built the car this way, had the technology existed at the time.
The Buick has started accumulating miles on the odometer since its completion, and Jim attends several local cruise-ins and drives the car within reason to attend some not-so-local events. Nowadays, even with those 445 lb/ft of torque that are available to his right foot, Jim isn’t necessarily in a hurry. Now, instead of getting up every morning and preparing for the drive to work, Jim can enjoy a more leisurely drive in his Buick Eight. Isn’t it interesting how both Jim’s life and the cylinders within the engine that powers his Buick have both changed direction, they’re still going strong, and you might say, together, they’re both better for it!
As you can imagine, having a hood hinge on two different axis can be quite trying. Jim admits that it takes some doing to get everything right. Besides, it’s quite cool when it works like it should!
