Although it's not small, Greg...
Although it's not small, Greg Shubin's '52 Buick Special was considered the baby Buick in its day as it was built on the shorter 40 and 50 Series 121-1/2-inch wheelbase as opposed to the longer 126-1/4 incher used by the 70 Series. Here the chassis is at finished ride height to get an idea of how it will look and to provide accurate measurements for the new Art Morrison chassis.
The successful conclusion of a street rod project always comes down to how well it's targeted for its intended purpose. Greg Shubin intends to build a car with the cool look of the '50s with contemporary comfort, convenience, and road manners. We'd say he's well on his way to his goal with this '52 Buick, a series 40 Special. Previously owned by Shubin's late friend, Dave Stevens, the creator of the Rocketeer comic book character and subject of a Disney movie who passed away in 2008, Shubin has fond memories of cruising with Stevens in the Buick and is sure his pal would appreciate the modern touches that are being added.
From the outset, Shubin knew what he wanted the Buick to be, the question was how to achieve it. Clipping the frame and adding a small-block were options, but after discussing what was involved with Rudy Renka from Rudy's Garage in Costa Mesa, California, the decision was made to go with a new rolling chassis from Art Morrison Enterprises. With the ability to build a frame for anything from an Anglia to a Zephyr they knew the car would be on a solid foundation.
The first step in filling out the Morrison spec sheet is to set the car at final ride height. This can be done by any number of methods, including setting the car on, and positioning jackstands, the wheels and tires that will be used, even plywood cutouts of the tires will work. In any case, the importance of this can't be overemphasized, as the car's rake has to be taken into consideration to get the suspension geometry right. If the chassis is level and all the measurements are taken, then big 'n' little tires are added later, which result in the car having a 3-degree nose down rake, 5 degrees of caster in the front becomes 2 degrees. Although provisions for adjustments are provided in the front and rear suspension, to have an acceptable range of adjustment, the rake of the chassis has to be accounted for.
It wasn't long before a crate showed up at Rudy's Garage with a new chassis equipped with Morrison's own independent front suspension, rack-and-pinion steering, antiroll bar, and air springs. Mounts for a new LS1 engine and 4L65E transmission were in place, in the rear is a new Strange 9-inch axle housing on four-bars and air springs with disc brakes all around. About the only chassis fabrication required was locating and welding on the supplied body mounts.
While there's still plenty to do, Shubin's Buick is well on its way. We'll keep an eye on this project and show you what it takes to make a Special special.
In 1952, 40 Series Buicks...
In 1952, 40 Series Buicks were available in two versions: Standard and DeLuxe models. This is the latter as it has a one-piece windshield (the standard had a divider), fender fins, DeLuxe script on the rear fenders, and an instrument panel with two large dials. Note the three portholes in the front fender; Roadmasters had four.
With the chassis measurements...
With the chassis measurements taken, the car was partially disassembled. As expected it was in remarkable condition.
Rather than removing the running...
Rather than removing the running gear from the original frame, the body was lifted and the chassis was rolled out from underneath it.
The original straight-eight...
The original straight-eight had a 3-3/16-inch bore and a 4-1/8-inch stroke for 263 ci, while the Roadmaster had measured 3-7/16 x 4-5/16 inches for 320 cubes. By comparison, the new LS1 measures 3.90 x 3.62 inches for 346 cid.
At the rear of the stock chassis...
At the rear of the stock chassis is a closed-drive rearend. Notice the parking brake cable on the torque tube-Buicks were known for the clanging sound the equalizer made when it banged against the torque tube.
If this isn't a convincing...
If this isn't a convincing argument for a new chassis, nothing is. The Buick's frontend was equipped with Lovejoy shocks built into the upper control arms, uprights with kingpins, and archaic geometry. Not the stuff you want to be going down the road with today.
Another one of the car's charms,...
Another one of the car's charms, and the reason for the saying "Go slow with Dynaflo" is the Buick's two-speed automatic transmission. The only transmission in those days that was worse was Chrysler's "Fluid-Drive."
Bringing up the rear on the...
Bringing up the rear on the stock chassis is a pair of extremely soft coil springs and lever action shocks.
With accurate information...
With accurate information Morrison can build a chassis for virtually any car. This is their specification sheet, which is available on the Morrison website.
The Buick's new Morrison chassis...
The Buick's new Morrison chassis arrived at Rudy's Garage in a crate. All that was missing were the body mounts.
New body mounts are included...
New body mounts are included with the chassis and must be welded in place.
The front framehorns include...
The front framehorns include properly positioned mounts for the bumper brackets-tubular control arm and rack-and-pinion steering are all part of the package.
Disc brakes were included...
Disc brakes were included with the chassis as were the optional air springs. Note the upper mount for the 'bags, the shock bracket on the frame, and the attachment point on the control arm.
Here the air springs and shocks...
Here the air springs and shocks have been installed. Brake calipers are single-piston GM.
An antiroll bar will help...
An antiroll bar will help the Buick stay flat in the corners, power steering will make directional changes effortless while providing road feel the car didn't have previously.
Mounts for the new crate LS1...
Mounts for the new crate LS1 were in place-they allow plenty of room to connect the steering rack and column.
The all-aluminum V-8 almost...
The all-aluminum V-8 almost looks lost in the engine compartment that once held an inliner. The ductwork along the inner fender panels is part of the original heating system and will be removed.
Four links and a Panhard bar...
Four links and a Panhard bar hold the Strange rearend housing in place. The design of the center crossmember allows the exhaust system to stay tucked up out of sight and harm's way.
The sturdy mounts for the...
The sturdy mounts for the rear airbags were welded to the axle housing at Morrison's. A temporary strut attached to the shock mounts holds the housing in position.
Rear disc brakes and Strange...
Rear disc brakes and Strange S/S axles were part of the rearend package as delivered from Morrison.
Typical of a Morrison chassis...
Typical of a Morrison chassis is the super-stout X-member, provisions for the exhaust pipes, and a transmission mount that accommodates most common transmission options.