[chopper526]

Thanks guys. I found a 265-70 series tire that is 29.63 inches tall. So I know they are out there.
I have been hammering on the front fenders and they are starting to look a little better, but there is so much more to do, and I hate body work with a passion  So I stopped doing that for awhile, and decided to make some header flanges so I can start on the lake headers.

Ghost, you have probably already been on a site like this, but this helped me big time when I was trying to figure out what size tire best fit my car. http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/tirecalc.php

[madmike3434]

ghost YOU PROBABLY NEED A TIRE THAT TALL 29--30 JUST TO FILL THOSE BIG REAR FENDER TIRE OPENINGS.   that's ONE OF THE THINGS WITH THE BIGGER CARS LIKE THE BUICK, THEY RAN 22--24" RIMS ? AND USED 31--33" TALL STOCK TIRES .

My friend frank has a 25 dodge bros 4 door sedan and it came with 25" rims and stock tires were 33..........made it real rough to find a tire to fill the wheel opening.  He ended up using L..78 x 15 Michelins.  Car could still stand to have a 30--31" tire.

mike.........

[ghost28]

Thanks Tom, Chopper. I haven't looked at any of the tire sites yet, but I wll check out those sites. Madmike. By me measurements your right the 30 inch tire would be the best size.  On another note. I decided not to run lake headers on the buick. I had some old chevy headers with good condition tubes, so I decided since I built the flanges I would try my hand at building a set of headers for the buick today.

[madmike3434]

GHOST , one of the problems with a really tall tire is the sidewalls.

 For instance if your running 15" rims all around it can be an optical illusion that the rear rims are smaller than the fronts, even tho you know they are not.  The problem is the rear tire of 29-30" tall with a 75 or 70 profile tire, the amount of rubber to the eye makes it appear as the rim is smaller.  Actually looks dumb.

But the problem can be solved using larger 17-18" rims on the rear with appropriate size tires with 15" fronts.

The more you get the car to squat down in the leaves the easier it is to pull it off .  Not a lot of people are aware of this. Its more common visually on model A fords.

This is my coupe from the side and if you stare at it the rear rims appear slightly smaller with the optical illusion than the fronts.  both are 15 x 6 GM rallye

mike     

[chopper526]

Ghost, tyhose headers look great!

[ghost28]

headers are all finished up, and the welding was a lot easier than I thought. I figured out that you weld al the tubes together in the center before you put the collectors on, then I cut a small slit in the collector and hammer the metal into the curvature of the tubes and weld solid. I stuck a light in the collector and checked for light coming through. Today I am gonna try to fabricate an alternator bracket in a high mount fashion.

The alternator bracket was a piece a of cake. one small 3/8 ths piece of steel and an adjustment bracket fabricated (done). I am not sure if I will be putting AC in the car later on, but I had an old chevy aftermarket bracket that I was able to modify for the nail head just in case I get hot and decide air conditioning will be needed.

[TFoch]

Ghost,
Nice work on the headers and alternator brackets.  It's come a long way in a short period of time.
Tom

[ghost28]

 Thanks Tom....I had to do it I just had to, because I wanted to hear what the headers sound like on the 401 engine.  MAN. I like the sound of crisp, cackling headers, I forgot how much I really like that sound. 

[sammons]

Haha, I know what you mean!  I had to make myself take my 301 off the test stand. I couldn't help my self from firing it up every 2-3 days. Loved to here it lope along warming up, then cracking the throttle.    Very addictive!

[62131]

Ghost     nice work on the headers and alternator bracket.

[ghost28]

I don't know if you can see it in this picture or not, but when I moved the rear fender shapes  around to fit the original buick fender mounting. It stretched the fenders enough to make the wheels look like there knocked off there center mounting. I thought about adding to the fenders, but I think that would look like ASS. So I decided to put the fenders back to shape and modify the quarters to fit the fenders. Wish me luck on more cutting on this poor car.  I did get both doors body worked, and I'm  almost finished with the trunk lid.

[sammons]

I see what you mean ghost. Is it pulling fender in at the lower back? That's what it lookslike to me.  Three steps forward, two steps back. Why do we do this?

[chopper526]

It also looks like you lost some of the radius on the lip....or am I wrong? Whatever you come up with I know will take care of biz and look great.

[62131]

It looks like if you roll or tuck the rear part of the fender in a little it would give the illusion that the opening is round.

[ghost28]

Yeah I did lose some of the radious on the lip where the cut is. The fender just flips up at the rear so high it causes the illusion of the rear axle out of sinc. I think I got it cleaned up, but I did have to cut the quarter panel. OH WELL More damn body work.