[87bigcut]

I have a chance to get two nailhead buick motors one 1964 and one 1963 i know one is a 401 but the other has a distributor up front and is in a smaller 1963 car, hard to tell what type of cars cause it is a junkyard. Anyone know any easy way to identify them?

I can get them for 100 bux a piece, worth it?

Joe

 

[wmsonta]

I have a chance to get two nailhead buick motors one 1964 and one 1963 i know one is a 401 but the other has a distributor up front and is in a smaller 1963 car, hard to tell what type of cars cause it is a junkyard. Anyone know any easy way to identify them?

I can get them for 100 bux a piece, worth it?

Joe

Not to me. Do you know why they are called "nailhead"s?

 

[87bigcut]

not really haha

why?

Joe

 

[JM_in_TX]

They were called nailheads because the valves were so small and set vertically in the head. A lot of guys liked them because they made pretty good torque in their day.

John

 

[stevemon]

Small one should be a 364. Do the cars have the finned aluminum front brake drums? There may be a market for those with retro-rodders.

 

[turbofish38]

Sounds like the smaller one is a 300. Does it have aluminum heads and a cast iron block? The 401 and 364 would be the same external size, just like a SBC. They might be worth it to the GS and old car guys.

 

[87bigcut]

think i should pull em or no?

could i make a hundred bux??

Joe

 

[NJBuickRacer]

Nailhead engine code is on the front top of the engine, right in front of the valley pan cover. I had a 66 GS with a 401 nailhead, great running engine and very popular with the street rod crowd. They did not use them in smaller cars, so the smaller looking one is probably a 300ci small block as mentioned above, nothing special. If the other one is in a big car, Riv, or a GS Skylark it could be worth 4-500 bucks. Try www.v8buick.com for more info, there is a section specifically for Nailheads there as well. I still post over there at times.

 

[The Radius Kid]

I have a chance to get two nailhead buick motors one 1964 and one 1963 i know one is a 401 but the other has a distributor up front and is in a smaller 1963 car, hard to tell what type of cars cause it is a junkyard. Anyone know any easy way to identify them?

I can get them for 100 bux a piece, worth it?

Joe

Yup. :yup: