1960 buick

[metalman187x]

i found a 1960 four door lesabre and the frame is boxed in front from the a arms back to the rear bumper. im gonna get the car along with a 67 plymouth 2 door as a packaged deal but i was wondering if anyone on here has ever ran one? i will leaf it with 7 leafs and i will put a plate on the inside of the c channel in front all the way back to the a arms and then cover it up with an extended mopar shock on the inside of the frame with a 74 nova bumper welded on to help in front of the a arms but that looks like the only weak spot on the car. the way the trans crossmember is set up is like two extra rails from the firewall back to the crossmember that tie into the perimeter rails and the frame is boxed under the doors too so bellying shouldnt be as big of an issue with it. they are not set up like a typical gm of that era at all. the rear frames look like 74-76 gm rear frames with extra braces towards the bumper like a full frame imp. it should be tough as hell leafed. if you are planning on giving a typical wecrash response like " sell it and build a cookie cutter car" then dont bother responding. the frames are 100% different from other gms of that era and look promising with the rules we have here and i would rather lose the heat in that than win the feature in a vic. i've never even looked at one until the other day so im just curious if there is any derby info on them at all?

[STROMI 121]

I would love to see before and after pictures. I seen a sixty's Oldsmobile run once that surprised me how well it did.

[metalman187x]

it will be a 2017 car but i will post some pics of it once i get it drug home. the only concern i have is the c channel front frame but its HUGE like 1/4 inch thick and tall enough a bumper shock on the inside ought to make it at least decent enough to take a hit or two. i think the nova bumper i have would be perfect for it. i really want to find a 1958-60 olds i have looked at a couple and they look sweet. they are fully boxed frames even under the doors leafed with 8 factory leafs and they have the same crossmember setup as the buicks of those years. i saw one go two years in a row in the local area chain up/ bumper swap show before they unified the rules for the bighorn basin. it was junking 70's iron until the sheetmetal in the rear tore loose from the stock rear bumper tearing in half. even with the back half of the sheetmetal peeled from the frame the assend still bent like the 58-64 fords but without the bellying that happens on the fords. people always knock pre 71 gms as a whole but i will always get 1958-60 olds and buicks with boxed frames if i have the chance.

[lincoln]

I think Ponchos of the same era are the same as well.

[metalman187x]

pontiac olds buick and chevy all had their own thing going on. the poncho frames are unique from the other gms but i have no idea how they would be for a derby. all the ones i have seen from 58-60 were coiled and had more c channel than i want to mess with. the rear frames are shaped alot like crush boxes in vics in front of the humps where the lowers mount. the buick i came across the other day has a front frame alot like a 70's caddy until the c channel in fron of the a arms and a rear frame like a 70's gm from the doors to the last body mount and a full frame imp rear frame from there to the bumper. and its already stripped. the 58-60 olds are still the best of that era imo. the leafs and boxed frames make for tough ass ends

[saskbanger]

I'm thinking the fords and mercs ruled the derby ring from that era. And then the 71- 76 GMs cleaned up on the 58-64 fords and mercs. So by logical deduction it's not a great car for derbying. But logic doesn't always play in the world we run in. I say run it and do as much to it as they will let you get away with and have a ball. It's nice to see some historic interest. My father once owned a 71 LTd two door and I have always wanted to run one just for the hell of it. Rock on.

[STROMI 121]

Most peoples opinions of certain cars are based on stock type builds. A 74 impala for example, is a great car in bone stock form. But with the rules now days, they do non necessarily shine above the rest. The sport has definitely changed over the years. Hell, remember when Cadillacs were junk?

[Ed Becker]

Apr 13, 2016 22:13:14 GMT -5 STROMI 121 said:

Hell, remember when Cadillacs were junk?

I'll risk sounding like the old geezer that yells at clouds, yes. Going back to the '80's the theory was get the biggest, heaviest car you can and run it only to have the factory big block to heat up the starter enough to make it junk when the car stalled. Then a lot of guys avoided them in the '90's-'00's. And now, Caddies are hot. Full circle.

[metalman187x]

Apr 13, 2016 21:44:38 GMT -5 saskbanger said:

I'm thinking the fords and mercs ruled the derby ring from that era. And then the 71- 76 GMs cleaned up on the 58-64 fords and mercs. So by logical deduction it's not a great car for derbying. But logic doesn't always play in the world we run in. I say run it and do as much to it as they will let you get away with and have a ball. It's nice to see some historic interest. My father once owned a 71 LTd two door and I have always wanted to run one just for the hell of it. Rock on.

im a big historical interest guy myself. i look for cars to build that not alot of people run. with this one im thinking the build rules and frame design will help it alot more than than logical deduction. the frame is huge and i can leaf it in the rear. the front may not be the best but the hell with it im gonna build it as much as i can anyway drive backwards and hope for the best. this whole sport used to be based on the "for the hell of it" attitude and now people take it entirely too seriously. kinda tends to take the fun out of it when its just a bunch of crying about who has what at the derby and a dick measuring contest everywhere else but the track. i miss the way derbies used to be when i started. cheap fun and addictive. cars and bumpers have tripled in price almost since i started driving in 08. at least around me anyway. thats another reason i like to build oddball cars haha

[rockin3x]

Just got a 4 dr 65 Wildcat , no motor n trans ,  tierods  n steering behind cradle , and a rearend that looks like a Ford 9" . Not familiar with this era of cars , but I cant wait to get the body off this beast and take a closer look ! Good luck with your 60 .

[metalman187x]

wildcats are sweet looking cars. i think its got alot of c channel frame though