New Guy From Ohio Many questions

[Dave Reber]

Several months ago I picked up a clean 1962 Skylark. I'm thinking about putting a Turbo V6 in the car, originally I planned to put a V8 in the car. 62's are small and light, the motor compartment is small as well. I have ZERO knowledge of V6 and Turbos.
I would like to build a street-able low 11 high 10 sec car. I plan to install a cage and back half the car (kind of a bucket list)
The last 30 years I had a 70 Skylark with a 455, this is a new world to me.
Any advice direction or folks to talk to would be great.

 

[~JM~]

How much disposable income do you have available?

Perform your research carefully.

This forum is a great source of information. So are the following.

http://www.gnttype.org

http://www.vortexbuicks-etc.com/index.html

Good luck. You might reconsider the V-8 option. Perhaps one of the aluminum 215 c.i. engines, or LS.

 

[Dave Reber]

How much disposable income do you have available?

Perform your research carefully.

This forum is a great source of information. So are the following.

http://www.gnttype.org

http://www.vortexbuicks-etc.com/index.html

Good luck. You might reconsider the V-8 option. Perhaps one of the aluminum 215 c.i. engines, or LS.

Probably not enough money!!!

 

[Dave Reber]

Thanks for the links

 

[~JM~]

The Turbo Buick parts are not as plentiful as other engine brands, so they are more expensive.

Often you can build 8 cylinder engines for less than the 6.

 

[Nick Micale]

Probably not enough money!!![/QUOTE

To obtain your goal to build this using a 1962 Skylark, the major items are engine, trans, turbo parts, engine harness w/ECM, complete new fuel system, rear end and suspension and many other parts, and consider you will do most of the work, as starting point on the budget my guess it will be about $30k, and could go lots higher.

I have done a few GN's with performance mods and cosmetics as well, and their budget ended up much higher than your starting point, and not to mention the "learning curve" is very steep in the turbo Buick world, especially in a project like this?

 

[mikestertwo]

Several months ago I picked up a clean 1962 Skylark. I'm thinking about putting a Turbo V6 in the car, originally I planned to put a V8 in the car. 62's are small and light, the motor compartment is small as well. I have ZERO knowledge of V6 and Turbos.
I would like to build a street-able low 11 high 10 sec car. I plan to install a cage and back half the car (kind of a bucket list)
The last 30 years I had a 70 Skylark with a 455, this is a new world to me.
Any advice direction or folks to talk to would be great.

Your probably better of putting a V8 in it. I think there will be a lot of clearance issues because of the way the frame and suspension is designed in the '62 Skylark. For starters there is no room to put a stock location intercooler to start with. You will have to go with a front mount. I think you will have to do a lot of fabricating to make it work.

 

[earlbrown]

I generally never try and discourage anybody from doing their own work, but what you've posted it sounds like this will be sold as an 'unfinished project' after it takes up space for years.

If you really want the car to run with something other than a big heavy V8, I would find a totalled car that already has some sort of cool engine. Starting with a car that's been out of production for 30 years AND full of quirks and nuances, is just not a good idea if you don't already know these engines.

 

[Dave Reber]

Maybe you right. Bad day and bad attitude right now.

 

[Gene Van Horn]

Anything can be made to fit, just depends on time and your bank account. If you have alot of time to do this and a steady flow of cash for a budget, find an 86 or 87 drive train and go for it. Also depends on how handy you are personally, if your skilled great, if not way more exspensive. If you go for it take lots pics and keep us posted.

 

[Frederickdav]

A really good welder wouldn't hurt!