The History Of The Buick Nailhead

[@denniscarroll7696]

Most beautiful engine when outfitted with aftermarket accessories. I do miss my '65 Buick Wildcat w/401.

[@1966425]

I had a '66 Skylark GS and '66 Riv during the 80s and 90s. Loved the 401 and 425 engines. Smooth and gobs of low end torque. Never had any problems with them.

[@raymondhaley6185]

We owned several Buick,s with the infamous nailhead V8 from 1960 , wildcat, LeSabre, and at least 6 electra's.

[@johnbehneman1546]

Thank you so much. I understand that the Nailhead is a motor with a lot of torque. Perfect for any hot rod project. Great video and education. Thanks for sharing. I learned so much.

[@-oiiio-3993]

The 225 'Odd Fire' V6 is a little torque monster that fits well in early Jeeps. Kaiser bought it from GM and used it in Jeep vehicles from 1966 - 70.

[@jetsons101]

The Buick nailhead was like a Honda motorcycle-----they always start and run for ever.

[@melodigrand]

The 1953 Buick 322 was quite a bit lighter than the Cadillac, Olds, Chrysler and Lincoln V8s of similar displacement. A few sports racers took advantage of this. The 401 Buick was the lightest engine of similar displacement until Cadillac went to thin wall casting on their 1963 390 engine.

[@paulmokidespaul5347]

Thank you, I really appreciate that article.

[@janbill79]

I'm was born in 1954, and grew up on the v8 engines in Chevy's and Fords and Pontiacs But I guess I never new Buick had something special under there hoods. I just learned everything about the 264 (on up), nail head . The internet is a good teacher, and history book, or video lesson. About the only thing I new about buicks was they had those 3 cut out eye like vents cut in the front fenders. That's where my eyes went every time I seen one, I never really thought of what engine was in them. Nobody in the fifties or 60's had a buick that live out in the country near us. I just seen one hear and there in town. thks for the video

[@-oiiio-3993]

_Ventiports._ They were emblems of Buick status. Higher end models such as Roadmaster had four per side, lesser Buicks had three.

[@timgiles9413]

I own a 63 Buick LeSabre 4-door hardtop with the original 401 Nailhead engine.

[@MrGGPRI]

Forged crank assembly ?? My neighbor in 1960 had a '54 Super that threw a rod thru the block. He got a bone-yard engine and I did the swap; I was impressed with the torque of that nail-head engine. Buick originally worked on a boxer type design to replace the OHV I-8 due to the low profile under the hood.

[@blackhawk7r221]

No mention was made that the combustion chamber that went into production only used half of it’s true hemi design. That small single exhaust valve was supposed to be paired with another for a 4V design. The little 215 V-8 furthered this. Shelby loved the little 215 because you could rev the hell out of them.

[@michaeltipton5500]

Quite informative.

[@mikerafone4736]

family had 55, 57 road master 60 lesabre 61,62, 65, 67 electra all convertibles. loved buick and engines and trans. the 67 was very fast

[@charliegutierrez8728]

I love the sound of a nail head with strait pipes

[@jhenninger]

Toss up, flathead v8 or nailhead with straight pipes

[@charliegutierrez8728]

@@jhenninger Aww man. Flathead v8. For sure im a ford man but my fist car out of HS was a 61 buick.

[@-oiiio-3993]

@@jhenninger My 225 Odd Fire with Kenne Bell cam and intake, ported heads, fat tube headers, too much carb... Has its natural, rumpity, Odd Fire idle as it hits at _90, 150, 90, 150, 90, 150..._ and raps up like tearing paper when throttled (it's a former sprint car engine).

[@jhenninger]

@@-oiiio-3993 kinda want to hear that running

[@ralfbond258]

the buick 215 v8 (later used in the british Rover!) was a mini nail head to the 401 nailhead(at least in looks)...indeed!

[@jhenninger]

I believe it also used the nailhead transmission

[@-oiiio-3993]

The aluminum 215 was sold to Rover but many of its reciprocating parts were used for the (iron) 198 and 225 inch 'Odd Fire' V6 which begat the ubiquitous 231, '3800', and variants. General Motors sold the 225 V6 and all tooling to Kaiser who used them in Jeep vehicles from 1966 - 70. AMC had no interest in the engine, preferring their own inline six, and sold it back to GM.

[@preyface456fromchicago8]

Great Video…

[@-oiiio-3993]

Well done. Now how about the Buick 215 cubic inch aluminum V8 that spawned the 'Odd Fire' V6 and later 231 and '3800' versions? I run a hopped up 225 'Dauntless' in a 'Flatfender' Jeep (titled as 1946) with Kenne Bell speed equipment, MSD, Advance Adapters headers, too much carb, Warn overdrive... . It's a perfect fit for early 'Jeeps'. The aluminum 215 was sold to Rover but many of its reciprocating parts were used for the (iron) 198 and 225 inch 'Odd Fire' V6 which begat the ubiquitous 231, '3800', and variants. General Motors sold the 225 V6 and all tooling to Kaiser who used them in Jeep vehicles from 1966 - 70. AMC had no interest in the engine, preferring their own inline six, and sold it back to GM. For hunting, have you ever fired a Mannlicher Schoenauer?

[@michaelbenardo5695]

Why no pictures of the 53 Nailhead? It had much bigger combustion chambers and a much bigger bump-top on the pistons. Also lacked a vibration damper and had a timing hole in the bell housing pad.

[@mikedrown2721]

The valves were not the size of carpenter nails they were the size of railroad spikes LOL

[@jhenninger]

Lol

[@hisheighnessthesupremebeing]

Only cool thing about this boat anker was that it was used as a starter motor for the sr71

[@-oiiio-3993]

Learn to spell, then learn about Buick engines.

[@MrGGPRI]

Walt Disney also used the nailhead with a dynaflush to power his original monorail at Disneyland in Anaheim. The monorail ran super smooth with that Buick power package.

[@walterhammond290]

What the hell is an Anker?!

[@thereisnospoon52]

carb-ur-ator?

[@doug8525]

My first car was a 62 Buick Le Saber with a 401 nailhead. It took a lickin and still kept tickin. I wish I still had it.....The car had a really cool option..rear seat heat...two little ducts ran under the carpet to the back right by your feet...it actually worked pretty good. It was a 4 door hardtop. Man I loved that car!

[@jhenninger]

Never seen that before

[@-oiiio-3993]

'Seat heat' was an advertised Buick (and other 'premium' GM) feature dating back to 1939, if not earlier. Text from a 1939 Oldsmobile brochure: _Underseat Heater and Unit Defroster_ _This compact, efficient heater distributes heat equally to both front and rear seats. Variable speed switch maintains desired temperature. A separate _Dual Defroster,_ with its own heater core and blower, keeps the windshield clear of mist, snow, and ice._ Early under seat heaters were separate units of blower motor and core which were mounted under one, two, or more seats as 'cost options' at the factory or as 'dealer prep'.

[@captnemo8069]

Video said he'd explain the origin of the term "nailhead", but never did.

[@JackF99]

The valve diameters were so small they were like the head of a nail. That's why they could make good torque but not good power. Just couldn't keep filling the cylinders as the RPM climbed.

[@janbill79]

but I don't know any nail's with heads that are 1 1/4 and 1 3/4 wide roofing nails might me 3/8 to 1/2 inch across Maybe it's because the valves are unique and go STRAIGHT UP. That would be like you would drive a nail in. That's gotta be it.

[@-oiiio-3993]

@@janbill79 Agreed.

[@MrAgRiv]

Die-nah-flo?