TKX is also a service replacement for the TKO, it's certainly an evolution of it.
BUICK 1964 Skylark Coupe Project
- Thread starter joesregalproject
- Start date
TKX is also a service replacement for the TKO, it's certainly an evolution of it.
Wowsers, what a transmission. Looks like there is a GM and Ford specific version. The bell housing bolt pattern looks correct for us. Ultra smooth and stronger too.
These are the available ratios for GM. https://www.tremec.com/menu.php?m=184
Yes, a factory bellhousing is supposed to fit. I am planning on the wide ratio with a 3.08 gear out back.
Just an update on the sheet metal situation. There was just a thread on the Buick GS Facebook page about the lack of any aftermarket quarters for the 64-65 Skylarks. Apparently the Wolf Steel panels fit like absolute garbage. I'm not surprised being they are hand formed, but for what they cost, I know I'm definitely not going that route.
I still have one more lead to chase down before I subcontract these to Rktpwrd. We'll see what happens.
I still have one more lead to chase down before I subcontract these to Rktpwrd. We'll see what happens.
Update time. Chased leads that lead to dead ends, talked with Rktpwrd, chased more leads, felt like there wasn't a great option so I walked away from it for a bit.
Eventually determined the best solution was to take a chance on the Wolf Steel panels and try to make them work. Ordered them a week or so ago and got them today.
Initial impressions... aren't great. They aren't rolled enough. The side of the body is curved and the panels are flat. The smaller patch isn't too awful bad, but the wheel arch is not great.
At any rate, I have them here, and I think they are workable. Still better than anything I could fab myself. Hopefully once I cut it down to size and get the old metal cut out, I'll be able to shape them a bit more to fit. Might not be able to do a super clean butt-weld patch, may have to lap them. Not a disaster because its all below the belt molding, so it won't be hard to mud it in.
Stay tuned.
Eventually determined the best solution was to take a chance on the Wolf Steel panels and try to make them work. Ordered them a week or so ago and got them today.
Initial impressions... aren't great. They aren't rolled enough. The side of the body is curved and the panels are flat. The smaller patch isn't too awful bad, but the wheel arch is not great.
At any rate, I have them here, and I think they are workable. Still better than anything I could fab myself. Hopefully once I cut it down to size and get the old metal cut out, I'll be able to shape them a bit more to fit. Might not be able to do a super clean butt-weld patch, may have to lap them. Not a disaster because its all below the belt molding, so it won't be hard to mud it in.
Stay tuned.
Wouldn't be surprised to learn that they were sourced from either Brazil or Argentina. A lot of the old dead stamping dies were sent down there by GM at one point or another in the past. You don't get the sharp edges and accurate curves that the new dies would produce but South America seems not to mind.
Nick
Nick
These are hand-formed, not stamped. They were made in Canada.
Wouldn't be surprised if that had happened as well except that that tooling would have been pre 62 as the Cuban Invasion/Bay of Pigs occurred in 61? and after that nothing American made its way directly into Cuba for about the next 40 years, more or less.
On that score i did know a guy back in the late 80's who vacationed in Cuba on a regular basis. How? Canadian. What He managed to do was find a few indie shops down there that were desperate for car and bike parts for pre 61 vehicles. Back then those parts could still be found on local parts shelves so he'd load up a few small suitcases of stuff from the local salvage yards that would otherwise have been headed for recycle/scrap anyway and brought them with him on his vacation. Not sure about the nitty-gritty details but he always seemed to cover his flight and associated costs and had party money for his time there. Things like spark plugs and piston rings and valves and rod and main bearings, along with gaskets and grommets and hose and o-rings took up little overall space in a suitcase. About the same for bike parts; basically the wear parts for old Pan, Flat, and Knuckleheads; mainly gaskets and seals, pistons and rings, all that good stuff. If someone possibly had asked for a specific part, well, not exactly sure but back then a lot of what got driven in Canada was made in Canada and given uniquely Canadian designations because the import tariffs for US made anything were obscene. If the label or tag on the part said "Made in Canada" such items tended to come and go more freely within the nation during the Cold War era as opposed to parts brought in from outside. I do remember several "purchasing trips" over the border because stuff was cheaper to buy in the states but expensive to import over the border due to taxes and "DUTY". (F****** Bureaucratic thieves).
Also, remember that, back then, as soon as the Evo's started to be made, all the older stuff became obsolete. A lot of good older bikes ended up being sold overseas to places like Sweden and England and the continent for cheap. Parts became available in job lots because the dealers were looking to dispose of their old inventory to make way for the new, factory mandated parts they had to bring in. Entire inventories went cheap. About the same at that point for cars.
Call it entrepreneurial spirit before the term ever existed. And, FYI, yeah he's long gone from this mortal coil, dead and buried.
Nick
On that score i did know a guy back in the late 80's who vacationed in Cuba on a regular basis. How? Canadian. What He managed to do was find a few indie shops down there that were desperate for car and bike parts for pre 61 vehicles. Back then those parts could still be found on local parts shelves so he'd load up a few small suitcases of stuff from the local salvage yards that would otherwise have been headed for recycle/scrap anyway and brought them with him on his vacation. Not sure about the nitty-gritty details but he always seemed to cover his flight and associated costs and had party money for his time there. Things like spark plugs and piston rings and valves and rod and main bearings, along with gaskets and grommets and hose and o-rings took up little overall space in a suitcase. About the same for bike parts; basically the wear parts for old Pan, Flat, and Knuckleheads; mainly gaskets and seals, pistons and rings, all that good stuff. If someone possibly had asked for a specific part, well, not exactly sure but back then a lot of what got driven in Canada was made in Canada and given uniquely Canadian designations because the import tariffs for US made anything were obscene. If the label or tag on the part said "Made in Canada" such items tended to come and go more freely within the nation during the Cold War era as opposed to parts brought in from outside. I do remember several "purchasing trips" over the border because stuff was cheaper to buy in the states but expensive to import over the border due to taxes and "DUTY". (F****** Bureaucratic thieves).
Also, remember that, back then, as soon as the Evo's started to be made, all the older stuff became obsolete. A lot of good older bikes ended up being sold overseas to places like Sweden and England and the continent for cheap. Parts became available in job lots because the dealers were looking to dispose of their old inventory to make way for the new, factory mandated parts they had to bring in. Entire inventories went cheap. About the same at that point for cars.
Call it entrepreneurial spirit before the term ever existed. And, FYI, yeah he's long gone from this mortal coil, dead and buried.
Nick
