Ride Of The Week 09/25/2023: Tim Dangle's 1964 Buick Special

THE GRAND SPECIAL

When customizers have a theme, I always enjoy seeing how they creatively carry that theme throughout the car. This Buick delighted me in the ways its builder badged the car based on its heart-transplant. What first caught my attention was something visible below the chrome bumper that looked very out of place for a mid-sixty’s econobox. Sure enough, there was something very special indeed under the hood of this 1964 Buick Special, a turbocharged 3800 V6 from a Grand National!

Tim Dangle of Davisburg, MI owns and built this “Grand Special”. It started out as an original 65K mile car with a repainted white top. The original 225 ci V6 and 2 Speed Auto were replaced by the powertrain of a poor GN that rusted out around the engine.

Tim pulled the heads and replaced the gaskets & timing chain gears, but otherwise it’s pretty stock, including the computer. He is running a slightly larger turbo and methanol injection. It’s backed by a TH2004r transmission. He’s put 11,000 miles on it in the past 5 years and gets about 20 mpg while running up to 24lbs of boost.

Other upgrades include a Wilwood master cylinder, SSBC discs up front with the drums from a Turbo Regal out back. However, my favorite parts of the build are the GN Turbo logos in the wheel centers and the steering wheel horn button. I also like how he striped the wood-rimmed steering wheel and stained it grey to match the interior while calling back to a grey GN wheel from 1987. There’s also a “3.8 SFI Turbo” Badge hiding in plains sight on the rear fascia.

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