63 Electra 225 brake swap

[petematthews]

I recently picked up a 1963 Buick Electra 225 4 door hard top with a 401 nailhead and a two speed automatic. It has a vacuum booster with four wheel drum brakes, I'm wondering if there is a GM disc brake setup I can easily swap off another car?

[petematthews]

I'm also considering swapin out the nailhead for a smallblock 350 while I'm building the nailhead up any advise.

[BigRivy]

Answer to post 1- No.
Answer to post 2- Put down your bong! Who in there right mind would go the that ridiculous amount of work and expense just to turn around and change it back? The 350 of any make is not a bolt in by any means! Find another nailhead to swap in.
Are you wanting to change the brakes because the front drums are shot and you can't find replacements or are you just wanting to change them because you just think discs are better and more modern and you just have to have them because that's what everybody else does? Buick made the best drum brakes ever. If yours are working or are rebuild-able they should be just fine for everyday driving. If you absolutely have to have discs look up Scarebird and see if they have a kit for this application. If they don't you are more or less stuck with the drums, which aren't bad. If your drums need relining there is a place that does it. I can get that info if you need it.

[petematthews]

Your an angry fu@ker!

I'm looking for advice not criticism.

No I'm not jumping on some BS disc brake band wagon. The drum brakes on this car are shot! It seems the new parts I've found are a small fortune plus add that I've never liked drum brakes ever! They don't stay adjusted in sync with each other so they tend to pull while braking and you have to stand on the pedal hoping you'll stop. Well on the four wheel drums without power assist anyway.

I have a chevy 350 and a TH400 tranny sitting in the garage so I figured I could fab up some mounts and get the car on the road until I get the nailhead sorted out. The nailhead has a rod knock so I'm not sure if it's going to be a rebuildable block and the looking around I've done has lead me to believe it'll be awhile before I find another resonably priced usable nailhead in my area if I can't rebuild mine.

[BigRivy]

I'm not angry.
You don't have a sense of humor!
My post was meant to make you think about what your talking about doing. You asked for advice and I gave it to you. Just because it wasn't what you wanted to hear doesn't make it criticism. I've been in the automotive business for years and have done some engine swaps and there's a hell of a lot more to it than fabbing some mounts. And I still believe that by the time your done re wiring, cutting the driveshaft, reworking the crossmember etc, to make this swap work that no sane person would go to all the work to change it back.
Yes, the brakes will be expensive. Everything on this car will be expensive. You haven't seen small fortune until you price Nailhead parts. That's the way it is with old cars, especially old Buick's. I also gave you advice on where to possibly find the parts for a disc brake conversion if you wanted to go that route and where to get your drums fixed it you didn't. I've owned several Buick's from the sixty's and have driven many thousands of miles in them and can tell you from experience that the drum brakes of these cars, when working properly, will work just fine. If you want to change them change them I don't care. Good luck with whatever you decide to do. I was just trying to help you not make life more complicated than it needs to be.

[WildKitty]

Lots of drum/disc brake conversion threads on here lately; I for one went
disc brakes on my 64 LeSabre. -
it all started out a "simple" Scarebird conversion kit, ended up: three junk
yards later, modifying the Scarebird caliper brackets a tad and a little machine shop work to get 73 Rivvy rotors to fit the LeSabre spindles.

twass an education to say the least, but still came in under $400. I took the 8" vacuum booster from a 94 Buick Century.

I will do the conversion on the 64 Wildcat as well, but it wont take me two months, probably more like a few hours.

I've gone with the front discs on both cars because they each go to one of my
daughters, and even I have trouble getting enough umph on hitting the brakes to slow them boats down. drums probably work fine for someone that has a bit of weight behind them - I'm just a little guy (140lbs) and the girls probably 120 soaking wet.