1955 Nailhead engine number

[Marshall55]

Hi all,

I´m a new guy in this forum. I´ve got a 1955 Century and currently some issues going on concerning improper fuel supply.
In terms of this I did some research concerning engine and carburetor. It was conspicuous that a Stromberg 2-barrel carb is
mounted which does not fit to a 322 cui engine which was normally build in the Century (series 60). But it does fit to a 264 cui
engine which was normally build in a Special (series 40).
So I tried to figure out which engine is actually installed and found an engine no.: V3525574
But after all my research it should go like this: V720080-4 to 7 (series 40 to 70)

So my question is:
Could anybody tell me to which engine this no. belongs?
Has anybody seen something similar yet?

Thank you!

Cheers,
Marshall

[Buford26]

For 1942-1956, the last digit of the engine serial number is the car series, so the engine number V3525574 breaks down like this:

V = V8
352557 = sequential number unique to engine
4 = series digit (Series 40)

The dash between the sequence number and the series digit is shown in literature but not used in actual practice, just more or less space depending on who was doing the stamping that day. For 1953-1956 V8 engines, the engine serial number ranges are as follows (X = series digit):

1953 V2001X to V273955X
1954 V273956X to V720079X
1955 V720080X to 1460022X
1956 1460023X to 2042047X

So your engine number falls into the 1954 range. Since the series digit is a 4, that makes it a 264 out of a Special. The 264 was used only in 1954 and 1955 Special. The 322 used a harmonic balancer while the 264 only used a pulley. Also, Buick often used I's instead of 1's and b's for 6's and 9's (and even E's for 3's) in the stamped engine and car serial numbers. Once the engine sequence number 1,000,000 was reached in 1955, the V prefix was no longer used because at that point all Buicks had V8 engines so it wasn't really needed. 1953 was the only year the I8 and the V8 were used at the same time, with the I8 going into the Special and the V8 used in the Super and Roadmaster.

[Marshall55]

Hello Buford,

thanks a lot, that help´s! It´s something I suspected. Do you know a good place were to get original Buick engines?

Best regards
Marshall

[bhambulldog]

I've seen them on E-Bay

[slimpick99]

I may have a line on a 1955 nailhead. Contact me if you are interested.

Thanks, Steve

[MrEarl]

I have a line on a rebuilt '56 322 in Illinois. PM me if interested. Where are you?