On the Turntable: Chuck Nixon’s 1967 Buick Sport Wagon 400

Welcome to On the Turntable, our story series showcasing the vehicles that are on display on the rotating turntables inside our Retail Super Stores in Tallmadge, Ohio; McDonough, Georgia; and Arlington, Texas.

One of the cars that was on display in our Arlington store is Chuck Nixon's 1967 Buick Sport Wagon--perhaps the ultimate family truckster.

Unlike what the muscle car magazines lead you to believe, the 1960s wasn’t all Hemi-this and Camaro-that as far as the eye could see. What you would have seen are a lot of station wagons--and arguably no station wagon was finer than the Buick Sport Wagon. Built on an extended-wheelbase GM A-body platform, the Sport Wagon had enough space for an optional third row forward facing seat. It also had the Skyroof, a glass paneled roof bulge that provided more light for rear seat passengers as well as more cargo capacity.

Chuck purchased the factory black-on-black car in 2015 from a Nebraska seller, who had done a concours quality bare-metal repaint. One of Chuck’s first decisions was to convert the car to full GS-400 specifications, a tribute to Buick’s top-o'-the-line muscle car offering for 1967. Parts needed for the upgrade included a GS-400 powertrain, Buick Rally wheels, a scooped GS-400 hood and grille, a factory-type dual exhaust and mounting system (Sport Wagons were single exhaust from the factory), and the GS-400’s signature double red pinstripes.

A numbers-matching 1967 GS-400 engine and Super Turbine 400 transmission were sourced from Minnesota and rebuilt to near factory specs. The sole engine upgrade is a Crower hydraulic camshaft that enhances throttle response and low-end torque for better drivability. The combo was then painted and detailed to look like it had been installed on Buick’s assembly line.

Chuck also did a complete renovation of the wagon’s interior, a huge undertaking for a car equipped with virtually every available option. And a total restoration wouldn’t be complete without a rehab of the entire chassis and suspension. For the sake of drivability, Chuck upgraded the sway bars, added a GM close-ratio steering box, and swapped out the front drum brakes for power front discs.

After just four short months, the wagon was back on the road. Since then, it has done nothing but impress show car judges by racking up several best of class and top ten awards.

FAST SPECS: Chuck Nixon’s 1967 Buick Sport Wagon 400
Engine
• 1967 Buick 400 C.I.D., 340+ horsepower
• Engine bored .030" over stock, new replacement pistons and bearings, polished crankshaft
• Crower Compu-Pro hydraulic roller camshaft, part number CRO-52237
• Rebuilt cylinder heads with new valves, springs, and retainers
• Factory 4-barrel intake manifold and remanufactured Carter AFB carburetor
• Rebuilt factory ignition system
• Factory GS-400 exhaust manifolds, custom 2.5" dual exhaust with factory-style mufflers
• Engine rebuild completed by Pete Phillips, Dean Stewart, and Chris Price at United Motors Garage, Bonham, Texas

Transmission 
• Rebuilt factory Super Turbine 400 with ‘switch pitch’ torque converter
• Transmission rebuild by Gary Bernard at AAAA Transmissions, Fort Worth, Texas

Chassis and Suspension
• Rebuilt factory suspension with upgraded front and rear sway bars, new shocks
• Rebuilt GM close-ratio steering box
• Power front disc and rebuilt rear drum brakes, power booster, and master cylinder
• Factory 10-bolt rear axle, 3.23 gears with Positraction
• 15" Buick Rally wheels, BFGoodrich red line radial tires

Body and Paint 
• Body stripped to bare metal and painted factory black
• GS-400 hood and grille added
• Paint by Top End Engineering, Lincoln, Nebraska
• 1967-style GS-400 double red pinstripes by Gary Skrecik, Fort Worth, Texas

Interior 
• Restored to OEM with new seat covers and salvaged detail trim from original seat covers
• Custom-made carpet and rear side panels
• Dynamat sound deadening material on entire floor pan
• Auto Meter 3-gauge cluster
• Interior work by Keith Kirk Upholstery, Burleson, Texas

Special Thanks to:
• David Ellenburg and Marvin Lueck at Automotive Center of Texas for mechanical work