Nailhead V8 engine

Just like General Motors, Buick also made its own V8 engines. They were one of the most majestic, but, unfortunately the most expensive engines to have under the hood of your car. The first generation of V8s lasted from 1953 to 1956 with an OHV/pushrod design like the then new Oldsmobile “Rocket V8” engine. It was the engine’s unusual vertical position of its small valves that gave it the name Nailhead.

The Nailhead V8 family employed a camshaft with greater lift and duration to offset the smaller-sized valves and arguably restrictive intake and exhaust port areas. The small diameter valves and intake runners were made for engines with a lot of torque, with many exceeding a Newton-metre which was exceptional for those days.  Improvements were made but, the Nailhead design could not be brought lower than a 4.3 litre that was seen in the “Special” series 40 through 1955.

A torque figure like that would be too miniscule for today, however, no matter what, the Nailhead V8 had given its customers the time of their life.