Ryan Reis' Oldsmobile "Quad 4" powered 1959 Hillman Husky
as published in BritishV8 Magazine, Volume XXI Issue 1, July 2013Owner: Ryan Reis
BritishV8 UserID: mgbreis
City: Beatrice, Nebraska
Model: 1959 Hillman Husky
Engine: Oldsmobile Quad 4 2.3L
Conversion by: Steve Green. (Finished by Ryan Reis)
Features and Specifications
| Engine: | 1992 Oldsmobile Quad 4 H.O. 2.3L, D-code (rated 190hp) from an Oldsmobile Achieva SC.
Stock DOHC camshafts and four-valve-per-cylinder valvetrain.
Converted to RWD.
Custom aluminum log-type intake manifold and plenum.
Stock throttle body.
Stock engine wiring. |
| Cooling: | Speedway Motors aluminum radiator.
Electric pusher fan. |
| Exhaust: | Custom stainless four-into-one header.
Custom stainless one-into-two exhaust system with three mufflers.
Borla stainless steel mufflers. |
| Transmission: | Borg Warner T5 5-speed from a 1986 Camaro (V8).
Stock Quad 4 flywheel, diaphragm pressure plate, and clutch disc.
Stock throw out bearing installed with a spacer made from a second throw out bearing.
Tilton 3/4" master cylinder.
CNC slave cylinder. |
| Rear Axle: | 1988 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe axle.
Traction-lok limited slip differential. |
| Front Suspension: | stock crossmember with Sunbeam Alpine SIV/SV upper and lower A-arms and spindles.
All new polyurethane bushings.
New ball joints, springs, shocks and tie rods.
Stock Husky/Alpine steering gear/linkage.
Mazda RX7 steering wheel.
|
| Rear Suspension: | stock leaf springs.
Custom anti-sway bar.
Tube shocks of unknown origin.
|
| Brakes: | (master) Tilton pedal assembly with balance bar and 7/8" master cylinders. (front) 11" Pontiac Grand Prix vented rotors, redrilled. Sunbeam Alpine hubs, machined for spindle clearance. GM "metric" calipers. Speedway Motors weld-on brackets, drilled to mount to Alpine spindles. Speedway braided flex hoses. (rear) Stock Turbo Coupe discs, rebuilt with new seals. |
| Wheels/Tires: | Mercury Cougar wheels, circa 2000.
Nankang XR611 tires (185/65/15 front, 205/60/15 rear.) |
| Body: | rear quarter panels reconstructed using late model Nissan Altima front fenders.
Jaguar XJ6 fuel filler door. |
| Paint: | Eastwood epoxy primer (two coats) over original paint, feathered at the edges of repairs.
PPG Omni MP282 high build primer.
Farecla dry guide coat.
Lots of block sanding with a hard long board.
TCP Global Restoration Shop single stage acrylic urethane in Glacier Blue and Wimbledon White. |
| Interior: | 1980s Subaru front seats, recovered by Ryan.
Stock back seat, recovered.
Custom headliner made from canvas drop cloth.
Modified Jeep Wrangler roll hoop is for mounting 3-point seatbelts.
Jeep Wrangler seat belts. |
| Instruments: | Classic Instruments gauges, including an electronic speedometer. |
| Electrical: | stock alternator and starter motor.
Painless Wiring PPPI wiring harness.
Taillights and turn signals have been converted to newer style sockets/bulbs. |
| Miscellaneous: | custom stainless steel gas tank. |
| Weight: | 2460# with a half tank of gas. |
| Ryan explains: | The Quad 4 was installed in approximately 1993-1994 by Steve Green in Lincoln Nebraska.
He had discovered the engine in a junkyard with almost no miles on it. The conversion work
was excellent, but by the time I purchased the car its body was quite rusty. I feel like
I "saved" the car by taking on major rust repair that no one else wanted to do. The
suspension, brakes, cooling and charging systems were all completely shot and repaired by me.
Suspension rebuild parts for a Sunbeam are available, but surprisingly expensive. I spent $500 for bushings, ball joints, tie rod ends, and wheel bearings. The Husky takes the British car uniqueness factor to a new level! I was used to lots of gas station conversations about my MGB, usually of the "I used to have one of those" variety. The Husky always produces the "What the hell is that?" variety. This car has ~17,000 miles on its odometer. My work isn't finished, but I had it back on the road in September 2012 and I've driven almost 2,000 miles since then (as of BritishV8 2013). Now that it is reliably driveable, I really want to continue making it a better car. I plan to upgrade the suspension, and add comfort and a little quiet to the interior. It is very loud and has MANY vibrations due to the lack of interior. I'd love to add air conditioning for long summer road trips. |
Engine Installation
1992 Oldsmobile Quad 4 H.O. 2.3L, D-code (rated 190hp) from an Oldsmobile Achieva SC.
Tilton hydraulic reservoir.
Custom aluminum log-type intake manifold and plenum.
Stock Oldsmobile Quad 4 throttle body.
Manifold absolute pressure sensor.
Oldsmobile Achieva crankcase breather / oil trap.
Ryan plans to eliminate the Quad 4 engine cover and polish the aluminum underneath.
Like vintage Offenhauser engines, Quad 4 engines feature separate camshaft "towers".
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When purchased by Ryan, this Husky had a custom brass radiator with early Camaro end tanks.
An electric fan mounted with the through-core ties had nearly completely destroyed that
radiator core in only 17,000 miles or less. The new fan is mounted seperately from the core.
Custom stainless four-into-one header.
Header wrap helps keep temperatures down inside the engine compartment.
Front Suspension
Stock Hillman Husky crossmember with Sunbeam Alpine SIV/SV upper and lower A-arms and spindles.
(Alpine SIV/SV A-arms incorporate ball joints where the Husky had king-pins.) Pontiac Grand Prix
11" vented rotors are used with Sunbeam Alpine hubs which have been turned for spindle clearance.
Credit for the front brake system design: Bill Blue from the Sunbeam Alpine Owner's message board.
Rear Suspension
Custom stainless steel gas tank.
Stock leaf springs. Custom anti-sway bar. Tube shocks of unknown specification.
Borla stainless steel mufflers. Three of them are employed!
Interior
1980s Subaru front seats, upholstered by Ryan.
Jeep Wrangler 3-point seat belts for both front and rear seats.
Custom door cards will be added, and will help quiet down the interior.
Mazda RX7 steering wheel.
Classic Instruments gauges, including an electronic speedometer.
Tilton pedal assembly with shortened clutch and brake pedals.
The Tilton pedal assembly features a balance bar and 7/8" master cylinders.
(Ryan changed both front and rear masters from 3/4" to 7/8" bore diameter.)
Floor mounted aluminum throttle pedal.
Custom fabricated transmission tunnel.
First Alert fire extinguisher.
Painless Wiring PPPI wiring harness and General Motors style fuse block.
Exterior
Hillman Motor Car Co., Ltd., Coventry, England.
When ordering parts please quote Chassis No. &l Engine No.: A2806220H / LSX.
Only very rarely driven in rain, so windshield wipers just spoil the view from the drivers seat.
Ryan did the bodywork and applied this paint job in Glacier Blue and Wimbledon White single
stage acrylic urethane from TCP Global Restoration Shop. About the bodywork: "I don't like
a lot of the new flexible sanders that are out there, even on cars as curvy as the Hillman.
To get a car straight you need a hard block and aggressive sandpaper. The new powdered
guide coats are awesome; they make block sanding a snap and are worth every penny."
Hillman Husky door handles.
Jaguar XJ6 fuel filler door.
Rear quarter panels reconstructed using late model Nissan Altima front fenders to get a
finished wheel opening: "There was enough of the original wheel opening left that I bent
some welding rod to the shape of the opening, and took that to the junkyard to find a close
match. I built the lower rear sections of the front fenders from scratch, as well as the
rounded corners at the rear of the car. Both rear chassis sections were gone, as was the
passenger side chassis rail where the transmission mount is located.
Taillights and turn signals have been converted to newer style sockets/bulbs.
"I'd rather be square dancing."
Ooops! Since the new bodywork, there's no handle for opening the tailgate.
Spacers and longer studs were required to fit these 2000 Mercury Cougar wheels.
Nankang XR611 tires (185/65/15 front, 205/60/15 rear.)
Photos by Curtis Jacobson for BritishV8. Copyright 2013. All rights reserved.
