The first-generation Buick Nailhead V8, named for its small upright valves, ran from 1953 through 1966 in five displacements. They ranged between 264 and 425 cubic inches. However, there was never a 455-cubic-inch version. Each size went into a particular group of Buicks, and the overlapping years are where most mix-ups start.

First, a naming note before the list. Badges such as “Wildcat 445” and “Wildcat 465” give torque in pound-feet, not displacement. Also, the horsepower figures below are the gross ratings of the period.

1. 1953–1956 Buick Nailhead 322 V8 (Super, Century, Roadmaster)

The original Nailhead measured 322 cubic inches from a 4.00-inch bore and 3.20-inch stroke, according to Mac’s Motor City Garage. That site also explains the nickname. The small valves stood vertically in a row, like nails driven into a board. In addition, Curbside Classic says early intake valves measured 1.75 inches and exhausts 1.25 inches.

The 322 went into the Super, Century and Roadmaster, according to the Auto History Preservation Society’s Nailhead history. Curbside Classic puts its 1953 ratings between 164 and 188 horsepower, depending on model. However, by 1956 the same displacement reached 255 horsepower. Both the preservation society and CarTech Books give that figure.

2. 1954–1955 264 V8 (Special)

Buick built the smallest Nailhead for one car line. To get there, it shrank the bore to 3.625 inches but kept the 322’s 3.20-inch stroke. That gave 264 cubic inches for the entry-level Special in 1954 and 1955, per Mac’s Motor City Garage.

The preservation society lists its output at 188 horsepower at 4,800 rpm with 256 lb-ft of torque. Still, it lasted only two model years.

3. 1957–1961 364 V8 (Special, Century, LeSabre and up)

For 1957 the Nailhead grew to 364 cubic inches on a 4.125-inch bore and 3.40-inch stroke, according to Mac’s Motor City Garage. The hottest version went in the Century. The preservation society says it made 330 horsepower and 400 lb-ft.

By the end of its run, the 364 was the LeSabre’s engine. Carnut’s 1960s Buick specification tables list it in the 1960 and 1961 LeSabre at outputs from 210 to 300 horsepower. Then, as Over-Drive’s 1962 Buick fact sheet confirms, Buick dropped the 364 after 1961 and moved the LeSabre to the 401. One CarTech article lists the 364 through 1962, but the 1962 specification tables contradict it.

4. 1959–1966 401 V8 (Invicta, Electra, Wildcat, Riviera, Skylark Gran Sport)

The 401 arrived in the 1959 Invicta, according to CarTech Books. Mac’s Motor City Garage gives its dimensions as a 4.1875-inch bore and 3.64-inch stroke. Meanwhile, Carnut’s tables show it at 325 horsepower with a four-barrel in the 1960 and 1961 Invicta and Electra.

The preservation society calls the 401 the longest-running Nailhead size, at eight model years. It lists the engine in the Invicta, Electra, Wildcat and Riviera. In the 1965 Skylark Gran Sport, though, it wore the “Wildcat 445” name. As Barn Finds notes, that number refers to its 445 lb-ft of torque rather than its size.

5. 1963–1966 425 V8 (Riviera, Wildcat, Electra)

The last and largest Nailhead measured 425 cubic inches from a 4.3125-inch bore and 3.60-inch stroke. Carnut’s tables first list it in 1963 at 340 horsepower with a single four-barrel. Then a dual four-barrel version followed from 1964 through 1966 at 360 horsepower. Mac’s Motor City Garage credits the dual-quad engine’s Carter AFB carburetors and lists its peak at 4,400 rpm.

Buick badged the 425 “Wildcat 465” for its torque, according to the preservation society. The same source counts 179 factory dual-quad 1966 Riviera GS cars. The 1966 model year was the Buick Nailhead V8’s last. Finally, the preservation society says a new-generation Buick V8 replaced it for 1967, closing a 14-year run that never included a 455.

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This article was created with the help of AI and was reviewed and edited by Fast Lane Only editors before publication.