What is everyone's opinion of swapping a 1996 LT1 and 4L60E auto into a 1965 Skylark? I can get a '96 Trans Am Ram Air with 127K miles with minor rear end body damage for $1500. It runs and drives great but paint and body is not so great. The trans was also rebuilt around a year ago. Is there anything else on the car that can be swapped, such as brakes, rear end, or AC? I'd like to know what I'd be getting myself into and if it's worth it money wise. Thanks, Brandon
I put the same type of setup in a 1992 pickup. You can use the harness from the donor car, but an aftermarket harness from Stree & Performance in Mena, Arkansas will make your life so much easier. Also, you may want to measure your frame rail width and the width of the motor- your a/c compressor may come close to the passenger side frame rail. Your P/S lines from the donor car will need new ends (or adapters) on the box end, as will your A/C lines. While you have the motor out, change the opti-spark and water pump (around $600 total) and you'll need a set of buick/chevy engine swap brakets. The transmission is a 4 speed electronic overdrive- You'll pick up some milage with that. You'll do some driveshaft work, and your shift indicator won't be accurate without being creative. A very tidy swap though, and you shouldn't have more than about $3500 into it total 9including the donor car. You can part out that 96 and get a lot of that money back, especially if the interior is good... Good luck- Bryan
I would imagine it's about the same as putting one in a Chevelle. Have you tried a Chevy webboard to see if anybody's done an LT1 into Chevelle swap?
make sure you get the correct frame mounts for a chevy in a buick.:Smarty: dont try to make your own. theres too many people that try to do what was in the 4 door 65 i just got. someone frankenstined a 327 in it with a combo of chevy block mounts booger welded (with their eyes closed im sure) to ford frame mounts which were booger welded to a square plate (again with their eyes closed) which was tack welded to the crossmember, not bolted.ou: im suprised that they didnt weld them to the blocko No: im suprised that the dam motor didnt fall outuzzled: as for the trans, the holes didnt line up on the crossmember so they drilled some off to the side about an inch from the ones that were there so the whole engine/trans was sideways in the car.:rant: good luck:beers2:
There was an article in car craft or something like that just in the last few months about installing one of those engines in an A body,,,had all the little details about what needs to be done! I put a 401 in mine,,but if i was to do it all over,,i'd do what your thinking of doing!!!!
You should do an LSx motor. Locally, there is an early eighties two door caprice sleeper with an LS out of a TA. Headers, program, ac delete, electric cutouts and drag radials. it ran 12.70's at KCIR. not bad. I still kicked his ass on 10 year old rock hard radials at half throttle through the first gear....:Brow:
id like to to this swap m ya self and know as well..........http://www.v8buick.com/showthread.php?t=163735&highlight=lt1+skylark
if you want to save a little money look into the lq4 and lq9 engines. i am thinking of using one of these in my 66 vette. when i get the cash. jim
The LT1 is a fairly simple swap in an A-body, or any gm for that matter. The LSX engines requires some more fabbing for accessories.
Buick car deserves a Buick engine. That could be a nice car. I suggest you fix up the TA rather than parting it out. Find a real Buick engine for the Skylark. Two project cars are better than one.
