Hello, my name is Jeff and I have an opportunity to purchase a Buick.

I have been looking at purchasing an older muscle car, on a very short budget, to toy with. Recently a 1968 skylark with a clean body,frame, and immaculate interior has found its way in my sights. The down side is it is a straight six. My question is what are my options for engine swaps, and would the transmission need to be swapped as well. Im a mechanic by trade, unfortunately I don't have much knowledge of my options with a Buick. I would appreciate any feedback.

 

Your engine choices are only limited by your ingenuity and finances. 350 or 400 would be your easiest swaps but 430 and 455 are options too. You'll want to swap out the trans or upgrade whats in there now depending on how much power your making. Good luck and post up some pics when you can.

 

A Turbo Hyramatic 400 series trans is the better option to handle the torque from a big mill.

 

Short Budget and Engine Swap should never be in the same sentence.

Are you going to do the work, of have it done?
Whatever you are estimating it will cost, double it.
You will also need to start with making sure other components are good to go. Start with the entire brake system!

I would suggest, from experience, save a few more dollars and buy what you want. UNLESS you are planning on doing the work yourself and enjoy doing it.

Just my opinion, and you know what they say about those......

Kensey

 

There are a lot of 350 engines and turbo 400 transmissions out there at good prices even crate engines are affordable; LS with a overdrive transmission might be another option. Still pretty hard to beat the small block for reasonable power and economy;but if you really want just raw raise the front end in the air power nothing beats a big block.

 

I will be doing the work myself. To be quite honest it is very hard to find descent frames and bodies up here in the New England, (without spending a small fortune) and I figured it might be a good starting point.

 

Where are you located? I have a good running 350/th350 I removed from my 71 skylark...should be an easy swap, even have the frame pads and shroud. 250 takes it.

 

New Hampshire

 

I hear you on the rust factor, I was astonished to find my car in Upstate New York.

 

Where in NH? I live in Weare, my shop is in Goffstown. Would love to see your car and talk Buicks sometime.

 

Congrats on your find. I searched a while before finding a solid 1968 GS400. Living in the north getting a solid body and frame is much more important then drivetrain if you ask me.

If budget is a concerned you should be able to find a running 350 motor and trans you can swap like the one mentioned in this thread. That would be the easiest route to go and get you on the road the quickest where you could slowly work at upgrading as you go. When I was younger I worked as a mechanic so I can understand that this route would be appealing to you. A 350 makes ample power for most street applications.

However if performance is really where you want to be then I'd make the jump now to a 455. You should be able to find a decent motor and trans for a foundation. Then let your budget dictate just how far you want to take it.

Please don't stick a Chevy motor in it.

Welcome to V8 Buick by the way.

 

I have not pulled the trigger on the Buick yet, wanted to cover my basis and see what people who knew about them thought. Wasn't sure if swapping a inline 6 to a 350 or 455 was a horror show, or it was common.

---------- Post added at 02:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:35 PM ----------

Buickrat I'm in Fremont, not far at all.

 

The 455 swap will cost significantly more than the 350 swap, as most available complete 455's come from big cars, and then you need to find all the bracketry, frame pads, big radiator, specific shroud etc. Don't get me wrong, its doable, just a bit more expensive and some parts are not easy to find, ps brackets for one. Good luck!

 

I'm a "wet behind the ears guy" myself; do people in the Buick community get ticked off if you throw a crate Chevy 350 in a Skylark?

 

I think most do, some dont, i think it really only affects the real buick crowd, people who dont know buicks dont know the difference.

 

Can you get decent hp gains out of the 350 with a cam, intake, carb and headers? Or would it be about the same to start with a relatively stock 455?

 

Not really ticked off, but a chevy crate 350 doesn't have near as much torque as a Buick 350. That is what most don't understand.

---------- Post added at 04:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:56 PM ----------

For performance, a 455 will need a few mods done to the block if you plan on revving it, and also has some inherent oiling issues you need to resolve before beefing it up. There are more performance parts available for the 455, though, as opposed to the 350. Depends on what your goals are. Do you want a monster or a nice driver with a little more than stock performance? If you want a monster, go 455, but be prepared to spend some coin.

 

I figured it would be akin to Ford guys seeing a Chevy crate in a Fox Body. That is more aggregious I suppose.

Well, I'm happy with my matching numbers 455 No plans to swap it out.

 

How are the big block 430 engines?

 

I have a 430 in my Riv and its great. Harder to get some parts for. In the Regal I run the 455. More after market parts availability. Runs great. Everyone knows a 455 but few outside our circle have ever heard of a 430.