Hello. I am new and love this site. I am in the process of restoring a 1965 Rivi. To my surprise, the car needs a new engine. What can I fit in it? Where can I buy it? I am clueless as to mechanical car stuff. The mechanic told me that all I have to do is pick out an engine and he will fit it in...
Sounds like the mechanic would like to install a non Buick engine in your car! Don't let anyone talk you into that. I know it looks temting to just pick out a crate chevy engine and put it in there, but it will just make a mutt out of your car. If you are restoring the car, and want to keep it original I would get with a reputable buick engine builder, and have the original nailhead rebuilt. With a decient cam, and alittle head work you should have moderate performance, and keep the car original. Same goes with the original Switch pitch TH 400 trans. If you are after big power you could swap in a built 455.
Rivs are heavy and the Buick engines were designed to produce the high torque needed to get them moving. Your engine is either a Buick 401 cid or a 425 cid nailhead. Send it out to one of the Buick nailhead pros on this Board for a rebuild. You can ship it on a pallet by truck. I would be leary of letting someone local without a lot of nailhead experience do the work. This route will make the car worth more on resale. All cars are resold sooner or later. Keep it as close to stock as you can. Now if power is your thing convert it to a 455 Buick. But his will require mods to lots of things like the AC system. This means more cost. Rivs are heavy cars. From the factory the tests I have seen indicate they performed around 16 seconds in the quarter mile. It will take a lot of work to make one a rocket if that is your goal. This means even more dollars must be spent on top of the other resto expenses.
In California, here's your nailhead guru. He'll give you what ever you want in the way of performance from a nailhead. As most everyone else has said, don't forgo the nailhead. www.nailheadbuick.com Nailhead_Russ@yahoo.com
Pretty much anything but a Buick engine won't fit without major oilpan surgery due to the wierd rear steer setup with the center link behind the oilpan sump under the rear main cap area. You need a 62-66 Fullsized nailhead pan (includes 63-66 Rivieras), a 67-70 Riviera 430 or 455 pan, or the rare (and I do mean really rare) '64 LeSabre pan for a small block Buick 64+. In the end if you want to make it fast, go with a 455 as they are more numerous and better supported by the aftermarket however be prepared to switch the transmissions, fab up new motor mounts, change the radiator, redo the starter wiring, fab up new power steering lines, modify the AC plumbing, and adjust the trottle linkage to get it all lined up. Its not really hard if you take your time and do it right but it is a lot of stuff. If you want a cruizer, rebuild the nailhead or find another 64-66 401 or 425 nailhead and do a basic build on it with a modern cam, Tom T's roller rockers and get Gessler to port your stock intake. Throw on some TA headers and exhauste system and you'll have all the open road and fairgrounds power you need.
Good information to know! The car was sitting and the water in the car was stagnant for a couple of years. I took the car in for a new water pump and the metal end of the water pump snapped right off. There was corrosion inside of the pump and the mechanic told me that he is 80 percent sure that the inside of the engine was like the inside of the water pump. 80 percent is not 100 percent, but he is just covering all of the bases if I were to get the water pump/belts/radiator/ etc replaced and that turned out to be the problem. Question: Could I have my 401 rebuilt even if there is corrosion inside of the engine? I'm sure its possible, but would it be worth it? As much as I am into speed, I can buy a Corvette for that! The Riviera is a cruiser. My goal is to keep is as close to stock a possible. Although, I want to make it a little more modern. I hate the drum breaks, I am going to put in leather, etc... I am going to make TA performance rich, lol!
www.scarebird.com for the brake conversion. Water is left sitting in many engines that are later rebuilt. Your radiator will need a new core so treat it with care. A new one with the correct tanks may not be available. So you will need to keep you old tanks for the recore.
Clarks will do a leather in the '65 style but it will be custom ordered and they won't garentee it like thier vinyl sets. I'm trying to work on a set of 12.5" discs for the front of these cars but progress is slow because having just bought a house I am constantly low on cash while I get it all equiped. If all goes well, next month I'll ship the parts off for prototyping. If you want to throw a lot of money at a nailhead, 3 people you need to be friends with; You've mentioned TA, add Tom Telesco (TelRiv on here), and Carmen Faso to your list and you should be able to build a stout and well fortified nailhead without getting into the exotic and the custom with the exception of the pistons which I'm not sure anyone stocks in forged but you probaby don't need those.
Nothing will sound better, fit better, look better, or run better that a Nailhead in that car. Don't let anybody talk you putting anything else in it, 455 included. That car was built around the configuration of the Nailhead engine. Motor mounts, oil pan, a/c, wiring harness, exhaust manifolds, etc. In order to make the lesser chebby (or whatever) go into it's place will only cost you at least as much money, twice as many headaches, and in the end you will have ruined a very nice car that will never really be right. Most of these small block crazy guys don't even know what a SP400 even is, let alone the first thing about rebuilding a Nailhead. Sure your mechanic can make anything fit.......you're paying him by the hour! :spank: ou: The '65 Riv is the most sought after Riv right now, and the value of these cars is increasing each year. Once you hack that car to a condition that only YOU can appreciate, the car will only be valuable to you. When you do things to it like cutting up the frame for different motor mounts and the like those are things that can't ever be put back to original and the value of the car becomes lost forever. Did you notice my screen name? I used a Nailhead in place of the 430 that really belongs in my car. As for originality, that's gone now, as well as the value of that car due to the mods I had to do on it. She's worth a million bucks to me, but it's how I wanted it. People compliment how nice the car is all the time, but any Riv of the same year that still has the correct engine in it will always be worth more. And then when I consider all the time and hassles getting everything to "jive" and fit together, for probably just as much $$ I could have just built a nice 455 that would have just dropped right in there. I cringe at the thought of what would have happened if I had a "shop" that knows practically nothing about Buick Rivieras attempt doing this switch. I have spent literally hundreds of hours making things perfect.....are you ready to pay someone by the hour to do that who's heart really isn't in it? o No: Enough rambling.....my best advice to you is to think VERY CAREFULLY before you try putting non-Buick parts into your Riv or making any changes to it that can't ever be put back.
If the origonal engine is rebuildable that is your best option, if not find a 425 nailhead for the car. I see them on ebay, Buick Club or GS club members can be helpful too. The nailhead is a really powerful and durable engine and I bet yours just needs an overhaul, maybe even just some head work. Putting a non Buick engine in a Buick is a sin against everything honorable and destroys the value of the car and the 65 Riviera is a really nice and sought after car. The 2 four carb set up is available, you may have to do some shopping, and really adds class and hp. If you put a Chevy engine in this Buick I'll come find you and it won't be pretty.
I wouldn't think of putting a chevy engine in place of the nailhead! Now, how can I find a 401 or 425? Are there any good web sites/people/part finder web sites that I can use to 401/425? I can't wait to get the car finished!
I see them on ebay often, there is one 425 anad three 401's in the classifieds on this forum; in the classifieds in the publications for the Riviera Owner's Association, the Buick Club, Hemmigngs Motor News; and the other forums - the one for the Antique Auto Club of America www.aaca.org, and www.teambuick.com.
I agree with everyone else, either rebuild the factory 401 or find another 401 or 425 and have it done up by a professional nailhead guru. If you want a factory dual quad set up (two 4 barrel carbs) and the factory air cleaner to gain a little more "punch" and they also are really impressive when you open the hood! They came factory on the 65 Riveria under the GS option which you may not have but it sure looks :kodak: nice! I have a set-up I would be willing to sell for the right price, the carbs would need to be rebuilt and the air cleaner could use some cleaning up (To make perfect it would need to be rechromed) but if your interested send me a message. Tom
I would just like to thank everyone who contributed to this post! I have contacted Russell Martin at Centerville Auto Repair and we'll take it from here! Thanks!
Beleive Jim Lore, Joe Nabb, Carmen Faso, and me, hehehe, Stick with the nailheads, build a super cat, whatever, But before you spend a dime on any engine run a compression test, check the oil pressure, and the radiator should be checked out. Then you have a base for making decisions. If the cyls are all even pressures and they are 100# or above, then check the oil pressure. If it is good, 40# is normal, then the bottom end is good. If that is all good then you dont need to build an engine just refine what you have. Keep us posted, mutter, scam artists mechanics, mutter, mutter, hehe.
