Hi everybody! Long time listener, first time caller. I got a fairly simple question for you knowledgeable folks; what all needs to be done to swap out a 300, 2 barrel with a 350, 4 barrel (transmission includedmore details in a minute)? Ok, with that being said, let me fill you in on the details of who I am, what I dont know, and where my confusion is. I know very little about carsI can change the oil, replace the brakes (pads), put on shocks, etc. Small minor work that I can follow from a Chiltons or Haynes manual. I guess what Im saying, is things will need to be kept fairly simple. However, I do have a pretty good knack for figuring stuff out, so you shouldnt have to dumb it down too much. Ok, heres the story as it stands now. I bought a 67 Buick Special 4 door from a work auction for 300 bucks. The car itself is in great condition (1 original owner, garage kept, daily driver for an air force general, etc.) save one major flaw; the engine is kaput. I took it to a local restoration/rebuild shop and he says the engine is shota rod is knocking extremely bad (among other problems), and if I keep running it its gonna blow the engine etc. (Im paraphrasing here). He says to keep this boat on the road its gonna need a complete rebuild which can go upwards of 3000 dollars. Ok, now that you have the gist, heres the complete details as I can tell from my lack of experience: -300, 2 barrel Buick engine -I assume a 300 super turbine transmission (according to my internet research, the 67 special only had 2 transmissions; a 3 speed manual column shifter or an automatic ST. Since this car is an automatic, I assume yet again its the ST). -Everything else seems to be in pretty good shape. Theres even a new distributor, plugs, etc. that have all been gapped, dwelled, etc. I think thats the relevant information needed. So, heres where my confusion comes in. From my reading this board, it seems the 350 buick small block and the 350 TH (turbo right?) transmission will drop right in. I can get some minor help with what goes where from a buddy, so if thats the case, were golden. The problem is, does my current configuration use electrical or cable shifting? If electrical, then I need to get a gas pedal assembly for a cable shifter, correct? What about exhaust manifolds too? Will they fot right in or will I need an adapter as well? I guess what Im asking is this: what parts will I need to purchase exactly (i.e. complete engine and transmission, pedal assembly, manifold, carbs, etc.) and what am I looking to spend? Also, is there any specific thing I should be aware before I even begin. Im really fond of this car and would like to keep it, so any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Heck, Id love to rebuild the engine myself but I feel that will be well beyond my scope of knowledge. What would that take time and money wise? In any case, thanks for listening and I hope I wasnt too long winded. Let me know if Im missing anything or you need more information. Ill be happy to oblige. :grin:
Unless you have a 350 lined up..........why not consider replacing the original 300 with another? That would be the easiest and probably cheapest way to get the car on the road. I'm sure someone on this board must have a good used 300 they would part with.
300??? correct . the 350 will " bolt-in " but there will maybe be some small differences along the way . but you will gain some extra power for sure . but i think dave has a good notion there , maybe look for a good 300 , better yet - look for a whole car similar to your rig and then you've got lots of spare parts to boot . or if you can find a mid-60's lesabre base model alot of those had a 300 4-bbl motor in them , good tune up - rebuild the 4 bbl - simple dual exhaust system , that'll run good . they're a nice little motor . plus that'll keep the car a little more original if you're into that . either way its not tooo much work for a noticable improvement . then later on you can upgrade trans and gears etc as budget/ability allows . del
Welcome to the board. Actually, a 350 swap into your car would be pretty easy. Your car currently will have a t-300 switch pitch tranny, you can bolt a 350 Buick right to that, or swap in the t-350 as well. The t-350 will bolt right in, same mount location, same length, same driveshaft length and yoke. The only differenc is the t-300 is electrical kickdown whereas the t-350 has a cable kickdown. The 350 engine will bolt right in to your current motor mounts as well. The exhaust pipes will have to be slightly modified to line up with the 350 exhaust manifolds. You could take the 350 with all it's brackets and bolt i tright in, or you can bolt the accessories from the 300 engine onto the 350 . This is really a very simple swap. Jim Burek PAE ENTERPISES
AACG. Welcome to the board. One tip will come in handy, add a first name to your signature so we know who we're talking to. Unless AACG is your first name, in which case I apologize.lol. My suggestion depends on how soon you want this car back on the road and what you invision for this car in the future. If you want it on the road soon, then just swap for another 300 and go. Preferably a newly rebuilt. You don't want to do the work swapping one bad motor for another. You can definately find whatever you need through this site. The 350 thing is pretty easy I guess if you have one sitting there but, even the few things that will need to be dealt with, make it not quite a drop it in and go situation. If you have visions of restoration, and hi performance, then strap in and grab yer helmet. Once you pull the motor/trans, you're toast. You'll be restoring, painting, sanding, rebuilding, replacing every dang thing you can strip off that car and you won't be back on the road for months..........believe me.........I know....... I will offer this though, each step of the way, whatever you choose, ask-read-learn-search as much as you can from the guys in here before turning a wrench. We've all done it all wrong enough times to have done it all right a few times too. There's alot of little things you can gain in here to make educated decisions. My personal vote would be to just get another 300 and go. Spend your time doing the many other little things on the car while you drive it and enjoy it. Good luck and keep us posted.:beer ]
