Can someone tell me how easy or difficult it would be to install a 76 455 in my 71 buick electra 225? It's a engine and trans, is the bolt up to the rear end easy? Any help would be helpful.
71 and 76 are the beginning and end of the HUGENESS 'B' (for Boat) -body GM's. there are some minor variances in accessory mounts on the motor but if you're swapping the whole trans/motor everything should drop right in. you may get better fitment from the 76 fan shroud but i would think you should stay with the 71.
So does everyone agree that this will work? Are the actually motor mounts in the same location for my 71? This is my first restoration and it looks like it'll mount up ok, but everyone knows how it'll work. I'll purchase the engine and trans and it'll be like off by a hair, then I'm stuck. ou: :af:
The motor mounts will work. The blocks are the same. The heads are not as good performance wise in 1976 but the dimensions are the same as a 71. Buick made a few changes to their big-block in 1971 and it remained the same until 1976, the final year for the 455.
just remember that you're mounting the engine in the rear holes on the block (engine forward) not the front ones. Hmrph (clearing throat)...Electras are C-bodies. LeSabres are B-bodies. ummm, duuurrr, what? strange, i've never heard them referred too as such before. in fact, i had them referred too as "B" bodies by guys at salvage yards ... not that at lot of those guys are buick guru's or anything. i've also used that terminology here in the 'boatload of fun' forum and never been called on it before. weird. doing a little research i found this: http://www.classicbuicks.com/body_style.htm#1971-1975 GM Body Style Chart and it certainly does appear that you are right. question though. remembering back to the (now vaporized) axle thread the fact that the 9 3/8s electra axle assembly will transpose with the Riv (E body) and the catalina, bonneville, 88 (B bodies) and such, what exactly is the difference in the frames / body styles? or are the frames the same for B, C and E cars and the bodies just different?
Biggest compression loss was in the pistons...but I don't think it would hurt to use the 71 heads and intake on the 76 block.
The frames and bodies are different! The frames are different even among B-bodies! For example, a 65-68 LeSabre has 123" wheelbase while the 65-68 Wildcat have a 126" wheelbase and boxed frame, that's not to mention cars from the other divisions! There are also different frames in the seventies cars. The 1970 and newer Estate Wagons have B bodies but have a very different frame. I think there were 3-4 different frame models just for the 74 LeSabre model... 70's B body cars from the other divisions also have different frames and wheelbases... All the Electra models have C bodies and have a longer wheelbase than the LeSabre models. Rivieras have E bodies like the Toronado and Eldorado models but their frame is completely different as they are rear wheel drive while the Toronado and Eldorado models are front wheel drive... the Eldorados are longer and have longer wheelbases than the Toronado. The pre-71 Rivs even had an "X" frame while the other "E" bodies had perimeter frames. They shared very few body panels, even most of the floor pans were different from the other "E" body cars. The 71-76 Cadillac Calais/De Ville and Fleetwood models are "C" bodies but their frames are different from Buick Electra frames. They have longer wheelbases and the Fleetwood has an even longer wheelbase than the De Ville.
